The secret to smart instrument success

Figure 1. With instrument training, students learn how modern instruments provide digital data to IIoT cloud services.

On top of that, there’s an abundance of new mobile apps being released, an explosion in the number of WiFi, Bluetooth and RFID connections available, a growing portfolio of Ethernet-connected devices, IO-Link, etc., plus new handheld Windows 10 tablets that are intended to be an integral part of the evolving IIoT ecosystem.

Control engineers working on new designs also face a heightened need to think beyond how processes can be made to work on Day 1 when commissioning is complete to how a “system” can evolve and improve.

A good place to start is by learning what the instrumentation currently installed in their plants can do. The data in those instruments reflect the “things” in the IIoT. That is, the diagnostic data, status, process value, calibration data and other metrics a modern instrument can provide often form the basis for maintenance and process management decisions made by sophisticated software higher up in the digitalization chain.

Learning the capabilities of smart instrumentation is thus the starting point before one can proceed to optimizing use of more complex software applications such as a computerized maintenance management systems or other asset management systems or a distributed control system. The good news is most plant engineers and technicians already know how flow, level, pressure, and temperature instruments work to provide a process value; they just aren’t familiar with all of these instruments' capabilities.

Training should include working on actual smart instrumentation connected to an IIoT system (Figure 2). This way, students can see how the data is generated, how it’s transmitted, what kind of software processes it, and what the results can be.

Figure 2. It’s vital to see smart instruments in action and have a chance to gain hands-on experience applying principles learned in the classroom.

Getting ready for the IIoT

Many companies look for easy targets for cutting expenses, and training programs have often fallen victim to this short-sighted approach. But when developing a long-term strategy for IIoT adoption, it's important to remember that successful adoption of digital technologies and associated new processes will not happen without the right skill sets in place.

Instrument training makes engineers and technicians aware of how modern digital technology works. They can evaluate the installation of new devices and the use of the data generated from them to improve operations. With this preparation, the plant will be well prepared to implement IIoT installations.

Low-cost flow, level, pressure, and temperature monitoring and analysis devices are available today, some for less than $500 per measuring point. These can be a worthwhile investment when older devices fail, allowing plants to upgrade to a more capable smart device instead of just ordering an exact replacement.

• Read "Sick instruments: Seeking great performances from your assets? Don't neglect instrument maintenance"

Development is occurring at a dizzying pace. Some of the newest devices are smarter now than they were just one or two years ago. And innovations never before imagined, like self-calibrating RTD temperature sensors or flowmeters and level measuring electronics with self-monitoring and verification capabilities, are hitting the market.

But this capability isn’t available to you unless you know that these devices exist and can be implemented in your workflow.

IIoT and digitalization will soon be a competitive necessity. With proper training, including seeing new tools in action during training or at a trade show, users can realize a path toward adoption.

IIoT and digitization can be daunting to understand, especially in plants that aren’t taking advantage of the digital capabilities of instruments they’ve been using since the 1980s. Modern instruments provide the “things” in the IIoT, and instrument training will acquaint engineers and technicians with how these instruments work. Such training is readily available from most instrument manufacturers.