SM flow meter | Installation guidelines

For the best performance of the SM family of sensors, please adhere to the guidelines in the following video and on this page.

Best practices for installing SM magmeters

ifm offers aftermarket support for setting up and programming sm magmeters and water flow meter products.

Direction of flow

The arrow etched on the sensor housing indicates flow direction. 

• The display indicates flow in the opposite direction of the arrow with a minus sign.
• Analog and switching signals are based on flow only in the direction of flow. These signals cannot be set for flow in the opposite direction.
• When using IO-Link, the process value includes the direction of flow, meaning negative flow can be measured and transmitted.
• The direction of flow can be changed in the parameter setting of the sensor. If the direction of flow is changed, apply the enclosed label to the housing of the sensor.

Mounting locations

Air bubbles and partially filled pipes can affect the measured values. As long as the meter is installed in a closed loop system where the pipe is always filled and no air bubbles can form, the orientation of of the sensor is not critical. 

For open piping systems, refer to the recommended and not recommended orientations below.

Electrical grounding

The principle of operation of magmeters involves measuring a voltage induced when a conductive medium flows through a magnetic field. A solid reference value is required for accurate measurement. Stray signals from a piping system that is not properly grounded, e.g. floating grounds, interferes with the reference value. Most metal piping systems are installed such that they are grounded to the building steel and therefore, to a solid earth ground. This is not the case when the piping system is plastic. For plastic or ungrounded piping systems, always provide a path to earth ground. Part number E40234 makes gounding the sensor effective and easy. 

Straight pipe run

While it is good practice to install your flowmeter with 3 times the pipe diameter upstream and 1 pipe diameter downstream of the meter, it is our experience that this requirement is not critical for good application as long as there are no air bubbles in the system. 

Caution

If the medium temperature is above 50 °C / 122 °F, parts of the housing can heat up to over 65 °C / 149 °F. Protect against risks of burns and unitentional contact with flammable substances. Apply the warning label supplied with the sensor to the cable near the housing.