Application Note

Fluke Corporation
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©2014 Fluke Corporation.
Specifications subject to change without notice.
Printed in U.S.A. 5/2014 6002161A_EN
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2 Fluke Corporation Automated field calibration for the oil and gas industry
handwritten data into the sys-
tem, which creates additional
possibilities for errors.
Another challenge is that
many facilities store field data
in more than one database.
Calibration data entered in the
operations database may not
be populated into or accessible
by the maintenance database.
These challenges are being
addressed by:
• Installing more digital instru-
ments and valves
• Using interconnected asset
management software to help
manage documentation
• Using handheld documenting
process calibrators to auto-
mate field calibrations and
upload digital documentation
to a CMMS
• Using route-based calibration
Doing more with less
Budget cuts and the retirement
of experienced workers, sub-
stantially reduced engineering,
maintenance, and operations
staffs. Those leaner staffs make
it harder to have a large group
of technicians to do rounds. As
a result, calibration rounds often
fall by the wayside.
Those reductions in team size
also mean that experienced
team members have less time
for mentoring and on-the-
job-training. This means that
equipment and system-specific
knowledge is not being suc-
cessfully transferred from the
individual to the institution. As
older operators and engineers
retire, they take this knowledge
with them.
Automating calibration and
documentation
You can mitigate losing the
benefit of that experience and
knowledge by using multi-
function documenting process
calibrators and a new gen-
eration of handheld pressure
calibration tools. Most of these
devices feature recording and
memory functions so you can
log measurements and upload
them to a PC for reporting
and analysis. Multifunction
calibrators consolidate multiple
calibration steps and functions
into a single handheld device
that sources, simulates and
measures pressure, temperature,
and a wide variety of electrical
and electronic signals. Likewise
handheld pressure calibrators
combine pressure and tempera-
ture measurements and in some
cases an integrated electric
pump, which saves hand pump-
ing and extra baggage.
These multifunction tools are
instrumental in:
• Reducing the number of tools
you have to carry and learn to
use
• Collecting multiple data sets
with one tool.
• Replacing many manual cali-
bration steps with automated
procedures
• Allowing just one person to
perform calibrations in most
cases
• Limiting the calculated error
to a single tool rather than
multiple tools
• Isolate a device from the
process, verify that it’s
depressurized, and apply sig-
nals with an electric pump.
Using calibration routes
The biggest savings from using
a documenting calibrator comes
in the route management tool
built into the device. The tech-
nician can load up a ‘round’
of calibrations that walks the
techs consistently through the
steps of each procedure. Using
a single set of permits and
paperwork for an entire route
of calibrations for maybe 20
instruments reduces the cost
per calibration considerably
compared to performing one-off
calibrations.
Reducing maintenance costs
and risk
Because documenting process
calibrators automatically record
the as-found and as-left state
of each field device, in situ, and
can be operated by a single
technician, route-based docu-
menting calibrators can save as
much as 50% of the time and
cost of traditional manual, sin-
gle-device calibration methods.
Besides saving maintenance
costs, this process can help
companies avoid the legal costs
and lost revenue from accidents.
Good calibration maintenance
practices help reduce the prob-
ability of accidents that can
exceed $100 million per inci-
dent. And, if a disaster strikes,
good calibration records can
be a part of a facility’s legal
defense.
The big picture
In summary, implementing
route-based calibration, paper-
less documentation, and CMMS
data management:
• Makes it more practical and
affordable for companies to
perform calibrations more
consistently
• Reduces risk and liability
exposure
• Supports knowledge transfer
from the individual to the
team and to the institution
• Helps to increase both produc-
tivity and quality