Ultimo Density Meter vs Pisonics PS7000 — Clamp-On Percussion or Wetted Acoustic
Ultimo's meter never touches the process; the PS7000's probe does. That single difference sets the trade-off for the whole comparison — Ultimo trades process contact for a dependence on the pipe itself, and the PS7000 does the reverse.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Ultrasonic Slurry Density Meter | Ultimo Measurement DM V4.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | Ultrasonic acoustic impedance, wetted probe | Percussion vibration analysis, explicitly non-acoustic (clamp-on) ¹ |
| Process contact | Sapphire window wetted, flush with the pipe bore (non-intrusive) | None — strapped to the pipe exterior ¹ |
| Accuracy | ±1 % FS; the datasheet publishes ±1 % mass concentration | 1 % FS or better ¹ ² |
| Pipe size | DN50 – DN1000 (larger on request) | ≥ NPS 2" / DN50, no stated upper limit ¹ |
| Pipe material | Acoustically independent of pipe and liner material; installation requires either a flanged spool or, for the weld-in variant, a weldable metal pipe | Steel, plastic, fibreglass. Corrugated and rubber pipe excluded ¹ |
| Process temperature | 0 – 80 °C standard; 120 °C high-temperature version to order | Up to 250 °C ¹ |
| Ambient temperature | −30 – +60 °C | −40 – +60 °C ¹ |
| Ingress protection | IP65 | NEMA 4X / IP66 ¹ |
| Hazardous area | Ex d IIC T6 Gb optional | "General Purpose" — no hazardous-area classification ¹ |
| Response | Configurable | SRM 80 ms; transmitter refresh 0.8 s ¹ |
| Calibration | Multi-point field regression, up to 20 points, online, no shutdown; r² acceptance check from 3 points | Manufacturer states calibration is essential and can only be done on site; two-point or sample-free method; multi-point not supported ¹ |
| Entrained air | Keeps measuring in bubbly slurry; outputs a 0–100 aeration index and a bubble flag | Manufacturer states the reading becomes bulk or apparent density; an external velocity or entrained-air sensor is required to recover non-gaseous density ¹ |
| Fouling | Probe face is wetted and can foul. Echo energy and signal quality are published diagnostic outputs, so degradation is visible in the process data; heavy build-up on the face still has to be cleaned off | Manufacturer states internal scaling degrades accuracy, worse on smaller pipes; periodic tuning or external compensation needed ¹ |
| Communication | 2 × 4–20 mA (NAMUR NE43), RS485 Modbus-RTU, HART 5, Bluetooth 5.4 BLE, Profibus-DP optional, 4G cloud optional | 4–20 mA, RS-485 (proprietary), Modbus RTU ¹ |
| Power | AC 100–240 V or DC 24 V, ≤ 1 W | 90–264 VAC; the DC 24 V option requires a ≥ 3 A supply or a ≥ 300 W inverter ¹ |
Competitor parameters cited from Ultimo Measurement DM V4.2 datasheet.
Takeaway
How the two measurements differ
Ultimo strikes the outside of the pipe wall with a mechanical striker and analyses the resulting oscillation spectrum. The company is explicit that this is a vibration method and not an acoustic one: "Ultimo's proprietary vibration-based (non-acoustic) Percussion technology generates, acquires and analyzes oscillations at a pipe wall." Self-learning software separates the useful signal from ambient vibration and adjusts striker energy. The striker is the only moving part, rated for 16 years of continuous operation. (Manufacturer statement, ultimompd.com/technology.)
PS7000 reads the acoustic impedance at a wetted probe face mounted flush with the pipe bore. It is a non-intrusive installation — the probe sits in the bore without protruding into the flow — but it is in contact with the medium, which is the opposite of Ultimo's trade-off.
Note on accuracy. Both instruments quote 1 % FS, so on that metric this is a level comparison — neither of us should be selling on accuracy here. (Our datasheet publishes ±1 % mass concentration, a different metric that cannot be converted into a full-scale figure.) A full-scale percentage grows in absolute terms as the range widens, so ask both vendors to state accuracy against your range and your medium.
Worth clarifying before you order. Ultimo's marketing pages state its meters never need recalibration, while its FAQ states that calibration is essential and can only be performed on site. These can be reconciled as "calibrate once, then no repeat" — but Ultimo does not state it that way. If recalibration policy affects your maintenance budget, ask for it in writing.
About entrained air. The PS7000 is designed to keep measuring in bubbly slurry — that means a stable reading in the presence of gas, not a guarantee of accurate density at any gas fraction. The probe face must not be covered by a continuous gas phase: a gas film, a gas pocket or an empty pipe stops the measurement rather than biasing it. The entrained-air index exists so the control room can see which of those two situations it is in.
About the Ex rating. The PS7000 datasheet states Ex d IIC T6 Gb (option, to be specified when ordering) and does not name a certification body. Please confirm the certification scheme required in your target market with us before treating this as equivalent to an ATEX or IECEx certificate.
When to choose Ultimo
- Process temperature above 120 °C. Ultimo states 250 °C. The PS7000 is specified to 80 °C as standard, with a 120 °C high-temperature version to order.
- You genuinely cannot breach the pipe — no hot work permit, no shutdown window, no acceptable pressure-boundary penetration. Ultimo requires no penetration at all. (If clamp-on is the requirement but the temperature is moderate, our PS7010 clamp-on ultrasonic density meter is another option — a different measurement with its own limits.)
- Highly abrasive service where probe wear is the dominant cost. Nothing wetted means nothing to wear.
- Rubber hose or corrugated pipe. Ultimo excludes both. A wetted probe is not affected acoustically by the pipe, but the line still has to accept either a flanged spool or a weldable boss — for hose runs, evaluate the flanged spool option.
When to choose the PS7000
- The area is classified. Ultimo's datasheet classifies both sensor and transmitter as General Purpose — no hazardous-area rating. The PS7000 offers an Ex d IIC T6 Gb option.
- The line carries entrained air. Ultimo's FAQ states you need an additional external sensor to get past apparent density. The PS7000 quantifies entrained air natively and reports it to the DCS.
- You need HART, Bluetooth or cloud telemetry. Ultimo publishes 4–20 mA, proprietary RS-485 and Modbus RTU only.
- DC 24 V is the only power available. The PS7000 draws ≤ 1 W on 24 V; Ultimo's DC option requires a substantial supply or an inverter.
- Very large bore. Ultimo publishes no upper pipe-size limit; the PS7000 is specified to DN1000 with larger sizes available on request.
- Multi-point calibration matters. The PS7000 supports up to 20 points with an r² acceptance check; Ultimo states multi-point is not offered.
FAQ
Is Ultimo an ultrasonic meter?
No, and the company is careful to say so — it describes the technology as vibration-based (non-acoustic) percussion. It appears in ultrasonic density meter searches, but the physics is different.
Does clamp-on mean no maintenance?
It removes probe wear, but it introduces a dependence on the pipe: Ultimo's own FAQ lists internal scaling, pressure fluctuation, ambient temperature swings on plastic pipe, and partially filled lines as conditions requiring external compensation sensors. Both approaches have a maintenance story; they are just different stories.
Sources
- Manufacturer statement — Ultimo technical datasheet (PDF hosted on ultimompd.com) and website FAQ, accessed August 2026.
- The 1 % FS figure appears only in Ultimo's PDF datasheet; the marketing pages state "measures more accurately" without a number.
Competitor facts verified August 2026, all from the manufacturers' own websites, official PDF datasheets or officially hosted documents. PS7000 figures are from PS7000_技术规格书_中文.pdf Rev. A · 2026-08 (PS7000-DS-ZH-A). Manufacturers revise published data without notice — please re-check before relying on any figure here.
Talk to us
Pisonics — Xi'an Pisonics Information Technology Co., Ltd.
15B016, Block A, Olympic Building, Chang'an North Road,
Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
+86 159 0293 2017 | info@pisonics.com | www.pisonics.com
Send us pipe size, orientation, slurry velocity, particle size distribution and whether the line carries entrained air — we will tell you whether an acoustic measurement holds up on your line, or which principle fits better.