Shaking up the hygienic mag flow meter market
fm electronic has introduced a new hygienic magnetic flow meter to the New Zealand market, aimed at addressing integration and durability challenges in food and beverage production environments.
The device, called the SM Foodmag, was officially launched at Anuga FoodTec in Germany in late 2024. According to Daniel Deittrick, ifm electronic’s senior director of product management for flow sensors, the meter was developed for washdown environments and digital process connectivity — two areas he says are underserved in many legacy systems.
“This is the first magnetic flow sensor we’ve designed specifically for hygienic washdown conditions that also supports IO-Link communication directly from the process,” says Deittrick. “It’s about eliminating one of the final blind spots in digital plant monitoring.”
The SM Foodmag is positioned for use across a variety of fluid measurement applications – including milk, cream, juice, and beverage production – where exposure to chemical cleaning, vibration, and temperature swings is common. The device operates across a wide process temperature range of –20°C to 150°C, allowing for use in steam flushing and other high-demand scenarios.
Deittrick says the unit was designed with real-world plant conditions in mind, rather than idealised lab settings. “Many flow meters are only rated for clean or static environments. SM Foodmag was built for pressure washing, chemical cleaning, fast valve cycling, and rapid thermal changes,” he says.
The device includes a simplified user interface, with setup achievable via push buttons or through IO-Link communication.
“We found from customer feedback that many magnetic flow meters take up to two hours to commission and often require factory programming,” says Deittrick. “With SM Foodmag, experienced users can complete basic setup in just a few minutes.”
Additional features include a large LED display and a 360-degree visual status ring around the control head, designed to give operators at-a-glance confirmation of device performance. The unit can also transmit temperature and conductivity data – without requiring separate cables.
The SM Foodmag uses a single M12 connector – an IP69K-rated [Ingress Protection rating for high-pressure, high-temperature washdown] sealed connection – for both power and signal, which reduces wiring complexity and installation time. Many legacy meters, by contrast, still require two separate cables for power and output.
Ifm is also focused on shortening delivery timelines. “While competitors often follow a make-to-order model, our goal is availability from stock, either from local inventory in New Zealand or ex-stock from Germany,” says Deittrick. Delivery typically takes between two and 10 days, he adds.
The company sees this as a strategic entry into a New Zealand market still dominated by older flow measurement systems, including models based on the HART protocol (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer), which dates back to 1986. “Many systems in use today are still built around 1980s technology,” Deittrick says. “Fieldbus-based systems came later, but these often come with higher installation costs.”
The SM Foodmag also supports traditional analogue output via 4–20 mA signal and pulse output, alongside its digital IO-Link communication – offering flexibility for plants with mixed technologies.
“We’re seeing strong uptake already from New Zealand plant builders,” says Deittrick. “The combination of hygienic design, simple installation, and advanced connectivity appears to be resonating.”
Sponsored content: For more information phone 0800 803 444, email sales.nz@ifm.com or visit www.ifm.com/nz.