2022 Dealer Design Awards: Testing and Monitoring Products
Combustion analyzer wins Gold
The NOVO Combustion Analyzer by Seitron Americas Inc. was awarded the Gold recognition in the Testing and Monitoring Products category. The product was introduced into the market in late 2021, and two years of research went into the design, which boasts features such as field replaceable sensors, Bluetooth wireless communications, and an integrated water trap. According to Jason Esteves, director of sales – Americas, another notable feature is its 7-inch touchscreen.
“We live in a very digital age, and every tech now pretty much has either a cell phone or tablet that they're using, so one of the ideas that we had was making it look like a tablet or like a phone,” explained Esteves.
Esteves said simultaneous gas pressure and combustion analyses is another noteworthy quality of the NOVO Combustion Analyzer. He said contractors are usually required to switch from one instrument to the other while completing a job, but this product allows contractors to do gas pressure and combustion analyses at the same time, which is a “huge advantage.”
Listening to what technicians in the field actually want played a big role in the design of this product, said Esteves. For example, instead of having multiple probe connections, the NOVO Combustion Analyzer has one simple connection, which makes a tech’s job easier.
Although the shift to digital products and features is something to consider, Esteves said the beauty of this product is that it also factors in contractors or customers who might be more comfortable with traditional methods. The NOVO Combustion Analyzer comes with a built-in printer, which has been a “best-selling” feature for years.
“About 70% of our sales are with printers, so that tells us a story that even with the apps, guys still prefer having a hard copy printout. Some applications actually require it, because they want to print for inspections and things like that,” explained Esteves.
He added that although this particular model of the product only goes up to four gasses, the company aims to make it up to six gasses.
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Jim Todd, sales and training support representative at Beckett Corporation said the “amazing” features of the product are not limited to the analyzer itself — he believes everything down to the carrying case was designed with care. Todd explained that even though most people might overlook a carrying case, he said any sizeable investment should be paired with adequate protection.
“I've been using electronic analyzers over the years, and this is a great one. The learning curve was very short. I have to say there wasn't one — it's almost instinctive when you get working with it,” said Todd.
UEi Test Instruments took home the Silver award in the Testing and Monitoring Products category for their Wireless True RMS Clamp Meter w/ Motor Testing product. The Clamp Meter is designed to help contractors install and maintain heating and cooling equipment.
According to Michael Kane, company president, the product boasts features such as back probe test leads for Molex plugs, dual thermocouple inputs for differential temperature, and test lead storage. The Clamp Meter also includes a 3-phase motor rotation, an unbalanced motor test, and a low pass filter.
He said the product’s wireless capabilities make it convenient for the contractor to use information when they need it, wherever they need it. Kane added that one of the company’s main design goals with the product was to provide HVACR professionals with a multipurpose, user-friendly tool that would help simplify their jobs.
“As technology becomes more affordable and accessible, we can improve the functionality included in clamp meters, allowing them to do more and cover a wider variety of testing environments,” noted Kane.
Fluke Corp.’s Fluke 378 FC Non-Contact Voltage True-rms AC/DC Clamp Meter with iFlex was honored with the Bronze Award in the Testing and Monitoring Products category. Introduced in April 2021, this product aims to minimize the risk of electrical shock among HVAC technicians.
Sean Silvey, product application specialist, said the product uses Field-Sense technology to make testing faster and safer without needing to touch a live conductor. Silvey added that the Clamp Meter offers complete three-phase voltage and current tests. These measurements, along with phase rotation information, are then displayed on the contractor’s smart phone and saved to the cloud via Fluke Connect Software.
“Simply clip the black test lead to any electrical ground, put the clamp jaw around the conductor, and see reliable, accurate voltage and current values simultaneously on the dual display,” explained Silvey.
In the future, Silvey said the company looks to enhance the product to continue to allow HVAC technicians to “do more while carrying less.”
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