FCI Celebrates 60-Year Anniversary

SAN MARCOS, California - Sept. 30, 2024 - A technology innovator and global leader in flow, level and temperature measurement since 1964, Fluid Components International (FCI), a PST brand, is celebrating 60 years in business with by providing its customers with a renewed commitment to advanced instrumentation, superior quality, reliability and excellent value.

Randy Brown, FCI president, said, “We are privileged to be one of a few select companies that can claim 60 years of instrumentation service. From our origins in oil field flow detection, FCI has grown into a world leader in applying thermal dispersion technology to solve flow and level challenges in a wide range of industrial processes and aircraft applications.”

Founded in 1964 by California engineers Malcolm “Mac” McQueen and Bob Deane. FCI initially found success in the oil/gas industry. FCI was the first company to develop a robust thermal flow switch to detect low flow rates in stripper wells. In the 1970s, the company followed up with flow rate and liquid level switches and transmitters, then next pioneered the development of air/gas thermal dispersion mass flow meters.

Process Sensing Technologies (PST), FCI’s parent company since November 2023, congratulates FCI on its 60th anniversary and looks forward to many more innovative technology industry-first milestones to come. PST brings together well-established brands such as FCI, each of which is trusted within their industries for the precision and reliability of their products, strong innovation and singular focus on customer service. 

FCI today continues to design and manufacture thermal mass flow meters, flow switches and level switches for process measurement applications utilizing patented thermal dispersion flow measurement technologies. FCI products deliver accuracy and reliability to the world's most demanding processes and industries including chemical, oil and gas, power and energy, water and wastewater, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, nuclear power, aerospace and many more.

FCI’s world-class, fully NIST traceable Flow Calibration Laboratories test and calibrate all FCI products to ensure instrument measurement accuracy under the customers’ actual fluid and process conditions. FCI’s calibration laboratories are ISO9001:2008 certified and AS9100 compliant. The laboratories also meet MIL-STD45662A and ANSI/NCSL-Z-540 requirements.

FCI’s products are requested by name in many of the world’s most demanding industries. They are recognized for their precision measurement accuracy and repeatability in harsh field and plant environments from freezing to frying to humid conditions, where their high performance ensures both end-product quality and operational safety. The company offers a broad range of application solutions from off-the-shelf devices to custom-engineered systems.

FCI’s newest air/gas flow meters combine feature- and function-rich state-of-the-art electronics with the industry's most advanced flow sensors to achieve a truly state-of-the-science flow metering solution. They combine measurement accuracy with a rugged design that is compatible with caustic, corrosive, humid and elevated temperature environments.

FCI’s next-gen flow switches support a wide range of point-level process applications, featuring an advanced, no-moving parts thermal dispersion flow sensor. Their design also allows them to measure air/gas flow or liquid level, or temperature. FCI flow switches are ideal for interface monitoring in mixed density media, such as foams, emulsion layers and slurries.

FCI’s custom designed air, gas and liquid flow and level sensors for OEM applications are installed in equipment where monitoring is required for high/low alarming, metering, switching and totalized flow data. Measuring air, gases or liquids, they feature micro-electronics for direct mass flow measurement in a no-moving parts design for high reliability and long-life.

Flow conditioners from FCI’s Vortab Company provide a low-pressure loss solution to correcting flow profile irregularities affecting flow instrumentation accuracy. In crowded plants, elbows, valves, blowers and other devices in the pipeline can disrupt flowing media, which reduces accuracy. Vortab flow conditioners flow disturbances to ensure accurate measurement.

The FCI Aerospace Division is a world leading manufacturer of built-to-specification flow, level, temperature and pressure sensors designed for mission-critical performance and reliability. Whether military or civilian fixed wing or rotary aircraft, FCI Aerospace has designed and manufactured qualified, flight-worthy sensor systems for over 30 years to meet a broad range of military and commercial applications.

Since 1978, FCI’s Nuclear Division has delivered level, flow and temperature measurement solutions to the nuclear power industry. FCI products are applied in both safety-rated and balance of plant applications in both BWR and PWR designs. FCI products and quality systems feature certifications and credentials complying with nuclear industry global standards.

FCI solves flow and level measurement applications with advanced thermal dispersion technologies. With 60 years’ experience and the largest installed base of thermal flow meters, flow switches and level switches, count on FCI to know your application and have the solutions.