By using calibration tools with automatic documentation functions, you can address these challenges efficiently. These instruments automatically record all test results and provide instant pass/fail indication. Moreover, they enable you to transfer calibration data to calibration management software, reducing the risk of errors and improving the integrity of calibration results.

A card recorder? What are you wondering? Traditionally, hydrostatic tests a a card recorder for pressure and temperature to record these measurements. Card recorders were invented in the mid-1800s and were first used for testing in 1915 and the technology has never really never really changed.
Essentially, a chart recorder is a piece of circular paper that rotates in a circle. As the paper rotates, there is a pen for temperature and a pen for pressure. These pens “convey” the temperature and pressure readings for the duration of the test. Many recorders require a key to wind up the clock. wind up, just like your grandfather's clock from 1900! Later, there was a huge advance of the 9v battery to replace the wound coil and that's pretty much where the innovation in this field stopped.

With this 100-year-old testing method, there are many things that can cause an error in this test.
With tests lasting 8 to 24 hours, you really have time to waste on pens running out of ink, technicians losing their paper results, liquid getting on the paper and bleeding your ink, coils needing to be wound up, batteries running out, card storage, etc. Imagine the heartbreak if you pick up your chart after 24 hours and the pen didn't work after hour number 2! Chart recorders are still often used in situations where instant visuals of a test are needed, but perhaps there is no access to power or no access to a computer. However, with today's data recorders reducing cost and power requirements, the chart recorder is fast dying out as the preferred method for these tests. Besides these data recorders, you usually also need a pressure gauge placed in the line and a pressure relief valve.
valve. So wait, are we saying that we no longer need to use 100-year-old technology? Yes indeed!

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Meet the Additel 260Ex!

This device brings you into the world of running your hydrotests digitally! digital way! Instead of lugging 50lb chart recorders, changing paper and pens, winding up coils and in the rain with a rain with a rubbish bag to cover the chart recorder... now it can all be done digitally and in the palm of your hand. In the digital version of this test, we replace the analogue gauges with our digital pressure sensors.
We replace the RTD whose results are stored with pen and paper and use resistance temperature detectors (RTDs). With the Additel 260Ex you can connect 2 RTD devices for your ambient temperature and pipe temperature. You can use the pressure modules to record pressure and pressure and you throw paper charts in the bin and save your results digitally. in the bin and save your results digitally. When you run your hydro test with our 260Ex, this is what you would expect:
- Using the 260Ex pressure module to monitor and store internal pipe pressure
- One RTD for pipe surface temperature
- One RTD for ambient air temperature or soil temperature

Now we record all three parameters of our tests with one device and we do everything at the same time! At the end of your test, simply transfer the results to a PC and print them out.
A huge advantage of our 260Ex is, of course, that you no longer have to carry 300lbs of equipment with you to your test. There are no more lost chart papers and no more spoilt tests, all with more accuracy, more storage space for test results, less cost and a much cheaper annual calibration. the ability to view your test results in real time as they are recorded!
The Additel 260Ex has internal storage for up to 10,000,000 data points, which is more storage space than you will ever need and more than can even be stored on a piece of paper. The Additel 260Ex also connects to our mobile phone app, Additel Link. Now you can view your real-time test results from the cosiness of your truck with the heating or air conditioning on! You can use up to 8 measurement channels on the 260Ex and navigation is a breeze thanks to the 4.4″ LED backlit touchscreen. Is it raining during your test? No worries, the Additel 260Ex has an IP67 waterproof rating.

The ADT260Ex meets the most stringent ATEX, IECEX, CSA and UKCA certifications for intrinsic safety. Each device meets certification level Ex ia IIC T4 Ga. This highly qualified reference recorder can be widely used in environments with potentially explosive gases, such as oil and gas platforms, refineries, chemical and petrochemical plants, the pharmaceutical, energy and gas processing industries. Bring your testing into the 21st century and eliminate failures with our new 260Ex!

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Six steps for checking valve position

The following are the basic steps for checking the valve position. Always refer to the valve manufacturer's specific instructions for testing and calibrating the positioner.

1. Setting
Set the Fluke 789 Set ProcessMeter in source mode using the appropriate current range for the positioner.

Connect the test leads to the mA source outputs on the Fluke 789.
Select the 4-20 mA range by turning the rotary knob from Off to the orange upper mA output position.
Connect the Fluke 789 to the inputs of the valve.

2. Testing the closing of the valve
To determine whether a positioner closes the valve completely at the 4.0 mA current level.

Set the source current to 4.0 mA on the Fluke 789 ProcessMeter by pressing the 0% button under the SpanCheck button.
While checking that the valve moves, press the Coarse Down button once to reduce the current to 3.9 mA. The valve should not move.
Adjust the zero setting on the positioner to set the valve for the desired closure.

3. Testing the opening of the valve
To check valve opening, press the Coarse Range button when the current source is set to 4.0 mA. The Fluke 789 ProcessMeter increases the current by 0.1 mA with each press of the Coarse Range button.

Note: When setting the point at which the valve starts to open, make sure that the actuator does not exert back pressure against the force holding the valve closed when 4.0 mA is applied to the controller input.

In a spring-closing valve, no pressure should be applied to the diaphragm.
In a double-acting piston actuator, no pressure may be applied to one side of the piston.
You can set the point at which the valve starts to open between 4.1 and 4.2 mA to ensure no back pressure is applied against the forces at the closed setting.

4. Range position testing
Range position testing involves testing the valve in the fully open position.

Press the SpanCheck 100% button, which moves the source current to 20 mA. Use the range buttons on the Fluke 789 ProcessMeter to adjust the source current for a reading of 20 mA and wait for the valve to stabilise.
While visually checking or sensing the valve movement, press the Coarse Up button once to 20.1 mA.
Use the Coarse knob to adjust the current up and down between 20.1 mA and 19.9 mA. The valve stem should not move between 20.1 to 20 mA and move slightly between 20 mA and 19.9 mA.

5. Linearity testing
For valves with linear operation.

Set the Fluke 789 ProcessMeter to 4 mA.
Use the % Step button to increase the current to 12 mA (50%) and confirm that the valve position indicator is at 50% of stroke.
Note: If your valve is not linear, refer to the valve manual for proper operation.

6. Testing smooth operation of valve
Set the rotary switch to the lower mA output and select the Slow Ramp function with the blue button.
Run the Fluke 789 ProcessMeter through several cycles while visually checking or feeling that the valves are operating normally. The valve should NOT rock or chase any of the Slow Ramp step positions, nor move slowly.
Adjust the gain of the valve regulator to the point that gives the best response between these two conditions.

Five ways Fluke Connect features improve positioner testing in the field

The Fluke 789 FC ProcessMeter and temperature kit offers all the power and capabilities of the Fluke 789 ProcessMeter and the FC connector that gives you access to all the capabilities of the Fluke Connect app on your smartphone, including the ability to:

1. Archive measurements with the EquipmentLog™ history feature in Fluke Cloud™ storage for documentation and future reference in the field.

2. Compare real-time measurements with historical data.

3. Contact other technicians and your manager via a ShareLive™ video call function to show them exactly what you see and get instant feedback.

4. Stay further away from hazardous environments by placing the Fluke 789 FC ProcessMeter at the valve and viewing the results on your smartphone.

5. View digital product manuals, application advice from Fluke and other field resources via your smartphone.

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Most field instruments consist of two parts: a primary element and a transmitter.

• Primary elements include flow tubes, measuring flanges, pressure sensors, wet chemical sensors such as pH, ORP and conductivity probes, level gauges of all types and temperature sensors. Primary elements usually produce a signal - usually voltage, current or resistance - proportional to the variable they measure, such as level, flow, temperature, pressure or chemical composition. Primary elements are connected to the input of field transmitters.
• Field transmitters include pressure, temperature and flow devices. They process the signal generated by the primary element by first characterising it in linear form and applying unit of measurement coefficients to it. The signal is then transmitted in analogue (usually 4-20 mA DC) or digital form (usually a variety of fieldbuses).

Analogue devices

Analogue devices, often called ‘4 to 20 mA loop devices’, are so called because they transmit a signal that is an electrical “analogue” representation of a measured physical quantity (e.g. temperature). They transmit an electric current that is proportional (analogue) to the magnitude of a measured physical quantity, with 4 mA representing the minimum scaled value and 20 mA the maximum scaled value.

Although many aspects of systems are now digital, analogue devices are still used in the process industry.

Digital devices

Digital devices convert a measured physical value into a digital signal. Many different digital coding methods are used in the process industry, including Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus and HART.

It is widely believed that (digital) fieldbus devices do not need to be calibrated. However, this is not true. Although a fieldbus signal (whether Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus or connected HART) provides diagnostic information, it does not provide any information about the accuracy of the device, nor does it check whether the device provides an accurate representation of the process.

Top 3 calibration tools to keep your processes lean

1. Additel ADT227 multifunction documenting calibrator with HART functionality and automated calibration procedures; the ADT227 is also available in ATEX version.

2. Additel ADT760 Automatic precision pressure calibrator with documenting function and HART functionality

3. Fluke 754 multifunctional documenting calibrator with HART functionality and automated calibration procedures; the calibrator naturally complies with strict safety standards.

Control valves

Control valves have actuators that also need to be calibrated to compensate for wear and tear and the effects of valve sticking and when the valve has been resealed to correct leaks. Often, when these valves are not operated regularly, a stroke test or partial stroke test must be performed for them to ensure reliable operation.

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Permits and paperwork

Administrative tasks, from applying for permits to documenting and archiving results, can add significantly to the cost and time required for even an in situ calibration. As Ian Vergebeuren of Industrial Automation Networks and a former chair of the Fieldbus Foundation User Group says, “In many cases, getting all the necessary paperwork (permits, isolation, etc.) takes longer than the work itself.”

Challenges in documenting calibrations

Documenting a calibration has traditionally meant manually recording the date and time, pre- and post-calibration values and other comments made by mechanics in a logbook. Surprisingly, many companies continue to document calibration data manually. But handwritten documentation is far from ideal.

Firstly, the likelihood of errors is higher. Handwritten data is often illegible or incomplete. Facilities using a computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) then have to take into account the extra time required to enter handwritten data, which adds another risk of errors.

Changes within workforce

Another challenge for calibration is a change in the workforce.
The 1980s saw budget cuts and layoffs. Countless engineers, maintenance workers and operational staff were laid off following a new lean manufacturing philosophy that is still followed today, especially in developed economies.

Smaller teams have less time for on-the-job mentoring and training, to the point where employees have no time to transfer their equipment- and system-specific knowledge. Once older operators and engineers retire, they take their equipment and systems knowledge with them.

“Every day at 16:00, virtually all plant knowledge walks out the door, and sometimes for good,” says the Chief Instrumentation and Controls Engineer at a large refinery in the Midwest.

Meanwhile, many companies still need two technicians for each in-situ calibration: one at the transmitter and one at the control system. The Fieldbus Foundation estimates that two technicians require a minimum of two hours for commissioning.

Use multifunction documenting calibrators

A new generation of ‘smarter’ field calibrators increases employee productivity by combining multiple instruments into one and offering features that go beyond basic testing and measurement, including help with analysis and documentation.

Multifunctional documenting process calibrators are portable, electronic test and measurement instruments that combine multiple calibration steps and functions in one device, simulating and measuring pressure, temperature and a wide range of electrical and electronic signals.

Advantages:

• Technicians need to master fewer instruments and take them into the field
• Same calibration processes and data output on multiple devices instead of having to follow a different process for each instrument to collect a different set of data
• Automated procedures replace many manual calibration steps
• No second technician is needed to record the ‘as found’ and ‘as left’ status of the field instrument.
• Faster calibration time per device
• Calculate the error of one instrument instead of adding up the errors of different instruments

Use calibration routes

With a documenting calibrator, the greatest savings can be achieved by using the route management function integrated into the instrument. Using one set of permits and paperwork for a full set of calibrations significantly reduces costs.

Implement an asset management, calibration management or computerised maintenance management system (CMMS)

Unlike paper documentation, data on the calibrator are never illegible, inaccurate or incomplete. Calibrator data can be downloaded directly to various CMMS systems without transcription or archiving.

Documenting process calibrators automatically capture on-site ‘as-found’ and ‘as-left’ status of each field device and can be operated by a single technician. As a result, using route-based procedures on documenting calibrators can reduce the time and cost required by as much as 50% compared to traditional manual single-device calibration methods. In other words, the same lean team can perform twice as many calibrations in the same period of time.

Running a lean team according to traditional operational requirements undoubtedly leads to mistakes. Calibrations are simply not carried out as they should be. Instead of ignoring the threat, explore how existing activities can be run more efficiently.

Implement route-based calibration, paperless documentation and CMMS data management. More calibrations are performed more accurately, knowledge is transferred from one person to the team and the company, and both productivity and quality increase.

Calibrating multiple instruments during a route reduces the cost per calibration compared to calibrating individual instruments separately.

In addition, millions can be saved on maintenance costs, legal fees and the cost of lost revenue due to accidents. Good calibration procedures help reduce the likelihood of such incidents. In the event of an emergency or legal action, companies can defend themselves with accurate calibration data, whereas this is a lot more difficult when calibration data is not in order.

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