of operation.”

Consistently accurate measurements contributed to this rapid payback. Besides being able to see through the dust and measure the contents of the main section of the silo, the microwave radar also accurately measures the level in the cone crowning the structure. United Canadian Malt knows that the measurements are accurate because it validates them against a mathematical interpolation of its production data.

Having access to accurate data in real time permits the company to maintain its inventory much more precisely. “The information provided by the silo level radar unit has provided us with the ability to improve the scheduling of different incoming grain lots,” says Smith. Not only does this translate into lower demurrage costs for holding railcars, but it also assists in the recordkeeping required by the government.

Don’t tolerate marginal performance
Except for special cases involving harsh environments, such as those at United Canadian Malt, the reliability of sensors and instrumentation seems not to be quite as problematic as it once was. In fact, Marek at Plant Services goes so far as to assert that reliability has been the most important technical advancement in sensor technology and instrumentation over the last decade.

The Hart Communication Foundation has heard similar reports from its members. Anecdotal evidence suggests that devices that might have lasted only three to five years in the past now might have a lifespan of ten years. “Reliability is now to the point where some companies have adopted a maintenance strategy of run to failure,” says Micallef, rather than having a proactive preventive maintenance program that replaces them periodically.

For this reason and because of the technology available today, there is no reason to tolerate marginal performance and unexpected shutdowns caused by inaccuracy and failures of your sensors and instrumentation. “If the plant is not running, it’s not producing product to make money and pay the bills,” says Marek. And that fact gives you a definitive answer to the question of whether to upgrade or not to upgrade.