Just
about everything is going digital these days. We have electronic cigarettes,
smart toasters, even our alarm clocks now learn from us and adjust themselves
accordingly. Surely there’s been a lot more things that have gone digital
besides things for the average consumer right?
Of
course you’re right. Industry is a major driver of technological advancement
with lots of tricks up their sleeves to move forward. One such item is the
digital thermometer. The thermometer is an extremely necessary piece of equipment
when it comes to quality control as well as making sure certain machines are
running at proper levels. But is the digital thermometer really that much more
noteworthy than the traditional one? Well, let’s see what they can both do and
what the digital thermometer has going for it that a traditional one doesn’t.
The Traditional Thermometer
An
analogy thermometer is a beautiful
piece of equipment. It is simply a glass tube that is filled with something
that will expand uniformly & consistently with heat. Originally this was
mercury, but over time less toxic chemicals have been found and are now used
instead of mercury, such as colored alcohol.. As the temperature rises, the
liquid expands and makes its way further down the tube. The tube is graduated
and the level that the liquid rests at corresponds to a certain temperature.
The liquid will gradually return to its original level after being removed from
the item being measured.
Digital Thermometer
These
types of thermometers use a
different principle to measure heat. In any metal, the electrical resistance is
dependent on temperature, meaning that the electrical resistance of any circuit
with a metal resistor can be translated into a specific temperature. The bulb
of the digital thermometer is placed into what is to be measured and a charge
is run through the thermometer. Depending on the amount of resistance, a
certain temperature reading will be given. The readings in digital thermometers
can be “held” and saved indefinitely for future use.
What Makes A Digital Thermometer So Special?
So
we’ve established that both of these pieces of equipment to measure
temperature, albeit in different ways. Why would someone want to choose a
digital thermometer as opposed to a traditional one?
Well,
firstly the electrical resistance of a circuit can be measured extremely
precisely resulting in temperature readings of up to several decimal figures
compared to the more rough measurements of analog thermometers. People who have
to work within very narrow temperature parameters are much better served by how
precise & replicable digital thermometer readings are.
A
digital thermometer is also great for large scale applications and some are even wifi enabled. If you were to
look at the thermometer at https://www.pasco.com/prodCatalog/PS/PS-3201_wireless-temperature-sensor/index.cfm, there are many features
there that are extremely appealing to industry. Digital thermometers can
quickly & accurately read temperature remotely and then beam that
information directly to any computer connected to the same network. So many
different things can all have their temperature measured consistently without
anyone having to walk the floor and manually check each one every so often.
This makes managing temperatures in industrial settings much less stressful.
Digital
thermometers are also a lot more specific than traditional ones. By this I mean
that to ensure proper readings with a normal thermometer you need to submerge
enough of the liquid into what is being measured as well as be sure not to
touch the bottom of the receptacle and blur the test results. Digital
thermometers rely on very small heat sensors, this makes them ideal for taking
spot temperature readings of body parts or equipment.
Since
only a small area is required to be in contact with the heat source to get an
accurate reading, digital thermometers can also be more advantageously shaped
than traditional ones, allowing them to sneak into more cramped spaces to get a
reading. Because regular thermometers rely on thermal expansion, there has to
be enough space for the material itself to expand, a space consideration that
isn’t necessary of digital thermometers.
So
while the traditional thermometer and the digital one serve the same simple
purpose, they are wildly different in how they are used in the real world.
Traditional thermometers are more or less reserved solely for pools, at-home
use, or simply a one off checks here and there. Those who want precision and
reliability look for digital thermometers, plus the available wireless
connectivity means business people can rope their readings directly into their
system without any further steps necessary besides placing the device. They can
be smaller, more permanent, and a lot more reliable than a regular thermometer.
Depending on the application, you can pretty much be guaranteed to find a
digital thermometer for the job.