SUPMEA MP Ultrasonic Level Meter Installation for Groundwater Level Monitoring — Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do

Hello, this is our technical sales team. This case comes from a customer who reached out after reading one of our earlier posts about wireless level monitoring at a chemical dosing facility. The customer wanted to measure and monitor the groundwater level at their plant, removing the existing system and switching to wireless monitoring via FIX-AP. We were glad to take on the request and headed to the site in Cheonan.

The site is a facility in Cheonan that incinerates waste and uses the residue to generate recycled energy — a large-scale operation with some odor and noise.

The level meter needed to be installed on an underground groundwater tank located inside the chemical tank room. Tucked away in a corner past the main equipment was a small underground tank. Reliable Wi-Fi or LAN infrastructure was not available nearby, and adding wireless communication hardware would have cost more than the level meter itself, so it was not practical for immediate wireless monitoring. Since the existing level meter had already failed, we proceeded with installing a wired replacement and left wireless monitoring for future discussion.

The installation location presented some challenges: rather than a standard tank cover, the top of the tank was closed off with H-beams, and the only practical mounting point already had an old, non-functioning level meter hanging from it. To solve this, we used a custom-made magnetic mounting bracket — the same drag-on-style mounting method used in a previous project.

A mounting plate was pierced in the center to hold the level meter, with custom-made magnets fixed at each corner. The bracket fit precisely between the beams. For this installation, the product selected was the SUPMEA MP, a newer ultrasonic level meter succeeding the previous ZP model.

The MP is similar in size and overall design to the ZP, but offers a larger display and faster button response, improving both operation and visibility on site.

After confirming the product and measurement range, we returned to the site to complete the installation, fitting the mounting plate and bracket securely between the beams so that the level meter held firmly in place.

Once power was applied, the level reading appeared quickly. For a roughly 4 m deep tank, the reading looked correct at first glance. Unlike the previous ZP, the MP's display simultaneously shows the current level, the distance from the meter to the water surface, and the 4-20mA current signal value, making it much easier to read at a glance.

The facility manager took a manual measurement with a rod and found a discrepancy compared to the meter reading, so we reviewed the installation conditions again. The difference turned out to be caused by a roughly 40 cm partition wall above the tank plus about 10 cm of H-beam height. Because the MP allows the actual installation height and the 4-20mA output range to be configured separately, we adjusted these settings, confirmed the reading was correct, and completed the installation.

Accurate measurement comes from a combination of a capable product and close attention to the details of each site. We hope this case is useful both as technical information and as a real example of what installation work like this involves.

Beyond gas detectors, we handle a wide range of measurement instruments used in industrial safety and research environments. If you have a measurement need, please feel free to reach out.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. What instrument was installed, and why?
A SUPMEA MP ultrasonic level meter was installed to replace a failed level meter monitoring groundwater level inside an underground tank in a chemical tank room. The MP is the newer model succeeding the ZP, offering a larger display and faster button response.

Q2. Why wasn't wireless monitoring implemented at this site?
The customer initially wanted to remove the existing system and monitor the tank wirelessly via FIX-AP. However, the site lacked reliable Wi-Fi/LAN infrastructure, and adding wireless communication hardware would have cost more than the level meter itself, so the immediate work used a wired installation, with wireless monitoring left for future consideration.

Q3. How was the level meter mounted given the site's structure?
The tank was topped with H-beams rather than a standard cover, with an old, non-functioning level meter already hanging in place. A custom-made magnetic mounting bracket — the same drag-on-style bracket used in an earlier project — was fitted with a pierced mounting plate and secured between the beams, giving a stable, precisely fitted mount.

Q4. Why did the initial reading not match a manual measurement?
A manual check with a measuring rod showed a discrepancy from the meter reading. Investigation found the offset was caused by a roughly 40 cm partition wall above the tank plus about 10 cm of H-beam height. Because the MP allows separate configuration of the actual installation height and the 4-20mA output range, the settings were adjusted to correct the reading.

Q5. What additional information does the MP display compared to the previous ZP model?
Unlike the ZP, the MP simultaneously displays the current level, the distance from the meter to the water surface, and the 4-20mA current signal value on the same screen, in addition to a larger display and faster button response.

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