instrumentation

instrumentation has existed for hundreds of years in one form or another. The oldest manometer invented by Evangelista Torricelli in 1643. The thermometer has been credited to many scientists of about the same period. Over that time, small and large scale industrial plants have always had use for measurements. For the most part, these were passive measuring devices. If a process needed a control, they'd hire someone at a low wage to control the process manually.

World War II brought about a revolution in the use of instrumentation[1]. Advanced processes requires tighter control than people could provide, and advanced instruments were required to provide measurements in modern processes. Also, the war left industry with a substantially reduced workforce. Industrial instrumentation solved both problems, leading to a rise in its use. Pipe fitters had to learn more about instrumentation and control theory, and a new trade was born.[2]

Today, instrument mechanics have more to do with electricians than pipe fitters. Almost all new instrumentation is electronic, using either 4-20mA control signals or digital signalling standards.

Fields of study

Instrument mechanics are required to study a large body of knowledge. This includes information on[4]:

* Process Control
* Measurement Instrumentation
* Final Control Elements
* Motors
* Electronics
* Industrial networks
* Signalling standards
* Chemistry
* Fluid Dynamics