Can better temperature measurements help improve my process?
“Better” temperature measurements will improve many, but not all processes. Generally “Better” means more stable temperature measurements with less drift. For temperature measurements that rely on indication only, or on single loop feedback control, measurement repeatability is the important variable. Less drift means better repeatability. Measurements can and do drift several degrees depending on the ambient temperature change and the long term drift of the sensor and measurement electronics. As a rule of thumb, for single loop control or indication only, if a 15F shift in the temperature measurement would have no effect on your process, then you probably have better things to do with your time than to tighten up this temperature measurement point. However, if you answer the question that says “Yes, an error of 15F would affect the results that I am trying to achieve”, then you should take a second and look at your temperature measurements, because the chances are that you will have a
