The purpose of this document is to convey conventional and widely accepted design practices used in industry for the engineering, design, and assembly of Process Analyzer Systems. Practitioners of this discipline are aware that each Process Analyzer System is a unique and customized entity. This document is intended as a prompt to an experienced analyzer systems engineer to ensure that a safe, reliable, and maintainable system is designed and engineered.

The other PIP analyzer documents in this series deal with proven means to specify, purchase, and install Process Analyzer Systems in an engineering and construction environment. These documents collectively provide a framework for obtaining pre-assembled analyzer systems from third-party vendors who specialize in fabricating complete Process Analyzer Systems. These specialists are frequently called Analyzer System Vendors (ASV).

Process Analyzer Systems are engineered, designed, and fabricated for one of the following:

Process measurement or monitoring
Effluent measurement or monitoring
Ambient atmospheric measurement or monitoring

A properly functioning system requires integration of multiple design tasks:

Selection of analytical technology
Safety
Sample extraction
Sample transport
Sample conditioning
Sample return/disposal
Utilities support
Analyzer shelter
Signal conversions and control system interfaces
Status alarms
Calibration facilities

A Process Analyzer System is not a commodity but is a custom-designed system to meet a specific requirement.