Paragon Industries has added a new optional touchscreen controller to its kilns. Called the Sentinel Smart Touch, the controller is made by Bartlett Instruments of Fort Madison, Iowa. Since the Sentinel uses the same wiring harness and the same size face plate as Paragon’s standard Sentry 12-key controller, the Sentinel can replace the 12-key on existing Paragon kilns. The controllers are interchangeable.

New Paragon kilns equipped with the Sentinel reportedly give a continuous amperage and circuit voltage readout during firings. This is to inform the kiln user of voltage drops during times of heavy electrical demand, such as hot summers. The amperage reading indicates when the elements begin to wear. Ramp-Hold programs can have a custom title, which is entered through the touchscreen. The Sentinel includes Novice Mode, which adds questions during programming. The controller can be updated through WiFi.

The Sentinel displays a graph of the program during operation to show the progress of the firing. The firing schedule reportedly can be edited during firing with Skip Step, Add Segments, Add Temperature, and Add Time. The Sentinel can turn a kiln vent on or off for each segment of a program.

For more information, call (800) 876-4328 or visit www.paragonweb.com.