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Monitor Technologies, LLC

COVERING THE MARKET FROM POINT TO CONTINUOUS LEVEL INDICATORS

Reprinted from Grain Journal May/June 2015 Issue

For grain facility managers and operators, the process of selecting new or replacement level sensors can be a difficult one, especially if cost is an issue. Do you go with a more expensive continuous level system that provides real-time data or a less expensive, simplistic point level indicator that lets you know when the level is high enough to shut off the fill or low enough to start refilling or reordering the product from suppliers?

There are benefits to both, but it should be noted that continuous level sensors can provide much more information than point level indicators. In addition to detecting “high and low” levels, a continuous level sensor actually can help cut inventory costs by providing better control over reordering materials. It also increases personnel safety, since employees do not have to go on top of vessels as frequently to check levels.

A common argument against continuous level monitors is that “a point level works well, so there’s no need to spend any money to upgrade or change.”

So how does one justify the higher initial cost of a continuous level system? For starters, talk to the experts at Elburn, IL-based Monitor Technologies, LLC, a company that has approximately 60 years of experience working with grain monitoring technology.

According to the experts at Monitor Technologies, even though it costs more than customers often are initially planning to spend, the added benefits of time saved from not having to measure materials manually plus safety considerations can help justify the expenditure. With automatic, on-demand readings, grain operators have better control of when to reorder raw materials and when the silos fill up during refilling to prevent the downtime and cleanup costs of an overfilled silo.

Six Core Segments

In addition to level measurement instrumentation, Monitor Technologies specializes also in solid flow indicators, particle emission monitors, moisture measurement, and bin aeration devices relating to the storage and processing of bulk solids and powders.

“We have what I would call six core segments that we serve from the standpoint of functionality or solutions,” explains President Craig Russell.

• Point level indicators. “The fundamental segment is level switches – that’s the original product our company produced. It’s just a device that can indicate if your silo or bin is full, empty, or at some intermediary point.

• Continuous level sensors. “Our continuous level sensors make a quantitative measurement of how much material is stored in a vessel.

• Solid flow measurement. “We also offer solid flow measurement, which determines if the product is flowing or how much is flowing through a pipe or chute.

• Moisture measurement. “Our moisture measurement systems can monitor the moisture content of bulk solids and powders.

• Particle emission. “We also have dust monitoring equipment that makes sure that your baghouses and your filter systems are working correctly before exhausting air back into the atmosphere.

• Bin aeration. “Bin aeration refers to the principle of injecting air into the material, which makes it more fluidized to allow it to discharge out of your vessel or hopper.”

Engineering a Legacy

In 1958, founder George Gruber opened up shop in Port Sanilac, MI, under the name Sanilac Manufacturing Company, which produced a line of two rotary paddle units, Models M and MX. Two years later, the company moved to Minden City, MI, where it adopted the name Monitor Manufacturing, a name it kept until 1998.

“The company was actually a spinoff of a major competitor in Michigan,” Russell explains. “George Gruber was an engineer who had an idea that he could improve on a basic concept of a rotary paddle bin indicator. So, he took that idea and went out on his own, improved on the concept, and started Monitor Manufacturing.

“It’s kind of interesting because that basic principle he pioneered still is used today,” Russell continues. “It’s actually the more popular way of using the rotary paddle bin indicator than the original way that it was designed, so he’s got quite a legacy that many international companies have followed, as well.”

By 1965, Monitor’s product line consisted of three rotary paddle units and a diaphragm switch unit. Over the years, the product line grew and by 1980 consisted of 22 products used almost exclusively for the level detection of powder and bulk solids. Correspondingly, the company’s customer base grew from approximately 130 accounts in the early 1960s to over 10,000 worldwide today. c

“We’ve grown the company to 22 product lines, with thousands of different configurations,” Russell observes.

Throughout the decades leading up to the ‘90s, the company experienced a number of fluctuations, including a change of ownership in 1965 when it was acquired by D.K. Manufacturing; a relocation of its sales offices to to the western Chicago suburb of Batavia, IL; and growth that led to the consolidation of its Batavia and Minden City locations to its current manufacturing operation in Elburn, where it is located today.

During that time, Monitor Technologies’ weight and cable inventory monitor became an industry standard, while other products that didn’t fit the company’s focus on instrumentation for powder and bulk solids were sold off. In April 1998, the company experienced a management buyout and changed its name to Monitor Technologies, LLC, and continued its focus on providing superior solutions in level monitoring, solids flow detection, particle emission monitoring, and bin aeration.

Four Points of Differentiation

Diversifying is risky. Ambitious companies often stretch too thin in an effort to expand to additional markets, rather than focusing on what a business does best. That’s not the case with Monitor Technologies.

“Philosophically, when you try to create your differentiation, it’s pretty easy to get drawn into the idea of ‘I see you’ve got this product – we might as well sell it in liquids as well,’” explains Russell. “But sensing liquids is a completely different market, as you can imagine. So, we’ve tried to adopt the mentality of, ‘serve your customers.’ The liquid market is larger than the solids market, but we provide solutions to the market in which we’re strong, the powder and bulk solids market,” he says.

Russell also says that the company offers a wider range of technology solutions to customers rather than trying to force a particular technology into every application.

“Some products work naturally better in certain applications than others. So, we want to provide our customers some options in terms of what technology to choose and not just insist that one technology is a solution for everything,” he notes.

Operationally, Monitor Technologies focuses on quick delivery and quality to ensure that it stays ahead of the competition. In an industry where typical lead times might be three to four weeks, Monitor ships about 80% of its orders within two days, “which is very quick for the market,” Russell says. “We invest in inventory and the supporting infrastructure so we are able to respond rapidly to incoming orders.

“Those are the four things that differentiate us: exclusivity in the powder and bulk solids market, a wider range of technologies, quick delivery, and quality,” he adds.

Opportunities in Grain

The company’s Midwest location has led to many opportunities in the grain and feed industry. In fact, a large portion of Monitor Technologies’ business comes from customers in grain and feed, and domestic sales represent the largest percentage of its sales focus, according to Russell.

“Grain has always been important for us, and there’s a lot of opportunity in the market,” he says.

To meet the demands of its customers, Monitor operates its business through a network of manufacturers’ representatives that are positioned strategically throughout the United States. With 20 independent sales organizations, Monitor has over one hundred reps working closely with its customers to provide the best service possible.

“We want our reps to be located near our customers so they can work together closely and form strong relationships,” explains Russell.

What’s New

Monitor Technologies’ newest products in the past five years include mass flow measurement and moisture measurement. Russell says “widening our solutions to more measurement principles is a key part of our growth objectives for the next five to 10 years.”

The company has found that these measurement products have opened the door to new opportunities within the grain and feed industries.

“These process measurement products are becoming popular, and it has brought us a lot of new business from companies we never worked with before,” Russell says.