Editor's note: The last couple of months have been exceptionally busy at UPC with three shows practically one month apart, plus the development, production and launch of several new products and solution packages. These and other stories are covered in this issue. Enjoy the read!

With the winter holidays coming up rather quickly, and a renewed sense of optimism in the industry, all members of UPC , its employees and representatives would like to wish you and your family Happy Holidays and a Bountiful 2010.

POST-SHOW REVIEW

The last three shows that UPC participated in since our last issue were positive and optimistic despite the reverberations of a world recession. ASM started off slow, but on day two the crowds arrived. In case you missed Pat Torok’s presentation ‘Sensitivity & Fidelity of Sensors used in Gas Carburizing’, he presented a new upcoming technology in carbon flow probes that directly measures carbon and nitrogen uptake in metals in-situ. AWT which is Germany’s equivalent to the ASM event and one of the biggest heat treat shows in Europe had a similar momentum. The exhibition floor of the 14th International Exhibition on Heat Treatment in Beijing was packed with many booths, product and technology innovations, and attendees.

On the whole, these shows had a lot to offer visitors. Most of all, we noticed a great number of smiling faces and people enjoying themselves. The general consensus was that the worst of the crisis is behind us and that a very innovative future lies ahead. Thank you to all of our present and potential customers for taking the time to visit our booths. Check out the ‘Event Calendar’ to your right for upcoming events where UPC will be present.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

All of the aforementioned shows served as backdrop for the unveiling of the FurnaceDoctor®-Pro. It's a portable gas analyzer that can measure both endothermic and exothermic furnace atmospheres. The unit maintains calibration data for both ranges. FurnaceDoctor®-Pro has an integrated Ethernet or is available with optional wireless.

UPC also displayed its control solution packages for new or retrofit Carburizing, Nitriding / Nitrocarburizing, and Vacuum furnaces. These out-of-the-box control systems take the guesswork out of process control and help to optimize operations and results. Click icon to download brochure.

And most recently, Waukee Engineering released a new endothermic generator control package called AccuBlendor™, which features integrated temperature, dew point and turn down control. The system includes both mechanical and electronic indications of all critical flows, making it compliant with NFPA safety recommendations.

CENTRALIZED CONTROL & MONITORING ELIMINATES OPERATOR ROUNDS, IMPROVES FURNACE PERFORMANCE

Last month UPC put an end to clipboard rounds for a south central US energy equipment supplier. The company who depended on operators to check local furnace readings and record data manually opted instead for a major upgrade of its heat treating operations that included new multi-furnace controls and a more efficient data collection setup.
The furnace control systems equipped with Protherm 400 controllers manage twelve furnaces - continuously controlling, monitoring and archiving furnace and oil temperatures, carbon, as well as maintenance functions such as agitator and fan motor currents, and quench transfer time. To maximize data reliability and meet strict data retention requirements, data logging is performed both locally at the furnace control panel by the Protherm 400s and at a central location by the Protherm 9800, a production management software that gives users online access to real-time data from the furnace control systems. Users can also view and analyze historical data from each furnace, and monitor and address alarms.

About the upgrade: Furnace control systems incorporate UPC Protherm 400s, KD-7 paperless chart recorders, and RE-19 controllers.

WAUKEE FLOW METERS NOW AVAILABLE AND SUPPORTED BY CHINA OFFICES

Recently Waukee made substantial investments to boost its presence in China. The investment is tied to UPC’s strategic initiatives to build a diverse portfolio of heat treating and combustion solutions to this increasing growth area.
UPC's MMI Beijing center now provides full service and repair of Waukee flow meters and control equipment, while both the Beijing and Shanghai offices offer field engineering services for on-site assistance and calibrations. These two locations will help to better serve customers throughout Southeast Asia by offering faster service turnaround and reducing overall maintenance costs.

TIP: KEEP YOUR LEGACY INSTRUMENTATION GO

ING AND GOING AND GOING

There’s no doubt that the Energizer Bunny’s perseverance has kept him going and going, but if your MMI legacy instrumentation has entered its tenth year of operation or more, eventually it will wind down.
MMI continually strives to support all its legacy instrumentation and to that end is offering a maintenance upgrade to replace CPU modules supplied with a 10-year battery life. If you have a legacy instrument in service for over 10 years, we recommend you contact your UPC rep for details about our upgrade program.