The Gauging Times – Issue 32 – April, 2010

2010 Pricing Unchanged!

With the economic situation that has been upon us since the recession started in 2008 things have been really difficult for everyone. As we look around, many of our customers are just now starting to come out of this devastating downturn. It is assumed that most of us have felt the pain of what has happened, and we are all looking forward to brighter days ahead.

That is why we are trying to do what we can in helping with our customer’s recoveries by not raising our service rates or gauge pricing for 2010. Even though some of our costs have increased substantially, we are doing our best to absorb these amounts. We know the last thing anyone needs at this point is a price increase. We hope that our efforts are a big help to our customers as we head into the upcoming recovery that we are all eagerly anticipating.

Operating System Upgrades

With the ever changing Windows® operating system, we are constantly updating and testing the AGT400. We started out on Windows 95®, then improved to Windows 98®, and we are currently using Windows XP®. We choose to work with Windows® because most of our customers are already comfortable with how these operating systems work, and by using it, we make it easier for the end user to operate and/or network our thickness gauge. If you currently have a gauge operating in Windows 95® or Windows 98®, and would like to become more current, please give us a call and we can discuss upgrading your computer to Windows XP®, which will allow for many more years of reliable gauging.

AGT400 Makes Money For You

There are many ways to profit from your AGT400 Thickness Gauge & S.P.C. Reporting Package, and very few are as easy to quantify as this edition’s tip.

Companies that buy coils by weight and sell their product by the foot can really benefit from the AGT400. Most tube mills, and some CTL’s and slitters are now selling by the foot, so the number of companies that can benefit from this is quite large.

If, for example, you are buying a coil, and you allow for a tolerance range of .038″ to .042″. You may be ordering .040″ from your supplier to achieve desired thickness. By monitoring incoming material with your thickness gauge, you will be able to adjust ordering specifications in the future and confidently buy at a slightly lower thickness. Since you will still be maintaining your minimum specification, thousands of dollars will be saved on the purchase of your material. As you can see, since you sell by the foot, this is all profit!

Leak Tests, Service, Spare Parts

A.G.T. Field Service Engineers are licensed to perform semi-annual inspections and source wipes (leak tests) on all makes and models of isotope thickness gauges. Many of our customers have replaced older obsolete thickness gauges with the AGT400 Thickness Measurement and S.P.C. Reporting System. When this happens, we recycle any old parts that still have some life left in them. Over the last few years, we have been able to amass the largest spare parts inventory in the industry.

We are currently performing full service, and have many spare parts available for the following makes and models of gauges:

Automatic Data Gathering

At the beginning of each coil to be processed, the C-frame is moved on sheet, the Shutter is opened, and the Report Control button is activated. At the end of each coil, the Report Control is deactivated, the Shutter closes, and the C-frame moves off sheet. Using a simple digital input signal (provided by the customer) for triggering, the AGT400 Thickness Gauge & S.P.C. Reporting System can be configured to automatically handle all six of these functions. We call this standard feature ‘Automatic Data Gathering’, and it can greatly simplify thickness gauge operation, saving you time and money!

Obsolete Contact Information

A.G.T. moved from our old location to our current building in Plain City, Ohio in November, 2004. We kept our old phone number active, and we set it up to forward all calls to our current location. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to keep that old number active, and the calls will no longer be sent to us. Your calls are very important to us, so please verify that you have our current contact information so that we may assist you with your gauging needs. Our information is in the footer of this page.