New perspectives
All eyes at Micro Motion headquarters in Boulder, Colorado are focused on Coriolis measurement technology

State of the art technology and a look at what the future holds were on the agenda at Perspectives 2003, an event held by Micro Motion in Boulder Colorado. PROCESS was there and invites you to come along on an expedition through the world of mass flow measurement. Our journey will start at the end of the production process, namely calibration.

The compressor starts up with rhythmic thrusts and then settles down to a loud drone as it reaches full power after a few seconds. Running at high RPM, it injects ambient air into a confusing network of pipelines. However, neither the compressor and its acoustic foreground presence nor the impressive fan-out of pipes are at the center of the visitor’s attention at Micro Motion in Boulder, Colorado. Instead, attention is focused on the mass flowmeters of varying size which are installed in the pipelines. Every position and every branch has been well thought-out, since the 900 kg of air per minute – circulating at 48 bar – is an important part of the calibration and measurement stand which was built at a cost of 250,000 Dollar.
Tim Patten, who runs this (gas) section of the test lab, emphasizes that the lab works together with local universities, which are happy to have the opportunity to conduct joint testing. However, the most important aspect of the whole test laboratory (including the somewhat quieter fluid test systems) is the fact that since the spring of 2003 this Emerson subsidiary has been able to offer Coriolis calibration reference meters accredited to ISO 17025 requirements.

Raw materials are very expensive in the life sciences industry. Precision is a critical factor, and government regulations are very stringent. These measurement systems ensure that the standard of quality is maintained in the industry, and they reduce equipment idle and calibration time. It is an FDA requirement, for example, that field devices must be regularly calibrated to ensure that they continually operate within the same performance parameters. In the past, users had to send meters away for calibration to a laboratory or other suitable organization. Franki Parson, Life Sciences Industry Manager at Micro Motion, confirmed what her colleague had said: “In closely-regulated industries like pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, the FDA imposes strict record-keeping requirements on the development phase and the production process to ensure that product quality does not change. These records, together with high raw materials costs, just-in-time demand and the need for precise product formulation at any time, make it so important to have precise, accurate measurements. Also, it is difficult to get a handle on the stoichiometry of chemical reactions in the life sciences industry. The better this can be determined in advance based on precision measurement, the better the composition and quality of the end product will be.”
Tim Patten cited the Elite flowmeters as an example of precision measurement. “Our calibration accreditation to ISO 17025 verifies accuracy by incorporating the quality procedures of ISO 9000, and it goes a step beyond by verifying that the
uncertainty claimed for the calibration process of the Coriolis meter is valid and maintained. This rigorous process validates Micro Motion accuracy, and also casts into question the accuracy claims of other Coriolis meters with less thorough calibration methods.”
The calibration process verifies the specified performance characteristics and the measurement accuracy of the meters. However, calibration cannot provide 100% verification of meter accuracy. “To obtain confidence in the accuracy of a meter, the user should ensure that the measurement system is verified with the smallest possible calibration uncertainty,” explained Patten. The uncertainty of the new Micro Motion calibration stand is twelve one-hundredths of one per cent. “This can also be expressed as a ratio of calibration uncertainty. As a result of ISO 17025 accreditation, Micro Motion meters offer an uncertainty ratio of about 8:1 expressed as a percentage of accuracy compared to other manufacturers of Coriolis meters that offer a ratio of only around 2:1,” said Patten.
Accurate, clean and reliable
There are other new developments this summer in mass flow measurement systems at this Emerson subsidiary, which is totally focused on this business segment. The new Micro Motion H Series, for example, is an excellent solution for users in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and food industries, because the meters can be emptied and their design and smooth surfaces make them easy to clean. They meet 3A and EHEDG (European Hygienic Equipment Design Group) requirements. The new series for CIP (Clean in Place) and WFI (Water for injection) applications will be available in the summer. The F series were also unveiled in July 2003. These products are aimed at all industries where accurate flow measurement is more important than cleanliness. An optional second housing is available for use with hazardous substances. This second shell meets pressure testing ratings per ASME B31.3 requirements. The Micro Motion F series is available in sizes from 1/400 to 200 with various process connections, a built-in or remote transmitter with local display, milliamp, frequency/pulse output as well as Hart, Foundation Fieldbus or Profibus protocol. The company in Boulder seems to have done all it can to keep its future prospects wide open. There is good reason why ARC forecasts growth rates of about eight percent for Coriolis meters in the coming years, which is second only to ultrasonic flow meters.