Steve Venters - Advanced Gauging Technologies

January 30, 2015 By Steve Venters

A.G.T. Implements Technician Certification Program

Advanced Gauging has implemented a new Thickness Gauge Certification Program to assist in the ongoing training and development of our Field Technicians and other key A.G.T. personnel. The program includes comprehensive tests on the knowledge and ability to service various models of thickness gauges, including many obsolete gauges whose manufactures are no longer in business. Gauges that are currently covered under this program include the Gamma GR100 and GR200, D.M.C. 410 and 450, Weston 5310 and 5320, Measurex MDX350 and the Loral 3500, along with our own AGT400 and AGT800 gauges. We also plan to add additional gauges in the near future. This new program is designed to be a continuous process that involves regular training and the sharing of knowledge between our technicians so that you can be sure you always receive the absolute best service available in today’s market.

January 16, 2015 By Steve Venters

First AGT800 Of 2015 Goes To Nova Steel

Advanced Gauging is pleased to announce that our first shipment of 2015 was a new AGT800 Laser Thickness Gauge. The gauge was shipped on January 8^th to Nova Steel in Stoney Creek, Ontario and will be installed on a refurbished 60” Pro Eco Slitter. Vince Gallo, General Manager at Nova Steel, is very familiar with A.G.T. from his past experience at other companies and expressed immediate interest in the AGT800 soon after he joined Nova. He visited A.G.T. in August to see the gauge in person and ended up issuing a purchase order before his return to Canada.

Although this is our first laser gauge shipment to Canada, we anticipate many more before the year is out. We have already received a great deal of interest in the AGT800 from several Canadian service centers and we foresee no let-up in the number of inquiries we continue to receive on a regular basis. Key benefits mentioned with most of these requests include the elimination of the need for a radioactive source, the fact that the AGT800 can measure virtually any type of material in coil, sheet or strip form, and the capability to measure up to .750” (19 mm) thick material.

To request a proposal or additional information, please feel free to contact Steve Venters or Tiffany Rea at www.Sales@AdvGauging.com or by calling (614) 873-6691.

January 9, 2015 By Steve Venters

Company Cars Enhance A.G.T.’s Customer Service

The A.G.T. mission statement says that we will provide “our customers with world class products and exceptional service.” In today’s modern world, flexibility is a key to providing such service. We recently purchased a third Chevy Cruze Eco for our newest field service technician, Jim Russell. Now each of our technicians has an assigned car which is always stocked with the spare parts and tools necessary to handle virtually any type of problem a customer may be having with one of their thickness gauges. This obviously makes it very convenient and economical when it comes to scheduling our semi-annual service trips. Taking this step also improves our ability to respond quickly whenever an unexpected service visit is required, which in turn means less down time for our customers.

December 12, 2014 By Steve Venters

AGT800 Laser Gauge Featured In American Metal Market 2014 Spotlight Article

Metals Testing Transformed By 21st-Century Technology

While larger companies dominate a significant portion of the testing equipment market, some breakthrough technologies still come out of tiny mom-and-pop companies, reminiscent of the computer technology that came out of California garages a half-century ago. For much of the past few decades, the thickness of coil, sheet or strip metal has been measured by service centers with isotope gauges such as the AGT400 manufactured by Advanced Gauging Technologies, LLC. An isotope gauge typically consists of a computer, monitor, printer and advanced electronics located in an electronics cabinet connected to a C-frame that includes a source head and a detector head. The C-frame is mounted on the processing line so that the material being measured passes between the source and the detector head. Isotope gauges such as the AGT400 use a very small amount of radioactive material to measure the thickness of the material passing through the C-frame. “There is a shutter in the source head that opens and releases the radiation. The detector head located on the other side of the material measures the amount of radiation that passes through,” Steve Venters, Sales Manager at Advanced Gauging Technologies, explained.

Entrepreneur Ronald Cook and his son, Scott, co-founded Advanced Gauging Technologies nearly 20 years ago in Plain City, a small town halfway between Columbus and Marysville, Ohio. The company’s small staff manufactures several AGT400 isotope thickness gauges annually and services more than 400 gauges, most located in metal service centers across North America. About half the devices serviced are isotope thickness gauges manufactured by Advanced Gauging Technologies. Isotope thickness gauges comprise only a small part of the total cost of a production line, and Advanced Gauging Technologies said its product typically “pays for itself within a year or less.” But there is one drawback to an isotope thickness gauge: the radioactive material used in the gauge. “It’s a very small amount of radioactive material, basically the same material used in many smoke detectors,” Venters said. Still, because the material is radioactive it must be licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) and inspected at regular intervals, which means paperwork requirements for both the vendor and the customer.

As a result, Advanced Gauging Technologies has spent the past two years designing and testing its new AGT800 laser thickness gauge, which it released for commercial use in late 2013. “It works the same way as the isotope gauge,” Venters said, “except it uses laser sensors mounted on the C-frame to measure the thickness of the material. One of the biggest advantages, of course, is that there are no federal or state licensing requirements.” Advanced Gauging’s first production AGT800 has been installed on a new 96-inch Butech Bliss stretch leveler/cut-to-length line at an Alabama service center. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to offer the AGT800 to our customers. It also gives us the capability to measure additional types of materials, such as films and plastics, which opens the door for new markets,” Venters said. “Accordingly, we are anticipating a pretty good period of growth over the next few years.”

November 7, 2014 By Steve Venters

New Marketing And Sales Assistant Joins A.G.T. Team

Tiffany Rea is the newest addition to the Advanced Gauging Technologies family. A recent graduate of Wilmington College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing, she is responsible for advertising, organizing market research, along with responding to sales requests and inquiries.

A former preschool teacher of two years, she is a big people person. Tiffany enjoys hiking with her husband Chris and their dog in various parks around Ohio. She also likes reading, cooking new recipes, yoga and fitness training.

Tiffany is excited about combining her love of people and busines to utilize her marketing and sales skills. “I love that Advanced Gauging Technologies is small enough to get cross trained in all areas of the company. I feel important and accomplished that I can not only do my scheduled job duties but also assist anyone else in the company.” she says.