Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - REFEREE (pREcise Fluids mEteRing EquipmEnt)

Teaser

Directive 2014/32/EU defines the requirements and certification of devices and systems used to measure quantities – weights, volumes, times, distances, etc. –that are the basis of commercial transactions, that is the sale of goods or services. It has two main...

Summary

Directive 2014/32/EU defines the requirements and certification of devices and systems used to measure quantities – weights, volumes, times, distances, etc. –that are the basis of commercial transactions, that is the sale of goods or services. It has two main objectives;

(1) the reduction of unfair competition, or fraud,
(2) the creation of a single market for such devices.

This European directive came into force April 2016. From this date our end-users, automotive garages, need to have certified instruments to measure the quantities of oil and other liquids commonly used in vehicle servicing, for the purposes of charging the customer correctly. At present there are few alternatives that meet these requirements, and nothing that has been tailored to the needs of this sector. REFEREE responds directly to this need.

REFEREE is a technology upon which we are building a brand new line of fluids metering & dispensing equipment conforming this European Directive 2014/32/EU. The Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) that will include a Proprietary Air Separation Subsystem. We will focus on Automotive (specifically electric and pneumatic pumps for non-fuel liquids), Industrial (mechanical industry of production of cylinders, cranes, gear reducers, vehicles and motors) and, alternatively, the Marine sector.

FLEXBIMEC International SRL is an Italian multinational company situated in the North of Italy, with 26 employees, 8.6M€ turnover, a customer base of 2,500 and a track record of over 42 years successfully providing measuring instruments for liquid metering and dispensing devices. We lead the Italian market, with over 35% market share, and are a relevant European and worldwide player, exporting over 55% of our production.

Work performed

Within ReFeRee project we have been developing several prototypes to improve the flow rate and the viscosity range of our meters. Our design allows to use our equipment with different liquids not only oil but lubricating motor oil, gear oil, diesel fuel, antifreeze coolant liquid and AUS32 fluid, among others. We have centered our effort mainly on the measuring system and handle of the system to improve its performance, maintenance and resistance to impacts.

Our equipment are now certified according to Directive 2014/32/EU, OIML R117-1 and ATEX 2014/34/EU for equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

For Flexbimec it is very important to give visibility to the new Directive 2014/32/EU so many dissemination activities have been done to promote ReFeRee and the Directive. We have published two web pages: www.mid-equipment.com and www.referee-mid.eu publishing our ReFeRee solution and the European Directive. A big effort has been done contacting especially German, Austrian and Italian authorities in an effort of increase the adoption and full implementation of the Directive. The independent Italian organization Unione Nazionale Consumatori as well as Chambers of Commerce have also been contacted to explain our ReFeRee solution to protect consumer rights by reducing frauds.

Final results

European Union directive 2014/32/EU, the Measuring Instrument Directive, came into force April 2016. From this date our end-users, automotive garages and petrol stations, need to have certified instruments to measure the quantities of oil and other liquids commonly used in vehicle servicing, for the purposes of charging the customer correctly. At the current time there are few alternatives that meet these requirements, and nothing that has been tailored to the needs of this sector. REFEREE is responds directly to this need.

Half a year after its came into force, the directive is not still being applied. Unfortunately, it is still not clear which body have authorization to indorse the operators that work with unapproved systems and many points of the Directive are subjected to interpretations of single officer.

Our Referee product is already prepared and have approved certifications to meet the European Directive. We will provide a full range of devices for any type of fluid (including stainless-steel versions, suitable for aggressive fluids as urea (AdBlue-AUS32), antifreeze or glass cleaning liquids), to simplify and reduce the cost of the daily operations of our customers.

In our main strategy we plan to offer our clients 3 packs depending on the modules/subsystems installed. Following our internal market research, in our target markets the cost/price goals should be:
- Target cost of the air-separation subsystem will be <125€.
- Target price of full-certified dispensing + measuring system (CE+M & OIML) including air-separation of €375
- Target price of full-certified dispensing + measuring system (CE+M & OIML) including air-separation, hoses, pump, digital flowmeter with handle and accessories of €650.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.referee-mid.eu.