Using flow meters in the manufacture of food and beverages

In the manufacturing of food and drink across the world, processing plants need to be able to constantly measure the flow of ingredients being used. During the manufacturing of food and drink there will naturally be a requirement for water, as an ingredient in itself or used to clean, steam and heat. Oil and gas may also be pumped in to help provide heat during the manufacturing process. These too will require flow measurement. This is where clever flow meter technology comes into play.

If you have never heard of a flow meter then it probably best to give you a quick explanation. Flow meters are instruments designed to measure the linear, nonlinear, mass or volumetric flow rates of gases or liquids. There are many different types of flow meter systems on the market today. The flow meter device chosen to use will naturally be dictated by a series of important factors. These include what type of liquid or gas needs to be monitored and whether this liquid or gas is toxic or hazardous. Also the pressure and temperature of the liquid or gas is very important, as is what kind of flow measurements will need to be collected.

 Flow meters can be sited within the tube or pipe where the liquid or gas flows through, or alternatively they can be attached or placed on the outside surface of the tube or pipe. As mentioned above, whether the flow meter is sited within the pipe/tube itself, or located on the outside surface, depends entirely on the type of liquid or gas and a number of other factors. In this article we will be looking at flow meters that are used on the external pipe wall and which do not intrude into the pipe. These flow meters are ultrasonic and can easily monitor a whole range of information about the gas or liquid flowing through the pipe from outside the pipe.

For this article we are going to use the example of water and its use in the food and drinks industry.  In the manufacturing and processing of food and drink, the supply of clean water is essential. Hot and cold water, so vital in a number of manufacturing processes is now an extremely expensive product  which requires constant metering. This is where ultrasonic flow meter devices come into their own. Ultrasonic flow meters can be applied to measure and record data across the manufacturing process including water consumption/loss, water temperatures,  boiler/chiller evaluation and pump evaluations.

The great benefit of ultrasonic flow meter technology is that is does not need to penetrate pipe work as it can be clamped onto the surface. Engineers can also take advantage of totally portable ultrasonic flowmeters that can be taken around a processing plant and used for a variety of tasks.

If you perhaps would like to find out more about this exciting technology and how ultrasonic flow meters are used in the food and drink industry then why not check out the website for Katronic. Katronic are established specialised manufacturers and suppliers of ultrasonic flow meter technology. On the Katronic website you will be discover that this technology is being used across a wide range of industries.

About the author

Richard Stevens writes articles for Katronic. To discover more about Ultrasonic Flow Meters and how Flow meter technology is being used in industry why not visit Katronic.

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