Maintaining adequate control over a company's processes is a fundamental factor not only for field operators, but also for the corporation as a whole. Therefore, industrial instrumentation, as well as automation, has become more present every day in different areas of industry. By acting on quality control, worker safety and process optimization, it has a direct influence on the efficiency of production processes and the result of the final product.
In this article, you will understand what Industrial Instrumentation is, why it exists and what are the benefits of using this type of technology in your industrial processes.
What is Industrial Instrumentation
Industrial Instrumentation is the science that studies, develops and applies instruments for transmission, recording, control and adjustment of variables in order to improve the performance of the most varied processes. According to North American Instrumentation Organization (ISA – Instrument Society of Automation) An industrial instrument is understood as any device used to, directly or indirectly, measure and/or control process variables. According to ISA, this category includes devices present at Level 1 of the Automation Pyramid, such as sensors, transmitters and positioners, computational devices, electrical alarm devices, keys and pushbuttons, among others.
Each industry has a high number of physical variables that directly impact the performance of its production process. The role of industrial instruments is to monitor these variables to provide data that allows the control system to understand the current state of the application. Efficient measurement results in better performance in the production chain, as it allows an industry's production processes to be carried out and, if necessary, adjusted without interruptions.
Let's take as an example one of the most famous industrialized products in the world: the Coca-Cola soft drink. You can buy a can of this drink in different regions of the planet and it will have the same flavor, the same percentage of sugar, the same amount of coloring and the same volume in the packaging in all these places. This uniformity is mainly due to the standardization and precision of the instruments involved in manufacturing the product. In any soft drink factory around the world, the preparation temperature, the pressure and level variables in the tanks, the quantity of ingredients and the flow rate in the equipment will always be the same.
Benefits of Industrial Instrumentation
By monitoring in real time the status of equipment that is part of an industry's production processes, instrumentation can perform tests and preventive and/or corrective maintenance procedures of these devices. These constant monitoring routines provide greater security for employees, by alerting them to equipment malfunctions, generating savings – reducing expenses with replacing parts and unnecessary replacements – and, consequently, it allows for more precise and high-quality production.
Ao monitorar em tempo real o estado dos equipamentos que fazem parte dos processos de produção de uma indústria, a instrumentação pode realizar testes e procedimentos de manutenção preventiva e/ou corretiva desses dispositivos. Estas rotinas de monitoração constante provêm maior segurança para os funcionários, por alertar sobre o mal funcionamento de equipamentos, gera economia – reduzindo gastos com reposição de peças e substituições desnecessárias – e, consequentemente, permite uma produção mais precisa e de alta qualidade.
Precision and reliability for control and instrumentation is with the Atta Series
Just like leafcutter ants that use soil vibrations to navigate the steppes and savannas, your business also needs devices with a high level of precision to monitor performance and adjust critical points in your production processes. With a wide variety of HART® instruments for monitoring variables and valve positioning, Atta Series has essential products for your instrumentation demands.
Get to know Altus' HART® instrument solution in detail! Click here to download from the family's official catalog, discover the Atta Series products and find the ideal solution to increase the precision and level of control in your business.
