117 Flowmeter Manufacturers in 2022
This section provides overview, applications, and principles of flowmeters. Also, please take a look at the list of 117 flowmeter manufacturers and their company rankings.
Table of Contents
What Is a Flowmeter?
A flowmeter is a device used to measure the volumetric or mass flow rate of a fluid flowing through piping.
Many measurement principles have been developed to properly measure various types of flow according to conditions such as pressure and temperature. Flow types include gas, liquid, and multiphase flows.
Some products can be installed outside of the piping to measure flow. However, many products are installed inside the piping to measure the flow rate, so the installation of a flowmeter should be considered before the piping is installed or during design.
Types of Flowmeters
The following is a brief introduction to the types of flowmeters and their respective mechanisms, principles, and advantages.
- Volumetric Flowmeter
- Coriolis flowmeter
- Ultrasonic Flowmeter
- Electromagnetic Flowmeter
- Thermal Flowmeter
- Karman vortex flowmeter
- Area Flowmeter
- Turbine Flowmeter
- Differential Pressure Flowmeter
- Vortex Flowmeter
- Flow Cell Flowmeter
1. Positive Displacement Flowmeter
A positive displacement flowmeter consists of a pipe with the same inside diameter as the piping to be measured, a rotor, and a rotation detector. The fluid flowing through the pipe rotates the rotor, and the flow rate is measured by detecting the rotation speed.
The structure is simple and highly accurate, but the use of gears can lead to problems such as entanglement.
Because it directly measures the volume of fluid, it is used to measure the flow rate of fuel oil and lubricating oil, which densities do not easily change. Because of its high accuracy, the volumetric flowmeter is suitable for applications such as fuel oil trading.
2. Coriolis Flowmeter
Coriolis flowmeters consist of two U-tubes, a vibrating machine, and a force sensor. The Coriolis flowmeter utilizes the principle of Coriolis force, in which two oscillating U-tubes with fluid flowing through generate forces in opposite directions to each other.
Although Coriolis flowmeters have the disadvantage of being longer in overall length due to their measurement principle, they are capable of directly measuring mass flow. With high accuracy and high responsiveness, they are widely used when the density of a fluid is also to be measured at the same time.
On the down side, they are more effective than others but cannot measure the flow rate of fluids in areas with vibration or fluids containing bubbles.
3. Ultrasonic Flowmeter
An ultrasonic flowmeter consists of an ultrasonic generator and a measuring instrument. The flow rate is calculated by measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves and the Doppler effect caused by the reflection of ultrasonic waves. This flowmeter can measure from outside of the piping.
It has the advantage of non-contact fluid flow measurement. The flowmeter can be retrofitted to the piping, and has the advantage of low-cost installation for large-diameter piping.
However, it is not suitable for applications requiring highly accurate flow measurement due to errors caused by pipe wall thickness and other factors.
4. Electromagnetic Flowmeter
An Electromagnetic flowmeter is a flowmeter that calculates the flow rate by measuring the electromotive force generated by the coil, which is a component of the electromagnetic flowmeter, on the velocity of a magnetic material placed inside the fluid to be measured.
Many of these meters do not need to be installed in the pipe, and are used when flow meters are installed in the pipe, such as for contaminated water, which would incur high maintenance costs.
Electromagnetic flowmeters have no moving parts and do not obstruct fluid flow, so they are used to measure the flow rate of slurry mixed with solids. However, it cannot measure non-conductive fluids such as oil.
5. Thermal Flowmeter
Thermal flowmeters consist of two temperature sensors and a heater. It measures the difference between the temperature of the fluid before it is heated by the heater and the temperature of the fluid after it is heated by the heater, and converts it to a flow rate. It is characterized by its ability to handle a wide range of temperatures.
Thermal flowmeters can measure gas flow rates without contact, making it possible to measure corrosive gases. In addition, there is almost no pressure loss and the mass flow rate can be measured. Their weak point is that they are not suitable for when the gas contains contaminants.
6. Area Flowmeter
In an area flowmeter, a float in a vertical tapered tube interrupts the flow from bottom to top, creating a pressure difference before and after the float. The meter rests at a position where the weight of the float and the force of the pressure difference are in equilibrium, and by reading this position, the flow rate is determined.
It is used to measure the flow rate of liquids or gases, purge fluids or gases, etc. Its simple construction makes it inexpensive, but the measurement accuracy is not very high.
7. Turbine Flowmeter
The turbine flowmeter is placed in the flow stream and calculates the volumetric flowrate from the number of rotations of the impeller, utilizing the fact that the rotation speed of the impeller, which has an axis parallel to the flow, is proportional to the flow velocity.
The lightweight design allows for a high degree of freedom in installation. Lightweight, inexpensive, and with excellent repeatability and responsiveness, it is suitable for measuring large volumes of fluid. However, it has a short service life due to bearing deterioration.
8. Differential Pressure Flowmeter
Differential pressure flowmeters use an orifice to create a pressure loss and measure the flow rate using the pressure difference between the primary and secondary sides.
It is characterized by its low cost and wide range of applications. Also, actual flow calibration is not required.
9. Kalman Vortex Flowmeter
The Kalman vortex flowmeter consists of an obstacle to generate the Kalman vortex and a vortex measuring instrument. The flow rate is calculated by measuring the Kalman vortex.
The Kalman vortex is a regular vortex generated in the wake of an obstruction.
Kalman vortex flowmeters can measure a wide range of fluids because there are no mechanical operating parts or electrodes. However, they cannot be used in high-vibration areas because of the length of straight pipe required and the possibility of malfunctions due to vibration.
It is used to measure steam and clean water.
10. Vortex Flowmeter
A vortex flowmeter is a flowmeter that utilizes the Kalman vortex. A Kalman vortex is an alternating series of regular vortices that occur downstream of an object (vortex source) placed in the fluid flow.
11. Flow Cell Flowmeter
A flow cell flowmeter is a type of orifice flowmeter that generates differential pressure by installing an orifice in the piping through which water or air flows, and measures the differential pressure generated as indicated by a float installed in the tributary flow.
Uses of Flowmeters
Flowmeters are widely used in manufacturing where fluids are used, such as chemical and petroleum plants, automobiles, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and food products.
More than 10 different operating principles have been developed for flow meters, and the appropriate flow meter must be selected according to the fluid being handled.
Flow meters installed in pipes can disrupt the flow. The selection should be based on consideration of the extent of this impact. The frequency, time, and cost of maintenance should also be considered.
List of 117 Flowmeter Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
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- United States of America
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Nagano Keiki
Flow meter
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Comeco
Flow monitor
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Azbil
Gas mass flow meter
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Tactical Flow Meter
Flow Meter
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GF Piping Systems.
Variable area flow meters
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PCE Instruments
Flowmeters
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SIKA Dr. Siebert & Kühn GmbH & Co. KG
Flow meter
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Flowmeter Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of January 2023 in United States
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tactical Flow Meter | 25% |
| 2 | Plastixs, LLC | 25% |
| 3 | Thermoplastic Valves, Inc. | 25% |
| 4 | Ultraflux | 25% |
Ranking as of January 2023 Globally
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tactical Flow Meter | 20% |
| 2 | Plastixs, LLC | 20% |
| 3 | Thermoplastic Valves, Inc. | 20% |
| 4 | Ultraflux | 20% |
| 5 | KRAL | 20% |
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the flowmeter page as of January 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
- ABB Semiconductors: 85,962
- GF Piping Systems.: 6,893
- Asahi Organic Chemicals Industry (ASAHI YUKIZAI CORPORATION): 1,555
Newly Established Company
- PCE Instruments: 1999 (24 years ago)
- Katronic: 1996 (27 years ago)
- Aplisens: 1992 (31 years ago)
Company with a History
- GF Piping Systems.: 1802 (221 years ago)
- Semelab: 1810 (213 years ago)
- Huba Control: 1945 (78 years ago)
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