The Customer
A North Italian manufacturer of glass processing machinery who for over 40 years has been designing and manufacturing grinding equipment. Today they manufacture more than 50 different models, including straight-line edging machines, peripheral edging machines, double-edgers, bevelling machines as well as corner grinding machines, vertical washing machines and horizontal drilling machines.
The Challenge
- They wanted to improve the accuracy and usability of their equipment for their end customer
- They wanted a solution that would ensure efficient integration and implementation
- The company wanted to take a technological step forward with their equipment
The Solution
They were using up to 12 analog ammeters in each machine to indicate the draw of each motor. The operator would use these to monitor the equipment’s performance and the grinding material’s condition to help ensure the best results.
They wanted to update their machine design to provide an improved user experience and take a technological step forward. Having undertaken a period of market research, the company approached Trumeter about the suitability of integrating our Advanced Panel Meter (APM) into their equipment. They wanted to use the meter in several of their models where the condition monitoring of motors was crucial.
Working with Trumeter, they integrated the APM CT Meter. This meter is specifically designed for use with a Current Transformer to provide an accuracy of 0.5% and can measure AC currents up to 10,000A.
The APM fulfilled the key aspects of their criteria:
- The APMs unique display meant they could offer both digital accuracy with a modern graphical interface that had the instant recognition of an analog meter while also alerting the operator to the status and problem conditions through the color-changing screen.
- The meter was easy to integrate as it had a similar footprint to the meter it was replacing with the added benefit of both UL and CE certification.
- The communication options via the digital and analog (4-20mA) outputs allowed them to implement extra functionality into their equipment, fulfilling their original goals of improving customers’ experience and moving their equipment forward technologically.
The Outcome
Implementing the APM into the new design improved the functionality and aesthetic of the equipment while helping lower costs. By using a single component, they could configure for different equipment and were able to reduce the number of SKUs and inventory. And in utilizing the APMs built-in functionality to add extra performance to their machinery, the company did not have to invest in additional components.
