Hygienic flow measurement for food and beverage production

The SMF Foodmag from ifm provides a solution for hygienic flow measurement of a variety of media with a conductivity >5µS/cm – such as beer, milk, or fruit juice. It meets the stringent hygiene requirements of food and beverage production.

The technology installed in every SMF device for these flow measurements covers changing media such as beer, milk, yoghurt, or fruit juices without a hitch. Including cleaning procedures involving typical CIP chemicals, rapid temperature shifts, and hot steam cleaning at a minimum of 121°C. Additionally, our meters are extremely resistant to vibration and pressure spikes when meters are placed directly in front of a pump for example. -inductive flow meters, technology established for many years, meet these demands by offering precision without mechanical components in diverse media.

The SM Foodmag provides a comprehensive solution for measuring various parameters in a single device: flow rate, totaliser, temperature, and conductivity are all monitored and can be displayed simultaneously. It can even detect if the measurement pipe is fully filled. Two versions of the meter will be available – one with a display and the other without a display. It introduces an intuitive app-based menu and an innovative capacitive pushbutton design on the display, simplifying parameter adjustments. This design is robust even in wet conditions or when operated with gloves, unlike touch displays. An installation guide is optionally available via the menu to further assist users in configuring the meter ready for immediate use. An LED ring indicates the device’s healthy status (Green), alerts, or maintenance needs (Blue) and Fault (Red)

Many flow sensors in the food industry require separate cables for power and signal transmission, unlike the SM Foodmag, which simplifies installation with a single M12 connection cable. This streamlined setup not only reduces wiring complexity but also saves on installation costs. The SM Foodmag comes in nominal widths from DN15 to DN150. Standard hygienic process connections ensure installation compatibility, with various sealing materials offered based on application needs. The sensor supports communication via IO-Link, 4–20 mA analogue signal and pulse output.