When the Red Dot Design Awards for 2025 were presented in July, ifm’s SM Foodmag magnetic-inductive flow meter was recognised as a winning industrial design. The sensor, designed for the food industry, offers a reduced set-up time and an easy-to-read graphic display.
The ifm team celebrates its Red Dot Design Award for the SM Foodmag magnetic-inductive flow meter.
The demands of the food and beverage industry are high. In the plants, strict hygiene standards and harsh operating conditions apply to ensure product quality and consumer safety. The SM Foodmag hygienic flow meter was specially developed for use in this industry and sets new standards for streamlined installation, clear measurement display, and easy maintenance. With its intuitive design, the sensor can be put into operation in less than 20 minutes: a status LED and the large full graphic display form the basis for this. ifm also paid particular attention to the shape and surface characteristics of the sensor to enable easy cleaning. The complete package impressed the jury of the Red Dot Design Award, which saw the SM Foodmag receiving a prestigious quality seal this year.
The Red Dot Design Award is one of the most highly regarded prizes for industrial design. The ‘red dot’ has been awarded since 1954, and since 2001 with an English name due to increasing internationalisation. ifm has won other successes in the past, having received several previous awards. Products from the Essen-based automation company have been honoured in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2024, with the PQ Cube pressure sensor for pneumatic applications being the latest winner. ifm was recently honoured with the iF Design Award for the PQ Cube and the moneo Track & Trace software.
Convincing workmanship and user guidance
“The SM Foodmag impresses with its excellent workmanship and intuitive user guidance, which significantly simplifies installation and process monitoring,” says the Red Dot jury in its statement. This is a reflection of the fact that, at ifm, design is considered from the start of the development process. Martin Schmidt, Senior Industrial Designer Industrial Design & Innovation Strategy at ifm, says, “The purist design and the focus on conveying information via the display and LEDs are striking and concise features.” The SM Foodmag thus joins other products such as the TCC Transmitter and the SU ultrasonic sensor in terms of design.
For more information visit: www.ifm.com/za/en