Silicon sensor technology

All our products are based upon our patented silicon mass flow sensor technology.

MEMS packaging
Our skilled engineers are masters in the art of MEMS packaging. Unlike other micromachined silicon mass flow sensors, our sensors withstand the harshest environmental conditions.

Our silicon CMOS flow sensors have the following unique features:
- High dyamic range (>1:1000)
- High sensitivity and resolution
- High reproducibility and stability over time
- Bi-directional use: the sensor can measure in two directions

Measurement principle

In 1974, Anton van Putten has pioneered the development of MEMS flow sensor technology by implementing world's first thermal mass flow sensor on a silicon substrate.

The animation on the right shows two original slides from early experiments. The air flow cools down the hot wire Wheatstone bridge. This results in a change of resistance, which can be measured amplified.

Dynamic offset elimimination:
ADM The founders of VPInstruments are inventors of the Alternating Direction Method. This patented method eliminates offset dynamically by turning the mass flow sensor 90 degrees with respect to the flow. The ADM method is the only way to ensure full, dynamic offset drift compensation for thermal mass flow sensors. Applications are: leak monitoring, high dynamic range flow sensors, high accuracy gas metering (energy metering).

State of the art calibration facilities

We use the most advanced flow calibration systems in the world. Our pressurized calibration systems (patented) can generate flows from a few litres per minute up to hurricane level flows of about twenty thousand litres per minute. Read more about our calibration facilities.