Early History – Infrared for Missiles, Satellites, Aerospace, Medical Diagnostics, and Cutting Edge Consumer Products

Infrared Industries, Inc. was founded in the late 1950s and initially produced infrared detecting elements, instruments, and control systems for military and civilian use. Infrared Industries pioneered the development of the infrared detection system for the Sidewinder missile, provided the detection equipment for the MIDAS surveillance satellite system, and was also contractor on other aerospace infrared programs. When the company had its initial public offering in December, 1959, it was well received by the stock market because it was regarded as a “space age” company.

As with any company that has been in business for over 50 years, Infrared Industries has learned to adapt itself to stay current and relevant. In the 1950s and 1960s, Infrared Industries marketed several innovative and visionary commercial products, which were based on experience gained from the missile and space programs. These included:

Infrabeam — Used for door automation, liquid level control, area surveillance, conveyor control, machine control, and materials sorting, it provided photoelectric control that was not susceptible to light interference problems.
Infraphone — It transmitted messages over an infrared beam. Later this technology was marketed as a toy under the name Astro-Phone Walkie Talkie, which used an infrared beam to transmit up to 1,000 feet in the daytime.
Eagle Traffic Detector — It was approved for traffic control and vehicle counting by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads.
Infrared Rifle — It shot a beam of light — an infrared ray — at a target.

In addition, in 1984, Infrared Industries began shipping eye-scanning cameras, which were used in human identification.

Pioneers in Gas Analyzers

Up until the early 1990s, Infrared Industries was primarily known for its production of infrared optical detectors and radiation simulators for military weapons systems and medical diagnostics. In 1971, they branched out with their patented, revolutionary gas analyzers for automotive use. Infrared Industries was the sole provider of gas analysis optical benches for the automotive market from the early 1970s through the late 1980s. Infrared Industries’ single-gas and dual-gas optical benches were used exclusively by Sun, Bear, Allen Test, and other companies.

History of Innovation

Infrared Industries has a strong history of innovation. Infrared Industries was first to market on these products:

IR-702 — The first dual-gas analyzer of its kind, it was originally developed in 1974 for the industrial and analytical fields.
IR-8400 — Developed in 1984, the IR-8400 was one of the first analyzers specifically designed to be a continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) analyzer approved for a hazardous environment.
IR-7761 — This was the first specifically designed Methane Compensated THC (Total Hydrocarbons) Analyzer. It was developed in 1997 and has been replaced now by the IR-8400DC, which is the compensated version of the IR-8400D.

Patent Awards

The following patents were awarded to Infrared Industries:

Multiple Gas Analyzer Using Infrared – Patent Number 3,932,754, awarded January 13, 1976
Double-Pass Flue Gas Analyzer – Patent Number 4,549,080, awarded October 22, 1985

Expanding Presence in Diversified Industries

In 1991, sales to the military were still strong but defense cutbacks were in play so Infrared Industries expanded product offerings to include a variety of infrared detectors and analyzers for use in scientific research and ultra-sensitive spectrometers that measured laser energy and other light sources.

Since 1997, Infrared Industries has concentrated our product portfolio on gas analyzers, sampling conditioners, and optical benches, gaining a strong presence in the industrial, utilities, automotive and motor vehicles, environmental, analytic, research, and petroleum industries.

Infrared Industries combines over 50 years of experience and innovation with cutting-edge technology, comprehensive manufacturing capabilities, and personalized service to optimize your organization’s competitive edge.

Improving processes, cutting costs, realizing new profit streams…it all starts with measuring the things you can’t see. And that all starts with Infrared Industries — bringing you tomorrow’s technology…today.

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