Using Portable Insulation Testers for instant troubleshooting

The need for a portable Insulation tester device is felt by many industries in Indonesia to check whether there is any leakage in the electricity supply because of faulty or worn down insulation material. Needless to say that testing insulation is important to ensure safety against electrical or fire hazards as well as for preventing damage to electrical appliances, machines and installations. The insulation material may become ineffective or damaged because of following reasons:-

• Poor quality insulation
• Voltage levels beyond material’s capacity
• Extreme high or low temperatures
• High levels of moisture in work environment
• Presence of dirt, oil or corrosive vapors                

Normal human eye cannot detect improper insulation of every kind and so a need was always felt for a testing device which could give precise readings instantly and in any kind of work environment without putting the testing crew in danger. This need let to the development of device called insulation tester. In Indonesia, as well as globally, the most used, trusted and established brands are Megger Insulation Tester and Kyoritsu Insulation Tester. These devices are portable hand-held devices and give digital readings of insulation testing.

Insulation Testing Technology

The job of an insulation material is to prevent electric current coming in contact of other installations or surfaces as well as to stop any leakage and loss of current. So the transmission wire or appliances and their parts are covered with insulation material that offers resistance to the current flow from leaking out. The Insulation tester works by checking and reading the resistance levels of the insulation material at different locations of the current transmission and spots if there are any places where resistance is poor or below par. The Ohm’s law of electrical resistance is used in detecting levels of resistance. If any discrepancy is detected by smart testing devices like a Megger Insulation Tester or a Kyoritsu Insulation Tester then immediate action is taken to repair the faulty insulation by the maintenance crew. High resistance recorded by an insulation tester means the insulation is working fine and low readings indicate failing insulation. These devices use DC current generation for testing so that no harm is caused to insulation material or the appliance.

Testing scenarios

Insulation tester is used for conducting different kinds of tests under different circumstances. The insulation test or IR test is also called a “Megger” after the company which pioneered the development of Insulation testers. During the installation of a new machine, Megger Insulation tester or Kyoritsu Insulation Tester can detect bad insulation by applying DC current to the de-energized circuit. The testers have the built-in feature of generating this DC current. This test is known as the proof test. Some machines or transmission lines may be tested for resistance consistency across varying time periods. Such tests are known as “Spot reading tests”. Another insulation testing method is the “Step voltage testing” in which resistance of material is tested for different voltages and if resistance is found inconsistent, it means improper insulation. 

Conclusion

Insulation testing is a very crucial testing instrument for industrial safety and troubleshooting. It prevents harm to equipments, machines and appliances and also provides safety against electrical hazards. The main benefit of insulation testing devices is that they are hand-held and portable devices and can provide instant results on a digital screen and can generate their own DC current for insulation testing tests so that no damage is caused to appliance or machine or to its insulting material. 

Simplifying Calibration Process with Multifunction Calibrators

Calibration is a function which compares measurement of a known magnitude or correctness of a particular measuring device with measurements made from another device. The device which has known correctness is called the “standard” and the test instrument device which is to be calibrated is known as the “unit under test”. Multifunction calibrators are measuring instruments that can calibrate multiple process parameters. 

These calibrators are used for following purposes:- 

• Calibrate any process parameter
• Measure and source mA and  volts
• Measure temperature (RTDs and thermocouples), 
• Measure frequency, ohms, and pressure 
• Pulse sourcing

Extensive applications

Multifunction Calibrators have application possibilities in wide range of work environment and processes. They are used extensively in calibrating measuring instruments of various industries like Laboratories, production & manufacturing and workshops. These devices are also used by companies providing calibrating service and quality assurance to various industries. 

Features of Multifunction Calibrators 

• Portable device 
• Dual digital display 
• Adjustable Setpoints 
• Intuitive user Interface  
• Thermocouple input/output terminal 
• Generates voltage up to 750V and current up to 10A
• Overload or short-circuit protection 
• Frequency setting 
• Built-in isolated mA/V measuring channel
• Serial interface for remote controlling 
• Built in HART and documenting option 

Multifunction Calibrators are very useful as they are portable hand-held device that can be easily carried anywhere within an industrial environment or laboratories and workshops. The test unit does not need to be removed from the workplace. One single calibrator can execute calibration of multiple process parameters of measuring instruments used for Sourcing, simulating readings for electrical signals, pressure or temperature. The device has an intuitive user interface and a dual display digital screen for easy readings. Upper digital display is for volts current and pressure and lower display for temperature detectors (RTD’s), thermocouples (TC’s), frequency and resistance. Setpoints in each range allows quick increase and decrease in output. The results of calibration can be documented using HART communication protocol. 

Measurement tools for accurate measuring of PH and humidity

PH meter is an Alat Ukur or a measuring tool used to measure the PH levels, or to be precise the acidity or alkalinity levels of the tested liquid. The pH meter is an electronic device that consists of a measuring probe which is actually a glass rod with a bulb at the bottom. This bulb contains the sensors that pick up the PH measurements. The probe is connected to an electronic meter which displays the measurements made by the sensor on a digital screen. Because there are different kinds of liquids to be tested, there is a need for Kalibrasi of the PH meter before each test to make it more accurate and dependable. 

Calibration process of pH meter

The calibration of pH meter requires at the minimum two liquid solutions which are also called “standard buffer solutions”. These buffers should be so chosen so as to cover the probable range of pH value span of liquid being measured or tested.  The pH level span ranges from pH 4 levels to pH 10 levels with pH 7 being the zero count. The Kalibrasi meter has two control buttons for setting buffer reading points and a third one for setting or adjusting temperatures. The liquid which is being tested for its pH value should be tested against a buffer reading of zero point (pH 7) and the second buffer at either towards the pH 4 or pH 10 points as per expected or probable PH value. 

Step #1 - Switch on the pH meter and let it warm up

Step #2 - Select the two pH buffer points, first being zero and the other at a point greater than the sample liquid either towards the pH 4 reading or pH 10 reading. 

Step #3 - Bring sensor temperature and the buffer solution temperature to uniform levels

Step #4 - Insert the electrode probe of pH Alat Ukur into the first buffer solution and allow the reading to stabilize. 

Step #5 - Set the pH meter to the pH value of the first buffer at decided temperature. 

Step #6 - After recording the zero buffer reading, the probe should be wiped with distilled water and rinsed with liquid of next buffer solution and again insert the probe after stabilizing probe and solution temperatures. 

Step #7 - After the calibration of PH meter at two buffer points is successfully done, the electrode’s probe may be rinsed and cleaned with sample solution and then accurate pH measurement of the sample solution can be taken. 

Humidity measuring tools

Alat Ukur Kelembaban or humidity measurement tools are required to measure percentage of water present in any given substance. A moisture meter is the instrument which is used for measuring moisture or humidity of a substance. Kelembaban measuring may be required in wood or paper product industries or in the food and agriculture industry. For example, Alat Ukur Kelembaban can be used in agriculture to find out the levels of humidity in grains of wheat, rice, corn, tobacco, hay etc.  Correct measurements of humidity are crucial in maintaining quality of food products.