kPa vs PSI
in Pressure Controls When it comes to pressure measurements, there are two universal options, kPa and PSI. So what are they, what is the difference and how do you move from one to the other? kPa (kilopascal) is defined as the pressure equalling 1 Newton per square meter. Developed by the Frenchman Blaise Pascal, this became the metric measurement for pressure as adopted by the majority of the world. Conversely, PSI is the imperial measure for pressure, defined as 1 pound-force per square inch, which has been adopted by the United States as their standard measurement for pressure. There are some exceptions to the geographical rules. Such as universally kPa is used for many science applications, whereas PSI is often used in the automotive industry. So why is this important? Because both kPa and PSI are measurements of pressure, you can find both present across your day to day life.
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In insolation, this isn’t a problem, but when you come across two parts of a system with different units of measurement, it’s important to understand firstly how they differ, and secondly how to convert between the two. kPa and PSI are measuring effectively the same thing, just on a different scale to on another. This is where you need to convert one to the other to ensure you are setting pressure controls to the right level. 1 PSI = 6.895 kPa If you are needing to convert PSI to kPa, use the following formula: (PSI number) / 6.895
If you are needing to convert kPa to PSI, use the following formula: (kPa number) x 6.895 If you were working with a pressure control that doesn’t match the pressure measure of your equipment, converting one way or the other will allow you to select the correct high event and differential range appropriate for that unit. Saginomiya are a leading brand is pressure controls and Hamer is proud to be delivering these to the New Zealand electrical market. To view the full range of products, visit www.hamer.co.nz.
