The U.S. research and development industry has blossomed into one of the biggest industries in the entire country over the years. It’s currently worth a whopping $264 billion, and that number is expected to continue to rise in the years to come. Those who work in this industry rely on a wide range of tools and equipment to do their jobs successfully.
Precision sensors are a gigantic part of the R&D industry. From measuring calorie levels to make healthier snack foods, to the telescopes used to map the universe. Discover more about what precision sensors are, how they work, and what role they play within the R&D industry below.
What Are Precision Sensors?
As you might imagine, those who spend their days working in research and development need to take accurate measurements. The sensors their tools and equipment are built with are a big part of their success.
Precision sensors used in platinum resistance thermometers are able to measure temperature with an accuracy of ±0.001°C. Gyroscopic sensors precisely measure rotation and angular velocity for applications like robotics. Hall effect potentiometers operate for precision operation of equipment like pneumatic control valves, allowing nearly exact measurements of testing chemicals.
Behind nearly every precision R&D instrument is a finely tuned sensor.
What Makes Precision Sensors Superior to Those in Commercial-Grade Products?
Precision sensors are able to take more accurate measurements and gather data that other sensors would miss out on during R&D.
For example, ultrasonic sensors utilize high-frequency sound waves that can detect the exact positioning of objects and their distances from other objects. You’ll find these sensors in biomedical equipment to measure qualities like blood flow, and environmental equipment to take air and water quality readings. This is the same technology that you might find in your car for blind spot detection or parking assistance to tell how much clearance you have, just dialed up to the extreme.
Who Uses Precision Sensors in Research and Development?
Because of the many benefits that precision sensing equipment can provide, they’re a staple in many aspects of R&D. They’ve found a home in many industries, and they continue to prove just how invaluable they can be for any company or research firm that needs to take precise measurements.
For instance, biomedical researchers who perform tests on new pharmaceutical drugs. These sensors allow researchers to take dosage measurements accurate to the nearest micron (μm) when necessary.
Material scientists also use precision sensors to quantify the thermal properties of metals, alloys, and polymers. Testing qualities like thermal conductivity and expansion help to identify qualities like tensile strength and impact resistance.
There are even engineers who use precision sensors to perform quality control checks on the products they’re producing. These products need to be uniform in size in most cases, and precision sensors can make it possible for engineers to accomplish this goal.
What Are the Other Benefits of Using Precision Sensors?
The benefits of precision sensors don’t stop with R&D. Engineers, quality control personnel, machinists, and all kinds of technical roles leverage precise equipment to make their jobs more seamless and efficient. They can work more quickly than they would be able to otherwise.
Perhaps best of all, precision sensors are often incorporated into customized tools and equipment. This is how we get tools like Piezoelectric Scanners that enable entire new fields like Atomic Force Microscopy. These are precision tools sensitive enough to measure the topography of nanostructures like nanoparticles and nanowires. This emerging field of R&D has applications in everything from advanced batteries to cancer treatment.
Every time new tools like these are developed, they push our understanding of science and technology just a bit further.
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