Weld shielding gas flowmeter

[chadthede1]

I know a lot of you must have numerous welding operations in your facilities so I hope you can give me some advice. I want to install a flowmeter and/or flowswitch in line with the shield gas for a wire feed welder. It shows 60CFH of 75%Ar 25%CO2 flow when adjusted correctly. I would like a reliable flowmeter with an analog output(preferably 4-20mA) so that we can record the flowrate and trigger an alarm via the SLC controller. Can anyone suggest where I can find one? I don't want to re-invent the wheel here, just find something that others have proven works.
I am not too concerned with cost(within reason) I just need something that I know will work. It is cheaper to invest in quality equipment than to pay for production down time when one of the welds breaks.

 

[the_msp]

Do you have SMC or Festo pneumatics across the pond?

 

[chadthede1]

I am not sure what you mean by SMC or Festo pneumatics. I have heard of Festo, I think they make plastic tubing and fittings for some of our equipment.

 

[Badger]

I am not sure what you mean by SMC or Festo pneumatics. I have heard of Festo, I think they make plastic tubing and fittings for some of our equipment.

My word these are two massive companies, to say Festo make plastic tubing and fittings is like saying Allen Bradley make switches. Any how take a look at their web sites and search them for flow switches you never know your luck.

 

[Tom Jenkins]

Thermal mass flow meters would work, but may no be the most cost effective. (FCI, Sage Metering, Sierra, many others).

Actually, any flow meter, including good old pitot tubes, would work. You just have to calibrate the output for the actual density and molecular weight of the gas. ASME PTC 19.5 has the guidelines for doing this.

 

[danw]

I assume this is gas from cylinders? relatively low flow rates?

There are several vendors of thermal dispersion mass flowmeters designed for clean, dry gas mass flow measurement for flow through 'tubing' as opposed to larger diameter pipes.

Brooks is one vendor. Google will turn up 4 or 5 others.

They're relatively small packages and can be a flow meter or a flow controller with a built-in valve.

Get some adapters for your tube/hose fittings, provide it electrical power, wire the analog output and you're up and running.

 

[chadthede1]

That looks like a good option. Have you seen these used in harsh environments similar to a steel mill? Hot, dirty, sometimes humid, might take a significant impact from heavy metal objects? I can't use a girly devise designed for pharmaceutical or food processing in a controlled environment.

 

[Mill_Control]

That looks like a good option. Have you seen these used in harsh environments similar to a steel mill? Hot, dirty, sometimes humid, might take a significant impact from heavy metal objects? I can't use a girly devise designed for pharmaceutical or food processing in a controlled environment.

IME mass flow meters/controllers work just fine in a production brazing environment which is likely similar to what you're dealing with. For protection from heavy metal objects we put them in a steel enclosure

 

[chadthede1]

I think I will try an IFM effector model. I don't need superb accuracy in this case. I mostly just want to order from a supplier in our system. Setting up a new vendor with purchasing can be a PITA sometimes.
Thank you all for the feedback, it made me investigate some options that I didn't know were out there.