Accurately measuring the usage of expensive industrial gases such as argon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and helium, is easy with the new SD range of high-performance flow sensors from ifm electronic. And because they maintain high accuracy over their full measuring range, the new units also function as an invaluable aid to leakage detection. Typical applications include bottling and packaging machines in the food industry and welding, cutting or soldering processes in which protective gases are used.
An important benefit of the new monitors is that, in addition to flow rate, they measure flow quantity, pressure and temperature. In many applications, this means that they eliminate the need for additional sensors, saving money, minimising complexity and reducing the number of control system I/O channels needed.
The sensors feature an IO-Link interface which provides access to all measured values and which can also be used for parameterisation and for simulating the operation of the sensor before putting it into service. A colour display provides convenient local indication of the measured values, and the sensors also provide conventional analogue and switching outputs.
ifm electronic offers its SD flow sensors for gas consumption measurement in two configurations. The first is for use with argon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and air. To ensure maximum accuracy, it is pre-programmed with the characteristics of each of these gases and it can be supplied in versions to measure flow rates from 0.05 to 225 Nm3/h. The second configuration is specially adapted for use with helium and available in versions to measure flow rates from 0.05 to 10 Nm3/h.
All versions have excellent dynamic performance with a T09 response time of 0.5 s, and all can be used with media over the temperature range -10 to +60 ºC.
