SNAP, crackle and pop

Emerson Process Management has automated calibration verification for micro motion coriolis flow-meters using a new 'SNAP-ON' application for the company's AMS suite: 'intelligent device manager'.

Users can verify process stability and monitor performance from their office using the application, eliminating the use of external flow calibration laboratories or the purchase of costly standard reference devices. The application also offers recommendations for determining the cause of any changes to flow calibration.

The SNAP-ON application collects and analyses flowmeter data to determine if a change has occurred to the physical structure of the micro motion sensing element, due to product build-up, corrosion or erosion, which may result in a corresponding change in the density measurement from the micro motion metre.

Routine verification of field instrumentation is a common practice in many ISO 9001 manufacturing facilities, and in industries such as pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, manufacturers are mandated by FDA regulations to demonstrate process consistency by routinely verifying their field instrumentation, including coriolis metres. While vital, these verification practices often result in added operational costs, but in contrast to traditional approaches, verifying calibration using the AMS SNAP-ON application provides numerous demonstrated cost savings:

minimising production interruptions and outages;

extending intervals between routine verifications;

streamlining verification documentation procedures;

provideing control charting of verification data.

According to Emerson, one of its 'major pharmaceutical customers' estimates annual savings of 'over $350,000 in reduced verification costs using this AMS device manager solution for micro motion flowmeters'.