Instrumentation & Automation

Installation and configuration of measurement and control instruments for industrial processes. Procurement, supply, installation and programming of instrumentation are also part of the electrical services and instrumentation portfolio.

Service features

• Measurement precision
• Automated process control
• Improved operational efficiency
• Real-time monitoring

Pressure, temperature, level, flow and other physical or chemical variables, with sensors, transmitters and controllers that feed automation systems such as PLC and SCADA (common protocols: Modbus, Profibus and Ethernet/IP).

Instruments measure; automation decides and acts. On top of the instrumentation, the automation systems run the process without constant intervention of the operator and take it to a safe state when something goes out of range.

What the automation covers

• Advanced control of process variables
• Automatic start-up and shutdown sequences
• Fire and gas systems
• Programming and configuration of controllers and operator screens
• Integration of field instruments, communications and telemetry

See engineering and consulting capabilities

1. Needs analysis

2. Design and engineering

3. Equipment selection

4. Installation and calibration

5. PLC/SCADA integration

6. Training and maintenance

   Training, with preventive and corrective maintenance.

The installation covers everything between the process and the control room:

• Location and mounting of instruments: process connections, supports, thermowells and manifolds
• Impulse lines and instrument tubing
• Cable trays, conduits, junction boxes and cabling
• Grounding and shielding of signal cables
• Installation in hazardous areas, according to the area classification

Before an instrument is accepted, it is calibrated against a reference of higher accuracy and the result is recorded. Then the whole loop is verified.

• Calibration with traceable references and calibration certificates
• Loop checks from the field instrument to the control room screen
• Tests of alarms and shutdown functions (interlocks)
• As-built documentation and calibration records

Instruments drift over time and must be kept in check:

• Calibration schedule defined for each instrument according to its criticality
• Inspection of connections, seals, cabling and enclosures
• Replacement or repair of faulty instruments, with the loop checked again
• Use of the self-diagnostics of smart instruments to anticipate failures

Telemetry and SCADA monitoring provide real-time supervision of wells and equipment, reduce response time to failures and improve safety by detecting overpressure, overtemperature or leaks and triggering alarms.

Reference standards commonly applied in the sector. They are listed for orientation and do not replace the specification of each project.

ISA-5.1

Instrumentation symbols and identification.

IEC 60079

Equipment for explosive atmospheres.

IEC 61511

Functional safety: safety instrumented systems for the process industry.

IEC 61131-3

Programmable controllers: programming languages.

ISA-18.2

Management of alarm systems for the process industries.