Pyromation, Inc.
Pyromation began operations in 1962 and is one of the leading manufacturers of thermocouples, RTDs, PT100s and thermowells in North America. As an ISO 9001-registered company, Advanced Manufacturing Firm and Lean enterprise with an onsite NVLAP-Accredited Metrology Laboratory (Lab Code 200502-0), the Fort Wayne, IN-based operation`s team members are invested in providing the best solution for each customer`s application. Pyromation produces a variety of temperature sensors and assemblies in both standard and custom designs, which can be found on equipment and in process applications in the chemical, petrochemical, power generation, food & beverage, dairy, plastics, heat-treating, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, aerospace, biomass, metal processing, rubber, mining, HVAC, water & wastewater, incineration and many other industries in North America and around the world.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations and our distributors
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Monitoring and Testing
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
About us
Pyromation Overview: A Unique Thermocouple, Thermowell & RTD Temperature Sensor Manufacturer
Pyromation is an ISO 9001-registered company, advanced manufacturing firm and Lean Enterprise. While innovative, technologically advanced and sophisticated, the company values customer relationships, emphasizes ease of doing business, maintains open and quick accessibility and communication with sales and engineering team members. Pyromation supports its customers directly or through a network of sales representatives and distributors that can provide entire process management systems.
Vertical Integration: Evolution & Development
Pyromation began operations in 1962 in Fort Wayne, IN. The company started out servicing industrial ovens, but soon began producing thermocouples for these ovens and other applications. By the 1980's, Pyromation was also manufacturing RTDs (Pt100s) and added temperature transmitters to its offering. As the company progressed, it developed its patented design for general-purpose and explosion-proof connection heads and incorporated thermowell manufacturing capabilities. Its Metrology Lab earned NVLAP accreditation in 2001, and added non-destructive testing to its calibration services in recent years.
Complete Sensor Solutions and Services from a Global Business in a Timely Manner
Today the company is a fully integrated temperature sensor manufacturer that produces thermocouples, RTDs, Pt100s, thermowells, connection heads and offers a complete line of temperature transmitters. Pyromation manufactures standard and custom temperature sensor assemblies for all types of applications and ships them faster than anyone in the industry. Specific sensors have 3A, ATEX, FM, CSA, IECeX, UL certifications where required. The company's temperature sensors and assemblies are found on equipment, in plants and in process applications in North America and over 45 nations around the world.
We don't just talk about doing business in a personal way; we prove it by providing unique packaging for orders, offering private labeling on products and tags, delivering product documentation and conducting product training. But don't take our word for it. Talk to us today about what Pyromation can do for you.
History
From its humble beginnings as a two-man sales and service operation designing and installing control systems for industrial equipment, Pyromation, Inc. has grown to one of the most respected names in the temperature sensor business. Over the last 50 years, the Company – headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana – has become one of the largest temperature sensor manufacturers in North America, and boasts sales to over 45 countries.
Dick Wilson and Bill Lewis founded Pyromation in 1962 and worked in the region, selling and servicing controls for industrial ovens and other equipment. By 1968, the business had evolved to the manufacture of thermocouples for industrial processes, and moved to its current location on Industrial Road.
Over the next two decades, Pyromation continued to diversify its product lines through the production of Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs), temperature transmitters, connection heads and the addition of an NVLAP-accredited metrology lab. The company also focused on significantly expanding its rep. and distributor network.
Pete Wilson, son of Dick Wilson, transitioned to President/Owner of the company in 1992, and led Pyromation’s growth in both domestic and international sales. Pyromation earned ISO 9001 certification in 2000 and committed to Lean Manufacturing starting in 2003. The company continued its product line and market diversification, initiating thermowell production in 2006. In 2011, Pyromation had grown to 175 team members.
Pyromation is launching into its second half-century with a bang, kicking off the anniversary year with celebratory events, including a January ribbon-cutting ceremony for the recently completed 15,000 square foot facility expansion. “Through good fortune, great sales channel partners and hard work by everyone here at Pyromation, we’ve realized great success through our first 50 years,” said President Pete Wilson. “And we’re well-positioned to continue building on that success over the next half century as a Fort Wayne-based leader in the design, production and sales of industrial temperature sensors, assemblies and components.”
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide solutions to manufacturers worldwide improving their ability to safely and efficiently produce their products.
We will measure our progress in achieving our mission through Strategy Deployment. In particular we will focus on the metrics associated with our Quality Pledge of
Pyromation Values
- Integrity in our actions
- Respect and Trust
- Innovation, Creativity and Continuous Improvement
- Learning and Openness
- Meaningful partnerships with team members, customers, suppliers and the local community creating engaged stakeholders
- Leadership
The Pyromation Enterprise
Almost 45 percent of Pyromation’s sales are generated from custom-designed temperature sensor requests. In addition, an increasing number of sensor and assembly specifications include certification requirements related to North American and/or international standards. Customers usually need these sensors on a quick turnaround basis.
Pyromation’s operations are designed to be flexible and efficient enough to accommodate these and other needs. From the original service business it was to the current multi work-cell operation it is today, Pyromation has adapted to meet customer demand.
Customization and Flexibility
Pyromation is set up to adapt to standard and custom product requests, in any quantity, on an hourly basis.
A series of carefully constructed one-piece work-flow cells allows us to produce many different types of sensors as orders are received. We stock a variety of materials and have in-house metal cutting, shaping, machining, welding and finishing capabilities that support our ability to make standard and special parts as needed. These and other capabilities provide flexibility to quickly respond to customer requirements.
Vertical Integration
We design and manufacture a wide range of temperature sensors, including a complete line of RTD assemblies and MgO Thermocouples. Nearly 50 percent of the units we produce are temperature sensor assemblies that include components such as connection heads, thermowells, pipe wells and temperature transmitters. To support this business, we drill and machine a variety of materials to produce our thermowells and pipe wells, and produce, machine and assemble our patented line of connection heads. Manufacturing these components and performing these operations internally enables us to quickly respond to customer demands while maintaining competitive costs, managing inventory and controlling quality.
In addition, we have an onsite NVLAP-accredited Metrology Laboratory performing calibrations to NIST standards, and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) capabilities on location. These and other in-house operations allow us to deliver most orders within four business days, with same-day, 24-hour or 72-hour express shipments available on request.
Technical Competencies
We are a self-sufficient operation, investing in space, equipment and technical expertise, making it possible for us to efficiently drill and machine our thermowells, connection heads, pipe wells and other fittings on location. Our certified welders ensure quality construction for multi-piece and flanged thermowells, pipe well fittings, sensor junctions and specialty welding. We also perform some non-destructive tests for thermowells or pipe wells on site. This gives Pyromation time and cost advantages over suppliers that out-source these competencies.
Quality Assurance
As an ISO 9001-registered firm, Pyromation monitors quality throughout the organization. Each sensor is tested to ensure that it functions properly before leaving the production cell. Final inspections are also performed for each order prior to shipment. Our NVLAP-accredited lab personnel inspect production equipment and incoming materials. FM, UL, ATEX, IEC and CSA audit Pyromation’s plant and processes on a periodic basis.
Lean Influence
After experiencing some struggles associated with the economic downturn that followed the attacks of 9/11/01, Pyromation researched methods to improve business operations and performance over the long term. The result was the implementation of Lean principles beginning in April of 2003.
A consulting firm was brought in to assist Pyromation in learning and teaching Lean tools throughout the company. At first, the conversion process was difficult and slow, but progress was made. Lean practices were applied not only in manufacturing, but in office processes like order entry, material requisitioning & resupply, training, idea system creation, evaluation processes and others. Pyromation’s team members have been and continue to be passionate and emotionally engaged in the process.
Lean eventually became more than a group of improvement tools; it became a system for managing the business. Even business decisions, such as Pyromation's development of internal thermowell manufacturing capabilities and its recent plant expansion, were guided by Lean philosophies.