A Complete Answer To What Is A Pressure Gauge - Industrial Manufacturing Blog

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The measurement of pressure is crucial to the safe and proper functioning of many types of industrial systems and corresponding industrial products. Entire fluid power systems would be unpredictable and unreliable without an accurate way to measure and adjust pressure. In fact, pressure is so important to modern industry that it is one of the most commonly measured phenomena in commerce as a whole. Pressure gauges are a group of devices that measure and display fluid pressure levels.

Pressure gauges are valued in the industrial world for their simplicity, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. In this article, we will answer the question of what is a pressure gauge and help you understand exactly how it can improve your work and your system. Read this new blog in Linquip to find out more about them.

What Is A Pressure Gauge

A pressure gauge is a measuring instrument used to measure the level of pressure in a liquid or gas, across industries. It is specified by the force that the fluid would exert, when at rest, on a unit area, such as pounds per square inch or newtons per square centimeter. It is a crucial instrument as it also helps control the levels of pressure in liquids and gases and keeps them within the required limit.

It raises an alarm in case the pressure exceeds. This is important from a safety perspective because an instrument or machine may explode if the pressure level exceeds and goes unnoticed for a long time. This may harm the workers as well as damage the equipment. So, a pressure gauge is crucial for overall plant safety. Without pressure gauges, fluid power systems would be both unpredictable and unreliable.

Details of Pressure Gauges

Pressure gauges range from basic measuring ones to completely automated ones, which can be connected to your smartphone to send alerts. Pressure sensors are crucial components of pressure gauges. There are various pressure gauge types in the market such as commercial gauge, general service gauge, water pressure gauge, and so on. Among various factors, the size of an application must be one of the key considerations when it comes to choosing pressure gauges for any process. They need to be serviced and maintained regularly as an out-of-service gauge is as much a threat to the plant as not having one.

So, it is always better to have few but well-serviced gauges in your plant. From an accuracy perspective, installing and correct calibration of the pressure gauge are important aspects. Calibration can be a complicated task and needs to be done by experts, after considering the application requirements.

How The Pressure Gauge Works

Now that we see what a pressure gauge is, let us discuss the working principle and other details of a pressure gauge. The pressure gauge working principle is based on Hooke’s law. There is inner pressure and outer pressure. So, when pressure is applied on the surface of the object, it is more on the inner side as the pressure area is less. A pressure gauge uses a diaphragm sensor, where one side of the diaphragm is exposed to the pressure media that is to be measured, while the other side is exposed to the ambient atmospheric pressure.

When using a pressure gauge, it should be noted that the measured gauge pressure will change with variations in barometric pressure due to changes in weather patterns, unless the measuring point is itself exposed to ambient atmospheric pressure. The digital pressure gauge is nowadays commonly used. In the case of digital pressure gauges, the measured pressure is transmitted to the sensor diaphragm which senses the pressure, based on which an electrical signal is generated to reach the computer or smartphone. These gauges come with a small LCD.

Pressure Gauge Materials

Pressure gauges may be fabricated with several materials, depending on the demands of the specific application. The internal mechanisms of gauges are usually made of materials such as beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, various steel alloys, etc. Regarding actual size, pressure gauges display a marked degree of variability. A couple of examples follow below.

Many gauges are exposed to harsh substances or chemicals including those that operate in the chemical, petrochemical, refining, power, and pharmaceutical processing industries. Such gauges must be corrosion-resistant; most likely, they are made of stainless steel. On the other hand, for pressure gauges that will encounter only non-corrosive fluids or gases, brass or bronze construction will probably be adequate.
The specific pressure conditions a gauge will operate in constitute another factor in material selection. High-pressure scenarios generally require gauges made of very durable material, such as steel. In contrast, low-pressure scenarios may be well served by gauges made of bronze or similar material.

Pressure Gauge Applications

Pressure gauges are widely used all over the world in industrial environments because of their affordable price. To accommodate many different applications, manufacturers make many different types of pressure gauges. Pressure gauges are used for a variety of things. An example of pressure gauge used is when we want to gauge household pressure if we want to see if the pressure regulator on the house is still working.

We use them on a storage tank for a good system to make sure the pump is turning on and off properly. We use them on water treatment equipment or things like reverse osmosis where pressure is a key component to the operation of that system. Sometimes, even a simple tire gauge enables us to test pressures on a storage tank.

Factors like the level of accuracy required, appropriate dial size for readability, the durability of the material to suit the environment and process conditions, mounting options available, and the range of pressure that it can measure and pressure type to be measured determine what kind of gauge may be right for you to use. If you choose a manufacturer that gives you a wide variety of gauges to choose from, choosing the right one will be an uncomplicated process.

So, there you have every single fact to the question of what is a pressure gauge. If you enjoyed this article in Linquip, let us know by leaving any comments or suggestions. Is there any question we can help you with? Feel free to sign up on our website to get the most professional advice from our experts.