GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A new generation of metering technology developed for retail fueling by Gilbarco Veeder-Root means that fuel loss due to meter drift in fuel dispensers is no longer a fact of life for retailers, the company said.
The patented technology is available only on Gilbarco's Encore 550 line of dispensers. Encore 550 dispensers employ SMART Meter inferential technology to calculate fuel delivery volume. Built on the same technology used in high-performance jet aircraft, SMART Meter parts move in a suspended state that eliminates the wear [image-nocss] that leads to meter drift.
Additionally, the SMART Meter is able to sense and react to changes in fuel temperature and viscosity to increase accuracy and adapt to changing fuel conditions.
Traditional mechanical displacement fuel metering loses accuracy as meter parts become worn, said Richard Browne, Gilbarco's vice president for service station equipment marketing. By eliminating the wear, and reacting to variables such as temperature and viscosity, Encore 550 with SMART Meter brings a level of accuracy that has been unheard-of in fuel dispensers before now.
Browne said the limitations of traditional mechanical displacement meters have forced retailers to live with variances in fuel measurement and meter driftthe inability of a dispenser meter to accurately measure fuel quantities because its components have worn from their calibrated setting. In fact, many retailers calibrate their meters to pump a little more fuel than a customer is actually paying for, just to make sure customers are not shorted on gasoline purchases. With climbing fuel prices and increasing competition, lost profits due to meter drift are getting more and more difficult to absorb.
SMART Meter solves this problem. Field testing has shown that by eliminating meter drift and the need for re-calibration, the Encore 550 with SMART Meter can save retailers $3000 - $5000 per year, depending on their gasoline sales volume, said Browne.
In addition to improving dispenser accuracy, the SMART Meter contains security features that help reduce fuel loss resulting from theft and fraud, further enhancing its benefit to retailers' bottom lines. Its electronics are factory-sealed to deter tampering.
The SMART Meter has received its Certificate of Conformance for Weighing & Measuring Devices from the National Conference on Weights & Measures, the company said.
Greensboro, N.C.-based Gilbarco Veeder-Root supplies and integrates a variety of new and proven technologies to reduce cost of ownership, enhance environmental integrity and improve performance and profitability for petroleum marketers and commercial fueling enterprises worldwide. Among its business lines are fuel dispensing and control; site and retail management; support services; and environmental compliance technologies.
Gilbarco Veeder-Root unites brands offered by Gilbarco Inc. and The Veeder-Root Co. Gilbarco is a global supplier of fuel dispensing equipment and fully integrated point of sale systems. Veeder-Root is a global supplier of automatic tank gauging, leak detection and fuel management systems, including Red Jacket submersible pumps.
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