HAYLEY DEXIS customers are often not looking for a fix to a single problem, but a solution that solves many challenges that affect the business from every angle. A part that fails very rarely has a single, low-impact effect; more than likely, it costs thousands in downtime and causes a domino effect on operational efficiency. That’s why at HAYLEY DEXIS, we deliver a strategic partnership that answers a shopping list of needs and wants across multiple areas, from deep technical engineering expertise and critical stock availability to adding value by driving efficiencies and solving operational puzzles.
For this article, we sat down with one of our key strategic partners, IMI, to discuss how a single sensor in a milk bottling plant delivered far more than just airflow monitoring, and how the strategic partnerships we choose at HAYLEY DEXIS are critical to supporting industry today in making data-driven, informed decisions that deliver efficiencies.
Innovation Through Listening
Many of our partners invest heavily in research and development, but IMI takes a slightly different approach to its focus. They listen first. That means understanding the roadblocks businesses face on the shop floor and how they can innovate to ease them. Their Growth Hub is at the centre of all their new product development, and it’s supporting industry like never before. IMI works closely with distributors to identify real-world, transferable applications, ensuring new products are not just engineered in a vacuum but born of a deep understanding of the challenges our customers face on the factory floor. We actively encourage our customers to share their pain points with us, knowing that we can collaborate with IMI to bring bespoke, effective solutions to the market.
Collaborative Engineering at Milk Bottling Plant
It’s easier to visualise how this innovation and partnership can work between HAYLEY DEXIS and IMI by looking at how we recently supported a milk bottling plant. Given the stringent rules and regulations around anything consumed in the UK, it’s imperative, especially for hygiene, that the plant can evidence cleaning procedures. That’s why there was concern when they had persistent efficiency challenges regarding the air nozzles used to clean bottles before they were turned upright. It might sound like a small problem, air cleaning a cap, but that cap seals and has direct contact with the dairy product inside. We’re also talking about thousands of bottles on a line, so if something goes wrong, the loss is eye-watering. So, to combat this, they overcompensate with air to ensure successful cleaning, which is inefficient.
A Lack of Data Visibility
The primary problem was a lack of visibility. The plant had no way to measure air pressure or flow during cleaning, resulting in inconsistent results and significant overconsumption of compressed air. The plant was operating on assumptions rather than data.
Enter the M/80 Inline Flow Sensor
With the data in mind, it became clear that they needed technology that could measure airflow and provide the information they needed to make more informed decisions. The IMI Norgren M/80 Inline Flow Sensor would provide the visibility they required.
Reducing Costs and Improving Productivity
The sensor provided precise data on airflow, pressure, temperature, and total consumption simultaneously, eliminating the need for estimates. It enabled logging of consumption patterns, allowing the team to identify anomalies, such as leaks, that would otherwise have gone unnoticed until a total failure occurred. By installing the sensor on the production line, the plant could quickly identify and fix leaks, significantly reducing wasted compressed air and lowering the total cost of ownership.
Delivering the IMI Difference
IMI’s Industrial Automation sector specialises in pneumatics, electric motion, and fluid control, with an ecosystem that includes brands such as IMI Norgren, IMI Bahr and IMI Buschjost. But the partnership with IMI goes beyond technology; it’s also their matching value of 360-degree support. When we have questions, we can request on-site technical visits, speak to an engineer directly and access online support. And it’s this consultative approach that transforms that supplier-distributor relationship into a practical partnership where technical expertise is shared freely to benefit our customers.
Where IMI really shines, though, is in its deep application engineering expertise, where we have direct access to people with technical backgrounds who are invaluable to our customers and can provide solutions tailored to each business. In industry, there is a big skills shortage, so from an operational perspective, it’s vital to have someone on the end of the phone or in person with a specific set of skills.
If you’re serious about reducing costs and improving productivity, we’d be happy to discuss how our partnership with IMI can work for you. You can find your nearest HAYLEY DEXIS branch here.