Watts Current

Watlow has been supplying companies in processing industries such as oil and gas, oil refining and petrochemical, chemical and gas and pulp and paper for decades. However, recently, Watlow has rededicated itself to exploring this market and its opportunities. Exhibiting at shows similar to Global Petroleum demonstrates Watlow's commitment to its customers in the processing industry.

Watlow has made several other moves in the past few months to realign markets and customers to reach higher productivity and efficiency. Watlow Process Systems (WPS) was integrated into the assembly manufacturing facility in Hannibal, Missouri. This makes it easier for customers to work with Watlow, as well as improving productivity and service times.

One of Watlow's greatest hurdles in the processing industry is the lack of brand awareness. Watlow is known heavily for its ability to control temperature. It has not always been known for its process control capabilities. Watlow controllers can not only control temperature, but also level, flow and humidity process variables. Enhanced software on many units allows use of cascade control, ratio and differential control along with a host of other control schemes. If a customer does not find what they need in Watlow's standard products, Watlow can imply custom firmware changes to enable specific capabilities for customer needs.

Having a booth at the Global Petroleum Show helped increase awareness measurably for Watlow. Many people know Watlow for great industrial heaters such as FIREROD^® cartridge heaters, WATROD tubular heaters, FIREBAR^® flat tubular elements and band heaters. What many do not know is that Watlow manufactures a variety of tubular heater assemblies known as "process heaters." These heaters are either immersed directly into a tank or in-line in a fluid flow. Watlow circulation heaters contain the vessel and immersion heater bundled in one self-contained unit for process flow heating applications. Watlow is excited to finally promote these various capabilities.

Watlow can custom-engineer solutions for the most difficult applications as well as provide quick stock delivery from its huge inventory.

Watlow Process Systems has many years of experience not only manufacturing heaters, but also control panels, heater/panel packages and even large process heating and control systems. Although Watlow's core focus is in the heating and control area, its knowledge and expertise in a variety of processing industries allows it to provide unique solutions for difficult applications.

Watlow recently recognized a need within the processing industry for applying creative solutions to heating problems. Watlow has a significant portion of its sales in the processing industries but has never really trumpeted its capabilities before. Watlow's participation at the Global Petroleum Show and other trade shows in the processing market will illustrate its capabilities and dedication to the market.

From circulation and immersion heaters to temperature controllers and control panels, Watlow has you covered.

It was George Desloge, the second Desloge generation to lead Watlow, who first developed the concept. His knowledge of heating elements and unmet needs at that time influenced his decision to design a cartridge heater capable of delivering a highly concentrated heat source, superior heat transfer and excellent temperature uniformity. Desloge wanted a heater capable of operating effectively under extreme temperatures, without compromising its service life.

To fulfill his vision, Desloge pioneered the use of a technique called "swaging" in cartridge heater manufacturing. Swaging is a procedure that reduces the cartridge heater diameter by compacting the unit through a mechanical machine and die process. This process hammers and forges resistance and lead wires together within a magnesium oxide powder, which is used to form a heat conducting electrical insulator between the sheath and the resistance wires. Swaging reduces the spacing between resistance wires and the metal sheath and compacts the magnesium oxide to a predetermined density. The tightly compacted magnesium oxide holds the nickel-chromium resistance wires precisely centered in the unit, minimizes insulation and maximizes heat transfer. This compaction, which was only possible with the equipment designed and built by Watlow engineers at the time, achieves approximately the same level of effectiveness with significantly less insulation.

This process improves dielectric strength and makes heat transfer become more efficient, temperature more uniform and enables the heater to withstand higher levels of shock and vibration. Swaging also enables manufacturers to achieve desired process temperatures more quickly and allows the resistance wires to operate at lower temperatures ideal for reducing energy costs and an important factor determining heater life. More specifically, a FIREROD could produce several times the power per square inch compared to traditional designs, which have allowed customers to achieve comparable watt densities using smaller heaters - a real breakthrough in 1954 and still a key feature of its success today.

It was this construction and these operating characteristics that made FIREROD's technology the new standard. FIREROD helped OEMs reduce downtime and save money on replacement heaters and made FIREROD's technology the new standard. Even today, testing has shown the service life of FIREROD heaters to be 12 times that of other major cartridge heaters.

Another aspect of FIREROD's success, worldwide recognition and intrigue today is the diverse range of industries in which it grew to be used and the wide spectrum of applications within these those industries. FIREROD can now be found in many diverse applications such as the manufacturing of Intel^® chips, the perforation of trash bags and the packaging of chicken nuggets. It is found on space satellites, in nuclear reactors, kidney dialysis machines and open heart surgery equipment. FIREROD heaters were also an integral component within the baby incubators used for the famous McCaughey septuplets born in 1997.

The FIREROD was frequently copied as the technology gap between the heater and its competition began to shrink. However, FIREROD retained its competitive edge by finding new industries and applications through custom designs. To date, FIREROD has been involved in approximately 250,000 custom design applications for diverse industries including plastics processing, packaging, medical equipment, aerospace, scientific instruments, semiconductor and nuclear power generation.

The ability to customize FIRERODs at higher watt densities without compromising service life makes the heater ideal for applications with set dimensions or those requiring miniaturization. Today, for example, FIREROD cartridge heaters are used to de-ice the small probes on aircraft wings that gather altitude information. Watlow also manufactured and delivered the world's largest FIREROD, a 50-foot long heater designed for alternative energy sources research.

Customized engineering does not solely explain FIREROD's continued success. Variations to the standard line have been developed over the years. Watlow has refined materials, added unique features such as pre-oxidization of the unit for lower sheath temperatures at start-up, designed units that incorporate special seals to lock out contaminants and a variety of other specifications that only a select number of companies are able to offer. However, more likely factors explaining FIREROD's ongoing success include its global appeal, which lends itself to finding further applications around the globe, and its strong domestic and international distributor network that has driven this trend.

FIREROD's technology has remained the industry standard for 50 years. It has been challenged, but continues to sustain its worldwide recognition by providing heat to dozens of industries. New applications around the globe and Watlow's commitment to high quality standards and less tangible customer benefits have combined to produce an enviable reputation and global respect within the heating element industry. Fifty years later, FIREROD remains a proven, respected and timeless technology with a notable history.

Intel^® registered trademark of Intel Corporation.

WATVIEW is the HMI (Human Machine Interface) software package for Watlow controllers. This simple-to-use program allows users to connect one or more Watlow controllers equipped with serial communications to a personal computer running Windows^®. See www.watlow.com/products/software/watview.htm for a complete list of compatible controllers and minimum controller firmware revisions.

Three editions of WATVIEW software are available. The Configurator edition is designed to simplify controller set up. The next edition, Runtime, includes features for monitoring and operating controllers in test and production applications, while the Developer edition adds features that allow users to customize WATVIEW screens.

To learn more about this offer visit www.watlow.com/products/software/watview.htm

WATVIEW's Configurator edition can be used to setup, monitor and edit the values of controller parameters. This edition includes a recipe template builder and recipe editor that allows users to save sets of parameters on their computer and download them as needed to one or more controllers. With the Configurator edition, users can also backup and copy settings from one controller to another.

Unique features such as the ability to store a virtually unlimited number of profiles on the computer make WATVIEW an invaluable tool. Users of ramping controllers such as the SERIES F4, SERIES SD, CLS200 and SERIES 96 will find setting up and running profiles easy and convenient.

A one-hour demonstration of the Runtime edition is available with the Configurator version. Running the demo allows users to try additional features including data logging, data graphing or trending, alarm management and a schedule of recipe changes with flexible programming options.

To learn more about this offer, visit www.watlow.com/products/software/watview.htm.

Windows^® is registered trademark of Microsoft^® Corporation.

Challenge: A large gas fire furnace containing four chambers currently uses the 8AWG Type K in a one-inch Inconel^® thermowell one foot into the furnace through the insulated wall. Point-to-point thermocouple wires, heavy gauge, are stuffed down the thermowell and are attached to the furnace. These back to a PLC programmable controller in a remote control room. There are four control thermocouples on each furnace with only one actually controlling, although any of the four could be utilized. The company would like to modernize their control systems. It is very important to control the temperature of all four sections of the furnace so that it is uniform. A typical furnace run is about 24 hours at 1200-1800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Solution: Watlow wanted to upgrade the controllability of the furnace for performance. Every 30 days the furnace is checked or maintained. The engineers want to minimize this. To best achieve controllability and accuracy, Watlow created a multiple approach. One is to replace the 8AWG and thermowell with 0.375 inch mineral insulated thermocouple for better thermal installation and ease regarding the replacement process. The Type K is also replaced with WATCOUPLE thermocouple for longer life. The SERIES DX temperature transmitter is utilized to bus the four sensors onto a DeviceNet^TM line for simpler wiring back to the control room. Adding the SERIES DX means there is only one wire instead of four pairs of wire. It makes it much more flexible and cost effective. The SERIES DX showed great resilience, because it survived extreme hot and cold temperatures.

DeviceNet^TM is a trademark of Open DeviceNet Vendors Association. Inconel^® is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation.

In making hybridizing membrane incubators the company was experiencing reliability problems with its temperature controllers and contracted Watlow for information on a new controller.

Solution: In order to increase the temperature of 380 liters (100 gallons) per minute by 80°C (150°F), Watlow created one of its most powerful heaters to date - a 40 cm (16 inch) diameter, 6.1 m (20 foot) long circulation heater that produces 2.15 megawatts of heat.

A heater of this size would usually be separated into two stacked circulation heaters, piped-in series. Because space or size limitations did not exist, Watlow designed the heater as one long vessel, which helped keep project costs down.

Two separate immersion heaters, each containing 93 elements, were designed for placement at each end of the ASME code stamped carbon steel vessel. Incoloy^® was specified for the element sheath to provide high temperature corrosion resistance. The innovative design enabled Watlow to provide the power needed for the job.

Incoloy^® is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation.

Watlow has been developing process heaters, controllers, temperature sensors and systems to a wide variety of processing industries for many years. However, many individuals in the industry are unaware of all of Watlow's capabilities. Watlow recently introduced an extensive process heating section to its web site to educate and better serve customers. The section includes industries such as oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, pulp and paper, etc. and the site includes various product applications.

Visit the new site at www.watlow.co.uk/market/process

The following is an excerpt from the processing industries home page.

"Downtime costs you money. Unreliable products and vendors can stress you out. Let us ease your pain! For decades, Watlow has been a preferred supplier of electric process heaters, thermocouples, temperature controls, power controls and process heater systems. We supply to processing industry end users, process equipment OEMs and system integrators, as well as E&Cs. Our performance goal is to lighten your stress and workload through:

• Ultra-Fast Stock and Stock Mod Product Delivery
• High Performance Custom Designed Heaters and Control Systems
• Quick Response on Quotes and Orders
• Outstanding Technical and Applications Support
• Complete Thermal System Analysis and Solutions Offerings

Watlow offers a multitude of product solutions from light to heavy - even severe service applications.

Light duty circulation heaters are compact heating solutions for fluids such as purified and inert gases, supercritical fluids and de-ionized water. For heavier duty applications, industrial immersion heaters, circulation heaters, insert and over-the-side tank heaters and duct heaters are used to heat a myriad of fluids such as water, oils, hydrocarbons, solvents, ammonia, caustics, process-purified and inert gases. Watlow can also supply extruder barrel heaters used on extruder/pelletizer machines. Our low porous castings, precisely located heater elements and true-machined surfaces make this product the perfect replacement unit.

The web site breaks down each industry, provides relevant product applications, product specifications and all literature. The site also includes an informative article on the benefits of electric heating. The article compares electric heating with other forms of heating and draws several conclusions. It explains why electric heating technology is often the preferred choice when considering safety, design standards, reliability, controllability and environmental regulations. Next, the article illustrates several keys to proper performance such as superior engineering practices and application expertise to ensure good design.

"The new processing industries page on the [Watlow] web site begins to represent Watlow's capabilities within the industry. It also illustrates Watlow's commitment and dedication to the industry," said Rich Hartfelder, processing market leader.

Visit the new site at www.watlow.co.uk/process.