If you have any doubt about whether an instrumentation calibration vendor is equipped to improve the quality of your plant’s production processes, reduce downtime and drive efficiency, it’s time to use this survey to dig a bit deeper.
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Beneath each question is an explanation that details what you should be looking for in an instrumentation calibration vendor’s response and why it’s important.
1. IS YOUR SOLUTION PROPRIETARY?
What to look for in a vendor’s response: The ideal answer is “no”—you don’t want to be beholden to one instrumentation calibration vendor.
Be wary of vendors that offer only proprietary solutions. Widely used instrumentation and systems from top manufacturers such as Honeywell, Yokogawa and Watlow will allow you to easily change vendors and obtain support should the need arise. You won’t be left in a lurch if your provider goes out of business or no longer supports the system. Proprietary systems are generally bad for customers. They tie you to one provider and keep you from shopping around. They can also make parts expensive and difficult to source. You don’t want your expensive new system to be obsolete in a few short years.
2. HOW WILL THIS SYSTEM MEET MY NEEDS?
What to look for in a vendor’s response: Flexibility and scalability. The right vendor will provide a strong foundation that can be built upon later.
Be careful not to overpay for features you don’t need, and be careful not to buy a bargain system that’s anything but. If you have to meet standards such as AMS , Nadcap or CQI-9, you need highly accurate tools with excellent data collection capabilities. For less stringent applications, a standardized, less expensive option may work. Likewise, a vendor that is looking out for your best interest can often help you upgrade and/or retrofit existing systems to save time and money on an instrumentation project.
Consider your future needs here as well, as a good instrumentation system is flexible and scalable. The right partner will work with you to meet today’s needs while keeping an eye on the future.
3. HAVE YOU DONE THIS TYPE OF INSTALL BEFORE? IF NOT, WHAT’S THE MOST COMPARABLE JOB YOU’VE DONE?
What to look for in a vendor’s response: Longevity and proven results.
Trust a company that’s been around a long time, and has references from companies like your own. You don’t want to be the first customer, and you want to ensure the provider has a solid track record of success.
4. HOW WELL DOES THE PRODUCT HOLD CALIBRATION?
What to look for in a vendor’s response: Products that have perfected consistency and repeatability.
Some systems only hold calibration for a short time due to poor design while others are reliable for years. Continually recalibrating systems leads to downtime and man hours lost. It can also affect audit results and lead to lost business. Look for products that perform the same task perfectly day in, day out. Repeatability of processes is imperative.
5. HOW ACCURATE ARE YOUR PRODUCTS?
What to look for in a vendor’s response: Industry-specific expertise.
Find a vendor that understands the accuracy you require so they can provide the right instrumentation calibration solutions. Their product offering should have a proven track record of demonstrable results. If an instrument or system does not conform to the standard demanded by your customers, it is all but useless.
6. DO YOU UNDERSTAND SPECIFIC INDUSTRY STANDARDS? IF SO, WHICH ONES?
What to look for in a vendor’s response: Knowledge of reputable industry standards.
Instrumentation providers that fully understand widely used industry standards like AMS , Nadcap, CQI-9 and Title 21 CFR Part 11 can help ensure you meet audit requirements and deliver the highest quality results. They have the tools, procedures and processes required for success and will guide you where you need to be.
Fine Controls offers a large range of level instruments including transmitters and switches from various big named brands like Burkert and Siemens.
However, to the unknown eye selecting the right instrument can be a complete minefield! From rotating and buoyancy to ultrasonic and capacitance, there are a whole plethora of products out there for you to choose from.
But the question is, how do you pick the right one for you?
Contact us to discuss your requirements of industrial instrumentation supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Before you start to select your level instrumentation
Vendors are constantly improving their equipment to overcome weaknesses in the performance of the device; so it is imperative to get an agreement before buying from the vendor in question, guaranteeing the device and a full refund should it fail to function as originally assured.
The only aspects that probably won’t be covered by the refund is the cost of the installation and replacement. However, it is uncommon for this to happen as all the reputable brands like Burkert and Siemens strive tirelessly for the device to work successfully.
Level Instrumentation selection
Without establishing the answers to these questions, you will find it hard to choose an instrument because the information will determine which instrument will work and which will not.
- How does the level instrument actually work?
- In what conditions must the instrument perform?
- What is minimum/maximum temperature and/or pressure the unit might see, and do those temperatures/pressures vary over time?
- Are there abnormal conditions, sterilisation, or special chemical cleaning procedures that might affect the instrument?
- Are dust, fumes, or heavy vapors present?
- Is there foaming or excessive vessel agitation?
- What is the material in the vessel and does it change over time?
- Are there changes in specific gravity, electrical properties, or material consistency?
- Does the material tend to cling, plug, coat, or build up?
- Could the instrument become a source of contamination to the product (from diaphragm leakage or could bacteria hide in cracks and crevices)?
There are certain issues that can eliminate a particular level technology:
Capacitance
If the electrical conductivity is low and variable, a capacitance-type level device can drift significantly.
Ultrasonic
If the material has foam or heavy fumes or heavy dust, or the temperature, pressure, or material in the vapor space changes, an ultrasonic transmitter can either drift or not function at all.
Radar
If the dielectric constant is too low, a radar transmitter may not function. Siemens LR250 has an algorithm which can measure low dielectric products > 1.6, antenna and application dependent. Also, some vessel geometries can eliminate different types of radar devices.
Differential pressure (DP)/head
If the specific gravity of the material is changing, most DP measurements will drift significantly. (Compensation may be possible at added expense.) If the material tends to plug, it can render a DP measurement meaningless over time.
What is the required accuracy and repeatability of the level reading?
The required accuracy and repeatability of the measurement can significantly impact the selection of the level instrument. If the level instrument is used for custody transfer, then maximum accuracy and repeatability is paramount.
However, in other cases, accuracy within a percent or two is perfectly acceptable.
Some level technologies are capable of extremely high accuracies, while others can offer improved accuracy by employing additional compensating measurements. Before beginning the selection process, it is important to understand how precise the measurement must be.
Can the vessel be taken out of service for maintenance, and is there any way to independently verify the level for calibration?
The ability to take an instrument out of service can radically affect the choice of instrument. If the instrument is adversely affected by product build over time, then the instrument must be removed for routine cleaning to ensure reliable operation. If the instrument cannot be removed for service, then a different technology should be considered.
It is also important to know if the device’s measurement can be independently verified. Safety integrity level devices usually require some type of routine calibration to document that the device is functioning properly.
Some technologies, such as DP transmitters and weigh cells, are inherently easy to calibrate. Others must be calibrated on an actual level, such as capacitance or nuclear technologies. Still other technologies, such as radar or ultrasonic, usually require no calibration.
These types of instruments are easier to set up initially. However, once they are in service, it is difficult to verify their operation unless there is another way to determine the true level in the vessel.
What is the geometry and layout of the vessel itself?
The geometry of the vessel itself may eliminate several technologies. Large agitator blades or internal coils may render several technologies unusable unless some type of stilling well can be installed.
There may be no available nozzles to install a DP transmitter, or the nozzles on the top of the tank may not be large enough for a radar device.
E.g. you need to answer:
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- Are there existing nozzles, or is this a new vessel and the nozzle can be located and sized to suit a particular instrument?
- If the nozzle is existing, you need to know its size, length, distance from the wall of the vessel, and the interferences that might be below it.
- What do the vessel internals look like? Are there internal baffles, coils, thermocouples, agitator, etc., which can create interference or make installation of a vertical probe practically impossible?
- Where are the inlet feed nozzles and outlet discharges? Can they affect the measurement?
Is the vessel small enough to fit with weigh cells?
- Can an internal or external stilling well be installed? What size? Is the level within the external stilling well indicative of the vessel level?
So there you have all the information you need on the art of level instrument selection.
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