Stockholm, Sweden, 18 October 2018: The digital world is expanding fast and needs IR sensors that connect the analogue to the digital world, said Robert Ekström, CEO, JonDeTech, while elaborating on the demand for IR sensors. However, he added that the size of a sensor, its capacity and manufacturing cost have been obstacles to its implementation and use in the HVAC industry. “The extensive spread of IR sensors began in the 1950s, when industries expanded in size and gained a great degree of automation, shortly after sensors played a major role in the development of the manufacturing industry,” said Ekström. Elaborating, he said that today the size and price of these sensors are key determining factors in their use and application.

Robert Ekström, CEO, JonDeTech

Highlighting a key innovation, Ekström said, “The small thermopile sensor can be a tool used for the contactless measurement of temperature and heat flow.” The sensor, he said, could be used for several commercial IoT applications, such as flame and fire detection, motion, absolute temperature measurements, heat measurement, heat control and even plumbing. “The sensors are made with nanotechnology in a plastic matrix and are constructed in three different layers, the thermopile being the most important,” he said.

Pointing to price, flexibility and size as key factors influencing the application of sensors to HVAC equipment, Ekström said, “One new innovation is the IR sensor 2.0, which is small and built in plastic.” The nanotechnology, he said, allows mass-production like never before and makes the sensor affordable, as compared to others. “The sensor is up to 1/10th of the price of a conventional sensor and can fit in small spaces,” said Ekström.

IR 2.0, Ekström said, can be of great use in Facilities Management, where it can be used to control temperature based on the occupancy rate. “Sensors help optimise the use of energy and ensure a flow measurement, which saves energy consumption,” he said. In addition, sensors have great use in fire safety, where an open flame can be detected very quickly and there’s no need for smoke for the sensor to react, he said. “Traditional air temperature sensors react only when the air near the selected temperature has been registered, but with the new kind of sensors, you can directly see if the temperature changes, even if you are in the next room,” said Ekström. The use and application of such sensors, he added, not only provides fast cooling and heat regulation but also makes temperature control both cheap and efficient.