Being energy-friendly is high on the priority list for WIKA, a global manufacturer of pressure and temperature measurement instruments in various industries and processing sectors. WIKA meets its global sustainability challenges with its in-house products and solutions that enable power transmission and distribution operators to guarantee a safe and reliable energy supply.
WIKA is known among manufacturers in sectors such as food and beverage, oil and gas, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning), refrigeration technology, industrial and medical gases, petrochemical and chemical industries, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, semiconductor, power distribution (especially in SF6 handling), medical devices, power generation, wastewater treatment plants, and the basic materials industry.
Explaining their processes, Gaurav Bawa, senior vice president of WIKA India, said, “Our products are suitable and time-tested even within explosive environments (ATEX). This technology leadership and know-how have helped us build the perfect digital solutions for several manufacturing industries. WIKA has its presence in every fold of manufacturing. With the advent of Industry 4.0, WIKA has adapted its products to meet the demands of clients on smart sensors, cloud computation, data analysis, and communicating machine tools.”
Quality and hygiene in food & beverage
The food production industry demands an optimum level of food safety and hygiene. In the industrial manufacturing of food and beverages, the hygienic design of the unit or plant’s components is an essential prerequisite for avoiding microbiological contamination and ensuring product quality. The measuring instruments used in the plant must comply with special requirements regarding material, surface finish quality, process safety, connection engineering, and cleaning.
WIKA supplies a wide range of measuring instruments with industry-standard and manufacturer-specific process connections, including milk thread fitting, clamp connections, thermometers, pressure transmitters, pressure switches, and connectors for sterile, aseptic applications and safe operations.
Measuring instruments manufactured by WIKA, the company says, meet international standards, including those of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG), 3-A Sanitary Standards, ATEX, etc.
Pressure and temperature measurement
Testing and measurement are crucial for any manufacturing process, especially with smart technology embedded in them, Bawa said.
The company’s products measure temperature, pressure, level, force, flow (direction & speed), and calibration. WIKA says it has high market penetration and instrument specialization in a wide range of measures – exactly where the data is generated – and makes this data available along the entire value chain, the company said.
Bawa explained, “Efficiency will remain a function of testing, adjustments, and maintenance. As product complexity increases with multiple output expectations from each product, the product itself becomes more compact. Precision testing is pertinent at every stage of the product life cycle, beginning with the product design and development phase to production testing, pre- and post-market testing, and later on product maintenance and support. Thus, the demand and growth of the test and measurement industry are exponential functions of expanding end-user applications and technology demand.”
WIKA also provides SKID solutions such as flow metering skids, master meter prover skids, truck and wagon loading skids, truck unloading and pumping skids, natural gas metering, and regulation skids. The company’s instruments enable machines and processes to function optimally. Pressure, temperature, level, flow, and force are measured for every machine load and require constant monitoring to ensure the right quality output, predictive maintenance, and pre-empting any inadvertent accidents. Such products are an essential part of manufacturing from the shop floor to the shelves.
Customized solutions
According to Bawa, quality, customization, and service are the three main advantages and differentiators for WIKA’s products. “Since we believe in providing quality products, we can find loyal customers even with a cost differential. One of the biggest advantages of using WIKA’s offerings is reduced shutdown time for end users. Hence, WIKA’s tagline of ‘cut down your shut down’. Secondly, our OEM customers are satisfied with high-quality products and consistent supplies, which helps them run their production lines smoothly.”
Bawa claims that all of WIKA’s solutions are modular and customized for the industry, designed as plug-and-play modules so that they can be integrated with superior machine tools quickly. “For example, WIKA’s UPT-2x+ process pressure transmitter, equipped with a flush membrane process connector, finds application in the food and beverages industry for measuring the process level in dairy/cream storage tanks. Our customers prefer this product due to its ability to withstand CIP cleaning without causing any harm to the sensor membrane. Additionally, the hygienic design of the product allows for convenient measurement while effectively handling challenging environmental conditions present in the storage tanks.”
It is also essential to prevent hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere or the environment, he said, adding pressure switches are used in control panels to monitor the pressure in the line and valve. “The pressure switch serves as an alarm in the event of pressure spikes or leaks, shutting down the process in such cases. WIKA switches withstand aggressive environments with high working pressures (system pressure can be up to 1,000 bar). Our customers also rely on our process instrumentation in hazardous areas because safety systems are fundamental for maintaining control over the process.”
WIKA India aims to double its turnover by 2025. “We are also looking at transforming India into the localization and distribution hub for the nearest global markets,” Bawa concluded.
