Chuck Arcovitch,
US Distribution Sales Mgr.,
Precision Digital Corporation
As the US Distribution Sales Manager for Precision Digital, I travel all around the country training our distributor partners. I also gather feedback from distributors and end users that work in a wide range of process industries from oil & gas to water & wastewater.
I've found that most folks perceive Precision Digital as a manufacturer of reliable, high quality panel meters. That is certainly true! We've been making panel meters since 1974, and they are a major part of our business. What they don't always know is that we also manufacture field mounted and explosion proof products like the big blue display I'm holding in my picture next to this article. The device I'm holding here is part of our ProtEX-MAX Series.
The ProtEX-MAX is an explosion-proof instrument line with worldwide approvals for use in hazardous areas. However, in many of the installations of the ProtEX-MAX, it is used in a safe area, with no special hazardous area classifications. So, why use an explosion proof indicator?
It may seem like overkill to use an explosion-proof product in a safe area, but there are a number of advantages. The ProtEX-MAX provides a ready-to-go field mount solution that is extremely rugged. It can withstand almost any outdoor environment, daily wash downs, and being backed into by a truck. One plant operator asked me if they are fork lift proof! Is there a rating for that? You get the point. In dirty, wet, dangerous, industrial process industry environments, overkill in the area of ruggedness is a good thing.
When training distributors, I always ask if all of their customers know they sell Precision Digital; which often gets a groan in response. Then, I ask them if their customers know about the Precision Digital rugged field mounted and explosion proof displays. To those who think of Precision Digital as a panel meter company, this gets their interest. So I tell our distributors to "lead with blue" and make sure all their customers understand the full scope of Precision Digital instruments available to them.
As a distributor, if you lead with explosion-proof many folks will tell you that they don't have indicators in classified areas. If you simply "lead with blue" the door may be open for more applications.
As a user, consider the ProtEX-MAX line the next time you have an instrumentation project, and decide if an easy to mount, extremely rugged meter or controller may be what you need. If so, then consider the ProtEX-MAX!
