International outlook: Flowmeters, switches approved for use in Russia

By Control Engineering Staff September 26, 2006

The Russian Federation has granted GOST-R and certification and RTN approval to FCI flowmeters and flow switches.

San Marcos, CA— The Russian Federation has granted Fluid Components International (FCI) approval to export its flowmeters and switches into its country. FCI received certification from the Federation for its MT Series, GF Series, and ST98 Series mass flowmeters. Flowmeters and flow switches were also approved for use in hazardous areas.

The approvals indicate that FCI’s products have been inspected and approved for GOST-R applications (GOST Russian certification of conformity) as complying with Russian standards. The instruments also obtained Gosgortekhnadzor Russia (or RTN) approval for use in hazardous areas. The flow instruments are designed for oil and gas, chemical, electric power, pulp and paper, steel, and wastewater industries. GOST ensure Russian customers of conformity to general safety and measurement standards and RTN ensures safe installation in hazardous environments. Obtaining the certificates and permits involves the testing of samples.

FCI called the move ‘mutually beneficial.’ Director of marketing Randy Brown told Control Engineering that the effort ‘allows the Russian market to buy with confidence and lets FCI operate in a country that has an industry base closely aligned with FCI’s core products.’ Obtaining the GOST and RTN approvals eases the export arrangement significantly, Brown went on. ‘To serve our customers and their applications there [in Russia], you need to have the GOST and RTN certifications. They are comparable to ISO 9000 and FM approvals in the U.S. and to ATEX certification in Europe. You just can’t install products in hazardous locations there without an RTN permit.’

The approvals are also required for Byelorussia (Belarussia) and are recognized and accepted in other countries in this region, including Kazakhstan, Georgia, Adzerbaijan, Baltic Countries, and Moldavia. The move to obtain the approvals, which took about a year to complete, was initiated and supported by Promtex ZAO, FCI’s manufacturers’ distributor, assisted by the company’s subsidiary in Tilburg, Netherlands.

FCI manufactures flow instruments with thermal dispersion and Coriolis mass flow technologies for industrial applications. Thermal dispersion flowmeters and flow switches feature a no-moving-parts design and advanced electronics, and offer wide turn-down ratios and direct mass flow measurement.

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For more in Europe see other global CE editions atop www.controleng.com , including Control Engineering Europe, in English.

—Control Engineering Daily News Desk Jeanine Katzel , senior editor