Category: General

Instrumentation and metrology are two terms that often get confused in some ways as they both relate to measuring. In this article, we’ll be clarifying the difference between instrumentation and metrology as well as defining each one and their role within industrial temperature measurement.

What is instrumentation?

Instrumentation is a fairly broad and general term used to describe the hardware that is used for measurement and control and can include software too. The English word “control” often includes regulation as well whilst other languages typically differentiate between manual control such as opening and closing a valve, and automatic regulation, like closed loop control. Therefore, when we consider “instrumentation” it might include valves, manometers, level indicators, and PLC controls.

What is metrology?

Metrology is the science of measurement and how it’s applied. By contrast to instrumentation, metrology is not just about the physical and routine making of measurements, it is more about the infrastructure in place that ensures we are confident in the accuracy of the measurement. It establishes a basic understanding of units and measurement processes that are essential to human activity.

Metrology details the accuracy, precision, and repeatability of a measurement. It includes traceability or comparison with a “standard” or between different measuring systems. Also, it involves all the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement, no matter the measurement uncertainty or the field of application.

What is the difference between instrumentation and metrology?

To understand the difference between instrumentation and metrology, if you consider that philosophy is ‘thinking about thinking’ then metrology is essentially ‘measuring measurement’. So, a lot of people can use and carry out instrumentation but not as many people do metrology. Both are important aspects of high temperature measurement to ensure it is done effectively, safely, and accurately.

Industrial temperature measurement processes can have the characteristics of delaying and holding back changes in the values of the process variables. Time lags in process controls typically describes these process delays and the lags are caused by three properties of the process. These properties are resistance, capacitance, and transportation time. 

Resistance 

Resistance is the part of the process that opposes the movement of energy between capacities. For example, in a lubrication oil cooling system, the walls of the lubrication oil cooler work in opposition with the transfer of heat from the lubrication oil within the tubes to the cooling water outside the tubes. 

Capacitance 

Capacitance is the ability to store energy during a process. Being able to store energy means the process can be held back. 

Transportation time 

This is the time required to carry a change in a process variable from one location to another in the process. The time lag not only delays or blocks a change, but it is also during the time delay that no change is happening at all. 

Control system stability 

The part of a control mode that helps a process variable go back to being a steady value after a disturbance is known as “stability”. In other words, stability is the control loop being able to return a controlled variable back to a steady, non-cyclic value, after a disruption. 

Control loops can be either stable or unstable. Instability is the result of a mixture of process time lags (resistance, capacitance, and transportation time) and natural time lags within a control system. This causes slow response to changes in the controlled variable. Therefore, the controlled variable will constantly cycle around the set point value. 

At MICC we understand Brexit means new challenges for many of our European customers and partners at a time when nobody is in need of additional challenges.

We hope the attached document can help to explain the new processes we need to follow in the post-Brexit world and make the transition as straightforward as possible.

MICC are seasoned exporters with 20 years experience and are happy to support and guide our customers in any way we can. For any specific questions or concerns on how to do business with MICC from within the EU today, please contact our sales team here.

Brexit Help Document

As part of MICC Group’s 20 Years celebration, we would like to say a special thank you to Michael Lee, who has been with MICC since the very beginning.

Through leading the shipping team with tremendous hard work and dedication, Michael has been at the heart of MICC’s growth into a global manufacturing brand.

Congratulations on 20 Years at MICC, Michael. Thank you for everything you have accomplished.

Even the Newcastle fans in the office hope Sunderland beat Oxford for you tomorrow… probably

Thank you to everyone who support Daniel’s Mini Great North Run fundraising for the Williams Syndrome Foundation.

Daniel did great and we raised not only a nice sum of money but also a lot of good publicity for this great cause!

We are proud and delighted to announce that Shaun McIntosh has qualified for the 2019 Bowls World Championship!

Shaun is sponsored  by MICC and is one of our employees based in our Washington, Tyne & Wear, Mineral Insulated Cable factory HQ. After many years of hard work and great National success he has been able to qualify for the World Championships via becoming a member of the Professional Bowls Association (PBA).

We spoke to Shaun about his journey to the top of his sport and here’s what he had to say;

“I had my first game of bowls when I was seven years old, I used to go along and watch my father regularly played to a high standard – I think this is where my love of the game came from.

After many hard years of practice I started to win junior event titles regularly, this caught the eye of the selection committee for the full men’s team at my local club Hebburn Bowls Association, at the age of 15 I won the men’s singles championship becoming the youngest in the clubs history to do so, after this win I received my first Durham County cap, I remained in the team for that season which ended with us being National Title Champions – since then I have went on to win four English Titles in total.

At the age of 18 I had my first England Under 25’s trial, on this occasion I did not make the team.

2019 has been my biggest season yet, securing sponsorship from MICC Ltd has given me the platform to join the Professional Bowls Association (PBA) which gave me the opportunity to qualify for the 2019 World Championships, after eleven hours on the green myself and my pairs partner qualified for the 2019 World Championships which will take place at Potters Hotel Norfolk in early 2019 – which is also a live televised event.

I look forward to 2019 and hope to achieve all my title goals”

We all wish Shaun the best of luck. For more details on the event please visit;

Can you give little for a very good cause?

Please help Daniel raise money for Isabella and people like her with Williams Syndrome via his Mini Great North Run! https://zurl.co/KnQ8

Here is Daniel explaining why this is important to him in his own words.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

 

My name is Daniel, I am 5 years old and I am going to be running with my mammy (if she can keep up) in this year’s Mini Great North Run on the 8th September.

I am raising money and awareness for the Williams Syndrome Foundation UK.

Williams Syndrome is a rare congenital disorder  that occurs randomly
and affects around one in 18,000 people in the UK. It is non-hereditary
and causes distinctive facial characteristics and a wide range of learning difficulties. Infants often have delayed development and can develop physical and mental health problems, including anxiety and depression in  later life. All WS people tend to be talkative and excessively friendly towards adults.

My beautiful cousin Isabella will be 8 this October. Almost 3 years ago, in December 2015, she was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome.

Since then, my very brave Auntie Emma and Uncle Philip have been doing lots to raise awareness of William’s Syndrome and raising money for the Foundation, who have got them through some very difficult times in the last 3 years.

Now it’s my turn to help, I would love it and would be very grateful if you could donate as little or as much as you can to help raise funds for WSF UK as they are a charity very very close to our family’s heart.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

A year on since incorporation of MMC in Northern America, we are happy to announce that we have moved into our latest facility located in Bowling Green, Ohio. We expect to be fully operational in our latest facility by Autumn with our recruitment process commencing in the next two months.

 

MMC, the latest addition to The MICC Group was set up to provide a local hub for both North and South America. In their new home they will be able to provide top quality products and services for mineral insulated temperature measurement and trace heating cables and units.

 

MMC’s General Manager Scott Warner welcomed ABC News to show them around our new American hub:

 

https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Overseas-cable-manufacturing-company-sets-up-first-North-American-facility-424594734.html

 

Want more information on our American branch? Send an email to info@miccltd.com

United States here we come

After the amszing success of MICC’s expansion into the Asian market, by setting up the World’s largest manufacturing faciltiy of Mineral Insulated Cable. We are proud to announce we will be expanding to our next continent the United States. As of this week MICC has incorporated MICC MANUFACTURING CORPORTATION (MMC), in the state of Ohio, under the management of Scott Warner.

It has been a long been acknowledged that North America was a vital location for MICC growth strategy, and we are delighted to be achieving this long term ambition.

We would like to thank our global team whom has supported us on this expansion. This is just the first and important step to entering this market, and we look forward to our future in the United States.

We look forward to welcoming the US team to both our UK headquaters and our facilities in China, in the upcoming weeks.

 

Good luck to our US team.

We were happy to welcome Deputy Director Lucy Thomas yesterday of the Britian Stronger In organisation and her team along with a few members of the local press. They partook in a guided tour around our facilities and had a crash course in Mineral Insulated cable and its many applications in temperature measurement, trace heating and fire proof wiring.

A first for Lucy Thomas and her team, they were completely unaware of the process of Mineral Insulated cable, and its many applications. Once the tour was concluded they were highly interested in our views of the European Union and the potential of a referrendum.

As a strong exporter of all three products, 55% of our turnover last year was generated through exports to Europe. As an employer of 90+ staff in our UK Headquarters in Washington we view this issue as of high importance, as we export heavily to the European Union we endeavour the best decision to be made that will support our business and moe importantly our employees.

We will be wating with anticipation for the future to unfold and hope for the best result.

 

For further of a read, check out the article in the Newcastle Chronical

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/eu-referendum-britain-stronger-europe-10901882