Compressed Air Monitoring & Flow Meters

Compressed air monitoring is essential to maintain the energy efficiency, air quality and safety of your compressed air system. In any manufacturing setting, having a compressed air system that is optimized for a specific application can make a big difference in efficiency and productivity. That's why at Blackhawk, we use precision air flow meters to tailor each system to the customer's needs. This results in a compressed air system that is specifically designed for the customer's manufacturing process and helps to improve their overall operation and reduces energy bills.

What Exactly Is An Air Flow Meter?

An air flow meter is a device that measures the amount of air flowing through a tube or pipe. It does not typically measure the volume of the air passing through, but rather, it measures the mass of air flowing through the device per unit time. Since an air compressor sends air out at a certain rate, the flow meter can determine how much air is coming through at any given point throughout the entire air system. These air flow meters become a vital tool in finding air leaks and or underperforming units.

In any industrial facility, compressed air is used to power a wide variety of equipment and tools. To keep things running smoothly, you need to have a reliable air flow meter. These devices measure the rate of airflow and can be used to find leaks or underperforming units. By having accurate data, you can schedule the necessary repairs and avoid costly downtime.

These little leaks across a large facility and over time can really add up and cost businesses thousands in dollars. If a compressed air unit is not getting the correct air flow, it can cause a strain on the entire system and damage other components in your production line. By using a wide variety of air flow meters for compressed air monitoring, your business can always have the best air efficiency at all times and keep equipment running at peak performance.

How to Choose the Best Air Flow Meter

One of the most important first steps in choosing a flow sensor is to first ask if the flowrate data you want should be continuous or totalized. Then, you should ask if this information will be needed at a locally connected piece of air equipment or sent remotely to a software system or other controller. If the data is being sent remotely, should the transmission be analog, digital, or shared? If the data is shared, how often does the data get sent?

Consider what kind of accuracy you need. There are air flow meters on the market that boast high accuracy, but if you don't need that level of precision, it's not worth spending the extra money. Also, think about the different pressures you'll be measuring. Some air flow meters are only designed to work with one pressure, so if you need to measure multiple pressures, make sure to get a meter that can handle that.

Once these questions are answered, the properties and air flow characteristics of the air or gas, together with the piping that will hold the flow meter can be determined by the Blackhawk sales team. There are many options for flow meters and many flow meters can be installed inside custom piping systems for even the most complex air systems across a manufacturing facility. Contact Blackhawk for all the best options or to schedule an air audit of your existing system.

Additional VP Instruments products include displays, sensors and tools/accessories.