Manu Electronics P/L - ManuFlo
.jpg@webp "1974 Equipment")
.jpg@webp "H/O Carter Rd Sydney")
ManuFlo (formerly Manu Electronics Pty Ltd) was founded in 1961 by Anthony Manu (1937-2019). The company began as a TV, radio, and appliance sales and repair business, operating from 224 Penshurst Street, Willoughby, Sydney. By 1965, ManuFlo had shifted focus to manufacturing sight-bottle industrial flow measurement equipment. In 1972, the enterprise pioneered a world-first innovation: modifying 20mm Emmco/Email water meters (manufactured in Waterloo, Sydney) to incorporate a precision pulse output of 1 pulse per milliliter. This breakthrough enabled highly accurate liquid measurement and monitoring applications. The company relocated several times during its early years—first to 13 Ballyshannon Road, Killarney Heights in 1980, then to Unit 4/104 Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale in 1983. In 1984, ManuFlo introduced the MEK20 flowmeter, a rotary piston positive displacement design that replaced earlier Emmco models while retaining the 1 pulse per milliliter output. These units, originally based on Davies-Kent KG4 mechanical register water meters, were manufactured at 58 Box Road, Caringbah NSW. The product line later expanded with the KGG20 (sourced from Davies-Shephard in Melbourne) and MED20 (sourced from Dobbie-Dico in Perth), leveraging Australian large-scale water meter production and further expanding Manu Electronics' innovative lineup using Australian economy of scale water meter manufacturers. Initially limited to 20mm, the MEK series grew to include sizes of 25, 32, 40, and 50mm to meet growing customer requirements.
.jpg@webp "1980's template datasheet MEKLCD4")
The first MEKLCD4 series resettable LCD 20mm water meters were introduced to the product range in 1987, with the first LCD Ni-cad battery -powered with an incredible 8-year life. After a concrete truck driver is tragically killed peering into the mixing barrel, the first Manu Resettable flowmeter is installed on the rear of a mobile concrete truck mixer in late 1987, later becoming a mandatory government requirement.
The company was incorporated in 1985. Alexander Manu, son of the founder, joined full-time in 1986 and assumed management responsibilities in the early 1990s.
The introduction of LCD resettable flowmeters in 1987 marked a pivotal moment, giving rise to an entirely new application market that would see exponential growth over the coming decades. Manu's groundbreaking designs set the stage for the expansion of the MEKLCD4 range, which would include sizes such as 20mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, and 50mm. At the time, the Davies-Kent KG mechanical clock face counter reset meter range was the industry standard for reset meters. However, Manu revolutionized the market with its compact magnetic flip-top lid LCD reset meters, fundamentally altering industry dynamics. In 1991, Davies-Kent & Davies-Shephard approached Manu to supply LCD-PCB modules for its large-scale production, replacing traditional mechanical reset heads. This collaboration evolved into a significant strategic partnership.
.jpg@webp "extract from 1998 newsletter LCD reset meters")
In 1994, Manu Electronics designed and manufactured its own MRP series of screwed insertion LCD resettable paddlewheel water meters, suitable for pipe diameters from 20 to 100mm and available in Gunmetal, stainless steel, PVC, and galvanized fittings. The following year, the MES range of pulse output and LCD resettable flowmeters were introduced, utilizing the nutating disc principle. Remarkably, many of these units remain operational today, with over 70,000 manufactured and deployed worldwide. By 2000, with 40% of its products exported, the company now rebranded as 'ManuFlo' moved to its current premises at 41 Carter Road, Brookvale, Sydney NSW. The company earned a strong reputation for modifying water meters to achieve high-resolution pulse outputs, attracting water authorities and research organizations studying residential water usage. In 2002, ManuFlo incorporated its technology into the Actaris/Itron TD8 20mm dry dial water meter, connecting it to various dataloggers. In 2016, ManuFlo introduced the MRT series, a slip-insertion LCD resettable water meter adaptable to pipe sizes from 15mm to over 300mm. These meters are externally programmable via Near Field Communication (NFC). After 60 years of family ownership, ManuFlo sold a majority interest in 2021 to a consortium of Australian investors, enabling global growth opportunities. Today, still proudly Australian-owned, ManuFlo continues to design and manufacture a diverse range of liquid process control and measurement instrumentation. The H.W.M.Museum maintains a large collection of the company's products.
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