Environmental testing is important for making sure that a product will work well under different conditions. It simulates the possible environments where the product could be used in order to find the defects that could occur. This allows you to detect any weaknesses or flaws and solve them at an early stage of the design. It makes the products more reliable for use.
We’ve already talked about the advantages of using thermal imaging cameras for heat detection but there are other useful testing instruments as well.
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What Are Manometers and What Are They Used For?
A manometer is an instrument used for measuring pressure. Many industries require pressure measurement, so manometers have existed for a long time. And that’s why there are many types of manometers nowadays. They can be analog or digital.
Analog manometers measure the pressure by adding the fluid in a U-shaped tube. On the other hand, digital or also called electronic manometers rely on a pressure transducer for measuring the pressure. This transducer converts the pressure level into an electrical signal that provides the pressure measurement and usually resistive, capacitive, or inductive pressure transducers are used. Due to being easy to use, investing in a highly-accurate digital manometer is the usual choice for most professionals.
The advantages of digital manometers over analog ones:
- They are portable because of their smaller size and lower weight and there’s no need for regulators, gas cylinders, or boxes to be set up;
- Don’t use manometric fluids for measurement that can be dangerous;
- Can be interfaced with a computer;
- Have displays that are easy to read and use, and suitable for dark places where it’s hard to see;
- Allow the readings to be taken and recorded in a desired unit of measure;
- More precise and accurate than the analog manometers.
There are three types of electronic manometers:
Absolute Manometer
This manometer uses an absolute scale to measure the pressure relative to the absolute zero vacuum pressure. Because it’s relative to a vacuum, it has one connection port.
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Gauge Manometer
A gauge manometer measures the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure, so it uses ambient pressure as a zero reference and has a single connection port as well.
Differential Manometer
This manometer measures the difference between two pressure levels. So there isn’t a specified reference pressure but just how much the pressure differs between the two set points.
What Are Digital Manometers Used for?
A wide range of industries makes use of manometers. A Digital Manometer can be used for measuring gas pressure in piping systems and measuring water and air pressure. So it’s used for boiler and heating systems, maintenance of HVAC systems, blood pressure measurements, meteorological monitoring and weather conditions, etc.
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What Are Light Meters And What Are They Used For?
Light meters are used for measuring the light in a given area. They are small, hand-held, and easy to use. There are two types of light meters: incident and reflective.
Incident Light Meters
These light meters measure the light that falls on the subject so it’s important to hold it directly in the light. They don’t pick up the light from the surrounding area and reflective backgrounds which means that they’re accurate.
Reflective Light Meters
Reflective light meters measure the light that’s reflected from a subject. This means that the light meter needs to be pointed at the subject so it can measure all the different lights in the background.
- Light meters are used by photographers in order to measure the light and how it will affect the image;
- They are used to measure the light levels in offices, schools, and factories;
- Light meters can have a memory to record and save data;
They are used for installing solar panels to discover the most suitable location; - Offer transferring measurements to a computer;
- They measure the light in lux or foot candles;
- Can measure LED and fluorescent light.
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What Are Thermometers and What Are They Used For?
Thermometers are used to measure temperature. There’s a variety of different types and different ones are suitable for different uses. Digital thermometers measure the temperature by sending the information they collect to be processed by a chip and displayed in numbers on the screen. They aren’t complicated to use, give the reading fast, and aren’t expensive.
Probe Thermometers
These are probably the most commonly used ones. They read the immediate temperature of liquids, foods, and semi-solid substances. They can have a pointy tip that can be inserted to check internal temperatures. They’re portable and can be fixed or wired. These thermometers can be used in laboratories, food cooking and storage temperatures, reheating temperatures, etc.
Infrared Thermometers
These are used to measure the temperature from a distance. They capture the temperature or the infrared energy emitted by the heat source. It’s a fast, non-contact measurement. This makes them suitable for extremely high or low temperatures. They rely on a laser to target the centre of the source that’ll be measured. As a result, infrared thermometers are useful in processes with extreme temperatures, air-conditioning systems, automotive repair, etc.
What Are Sound Meters and What Are They Used For?
Sound meters are tools used to measure sound levels. They have a microphone that’s used to convert the sound to a reading and it has a preamplifier that’s used to make the signal by the microphone stronger. They are used to measure sound from different sources for industrial and environmental purposes.
The condenser microphone is considered to be the most precise and reliable one. This instrument is also known as sound pressure level meter because sound waves cause changes in air pressure to which the microphone responds. The monitor of the meter usually displays the sound in decibels. For the electrical signal to be processed, there needs to be applied time and frequency weighting. Frequency weighting is how the sound meter responds to various sound frequencies, and time weighting shows the reaction of the sound level meter to changes in sound pressure.