Sierra's new SmartTrak^® 140 Ultra-Low ΔP Mass Flow Controller was specifically designed to provide precise, high performance mass flow control with the lowest possible pressure drop on the market to fill a market need. The SmartTrak 140 controls up to 500 slpm with an ultra-low ΔP of 4.5 psid (310 mBard), much better than typical ΔP values of 25 psid (1700 mBard) for equivalent mass flow controllers on the market. By accurately controlling expensive gases with minimal pressure drop, industries save money on gas costs, increase productivity, and ultimately make a better profit.

The 140 is a hybrid of two innovative Sierra technologies: our award winning SmartTrak^® 100 Series with its industry leading SmartTrak LFE, sensor and digital electronics is combined with the SideTrak^® 840's low ΔP valve featuring large flow coefficient (C_v). By combining these two technologies, the 140 achieves the smallest pressure drop in the industry while maintaining all the features of our flagship SmartTrak^® 100 Series. Now for the first time, customers can have 30 psig inlet and 25.5 psig outlet and still get precision digital PID valve control up to 500 slpm.

Get More "Work" Out of Ultra-High Purity Semi-Con Gases Semiconductor tools use ultra-high purity gas, which is very expensive, to blast the wafers clean in the silicon manufacturing process. To effectively clean the silicon wafers, the semiconductor tools require very high pressure gas which is pressurized using ultra-clean compressors. To "prepare" this high pressure, ultra-pure gas is very expensive, so it's critical to use the gas efficiently and effectively, not losing a single molecule in the process. Since gas flows from high to low pressure, the higher the pressure, the less pressure is lost in the system which means the pressurized gas "gets more work done" by cleaning more wafers. Because of this low pressure drop requirement, the SmartTrak 140 delivers highly pressurized, ultra-high pure gas to work on the tool with almost no gas pressure lost in the process which greatly increases the efficiency of the process and lower costs of wasted gas. 

Optimize Burner Control and Increase Efficiency Burner control is a very common application which cuts across various industries. To increase manufacturing efficiency and decrease the cost of gas, the goal in these applications is to create the perfect flame with the optimal fuel-to-air ratio. Typically, gas comes out of the mains at 30 psig and ideally the pressure at the burner tip should remain at 30 psig for optimal burner tip performance to create high quality products. Traditional mass flow controllers, for example, require a high pressure drop to get precise control. So the gas enters the mass flow controller at 30 psig but comes out at 15 psig which equals a 15 psig pressure differential, causing big swings as the controller adjust. With this type of pressure differential, the burner flame is not even and pressure is not optimal for burner tip performance. The SmartTrak 140, with its very low pressure drop requirements, however, is ideal for these types of burner control applications. The gas enters the mass flow controller at 30 psig and comes out at 25.5 psig which does not affect the flame, resulting in optimal burner tip performance an even flame temperature which produces very high quality products and increases productivity.

This is a guest post from Sierra Instruments. Their Flow Measurement and Control Division designs and manufactures high precision capillary-sensor based Mass Flow Meters and Controllers for gas flow applications. They also design and manufacture Immersible Thermal Mass, Transit-Time Ultrasonic, Vortex Shedding and Multivariable flow instruments in both standard and customized versions for applications in industrial and hazardous environments.

Visit the website to get more information on the SmartTrak 140.