Industrial

Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics repair, maintain, calibrate, adjust, and install industrial measuring and controlling instrumentation. They are employed by pulp and paper processing companies, nuclear and hydropower generating companies, mining, petrochemical and natural gas companies, industrial instrument and other manufacturing companies, and by industrial instrument servicing establishments.

Career Options

• INDUSTRIALPROCESCONTROLTECHNOLOGIST
• INSTRUMENT TECHNICIAN
• INDUSTRIAL INSTRUMENTATION TECHNICIAN
• AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENT TECHNICIANS
• INDUSTRIALMECHANICSTECHNOLOGISTS

On the Job...

Things that Industrial instrument technicians and technologists do at work are:

• Consult manufacturer's manuals, circuit diagrams and blueprints to determine tests and maintenance procedures for instruments used for measuring and controlling flow, level, pressure, temperature, chemical composition and other variables in manufacturing and processing.
• Inspect and test operation of instruments and systems to diagnose faults using pneumatic, electrical and electronic testing devices and precision measuring instruments.
• Repair and adjust system components, such as sensors, transmitters and programmable logic controllers, or remove and replace defective parts.
• Calibrate components and instruments according to manufacturers' specifications.

Educational Requirements:

Completion of a four or five-year apprenticeship program in industrial instrument repair, or completion of a two-year college program in industrial instrumentation technology and several years of work experience are usually required for trade certification.

Industrial instrument mechanic trade certification is available, but voluntary, in several but not all provinces and territories.