Introduction

The history of this industry began in the early 1900s with the introduction of the radiotelephone in 1923. As this industry grew, it developed into a major field of technology for the past two decades. As this field of technology grew, new instruments and systems were invented, and then new applications were devised for these instruments. In the 1970s, instrumentation became a vital part of most industrial operations, and its growth was explosive. 

The growth in instrumentation in the 1970s prompted many industry organizations to form committees to study the industry and to define the problems that this technology was having. Some of these studies identified problems associated with the growth in instrumentation and in the technology that controls instrumentation. In the early 1980s, some organizations defined instrumentation as being in the high-tech segment of the technology industry.

Instrumentation engineering is an important branch of science and technology that helped in the creation of other branches like automation and controls engineering. Instrumentation engineering has become very popular among students as these courses have great career prospects. 

Yet, a lot of engineering aspirants have a question in mind that what is instrumentation engineering really about?  

Here you will get all the information about Instrumentation Engineering and you will also get to know about the career prospects, future scope and salary trends of instrumentation engineering.

What is Instrumentation Engineering Degree All about?

Instrumentation engineering is a large part of engineering and science. It is a degree that prepares students to work in industry, technology and government. Instrumentation engineering is one of the most important departments in any research and development organization as it helps them in measuring and analysing the performance of their products. It is a branch of engineering that deals with the design and manufacture of instruments used for measuring, controlling and processing a physical property. An instrumentation engineer uses the latest technology to build instruments that are used for scientific and industrial purposes. 

Additionally, they help in detecting any faults that might arise in the future so that they can be corrected before they become a problem.Instrumentation is an engineering subject that is related to the measurement and control of industrial processes. This is an important engineering discipline in India and the overseas market. 

An instrumentation engineering degree usually takes a full time of 3 years. It is recommended that the degree be taken at the age of 22 or later. 

Instrumentation engineering graduates are qualified to work for government agencies, industry and science labs. 

If you are really into physics and mathematics and like challenging courses. It is a good idea for you to get this degree.

What is Scope of Instrumentation Engineering in India & Overseas

As per the statistics given by the Indian Government, the scope of Instrumentation Engineering India is around Rs. 25,000 to 30,000 crores. The highest demand for instrumentation engineers is in the petroleum and natural gas industry. However, the scope of instrumentation engineering is expanding into other industries as well. It is expected that the scope of instrumentation engineering will grow more than 40% in the next 10 years. In addition to this, the scope of instrumentation engineering in the overseas market is also showing considerable growth.

You will find lots of people saying that there is a high demand for instrumentation engineers in India, but what do they mean? Are they talking about a specific area of instrumentation engineering?  

Well, there are a whole bunch of areas of instrumentation and you need to know that there is a demand for instrumentation engineers in the country and overseas. 

Let us take an overview of the top industry sectors:

Engineering Firms

In engineering firms, instrumentation engineers are responsible for designing and developing new instruments and enhancing or redesigning older devices that control electronic or mechanical systems.

Automation

Industrial automation relies on actuators, positioning devices, and robots designed by Instrumentation Engineers. An automation engineer monitors and controls physical quantities like temperature, pressure, and flow.

Consultancy

Your responsibilities and managerial duties will increase as you advance in your career as an instrumentation engineer. The result may be that your daily routine will become more focused on planning and strategy, rather than hands-on technical work. It may be necessary for you to attend workshops and courses that are hosted by external organizations.

Once you've gained enough experience, you could even become an independent engineer, providing consulting services to a wide range of companies.

Manufacturing

In manufacturing and processing industries, instrumentation engineers monitor and control machinery using advanced equipment.

IT

Nowadays, almost all industries are automated, making instrumentation engineers useful in both the hardware and software sectors. Research, design, and development of new systems and devices by instrumentation engineers will be essential to controlling, monitoring, and regulating industrial processes and operations.

Pharmaceutical

The pharmaceutical industry encompasses a wide range of products, machinery, and equipment. In each step of manufacturing, a different type of instrumentation plays a crucial role. Pharmaceutical industry instruments need to be precise, reliable, and high-quality. This is where an Instrumentation Engineer comes into play.

Oil and gas and petrochemical industries

In the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, instrumentation engineering is used for monitoring and controlling the process plant. Control and monitoring of processing facilities, oil refineries, petrochemical plants, and pipelines are accomplished with industrial instrumentation engineering. 

Chemical industries

 In the chemical industry, the primary goal of instrumentation engineers is to improve system productivity, reliability, safety, optimization and stability in sectors with automated processes.

Railways and construction

Railroads rely heavily on instrumentation engineering for all their traffic signals and crossings. Instrumentation engineering is also used to monitor railway movements. It will also assist the guidance system of trains.

Public sector companies

Instrumentation engineers work closely with colleagues across a broad spectrum of responsibilities, including project management, project design, purchase & logistics, development and maintenance. Generally, they are responsible for the creation, integration and ongoing services of instruments in industrial settings.

Corporate businesses 

An instrumentation engineer plans, designs, implements, monitors, and controls the equipment that is necessary to run operations within corporate businesses.

Space Research

A space research instrumentation engineer designs, develops, installs, manages and maintains equipment to monitor and manage mechanical systems, instruments, and operations.

Instrumentation engineers typically work for companies or organizations that manufacture and install instruments and sensors. They are often employed as engineers, researchers and scientists.

Career Prospects and Job Opportunities After Instrumentation Engineering Degree

Today, Instrumentation engineers are needed in many industries in a variety of areas such as design, development, testing, monitoring, automation, manufacturing, quality control and maintenance. Therefore, it can be concluded that Instrumentation engineers are high in demand and have a rewarding career ahead of them. Some opportunities for Instrumentation engineers include:

Instrumentation Engineer

Instrument engineers are often responsible for connecting sensors to recorders, transmitters, displays and control systems. Their responsibilities may include specifying installation and wiring, and testing, calibrating and maintaining the system.

Instrumentation and Control Engineer

Control and instrumentation engineers design, develop, install, manage, and maintain the equipment that controls engineering systems, machinery, and processes.

Automation Engineer

Automation engineers redesign existing technology to make it less dependent on humans, and they monitor the results of the changes they make. The specific responsibilities of an automation engineer differ based on whether they are programming or working with machines, but they are similar in general.

Testing and Quality Maintenance Engineer

Testing and Quality Maintenance Engineers develop tests, debug them, and define corrective action plans. As well as tracking quality assurance metrics, they review system requirements. The ultimate goal of improving quality is to identify and resolve system malfunctions during all stages of software development.

Professor

A professor must be passionate about academics, institutions, and student development. The professor should ensure that students are well-versed in core subjects and provide training in the core field of expertise. Taking part in academic committees and organizational activities should be considered additional duties.

Top Companies Hiring Instrumentation Engineer Graduates 

Instrumentation Engineers have a competitive edge over the average IT Engineer due to their wide scope and a variety of career opportunities domestically as well as internationally. Petrochemical, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, automobiles are among the industries in which graduates can find employment. Among the roles they can play are project engineer, maintenance engineer, reliability engineer and many more. Therefore, Instrumentation Engineers have a high probability of getting recruited at a good firm and top profiles in India or working abroad for training or within foreign companies.

Listing Top 7 Companies Hiring Instrumentation Engineer Graduates-

• BHEL
• Phillips
• L&T
• Reliance Industries Limited
• Biocon
• Honeywell Automation India Limited
• Electronics Corporation of India

Instrumentation Engineer - Salary Trends in India

Instrumentation engineering is a relatively newly-emerged branch of engineering in India, therefore, fewer candidates are getting into it. 

Candidates having a degree in instrumentation engineering are offered some promising job opportunities in the top MNC and government firms in sectors like electrical, mechanical, electronics and many more. 

According to PayScale, Instrumentation Engineers in India generally earn a salary of INR 4,44,902 P.A.  

What are Skills Required to become an Instrumentation Engineer?

Brilliant Instrumentation Engineers are today essential to the nation's success. With India's rapid development, instrumentation engineering jobs will always be in high demand. 

An engineer must have a strong understanding of mathematics and physics. In situations where they have to solve challenging problems, instrument engineers must possess the following skills:

• Excellent technical skills
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to translate project needs into appropriate hardware design and development
• Sound problem-solving skills
• A willingness to think outside the box
• Strong reasoning and analytical abilities
• Should be updated about the trending technologies
• Add-on certification courses will bemore beneficial   

Conclusion

Today, you can find instrumentation in any laboratory that requires accuracy and reliability for results. Instrumentation also serves as the interface between the user and the controlled variable. For example, it serves as the interface between the human operator and a process control system in chemical plants and paper mills. Because of the advances in instrumentation, there is a growing need to understand instrumentation, the components and the systems that use instruments, the applications for instruments, the uses of instruments, and the problems associated with instruments. 

Instrumentation engineering degrees help students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to work in the instrumentation profession. There's a lot of potential in this field and students who graduate with their instrumentation engineering degrees can get jobs in a variety of settings. This industry is an example of an expanding and fast-growing technology industry. 

The applications of instrumentation have grown with instrument technology. The major applications of instrumentation are control, diagnosis, sensing, monitoring, feedback control, and other forms of feedback control. This has caused the instrumentation industry to extend into many areas that were previously not considered part of the instrumentation.

Why DY Patil College of Engineering is a great option to pursue Instrumentation Engineering? 

Numerous engineering colleges provide their students with efficient engineering courses. However, the institution you choose must enable you to develop your personality and gain maximum knowledge to be competitive in the industry. A highly recommended option would be DYPCOE. 

Let's read on to find out why DY Patil College of Engineering is a great choice for Instrumentation Engineering?

NAAC has accredited this college with an A grade since its inception. The college offers 22 courses at the undergraduate and graduate level in its Engineering stream across 9 departments. Its campus is equipped with excellent and extensive research and development facilities. DYPCOE hosts seminars and workshops led by well-known individuals from the academy and industry to enrich the learning process. Faculty members and the campus amenities are top-notch. In the form of concessions on tuition fees, the college offers scholarships to category candidates.

Another excellent reason for choosing DYPCOE is its placement training and assistance. On a national and international level, they provide opportunities to work with leading MNCs. By providing a conducive environment for teaching, learning, and overall personality development, the college is committed to educating students to develop them as competent and goal-oriented engineering professionals. The DYPCOE is the epitome of high academic standards that will propel you towards excellence.

For more information on the program, explore the website and fill out the form. NOW!