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Selecting a Smart Controller with GTH ensures the highest levels of accuracy, flexibility, and reliability.

Choosing the right controls to managing your thermal loop needs can feel overwhelming. With so many models available—each offering unique capabilities, configurations, and communication protocols—it’s not always clear which option will best meet your application’s needs. Factors like cost, performance, scalability, and ease of use all come into play.

At GTH, we’ve assisted customers across the nation’s most critical industries—from heat treat and food processing to aerospace—to navigate these decisions for over 93 years. Our Technical Customer Service team takes a deep dive into your application, considering everything from sensor compatibility to communication protocols. We don’t just sell controllers—we configure them to work for your specific process and stand by them.

In this article, we plan to explore some of the Watlow controllers on the market and how GTH can support with the selection of the controller that would be best suited for your operations. As a full-service control solutions provider, GTH offers design, programming, instrumentation services, and control panel manufacturing. With a century of experience, our team brings intuition, expertise, and a commitment to sustainable, reliable control solutions. Whether you’re modernizing existing technology or designing new systems, we provide the guidance and support needed to make confident purchasing decisions.

Consider this scenario:

A manufacturing facility needs to replace an outdated temperature controller for their heat-treat oven. Their priorities include compatibility with existing sensors, improved accuracy, and remote monitoring capabilities. When they reach out to GTH, our Technical Customer Service team guides them through key questions to determine the best-fit solution.

For existing controllers:

• What model are you currently using?
• What limitations or challenges are you experiencing?
• Are there specific features needed in a new controller?
• Does the replacement need to be form-factor compatible with existing wiring or mounting?

For new applications:

• What type of process will the controller manage?
• What level of automation or programmability is required?
• Is communication with other systems necessary?
• Are there regulatory or industry standards that must be met?

This structured approach ensures that the solution we recommend aligns perfectly with your needs, reducing risk, downtime, and guesswork.

Watlow has a large offering of Controllers to choose from. We see a many of our customers gravitating towards the Watlow PM PLUS™ and Watlow F4T® product. For the purpose of this article, we are going to highlight the features and benefits, and why you would want to choose that specific controller for your operation.

PM PLUS™ PID & Integrated Limit Controller

The Watlow PM PLUS™ is designed for versatile, integrated thermal control. With modular I/O, Bluetooth configuration via the EZ-LINK® app, and short lead times from U.S. stock, it’s ideal for OEMs and applications needing precise, easy-to-deploy thermal control.

The PM PLUS™ compact design, fast deployment, and modular flexibility make it a strong choice for operations seeking ease of integration and reliability, while the UDC2800 remains a capable fixed platform option for single-loop industrial processes.

Why Choose Watlow PM PLUS™?

• Integrated Control & Flexibility: The PM PLUS™ combines PID control with integrated limit functionality, not offered in the UDC2800, offering a compact, modular solution that adapts to a wide range of thermal control applications.
• Ease of Use: Its intuitive interface Bluetooth option and free Composer software, simplify setup and configuration. Recent updates add clearer alarm identifiers and flexible menu navigation options reducing troubleshooting time and improving usability even in demanding environments.
• Fast Lead Times & Cost-Effectiveness: With U.S. stock availability and competitive pricing, the PM PLUS™ provides a cost-effective solution without sacrificing performance or reliability.
• S. Manufacturing: Being manufactured in the U.S., the PM PLUS™ minimizes import duties, shortens supply chains, and supports local industry.
• Versatile Integration: Backward compatibility and compact size make it ideal for retrofits or integration into existing equipment, enabling faster deployment with minimal modifications.

F4T® Temperature and Process Controller

The Watlow F4T® is a highly flexible controller featuring a graphical touchscreen, field-removable I/O modules, and optional data logging—perfect for complex or evolving applications.

The F4T® excels in applications requiring flexible, user-friendly thermal control, while the HC900 shines in safety-critical, multi-loop industrial processes.

Why Choose Watlow F4T®?

• Flexibility: The F4T® has modular design that allows for easy customization and scalability, adapting to a wide range of applications.
• Ease of Use: Its intuitive touchscreen interface simplifies setup and operation, reducing training time and potential errors.
• Cost-Effectiveness: With shorter lead times and competitive pricing, the F4T® offers a cost-effective solution without compromising on performance.
• U.S. Manufacturing: Being manufactured in the U.S., the F4T® minimizes import duties and supports local industry.

Why Engineers Rely on Watlow for Critical Control

Choosing Watlow also provides peace of mind. PM PLUS™ and F4T® controllers come with a 3-year warranty from date of purchase, longer than typical industry standards.

In addition, Watlow’s Mexico facility production largely qualifies under the USMCA treaty, minimizing tariff exposure for U.S. customers. This ensures stability in a dynamic trade environment while maintaining ethical sourcing practices.

As a Watlow Authorized Solutions Partner, GTH leverages decades of experience to deliver pre-configured solutions with fast U.S.-based support. Our team has completed crossover training to assist customers replacing Honeywell UDC2500 and UDC2800 controllers with Watlow PM PLUS™ , ensuring zero guesswork and fully supported solutions. We also stay current with firmware updates, like the latest PM PLUS™ enhancements that improve alarm handling and menu navigation. This ensures our customers always get the most out of their investment.

Whether you’re upgrading an existing system or starting fresh, GTH helps you select and configure the right controller for your application—saving time, reducing risk, and optimizing performance.

If you're replacing a controller—or starting fresh—let’s talk. Our team is ready to help you select and configure the right controller with zero guesswork and full support.