QL800 Logger
The Challenge
When GX expanded in 2007, by acquiring a company specialising in efficient management of tankered waste at water discharge sites, they decided to remodel the tanker transaction monitoring system. The GX QL800 Logging system is sited outdoors, next to pipework, so that as a tanker driver arrives to discharge liquid, they swipe a key fob to register their time and delivery. The logger can automatically control and monitor the volume, plus record the volume, the density of sludge, or the purity of clean water.
By redesigning the exterior GX’s wanted to lower production costs, and introduce an easy user interface. Since many of these units are installed in the Middle East, the design needed to incorporate universal control systems and be able to withstand the extremes of heat experienced in this region.
The Solution
To help reduce production costs, the design team at GX decided to replace the existing expensive sheet metal design with a more contemporary look and feel. Working with a local moulding company, Midas, the design engineers at GX opted for a bespoke polyurethane moulded front cover. This could be produced using Midas’ unique MRIM composite resin tooling system thereby allowing GX’s design engineers to incorporate curves and undercuts.
Since the units needed to be able to withstand the harsh environment including solar degradation, each unit needed to have a high ingress protection rating. To help protect the units they were painted at the point of manufacture. Using this local company also allowed GX to oversee the quality of each unit and ensure a short lead time.
The Result
The new design and production process helped reduce the build costs by 20 per cent. Each tanker logging unit could be manufactured, assembled and tested according to demand. Having been assembled at their workshop in Usk, GX would ship the units to the Middle East and send an engineer to oversee installation. This simple logging unit has been installed in over 400 facilities throughout the world to manage and monitor the discharge of clean and waste water.