Articles and blogposts on metrology

Out in the North Sea, a measurement error of just a few percent can correspond to several tonnes. For Norwegian company Scansense, which develops and manufactures force transducers for offshore installations, vessels and floating wind power, reliable measurements are therefore a matter of both quality and safety. To ensure this, the company returns to RISE every year to have its reference instruments calibrated.

35-40 percent of the drinking water produced in the municipality of Tjörn was lost to leakage, while the water treatment plant and water towers were already operating at full capacity. Through smart meters and measurement methods developed by RISE, combined with investments in the main distribution network, the municipality has gained much better control of its water infrastructure. And the leaks? Today, losses are down to around 20 percent.

Graphene and quantum mechanical phenomena are enabling even more precise electrical measurements for industry and society. In a cleanroom in Gothenburg, researchers from RISE manufacture world-leading chips that drive this development and are used by countries such as the United States, South Korea, Canada and France.

All calibration customers at RISE now have access to a comprehensive register of measuring devices. As well as the devices calibrated by RISE, customers can add their own devices, calibration records and manuals.

AstraZeneca in Södertälje is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers. Each year, nearly 12 billion tablets and capsules are produced here, along with significant quantities of inhalers, granules, powders, ampoules, vials, and syringes. The production accounts for approximately five percent of Sweden’s total goods exports. To ensure the quality and safety of every product, precise and reliable measurements are essential – and this is where RISE plays a vital role.

Traceable measurements, uncertainty analysis, and model validation are crucial for greater adoption and trust in AI models within industry and business. Here, measurement technology can contribute to reliable results in areas such as predictive maintenance.

The quality and price of products, business models, collaborations, value chain management, and automation – many factors determine a company's competitiveness. However, the foundation of it all is often overlooked: good measurements.

Trucks and buses must be equipped with tachographs that record speed and driving and rest times. These regulations exist to ensure that drivers are rested and traffic-safe, and to create a level playing field in competition. However, to rely on the tachograph's measurements, calibration is required, and this is where RISE plays an important role.

Digital and machine-readable calibration certificates create new opportunities for the industry of the future.

By improving the measurement and characterization of aerosols — tiny particles suspended in the air — using large-scale research facilities like MAX IV, air quality and public health can be improved.

To be able to reliably characterize nanostructured materials, including magnetic nanoparticles (MNP), is crucial for standardizing MNP systems and the application of specific analysis methods. The DynoMag system, developed at the RISE Magnetic Sensor Systems Lab in Gothenburg, offers a reliable and integrated magnetic measurement system for biodetection using MNPs and rheological measurements.

By converting survey responses into measurements, we can gain deeper insights into social and health outcomes such as experiences, feelings, behaviors, and abilities. Magnus Johansson at RISE is working to make some of the analysis required more accessible through tools based on open-source code.

Light pollution causes problems for both humans and animals. But how can the amount of light pollution be measured reliably? And how can we reduce the negative effects of outdoor lighting, while making the light good enough for humans?

Ampere is the SI unit for electric current, a flow of electrons in a conductor. Electric current allows us to turn on the light, use mobile phones or computers, drive cars, anything that is powered by electricity. Along with volt and ohm, ampere is fundamental in electrical metrology.

Measuring the temperature of a material's surface is not optimal. Despite that, the need for surface temperature measurements is great in many industries. Patrik Broberg, researcher at RISE, works to ensure that the measurements are as good and reliable as possible.

Latent traits cannot be directly observed. They can be how we feel or what we, can do, but also within organizations. Society's need for knowledge about latent traits such as experiences, feelings, behaviors, and abilities is increasing.