Many calibration technicians follow long-established procedures at their facility that have not evolved with instrumentation technology. Years ago, maintaining a performance specification of ±1% of span was difficult, but today’s instrumentation can easily exceed that level on an annual basis. In some instances, technicians are using old test equipment that does not meet new technology specifications. This article focuses on establishing base line performance testing where analysis of calibration parameters (mainly tolerances, intervals and test point schemes) can be analyzed and adjusted to meet optimal performance. Risk considerations will also be discussed – regulatory, safety, quality, efficiency, downtime and other critical parameters. A good understanding of these variables will help in making the best decisions on how to calibrate plant process instrumentation and how to improve outdated practices.
Ned Espy

Ned Espy, Technical Director, has been promoting calibration management with Beamex for over 20 years. Ned has helped develop best practices for calibration, with a focus on pressure, temperature and multivariable instruments. He is a consistent editorial contributor to leading industry publications, and has received significant recognition within the automation industry. Today, Ned teaches calibration best practices and provides technical support to end users and the Beamex sales team in North America.
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Optimal Calibration Parameters for Process Instrumentation
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Ned Espy on Apr 24, 2019
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Topics: Calibration process, calibration period, Calibration management
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