What do you do for a Job? I'm an...

[rmn_tech]

Now 65% or original size.
I think I like it better now.

Mabe it's my monitor or my old eyes, but it's the same size as it was.

 

[updownleftright]

I am a student and a personal trainer at the same time

 

[BrownOut]

A student of what? Electronics?

 

[ke5frf]

Hi!

Well, I work in what you may consider one of the "last bastion" career fields for component level troubleshooting, though I don't often have failures that require it.

I am an Control Instrumentation/Analyzer Technician for a Refinery/Chemical Plant complex.
There are basically 4 common specializations in my field. I'll offer quick job descriptions for each, and elaborate on what I do specifically.

Control Instrumentation:
Instrument Techs troubleshoot, calibrate, and repair "feedback loops" which monitor and react to changes in temperature, pressure, level, and flow in plant operating systems, such as furnaces, reactors, vessels, pumps, and compressors. Often this is a 4-20 mA signal from a local sensor (thermocouple/differential pressure cell) and/or transmitter. 4 mA is calibrated to zero in the range of the actuator (control valve) and 20 mA is calibrated to the span. Digitalized loops are of course replacing analog loops but both are common. Not particularly fun work, very repetitive.

Field Analyzers:
Analyzer Techs troubleshoot, calibrate, and repair equipment that monitors "analytical variables" in an operating system. This has more to do with chemistry than the physical properties that Instruments deal with. The most common analyzer is the Gas Chromatograph (GC), which is designed to seperate the molecular components of a liquid/gas chemical compound by molecular weight and quantify the volume of each component. With hydrocarbons it ranges from lighter methane or butane to complex molecules like cyclohexane etc. These analyzers capture product in the stream with valve sampling systems and pass them through a tiny capillary tube in a temperature controlled oven, carried by an inert gas such as helium. A detector, usually flame ionization, measures the volume of each species of molecule by burning them in a hydrogen flame and measuring the change in conductivity of the detector from the ionized byproduct (ie heavier volume equals higher detector conductivity) Being that pressure, temperature, and flow are precisely controlled, molecules passing through the analyzer "elute" through the capillary at a predictable rate, lighter molecules first, heaviest last. Thus, by calibrating against pure reference standards, we know our analyzers produce reliable data.

Lab Analyzers:
****This ius what I DO specifically, and is probably the most rewarding job of all. I work in a LABORATORY where hundreds of specialized benchtop analyzers are employed to test a much wider variety of properties. There are only three of us lab guys in the entire plant. GCs are used, but we also have viscometers, spectrometers (x-ray, UV, IR, visable, mass spec), flash analyzers, titrators, etc. as well as more specialized types of testers. Each analyzer is unique in its design and function and employs robotics, analog and digital signal processing, as well as electromechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic controls.

Usually, it is more efficient to perform board-level repairs with this equipment, but often my company retains equipment many years past its factory-supported lifespan. I have some 20+ year old instruments, and when a board fails a replacement can't be purchased. Also, when schematics are available (which is less and less common), and when operating schedules demand it, it is sometimes more feasable to attempt a board level repair than wait for parts to be shipped. Thats where I step in

The other classification in my field is Digital Technician, which is a group of Techs who, I believe, work on computer-related systems in the plant. I never recieved any training in this specialty, so I'm not 100% certain what it entails. I don't think it has much to do with software, though...more hardware related, probably the various computers and servers located in plant control rooms...swapping boards, drivers, and cards when they act up.

OK, that was a LONG post but maybe it sparks an interest in someone looking for a career.

 

[BrownOut]

Long post, but very interesting. In one place I worked, we used a GC to verify the hermetric seal on our products, although I didn't have anything to do with it.

 

[Chippie]

Hi!

Well, I work in what you may consider one of the "last bastion" career fields for component level troubleshooting, though I don't often have failures that require it.

I am an Control Instrumentation/Analyzer Technician for a Refinery/Chemical Plant complex.

I too am from a control instrument background...Served my time in the Petrochems industry here in the UK about 35 years ago, I now work for Centrica, the UK's gas energy supplier.

Although I'm not active in my discipline anymore due to ill health, I continue to take an interest in electronics and general engineering...Working my way to retiring

 

[ke5frf]

Good to know some of you guys are familiar with my trade!

 

[tcmtech]

I used to work up a long and almost impressive sounding list of what all I do being I own my own business but now I just say 'gainfully unemployed'. Its just easier and simpler.

The take home pay for the year on average is better than when I had any real job and I have much less stress and far more free time!
Basically I play and work on my hobbies and get paid well enough to not feel totally useless.

 

[gabeNC]

Good to see you back tcm... where ya been?

 

[12345678901234567890]

Currently a janitor.

 

[Sceadwian]

With a very long name =\

 

[tcmtech]

Good to see you back tcm... where ya been?

Sugar Beet harvest!

Part time Semi truck driver is just one of those many skills I put to use in order to keep myself 'gainfully unemployed'.

Now it sounds like I may possibly be going back to work for them for a little while again as a truck mechanic to fix all the stuff we broke during harvest this year.
The four years I have drove for them my trucks always came out of the harvest in better shape than they went in and that apparently got noticed. I always fixed what I could while there was down time. Lights, greasing, electrical glitches, digging the mud out of everything.
I guess carrying tools in your lunch box draws some positive attention once in a while too.

 

[Andy1845c]

I guess carrying tools in your lunch box draws some positive attention once in a while too.

haha, this made me chuckle. I used to be a truck driver and think my lunch box was more full of tools then food. After you get stranded in the middle of nowhere because something stupid broke and all you have in the cab is a spork... you kinda wise up.

Its good to see alot of folks still here. I have been pretty absent all summer. I gt busy with outdoor things and electronics kinda takes a backseat.

Oh, and to answer the topic - I am self employed. Mostly I service and sharpen industrial cutting tools.

 

[BrownOut]

That's weird, I carry food in my tool box.

 

[jakeselectronics]

I carry food in a bag because my lunch box overflows,
Tools in my pockets,
and materials in my tool bag.

 

[gabeNC]

and all you have in the cab is a spork...

Don't throw that away, MacGyver could rebuild the engine and make a flux capacitor with a spork.

 

[Thunderchild]

I'm a QC inspector at a company that makes (radiator)cooling packs for any vehilcle and I mean any ! from generators to tanks, they also manufacture airconditioning for vehicles (again of the all types I just mentioned). a boring job trying to make sure the junk they buy in is fit for purpose and liasoning with half the factory to try and use the rubbish we bought from the UAE and eastern europe