SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
November 2018, SAIMC

At the last technology evening, hosted by Endress+Hauser, Frans van den Berg presented on Heartbeat Technology, and Jenine Jansen van Vuuren spoke about calibration in conjunction with Heartbeat.

Cheryl Hird (right) thanks Frans van den Berg and Jenine Jansen van Vuuren after the presentations.

Heartbeat Technology provides diagnostics and verification without process interruptions to ensure cost-effective and safe plant operation during the entire life cycle. It combines diagnostic, verification and monitoring functions for process optimisation.

Heartbeat Monitoring minimises the probability of a sudden breakdown or failure of the measurement point, and helps define when maintenance may be needed. The benefits include sensor health trending, tracking the quality of calibrations and integrating a maintenance timer to ensure optimal sensor performance is delivered.

Heartbeat Verification permits a measurement point to be assessed in situ at any time, without removing the sensor or shutting down the process. This qualitative function checks the entire measurement loop, verifying sensor and transmitter performance. Verification results are provided via an audit report automatically generated by the transmitter.

Calibration in measurement technology and metrology is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy. Other points on calibration covered by Jenine included:

• How verification supports calibration.

• Calibration and ISO 17025.

• The custodians of metrology and standards in South Africa.

• Benefit of physical calibration.

• Possible disadvantages of physical calibration.

• The verification and calibration of flowmeters.

• How Heartbeat Verification supports calibration.

• Metrological traceability.

The branch thanks Frans and Jenine for their informative and well-received presentations.

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