Pressure & flow · Mass flow controllers

Mass Flow Controllers

A mass flow controller (MFC) measures and regulates the mass flow rate of a gas to a set point — independently of upstream pressure or temperature variations. Where a regulator only holds a target pressure (and the resulting flow drifts as downstream conditions change), an MFC delivers an exact dose of gas mass per unit time. This is essential in bioreactors (CO₂ / O₂ control to cell cultures), analytical instrumentation (carrier gas to chromatographs), laser marking (precision purge gas), medical devices, industrial leak testing and process gas blending. Norgren offers two MEMS-sensor MFCs: the CHIPREG MFC for ultra-compact installations and the FLATREG MFC for manifold-mount layouts — both <22 mm, with ±0.2% FS accuracy on the 0-10% range (±2% of reading from 10-100%), no drift, no recalibration required.

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True mass flow, not just pressureMFCs deliver exact mass flow regardless of upstream supply pressure variation, downstream back-pressure, or media temperature. Thermal MEMS sensor measures actual gas mass (molecule-count-per-second) — not volumetric flow. Critical for stoichiometric processes, calibration gas blending and dose-controlled medical applications.

Ultra-compact, no recalibration<22 mm body — the smallest commercial MFC class on the market. No drift, no recalibration required thanks to the thermal MEMS sensor's intrinsic stability. Fast time-to-market through complete pre-assembled sub-assemblies; best performance-to-cost ratio in the industry.

MEMS sensor + 24 V plug-and-playThermal MEMS sensor technology — solid-state, no moving parts, no calibration drift. 24 VDC ±10% operation. Lightweight (CHIPREG: 125 g). Analytical clean version of the CHIPREG available for sterile applications. The FLATREG mounts on a standard manifold for multi-channel layouts.

Available series

CHIPREG MFC

Mass flow controller (inline)

Datasheet (PDF) →

FLATREG MFC

Mass flow controller (manifold-mounted)

Datasheet (PDF) →

Frequently asked questions

Use a pressure regulator when your downstream consumer needs a stable inlet pressure (most pneumatic actuators, valves, simple gas burners). Use a mass flow controller (MFC) when your process needs an exact gas mass per unit time — bioreactor CO₂ feed, GC carrier gas, calibration-mix preparation, leak-test dose, medical-device dose. The MFC closes its own loop on measured mass flow, not on inlet pressure, so changes in supply pressure / back-pressure / temperature don't affect the delivered dose.

MEMS sensors are solid-state silicon micro-machined sensors with no moving parts and no thermal mass to recalibrate as conventional thermal-flow tubes drift. The thermal-flow tube is a perfectly fine technology, but it requires periodic recalibration (typically annual) and shows drift with temperature swings. MEMS gives fast response, intrinsic stability, no drift, no recalibration — the right choice for unattended industrial installations.

Same MEMS sensor technology, different mechanical packaging. CHIPREG is in-line — you screw it into a gas line with G1/8 fittings as a stand-alone unit. FLATREG is manifold-mount — you mount it on a multi-channel manifold for gas blending applications (e.g. mixing two or three calibration gases). Choose CHIPREG for single-gas, FLATREG for multi-gas blending.

Inert and most industrial gases — Air, N₂, O₂, CO₂, Argon, He and many others. The CHIPREG is calibrated for a specific target gas at order time; for blending applications use the FLATREG with separate channels per gas. The MEMS sensor is gas-specific because the thermal response depends on the gas's specific heat capacity — using a CHIPREG calibrated for N₂ on Argon will give an offset of about 25%. Order the unit pre-calibrated for your target gas, or use a gas-correction factor if your application allows.

In bioreactors, MFCs control the CO₂, O₂ and Air dose to maintain the cell culture's target dissolved O₂ and pH. Both CHIPREG and FLATREG offer an analytical clean version for sterile gas paths. The MFC sits between the gas tank/regulator and the bioreactor sparge line; the bioreactor's PLC commands a flow set-point based on the dissolved-O₂ probe reading.