New methods for calibrating loops Calibrating switches Intelligent commissioning Customer success stories British Sugar, UK L-Tech Engineering, India Monsanto, US

Calibration World • AUTUMN 2014 oday’s modern process plants, production processes and quality systems place new and tough demands on the accuracy of process instruments and control. Quality systems, such as the ISO9000 and ISO14000, call for systematic and welldocumented calibrations with regard to accuracy, repeatability, uncertainty and confidence levels. At the same time, many of the dedicated and experienced calibration specialists are retiring, and the new specialists replacing them are also typically given other duties and responsibilities, leaving less time to become deeply familiar with...

CEO’s Letter  2 New methods for calibrating loops   4 Calibrating switches 12 Intelligent commissioning   14 Customer success stories British Sugar introduces the Beamex Integrated Calibration Solution  16 L-Tech Engineering number one in fieldbus calibration in India 18 Calibration with the right tools simplifies procedures at Monsanto  20 Calibration Insights – Beamex newsletter series Beamex makes significant equipment and software donation to ISA Beamex in brief  27 Beamex products and services  27 CALIBRATION WORLD – Beamex corporate magazine Published by Beamex Oy Ab, Ristisuonraitti 10,...

New methods for calibrating loops New methods for calibrating loo  Instrument technicians are following practices that were set up many years ago and it is not uncommon to hear, “this is the way we have always done it.” Measurement technology continues to improve and is becoming more accurate. CALIBRATION WORLD AUTUMN 2014  www.beamex.com/calibrationworld

www.beamex.com/calibrationworld  CALIBRATION WORLD AUTUMN 2014

New methods for calibrating loops he typical approach to calibration has been to regularly test instrumentation that influences effective control, safe operation, quality or other relevant criteria. In most cases, scheduling is conservative and methods at a particular site have slowly evolved over time. Instrument technicians are following practices that were set up many years ago and it is not uncommon to hear, “this is the way we have always done it.” Measurement technology continues to improve and is becoming more accurate. It is also becoming more complex – why test a fieldbus transmitter...

www.beamex.com/calibrationworld  CALIBRATION WORLD AUTUMN 2014

New methods for calibrating loops One good way to look at error is to think in terms of the loop’s input engineering units. loop should be checked and corrected one by one in order to bring the final measurement back into good operation. In some cases, it is not possible to make a closed loop test. In the example loop, it may be extremely difficult or expensive to remove the probe from the process or the probe cannot be inserted into a temperature block/bath. If this is the situation, then an open loop test can be performed where the temperature element is disconnected from the transmitter and...

an error of ±5 ºF is all that is needed to make a good product? Why impose an unnecessa r y burden on t he instrumentation department? If the control engineer has no objection (along with input from reliability, safety, etc.), a practical approach would be to set a loop tolerance of ±2.0 ºF, assuming the temperature block has an accuracy of ±0.5 ºF over the range of 50 to 250 ºF. While not as accurate as the instrumentation in the loop, it is better than 2:1 for what is required to make a quality product and allows the calibration technician to utilize a simple combination of equipment. While...

New methods for calibrating loops For this example, a non-linear test should be set up where the expected lbs/ hr output is calculated for specific pressure input test points assuming a constant, typical 450 ºF temperature and a static pressure of 14.735 psi since the low side of the transmitter is vented to atmosphere for testing. Consulting with the control engineer, expected measurements may look like this: inH²O mA Lbs/Hr 0.00 4.0000 0.0 30.00 7.6250 339.8 60.00 9.2202 489.4 90.00 10.4787 607.4 120.00 11.5717 709.8 150.00 12.5634 802.8 180.00 13.4872 889.4 200.00 14.0738 944.4 225.00 14.7845...

www.beamex.com/calibrationworld  CALIBRATION WORLD AUTUMN 2014

Calibrating switches Calibrating switches For most technicians, calibrating switches becomes somewhat of an afterthought or most technicians, calibrating switches becomes somewhat of an afterthought. This may be due to the fact that switches are commonly viewed as an overly simplistic device. A technician may see a switch and think, “What is there to calibrate?” The fact of the matter is that there are significant reasons to calibrate switches and multiple ways of doing so. The three main reasons to calibrate switches: 1.  ue to regulations from the D FDA, EPA or EMEA, all regulated instruments,...

www.beamex.com/calibrationworld  CALIBRATION WORLD AUTUMN 2014

Intelligent commissioning Intelligent commission A closer look at process instrument commissioning and the difference an automated procedure can make Process instrument commissioning is an essential part of a plant’s overall commissioning program and is necessary for ideal plant performance. It requires an allocated budget, time, and trained personnel, and must be considered within the scope of the overall program. Typically, the most common activities that affect time and costs in a conventional process instrument commissioning program are: 1. learning to use the field device, 2. hysically installing...

www.beamex.com/calibrationworld  CALIBRATION WORLD AUTUMN 2014

Customer success story British Sugar, UK British Sugar introduces the Beamex Integrated Calibration Solution ritish Sugar at Wissington, built in 1925, is the largest beet sugar factory in the world and the most efficient in Europe – operational 355 days per year. The operation runs with 267 permanent employees peaking at 500 including non-permanent staff during campaign periods when the sugar beet is being brought into the factory. During this campaign period over 3 million tons of beets are processed with 1,000 trucks visiting the site every day. That’s a truck every 45 seconds. In total 420,000...