| When most people think of metal detectors, they | | | | causes no harmful radiation. Plus, these devices are |
| either picture treasure hunters walking through a field, | | | | cheaper and easier to maintain than hospital x-ray |
| or the line going through airport security. While | | | | machines. |
| various styles are certainly popular for both of these | | | | Industrial applications. The first metal detectors |
| activities, there are also dozens of other potential | | | | developed for industrial use were introduced in the |
| uses for metal detecting devices. Besides security | | | | 1960s. In fact, the first airport medical detectors |
| and the hunt for buried treasure, here are a few of | | | | were modified from devices designed for mining |
| the more unusual applications: | | | | applications. Since then, they have been frequently |
| Construction crews and woodworkers. Metal | | | | used not only for mining, but also to aid in efforts to |
| detectors can be passed along planks of wood, | | | | detect and disarm buried land mines. In food |
| trees, or reclaimed building materials to detect nails or | | | | processing plants, such devices may be used to |
| other metallic debris. If not caught, these objects | | | | investigate for foreign metals in food, particularly |
| could be very dangerous, especially if they are | | | | after a piece of machinery breaks down. This major |
| ejected from the wood when a power saw is used. | | | | safety concern has led many companies in the food |
| To avoid having pieces of metal flying at them at | | | | industry to install metal detectors along the |
| hundreds of miles per hour, those in the construction | | | | production line. These devices have dozens of |
| and woodworking industries check for metal | | | | industrial applications, including such varied industries |
| beforehand using a simple handheld detector. The | | | | as textiles, plastics, packaging, and pharmaceuticals. |
| same detector can also be used to find steel bars | | | | Gold prospecting: While the typical treasure hunter is |
| used for reinforcement in concrete, or pipes and | | | | looking for coins, jewelry, and other manmade metal |
| wires located in walls or floors. | | | | objects, a metal detector is also used by many |
| Doctors and nurses. Studies have found that a metal | | | | modern gold prospectors. Instead of panning for gold |
| detector may even be as accurate as an x-ray for | | | | in a river, they look for valuable metals buried in the |
| finding a metal object in the body, such as a coin | | | | ground in their natural forms, such as gold nuggets |
| swallowed by a child. A sensitive metal detector will | | | | and silver flakes. On a larger scale, this method may |
| be able to pinpoint its location, reducing the extent of | | | | be used for geophysical prospecting, or the searching |
| surgery required. Unlike x-rays, a metal detector | | | | for metal in the earth for the possible site of a mine. |