Brooks Instrument Introduces Smart Digital Mass Flow Controllers and Companion Software

N/Aof microprocessor-based thermal mass flowmeter and controller instruments was introduced to U.S. markets by <%=company%> (Hatfield, PA) at the Interphex 2000 expo. The Smart Series line was designed by Brooks' engineers in the Netherlands to meet the gas delivery demands of the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food, laboratory, and semiconductor industries. Since the European debut of this line of flow instruments, Brooks has built up a successful installed base of over 15,000 throughout the world.

Gunnar Oberg, product marketing manager for mass flow products at Brooks, said the Smart Series "provides superior overall performance, accuracy, response time, and adaptive control compared with analog instruments. That means it adjusts quickly to changing conditions and corrects itself for external disturbances such as pressure changes. Our Smart Series also features automatic temperature compensation."

Products from the Smart Series line measure full-scale gas flows from 0.003 to 36,000 slpm, and control flows from 0.003 to 1,000 slpm. Smart Series meters can be deployed as an upgrade for analog devices, or may be used in state-of-the-art all-digital environments. Digital communication supports plug-and-play interface between field and peripheral equipment in both analog and digital environments—available simultaneously as a standard feature if needed. Digital performance ensures improved process accuracy, repeatability, and response time. The Smart Series' long-term stability and self-diagnostics dramatically limit maintenance costs and reduce the long-term cost of ownership.

Brooks has also released a series of companion software applications for Smart Series products. The company's Smart Control simplifies the readout of ongoing process conditions and supports in-situ configuration of the DMFC's parameter. Brooks Smart DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) provides bi-directional links between your Windows based applications and the Brooks Smart Series instruments. A third software program, Brooks Smart Service, provides access to service and calibration parameters.

Brooks is part of the process control and instrumentation group of Emerson Electric Co. Brooks Instrument manufactures a complete line of flow measurement and control instrumentation including variable area (rotameters), thermal mass, positive displacement and electromagnetic flowmeters, and supporting accessories.

For more information: Mary Beth DiEleonora, Brooks Instrument, 407 West Vine St., Hatfield, PA 19440. Tel: 215-362-3669. Fax: 215-362-3745.

Angelo DePalma