Many manufacturing plants struggle with hidden inefficiencies in fluid and energy use. At Hallam-ICS, we helped a client turn this challenge into an opportunity for improvement by combining Emerson’s Flexim Fluxus ultrasonic flow meters with Ignition dashboards. This integration unlocked real-time visibility into water and air usage, revealed waste patterns, and led to measurable efficiency gains—demonstrating how small, data-driven improvements can generate substantial cost savings.
We chose Emerson since they are reputed for their reliability, build-quality, durability, support, and accuracy. Successful past experiences using Emerson products also gave us confidence in trusting them again. To make things painless and reliable for our customer, we considered the Flexim Fluxus ultrasonic flow meters. These are easy and fast to install, even for first-time users and non-mechanical people. Clamping straps secure the sensors to the pipe , no cutting or drilling necessary, and no stop to operations!
Even when installed closer than ideal to disturbances, as in the case of our G532 CA compressed air flow meter, the Flexim Fluxus line demonstrates robust adaptability by continuing to give steady and reliable readings. The non-contact nature is safe for sanitary and food applications, and there’s no risk of material buildup affecting the measurements. These sensors come pre-calibrated and matched from the factory, and use highly durable materials such as stainless-steel enclosures, straps and bodies, and high-quality ceramics, so they rarely require replacement, repair, or recalibration. Additionally, Emerson’s exceptional support streamlined our setup, quickly resolved questions, provided extra coupling pads for our installation, and shared tailored guidance via phone, images, and manuals.
Learn how Hallam-ICS helps manufacturers gain efficiency through real-time data collection in From the Plant Floor to OEE Dashboards: How to Harness Your Data.
Ultrasonic flow measurement uses sound waves to determine flow velocity in liquids or gases, providing an accurate, non-invasive method for monitoring process systems.
Emerson Flexim Fluxus flow meters use the transit-time difference principle to measure flow velocity in liquids or gases with ultrasonic waves. A transducer’s piezoelectric element, tiny crystals that vibrate when powered, sends ultrasonic waves through the pipe, and the time taken to reach a second transducer reveals the flow rate. Emerson’s piezoelectric elements are precisely matched in the factory to ensure identical characteristics, no zero drift over time, and consistent accuracy. The result is a stable, maintenance-free measurement system that delivers dependable results day after day.
Diagram demonstrating ultrasonic measurement
A wealth of data is available from the Flexim Fluxus ultrasonic flow meters, and we used Ignition’s Modbus TCP driver to read it into our project for display. Using Ignition’s intuitive drag-and-drop designer interface and custom scripting for data organization and custom calculations, we built real-time dashboards, historical trend logging, and tailored weekly reports.
With Ignition’s Tag Historian we automatically log each value change for our chosen datapoints and easily display the history in a chart. The Flexim Fluxus Transmitter stores up to 4 days of totalizer values, and our custom Ignition scripts extend that history by saving data to a central database.
Automatic Tag History configured on Volumetric Flow
Dashboards include:
Sound Speed, Thermal Energy, Pressure, and diagnostic values
See how AI is shaping modern automation dashboards in AI in Industrial Automation: Tools, Use Cases & Insights.
Flow Meter Template
I created a flow data template, which can be reused to show data for any flow sensor from this same product family using the same data structure. The viewing window can be resized and the view components, including the charts, dynamically resize or rearrange with the view to fit different screen sizes or show more data at once.
Analyze data in more detail with an enlarged resizable viewing window. Left information side bar can be minimized to view a wider chart.
The Flexim Fluxus Transmitter also provides diagnostic data for monitoring the status and health of the ultrasonic signals being used. This makes remote troubleshooting and health checks more convenient.
Using a combination of information from Ignition’s Modbus TCP driver and tags read from the transmitter, there is a section to check Device Info. To give users access to all available information I included a tag browser to check the raw values of datapoints being read.
To make data actionable, we created an informative weekly report using Ignition’s Reporting module. which can be viewed remotely in the web-browser-based project, exported and printed from PDF, and sent to emails on a schedule.
Ignition reports can be accessed anywhere, viewed online, printed, or archived. This scalability allows facility managers and operators to make faster, data-backed decisions from any device.
This project embodies the concept of the aggregation of marginal gains, where many small improvements lead to significant progress. The concept was famously applied by coach Sir Dave Brailsford to the British cycling team and applies perfectly to manufacturing. Even a 1% improvement in metrics like fluid usage, tank levels, temperatures, vibration, or process timing can save thousands annually through cumulative gains.
At Hallam-ICS, we believe in leveraging every data point to drive smarter decisions, greater efficiency, and lasting impact.
Q1: What makes ultrasonic flow meters ideal for industrial applications?
A: Ultrasonic flow meters provide non-contact measurement, no pressure loss, and minimal maintenance, making them safe and reliable for industrial and sanitary environments. The easy, fast, set-it-and-forget it installation can be accomplished with zero downtime and minimal effort.
Q2: Can Ignition dashboards integrate multiple sensors or flow meters?
A: Yes. Ignition’s open architecture supports Modbus TCP and OPC-UA, allowing you to integrate multiple flow meters and monitor them from a unified interface.
Q3: How does automated reporting improve plant efficiency?
A: Scheduled reports eliminate manual data collection, reduce errors, and ensure stakeholders receive timely insights to improve operations.
Conclusion – Unlocking Efficiency
By integrating Emerson Flexim Fluxus flow meters with Ignition dashboards, Hallam-ICS helped this facility achieve greater visibility, actionable data insights, and measurable operational improvements. These incremental, data-driven changes represent the foundation of smarter, more efficient manufacturing.
Ready to uncover hidden inefficiencies in your plant? Contact Hallam-ICS to explore flow monitoring and dashboard integration solutions tailored to your operations.
About the author
Elizabeth Engler is a Controls Integrator with diverse experience across controls design, programming, and software development. She enjoys logical challenges, user interface design, and programming machines to bring customer's visions to life. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys gardening, mysteries, movies, and time with family.
Read My Hallam Story
About Hallam-ICS
Hallam-ICS is an engineering and automation company that designs MEP systems for facilities and plants, engineers control and automation solutions, and ensures safety and regulatory compliance through arc flash studies, commissioning, and validation. Our offices are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont and North Carolina, and Texas and our projects take us world-wide.