Instrumentation Engineering
What with the world moving at an extraordinarily fast pace and the developments in science and technology happening every day, bifurcations of the traditional branches of engineering into new ones is something that is bound to happen. With these new classifications are emerging newer ways of students to pursue engineering. One such branch which is highly in demand today is Instrumentation Engineering.
It is a branch that has basically been born of its two core branches of engineering which are Electrical Engineering and Electronics Engineering. Apart from the theories and concepts of its parent branches, instrumentation engineering also encompasses certain principles of Computer Engineering.
It deals with the study of instruments. The working principles of instruments, their parts and subparts, manufacturing instruments, maintaining them as well as repairing them is basically what Instrumentation Engineering is all about.
The work of an Instrumentation Engineer is two-fold: the making of instruments and secondly, ensuring the smooth running of instruments. Since there is no industry today that can function in the absence of instruments, there is a very wide scope for Instrumentation Engineers. If you look in all the right places, the opportunities are endless.
To pursue this field, firstly, it is mandatory that a student takes up Science with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in the Eleventh and Twelfth standard. Then, one must pursue a course in Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) or Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) with Instrumentation Engineering as the concentration. Some institutes and colleges offer this branch in combination with other branches or a core branch. The courses offered are - Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering or Applied Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering. Students of these branches too can venture into the field of Instrumentation Engineering.
The pay scale- for a beginner- ranges from INR 1,50,000 to INR 4,50,000 per annum depending on the kind of company you are working with. A seasoned engineer can make up to INR 6,00,000 to INR 8,00,000 per annum on an average, irrespective of his/her field of work.
The employment options are many and diverse. Instrumentation Engineers can go into their core field and work on plants at the production-floor level or can venture into the software industry as well which is the route many of them are opting for these days.
Some companies that require you to work as a hard-core Instrumentation Engineer are Texas Instruments, Larsen and Toubro (L & T), National Instruments, Siemens, etc. Some software companies too welcome Instrumentation Engineers like the TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Accenture and the likes. There are several PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) that have job openings for Instrumentation Engineers. NTPC, BHEL, ONGC, SAIL, GAIL, UPPCL regularly put out job offers for engineers. Many engineers choose to go the government sector way too for the job safety and security that it provides.
The job of an Instrumentation Engineer is a hectic one. One has to be prepared to be called upon by your employer at any time of the day or night in case of a glitch in any instrument of the plant. You have to be alert and attentive at all times; as what you do forms the backbone of any industry. If your technical knowledge is sound and you have a responsible attitude, you have a long way to go in this field.
