Instrumentation Engineering is for Perfectionists
Just imagine your office and home without instruments! You will get a feel of the stone age as soon as you start thinking of a world without instruments. Instruments of different nature have become an essential part of our lives, and this is possible only because of the instrumentation and control engineers around us
Instrumentation engineering can be referred to as a ‘mixture’ of different subjects that can be the launch pad for many careers. Indeed, instrumentation engineering is an inter-disciplinary branch that includes study of electrical, chemical, electronics as well as computer engineering. Instrumentation and control engineers design manufacture and fix snags in devices or systems that are used to measure or control physical quantities such as temperature, pressure and flow. They step in wherever ‘sensing’ of physical quantities is required and work in power plants, chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, oil refineries, the steel industry as well as with drug makers and software and hardware companies, to name a few avenues.
Instrumentation engineers typically work for industries with automated processes, such as chemical or manufacturing plants, with the goal of improving system productivity, reliability, safety, optimization and stability. Instrumentation has been the fundamental engine for catalyzing R&D in India. Segments like communication, aerospace and defense, industrial, computers and semiconductors, education and academia, and general-purpose electronics also use instrumentation to validate their devices, designs and deployment.
“Nowadays almost all the industries are going for automation. So instrumentation and control engineers have a role to play in all the fields where there is automation. The industries are switching almost all their processes to automation. Students are interested in making career in this stream of engineering because there are job opportunities in this domain.”
Task & responsibilities of an Instrumentation engineer
Job prospects
Instrumentation engineering can be referred to as a ‘mixture’ of different subjects that can be the launch pad for many careers. Indeed, instrumentation engineering is an inter-disciplinary branch that includes study of electrical, chemical, electronics as well as computer engineering. Instrumentation and control engineers design manufacture and fix snags in devices or systems that are used to measure or control physical quantities such as temperature, pressure and flow. They step in wherever ‘sensing’ of physical quantities is required and work in power plants, chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, oil refineries, the steel industry as well as with drug makers and software and hardware companies, to name a few avenues.
Instrumentation engineers typically work for industries with automated processes, such as chemical or manufacturing plants, with the goal of improving system productivity, reliability, safety, optimization and stability. Instrumentation has been the fundamental engine for catalyzing R&D in India. Segments like communication, aerospace and defense, industrial, computers and semiconductors, education and academia, and general-purpose electronics also use instrumentation to validate their devices, designs and deployment.
“Nowadays almost all the industries are going for automation. So instrumentation and control engineers have a role to play in all the fields where there is automation. The industries are switching almost all their processes to automation. Students are interested in making career in this stream of engineering because there are job opportunities in this domain.”
Task & responsibilities of an Instrumentation engineer
- Develop concept designs and feasibility studies
- Design or update specifications and designs of electrical systems and equipment
- Design ways to generate and manage electricity
- Devise ways to control processes using automation techniques and computers
- Examine safety aspects of the planned work
- Plan manufacture or use of equipment and appliances
- Oversee testing of new systems and correction of faults
- Supervise the installation and maintenance of systems and equipment
- Design new control systems, and develop, maintain and modify existing systems
- Work collaboratively with design engineers, operation engineers, purchasers and other internal staff
- Contact clients, suppliers, contractors and relevant authorities
- Project management within cost- and time-constrained environments
- Write computer software
- Develop new business proposals
- Liaise with clients, suppliers, contractors and relevant authorities, e.g., the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
- Understand and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations and quality standards of the country in which work is undertaken
Job prospects
- Instrumentation engineers find jobs in R&D units in both private and public sectors.
- Opportunities are available in heavy industries such as steel plants, thermal power stations, refineries, fertiliser plants and cement plants. Instrumentation engineers are also employed by defense establishments.
- Career avenues are available in management, sales and technical projects.
- Top employers for instrumentation engineers in India: (a) Private sector: UltraTech Cement, Alchem International, A.R. Software, HCL Infosystems, TCS, Infosys, Accenture (b) Public sector: Railway Recruitment Board, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL)