
Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals
Description
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing instruments for measuring and testing the characteristics of electricity and electrical signals. Examples of products made by these establishments are circuit and continuity testers, voltmeters, ohm meters, wattmeters, multimeters, and semiconductor test equipment.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 334 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing subsector group establishments that manufacture computers, computer peripherals, communications equipment, and similar electronic products, and establishments that manufacture components for such products. The Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing industries are combined in the hierarchy of NAICS because of their economic significance to the economies of all three North American countries. For industries in this subsector, the manufacturing processes are fundamentally different from the manufacturing processes of other machinery and equipment. The design and use of integrated circuits and the application of highly specialized miniaturization technologies are common elements in the production technologies of the Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing subsector. |
| 3345 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing subsector group establishments that manufacture computers, computer peripherals, communications equipment, and similar electronic products, and establishments that manufacture components for such products. The Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing industries are combined in the hierarchy of NAICS because of their economic significance to the economies of all three North American countries. For industries in this subsector, the manufacturing processes are fundamentally different from the manufacturing processes of other machinery and equipment. The design and use of integrated circuits and the application of highly specialized miniaturization technologies are common elements in the production technologies of the Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing subsector. |
| 33451 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments. Examples of products made by these establishments are aeronautical instruments, appliance regulators and controls (except switches), laboratory analytical instruments, navigation and guidance systems, and physical properties testing equipment. |
| 334515 | Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals 6-digit U.S. detail | This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing instruments for measuring and testing the characteristics of electricity and electrical signals. Examples of products made by these establishments are circuit and continuity testers, voltmeters, ohm meters, wattmeters, multimeters, and semiconductor test equipment. |
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Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing electronic monitoring, evaluating, and other electronic support equipment for navigational, radar, and sonar systems are classified in U.S. Industry 334511, Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing.
Index Items
Alternator and generator testers manufacturing
Ampere-hour meters manufacturing
Analyzers for testing electrical characteristics manufacturing
Audiofrequency oscillators manufacturing
Audiometers (except medical) manufacturing
Automotive ammeters and voltmeters manufacturing
Automotive electrical engine diagnostic equipment manufacturing
Battery testers, electrical, manufacturing
Bridges, electrical (e.g., Kelvin, megohm, vacuum tube, Wheatstone), manufacturing
Circuit testers manufacturing
Communications signal testing and evaluation equipment manufacturing
Current measuring equipment manufacturing
Decade boxes (i.e., capacitance, inductance, resistance) manufacturing
Demand meters, electric, manufacturing
Digital panel meters, electricity measuring, manufacturing
Digital test equipment (e.g., electronic and electrical circuits and equipment testing) manufacturing
Diode and transistor testers manufacturing
Distortion meters and analyzers manufacturing
Elapsed time meters, electronic, manufacturing
Electrical network analyzers manufacturing
Electrical power measuring equipment manufacturing
Electricity and electrical signal measuring instruments manufacturing
Electricity and electrical signal testing equipment manufacturing
Electron tube test equipment manufacturing
Electronic test equipment for testing electrical characteristics manufacturing
Energy measuring equipment, electrical, manufacturing
Field strength and intensity measuring equipment, electrical, manufacturing
Frequency meters (e.g., electrical, electronic, mechanical) manufacturing
Frequency synthesizers manufacturing
Function generators manufacturing
Galvanometers (except geophysical) manufacturing
Graphic recording meters, electric, manufacturing
Ignition testing instruments manufacturing
Impedance measuring equipment manufacturing
Indicating instruments, electric, manufacturing
Instrument shunts manufacturing
Instruments for measuring electrical quantities manufacturing
Instruments, electric (i.e., testing electrical characteristics), manufacturing
Integrated-circuit testers manufacturing
Integrating electricity meters manufacturing
Internal combustion engine analyzers (i.e., testing electrical characteristics) manufacturing
Kelvin bridges (i.e., electrical measuring instruments) manufacturing
Laboratory standards testing instruments (e.g., capacitance, electrical resistance, inductance) manufacturing
Logic circuit testers manufacturing
Measuring equipment for electronic and electrical circuits and equipment manufacturing
Measuring instruments and meters, electric, manufacturing
Meters, electrical (i.e., graphic recording, panelboard, pocket, portable), manufacturing
Meters, power factor and phase angle, manufacturing
Microwave test equipment manufacturing
Multimeters manufacturing
Ohmmeters manufacturing
Oscillators (e.g., instrument type audiofrequency and radiofrequency) manufacturing
Oscilloscopes manufacturing
Phase angle meters manufacturing
Portable test meters manufacturing
Potentiometric instruments (except industrial process-type) manufacturing
Power factor meters manufacturing
Power measuring equipment, electrical, manufacturing
Pulse (i.e., signal) generators manufacturing
Radar testing instruments, electric, manufacturing
Radiofrequency measuring equipment manufacturing
Radiofrequency oscillators manufacturing
Recorders, oscillographic, manufacturing
Relays (except electrical, electronic), instrument, manufacturing
Resistance measuring equipment manufacturing
Semiconductor test equipment manufacturing
Shunts, instrument, manufacturing
Signal generators and averagers manufacturing
Spark plug testing instruments, electric, manufacturing
Spectrum analyzers manufacturing
Standards and calibration equipment for electrical measuring manufacturing
Standing wave ratio measuring equipment manufacturing
Stroboscopes manufacturing
Sweep generators manufacturing
Sweep oscillators manufacturing
Synchroscopes manufacturing
Tachometer generators manufacturing
Test equipment for electronic and electrical circuits and equipment manufacturing
Test sets, ignition harness, manufacturing
Voltmeters manufacturing
Watt-hour and demand meters, combined, manufacturing
Watt-hour and time switch meters, combined, manufacturing
Watt-hour meters, electric, manufacturing
Wattmeters manufacturing
Waveform measuring and/or analyzing equipment manufacturing
Wheatstone bridges (i.e., electrical measuring instruments) manufacturing
X-Y recorders (i.e., plotters (except computer peripheral equipment)) manufacturing
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System optimizes storage of specialized precision instruments by enabling real-time inventory tracking and efficient binning for complex assembly lines.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 334515.
American Institute of Electrotechnical Professionals
A trade association dedicated to advancing the education and practice of professional engineering in the electrical and electronics industries.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electronics Technician
An official government page providing current employment statistics, job outlook, and wage data for electronics technicians and repairers.
Niche Directory of Industrial Instrument Manufacturers
An industry directory that lists manufacturing companies specializing in instruments for measuring and testing electricity and electrical signals.