The Instrumentation & Control technician is an incredibly growing trade and is becoming increasingly high in demand. The instrument technician inspects, tests, repairs, maintains, calibrates, replaces and installs industrial measuring and controlling instrumentation instruments and equipment which are needed to measure, record, transmit, indicate and control the operation of steam generating station equipment. They also service plant process control, monitoring, safety and communications systems. They are knowledgeable in overall plant systems and interactions of processes.

 

They are employed by pulp and paper processing companies, nuclear and hydro power generating companies, mining, water treatment facilities, petrochemical, oil and natural gas companies, industrial construction, industrial instrument, manufacturing companies and industrial instrument servicing establishments.

Instrument technicians work with a wide variety of pneumatic, hydraulic, electronic, mechanical instrumentation and microcomputer instruments used to measure and control variables such as pressure, flow, temperature, level, motion, force, and chemical composition. Some of the instruments include transmitters, analyzers, sensors, detectors, signal conditioners, recorders, controllers and final control elements.

 

Instrument technicians may work regular week-day hours or work in shifts, and are sometimes on call at night and on weekends and holidays. There is some risk of injury, particularly when processing dangerous chemicals or working with substances under pressure or at high temperatures. Instrument technicians working with manufacturing processes may be exposed to confined spaces, high places, noisy, dusty, cold or unusually warm conditions. There may also be exposure to radiation devices, laser equipment, chemicals, gases and substances under pressure.

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Industry Changes

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With industry becoming increasingly automated, instrument technicians are needed virtually anywhere there is control and metering systems. All the industry advancement and changes with more sophisticated equipment will require a higher level of skill and knowledge and will need to keep up to date with industry changes.

Diagnostic equipment and acoustic monitoring technology such as vibration analyzers, flow-meters, borescopes and computerized laser alignment equipment (just to name a few) are increasingly used to view and troubleshoot internal components. Instrumentation and control technicians will need to have the operation knowledge of these equipments.

Experienced instrument technicians may advance to supervisory positions, be employed as engineering technicians, or move into company sales offices.

 

Safety

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Safe working practices and accident prevention are the primary importance to the health and safety of all person(s) at any or all work place environments. All person(s) including employee, employer and government, share this responsibility in order to keep everyone free of any dangers or accidents that may cause an individual(s) serious bodily harm or death.

The Occupational Health and Safety Acts and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Regulations, should be consistently reviewed and enforced in every work place environment. Educating and understanding these regulations is everyone’s responsibility in order to keep a safe work place environment.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) has contributed to a safer work place environment. Health and safety has become a high priority in the workplace due to increased awareness of dangers and the identifications of hazardous materials.

Practicing health and safety is a tremendous contribution to a safe and accident free work place environment.

 

Job Tasks

• Calibrate and maintain components and instruments according to manufacturers' specifications

• Configuring and programming Programmable Logic Controls (PLC) and Programmable Automation Controllers (PAC)

• Consulting diagrams and technical documentation such as schematics, manuals, standards and codes

• Electrical systems

• Hydraulic systems

• Install and maintain instruments on new or existing plant equipment

• Interpret and use appropriate CSA, ISA and API installation standards and practices

• Maintains tools and equipment

• Perform risk assessments

• Pneumatic and vacuum systems

• Prepares for installation and maintenance of components

• Pumps

• Performs routine tasks

• Repair and adjust system components, such as sensors, transmitters & programmable logic controllers, remove and replace defective parts

• Rigging, hoisting and lifting equipment

• Services distributed control systems (DCSs).

• Services safety systems and security systems.

• Services signal converters.

• Services pressure, temperature, level & flow measuring & indicating devices.

• Services valves.

• Services analyzers.

• Services Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.

• Services human machine interface (HMI).

• Implements process control strategies.

• Services electrical and electronic equipment.

• Use pneumatic, electrical and electronic testing devices to inspect and test instrument and system operation, and diagnose faults

• …and much more

 

Tools

• Adjustable wrenches

• Alignment bars

• Allen keys

• Brushes

• Calculators

• Clamps

• Drill bits

• Files

• Flash light

• Hacksaw

• Hammer

• Hammer, ball peen

• Hammer, dead blow

• Hammer, rubber

• Measuring Tape

• Multi-meter

• Pliers

• Power hand tools

• Safety equipment(goggles, boots, face shield etc)

• Screw Drivers

• Utility knife

• Vernier Caliper

• Wrenches

• …and much more

 

Skills

• Ability to pay careful attention to detail

• Critical Thinking

• Computer Knowledge

• Decision Making

• Desire to keep up-to-date with technological developments

• Manual dexterity and patience

• Mathematical, scientific, mechanical and logical reasoning abilities

• Numerical

• Oral Communication

• PLC Knowledge

• Problem Solving

• Reading Blueprints and schematics 

• Writing

 

General Wages

• Average  - $26.17

• Minimum - $17.50

• Maximum - $37.56

 

Sample Q&A

 

1. Which one of the following is the correct instrument required to measure a low magnitude high frequency current?

a. induction

b. thermocouple

c. moving iron

d. dynamometer

Ans. B

 

2. All valves cause some degree of flow loss due to friction even in the full-open position. Which type of valve causes the greatest reduction in flow even when the valve is open?
a. gate
b. globe
c. plug valve
d. swing check valve
Ans. B

 

3. Which procedure will correct the occasional discharge from a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer when the water pressure fluctuates?

a. Install a swing check valve downstream of the RP.

b. Install a swing check valve upstream of the RP.

c. Put in a stronger check valve spring upstream of the RP.

d. Restrict the water flow to the RP by using a globe valve.

Ans. B

 

4. What will need to be done on a level control system using a capacitance probe as the sensor, if the process liquid medium changes?

a. should be no effect on the control loop performance.

b. transmitter will need to be recalibrated.

c. Adaptive control action will need to be added to the controller.

d. probe’s grounding system will need to be relocated.

Ans. B 

 

5. Which of the following is correct when the wave applied to X plates for obtaining trace of voltage wave?

a. rectangular wave

b. saw tooth wave

c. sinusoidal wave

d. none of the above

Ans. B

 

6. What is the expected output if the input pressure is 235 PSIG when a pressure transmitter has a calibrated measurement range of 200 to 300 PSIG, and an output range of 4-20 mA?

a. 9.6 mA

b. 3.8 mA

c. 17.5 mA

d. 6.4 mA

Ans. A

 

7. When filling a pipeline for hydrostatic testing, how should the vent and drain valves be positioned?
a. Vents open and drains are open.
b. Vents closed and drains open.
c. Vents closed and drains closed.
d. Vents open and drains closed.
Ans. D