Company Profile

Electromagnetic Flow Meters: High-Repeatability Inline Meters for Conductive Slurries

Quick Answer: Silver Automation Instruments supplies inline electromagnetic flow meters for conductive slurries with repeatability down to plus or minus 0.1 percent of reading. These magmeters measure slurries with conductivity as low as 5 µS/cm in line sizes from DN25 to DN1200. Send us your pipe size in DN, solids content, flow range, pressure in bar, and temperature in °C for a quote.

Electromagnetic flow meters work well on conductive slurries because they have no moving parts and no internal obstructions. The inline design handles abrasive solids, high viscosity, and varying density without frequent mechanical wear. Silver Instruments builds these meters for mining, wastewater, paper stock, food slurry, and chemical applications.

Why High Repeatability Matters More Than Absolute Accuracy in Slurry Service

In batching and dosing, repeatability matters more than a laboratory accuracy claim. Most plants need the same reading at the same flow condition every shift. Silver Automation Instruments inline magmeters hold repeatability at plus or minus 0.1 percent of reading. Accuracy is plus or minus 0.5 percent of reading as standard. Optional calibration improves that to plus or minus 0.2 percent.

Here is the thing. A 1 percent drift can cost more than a small accuracy offset in a continuous process. If you dose polymer into a sludge line, the flow signal must stay stable across weeks. An electromagnetic flow meter with high repeatability gives the control system a stable value. That reduces valve hunting and product waste.

Inline Design for Conductive Slurries

An inline electromagnetic flow meter sits directly in the process pipe. There is no bypass loop and no flow conditioning section. The sensor has a full bore matched to the pipe ID. For conductive slurries, the full bore design helps solids pass through without blocking. The meter measures voltage generated by the conductive liquid moving through a magnetic field. Minimum conductivity is 5 µS/cm for most sizes.

Because the meter has no obstruction, pressure loss is nearly zero. That is a big advantage on long slurry pipelines. A DN150 meter on a 6 inch tailings line adds almost no pumping cost. Silver Instruments has supplied this setup to copper mines in Indonesia and Chile.

Liner and Electrode Selection for Abrasive Slurries

Slurry wear hits the liner and electrodes first. For abrasive mining slurries, a polyurethane liner or soft rubber liner usually lasts longer than PTFE. For chemical slurries with temperature above 120 °C, PFA or PTFE works better. Electrode material depends on the slurry chemistry. 316L stainless steel suits water and wastewater sludge. Hastelloy C handles oxidizing chemicals and acid slurries. Titanium handles seawater and brine. Tantalum handles strong acids. Platinum iridium handles high temperature and aggressive media.

Silver Instruments recommends polyurethane liners for tailings, dredging, and coarse sand slurries. Hard rubber liners work well for fine mineral slurries with particles below 2 mm. For food slurry like tomato paste or starch slurry, use 316L electrodes and a PTFE or PFA liner with CIP and SIP temperature ratings.

Key Specifications to Specify

When you send an inquiry, include the following six items: pipe size in DN, flow range in m3/h, process pressure in bar, process temperature in °C, slurry solids content in percent, and electrical conductivity in µS/cm. With these values the Silver Instruments team can quote the right liner, electrode, and transmitter.

Standard specifications for Silver Automation Instruments inline electromagnetic flow meters for conductive slurries include DN25 to DN1200 line sizes with larger sizes on request. Minimum conductivity is 5 µS/cm. Repeatabi