Measurement notes
Short technical notes on sensing, environmental monitoring, encoder feedback, calibration evidence, and application-driven instrument selection.
Tired of the 'sick thermometer with fever' confusion? A maintenance engineer shares a 5-step sensor installation checklist after 7 years and $23k in mistakes. Covers SICK programmable encoders, MR176 moisture meters, power quality analyzers, and thermal camera myths.
Jane SmithA quality compliance manager answers the most-searched questions about SICK sensors, the 'sick thermometer with fever' confusion, FLIR vs OneEdge Pro thermal cameras, Tektronix oscilloscopes, and total cost of ownership.
Jane SmithA field checklist for deciding whether to troubleshoot or replace a SICK ATM60 absolute encoder, a capacitive sensor, or a Rice Lake load cell—and why total cost matters more than sticker price.
Jane SmithProcurement manager compares budget vs. premium SICK photoelectric sensors, absolute encoders with Profibus and wire draw, repeater pipettes, and megger insulation testers. Includes how to use a megger insulation tester and a practical TCO framework for buying decisions.
Jane SmithAn emergency rush for a SICK IO-Link encoder went wrong in the best possible way. A service manager explains how a Fluke 88V Deluxe Automotive Multimeter, an inductive sensor BI4U, and a Tektronix oscilloscope exposed the real issue before a $774 mistake.
Jane SmithA maintenance engineer's confession: 14 preventable spec mistakes over 8 years, costing $46,000 — covering SICK DFS60 encoders, M30 capacitive sensors, Research Plus pipettes, and Extech multimeters, plus a reusable 10-minute pre-order checklist.
Jane SmithA procurement manager with six years of equipment budgets explains why measurement costs go far beyond the sticker price—from SICK absolute encoder PROFINET upgrades and vetting SICK encoder distributors to calibrating a Mitutoyo micrometer on schedule.
Jane SmithA field engineer shares six years of documented measurement disasters—from a failed SICK DBS60 encoder installation to a misread Sensus water meter—and the deeper causes behind them. Plus the simple checklist that stopped the bleeding.
Jane SmithA procurement manager shares six years of cost-tracking data showing why SICK wire draw absolute encoders—including the ATM60—outperform cheaper alternatives on total cost of ownership. The same TCO lesson applies to precision balance and true RMS multimeter purchases, plus a practical guide on how to install IFM inductive sensors step by step to avoid early failures.
Jane SmithAfter 6 years and 150 orders, a procurement manager explains why buying on price leads to budget overruns—and how SICK encoders, amp clamp multimeters, pipette tips, and a simple thermometer fit into a smarter TCO strategy.
Jane Smith