Revolutionizing clean energy operations and delivering advanced equipment and systems isn’t just a pillar of OPW Clean Energy Solutions (OPW CES); it’s the never-ending mission.
This stems from a commitment to precision and reliability in designing high-performance, top-quality valves, hoses, regulators, gas-handling equipment, and complete solutions for the industrial manufacturing, electronics, food and beverage, and energy industries, among others.
As a division of Dover Corporation, fostering a culture of excellence is ingrained in the DNA of OPW CES. The standards for first-class engineering begin with an investment in internal resources and processes, which enable the company to drive product and customer solution breakthroughs, minimize expensive failures and develop customer trust. Here is a peek at how the OPW CES team, a leader in clean energy solutions, accomplishes this.
Winning with People
Legendary Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes had it right when he declared, “You win with people.” A critical factor in the success of OPW CES lies with its team, and that is no coincidence. Excellence in engineering is a key goal within the company, and that starts with hiring the right engineers.
“We teach it and interview for it,” said Chris Herman, Senior Product Planning and Business Development Manager (and previous Engineering Manager of Cryogenics) at OPW CES. “We don't just pick anyone when looking for engineers. We ensure they possess the right aptitude and mindset.”
Another factor is access to key resources, which includes working with other business units within Dover. This opens doors for licensing, data sharing, engineering guidance and participation in various committees to provide input on what’s practical in a given application.
Solving Problems for Customers and Industries
The team at OPW CES envisions a future where energy is cleaner, safer and more accessible, which demands pioneering innovations. But that doesn’t come without its challenges.
This is where decades of industry leadership and a deep commitment to understanding customers’ needs allow the team at OPW CES to solve problems for its customers.
One of the most significant customer pain points is alleviating costs wherever possible. To help with that, OPW CES assembles products in-house, including components customers can easily integrate with their existing systems. This not only contributes to product improvements but also minimizes expenses and improves safety, which the engineers are then proud to share with the rest of the industry.
Need a tailored solution for your application? Herman adds that they can do that, too.
“We provide customer-centric experiences,” he said. “We take pride in hitting our delivery dates, we focus on standards and safety, and we make sure what we learn and engineer gets passed on to the rest of the industry.”
Defining ‘Excellence in Engineering’
At OPW CES, excellence in engineering begins with the team and is reflected in the workmanship of the final product and its impact on businesses worldwide. This includes how the team approaches developing products for key industries.
“One of the principal drivers is our new product development process,” Herman said. “We conduct ongoing training and have everyone shadow an engineer. We bring in people from other areas of the business to provide input on each design and project. We make sure people are not on an island and everyone can let their views be heard.”
OPW CES products are always held to the strictest quality and safety standards, and are designed with this in mind.
“Safety is of the utmost concern. This is especially critical when working with cryogenics and flammable fluids, such as hydrogen and liquid natural gas,” said Jeff Howard, Director of Design Engineering at OPW CES. “Global regulations for our industry get tighter and tighter every year. We design our products to ASME and other standards, and we take pride in designing the proper safety features in our products.”
With a significant amount of time and effort spent participating in safety and standards committees and attending annual conferences, the various associations OPW CES partners with value their contributions. This recognition further underscores the company’s leadership and commitment to high safety, reliability and performance standards.
Learn more about OPW CES, its products and industries at opwces.com.