Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Indigenizes Technology for Flowmeters, Saving 40,000 US Dollars Annually

The achievement made by Parsafan Electronic Nasr Company will lead to saving up to $40,000 in foreign currency per year.

A flowmeter (or a flow sensor) is an instrument that is used to indicate the amount of liquid, gas, or vapor moving through a pipe or conduit. 

Measuring the flow of liquids is a critical need in many industrial applications.

Ahmad Mashhadi, the managing director of the company, told ANA that domestically-made products are sold at one-third of the price of foreign products.

Referring to the indigenization of small flowmeters, he pointed out that the industrial unit is also able to manufacture the products in larger sizes which are used in refineries and petrochemical units.

The small flowmeters are currently imported at $2,000, but the company has managed to manufacture the product at just $750, Mashhadi said.

Oil, gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries are the main customers of the product, he said, adding, “But the most common use of the products that are imported from the US and Italy is in refineries and petrochemical plants.”

Of course, importing and repairing the products have been facing problems for many years due to the sanctions, he noted.

However, Parsafan Electronic Nasr Company, located in Pardis Technology Park, has succeeded in making flowmeters using the Coriolis method, from small to medium size, with an investment of 300 billion Rials (about $1 million), Mashhadi highlighted.

​​​​​​​A Coriolis meter utilizes a measurement technology that is capable of directly measuring mass flow.

Such flowmeters are used to measure the amount of any fluids, including gas, oil, and liquids, that are bought and sold, as well as to measure the amount of fuel that is delivered to cars at CNG fuel stations, he added.

For example, petrochemical centers use the system to measure the sales of their products by installing one of these devices at the beginning and end of the pipelines for the transfer of petrochemical or refinery products.

So, from gasoline to sulfuric acid, petroleum, and chemical products, the transfer rate of these products can be easily calculated accurately.

He went on to say that the accuracy of measurement and the fact that limited countries have the ability and knowledge have made it a strategic product.

The company is also able to repair flowmeters imported from other countries, Mashhadi said, adding that repairing flowmeters that are imported at around $200,000 has been stopped by foreign companies for several years due to the sanctions.

“The company is currently manufacturing and supplying small flowmeters to research centers, pharmaceutical factories, and also the food industry.”

Of course, the product is also sold to automotive industries which supply it to car manufacturers, he concluded.

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