Watlow, the thermal systems company founded over a century ago to replace hazardous heating methods, is now trying to solve a different kind of industrial problem: manufacturers in regulated industries still rely on paper chart recorders and fragmented software to prove their processes met spec.
The company launched Edge Process Management (EPM) on 29 June 2026, calling it a new platform category that combines data management, process control and automation for temperature-driven operations. The first release, EPM Data, captures process records at the point of measurement and creates time-aligned digital files designed to satisfy auditors in industries from life sciences to aerospace heat treatment.
Regulated manufacturing has a long-running documentation problem. FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and EU Annex 11 require electronic records to be as tamper-resistant as the paper equivalents they replace, while pyrometry standards like AMS2750 and CQI-9 demand high-precision inputs with traceable calibration. Many facilities still bridge those requirements with a patchwork of chart recorders, historians and spreadsheets.
Watlow is positioning EPM Data as a single architecture that handles all of it. Devices capture data in the field; the accompanying Data Reviewer software visualises historical trends, supports approval workflows and provides an optional audit trail with electronic signature. Two hardware units cover most common furnace configurations: the EPM-07 for smaller ovens and skids, and the EPM-15 for larger or multi-zone systems.
“With EPM Data, and the broader platform behind it, we are giving customers a trusted, time-stamped record created at the point of measurement, designed for daily operations and audit readiness, without adding system complexity,” said Chris Mooney, Industrial Controls Segment Director at Watlow.
Stan Breitlow, Director of Control Product Solutions and Chief Systems Designer, framed the launch around regulatory defensibility: “EPM Data is built for customers whose process records must stand up to serious questions, whether in front of an auditor, during an investigation or when resolving a customer claim.”
The platform is modular by design. Watlow said EPM Data is the first of several planned releases, with further capabilities intended to scale across larger distributed systems. Initial availability is through selected customers before broader rollout through Watlow’s global sales and distribution network.
Watlow holds more than 1,100 patents and employs over 4,000 people globally. The company has pushed electric-based heating since 1922 and in recent years has framed its industrial controls portfolio as part of the broader energy transition away from fossil-fuel process heating.
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