Aarico (Ashcroft Al Rushaid Instrument Company), the Saudi maker of sophisticated pressure and temperature instruments, has launched new products including the A Series stainless steel pressure switch for a wide variety of industrial and OEM installations.

Also introduced are improved performance gauges XLL-Plus, Heise DXD digital pressure transducers and gas actuated thermometers.

Aarico, the joint venture manufacturing company of Ashcroft Inc (USA) and the Saudi Al Rushaid Petroleum Investment Company, operates a factory in Jubail Industrial City, Eastern Province, and has a strong presence in Saudi Arabia as well as in Bahrain and Kuwait where it markets its products through agents. The company enjoys strong technical support from Ashcroft USA. Ashcroft Inc products have become a benchmark in pressure and temperature measurement and include gauges, thermometers, switches, transducers, transmitters, instrument isolators and diaphragm seals and control and calibration equipment.

“With our 2005 acquisition by our longtime sensor partner Nagano Keiki Company of Japan we now have access to additional engineering expertise and superior, exclusive sensor technology,” said an Aarico spokesman. Aarico instruments are found in wastewater treatment facilities, biotech and pharmaceutical labs, medical applications, semiconductor facilities, refineries, power generation plants, food processing plants, pulp and paper mills, chemical manufacturing plants and a host of support companies that serve these industries.

The Aarico plant in Jubail

Aarico’s quality system has been certified by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd to ISO 9001:2008, ISO 29001-2010. Its pressure and temperature switches are UL listed and certified by Underwriters Laboratories as explosion-proof and suitable for installation in hazardous locations. Saudi Arabia Standards Organisation (SASO) has awarded its conformance certificate and mark of quality for the pressure gauges manufactured.

In addition to manufacturing, Aarico undertakes shop repair and recalibration of pressure gauges, pressure switches and thermometers. The company’s main customers include Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Sipchem, and Marafiq   from Saudi Arabia, Bapco, Tatweer and Alba from Bahrain, KOC, KNPC and Equate from Kuwait.

“With the introduction of cutting-edge products, Ashcroft is looking ahead for an expansion in business. Aarico will be developed as a production and distribution hub for the GCC area for both Ashcroft and Nagano Keiki instruments, thereby becoming a vital player in the region,” said the spokesman.

Innovations
The new A Series pressure switch introduced recently in the Gulf market is designed to operate in tough environments. It features an all-316 stainless steel construction, a weatherproof IP67 enclosure and an operating temperature range from -40°F to 212°F (-40°C to 100°C) to ensure reliability and longevity in practically any installation.

The rugged A Series switch carries certifications from UL, CSA, CRN, CE and RoHS. Offered in a wide variety of pressure ports and electrical connections, this compact switch is the ideal choice for a wide variety of industrial and OEM installations, says the spokesman.

The new Ashcroft gauges equipped with the Plus Performance option are longer-lasting and rock steady. They use an innovative pointer stabilisation appliance within the movement to provide the dampening benefits of liquid-filled gauges without the use of an expensive, viscous liquid.

“Pointer stabilisation through the use of a traditional liquid fill works well, but can become prohibitively expensive. In applications where the gauge will be measuring the pressure of oxidising agents such as oxygen, nitrous oxide or sulphuric acid, Halocarbon oil is the inert fill of choice. However, recent double-digit rate increases in the cost of Halocarbon oil have resulted in exorbitant pricing for Halocarbon-filled pressure gauges,” the spokesman explained.

Also launched are up to 99 addressable HeiseDXD digital pressure transducers that connect directly to a serial port on a PC using standard telephone wiring. Accurate and remarkably stable, the DXD is used in a wide variety of critical processes, in test panels and in laboratories.

The spokesman listed DXDʼs features as:

• unmatched price vs performance, • accurate up to 0.02 per cent FS, • available in RS232 or RS485 communication protocol, • pressure ranges from vacuum through 10,000 psi, • serial port speeds up to 115K bps, • update rates of up to 15 mS, • 316 SS enclosure and wetted materials, • connects to PC with standard RJ-11 telephone or RJ-45 Ethernet cabling, • LabVIEW driver and utility software available.

The DXD brings the digital data stream right to the PC and into software. With ultra-high accuracy and fast digital communication, the DXD delivers exceptional performance at an amazing price, says the spokesman.

Among new gas actuated thermometers, the Ashcroft Dura temp and direct drive thermometers use the principle of gas expansion to transmit temperature changes accurately through a gas-filled capillary to a remotely located gauge. Dial sizes from 4.5 inches through 8.5 inches provide easy reading over capillary lengths of 80 ft and beyond. Ranges as low as -320°F and as high as 1,200°F allow these remote indicators to serve in a wide range of extreme applications.