Industrial Products
Our engineering expertise is applied to innovative industrial solutions. We supply technology and engineering to manufacturing processes, factory automation, and process control. We design industrial tools that are used to process, move, measure, and control materials during manufacturing applications.
Liquid-Level Sensor
SRI is currently developing a sensor to ensure and monitor accurate dispensing of micro-liter volumes for a diagnostic application. SRI has effectively used off-the shelf technology, redesigned and modified to achieve the product objective. SRI worked closely with the client and used its multidisciplinary knowledge base to evaluate different applicable technologies, from optics to ultrasound. The sensor will increase throughput and quality assurance in the overall diagnostic process. 
Tool Design
SRI's team of engineers developed concepts for a difficult inspection and material-removal maintenance operation in the energy sector. SRI worked closely with the client to understand the process and unique service restrictions imposed by the environment to arrive at innovative and reliable designs. 
Materials Handling System
SRI conceived, designed, fabricated, assembled, and tested a materials handling system to automate the handling of huge volumes flat mail Ð magazines and large envelopes. SRI assembled a dedicated, multidisciplinary team to study the physics of handling diverse mail pieces. This understanding led to an innovative final design that incorporated high-speed manipulators that could adapt to the wide range of mail at a rate of three pieces per second.
Inspection Tool
 SRI met Osaka Gas's needs to inspect the interior of a natural gas pipeline network by designing a remote pipe inspection tool vehicle. SRI developed a magnetic wheel inspection vehicle small and nimble enough to navigate 6-inch-diameter pipes around and through corners, junctions, and valves. The vehicle negotiated vertical trajectories. The SRI team worked closely with Osaka Gas to understand the inspection challenge and develop an innovative solution. The design incorporated off-the-shelf technology, modified for miniaturization, as well as a key innovative magnetic wheel technology developed by SRI.
 Particulate Sensor
A major automotive component manufacturer consulted SRI about uses for a novel piezzo fabrication technology. SRI held multidisciplinary innovation sessions followed by "culling" and analysis sessions to select the most promising ideas for further development. One of the ideas jointly selected was an oil quality sensor for automotive or other recirculating systems. SRI then designed, fabricated, and tested several laboratory prototypes and demonstrated that the concept could work in a realistic setting. This resulted in a breakthrough product with many potential recirculating oil applications requiring improved system reliability.
Automated Biosensor Test System
SRI was contracted by a major manufacturer of laboratory analysis instruments to help in developing a test system for analyzing the performance of prototype ion sensors. The company looked to SRI for experience in bioengineering and multidisciplinary approaches to innovation. After studying the client's needs and specifications, SRI developed a fully automated test system with innovations in fluid handling and control, informatics, and task flexibility. The client is currently able to rapidly develop and evaluate new series of biosensor-based ion sensors, thus decreasing their time to market and shortening the new product development cycle. 
Innovative Power Assembly Tool
A leading manufacturer of automotive assembly tools challenged SRI to develop a "reactionless" tool technology to help it reestablish its market leadership. SRI's engineers and scientists, working closely with the company's marketing and engineering departments, developed various concepts and evaluated them against the client's market needs. SRI finalized the concept and designed, fabricated, assembled, and developed a demonstration handheld prototype wrench. The reactionless wrench, based on an SRI technology breakthrough, met all the client's requirements. It provides accurate torque delivery and is reactionless: that is, the operator experiences no torque feedback during the tightening process. The latter feature greatly reduces the incidence of repetitive stress injury. This technology can potentially apply to other lines of tools, creating even more market opportunities for the manufacturer.
For more information, contact:
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
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R&D Divisions