Just
imagine a world without instruments. It would be like traversing into a time
that probably goes even beyond the Stone Age. Man has always been fascinated
towards instruments and the quest to invent and innovate on new instruments has
pushed mankind beyond barriers to an age where instruments have become a part
and parcel of the life. Today, we find instruments at home and at workplace,
and this was possible only because of the instrumentation and control engineers
around us
“There
is hardly any area of engineering, science and technology where instrumentation
is not needed. Hence, there is vast scope in this field –says” Prof. Harsukhpreet
Singh., from the department of Instrumentation Engineering, College of
engineering and management.
Instrumentation engineering is the
engineering specialization focused on the principle and operation of measuring
instruments that are used in design and configuration of automated systems in
electrical, pneumatic domains etc. , with the goal of improving system
productivity, reliability, safety, optimization and stability that are used to
measure or control physical quantities such as temperature, pressure and flow..
The control of processes is one of the main branches of applied
instrumentation. To control the parameters in a process or in a particular
system, devices such as microprocessors, microcontrollers or PLCs are used, but
their ultimate aim is to control the parameters of a system.
Instrumentation
engineers are commonly responsible for integrating the sensors with the
recorders, transmitters, displays or control systems. They may design or
specify installation, wiring and signal conditioning. They may be responsible
for calibration, testing and maintenance of the system. The discipline is also
the basis of mechatronics and robotics engineering.
There is
hardly any area of Engineering, Science and Technology where Instrumentation in
one form or the other is not needed. As a certain process is becoming more and
more automated, the need for a closer monitoring of inputs and responses become
more obligatory and the instruments at the component and sub - system levels
tend to become more and more integrated.
Instrumentation
engineering is a multi-disciplinary stream and covers subjects from various
branches such as chemical, mechanical, electrical, electronics and computers,”
says Prof. A. Bhujanga Rao, from the department of Instrumentation Engineering,
Andhra University.viz Instrumentation is a very broad area in the sense that it
has an interdisciplinary character. There is a proliferation of a variety of
Instrumentation systems for a variety of purpose.
Opportunities/scope
Instrumentation
and control engineering is one of the brightest fields in engineering today. If
you look at the Indian scenario, there are many people who are willing to make
a career in this stream. There are many colleges that provide education in this
field, and to top it all, there are ‘well-paid’ jobs as well. A talented
instrumentation and control engineer need not worry about getting a job because
he has a sky full of opportunities to explore.
Almost all
process and manufacturing industry such as steel, oil, petrochemical, power and
defiance production will have a separate instrumentation department, which is
manned and managed by instrumentation engineers. “Automation is the buzz word
in process industry, and automation is the core job of instrumentation
engineers. Hence, the demand for instrumentation will always be there,” says
the professor. The growth in the avionics, aeronautical and space science
sectors has also increased the scope for instrumentation engineers.
Instrumentation engineers can also fit in both software and hardware sectors.
i.e The demand is so high that every student finds at least two jobs waiting in
the wings, by the time he or she completes her course.
The instruments
created by instrumentation and control engineers automate the processes,
reducing the involvement of manpower.
Umakant parida
HOD from the department of Instrumentation Engineering, College of
engineering and management. Elaborates, “Gone are the days when managers
used to think about deploying manpower to handle some processes in factories.
Things have changed, courtesy the instrumentation and control engineers.
Nowadays companies resort to minimal manpower as most of the processes are
automated. Automation ensures maximum productivity and accuracy by using
minimal manpower resources. It is due to these engineers and this stream of
engineering that dependence on manpower has reduced, bringing efficiency in the
processes. Instrumentation engineers can find jobs in both hardware and
software sectors.”
Nature
of Job
Typical work activities Control and instrumentation engineers develop skills in
specific control disciplines such as advanced process control (APC),
distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLC), and
supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). The use of these disciplines
will depend on the exact nature of individual job roles.
In general
however, tasks and responsibilities can include:
- designing and developing new
control systems;
- testing, maintaining and
modifying existing systems;
- analyzing data and
presenting findings in written reports;
- managing operations;
- working collaboratively with
design engineers, operation engineers, purchasers and other internal
staff;
- liaising with clients,
suppliers, contractors and relevant authorities (e.g. the Nuclear
Decommissioning Authority);
- project management within
cost and time constrained environments;
- troubleshooting and
problem-solving; An instrumentation and control engineer is required to:
Requirement Skills/TRAITS
Instrumentation engineering that made its
way as an exclusive engineering discipline in the early
Skills required to work as a control and instrumentation engineer familiar with
the operation of basic machinery systems and industry tools used to repair,
install, and maintain industry equipment. Additionally, it is important to be.
Engineers work in tandem with each other in a team-based work environment, so
communication and teamwork is usually an essential skill needed to become a
control and instrumentation engineer. Problem solving is also an important
ability, as approaching an issue and drafting a solution is one of the core
functions of any engineer's work day.
Devender
Mishra prof. from the department of Instrumentation Engineering, College of
engineering and management, compile the requirement of shill he says,
“Instrumentation and control engineering requires sound knowledge of
mathematics, physics, electronics, chemistry and process control ,exceptional
logical ability, industrial instrumentation, system dynamics etc.
Those willing to make a successful
career in this domain and find applicability in both software and hardware
domains should master subjects like microcontroller-based instrumentation,
microprocessor-based instrumentation, VLSI, computer architecture and embedded
system design. They should also be thorough with computer languages like FORTRAN
and ‘C or Pascal.’ The job requires a lot of precision, so the person should
have a close-to-perfection attitude.”
Pay-package
Like any other industry, the
instrumentation and control engineers are paid according to their abilities and
norms of the company.
Rohit Tickoo, director, Tycon Automation, says, “Instrumentation and control
engineers are offered decent pay packages if they are talented enough. But this
depends upon the company and nature of job as well. On an average, these
engineers are offered money varying from Rs 100,000 per annum to Rs 400,000 per
annum. Of course, the payment is comparatively better in private sector.”
Higher study options in this discipline.
There are
several higher study options for meritorious B.Tech. Degree holders in
instrumentation or instrumentation and control engineering. They are pursuit
his career with these eminent university or institution ,they are The Indian
Institute of Astrophysics, offers integrated M.Tech.-Ph.D.(Tech) course
in astronomical instrumentation in collaboration with the Department of Applied
Optics and Photonics, Calcutta University.
IITs and NIT’s and other university like Anna
University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, BIT, Mesra, CUSAT
Cochin, DCE Delhi, SLIET Longowal, Annamalai University, National Institute of
Industrial Engineering Mumbai and much more, they offer M.Tech. Degree in
control and instrumentation programme
Getting
there
Take
science with physics, chemistry and maths at the plus two level.
Instrumentation engineering is available as BTech or BE programme, entry to
which is normally through a written test.
Institutes
and URLs
·
NIT
Tiruchirapalli, Jalandhar www.nitt.edu, nitj.ac.in
·
College of
engineering and management,kapurthala Punjab www.cemkpt.com