Thermocouple type K, insertion, 3.3 mm tip

The Pico SE003 Type K Insertion Thermocouple with 3.3 mm tip is designed for engineers, laboratories, research teams and test applications that require direct temperature measurement inside suitable soft materials.

Pico Technology specifically describes the SE003 as a thermocouple probe with a sharp point designed for insertion into soft materials.

Its key manufacturer-supported specifications include:

• Order Code: SE003
• Thermocouple Type: Type K
• Probe Type: Insertion
• Tip Diameter: 3.33 mm
• Tip Temperature Range: −50 °C to +250 °C
• Probe Length: 120 mm
• Cable Length: 1 m
• Primary Application: Temperature measurement by insertion into soft materials
• Manufacturing Tolerance Standards: IEC 60584-2:1993 / BS EN 60584-1:2013

Designed for Insertion into Soft Materials

The main feature of the SE003 is its sharp insertion tip.

Pico specifically states that the probe is intended for insertion into soft materials, making it suitable for applications where the sensing tip must penetrate the test material to measure internal temperature rather than surface or surrounding air temperature.

Potential applications include suitable:

• Soft materials
• Gels
• Semi-solid test samples
• Laboratory specimens
• Product-development materials
• Thermal test samples
• Research experiments
• Educational laboratory setups

The actual material must be physically suitable for insertion without damaging the probe.

Sharp 3.33 mm Tip

Pico specifies the insertion tip diameter as:

• 3.33 mm

The relatively narrow tip helps the probe penetrate suitable soft materials while keeping the measurement point localized.

For SEO-friendly product naming, 3.3 mm tip is acceptable in headings, but the technical specification table should use Pico’s published 3.33 mm value.

120 mm Probe Length

The SE003 has a published probe length of:

• 120 mm

This provides practical insertion reach for laboratory, engineering and test applications.

The probe should be inserted only to an appropriate depth for the material and measurement setup.

−50 °C to +250 °C Tip Temperature Range

Pico specifies the SE003 tip operating range as:

• Minimum tip temperature: −50 °C
• Maximum tip temperature: +250 °C

This is the correct operating range for the SE003 probe and should replace the +500 °C maximum currently shown on the product page.

Although Type K thermocouple technology can operate across a broader theoretical temperature range, the physical SE003 probe is limited to −50 °C to +250 °C.

Type K Thermocouple Technology

The SE003 uses a Type K thermocouple, one of the most widely used thermocouple types for general-purpose temperature measurement.

Type K thermocouples are commonly used in:

• Engineering testing
• Laboratory experiments
• Industrial measurements
• Product validation
• Thermal development
• Research applications

The SE003 probe construction defines its usable temperature range and physical measurement method.

1 m Cable

Pico’s current TC-08 Type K accessory table places the SE003 under the:

• 1 m cable configuration

This provides useful separation between the measurement point and connected temperature data logger.

The 1 m cable is suitable for:

• Laboratory benches
• Product testing
• Experimental setups
• Engineering development stations
• Multi-channel temperature-logging systems

Thermocouple Tolerance Standards

Pico states that its thermocouples are manufactured to strict industry tolerances specified in:

• IEC 60584-2:1993
• BS EN 60584-1:2013

The current Pico SE003 product page does not publish a separate numerical accuracy value specifically for SE003.

For this reason, the RevineTech product page should not state unsupported figures such as:

• ±1.1 °C
• ±0.4% of reading

unless supported by a separate manufacturer certificate or specification for the supplied SE003 probe.

Recommended for Pico USB TC-08

Pico Technology lists the SE003 as a recommended accessory for the USB TC-08 Thermocouple Data Logger.

The TC-08 provides:

• 8 thermocouple input channels
• Type K thermocouple support
• Multi-channel temperature logging
• 20-bit measurement resolution
• PicoLog software support
• Long-duration recording

Using multiple SE003 probes with the TC-08 can provide a practical system for multi-point insertion-temperature measurements.

Multi-Point Temperature Logging

The SE003 can be useful where the internal temperature of several suitable samples or measurement points needs to be recorded simultaneously.

With a multi-channel thermocouple logger, engineers can compare:

• Heating profiles
• Cooling profiles
• Temperature differences between samples
• Temperature changes over time
• Thermal response during product testing

Insertion Probe vs Surface Probe

The SE003 is specifically designed for insertion measurement.

For different measurement methods, Pico offers other probe styles, including:

• SE002: Type K air probe
• SE004: Type K ribbon surface probe

The probe should therefore be selected according to where the temperature needs to be measured:

• SE003: Internal temperature of suitable soft materials
• SE004: Surface temperature
• SE002: Air temperature

Measurement Considerations

Accurate insertion-temperature measurements depend on more than the thermocouple itself.

Important factors include:

• Sufficient insertion depth
• Good thermal contact with the material
• Correct probe placement
• Temperature gradients within the sample
• Heat conduction along the probe
• Material consistency
• Logger accuracy
• Cold-junction compensation

For repeatable testing, the probe should be positioned consistently between measurements.

Typical Applications

The Pico SE003 is suitable for:

• Soft-material temperature measurement
• Insertion temperature testing
• Laboratory experiments
• Product thermal testing
• Research and development
• Thermal profiling
• Engineering validation
• Temperature data logging
• Educational laboratory testing
• Multi-channel TC-08 measurements
• Product-development experiments
• Thermal response studies