So why CAN'T we make cheaper analyzers?

Aug. 22, 2006
This afternoon, at Control's AutomationXchange about 40 of the attendees attended a PAT (Process Analyzer Technology) Roundtable. You can hear the podcast of this roundtable discussion on ControlGlobal.com's Process Automation Radio Network. One of the things that the end users continued to circle back to was the need to reduce drastically the cost of online analysis too...
This afternoon, at Control's AutomationXchange about 40 of the attendees attended a PAT (Process Analyzer Technology) Roundtable. You can hear the podcast of this roundtable discussion on ControlGlobal.com's Process Automation Radio Network. One of the things that the end users continued to circle back to was the need to reduce drastically the cost of online analysis tools, and the need to improve the maintainability of even simpler analyzers like pH and conductivity. So why can't we do that? Dave Mills of Procter and Gamble just finished writing the Consumer Guide to pH, ORP and Conductivity Transmitters for Spitzer and Boyes LLC. Virtually none of the suppliers would furnish Dave any information about the performance of the actual sensors. So, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances. What's wrong with this picture? For years, I've been pointing out the fact that most field sensors for process automation are horrendously overpriced, and for years the suppliers have simply said, "No they aren't." Well, it's a fact that they are. Archaic and antiquated production techniques abound, making costs vastly higher than they need to be. And it is a self-fulfilling prophecy, too. If the price is high, fewer sensors will be used in processes where, if the price was significantly lower, many more would be used. Because fewer sensors are used, production runs are smaller, and costs are spread across fewer units, thus raising (artificially) the cost...just because the price point is artificially high. Margins do not correspondingly rise, and there is no apparent incentive to modernize and increase production runs to drive costs down...and so it goes.

Sponsored Recommendations

Make Effortless HMI and PLC Modifications from Anywhere

The tiny EZminiWiFi is a godsend for the plant maintenance engineers who need to make a minor modification to the HMI program or, for that matter, the PLC program. It's very easy...

The Benefits of Using American-Made Automation Products

Discover the benefits of American-made automation products, including stable pricing, faster delivery, and innovative features tailored to real-world applications. With superior...

50 Years of Automation Innovation and What to Expect Next

Over the past 50 years, the automation technology landscape has changed dramatically, but many of the underlying industry needs remain unchanged. To learn more about what’s changed...

Manufacturing Marvels Highlights Why EZAutomation Is a Force to Be Reckoned With

Watch EZAutomation's recent feature on the popular FOX Network series "Manufacturing Marvels" and discover what makes them a force to be reckoned with in industrial automation...