Titan at Advanced Manufacturing UK

Breakthrough technology launched at mtec 2010
We saw a new high-accuracy and low-cost ultrasonic flowmeter launched at this year’s mtec Exhibition (part of Advanced Manufacturing UK 2010).

Titan Enterprises' "The Atrato" is set to create a breakthrough change in small bore flow metering, it uses patented technology which enables the direct through meter to handle flows from laminar to turbulent and Titan founder Trevor Forster was there each day of the show to discuss and extol the virtues of his "new baby," which he told us was eight years in gestation!

With accurate and cost effective flow measurement becoming increasingly important to many industries, Titan Enterprises have developed this exclusive product with one of the foremost fluid engineering establishments, perhaps in the world, Cranfield University. The Atrato is capable of monitoring flow over a range of 200:1 and has an accuracy better than +1.5% but equally impressive, its simple design and USB interface, makes it extremely easy to install and use.

Well known to the industry with clients such as Coca Cola and BP, Titan’s new device uses the favoured ‘time of flight’ measurement system where a signal is passed along the pipe with the flow and back up the pipe against the flow, the difference in these signals produces the flow rate. Until now, this technology has been deemed expensive and sometimes inaccurate; however Trevor Forster believes the Atrato’s fully symmetrical, concentric signals coupled with the ability to achieve desired timing accuracies makes it a new market leader. It being largely immune to viscosity makes The Atrato even more appealing to customers.

It is aimed at the wide customer base and should satisfy critics in Industrial engineering, plant operators, medical equipment supply, drink dispensing, and Laboratory technicians. According to Trevor, one of the unique aspects of the Atrato is the computer interface.

He commented: “The USB connection permits the user to monitor the rate and total on their laptop in addition to operating parameters such as the pulse resolution units. At a later date, data logging and operation statistics will also be possible.”

Having championed the technology Trevor said: “Fundamentally, my position is that the future of flow measurement is going to be ultrasonic or coriolis. They’re the only two long-term viable technologies because they’re not intrusive.
“I am delighted after designing flowmeters for around 40 years, to launch The Atrato which I believe is a true contender in challenging conventional flow meter thinking, the world over! We have a successful business selling well over 250,000 flowmeters and I have an experienced team of staff and family behind me, I think it is our integrity and problem solving approach which has led us to a 95% repeat business rate and customers in over 40 countries.”

Professor Mike Sanderson, Emeritus Professor of Fluid Instrumentation at Cranfield agreed saying: “The Atrato’s unique clean bore construction makes it ideal for hygienic applications. The use of low frequency ultrasound and advanced signal processing to interrogate the flow ensures that the flowmeter provides high accuracy over a wide turndown range. In addition the technology developed for the Atrato has the flexibility to provide the basis of a family of flowmeters suitable for an even wider range of flows and applications.”