HEERBRUGG, SWITZERLAND - ESCATEC's commitment to high quality manufacturing has resulted in the company being selected to build telemetry units for water meters for Australian company, Taggle.
"We choose ESCATEC because they could offer us a high mix, low volume manufacturing service," explained Arjun Narang, Taggle's Head of Operations. "In addition to meter readings, our transmitters can be interfaced to a variety of low power remote sensors for applications such as pressure, temperature, rainfall and soil moisture monitoring. Over time, we expect to have a number of variants of the Taggle device to meet the needs of the various market segments that we sell to. But, most importantly, we needed a company that could provide us with high quality for a long product life in the field. ESCATEC really impressed us with their commitment to quality at every stage that comes from them having some of the highest quality standards already in place for their medical product manufacturing."
ESCATEC is one of the few contract design and manufacturing companies to be certified to Class 2 and Class 3 for the manufacture of medical devices, the ISO13485 quality management standards, which is reflected in the build quality of all their products not just medical.
Each telemetry unit has a unique TAG ID code that is programmed into its PCB and the outside of the case has a record of this code. Its built-in transmitter broadcasts the ID and the water usage at pre-set intervals, typically every hour, to a receiver that can be up to ten kilometres away. This data provides the water company with real time knowledge of water usage so that supply can be dynamically adjusted as required and leaks quickly identified and dealt with. The water usage information is also to generate monthly invoices.
The units are rigorously tested at every stage of the manufacture including detailed checks on each battery because the final step is to completely seal the insides in resin. Once potted, it is impossible to access, replace or repair any components and there is a built-in tamper alert. The plastic cases are ultrasonically welded to provide even more protection against water, dust etc.
The units are being made in ESCATEC's manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia with 39,000 units shipped by the end of 2013. Versions are available for most water meter designs.
"ESCATEC works closely with us on the design of the telemetry units to ensure that they are properly designed for manufacture," added Arjun Narang. "We have been so impressed that we are now engaging with ESCATEC to design new products right from the initial concept stage. And we are recommending them to other Australian companies that we know."
Martin Kingdon, ESCATEC's Business Development Manager, concluded, "ESCATEC differentiates itself by providing outstanding quality not only for the products that we make but also for customer service. We are delighted that Taggle is recommending us to their contacts as this will enable us to open up the Australian market."
Further information on Taggle at www.taggle.com.au
Brochure at http://www.taggle.com.au/resources/Taggle%20Water%20Meter%20brochure.pdf
