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