Partnership the Key to Dutch Success

Aquamatic Ltd’s (UK) successful alliance with their Dutch distributor BAR Instruments, has been built on a close working relationship along with the willingness to flex product design to suit local market requirements.

Leading UK Wastewater Sampler manufacturer Aquamatic Ltd, joined forces with BAR Instruments 7 years ago. Specialising in providing equipment for the water and wastewater industries, BAR’s Instruments took on Aquamatic’s Dutch distributorship at a point when it had yet to make significant breakthrough in Holland.

BAR Instruments MD, Richard Barmentloo, said ‘I knew we were breaking into a well established market consisting of local and international manufacturers. We had to get past the ‘we’ve always used someone else for our sampling equipment’ objection. Having looked in detail at the local market, I realised that other manufacturers didn’t seem to be responding fully to the needs of the customers. I saw there was a genuine opportunity for us to establish a significant presence in the Dutch market’.

What Richard had spotted was the requirement for a remote sample confirmation facility. The Aquacell module takes reliable, repeatable samples at a frequency based on time, flow, level etc. Each time a sample is taken the on-board data logger records the event along with a date and time stamp. Although the Aquacell system is very reliable, the Dutch regulatory authority requires a further level of confirmation proving that a sample has actually been collected. The usual method of confirmation would be to manually use a dip-stick in the Sample Collection Vessel and calculate the volume of samples compared with the theoretical volume, a time-consuming and labour-intensive process.

Following consultation between BAR Instruments and Aquamatic, the companies came up with a solution. Based on Aquamatic’s outdoor, refrigerated, Aquacell S320H Sampler, Aquamatic were able to design a sample weighing system into the base of the main sample collection compartment. This links back to a display unit adjacent to the Aquacell Sampling Module, which in turn transmits the sample weight remotely to the customers PLC via a 4-20mA output signal. By reading and recording an increase in total sample weight, this facility provided the customer with all the information necessary to confirm that a sample was successfully extracted and has reached the chosen Sample Collection Vessel. A significant labour cost saving can result from the reduced frequency of site visits necessary due to the surety of the information being provided.

Aquamatic MD Jeremy Smith added ‘As is often the case with new international territories, Holland and BAR Instruments just needed the right product. With distributor and manufacturer working closely together we created an innovative solution for a local market problem. We are pleased to see that this has since driven substantial sales for us into Holland and made BAR Instruments a leading figure for this type of equipment’.