Hot Topics-December 2000

Hot Topics

Your Flow and Temperature Industry Monitor

Flow Research, 27 Water Street, Wakefield, Massachusetts 01880

http://www.flowresearch.com/ ISSN: 1530-7204

Volume 1, Number 5 Happy Holidays! October-December 2000

New Infrared Study Predicts Strong Growth for Infrared Products

Revenues from infrared products will grow at an average annual rate of 10.5 percent worldwide over the next five years, according to a new market research study from Flow Research and Ducker Worldwide (Bloomfield Hills, MI). The study, which was released in December 2000, is entitled The Market for Infrared Thermometers and Thermal Imagers Worldwide. It is the result of ten months of cooperative work by Flow Research and Ducker Worldwide.

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 the 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. For more information on the study, please contact Flow Research.

International Instrumentation Society

Flow Research is interested in sponsoring the formation of a new society dedicated to promoting an understanding of flow, temperature, pressure, and level measurement. Proposed purposes of such a society, tentatively called the International Instrumentation Society (IIS), are as follows:

1. Creating a website, possibly located at www.flowresearch.org, that contains articles and information relevant to flow, temperature, pressure, and level measurement.

2. Creating an updated glossary of terms related to flow, temperature, pressure, and level measurement

3. Providing a means of answering application questions relating to flow, temperature, pressure, and level measurement.

4. Sponsoring meetings and information exchanges among those interested in flow, temperature, pressure, and level measurement.

The idea for forming such a society is being discussed on the Flowlist Forum. If you are interested in becoming involved in the formation of such a group, please contact Flow Research.

Appreciate Your Customers!

The holiday season is upon us, and with it there are many opportunities for showing your customers that you appreciate them. Yet it is hard to believe how many companies ignore this opportunity to recognize the value of their customers. If you want to stand out from your competition, show your customers that you value their business. Here are some suggestions:

1. Create a “giveaway” such as a calendar that you can mail or give your customers.

2. Followup a sale or service event with a phone call asking if they are satisfied.

3. Send “thank you” notes after a sale; during the holidays, send Christmas cards or holiday cards.

4. Pay your customers a visit. Despite the wonders of technology, there is sometimes no substitute for face-to-face contact.

5. Look carefully at your training and support programs. Most surveys of temperature and flowmeter end-users show that many customers feel they do not have access to adequate training for the products they purchase.

6. Conduct a survey of your customers to find out what they like and don’t like about your products and services. You may or may not be able to conduct this survey yourself.

7. Ask your customers how you can improve your products and services. People love to be asked their opinion, and you might be surprised at the results.

8. Make technical information available to your customers free of charge. Your company website is an excellent place for this. Customers will most likely not be drawn to a website that is nothing more than an online brochure, but will come back again and again to a website that contains substantive information.

9. Educate your reps. Even though customers are beginning to order products online, they still need someone to answer their technical and application questions.

10. Stay in touch with your customers on a regular basis. Use a newsletter or do regular informational mailings to keep your customers up-to-date on developments.

What suggestions do customers have for improving service? As part of the worldwide infrared study, Flow Research and Ducker Worldwide asked users of infrared products for their suggestions on how suppliers can improve their service. Here are the top six answers, in approximate order of importance: training, knowledgeable representatives, faster return time, service support, response time on technical service, and keeping technology info. more current.

See the full study, The Market for Infrared Thermometers and Thermal Imagers Worldwide, for the remaining nineteen answers.

Hot Topics Expands its Scope

Flow Research began publishing Hot Topics in April 2000 to serve members of the temperature industry. At that time, we had completed The Market for Temperature Sensors and Transmitters in the Americas, and were in the middle of the worldwide infrared study.

Since this time, we have completed the worldwide infrared study, and are now in the middle of a worldwide flowmeter study. As a result, to better serve all our customers, we are expanding the scope of Hot Topics to include subjects related to flow and pressure, as well as temperature.

R.E.I. Labs Announces New Flowmeter for Chilled Water Systems

R.E.I. Labs of Jericho, Vermont, announces a new flowmeter designed to evaluate the heat removal capacity of chilled water systems. The new flowmeter, called the AquaRule, measures inlet flowrate and temperature and return outlet temperature. It then uses a standard transfer energy equation to calculate the amount of heat removed. In addition to flowrate and temperature measurement, the AquaRule measures inlet and outlet pressure to determine pressure drop and stability.

Many companies use heat exchangers to remove excess heat that builds up in a closed loop system. Expensive failure of these systems can be the result of many factors, including fouling, inadequate flow, excessive heat load on chilled water systems, etc. The AquaRule enables companies to monitor and control the efficiency of their heat exchangers. Monitoring and controlling flowrate and temperature helps maximize the efficiency of the heat exchanger, resulting in substantial energy savings over time.

Target industries for the AquaRule include military applications, and semiconductor manufacturing facilities and equipment suppliers, all of which utilize heat exchangers on a regular basis. Applications within these industries include heat exchanger systems in naval vessels, manufacturing process equipment requiring heat removal, and HVAC installations. For more information on the AquaRule, please contact Flow Research.

Join our Flowlist!

Flow Research has established a free bulletin board service to encourage discussion of temperature, flow, pressure, and related topics. The service is called Flowlist. To subscribe, go to our website at http://www.flowresearch.com/ and click on Flowlist. Flowlist contains both members of supplier and end-user companies. Once you join, feel free to submit any topics you’d like to discuss to the Flowlist. Your email will automatically go to all members.

Just Released: Worldwide Infrared Study

Flow Research has just completed a study of the worldwide infrared market. This study includes infrared thermometers, linescanners, thermal imagers, and firefighting cameras. The study contains detailed and extensive market size analysis of the following products:

· Infrared thermometers: Portable and fixed, general purpose and specialized

· Linescanners: General purpose and specialized

· Thermal imagers: Portable and fixed, general purpose and specialized

· Firefighting cameras: Handheld and helmeted

The following five geographic regions are included: North America, Europe, Japan, Asia without Japan, and Rest of World. Suppliers worldwide were interviewed for this study, including Raytek, FLIR Systems, Land Instruments, Ircon, ISG, Marconi, Chino, Cairns, and many others. For more information on this study, which includes an extensive survey of end-users of infrared products, contact Flow Research at 781-245-3200, or info@flowresearch.com.

Also Available: Temperature Sensor and Transmitter Study

The Market for Temperature Sensors and Transmitters in the Americas has received wide circulation among temperature sensor and transmitter suppliers. If you haven’t yet ordered your copy of this landmark study, there is still time to do so. Visit our website at www.flowresearch.com for complete information on the study, or contact Flow Research at 781-245-3200. You can also send an email to jesse@flowresearch.com for complete information.

Coming Soon: Worldwide Flowmeter Studies

Flow Research is currently conducting a study of the worldwide flowmeter market. This study will be done in two phases. Phase One includes “new technology” flowmeters: Coriolis, differential pressure, magnetic, ultrasonic, and vortex. Phase Two includes traditional technologies: Open channel, positive displacement, thermal, turbine, and variable area. At the same time Flow Research and Ducker Worldwide are conducting a worldwide survey of flowmeter users. This end-user survey will be available separately from the supplier studies.

The projected completion date for Phase One is February 2001, while the completion date for Phase Two is August 2001. Watch our website at www.flowresearch.com for further updates, or contact us directly if you have questions or comments about these studies.

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Hot Topics is published by Flow Research, 27 Water Street, Wakefield, MA 01880.

Editor: Jesse Yoder, PhD Research Assistant: Kelly Deppen

Email: info@flowresearch.com Website: http://www.flowresearch.com/