please specify the differences between instrument and equipment ?
Instrument give the result… equipment give output… & in a very simple form:
Instrument are used to measure the units, like flow, pressure, weight etc. Instrument is a part of the equipment.
Equipment consists of one or more instruments to perform different kind of activity.
For example: weight balance is a equipment.
Load cell is a Instrument used to measure the weights
Generally, Instrument (measuring device) gives results of determination of specified characteristics of the material such as weight, volume, pressure, pH, Absorbance, Transmittance, converting an electrical / mechanical signal (impulse) into measurable response in terms of units. The results produced by the instrument are either qualitative or quantitative. The instruments are calibrated with the standard devices in order to have reliability and accuracy of the results they produce.
The equipment is used generally in a process to produce the desired output in the form of a product, material, or any other kind. Therefore, in order to measure quality or other characteristics of output or process parameters, there are instruments attached to the equipment. In order to rely on the desired output of the equipment, this should be qualified (IQ, OQ, PQ) before being used for routine work.
Therefore, Calibration and Qualification are important aspects of instruments (measuring devices) and equipment to ensure quality characteristics of the output. Process validation is a part of the performance qualification (PQ) of equipment used in that process.