Maintenance, Repair and Operations Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

06/04/2020 Sight sensing Motion amplification is a powerful technique for visualising vibration and other motion in mechanical systems, which can lead to rapid diagnosis of potential problems » Read More

30/03/2020 Handy advice Irritant contact dermatitis is an eczema that can be triggered by a range of substances used across industry. This article focuses on employee hands and looks at what measures can be put in place to prevent it » Read More

23/03/2020 Hidden gems Vibration sensors can monitor the health of different assets, including motors, pumps, compressors and fans. These small, low-cost devices can be a godsend to operators by highlighting potential catastrophic failure via data » Read More

16/03/2020 Manchester makeover Atlas Copco has recently upgraded compressed air and vacuum systems for Manchester-based brick maker Wienerberger, resulting in energy cost savings, along with reduced CO2 emissions and production downtime » Read More

10/03/2020 Safe cleaning with gas A series of vehicle explosions has prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to issue guidance for mobile oven cleaning businesses that use LPG to heat dip tanks. While much of the advisory may be considered common sense, raising ... » Read More

05/02/2020 Oh snap! OE’s editor and thermal camera novice Adam Offord visited Flir Systems to test its product range and user-friendliness » Read More

05/02/2020 Staying focused There are a wide range of infrared training courses on the market, from general introductions to specialist and sector-specific instruction » Read More

08/01/2020 Shaking things up Some analysis tools promise to automate the interpretation of vibration signals to extend the job of collecting data to unskilled trades, instead of just trained experts. OE explores how they work » Read More

08/01/2020 A CM approach Abayomi Obisesan, asset reliability engineer at Optimal Asset Maintenance Solutions, discusses the relevance of condition monitoring to equipment maintenance strategy development » Read More

07/10/2019 Maintec 2019 – it’s show time When? 30-31 October 2019 | Where? National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, UK, B40 1NT » Read More

06/09/2019 The wheel deal Bucket wheel reclaimers/excavators are among the largest machines ever built, shifting vast amounts of stored solid material – and all at remarkable speed. Operations Engineer gets up close to these Leviathans to find out more » Read More

06/09/2019 Comment: Tick tock There are just 20 Fridays until Christmas. That is the post that popped up on my social media newsfeed during August thanks to my mother-in-law. (Shakes head in despair). I jest of course, but knowing that Christmas is just around the ... » Read More

05/08/2019 Listen ear Noise exposure from tools and equipment can be damaging to personnel. A range of PPE and other solutions can mitigate the risks » Read More

05/08/2019 What if… There are many different uses for virtual reality technology in industrial settings. Redesigning existing facilities, as well as imagining future industrial plants, is one of them » Read More

04/07/2019 Spare the headache Operators and maintenance engineers will have a variety of tools, stock and spare components available to hand. Storing them correctly can save everyone a major headache » Read More

04/07/2019 Another way Ramsoft’s approach to a critical spares review » Read More

04/07/2019 A critical task Considering the criticality of parts, along with the cost of carrying them, provides a way of deciding what parts to stock. This is the essence of a critical spares review » Read More

04/07/2019 Protect and serve A smart condition monitoring (SCM) system from Mitsubishi Electric is being utilised by malted barley producer Muntons to protect vital parts of its production process against unscheduled downtime » Read More

03/06/2019 Inside job Manually-operated inspection vehicles are used to inspect pipelines and pipework. But the days of these vehicles may be numbered, as researchers look at truly autonomous inspection and repairs » Read More

03/06/2019 Doing the dirty Recent research has suggested that more than four in five Brits want robots to ‘do the dirty work’. Luckily, such technology is starting to become a reality, able to take over different tasks in various sectors of industry » Read More

03/06/2019 Clean and green Driven by regulatory, financial and business needs, a new generation of more environmentally-friendly industrial degreasants is emerging that matches the performance of traditional hydrocarbon products. It is giving operators a greener, ... » Read More

03/06/2019 Clean break On the face of it, non-contact cleaning of hospitals and healthcare facilities – by employing, for example, nebuliser technology, or ultraviolet light – sounds more hygienic than wiping and washing. But is it as effective? » Read More

08/05/2019 Correct lubrication = longevity Industrial equipment can fail because of inadequate lubrication maintenance and incorrect lubrication. Getting it right, first time, every time, is therefore vital » Read More

08/05/2019 Asking AI about lube The complex chore of choosing the right lubrication is getting easier. With artificial intelligence (AI), a new generation of online, smart and mobile platforms could smooth the path to efficient lube procurement » Read More

08/05/2019 A clean start A spotless, well-maintained HVAC system not only reduces overheads, but also conserves natural resources by reducing energy and water consumption » Read More