Primary Flow Signal
Primary Flow Signal manufactures patented differential pressure flow meters (Venturi, wedge, orifice, PTC 6 nozzles) for liquids, gases, and steam, serving enterprise and government customers in municipal water/wastewater, oil and gas, power generation, and industrial process markets across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersCranston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Primary Flow Signal does
Primary Flow Signal, Inc. (PFS) is a privately held Cranston, Rhode Island-based manufacturer of differential pressure (dP) flow measurement devices, founded in 1983 by Hungarian immigrant Dezsoe (Dezi) Halmi. The company produces primary flow elements — Venturi flow meters, wedge type flow meters, orifice flow meters, PTC 6 flow nozzles, and specialty meters — for measuring liquids, gases, steam, and slurries in demanding industrial applications. Its core technology is the patented HVT-Halmi Venturi, a modified short-form Venturi flow element invented by the founder that achieves ±0.25% calibrated uncertainty, 3.5–10% permanent head loss, and a service life of 100+ years in municipal installations; over one million HVT units are reported in service worldwide.
PFS operates a vertically integrated 70,000 SQFT manufacturing facility with in-house CNC machining, welding, NDT, and calibration capabilities, supported by wholly-owned sister companies Turbines Inc (Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina) and Primary Flow Signal Canada (Alberta). The company serves enterprise and government customers across municipal water/wastewater, oil and gas (including LNG and cryogenic), power generation, industrial, automotive, and aerospace/defense end markets, with named customers including Boeing, Exxon, GE, Praxair, and Detroit Diesel.
Revenue is generated through custom, quote-based hardware sales of flow elements and accessories, complemented by professional services including NIST-traceable laboratory calibration, hydraulic analysis, CFD modeling, contract manufacturing (ITAR-certified), and meter rehabilitation. Distribution is via direct enterprise field sales, channel partners through sister companies, and long-term supply agreements; demand generation runs primarily through industry trade shows (AWWA ACE, GAWP, POWERGEN, EPC Expo), technical content marketing, and on-site Lunch & Learn seminars. The company holds ISO 9001, ASME S&U, PED Module H (EU), ITAR, BABA/AIS, CRN, and NSF-61 certifications, which collectively create meaningful qualification barriers for federal infrastructure, defense, and potable water applications.
Primary Flow Signal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Primary Flow Signal
- Legal name
- Primary Flow Signal, Inc.
- Website
- https://primaryflowsignal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Primary Flow Signal manufactures patented differential pressure flow meters (Venturi, wedge, orifice, PTC 6 nozzles) for liquids, gases, and steam, serving enterprise and government customers in municipal water/wastewater, oil and gas, power generation, and industrial process markets across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Primary Flow Signal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Differential Pressure Flow Meters
- NAICS
- Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514), Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914)
- SIC
- Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sensors & Feedback Devices (Pressure, Flow, Position, Encoders, Transducers) (IMAHAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty & Metering Pumps (IMAHANAC), Gas Flow Measurement & Remote Metering Operations (Flow Computers, EFM) (EUAJAFAF)
Keywords
Where Primary Flow Signal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cranston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Primary Flow Signal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Flow Meter Products: Sale of differential pressure flow meters including Venturi, wedge type, orifice, PTC 6 nozzle, and specialty meters. Products are customized based on line size, material, pressure/temperature requirements, and application. Both calibrated and uncalibrated options available.
- Flow Measurement Accessories: Secondary instrumentation and components including differential pressure transmitters, RTD sensors, thermowells, flow conditioners, condensate chambers, butterfly valves, and complete Flow Master metering systems.
- Laboratory Calibration Services: NIST-traceable flow meter calibration services for liquid and gas applications using in-house lab and partner facilities (Verdantas/Alden, Utah Water Research Lab). Water flow calibration up to 8 inch NPS with flow rates up to 500 GPM.
- Contract Manufacturing Services: Full-service machining and fabrication for industries including oil & gas, industrial, medical, aerospace, and construction. Capabilities include CNC machining, welding, reverse engineering, and NDE/NDT services. ITAR-certified facility.
- Engineering and Technical Support: Hydraulic analysis, CFD modeling, engineering support, technical support, on-site supervision, and maintenance services throughout the product lifecycle.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quotation-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Primary Flow Signal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Primary Flow Signal (PFS) manufactures differential pressure flow meters and related flow measurement products for industrial process applications. The company designs, fabricates, and supplies Venturi, Wedge Type, Orifice, PTC 6/Nozzle, and specialty flow meters, along with accessories such as DP transmitters, RTD sensors, and thermowells. It also provides supporting engineering, calibration, custom fabrication, hydraulic analysis, and CFD services to process industries.
Product overview
Primary Flow Signal is a manufacturer of differential pressure flow measurement devices founded in 1983. The product portfolio centers on six core flow meter types: Venturi flow meters (including HVT Fabricated, Cast Iron/Ductile Iron, Classical, and Insert variants), Wedge Type flow meters, Orifice flow meters (plates, unions, and meter runs), PTC 6/Nozzle flow meters, Specialty flow meters (low flow, elbow, and Halmi nozzles), and Flow Accessories (transmitters, sensors, valves, and Flow Master systems). The company also provides complementary services including laboratory calibration, hydraulic analysis, CFD modeling, engineering support, contract manufacturing, technical support, and meter rehabilitation. All products are supported by in-house manufacturing capabilities and a team of flow measurement specialists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Venturi Flow Meters Differential pressure Venturi flow elements in multiple constructions (fabricated HVT, cast iron, ductile iron, classical, universal tube, FV-LF) used to measure fluid flow in industrial process lines.
- Wedge Type Flow Meters Wedge Type differential pressure flow meters (WM and WX models) designed for flow measurement in industrial process applications including slurries and challenging fluids.
- Orifice Flow Meters Orifice flow measurement products including orifice plates, orifice unions, and complete orifice meter runs for industrial flow measurement.
- PTC 6 / Nozzle Flow Meters High-accuracy nozzle-style flow meters built to ASME PTC-6 and related standards, including Long Radius Nozzle, ISA 1932 Nozzle, and Venturi Nozzle configurations for power and process industries.
- Specialty Flow Meters Specialty differential pressure flow elements including FV-LF, Fabricated Elbow, and Halmi Nozzle for unique or non-standard flow measurement applications.
- Flow Meter Accessories Supporting accessories for differential pressure flow measurement systems, including Flow Master units, DP transmitters, RTD temperature sensors, and thermowells.
- Flow Meter Calibration Services Calibration services for flow meters to verify measurement accuracy and conformance to specifications for industrial customers.
- Engineering and Analysis Services Engineering and technical services including hydraulic analysis, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, engineering support, and ongoing technical support for flow measurement applications.
- Contract Manufacturing and Custom Fabrication Contract manufacturing and custom fabrication services, including meter rehabilitation, for industrial customers requiring bespoke flow elements or component repair.
Quantifiable outcome
- ±0.25% calibrated uncertainty, ±0.50% uncalibrated uncertainty for HVT Venturi meters
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Primary Flow Signal
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Primary Flow Signal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Primary Flow Signal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL)corePFS has partnered with the Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University to offer Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) services. UWRL provides numerical modeling expertise using Star CCM+ software to solve complex flow problems, predict performance, and visualize flow patterns for reservoir, spillway, and piping system applications.
- Verdantas Research Lab (formerly Alden Research Lab)corePFS partners with Verdantas Research Lab for high Reynolds number flow meter calibrations. The facility achieves accredited uncertainty of less than 0.10% for flows from 1 to 20,000 GPM using a 200,000 gallon sump that can be heated to 105-120°F for viscosity control.
- Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL)corePFS leverages UWRL for flow meter calibrations including sizes from 1/8-inch to 78-inches with weight tanks receiving flows up to 22,000 gpm. UWRL is one of the largest university-based water research facilities in the US with over 50 years of experience.
- Turbines, Inc.coreSister company of Primary Flow Signal serving customers across North and South America, Europe and Asia. Located in Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina with manufacturing facilities for turbine flow metering products and R&D operations.
- Primary Flow Signal CanadacoreSister company providing sales and service for complete Turbines Incorporated and Primary Flow Signal flow metering products for the Canadian market. Located in Edmonton, Alberta.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Primary Flow Signal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- McCrometer: McCrometer is a direct competitor to PFS in differential pressure flow measurement, most notably with the V-Cone flow meter, which is functionally analogous to PFS's wedge and modified Venturi products. Both companies serve municipal water, O&G, and industrial customers with custom-engineered dP flow solutions.
Broad incumbents
- Emerson Rosemount / Daniel Measurement: Emerson's Rosemount and Daniel Measurement divisions offer a broad portfolio of orifice, Venturi, and multi-variable flow meters, competing with PFS in O&G custody transfer, power, and process industries. As a major instrumentation incumbent, Emerson bundles dP flow with pressure, temperature, and digital valve solutions at a global scale.
- Endress+Hauser: Endress+Hauser is a leading global process instrumentation supplier with flow measurement (Promass, Prosonic, Prowirl) competing across Coriolis, ultrasonic, vortex, and dP categories. PFS's wedge, Venturi, and orifice products overlap with Endress+Hauser's offerings in municipal water and process industries.
- ABB Measurement & Analytics: ABB offers a broad flow measurement portfolio including Coriolis, vortex, magnetic, and differential pressure (orifice/Venturi) meters serving water, O&G, power, and process industries. The company competes with PFS in O&G and municipal water flow applications, while also offering far broader automation scope.
- Siemens Process Instrumentation: Siemens provides SITRANS flow measurement products (magnetic, Coriolis, vortex, ultrasonic, dP) for industrial automation, water, and power. The SITRANS dP/orifice range overlaps with PFS in power plant feedwater and steam measurement applications, and Siemens competes in the same AWWA/PowerGen event ecosystems.
- KROHNE: KROHNE is a global process instrumentation specialist offering magnetic, Coriolis, vortex, ultrasonic, and dP (orifice, Venturi) flow meters. KROHNE serves similar O&G, chemical, water, and power customers as PFS and is a direct competitor in the modified Venturi/orifice niche.
- Badger Meter: Badger Meter is a leading flow measurement and control company with a strong focus on water and wastewater utilities (E-Series mag meters, Recordall positive displacement, and ultrasonic), and offers some dP solutions. PFS competes in the same AWWA ACE ecosystem and municipal water RFPs.
- Yokogawa Electric: Yokogawa offers the ADMAG, Rotamass, and digitalYEWFLO series of flow meters (magnetic, Coriolis, vortex) for O&G, power, and process industries. While not a dP specialist, Yokogawa competes for the same enterprise flow measurement budgets in the verticals PFS serves.
- Honeywell Process Solutions: Honeywell provides process measurement and control solutions including dP and Coriolis flow meters, primarily for O&G, refining, and petrochemical customers where PFS is also active. Honeywell competes as part of broader integrated control system sales.
Emerging players
- Azbil Corporation: Azbil (formerly Yamatake) provides industrial automation and flow measurement instrumentation, with a focus on Japanese and Asian markets. While primarily a regional player, Azbil's dP and vortex flow products compete with PFS in multinational O&G and process industry accounts.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Primary Flow Signal social profiles
Digital presencePrimary Flow Signal compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Primary Flow Signal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Primary Flow Signal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Primary Flow Signal subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Primary Flow Signal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Primary Flow Signal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Primary Flow Signal
What does Primary Flow Signal do?
Primary Flow Signal (PFS) manufactures differential pressure flow meters and related flow measurement products for industrial process applications. The company designs, fabricates, and supplies Venturi, Wedge Type, Orifice, PTC 6/Nozzle, and specialty flow meters, along with accessories such as DP transmitters, RTD sensors, and thermowells. It also provides supporting engineering, calibration, custom fabrication, hydraulic analysis, and CFD services to process industries.
Is Primary Flow Signal a public or private company?
Primary Flow Signal is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Primary Flow Signal founded?
Primary Flow Signal was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Primary Flow Signal based?
Primary Flow Signal is headquartered in Cranston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Primary Flow Signal make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Flow Meter Products are the primary driver. The others are flow Measurement Accessories, laboratory Calibration Services, contract Manufacturing Services and engineering and Technical Support.
Who are Primary Flow Signal's main competitors?
McCrometer is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Emerson Rosemount / Daniel Measurement, Endress+Hauser, ABB Measurement & Analytics, Siemens Process Instrumentation, KROHNE, Badger Meter, Yokogawa Electric and Honeywell Process Solutions. Azbil Corporation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Primary Flow Signal have an API?
No public API is recorded for Primary Flow Signal.
What industry is Primary Flow Signal in?
Primary Flow Signal's product category is Differential Pressure Flow Meters. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAGAK, Sensors & Feedback Devices (Pressure, Flow, Position, Encoders, Transducers), with a secondary code of IMAHANAC, Specialty & Metering Pumps. Its NAICS code is 334514 and its SIC code is 3824.