The field of technology is ever growing and the almost every day we invent something that revolutionizes both our way of thinking and working. The devices are getting smaller and smaller, bringing in new and better features. Thus, the term instrument engineering or also called instrumentation engineering has evolved.
If described in a few words this is the branch of engineering in which the instrument engineers focus and specialize in operation and principles of measuring instruments.
Today the field of automation is on a final stretch home. Newer and better devices are being built; more and more organizations are rapidly moving towards the complete automation of their plants and factories. The biggest investor in the field of automation is the automobile industry as more and more plants are being automated to remove human hand error and speed up the production speed. Another reason huge number of workforce employees are being cut down is to reduce the overall cost of the finished product. This is mostly due to the stiff competition at the international market where investors see cutting down of workforce as a sign of company’s managers hold on the company itself. They also follow up on the instrument design that will be used in other automated services.
Therefore, if you want to bring in new and better investment into your company let the automation of your plants and factories do the job for you. This significantly brings down the price of your product ensuring that you can compete in the major leagues.
The most recent recession in the world economy seems to be emphasizing the point the enterprises are organizations need to further strengthen their hold on their costs and promote better performance. As the world, economy recovers from its most recent slump, the increased competition and price depreciation elevates the demand of stricter control on costs. Procurement outsourcing maybe one of the ways to keep the prices in check by spending lesser and lesser on availing the resources. Many organizations that now provide these procurement services, and they are referred to as procurement service providers or more commonly known as Procurement service providers.
Procurement is one of the vitals tools readily available at industrialists’ disposal that can ensure the smooth flow of materials needed at the minimal of cost. The new industries lack the necessary infrastructure and industrial control and design that are needed to guarantee constant availability of materials at the least cost possible. Once the instrumentation engineers are available and fully trained to work in all conditions and circumstances, the industries can only then make sure that they can perform at the maximum level thus making certain that optimal performance can be achieved in the least time possible. Going with the pace of the market is now more important than ever and it can only be made possible when engineers and managers are able to make both fast and correct decisions and sometimes these decisions can be increasingly unpopular but are necessary for the industry to survive.
Once some wise man said ‘you cannot control what you cannot measure’. And this thing cannot be more true in industries. Industrial measurement and control is one of the basis on which industrial automation is built. This is what has enabled the industries to grow so much.
Instrument engineering has evolved in an advanced science too. With all the advancement in technology, instrumentation engineering has also undergone a revolution. Computers are extensively used for designing and manufacturing now.
Anything to be measured. e.g., pressure, flow, temperature, density, or any of the various physical and chemical properties have to be measured very accurately. Everything has to be very precise as working on large scale a small error can result in a huge difference later on. Similarly the control is very vital too. When releasing something in greater quantity, when to cut off something, or when to let go just a bit, it all has to be always available. And that’s what control is all about.
Due to very demanding results expected from instruments, instrumentation design and manufacturing is done on computers, and later, they are applied to simulators which test the parts, making sure that they won’t fail in real-life. And not just this, everyday so many new ways are being devised to test instruments. After all, so much depends on the industrial outcome.
Living in the world which is driven by precision, we need precision in everything. And precision in everything is built-into is based on the instruments used. Making instruments as broadly called instrument engineering, however this field is an art in itself too. This specialized engineering has its focus on all the principles and the related operations instruments, primarily of measuring instruments. Automated systems are designed and configured using these measuring instruments. The main reason of their usage is improvement in productivity, increase in reliability and providing better and improved safety and stability.
Instrument engineer is a rare breed. They are very hard to come by. In today’s world, not many people are interested in instrument design. However, those very few and lucky who are, they do not get much ahead because of many reasons, in, which project planning, is a major reason.
Now what happens is, in planning a project, people tend to neglect minor things, or what wise usually choose to call as detail. When you take out the detail from something, the finer things can mess up. When you are dealing with a thing which demands precision as its foundation, a small error can wreck havoc later on. This makes this whole discipline very demanding. As a result we have a very limited number of good engineers in this field.
Whether small or big or involving a single person or having a huge number of people in it, project planning is the key to success. And managing projects is not a very easy thing to do. The larger the project gets, the harder it becomes to manage it. And as more and more people are involved, complexity increases. On the other hand, if too much detail is involved, the project plan should be very precise.
In addition, it is not only about planning; precision should also be present in the products. In the life of an instrument engineer, precision is the order of the day. It can make or break an instrumentation design. This design has a long way to go. Any it not only has a role to play in instrument’s own life, but also in the life of other projects too. So many industries are thriving today because of the good instrument design, which is working as the heart of those industries. And apart from so many other success factors, project planning is always there. It is at the forefront always. It acts as a binding force, a gel which keeps everything going smoothly and working towards a combined goal of success. Hence it would not be wrong to brand project planning as the key to success.
We at Instrument Response are a dedicated team of professionals who take care of your instrument engineering and its related activities. With years of experience and a desire to make this world a better place by promoting high level high precision instruments, we can help you get the maximum out of your working. And for this we offer numerous services, all tailor made to suit your workflow and your pocket.
Inventory is the life and blood of an industry. Managing inventory is a very big and specialized field. Out of that, procurement management is a major area, which in itself is a specialized field in its very own right as well. And to manage such an important area, most industries do not have the necessary man-power, or the much needed experience. That’s where we come in. We offer procurement outsourcing for all such times when you need to get the maximum out of your procurement.
All through out the life of an instrument, all the way starting from the initial work that has to be dome before its commissioning, leading up to any work after its de-commissioning, we can help you in a better way. Be it electrical commissioning or mechanical, we have the necessary skill to handle it all in a very efficient manner. After all, we are passionate about this work.
To stay in the international market, an industry has to face increased competition and this demands that it keeps a tight grip on costs. Procurement is undeniably one of the major factors for achieving this goal. Worldwide, however, many enterprises don’t have the manpower, infrastructure, skills and expertise to effectively manage this very important area. And to nurture these skills, it can take years. That’s why a lot of industries are moving towards procurement outsourcing. As a result, they find themselves in a better position to perform at their best.
These days, worldwide procurement outsourcing is already a very big industry, and is a part of value chains. It is an important contributor, increasing business value and maximizing shareholders return. Usually those organizations, which outsource procurement services, have understood the benefits it gives in helping them lower the costs and hence improving operational efficiencies. And it is not just a random practice; it goes through some very intensive project planning to get the required benefits.
The right outsourcing approach for one organization may not be the best one for the other. Something right for instrumentation engineering might not be right for food processing. But be it instrumentation commissioning or anything else, procurement outsourcing is making its presence felt everywhere and is how best to maximize and sustain total cost savings.
I am an instrument running at the heart of an industrial plant. Just like human’s I have a very complex life cycle. I may live up to hundreds of years, or I may crash and burn on my first run. But whatever the outcome, one thing is for sure; I have a pivotal role in the development of mankind in general and of industries in particular.
I come into a factory after a very tough and long session of multiple procurement services. Once passed that phase, I have to be commissioned. And that’s just not that simple. For electrical brothers, they have electrical commissioning. For instruments like me, we have our very special instrumentation commissioning. But whatever the entry way may be, the ending is pretty much the same for everyone – de-commissioning followed by an excluded life.
But all of this does not last just one paragraph. There are countless things we do. Countless pages can be written narrating our everyday routine. And the impact that we have on everything around us is just incredible. We have the power to change things. And we have a power to make things work better. And then so many other powers too. But above all, what I think is the most important thing we do is that we make people smile.
I have spent all my life working in a cement plant. By specialization, I have worked most of that time as an instrument engineer. We were one of the largest manufacturers in our state.
To manage everything in that plant is not a child’s play. In my own department, we were so much dependent on instrument design that we could hardly focus on any other detail of an instrument. It was our job to make sure that we always had the right instrument at hand, from commissioning to de-commissioning. In addition, for that we had to come across a large number of vendors offering a multitude of services and products.
After retirement, I thought I would live a life resting and gardening and watching birds fly in wild open lands. However, this was not going to be. Spending all my life as an engineer, I had this urge inside me to make things better. Therefore, one day I thought why not do something. In the days we used to work, the biggest problem was in procurement. So I decided to set a business for procurement outsourcing.
Using my years of experience and all my contacts I ventured into this very interesting area, not knowing how lucrative it’s going to become. Now after running my firm for nearly 3 years, I realize that this is one of the fastest growing and highly rewarding areas of industry.
In industrial measurement and control of processes, the role of control & instrumentation engineer is of key importance because unlike the role of instrumentation engineer it has also to oversee the duties related to control. Some of the key areas and tasks, which are covered by a control & instrumentation engineer, are as follows.
These engineers must have in depth knowledge of the processes involved in operation and should have experience of many disciplines including procurement services, operating activities, and designing. These activities include evolving new systems. He has to keep the present systems in working condition and do modifications in them if necessary. He also has to facilitate his colleagues on different tasks whether they are from the instrumentation engineering domain, operations (as being the internal stakeholders) about the customers, suppliers, or other external stakeholders. Safety is also one of the key things to be kept in mind by him.
Expertise as already told in purchasing activities are not only required for the job but also reflect about the true knowledge and ability of the engineer and the dependability the organization can have on him in terms of the reliability of the materials and equipment being put to use. Computer software applications knowledge with the advancement of technology has become necessary for a control and instrument engineer alongside other important tasks, so the mastery of this domain is also a vital aspect of an instrument engineer’s arsenal.
