When is a VA flowmeter not a Rotameter?

A recent press release from Emerson mentioned that Rotameters would now be sold alongside Brooks VA meters, which is an interesting twist in the trade name use on this style of product!

The use of the Rotameter trademark for VA (variable area, typically glass tube) flowmeters has been fiercely defended by KDG Instruments, later KDG Mobrey, for many years.

Now part of Emerson, these Rotameters will now be sold alongside the VA flowmeters from their one time rival, Brooks (See ref 1).

As the original glass tube VA meter, the Rotameter, from the original GEC Rotameter company I believe, almost achieved the same status as the 'Hoover', with the German competitor calling themselves Rota, and originally having to supply Rota meters as plain VA meters.

Yokogawa have now acquired the Rota company, and seem to have forgotten the problem, quoting Rotameter and 'Rotamesser - das original' on their German webpages.

(I guess the trade mark cannot stop this use in Germany): See ref 2.

Maybe Yokogawa believe too much that they read on the Internet, since Wikipedia seems to have got the history all wrong too, quoting their version of the historical derivation of the name as follows:.

''The first variable area meter with rotating float was invented by Karl Kueppers in Aachen in 1908.

This is described in the German patent 215225.

Felix Meyer found the first industrial company "Deutsche Rotawerke GmbH" in Aachen recognizing the fundamental importance of this invention.

They improved this invention with new shapes of the float and of the glass tube.

Kueppers invented the special shape for the inside of the glass tube that realized a symmetrical flow scale.

The brand name Rotameter (Rotamesser) traced one's descent from the founded company name "ROTA".

'.

(Having discovered that you can change the Wikipedia pages, I have done so, to correct this - Editor).

Gilbert Platon, who worked in the original Rotameter company, then split away and started his company G.A.Platon, (later Platon Flowbits and now Roxspur) had to adopt a new name, the 'GAPmeter' for his glass tube flowmeters, manufactured in Basingstoke: See ref 3.

Brooks, in the USA, regularly used the Rotameter description accidentally, maybe on purpose, and had to withdraw the offending sales leaflets on several occasions.

Siemens is very careful to describe their VA meters as VA meters, but selling what appear to be the same things in the UK, icenta controls could be heading for problems calling their product a 'Rotameter' on a UK based website: although they also do feature some true Rotameters, made the KDG part of Mobrey, on the same site! See ref 4.

Now, with successive acquisitions, Emerson find themselves with both Brooks VA flowmeters, and Mobrey 'Rotameters' in their portfolio, and they maintain the distinction of trade names for the moment.

But selling glass tube VA flowmeters is a totally different business and image to that of the mainstream Emerson Process Management market presence.

So this is another opportunity for Bob Wrigley and his colleagues at Flotech Solutions, the independent UK flowmeter distributor, and as a spin-off from Emerson, who have been selling the Brooks VA flowmeters in the UK on behalf of Emerson.

Flotech will now sell both the Emerson ranges in the UK, both the Brooks VA meters and the Mobrey Rotameters, and they have the opportunity to really mix up the trade names and generic names.

Martin Rowe, from the KDG Rotameter business within Mobrey, has transferred to Flotech, and incidentally confirmed that the Rotameter trade name registration has recently been renewed, within the Emerson structure!.

Watch out for the next move: maybe this will be a further consolidation of the VA businesses from Emerson.

Ref 1: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/sla/sla129.html .

Ref 2: http://rotameter.de/st_produkte.htm .

Ref 3: http://www.processingtalk.com/news/rox/rox000.html .

Ref 4: http://www.icenta.co.uk .

See Flotech on http://www.processingtalk.com/news/flo/flo000.html .

See Mobrey on http://www.processingtalk.com/news/sla/sla000.html .

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