We Make Cool Things in Richardson, Texas: Small But Mighty Sensors

Did you know that Honeywell's site in Richardson, Texas, was the location of NASA's first two-way radio broadcast? This piece of history speaks to the site's long-standing tradition of excellence in sensing technology.

Founded in the 1960s as Spectronics, our site in Richardson has been a cornerstone in the development of advanced sensor technologies. Since 1984, teams at this facility have been fabricating sensors based on semiconductor microelectromechanical technology systems (MEMS) technology.  

The Richardson site is one of Honeywell's two semiconductor wafer fabrications, producing sensor engines for Sensing and Safety Technologies. Fabrication can take up to 500 days!

The products designed, manufactured and tested here are used in healthcare settings -- helping people breathe as part of ventilators or CPAP machines, or they may deliver fluid to patients in infusion pumps or monitor blood pressure. They are also used in avionics, heavy transportation equipment and even in some devices you interact with on a regular basis, like HVAC systems.

“Working in semiconductor manufacturing is fascinating due to the complexity of building products with dimensions smaller than a human hair,” said Troy Sterk, Director of Integrated Supply Chain Operations at the Richardson site. “Also, the opportunity to work with some of the smartest people in the world, who can design products to measure pressure using rare materials to provide electrical signals for customer products, is incredibly rewarding.”

Watch the video above to learn more!

This story is part of our We Make Cool Things series, where we’re meeting the people who run Honeywell’s manufacturing sites that produce our solutions in automation, energy transition and aviation around the world.