When entering large modern enterprises, you can immediately notice a large number of different sensors, measuring devices, control equipment and other automatic equipment. It is thanks to these devices that operators can receive timely information about how the technological process is proceeding. Regardless of what kind of production the company is engaged in, there is automatic equipment everywhere, the repair of which must be carried out by an instrumentation mechanic. What it is - a device for measuring the amount of chipboard required in furniture production or temperature sensors that regulate equipment during smoking sausages - does not matter, the main thing is that it works properly. It is this employee who is responsible for all repair and inspection work. There is a particular need for this type of specialist in metallurgical and oil refineries, as well as in the chemical processing industry.
From the well-established operation of control measuring instruments and automatic equipment in production depends on a lot, including timely release of goods, labor safety and lack of emergency situations. Many people are interested in: what is an instrumentation mechanic? This is an employee who monitors the serviceability of such equipment at the enterprise.
Due to technological progress and constant changes in equipment, this employee is required to constantly develop and improve his skills. Sometimes he is required to be inventive and rationalize the use of technology. Positive qualities this specialization is fixed income, the significance of the work for society, as well as the great demand for such specialists. Disadvantages most often include the need for constant development of new technologies, the risk of emergency situations and increased responsibility.
This profession is directly related to technology and signs, since it requires a specialist to be able to maintain and use equipment, as well as decipher various schemes and drawings. As for the class of profession, this is an executive position that requires compliance with algorithms and rules technical operation equipment, instruments and other instruments.
What is it - an instrumentation mechanic? This is an instrumentation and automation repairman; he is a universal specialist engaged in the repair, maintenance and operation of systems and devices. Among the main tasks of this employee it is worth highlighting repair and verification work, certification of devices and ensuring uninterrupted operation of all equipment that is installed in switchboards, circuits and consoles. A desk with power sources is allocated as a workplace for this specialist, and it also includes consoles and panels with equipment installed on them.
The employee spends most of his working time monitoring the operation of automated equipment and measuring instruments. A mechanic must know not only how the equipment entrusted to him works, but also how the technological process at the enterprise works. It is because of this that the employee must constantly improve the level of his qualifications and receive higher ranks as an instrumentation mechanic.
Employees assigned to this position are required to exercise control over the equipment entrusted to them. They also test the devices after repair work on the quality and efficiency of their operation. Workers must promptly identify defects in equipment operation and eliminate them.
The employee is obliged to repair, adjust, configure and install all equipment within his competence. In some companies, the work of an instrumentation mechanic requires that he himself manufactures laboratory instruments, processes and prepares parts using the metalwork method, draws grids and scales, and counts and records readings of measuring instruments.
The very first thing that is required of an applicant for the position is knowledge of chemistry, physics, mathematics, the basics of drawing and metallurgy. In addition, the employee must know how the equipment entrusted to him for repairs works, what it is intended for, and on what principle it operates. He must be able to read diagrams of control installations, and depending on the rank of the employee, the complexity of these diagrams and drawings may vary.
He must understand devices and instruments designed to control and measure varying complexity and level of accuracy of readings, understand what they are needed for and how to use them in practice. In addition, the instructions for an instrumentation mechanic assume that he knows the tolerances and fits, understands the properties of insulating and conductive materials, and is able to measure resistance in different parts of the circuit. He also knows the charter, labor protection and safety regulations in the organization.
Members of this profession must understand the drawings contained in the technical data sheets of the devices they encounter in the performance of their duties. They must understand everything production processes, where the equipment entrusted to them is used. Engage in metalwork and assemble, adjust, heat treat and finish parts.
Instructions job title of a mechanic Instrumentation assumes that it performs electric installation work with technology, engages in soldering using all types of solders, creates different types complexity of the circuit and carries out their installation. The employee must be able to assemble, adjust and repair instrumentation with different types difficulties.
To successfully perform his duties, an employee must be mentally stable and nervously balanced, since his work involves increased responsibility and unsafe conditions. The employee must be responsible, physically resilient, have analytical and technical thinking, and good spatial imagination. is also very important quality for an instrumentation mechanic, training in concentration and proper distribution of attention, he will need good memory, coordination of movements and the ability to distinguish the rhythm and tone of different sounds.
Their job responsibilities workers in this profession can perform both on company premises and in open space, meaning installation of equipment outside the walls of the building. A mechanic can carry out assigned tasks himself or work in a team if the repair is carried out by a whole team of employees of the organization. If the tasks are not collective, then the employee himself is responsible for distributing and planning the work schedule.
Before considering vacancies for an instrumentation mechanic, it is worth considering that while performing duties, an employee may experience psychophysical stress due to increased financial responsibility, physical activity, uncomfortable postures during repair work. In addition, the employee may be affected by the presence of specific working conditions, including noise, vibration, fumes chemical substances and constant temperature changes, depending on the activities of the organization where he is employed.
What it is - an instrumentation mechanic, and what duties this employee performs, is discussed above in general terms. More detailed information about what is required of an employee can be obtained at the enterprise itself, or by studying job descriptions and other guidance and methodological information. It is worth considering that everything depends on the direction of the company’s activities, its scale, the number of mechanics and the personal needs of top management.
The work itself is very stressful and involves high level responsibility, therefore, only healthy, stress-resistant specialists who have all the necessary knowledge and have received the necessary education should apply for this position.
They were related because they were stored close to each other in the warehouse and were treated similarly. These are all such good-quality boxes standing on warehouse shelves, and in them, beautifully packaged in preservative lubricant, are spare parts from equipment that works for the company every day, hourly, every minute, every second. But spare parts are not used every day, but only when they are needed. Tools and accessories are also all the necessary things specific to a given production, and some of them are already in use on machines or with machines. And new ones are taken from the warehouse only when the old ones wear out or break.
Instrumentation and control instruments are associated with specific activities in production, which involve measuring various parameters of a product, or a technological process, or some conditions.
With the automation of production, a lot of new things began to arrive in instrumentation. This is especially true for production automatic, and not automated. These two words differ from each other only in that in automated, human participation is assumed, and in automatic, everything is done by machines. Car factories have entire assembly lines where everything is assembled by robots. Entire automated sections, lines, workshops began to appear at different factories... And this has not surprised us for a long time. Without such automation it is no longer possible to produce entire groups of goods. For example, integrated circuits are made completely automatically, simply because a person is already there and cannot help in any way: what is produced is visible only under a microscope.
The role of a person comes down to periodically measuring some parameters. That's why we added one letter. The abbreviation KIP began to look like KIPiA. The second “and” is a conjunction. Decoding of the abbreviation: “Instrumentation and automation.”
It is clear that now the walls of those former spare parts and instrumentation warehouses have long “moved apart,” figuratively speaking. To store all the spare parts for robots and boxes with devices, no matter how diverse, just as bizarre, a rack or two is no longer enough, and Aunt Masha the storekeeper, who issues them for weekly or monthly preventive maintenance. Now, at the factories of companies producing high-tech equipment, there is an “Instrumentation and control automation” service everywhere, which should provide uninterrupted operation all instruments and all automation. Actually, this is the basis for ensuring the operation of the production itself. Because as soon as a glitch sneaks into the service, everything will come to a standstill. Some tiny part from a small device is missing, they forgot to order and buy it - that’s all. The company may face huge losses.
The nature of the work of the service is for the most part different from the nature of the rest of continuous production. The economy of modern enterprises is diverse and multifaceted, and measuring instruments are available everywhere. Therefore, the instrumentation and automation service consists of divisions. Some Kipovites (Kipia-vtsy? - this abbreviation did not catch on because it doesn’t sound) are engaged in electrical measuring instruments, others - chemical analysis and devices associated with them, others - gas analyzers, pressure meters (manometers), temperature.
The specifics of the duties also vary: some are engaged in checking instruments in metrological services, others carry out periodic measurements for preventive purposes, others are on duty at automation control panels around the clock in shifts, monitoring the norms of all equipment parameters. If these are furnaces in a boiler room, then it is necessary that the instruments correctly display temperature, pressure, and the quality of fuel combustion, and that the automation reacts normally to all deviations. Likewise in other cases. The task of such a KIP worker is to react in time to equipment failure and take action. Usually the automation itself turns on the device to replace the faulty one, then the KIPO employee must ensure that this disabled unit is replaced with a suitable one and send the damaged one for repair. The instrumentation service may also have a repair department. It receives such damaged blocks and can repair them on its own. It’s easy to change if you have your own spare parts base - a microcircuit, a resistor, a capacitor. Or send it for repair to other organizations.
Kipovtsy differ “by rank”. The lowest rank of a labor worker is an instrumentation mechanic. A mechanic can work in instrumentation of any direction and on any basis. If he works with pipes, then he is a pipeline fitter, if he works with electricity, then he is an electrician, if he works with mechanics, then he is a mechanic. And he can work in any of the departments of this service. Beginning Kipovites usually immediately become mechanics. But even a born electronics engineer can proudly wear this title all his life.
For repairs and adjustments, they usually hire a full-time unit - an instrumentation and control equipment adjuster. The decoding here is simple, this is exactly the repair service inside the instrumentation itself. Specialists of a wider profile, since they can deal with everything that is found in modern complex devices: there are sensors on different physical foundations, and electronic circuits that require diagnostics and re-soldering, and microcontrollers that need to be reprogrammed or re-flashed. Beginners, of course, are not placed here, but in order to gain experience, an instrumentation mechanic may well help the service technician.
Master of Instrumentation and Automation. It is clear that the master is usually involved in organizing the work of a group of Kipovites. But this is usually an experienced specialist, and training his wards and sharing his wealth of experience with them is part of his responsibilities.
Instrumentation engineer. This is the final authority in the service. A circuit analyzer who knows the latest successful circuit solutions and follows progress in his field. Of course, helping adjusters in difficult cases. It is his responsibility to select data that can help solve problems, using the entire arsenal of modern information technology.
The equipment includes both the measuring instruments themselves and all the equipment that supports the measurement process. And also all the necessary material: consoles, tables, observation windows. The measurement process is provided by electricity, which means that this necessarily includes power supplies, wiring, switchboards, and automatic shutdown. Most often, the equipment is much more complex and sophisticated than the measuring instruments themselves. In addition, recording or recording equipment, as well as communication and storage equipment, are used to record readings.
Devices are made to measure certain physical properties, according to physical principles they differ:
Control in gas pumping stations is simple, but the physical parameters of the pumped gas must be controlled: pressure, temperature. This depends on many factors, and therefore there are appropriate instrumentation for the operation of the compressor unit, the operability and safety of the line on a given segment (between stations). Automatic control and diagnostic equipment is aimed at this task, which also needs to be maintained.
The nature of the physical environment with which one has to deal ( electric currents and voltage), suggests that Kipovites here should be entirely electricians. Yes, electricians, and even with qualifications to work in conditions of high, ultra-high and ultra-high voltages, lethal to humans. Only the scale of the structures still obliges them to be high-rise installers. And in transformers, the circulating oil of the cooling system also adds the specificity of working with high-temperature liquids and petroleum products.
We are now completely surrounded by devices. In everyday life, automation works in washing machines, washing machines, stoves, irons and so on. Moreover, the further you go, the smarter the automation becomes. There is already the concept of “smart apartment”, “ smart House", "smart site protection", "smart vacuum cleaner".
Not only does all this work before our eyes, it can already receive commands from the Internet and act on them. Willy-nilly, every owner, and maybe his even more advanced children, become a little Kipovites. Which can sometimes push them to choose a profession.
One of the main characteristics of measuring instruments is the accuracy class (an indicator that describes the permissible error). This value is not static; it changes during operation. As a result, over time, the error may go beyond acceptable limits.
This threatens many troubles, ranging from disruption of the technological process to the threat of an emergency. Therefore, instruments, sensors, measuring mechanisms and other specialized equipment must undergo regular verification in the instrumentation and control department. Let's talk about the organization of this service and its main tasks.
This definition includes all control equipment and automation used in practically various production areas and in everyday life. Examples include electricity and water meters, pressure regulators in the oil and gas industry, automation for boiler houses, etc.
The abbreviation of this term stands quite simply - instrumentation and automation. The service of the same name performs the following tasks and functions:
In some cases, foremen and adjusters from the “Instrumentation and Control” department may be involved in the commissioning of electrical equipment, if there is by necessity.
The classification of measuring equipment is made depending on the physical and technical characteristics of the devices, as well as their qualitative and quantitative indicators. By the name of the group it is easy to determine the purpose of the measuring devices included in it:
Each of the groups, in turn, is divided into several subgroups, according to design and the principle of operation. For example, pressure gauges, among them there are devices for measuring overpressure, its difference, or displaying the absolute value. The design of these devices can be electrical or mechanical.
The structure of instrumentation and automation departments is formed taking into account many factors, of which two key ones can be identified:
Based on these factors, a centralized or decentralized service structure is formed. Briefly about each of them.
This method of forming a division is suitable for enterprises that have technological schemes Ah, there are not many measuring instruments, sensors, etc. involved. This makes it possible to combine the operational and repair departments into one service, which is managed by the head of the instrumentation department. At small enterprises, this manager can combine the position of chief metrologist.
One of the groups of service specialists is assigned to certain production areas for regular maintenance of instrumentation (including accounting of devices and their repair) located in the territory specified in job description. If necessary, by order of the workshop manager, this group of specialists can be reinforced by other service employees, for example, to carry out extensive repair or installation work.
This structure allows you to create teams narrow specialization(for example, installers, electricians, electricians, electricians, electricians, electronics engineers, etc.). They repair, adjust and install complex equipment, as well as commission new systems. After graduation commissioning works The equipment is serviced by a team supervising the workshop where the installation was carried out.
This method of organization is practiced in large enterprises. The peculiarity is that the repair (methodological) department is a separate service, while operational tasks are assigned to the technological workshop. Each of these divisions has its own leadership. The specialists of the methodological department are headed by the chief metrologist, and the employees of the operation department are subordinate to the head of the workshop.
The responsibilities of the methodological service include all types of planned, above-planned and scheduled preventative repair work. Payment for services provided is transferred to a separate bank account, it is deducted from the funds allocated to the instrumentation and control technology workshop.
Depending on the characteristics of production, the work of the operation service is organized taking into account the specialization of work, or according to technological characteristics.
In the first option, groups of specialists are created who are responsible for the operation of certain types of instrumentation (alarms, automation, control equipment, etc.). In the second, there are teams of craftsmen responsible for the operation of equipment for certain technological flows.
In a decentralized structure, the methodological service in financially completely depends on the technological workshop, since payments for the work done come from its budget.
If a production need arises, the operational service can be strengthened by employees of the repair department or teams responsible for the installation of automation and control systems. The order for this must be issued by the chief instrument operator of the enterprise (metrologist). The operation service must cope with most routine commissioning work on its own.
Regardless of the structure of the instrumentation and automation service, its main tasks include:
In accordance with the requirements of the professional standard, an instrumentation mechanic must know the operating principle of the equipment he controls, be able to repair and maintain it. For example, to service electrical equipment, it is necessary to obtain the appropriate specialized education; general knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering will not be enough.
Depending on the specifics of the equipment being serviced, the mechanic’s workplace may have the following devices and sets of tools: instrumentation cabinet, switchboards, equipment installed on consoles, measuring devices, sockets for connecting electrical appliances, etc.
This specialty requires that the employee understand both the equipment entrusted to him and general technology process.
This profession has the following responsibilities:
After verification of the device by the instrumentation and automation service, a corresponding designation (stamp) is placed on the device; as a rule, it carries a certain information component. Let's give an example of decoding.
Designations:
Single qualification directory positions of managers, specialists and other employees (EKS), 2019
Section “Qualification characteristics of positions of employees of nuclear energy organizations”
The section was approved by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated December 10, 2009 N 977
Job responsibilities. Ensures operation, maintenance and repair of instrumentation and automation equipment, unity, reliability and required accuracy of measurements when monitoring parameters technological processes and quality of products. Provides control over technical condition and safe operation of equipment, metrological supervision of the condition and use of measuring instruments, compliance with metrological rules and regulations, regulatory documents to ensure the uniformity of measurements. Organizes the development and monitoring of implementation of repair and maintenance schedules for measuring instruments, automation and computer technology. Participates in the development of contracts for the repair and maintenance of measuring instruments, automation and computer equipment, and monitors their implementation. Develops plans for the production of measuring instruments, automation and spare parts for them. Provides organizational and methodological assistance on the modernization of measuring instruments. Monitors the implementation of scheduled preventive maintenance schedules, the production program for the repair of measuring instruments, automation and computer equipment, the quality of equipment repairs, the receipt of measuring instruments and automation at the request of the organization's divisions, the manufacture of instruments, products and spare parts at the request of the organization's divisions. Participates in the work of commissions for metrological audit of organizational units. Participates in determining the structure of repair cycles, frequency of repairs and verification of newly introduced measuring instruments, automation and computer technology. Prepares requests for spare parts, materials, tools, measuring instruments, automation.
Must know: laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, methodological and regulations for operation, maintenance and repair of instrumentation and automation equipment; prospects for the development of instrumentation and automation schemes and systems; fundamentals of metrology; goals and objectives of metrological support; organizing repair and maintenance of equipment; preventive maintenance system; technical characteristics, design features, purpose and principles of operation of the equipment; basics of production technology; methods and methods for measuring parameters of controlled and measured quantities; the procedure for drawing up applications for equipment, materials, spare parts, tools; fundamentals of economics and labor organization; basics of labor legislation; labor protection and fire safety regulations; internal labor regulations.
Qualification requirements.
Instrumentation and automation technician of category I: secondary vocational (technical) education and work experience as an instrumentation and automation technician of category II for at least 2 years.
Instrumentation and automation technician of category II: secondary vocational (technical) education and work experience as an instrumentation and automation technician for at least 2 years.
Instrumentation and automation technician: secondary vocational (technical) education without any work experience requirements.
Any modern enterprise engaged in production activities necessarily uses certain instruments and sensors. Ordinary citizens also need them, because with their help they can control the consumption of water, heat and electricity. At the same time, there are specialists who ensure the normal operation of all these devices.
The main purpose of instrumentation and automation, which include special measuring devices and automation, is to determine the exact physical quantities. Using these devices, you can get an idea of the current water consumption and determine how efficiently the this equipment, etc.
The basis of instrumentation is formed by a wide variety of instruments and devices often used in various areas. This can be both household devices and mechanisms that have become widespread in construction industry , heavy industry. Moreover, within each direction, separate subgroups of control and measuring devices are distinguished.
Electricity meters, ammeters and voltmeters have become widespread to monitor electricity consumption. These devices come in different types, which affects the type of facilities they are used on: in the residential, industrial sector or in public utilities. Most often, the installation of these devices is carried out by specialists. For this reason these instrumentation and automation devices must have exceptional characteristics in terms of quality and accuracy of measurements.
A special group of instrumentation is formed by instruments used to measure pressure. These should be considered various models of pressure gauges, vacuum gauges, pressure meters, etc. These devices have become widespread in various fields, which include industry, boiler systems, and oil refining.
Mention should also be made of control and measuring devices that measure the volume of bulk solids and liquids. In addition to them, there are other subgroups of instrumentation, which include devices used to determine switching costs, protection devices, etc.
Although there are quite a lot of these devices, the most commonly used are thermostats, auto drives, and frequency converters.
As already mentioned, the main the purpose of instrumentation and automation is to measure certain quantities. This data is obtained by focusing on the scale and pointer. They can be classified into two types: unilateral and bilateral. For single-sided instruments, the scale is positioned so that its values start on the left side, and the data obtained is limited to one direction. As for double-sided instruments, here the zero mark is allocated strictly in the center. The measurement values can be on the right or left side relative to the central axis.
The main responsibilities of a KIP specialist are related to the repair of a variety of electronic metering and control devices. These employees must also be electricians, since in the process of work they have to apply the laws of physics in practice. After all, often Only an instrumentation and automation engineer can help start production.
State instrumentation department is formed only from those specialists who not only have specialized education, but also have experience. Such an employee can easily read the data from control and measuring instruments of any enterprise and get an idea of the nature of electricity use. But when one device fails, it leads to serious problems, including the temporary cessation of the entire enterprise.
If a young person chose a direction related to instrumentation and automation when entering college, then upon graduation he has the opportunity to find a job in any industry. Today, automated systems can be found at railway facilities, oil refining, heavy engineering, and food manufacturing plants.
The professionalism of the instrumentation department specialists often decides how long will it take to restore the operation of the enterprise after emergency situations occur?. These workers monitor the condition of pumps, conveyors, and electric motors, ensuring their uninterrupted operation.
Employees of the instrumentation and automation service are called upon to implement modern technologies at the enterprise. They can easily understand various complex schemes, troubleshoot any system. Their work is based on operations that relate to the following areas:
The instrumentation and automation service is obliged to carry out maintenance and monitor the operation of control devices and systems. These specialists know all the nuances of the functioning of the devices under their control. Besides it is not difficult for them to restore the operation of any sensor and meter.
For any enterprise it is very important that the department that responsible for debugging, setting up and launching monitoring and control systems, was represented by a specialist with great experience. To effectively cope with the responsibilities of an instrumentation and control engineer, a specialist is required to know the main principles of cybernetics and computer technology, be able to apply methods and controls, and have a clear understanding of functional and production departments.
This specialist is required to perform the following functions:
It is very important for any enterprise to have automatic measuring devices that will take on part of the work. And the instrumentation and control services do an excellent job of their functions, since their staff consists of qualified specialists who are able to maintain the uninterrupted operation of key enterprise systems for a long time.
