Electromagnetic Metrology
Electrical parameters include familiar household units such as electrical voltage; current; power; and resistance. In addition, manufacturing industries measure electrical parameters in almost every step of a process. Of particular importance is the measurement of electrical power, as electricity impacts the lives of millions of people. These applications require accurate DC and low frequency electrical measurements.
Lasers and optical fibre are extensively used in manufacturing processes; telecommunications equipment; the medical industry and in everyday electronic devices. Accurate laser and fibre optic measurements ensure these devices comply with specification.
Internet service providers must ensure that packets of information being transmitted over the internet are not corrupted due to timing errors. Manufacturing plants must ensure that complex rapid process measurements are well synchronised. These applications require very accurate time and frequency measurements.
Applications of radio frequency (RF) occur in everyday electronic devices such as cell phones and radio broadcasting stations. However, there are a myriad of RF measuring instruments in use by industry. These require accurate measurement of RF power; attenuation and impedance.
Applications of optical radiation are very diverse, including lighting of homes, shops and factories, signalling for road, rail, sea and air transport, process control in industries such as printing, plastics, textiles and pharmaceuticals, and medical treatments such as ultraviolet phototherapy for some skin diseases. As applications increase, so does the need for increasingly accurate optical radiation measurements of sources, detectors and materials.
Accurate temperature measurements and standards are required by industry to increase efficiency, reduce energy consumption and waste, and to meet regulatory requirements for health and safety. Temperature is often one of the most significant factors in determining the success of a manufacturing process or the quality of a product. A broad spectrum of industries, from electricity generation to food processing and pharmaceuticals, depends on accurate humidity measurements to maintain product quality.
To many, ionising radiation represents a danger to health and damage to skin, but in fact it is a versatile tool used in many industries, including medicine, industrial processes, nuclear power, environmental monitoring and scientific research. There are risks associated with the containment and dosage of ionising radiation, therefore the need for accurate measurements that depend on well-defined test methods and calibrated instruments traceable to national standards.
Accurate radionuclide standards and activity measurements benefit the nuclear medicine industry and all patients treated with radiopharmaceuticals, and large nuclear facilities. At these facilities, research is undertaken, radioisotopes are produced for national use and export and electricity is generated. These facilities need radioactivity standards for the calibration of equipment, research and the monitoring of the environment for radioactive pollution.
Services offered by the Electromagnetic Metrology competence are:
- Maintenance and development of national measurement services
- Measurement traceability through calibration, measurement and analytical services
- Measurement-related problem-solving
- Proficiency testing schemes for calibration and testing laboratories