SCOPE FOR INSTRUMENTATION

          The primary focus of Instrumentation Engineering is the development and implementation of electrical and electronic instruments for the purpose of measuring, monitoring, and recording physical phenomena. Among many other types of instruments, Instrumentation Engineers develop seismic sensors, blood glucose sensors, fire detectors, and amperemeters.

          Instruments developed by instrumentation engineers include analog, digital, and mixed signal electronic devices. Major users of these instruments include industries that rely on automated processes, such as chemical and manufacturing plants. They depend on these devices for safety, and for improving productivity and reliability. A very large field of work is also offered in biomedical engineering, and in metrology (the discipline that provides devices for technical measurements).

          The scope of Instrumentation Engineering is vast, and appears to be growing, in part due to the increased use of automatic control in manufacturing and process plants. Growth is also tied to the development of more accurate and more robust sensors, which allow us to detect phenomena of interest (such as the presence of minute levels of toxins in food) with much higher precision than what we could do a generation ago.

          The Electronics and Instrumentation curriculum in most universities includes courses on the design of analog and digital electronic devices used for measurement and control of parameters such as flow, pressure, temperature, and level, and the calibration of such instruments. Students learn to program microcontrollers, and to design and implement communication networks composed of sensors, actuators, and programmable logic controllers (PLC). Since instrumentation engineering is closely related to control engineering, some universities include courses on signals, systems, and control theory.

          The demand for Electronics and Instrumentation is growing rapidly and job opportunities for graduates are multi-faceted. The graduates can work as Manufacturing Engineers in [multi-national corporations] like Sony, LG, Samsung, and Philips, as quality controllers, research, design & development consultants, entrepreneurs, and teachers.

          The field of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering is growing at a very fast pace. Over the past three decades the field of instrumentation has seen an extremely widespread application in almost all discipline of engineering e.g., mining & metallurgy, robotics, textile, rolling mills, cranes & hoists, arc furnaces, chemical engineering, process control, and static relays. Instrumentation engineer is responsible for designing, developing, installing, managing and/or maintaining equipment which is used to monitor and control engineering systems, machinery and processes.

          The main objective of the work of Instrumentation Engineers is to ensure that these systems and processes operate effectively, efficiently and safely. They usually work for the companies who manufacture and supply the equipment, or for the companies who use it.   Instrumentation Engineers need a thorough understanding of the operational processes of an organization and have a truly multidisciplinary role, working closely with colleagues across a number of functions, including operations, purchasing and design.

          Instrumentation Engineers will 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. Tasks and responsibilities which are common to many CI engineer positions, however, may include:

·         Designing and developing new control systems;

·         Maintaining and modifying existing systems;

·         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;

·       understanding and ensuring compliance with the health and safety regulations and quality standards of the country in which work is undertaken;

·         Providing advice and consultancy support;

·         Purchasing equipment;

·         Writing computer software;

·  Accepting responsibility and a level of accountability commensurate with the seniority of the position.

Some professional societies for Instrumentation that provide educational and career information about this growing field are the Instrument Society of America; the Instrumentation and Measurements Society of IEEE; the instrumentation Society of India (ISOI), the Biomedical Society of India (BSI), the Institute of Diagnostic Engineers (US), and the Institute of Measurement and Control (UK).