01
Consumption during idle periods
Flow or totalised consumption when equipment is stopped can indicate leakage.
ifm · Compressed air & gases
ifm SD Compressed-Air & Gas Meters
Measure compressed-air and supported industrial-gas consumption close to machines, production lines or plant zones. SD combines thermal flow measurement with totalising and, on current routes, pressure and temperature process values for energy and leak monitoring.
Thermal mass flowConsumption totaliserPressureTemperatureIO-Link
Flow envelopeUp to ~15,150 scfmPublished SD family route
Pipe range¼"…10"Across inline and insertion routes
Gas valuesFlow + totalConsumption monitoring
Additional valuesPressure + temperatureOn current multi-value SD routes
Energy transparency
Turn compressed air from an invisible utility into a measured process value
02
Measure by machine or production area
Use consumption totals to allocate compressed-air use across departments or assets.
03
Watch pressure and temperature
Integrated process values can reveal pressure loss and support dryer / supply monitoring.
04
Monitor costly gas use
Supported variants monitor gases such as nitrogen, argon, CO₂ and helium depending on model.
Applications
SD for energy, leak and specialty-gas monitoring
01
Compressed-air consumption
Install at zones, lines or machine drops to establish baseline use and identify changes.
02
Shielding-gas use
Monitor argon / CO₂ or other supported gases used for welding quality and cost control.
03
Inert-gas blanketing
Track nitrogen or CO₂ consumption where supported by the selected meter.
04
Air / helium systems
Use suitable SD models to quantify gas used in leak-test processes.
Thermal gas measurement
SD measures how the gas stream removes heat from the sensing elements
One ceramic probe is heated and the second acts as a reference. Gas flow changes the heat transfer between them. The electronics derive flow velocity and convert consumption to standard conditions so gas use can be compared despite pressure and temperature changes.
Standardised volumeGas volume is referenced to defined standard conditions for meaningful consumption measurement.
TotaliserAccumulated quantity makes leak detection and cost allocation practical.
Multi-value sensingCurrent SD routes combine flow with pressure and temperature information.
Gas selectionNot every model supports every gas; confirm air / N₂ / Ar / CO₂ / helium capability by order number.
IO-Link analytics
Bring flow, consumption, pressure and temperature into one digital data path
01
Real-time usage
Trend instantaneous consumption to find abnormal demand.
02
Accumulated consumption
Compare machine, shift or production-area use over time.
03
Supply condition
Too much pressure wastes energy; low pressure can affect machine performance.
04
Air-system condition
Temperature trend can support monitoring of the compressed-air supply and dryer.
Representative current routes
Select by flow range, pipe size and gas
| Model | Published flow range | Line size | Connection | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD5500 | 0.8…250 l/min | ¼" | G ¼ BSPP | Small machine / branch flow |
| SD6501 | 0.15…44.15 scfm | ½" | ½" NPT | Machine drop / small line |
| SD8501 | 0.4…132.4 scfm | 1" | 1" NPT | Production equipment / branch line |
| SD2501 | 1.5…412 scfm | 2" | 2" NPT | Larger production branch |
| SD1540 | Up to ~15,456 scfm depending on pipe | 2"…10" insertion route | Weld adapter | Main / large distribution line |
Availability and metric connection variants should be confirmed against the current ifm catalogue. The table is a representative engineering selection guide, not a substitute for the exact order-number datasheet.
Installation
Thermal mass-flow accuracy depends on a stable flow profile
Plan the pipework around the meter
Elbows, valves and changes in diameter create turbulence. Provide the straight pipe runs specified by ifm and follow the orientation requirements for the exact model.
Pipe-diameter changesAbout 10 × D upstream
Single 90° elbowAbout 10 × D upstream
Two elbows same planeAbout 15 × D upstream
Two elbows different planesAbout 25 × D upstream
ValveAbout 40 × D upstream
SD1540Adapter alignment and insertion depth are critical
Requirement capture
SD selection criteria
GasCompressed air, nitrogen, argon, CO₂, helium or other.
Flow rangeMinimum, normal and maximum standard flow.
Pipe sizeNominal diameter and available straight run.
PressureNormal and maximum line pressure.
TemperatureGas temperature range.
Data useLocal indication, analogue, totaliser, IO-Link, dashboard or energy KPI.