We
see flow from many points of view
©1999-2001
Flow Research
27 Water Street
Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 224-7550
(781) 224-7552 (fax)
website: http://www.flowresearch.com
email: info@flowresearch.com
Contacts:
Jesse Yoder, Flow Research: 781-245-3200 (jesse@flowresearch.com)
Nick Limb, Ducker Worldwide: 248-644-0086 (nickl@ducker.com)
Infrared
thermometers, linescanners, thermal imagers, and thermal imagers for
firefighting applications are included in the study. Total market size for infrared products worldwide is $504
million. Thermal imagers, a type of
camera that takes pictures of heat, represent the largest portion of this
total. Thermal imagers are either
portable or fixed. Portable thermal
imagers are widely used for preventive maintenance, process control, and for
safety and security applications. By
detecting hot spots that are otherwise invisible in machinery and electrical
equipment, they can find sources of potential failure before failures actually
occur. Fixed thermal imagers are used
in manufacturing and in process control applications. They are widely used in the steel and glass industries, where
product temperatures are very high and it is necessary to determine the temperature
of material in motion.
Infrared
thermometers are the second largest component of the worldwide infrared
market. These thermometers detect the
infrared energy emitted by objects and materials, and use this value to measure
temperature. What is unique about
infrared thermometers is their ability to determine the temperature of an
object without making physical contact with it. They are widely used to measure objects at very high temperature,
and objects in motion.
Infrared
thermometers come in both portable and fixed models. Examples of applications for portable models include measuring
the temperature of automobile engines, tires, concrete, steam traps, furnaces,
and plastic materials. Fixed infrared
thermometers are used to measure the temperature of materials in a fixed
location, such as a process control loop.
Fixed thermometers, which are also called online thermometers, are
available in a variety of body formats, operating wavelengths, and output signals. Materials that are extremely hot, moving, or
inaccessible are ideal candidates for fixed infrared thermometers.
Infrared
thermometers for firefighting applications, also called firefighting cameras,
are the fastest growing segment of the infrared market. Firefighters use these infrared cameras to
detect the presence of people and animals during a fire. Because these cameras can see through smoke,
they are also very helpful in navigating through a fire. Firefighting cameras have been instrumental
in saving many lives, and many communities are engaged in fundraising efforts
to raise they money to buy these cameras for their fire departments. The fastest growth for these cameras is
occurring in North America, where revenues are projected to grow at an average
annual rate of 23 percent through 2005.
As
part of the study, Flow Research and Ducker Worldwide conducted 100 telephone
interviews with users of infrared products.
The end-user survey was used to confirm supplier data and to provide
additional data for forecasting purposes.
End-user survey results appear as a separate chapter in the worldwide
infrared study.
Flow
Research is a market research company devoted to researching temperature and
flow products and markets. In addition
to market research, Flow Research conducts technical research on flowmeters at
its onsite flowlab. Ducker Worldwide
has 36 years experience researching industrial and business markets, and has
offices throughout the world. Flow
Research and Ducker Worldwide have formed a business alliance to produce a
series of market research studies focusing on temperature and flow.