Nothing…if it is an Alicat. Customers sometimes ask us what happens if one of our mass flow meters is dropped. Well, this YouTube video shows exactly what happens to an Alicat mass flow meter upon impact…nothing. In fact, the meter maintains a constant flow rate within our accuracy and repeatability specs (0.8% of the reading + 0.2% full-scale range) even as it endures the jarring conditions of the impact test.
- Alicat mass flow meters have no moving parts.
- The bodies of our flow meters are made of stainless steel and the casings of aluminum, not plastic.
- Changes in orientation do not require recalibration.
- Alicat mass flow meters retain their accuracy even while in motion.
Since its founding in 1991, Alicat has produced more than 93,000 flow and pressure instruments. Alicat Service Manager Joe Ancona has personally overseen the annual recalibration of many of them. “We regularly see instruments that are 13 or 14 years old come back for recalibration without any need for repair,” says Joe. The impact test shows why this is so. Our products are durable.
“The unique design and measuring technologies of Alicat flow and control products allow our instruments to be used in applications where competing devices may not have the flexibility or durability to survive,” says Alicat President David Lashbrook. “You can find Alicat in everything from mining projects to NASA space programs to environmental monitoring and even artificial heart machines.”
I recently had a customer ask me if Alicat carries an extended warranty. He was shocked when I told him, “No, we don’t. Our products are guaranteed for life.” Alicat Scientific is the only flow meter company that offers a lifetime warranty on all of its flow and pressure instruments. The reason why we can do this is demonstrated in the impact test above.
If you’ve recently dropped one of our competitors’ mass flow meters, I invite you to visit Alicat’s mass flow meter page before ordering a new one. Ten years from now, you’ll still be glad you did.