Alicat® Scientific of Tucson, Arizona, a mass flow and pressure control instrumentation manufacturer, has obtained Canadian and United States safety certifications for IS-Max™ mass flow meters and controllers and IS-Pro™ pressure gauges and controllers.
Image Credit: Alicat Scientific, Inc.
IS-Max™ and IS-Pro™ instruments have been certified as Intrinsically Safe for use in Class I, Division 1 and Zone 0 hazardous locations and bear the cDEKRAus mark accordingly. This makes the IS-Max the only mass flow controller in the world rated for use in Zone 0 hazardous locations where explosive gas atmospheres are continuously present. The North American Hazardous Location Certification follows ATEX and IECEx hazardous location certifications for European and global markets.
These instruments control inline processes for flowing fluids, such as process gas analyzers. Data collected is particularly rich, as the MFCs collect data on volumetric and mass flow; barometric, gauge, and absolute pressures; relative humidity, valve drive current, and total flow; continuously during operation. Proportional valves in the mass flow and pressure controllers provide even and rapid control, ensuring steady behavior in a potentially variable flow system.
“With Alicat intrinsically safe devices, users enjoy the highest explosion protection for flow and pressure automation, while reducing component counts - and gaining rich data collection,” David Davis, VP of Engineering, pointed out.
With these devices, users can standardize on a single integration and communications architecture, to program process control systems and share data across international sites. Both the pressure and mass flow product lines include a backlit display and control menus for immediate feedback and adjustment when troubleshooting in the zone. For electronic communications, they feature MODBUS RTU and Alicat ASCII over RS-232 or RS-485, as well as analog 4 – 20 mA controls.
Alicat Scientific flow and pressure devices perform such varied activities as: perfecting hydrogen-electric energy generation; drawing glass optical fibers for telecommunications; testing rocket parts for leaks; heating furnaces for ceramics; and generating pharmaceuticals through biochemical processing. Alicat Scientific’s primary production facilities are in its Tucson, Arizona headquarters – while international offices in China, Europe, and India provide customer support, service, and manufacturing in their respective regions.