Instrument Engineer Responsibilities

Instrument engineers have job opportunities in variety of industrial facilities including oil and gas production, manufacturing goods, food and chemical processing as well as energy production. They are responsible for enhancing and optimizing reliability, safety, dependability and productivity of the industrial systems. Many agencies monitor these industrial facilities so that they can reach standards for lower emanation levels. To achieve this objective, power generation facilities, oil and gas refineries, chemical plants and food processors upgrade their work process as well as instrumentation or machineries and industrial engineers are hired to plan and implement such alterations. Ultimately, instrument engineer responsibilities are to plan, design and install the control systems or machines required in highly technical fields.

Most manufacturing and industrial plants adopt instrumentation systems to administer their facilities. These instruments are required to measure pressure, temperature, voltage, radiation and other variables. Designing these instruments, monitoring their performance and troubleshooting existing machinery to ensure that they are repaired effectively are some of the duties of an instrument engineer. These technical experts ensure that asset or project discipline engineering processes are executed within the budget and schedule as well as by following technical integrity. They estimate and perform various instrument engineering tasks such as detailed designing followed by technical study, concept and forepart engineering modification. These technical experts are responsible for drawing, reviewing specifications, ordering and sparing stock materials for required alterations and other documentation from consultants and contractors. They ensure that the design and material are prepared by considering the specifications, standards and code of the company. Technologists in the instrumentation field set up and manage complicated computer controlled machinery driving instrumentation.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Instrument engineers design the required alteration in the instruments for making them more effective. They may often have to coordinate with civil, electrical, structural and mechanical engineers within the department so that they can keep the track of interdisciplinary obligation for the changes. Some of their primary tasks are mentioned below:

• Plan, supervise, coordinate and keep track of maintenance procedures and activities together with the maintenance manager and maintenance planner
• Define and manage appraisals and training for instrumentation and electrical technicians
• Monitor consumption of utilities and electricity and adopt certain measures to reduce utilization in support of the maintenance manager
• Plan, prepare and assist special research, automation and process control
• Administer, manage and report on the installation safety
• Plan and collaborate outside contacts on required material such as electricity
• Supervise, recommend and manage electrical and technical material in addition to the control equipment suppliers
• Suggest, lay-down and follow administration policies affecting their area of duties which may involve hiring instrumentation and electrical technicians
• Recall, transfer, terminate, lay off and discharge or impose required disciplinary action on instrumentation and line electrical technicians
• Check, asses, supervise and motivate the efficiency, attendance and performance of the Line E/I Technician personnel, taking essential prompt action to correct poor performance, suggest good or sub-standard work performance
• Identify and document any service quality issues about instrumentation and electricity and make sure that relevant solutions are provided to resolve them
• Make sure that all safety policies, precautionary measures, rules and regulations laid down by the management are implemented and followed
• Monitor the good quality and correct repair, scheduled checks/test, overhaul, QA equipment/instruments and safety controls, re-calibration of all process in the factory as per the engineering practices and standards as well as manufactures' maintenance manuals
• Keep track of safety measures, controllers, general service instruments, calibration process and communication
• Make certain that corrective activities are implemented and followed up

Instrument engineer is the responsible person who has to ensure that the overall internal package is appropriately assembled before it is distributed. He/she is the in charge who takes care of collecting, interacting and responding to any comments or questions that may arise from the approval of a modification assemblage. In addition, this expert reviews and leads the engineering, construction and pre-commissioning contract personnel throughout the execution of the modified system.

Qualification Requirement

Candidates aspiring to become instrument engineer need to complete BS in Control Engineering/Electronics or equivalent. He/she should have experience of working in project or development task in the relevant industry. Proficiency in using computer and excellency in writing and speaking English are also required.

Skills

• Instrument engineers who want to remain competent need to possess the ability to learn new techniques and stay updated with the advance knowledge in their field and implement the same in their projects.
• They should have the ability to resolve issues and think diagnostically.
• Being at the position of an instrument engineer requires leadership skills and ability to explain complex issues clearly to the employees (engineers, operators, other maintenance staff) and then execute the task in team environment, because finding a solution requires a coordinated response.

These professionals have great scope in various industries:

• Aerospace programs
• Oil and gas refineries
• Manufacturing firms
• Energy companies
• Pharmaceutical production and development companies
• Food and chemical processing industry

Carrying out instrument engineer responsibilities successfully requires updated knowledge of recent techniques and the ability to implement them in their routine work schedule.