In the October meeting of the Houston Material Handling Society, Joe Lewis of Monitor Technologies LLC spoke about “Recent Directions in Level Monitoring & Measurement for Bulk Solids.” He reminded the group of approximately 40 area engineers, representing nearly 1000 years of material handling expertise, that while their companies may see them simply as a cost of doing business, they must take the initiative to show their employers that they indeed drive business performance improvements through process optimization.

Quoting from a recent editorial in a key automation magazine, Lewis said that, “Engineers must step up and assume a leadership role within their companies by helping drive new levels of business performance.” He went on to say that the reason many companies don’t understand the true value of engineering is “because most financial systems cannot measure the improvements you generate.”

In his presentation to the HMHS group of engineers, Lewis discussed two directions in level measurement and monitoring of bulk solids where engineers can demonstrate the type of value they bring to their employers. These include the use of “self-validating bin level monitors” to prevent silo spills due to unknown high level indicator failures, and tips to ensure successful use and installation of the most popular continuous level measurement technology for bulk solids, the guided wave radar level sensor.

For more information please download the Word document and PowerPoint presentation from Lewis’s level measurement blog post at www.monitortech.typepad.com or contact him at [email protected] or 800-766-6486.