Process Loops - HxGN EAM - 12.00.00 - Feature Briefs - Hexagon

HxGN EAM Calibrations

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English
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HxGN EAM
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Feature Briefs
HxGN EAM Version
12

It is important to calibrate individual devices to ensure they continue to operate within the intended limits. However, it is also important to consider complete processes and whether the process is operating as intended.

A process that is calibrated within EAM is called a ‘loop.’ The loop is a group of devices that are calibrated together, versus as individual devices. When calibrating a device, a known standard is applied to the device and a reading taking directly from that same device. However, when calibrating a loop, the known standard is applied to 1 of the equipment in the loop (beginning of the loop and is called the ‘standard applied to’ equipment) and the actual reading is taken from 1 of the devices in the loop (end of the loop and is called the ‘reading taken from’ equipment). It is the reading taken from the output of the loop that determines the pass/fail of the calibration.

We already know that configuring an individual device for calibration is as easy as creating an equipment record to represent the device, then populating data on the Calibration and Test Points tabs for Equipment.

To configure a loop for calibration is a bit more involved but not a great deal. While there can be many equipment and/or devices contained in a loop, the 2 most important to configure within EAM are the ‘standard applied to’ equipment (i.e., the equipment for which the standard is applied to) and the ‘reading taken from’ equipment (i.e., the device from which the output reading is taken).

The following are steps to configure loops:

  • Create an equipment record that will represent the loop (process) itself. It is important to select the Loop check box on the Calibration tab of this record and to enter any critical calibration details here. For example, enter Device Tolerance From/To, Alert Tolerance, Precision, Increment, and other ranges for the loop calibration on the loop record. It is also important that the test points to be used for the loop calibration be entered on the Test Points tab for the loop record. It is not necessary to populate the Instrument Type field for this record.

  • Create an equipment record that will represent the ‘standard applied to’ (input) equipment in the loop. This will be where the standard is applied during calibration. It is important to select the Instrument check box and set Instrument Type = ‘Standard applied to’ on the Calibration tab for Equipment for this input equipment. It is not necessary to create any test points on the Test Points tab for the input record.

  • Create an equipment record that will represent the ‘reading taken from’ (output) equipment in the loop. This will be where the actual reading is taken for the process output on the loop. It is important to select the Instrument check box and set Instrument Type = ‘Reading taken from’ on the Calibration tab for this output equipment. It is not necessary to create any test points on the Test Points tab for the output equipment as they will come from the Loop record during calibration.

Whenever a calibration work order is created for the loop, the system will:

  1. Populate the Loop equipment on the work order record view.

  2. Copy much of the loop calibration details from the Calibration tab for the loop Equipment to the header section of the Calibration tab for Work Order.

  3. Populate the test points associated to the ‘reading taken from’ (output) equipment onto the Calibration tab for Work Order. These test points will be the focus of the loop calibration. The equipment documented for each test point will also the ‘reading taken from’ equipment. So, in the case of a loop calibration the work order header equipment (i.e., loop) will be different than the equipment for each test point (i.e., ‘reading taken from’ equipment). This contrasts with a calibration work order created for an individual device where the work order header equipment and the test point equipment will be the same (i.e., the device being calibrated).

  4. See Creating and using calibration work orders for additional details of calibration work orders.