Titan Enterprises Beverage Flow Meters: Turbine vs Ultrasonic – Which is Best for Your Application?

Titan Enterprises 14/11/2025

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Selecting the right flow measurement technology is essential for reliable drinks dispensing, beverage production, and wider food and drink processing across the UK market.

Titan Enterprises, a long-established British manufacturer of precision flow measurement devices, provides two distinct solutions designed specifically for beverage handling: the proven Beverage Turbine Meter and the recently launched Ultrasonic Beverage Meter.

Both devices are engineered for accuracy and ease of integration, yet their capabilities differ in several important areas. The most suitable choice depends on whether your priority is cost efficiency, hygienic performance, low flow accuracy, or temperature versatility.

Below, we explore each technology in detail to help you identify the right flow meter for your system.

Measurement Technology

Turbine Meter

The Beverage Turbine Meter uses a mechanical operating principle featuring a Pelton wheel turbine and sapphire bearings. This robust design provides strong repeatability and delivers 1.5 percent Full Scale Accuracy. As with all mechanical flow meters, it introduces moving parts into the beverage line, which requires periodic maintenance.

Ultrasonic Meter

The Ultrasonic Beverage Meter operates using the ‘time of flight‘ method. With no moving components, it avoids mechanical wear and eliminates any risk of contamination created by internal obstructions. The result is a completely clean, straight bore design with accuracy better than 2 percent of reading, ideal for hygienic drinks dispensing environments.

Materials and Design

Turbine Meter

Manufactured from PVDF with sapphire bearings and Viton seals, this meter is designed for durability across a wide temperature range. It is NSF approved under NSF Standard 169 as Special Purpose Food Equipment and Devices, making it suitable for commercial beverage applications in pubs, restaurants, production facilities, and automated drinks systems.

Ultrasonic Meter

The Ultrasonic Beverage Meter is produced using a food-approved ABS/PC polymer and Viton seals. Its lightweight body and straight 6 mm bore make it straightforward to install and easy to clean using sponge balls or similar systems. All components meet FDA and EU food safety requirements. Titan will seek NSF approval once the product progresses to full commercial release.

Performance Comparison

Granularity

Beverage Turbine: 1400 pulses per litre
Ultrasonic Beverage: 5000 pulses per litre for higher resolution data collection

Flow Range

Turbine Meter: 0.6 to 10 litres per minute, less effective at very low flows
Ultrasonic Meter: 0.2 to 10 litres per minute, well suited to precision low flow dispensing

Linearity and Repeatability

Turbine: ±1.0 percent FSD linearity and excellent ±0.1 percent repeatability
Ultrasonic: ±2 percent of reading linearity and ±0.5 percent repeatability

Temperature Range

Turbine: 0 to 125 degrees Celsius, suitable for both cold and hot beverages
Ultrasonic: 3 to 15 degrees Celsius, designed primarily for chilled beverage applications such as beer, cider, soft drinks, and cold brew systems

Installation and Operation

Both flow meters use standard John Guest 3/8 inch push-fit connections, ensuring compatibility with common beverage tubing found across the UK drinks industry.

Although both are designed to minimise pressure drop, the ultrasonic model benefits from a straight 6 mm bore which reduces pressure losses further.

Power requirements differ slightly:

Turbine Meter: 5 to 24 VDC
Ultrasonic Meter: 7 to 24 VDC

Both devices are calibrated in situ by the end user to suit their specific system requirements.

The ultrasonic model, with no moving parts, eliminates internal contamination issues and supports sponge ball cleaning for quick and hygienic maintenance.

Cost Considerations

Beverage Turbine

A cost-effective option that is highly reliable, especially in applications involving mixed temperature beverages or hot drinks. Ideal for operators seeking dependable performance with minimal capital investment.

Ultrasonic Beverage

The ultrasonic model is around five times the price of the turbine meter. However, its hygienic design, minimal maintenance requirements, and superior resolution make it a strong choice for systems where precision and cleanability are essential.

Unique Selling Points

Beverage Turbine

Low cost
Robust and proven technology
Highly repeatable
Capable of handling hot beverages

Ultrasonic Beverage Meter

Hygienic straight-bore design with no moving parts
High resolution
Factory-settable K factor
Options for both NPN and PNP outputs
Simple sponge ball cleaning
Suitable for systems with variable flow conditions

Disadvantages

Beverage Turbine

The presence of moving parts means the device requires cleaning and can experience blockages if not serviced as needed.

Ultrasonic Beverage

The restricted operating temperature range limits the ultrasonic device to chilled beverages. It also carries a higher upfront cost.

Comparison Verdict

For beverage systems where cost efficiency, repeatability, and wide temperature capability are the main concerns, Titan’s Beverage Turbine Meter remains a strong and dependable choice. Its ability to handle both hot and cold beverages makes it particularly versatile for commercial drinks systems across the UK.

However, if the application prioritises hygiene, minimal maintenance, low flow accuracy, and consistent long-term performance without moving parts, Titan’s Ultrasonic Beverage Meter provides clear advantages that justify its premium pricing. The ultrasonic design also offers greater accuracy across the full flow range, which is beneficial for variable-flow monitoring in modern drinks dispensing equipment.

The Ultrasonic Beverage Meter has been developed to support sponge ball cleaning within beer dispense hoses and pipework, making it ideal for breweries, cellar systems, and specialist beverage lines.

In the end, the correct choice depends on whether you need the economy and temperature flexibility of the turbine meter or the hygienic performance and low flow precision of the ultrasonic model.

For full technical specifications on both flow meters, visit Titan’s website. For further information on Titan Enterprises and its flow measurement solutions for the food and beverage industry, contact the team via email at sales@flowmeters.co.uk.

Contact Details About Us Latest News Latest Videos

Titan Enterprises Limited

01935812790
sales@flowmeters.co.uk
http://www.flowmeters.co.uk
Unit 2 5a Coldharbour Business Park, Sherborne Dorset, DT9 4JW GB

About us

With over 40-years experience in flow meter innovation, Titan Enterprises Ltd are a UK-based manufacturer of high performance solutions such as the Atrato ultrasonic flowmeter, Oval Gear flow meters and the low flow Turbine flow meters and instrument range.

Our knowledgeable team can offer either an off-the-shelf meter or fully bespoke flow system designed for a particular application whether it is a low cost OEM solution or a specialist flowmeter in exotic materials. Titan supplies innovative flow measurement solutions into a broad range of sectors, including medical, industrial, food and drink, laboratory and pharmaceutical, offshire oil & gas industry, power, chemicals and mining.

For higher volume users we can custom design a flowmeter to match exact application requirements and thus not compromise achievable results with a less than ideal sensor.

At Titan we endeavour to produce devices that are inherently reliable as well as manufactured using the latest and most economical production technology. All flow meters produced by Titan are designed and manufactured to ISO9001 and calibrated to an uncertainty of ±0.25%.

We produce chemically resistant, high accuracy digital flow meters that are not only competitively priced but are engineered to give long-term reliable performance.

What we do in a nutshell

Titan Enterprises is a leading UK manufacturer and international supplier of high-performance liquid flow measurement solutions. We specialise in the design and production of small-bore, affordable off-the-shelf flow meters to bespoke flow sensors designed to customer specifications meeting specific flow ranges and environmental conditions.

Where we supply to

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America

Industries we supply to

Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater

Something interesting you may not know about us:

Titan's R&D spend is 20% of our turnover where the industry norm is 8-10%.

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