Discuss the status of instrument technicians in factories
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I just saw a post on the forum; it seemed to be about “the humiliating instrument technician.” \"Strange work meals, a miraculous day\" – after reading it, I had some thoughts ； I have been working in instrument maintenance. Due to my job, I have also met many colleagues from other companies. In our conversations, we often talk about the compensation and status of instrument technicians. Everyone shakes their heads on this matter; they feel that instrument technicians hold an awkward position within a factory. It is said that they are important – they are like the eyes and nerves of the factory – but when it comes to actual compensation, things are different. Some instrument supervisors even earn less than process engineers. When an accident occurs in the factory, the instruments are the first to be suspected. Instrument technicians not only need to prove that there is nothing wrong with them but also need to identify any issues with the processes or equipment in order to demonstrate their own innocence. It’s a bit complicated. People often see the apparent ease of work for instrument technicians, but they don’t see the effort that goes into it behind the scenes ； I had a personal experience during a major maintenance campaign organized by the company: one of the company’s senior executives said to me, \"Look at how hard the workers are working on those machines; dozens of people are sweating profusely there. You instrument technicians, on the other hand, seem to have it easy – you just sit in front of computers all day without knowing what you’re doing.\" It leaves me speechless. When communicating with colleagues these days, I often use this sentence as a joke – of course, it’s just a bitter smile. In short, almost all those working in the instrumentation field feel that the effort they put in is not proportionate to the rewards they receive, and they do not get the recognition they deserve. Please also talk about the status of fitters in their respective positions; it can serve as a means of communication and mutual encouragement, hehe
I agree; I often help with process analysis issues
This situation is quite complex; not all factories place emphasis on technological development. Even when they claim to do so, there are many issues that remain unaddressed. Some organizations are so reliant on outsourcing tasks such as maintenance that their status within the organization declines as a result
Instrument maintenance is a job that requires technical knowledge and analytical skills. In my factory, it is not given as high a status as electrical work; in the eyes of the workers in the workshop, those who do this job are seen as people who just sit around doing nothing. During shutdowns for maintenance, the physical labor involved in working with instruments is indeed much less than that required by equipment maintenance workers
Eating too much leisure food leads to more opinions from others
Who do you say the instrument compares to? With an electrician? How can a factory keep running without electricity? And the workshop? Without a workshop, where do you get profits from? And the laboratory? That’s where women stay, and for quality control? Are those the inspectors for factory products and boilers? You don’t have steam – are you sure your operation can keep running? Here, the instruments are the worst. If there’s a problem in the workshop, take the gauge there first. . No overtime pay is given for working overtime. . There are internal conflicts among them as well. To be honest, instrumentation is not easy to learn; one needs to know a bit about everything. I’m currently thinking about whether to change careers; the company’s benefits are poor, and there’s a lot of internal strife. . Sigh. . .
Status is earned by oneself. With the first instrument supervisor, it was during the era of large state-owned enterprises; there were less than 10 instruments in the whole plant that were automated, and the workshop had over 80 employees. The supervisor kept saying that everything should serve production, but it was a frustrating situation ； The second director came after the reform and opening up, when the factory installed 4 sets of equipment and tens of thousands of instruments in use. The director pointed his finger 2 inches in front of the factory manager’s nose and said, “Do you understand or not?” Don’t scare the commander! ”. Back then, no one in the factory dared to show disapproval toward the instruments. But this director is a gentleman; he never talks about money and disdains petty tactics. The people below are just not frustrated; as for their treatment and such, it’s not worth mentioning ； The third director was involved in the restructuring of Sinopec, during which a workshop that once had over 80 employees was reduced to just about 20. The factory distributed cold drinks and deducted some points from the performance metrics; the manager immediately sent people to retrieve them. I only realized later that I had made a mistake, but what’s taken by force remains so. Later on, the entire instrument workshop was restructured into a company; only 12 people remained, and it was still the same factory that required us to work night shifts. I’m sorry, but if you bring 800,000, I can arrange to have someone available for you 24/7; otherwise, it’s not possible. As a result, the 12 people ended up working regular day shifts for several years. The facility has already arranged for the migrant workers, and then they asked us to come.
As there is an increasing emphasis on safety supervision, chemical plants are becoming more automated, and the role of instrument technicians is also gaining importance. Yet, since it is considered a secondary department, it is impossible for them to compete with frontline departments in terms of benefits. The most important thing is to understand the manufacturing processes and technologies oneself; one must be able to convince both managers and those in charge of the production processes. If you let those processes manipulate you, then one can imagine what your position will be. At the critical moment, blurt out: Do you understand or do I understand? You’re really great.
Well, our instrument workshop was established as a result of the restructuring of Sinopec, and it is currently the only workshop within the mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation department that is profitable. I get along well with those in the production department as well; there’s no issue of hierarchy or anything like that. It mainly depends on one’s own efforts to make things work
Men fear choosing the wrong career; every industry is challenging to work in, and it takes extra effort to become outstanding. A large part depends on one’s own efforts to change the current situation