THE
FUTURE IS OPTICAL
The future is bright.
The future is optical.
New-breed optical consistency measurement systems can deliver big pay-offs, cost-effectively delivering a rich set of data that can be used to effect dramatic process improvements.
“We’ve seen the future. And it’s optical.” Brave new words that clearly show the direction BTG is headed when it comes to consistency measurement.
“Consistency is a core BTG business,” says Sven-Arne Damlin, marketing manager with BTG in Säffle, Sweden. “We’ve always done it, and we’ll always do it. But we’re now seeing changes in the way people want to measure consistency. It’s not just that they want it to be easier – there’s a clear trend to using optical technology to improve the total experience.”
If that sounds a little space-age, the reality is much more down to earth. Today, says Damlin, customers are more inclined to look at the big picture. Improving productivity doesn’t just mean doing things faster and more cheaply, it means improving overall process economy by providing measurement systems that help reduce production costs, save time, and have a lower total cost of ownership.
“Our job is to work alongside manufacturers as a partner in their productivity process,” he says. “Not only do we have very specific process knowledge in every key area – something we’ve acquired over 80-odd years in the business – but we’re working with the very latest technology. That means we’re able to do some pretty good matchmaking between applications and technology when it comes to solving customer problems.”
Better productivity, better profitability
BTG
LASER PEAK
Why the move to optical? Like everything else BTG does, it largely comes down to productivity. Used astutely, optical technology yields highly valuable information that can be fed back into the customer’s process. Data that can be used to make dramatic improvements that translate into concrete profitability gains. And instruments that offer faster, cheaper installation and lower long-term maintenance costs.
It’s the big picture that counts, Damlin explains.
“When it comes to consistency projects, we find we’re increasingly talking with senior management, rather than just the guys on the ground. Long before it’s time to put sampling valves into pipes, we’re sitting down and working through the numbers, looking at the relationships between getting the right type of consistency control in the process and tracing the impact through other areas like chemical costs and energy consumption. You start to see the effects spreading out like ripples on water; it’s quite exciting and can sometimes be a real eye-opener for management.”
One transmitter for all applications?
“No, never!” BTG’s Consistency Product Manager Emil Engvall interjects. “Optical is becoming the transmitter of choice for many applications, but there are other applications where rotating technology is still the best solution.”
“There’s a reason why BTG offers such a broad range of consistency transmitters: high-end, low-end, shear-force, optical, you name it … It’s because we’ve been working in this business since the day it began, and understand just how much problems can vary. And how important industry expertise is when it comes to finding the right solution to this or that problem. There’s no such thing as one size fits all,” he says.
Inventing the technology doesn’t just mean you get a nice rack of patents in your name, Engvall adds. It means you have a deep and solid understanding of the basic issues – from a technical as well as a customer point of view.
“Our customers are good at telling us about their problems. We simply put two-and-two together and try to solve them with the right technology.”
“Part of what makes that work so well is our ability to combine a strong local presence with a global perspective. Our sales teams talking customers in Shanghai, Auckland, Bangkok and Calcutta are highly skilled in both the applications and the technology. And very much focused on consistency and related measurements, because that’s what they work with every day.
“Of course that creates a lot of specialized knowledge that we can share, and that’s what makes the difference when it comes to making the right recommendations for a certain application.”
Finding the right fit
The technology itself, Engvall explains, is not really so hard to understand. “The really hard thing is precisely matching the technology to the application, and combining the right instruments to get the best result for the customers’ money. That’s what our sales teams really excel at.”
And the future?
“Well, like we said, it’s optical,” Damlin says. “Our tried and tested methods will always be there, but we’re certainly going to see advanced new methods joining them.” New methods and inventions born of BTG’s commitment to devising exactly the right products for each application – products that can meet out customers’ needs faster, better, and cheaper.