December 2019 | Vol. 12

5 Things You Need To Know

Bringing You The Latest Industry News

FEATURED THIS MONTH

  • 50th Anniversary Wrap-Up
  • What to Expect From ECI Next Year
  • Planning Never Stops
  • December Training Courses
  • 2020 Industry Outlook

Welcome To Our Monthly Newsletter!

In our final 2019 edition of “5 Things You Need to Know” we take a look back at the last year and what to expect from Eastern Controls in 2020.  We discuss the importance of planning, not just for plant shutdowns but for daily operations as well.  We’re wrapping up the year with two training courses and hope to see you there!  Finally, we discuss the industry outlook for 2020.  Valve Magazine published a good article covering multiple factors influencing our industries.

50th Anniversary Wrap-Up

The fiftieth year of Eastern Controls serving the process and controls industry really was one for the books!

50 years of Eastern Controls is all thanks to our manufacturing partners, our loyal employees and our customers near and far. This year was filled with some major milestones so let us refresh your memory!

January 2, 2019: Eastern Controls was officially open for 50 years!

May: ECI held it’s 4th Process Solutions Summit. The one-day event hosted over 300 customers and partners. We also raised over $3,000 towards Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation!

July: Our President, Cliff McLaughlin, JR. also turned 50! Not many business owners can say they’ve been a part of the business their entire life.

October: Eastern Controls hosted the 40th event of what many know as the P.R. Walker Party. Two anniversaries in one year!

The largest butterfly valve ever sold by Eastern Controls was installed at an industrial end-user…a whopping 48″!

We know we are missing a few other milestones, but we are already looking forward to 2020 and what we can accomplish next year!

50 years in the books!

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What to Expect from Eastern Controls in 2020

To keep up with chaging times we are constantly evolving so that we can deliver the best experience for you, every time.

We at Eastern Controls are constantly looking for ways to innovate the way we do business to make your experience the best it can be. The same can be said about our manufacturing partners!

Sometimes it feels overwhelming and like you can’t keep up with the latest “thing”, but that’s why our team and our partners are here.Over the past year terms like IIoT have become more prevalent, including the technologies under that umbrella.We are here to help you navigate the fast-paced nature of our industry.

With a new year, inevitably, comes new product releases.Our partners are constantly innovating the technologies they bring to market and we are here to make sure you know and can make decisions for your plant accordingly.In January of 2020, Endress+Hauser will be releasing a new model of their Liquiphant.The Liquiphant FTL50/51 will become FTL51B.

Another partner of ours, MSA, is set to release more gas sensor capabilities for their Ultima X5000 model. MSA takes the time to ensure that when they release a gas sensor, it’s right the first time. Does it take a little bit longer? Maybe, but it’s worth the wait. Trust us.

This is just a small taste of what 2020 will bring!

Above all Eastern Controls strives to deliver the best experience for our customers, and we are always looking for ways to improve. In 2020, stay with us as we continue to explore the world of IIoT, announce product releases direct from our partners, and continue to deliver the customer-first experience this company was built on 50 years ago.

2020 will be a BIG year for us all!

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Planning and Preparation Never Stops

The Fall outage season may have ended or is still winding down for you, but the planning for next season starts now!

Whether you have one, or multiple, scheduled shutdown periods throughout the year or wait for when you need to make equipment repairs or replacements, you should never stop planning for what could be needed.

One way to prepare is understand best practices for stocking spare parts. This way, when you officially shutdown, the service work can begin on time and most importantly, end on time. Understanding best inventory practices is critical for shutdown periods but also daily operation.

Another important preparation step is understanding WHAT needs to be tended to and begin prioritization. One way is to understand the well-being of your valves and instruments is with diagnostics and asset management tools. These tools can save you time and money and eliminates the invasiveness of tearing equipment out, potentially for no reason.

These are two seemingly minor things to account for but even just this information allows you to optimize scheduling tactics for repair and reconstruction. Not only that but it helps your daily operations run smoother when you better understand proper maintenance needs.

At the end of the day taking the time to evaluate these things will minimize overall loss with accurate budget planning and prioritization.

If you are interesting in learning more of to begin prepping for optimized daily operation or planning for your next shutdown, contact Eastern Controls today to get on the right path!

Understand your plant to optimize operations

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The Last of 2019 Training Courses

Despite the busy holiday season that’s approaching, we have to remember to take the time to refine our skills!

Why is it that the last few months of the year seem to fly by? Before the New Year rolls around we are offering TWO more popular classes in case you missed them earlier in the year!

Fundamental Instrumentation School 101

  • Two-day course offering 16-PDH credits
  • Combination classroom and hands-on training on full-scale working Process Training Unit® (PTU®)
  • Covers technologies from pressure and temperature to radar level measurement and Coriolis flow meter technologies and products
  • Work with a loop simulator, configuration software, HART communicator…just to name a few

Pressure & Temperature School 101

  • Two-day course offering 16-PDH credits
  • Focus on concepts applicable to virtually any manufacturer’s equipment
  • Go over and develop skills needed to maintain such equipment
  • Ideal for maintenance and engineering personnel to understand numerous P&T technologies in the market

Click HERE to register before it’s too late. Don’t forget to check back for our first quarter training schedule!

Register today OR check back for our 2020 course offering soon!

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2020 Industry Outlook

What’s in store for the manufacturing industry in the comming year?

Industry experts that gathered and presented at the VMA Market Outlook Workshop this year, discussed swinging market conditions, political tensions, and trade battles. Among some common themes across presenters were those of concern for many years for them: lack of skilled labor, the need for infrastructure improvements and the effects of new technology. All of this culminating to one thing, uncertainty.

While uncertainty always looms, the overall outlook was positive. The water/wastewater industry will see “explosive growth” while midstream/downstream oil and gas, petrochemicals and mining are expected to see continued growth through 2020.

The United States have been in a prolonged economic recovery, noted as the longest expansion since World War II. Part contributor to this expansion, which is different than in past recoveries, is the investment in intellectual properties such as software.

Software and new technologies are beginning to grab large market share as it relates to production and productivity in industry. These new technologies and methods for monitoring and producing greater outputs are also putting a demand on the aging infrastructure we see in industries such as oil and gas and petrochemical.

The lack of unskilled labor in these fields industries is becoming a concern for these industries however, if paired correctly with the new technologies taking over and receiving the proper training and education they could be a force to be reckoned with as we try to fill the roles of those industry veterans that are nearing the end of their careers.

If you’d like to read the full article in the Fall 2019 Valve Magazine click HERE! They delve into great detail on causes for the economic state across the country, and the world.

Embracing the Future of IIoT and digitalization

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