Active markets for resistors
Alternative energy and the testing required are still very active areas with solar and wind power leading the way. Also, electric vehicles and battery technology are very active and are now including commercial power generation.
Many industries, such as electric utilities, mining and water/waste water processing, are expanding their control systems via ethernet-based I/O products. With the increasing price of gold and silver, many mines are requesting capital funds for plant upgrades and expansion. Even titanium processing plants are upgrading their facilities in anticipation of future increased prices. Ethernet and wireless I/O are very cost effective methods of adding to existing legacy control networks.
Throughout many plants, especially in the food and beverage industry, there is an increase in the number of parameters that are being measured. In food and beverage, the use of individual ingredients is being monitored very precisely to maintain individual recipes. There are two reasons for this – the accuracy of the batch for the recipe and to eliminate waste of materials.
Sensor calibration hardware sales are on the increase. The main reasons for this rise are to ensure accuracy of the measurements in the field and because of increased agency regulations. Documenting calibrators are leading the way in calibrator sales. These types of calibrators store the measured values automatically which eliminates the human error aspect of measurement.
The market for sensors and instrumentation is flat or on a very slight increase. As companies try to increase efficiencies of their products, the more testing they are doing, and this is the main driver for sensors and instrumentation.
Copied from: http://www.era.org/aa_representor/W2012mgd.shtml
Pulse Resistors
Wirewound resistors best for pulse application
A pulse resistor is a resistor installed in a circuit to prevent a "surge" when conditions arise where a surge might occur.
There are a number instances where energizing a circuit is followed by a surge of current. Like almost all the time. When that circuit "comes on" after the switch is flipped, current is flowing. And sometimes we need to place a resistor in series with the component or components that want to draw a ton of current on startup. We can look at a component that might just do that.
Capacitors (caps) are sometimes fitted with something that limits a big shot of current when a circuit is energized. Caps, you recall, begin operation in the circuit of a modern equipment uncharged, and when these caps are first "seen" by the voltage source at the moment it's turned on, they look like a short circuit. Lots of current may want to flow. Jumping ahead, the cap sits in the operating circuit fat, dumb and happy "using" only a little current after things are going. But at startup, it needs to be checked to prevent it from "sucking up" (or sinking) too much current and overloading the supply. The surge resistor is on the job each time the circuit is energized.
There are other applications for a surge resistor, but the purpose is the same - prevent "too much current" from flowing at a given moment so the circuit can transition into a "normal operating mode" (where current flow is more modest).
The surge resistor is similar to a so-called current limiting (or, perhaps, ballast) resistor, but the name applied to the resistor in question might have more to do with the specific application. Wirewound resistors are perfect for high surge applications and Riedon offers one of the best "joule rated" resistors in the industry.