KSA Industrial Automation Company provides loop check services in Saudi Arabia for new plants, expansions and shutdowns, proving every instrument loop from the field device to the control system screen. Each loop ends with a signed sheet in a loop folder. We work to your ITPs and loop check formats, with schedules set per project. Our electrical and instrumentation services include loop checking and the records that go with it.
What you receive: a written proposal with the loop count, test method, record format and price within one working day of receiving your instrument index, loop list or I/O list. Request a quotation
What does a loop check mean?
A loop check proves that one instrument loop works end to end. A signal is created or simulated at the field device, and we confirm that the control system shows the right tag, the right value in the right engineering unit, and the right alarm. For a control loop we also confirm that the output moves the right final element in the right direction.
A transmitter loop covers the transmitter, its cable, the junction box, marshalling, the barrier or isolator, the I/O card and the screen. Any weak link in that chain makes the loop fail, so the test covers the whole chain and not just the card.
Loop check services: what we deliver
Our instrumentation and control team covers the loop types below. Each one has its own test method and record.
| Loop type | Test method | Record | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analogue input (4–20 mA, HART) | Inject 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 mA; check range, units and alarms | Loop sheet with readings at each point | Per project schedule |
| Analogue output and control valve | Drive 0, 50 and 100 % output; check stroke, direction and feedback | Valve stroke sheet | Per project schedule |
| Digital input (switches, limit switches, status) | Operate the contact; check the tag, state and alarm text | Loop sheet | Per project schedule |
| Digital output (motors, solenoids, trips) | Command from the screen; check the field device responds | Loop sheet | Per project schedule |
| Temperature and analyser loops | Simulate resistance or millivolt inputs; verify scaling | Loop sheet with calibration data | Per project schedule |
| Loop folder compilation | Datasheet, loop diagram, calibration record, test sheet and punch list per tag | ISA/IEC loop check folders | Per project schedule |
What is the loop check procedure on site?
The procedure follows the same order on every tag, so nothing is skipped under schedule pressure.
- We check the tag, range and unit on the instrument datasheet against the I/O list and the control system database.
- We confirm the field device is installed, powered and calibrated, and that cable testing is complete.
- One engineer injects or simulates the signal at the field device while a second reads the control system screen over the radio.
- We step the signal through the test points, record each reading and compare it with the tolerance.
- We trigger every alarm and trip set point and check the text, the priority and the action.
- We sign the sheet with your inspector and move the tag into the loop folder.
Faults go onto a punch list at once, with the likely cause. Typical findings are wrongly scaled ranges, reversed polarity, swapped tags between junction box and card, and valves that stroke the wrong way.
Do you work as an I&C contractor, and what is the difference from E&I?
Yes. We act as an I&C contractor from the point where cables are installed and terminated. E&I is the older term for the combined electrical and instrument trade on a construction site, while I&C describes the instruments and their control system. We cover the instrument and control side: loop checks, function tests, calibration records and the connection to the PLC, DCS or RTU system.
Because we also write the control software, a mismatch found during a loop check is corrected on the spot, with no waiting between trades. Our PLC programming engineers can change a scaling block or an alarm limit during the test and re-run the loop immediately.
How do loop checks fit into commissioning?
Loop checks are the first stage of site testing and the base for everything after them. Once every loop passes, we move to equipment tests, sequence tests and the integrated run described in control system commissioning. A system tested loop by loop reaches start-up with few surprises.
For plants in operation, we check loops during a shutdown window, in the order that releases equipment to operations first. We label each tag as tested, and the status board shows the percentage complete each day.
Who we serve on instrument loops
KSA Industrial Automation Company has worked in Saudi Arabia since 1995 and is approved by Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. KSA Industrial Automation has worked on projects for all three and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification. The approvals page sets out the records we issue.
We serve EPC contractors, plant owners and consultants on process plants, water and wastewater works, tank farms and utility yards. We take projects in all regions of Saudi Arabia, working from Dammam.
Loop check questions
Who provides loop check services in Saudi Arabia?
KSA Industrial Automation Company provides loop check services in Saudi Arabia, from instrument loop testing and calibration records to compiled loop folders. We have been active since 1995 and work from Dammam across all regions.
What affects the cost of loop checking?
Cost follows the number of loops, the mix of analogue, digital and valve loops, the access to field devices, whether HART communication is checked, the record format and the shutdown window. An instrument index with loop types lets us price each group.
How long does a loop check take?
Duration depends on the loop count, how many technicians the plant can host, the readiness of cabling and instruments, and permits. A two-person team can prove a good number of tags daily on a ready plant, and we plan the programme with you before starting.
Can you use our client's loop check format?
Yes. We work to the format in your project specification or ITP, including your tag naming, sheet layout and sign-off steps. Where no format exists, we supply a standard loop sheet and agree it with your inspector before the first loop is tested.
Do you calibrate instruments as well as loop check them?
Yes. We record as-found and as-left readings with a reference calibrator against the tolerance on the datasheet, and adjust the instrument where the design allows it. Those readings go into the loop folder together with the calibrator details.
What should I send to get a quotation?
Send your instrument index, loop list or I/O list, with P&IDs if you have them. Add the record format your client requires and the dates of the shutdown or test window. The proposal then states the loop count, method, records and price.
Need loop check services in Saudi Arabia? Send us your instrument index and test window, and receive a quotation within one working day.
Email: inquiry@ksaindustrialautomation.com | Request a quotation