By Shahid Ahmed Kazmi
In general, instruments are devices performing different jobs. We know there are musical, gardening, and surgical instruments. But what we will be discussing here is the type of instrument used in industries. Hence these are termed industrial instruments.
The field of instrumentation has evolved dramatically and has branched out into subfields. Mainly we have flow, level, pressure, temperature, pH, conductivity, humidity, and process conditions which need monitoring and control. Devices used to measure and control the industrial parameters fall under the term industrial instruments.
However, there are subdivisions such as the examples above, that fall under process instrumentation. Then, we have safety instrumented systems (SIS), analytical instrumentation (which falls under quality measuring instruments, or QMI), fire and gas detection systems, mechatronics and robotics, and building management systems (BMS) used in large buildings and commercial complexes. The type of instruments used in industry varies based on the type of processes and systems.
Automation is everywhere
We have landline phones in our offices or houses, which are now widely outdated thanks to mobile technology. Landlines used to have answering machines; when a caller could not get through, he or she was directed to leave a message. This is a type of automation. Emails also have an automated reply feature. There is rarely a household without some kind of automation, whether it is an electric iron, washing machine, microwave oven, refrigerator, or security device installed to protect the house. The field of automation is vast, but it can once again be narrowed down for industrial purposes into industrial automation. This means that the process instruments used in various industries work together, using different control methods, to automatically regulate the process parameters.
Control systems for any process
Industrial automation once relied primarily on discrete loops, but automation has evolved, offering more advanced and integrated systems. For small processes or logic controls, programmable logic control (PLC) is implemented. For a larger process control, distributed control systems (DCS) are generally the basis of automation. It is worth mentioning that with more sophisticated programming and electronics, where there are budget constraints, PLC is also a good choice.
Discrete loops, PLC systems in a plant, and DCS systems are integrated into a supervisory system known as SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), which monitors multiple processes in real time and provides in-depth trends, data, and information that can be used to improve the throughput of any process or system. Electrical distribution systems, water and irrigation networks, oil and gas, and many more industries are using these systems.
Meet the columnist
Meet the columnist Shahid Ahmed Kazmi started his career in 1979, at National Refinery Ltd., the largest refinery complex in Pakistan at that time. His trainer and mentor, the late Mr. Kaleemullah Butt, saw Kazmi’s potential and brought him into the field of instrumentation and control. Since then, there was no turning back. In 1987, Kazmi accepted his first job abroad in Kuwait with American contracting firm Kellogg Plant Services through a maintenance contract with KNPC Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery. After the invasion of Kuwait and repatriation to Pakistan, Kazmi worked as an instrument inspector on the two-year Olefins1 project for Arabian Petrochemical Company (Petrokemya) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He then worked as an instrument engineer for Olayan Descon, followed by instrument superintendent at TOCO, a subsidiary of Wilbross USA, before finally settling down in Qatar for 22 years of service at Qatar Energy.
After nearly 50 years, Kazmi retired in December 2019. He now maintains a thriving LinkedIn presence as well as an exclusive group for professionals in the field, boasting a membership of more than 29,500. With a knack for writing and sharing knowledge, Kazmi launched Instrumentation Revisited, a newsletter which is now more than a year old.
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