Articles and blogposts on metrology

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.

At RISE in Borås, Petra Elvestad works as an engineer specializing in EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) – a field that ensures technology functions properly in environments affected by electromagnetic interference. Here, innovation meets societal benefit in a daily work life where variety, learning, and collaboration are key.

When it comes to building materials, quality, safety, and sustainability are crucial. Cement is the heart of concrete, and together with sand, aggregate, and other additives, it forms the basis of construction projects such as bridges, roads, and buildings. The properties of both cement and concrete affect both longevity and safety. That is why RISE offers testing and chemical analysis of both cement and concrete.

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.

Thin glass wires are helping Hitachi Energy make production in Ludvika more data-driven, with the aim of sharpening its products. "Fibre optics can give us much more information than traditional sensors," says Christos Athanasopoulos, chief engineer at Hitachi Energy in Sweden.

Scania has a strong focus on the development of electric vehicles – vehicles that customers expect to be able to drive longer distances in all kinds of climates. To accelerate the development of sustainable transport, Scania has been an active partner in the establishment of the national test centre SEEL. "We see a great need for this test bed in the market and are proud of the journey SEEL is taking together with us, its partners and customers," says Johan Karlsson, Head of Test Cell Operation E-Mobility at Scania.

Heart Aerospace is a company with a clear ambition: to revolutionise regional air travel with electric passenger aircrafts. During the development of the first prototype of the ES-30 hybrid-electric aircraft, SEEL played an important role in testing the electric motor.

Increased productivity, more consistent quality, and an improved work environment in the steel plant. These are the results as specialty steel manufacturer Alleima now implements RISE’s research into actual production.

Are charging stations delivering the right amount of energy? OKQ8 partnered with RISE to verify their charging stations in a unique project.

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.

We have been conducting research for 20+ years in photonics and optical fibers that can be used as sensors. We have two supporting laboratories, one in Kista (Stockholm) and one in Hudiksvall. Our researchers have deep expertise in the field and you can both read our publications and work with us on applied development projects.

Sweden's largest aerospace company supplies global giants and makes sure their satellites get into the right orbit. To get there, Beyond Gravity has carried out many material tests in extreme temperatures.

Sweden is planning to reclaim its position as a leading nuclear power nation, but the long period of downsizing has taken its toll. There is a shortage of qualified suppliers and components. Could 3D printing be part of the solution? Ringhals believes so, having spent years exploring and developing new manufacturing processes for the nuclear industry in collaboration with the Application Center for Additive Manufacturing at RISE.

Paritet-K has identified Swedish hunters and target shooters as an important new customer base. After a somewhat unusual process with RISE, the company's gun safes are now certified to Swedish safety standards. This will enable the Ukrainian company to expand its business and contribute to the recovery of its home country.

To be able to use electronics in space applications, these must undergo extensive testing and verification in the space environment. RISE organizes and helps carry out these important tests for power electronics in space applications.

Charging points are still not regulated in the same way as petrol and diesel pumps. As a result, the charging infrastructure is not subject to any inspection requirements, which could mean that hidden safety risks remain undetected and consumer protection is compromised. Independent verification can help charging station operators demonstrate that their stations are working properly and charging customers correctly.  

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.

Quantum mechanics has long been a natural part of metrology and has already revolutionised how we measure and realize physical units. The development of quantum technology is rapid which create opportunities for new measuring instruments while placing new demands on metrology to support this development.

The unique laboratory in Stockholm generates a lot of data every year to investigate the effect of environment and genetics on wood properties together with other institutes and universities. At the same time, the laboratory is constantly developing its ability to analyse new sample types and generate new data types.

According to the Planning and Building Act, a construction product may be included in a building only if the product is suitable for its intended use. A type-approved product is verified to fulfil the requirements of the building regulations. Today, prefabricated underlayment shutters are one of the most common underlayments in roofing and there is a type approval for them. Now the type approval has been updated and clarified with a new rule for certification.

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.

Correct, accurate and traceable time is a prerequisite for our modern society and an important part of our total defense. Even so, we rely heavily on GPS signals to get accurate time — signals that can be easily disrupted.

At the Rinaldi-Ramos Research Laboratory, University of Florida, research focuses on the behavior and biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles in time-varying magnetic fields, such as magnetic particle imaging and nanoscale thermal therapy. This interdisciplinary research encompasses theory and simulations, nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, and evaluation in biological environments. They needed a system to characterize the behavior and mobility of particles and complexes in fluid suspensions, and they found it in the DynoMag system.

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?

The climate is changing at an alarming rate, with devastating consequences worldwide. For Venice in Italy, the situation has long been precarious. A too significant rise in sea levels could erase the city from the map.

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.

RISE works together with the Swedish transmission system operator Svenska Kraftnät to improve measurements in the transmission grid. Through accredited control, continuous monitoring and development of measurement methods, the grid's reliability is ensured.

Cooling buildings requires a lot of energy and is expected to increase with climate change. By using certain materials and colors, part of the cooling can take place passively and inexpensive, even in full sunlight.

Today, many companies set goals for using recycled materials. But far too few actually do so. So how do we build trust in using recycled materials on a large scale – and how do we get everyone involved to accept the challenges it entails?  “It’s often more expensive,” says Christina Jönsson, a department head at RISE. “Traceability is uncertain. And the quality varies. This is, of course, challenging.” 

How hot is the water? What temperature is the meat? Does the child have a fever? Temperature is one of the most common measurements in our everyday life.

He has developed copper-based hunting bullets that work just as well or better than those containing lead. Staffan Leth, hunter and passionate sport shooter, has the best possible proof of this. RISE’s test facility has delivered impartial evidence of the bullet’s behaviour.

Energy gases such as hydrogen, biogas and biomethane, and methods for storing and using carbon dioxide play an important role in the climate and energy transition. Different areas of use have different requirements on the quality and composition of the gases, which requires chemical analyses and quality-assured measurements.

The research at the national laboratories at RISE must meet the needs for accurate metrology that society will have in the future. But it's not just about being able to measure more accurately. Making the technology accessible is at least as important.

Being able to trust physical measurements is done as a matter of course. But why don't we have the same requirements for reliability when we try to measure experiences, feelings, behaviours and abilities? RISE has worked together in networks and dialogues with relevant actors to offer measurement quality assurance of new measures and units.

RISE’s new test facility in Borås will affirm Sweden’s position as a leader in vehicle safety. This is where the batteries of the future will be shocked, shaken and pushed to extreme temperatures in a controlled environment. “The safety lab is due to be inaugurated in the second half of 2023 and will be internationally unique”, says Director of Total Defence Franz Evegren.

Research from RISE creates better conditions for measuring patients' memory ability. The measurements are crucial for early diagnosis of dementia diseases, to follow the course of the disease and to be able to evaluate the effect of treatment and medication.

Researchers from RISE and Chalmers went, together with the company Tree to Textile, to Hamburg to conduct experiments at a synchrotron facility. The facilities provide access to a very strong X-ray beam, that enables advanced material analysis.

Energy-efficient mixer taps can reduce domestic hot water consumption by almost thirty percent. Something that saves water, energy and money. However, it is important that the manufacturer can show that this holds true. RISE has helped Gustavsberg to certify the energy efficiency of two series of mixer taps, giving Gustavsberg major competitive advantages. 

Helsingborg Municipality is investing heavily in offering residents a high quality of life but realised they had no reliable method for measuring either what quality of life is or whether they have reached their goal. Now though, measurement experts at RISE have developed indicators that can help both Helsingborg and other municipalities to see how quality of life is actually developing.

A unique opportunity to develop new electromobility products and services has opened up. In September 2023, three new test centers for electric vehicles and components were inaugurated within the initiative SEEL, Swedish Electric Transport Laboratory. The goal is clear: The testbed is to comprise one of the few open meeting places for collaboration and innovation in Europe. 

Housing cooperatives, hotels and restaurant chains – these are just a few of the new charging station providers. RISE can help these many inexperienced organisations with regular function and safety inspections.

Measuring is about acquiring a basis for decisions. But how can we know that our measurements can be trusted? When it comes to rapid changes and dynamic events, it can be difficult.