The purpose of a flowmeter is to:

The purpose of a flowmeter is to:

• A. Maintain a constant flow rate of gas.
• B. Maintain a constant pressure gas.
• C. Maintain a post flow of gas
• D. Reduce source pressure to working pressure.

Answer: (A)

A flowmeter’s job is to regulate and indicate the rate at which shielding gas is delivered to the weld. By adjusting the flow, you set a specific volume of gas per minute, which keeps a steady shield around the weld to prevent air from causing porosity or oxidation. The regulator upstream handles dropping the cylinder pressure to a usable level, but the flowmeter’s purpose isn’t to maintain pressure; it’s to control how much gas flows. Concepts like “post flow” aren’t the focus here, and reducing source pressure to working pressure is the regulator’s job, not the flowmeter’s. So maintaining a constant flow rate of gas is the key function.

A flowmeter’s job is to regulate and indicate the rate at which shielding gas is delivered to the weld. By adjusting the flow, you set a specific volume of gas per minute, which keeps a steady shield around the weld to prevent air from causing porosity or oxidation. The regulator upstream handles dropping the cylinder pressure to a usable level, but the flowmeter’s purpose isn’t to maintain pressure; it’s to control how much gas flows. Concepts like “post flow” aren’t the focus here, and reducing source pressure to working pressure is the regulator’s job, not the flowmeter’s. So maintaining a constant flow rate of gas is the key function.