The odometer was originally invented to measure the miles that a vehicle traveled. Some of the first mechanical meters were made of wood and were pushed by hand. Technology evolved over time, and odometers became more sophisticated. Now, the odometer has many applications and serves an essential role in industries such as Oil and Gas, Utility Metering, Cutting and Batching, and Linear Measuring. 

Mechanical odometers have been bound by dual shafts with large rotating wheels for decades. When one wheel rotated completely around, it grabbed a small gear, known as a pinion, and rotated the wheel next to it by one unit. These systems were difficult to build and were much larger than most applications require. Eventually, a new version of the product was invented that puts the pinions inside of the odometer, enclosing the system. This technological leap made it much easier and more cost effective to manufacture these reliable odometers.

You may think that technology has moved past the mechanical counters in favor of digital, but these products are still necessary in the industries mentioned above. Digital technology requires power to operate. For example, applications in the water industry still rely heavily on mechanical meters. While batteries are becoming more efficient and made to last for many years, if the battery in a digital water meter loses power, all the data could be lost. The odometer in a water meter serves as a water utilities cash register and determines whether they can get paid or not. The same scenario can be applied to the natural gas industry. Providing a backup system in the form of a mechanical odometer is essential to ensuring that these services can bill the appropriate amount depending on usage of the product by the end costumer.

Whether you are looking for a counter to integrate into a new product or to serve as a reliable backup, Veeder Root mechanical counters have your back. The odometers have been tested in some of the toughest environments for over three decades and have continued to provide reliability to their users.