News

Industrial equipment, services and inspection news and information for manufacturing, process, facilities and related fields.

17/06/2011 Europe’s new motor efficiency requirements welcomed Electric motors and drives giant ABB has welcomed the EU's introduction of minimum efficiency levels for LV motors. » Read More

16/06/2011 Peristaltic pump eliminates printing machine breakdowns Bristol-based Portishead Press is reporting that peristaltic pumps have eradicated issues with printing machine breakdowns, previously caused by failures to its air-operated diaphragm pump. » Read More

15/06/2011 Kings Cross station first for solar test technology Hand-held solar photovoltaic PV electrical test instrumentation has been used for the first time as part of the installation of one of the UK's largest solar panel systems. » Read More

15/06/2011 Kittiwake acquires acoustic emission pioneer Holroyd Global equipment protection specialist Kittiwake Developments has acquired Holroyd Instruments, which pioneered acoustic emissions techno9logy for plant condition monitoring. » Read More

14/06/2011 Theory of Constraints giant Eli Goldratt dies, age 64 It is with great regret that Plant Engineer has to report the death of Dr Eliyahu Goldratt, aged 64, renowned developer of the application of Theory of Constraints. » Read More

14/06/2011 Vibration is on the up for condition monitoring The use of vibration equipment for monitoring industrial machinery is on the rise, according to Hansford Sensors, which reports increased sales of its systems. » Read More

13/06/2011 Safe maintenance gets new ambassadors from Europe In the second year of EU-OSHA's Healthy Workplaces Campaign on safe maintenance, the number of partners has risen to 52. » Read More

10/06/2011 LEEA boosts training and technical audit teams LEEA (Lifting Equipment Engineers Association) has expanded both its training and technical audit teams in response to what it calls rapidly growing membership and demand. » Read More

09/06/2011 Hose test and maintenance service prevents costly leaks Eriks UK is now offering an industrial hose testing services either on-site, with the firm's mobile testing teams, or at one of Eriks Hose Technology centres. » Read More

09/06/2011 Compressed air savings revealed with software system Plant engineers can now assess their plants' volumes of wasted air, caused by leaks and pressure losses on their compressed air networks, using Parker Hannifin's Transair energy efficiency calculator software. » Read More

08/06/2011 Denca to build controls for new cell culture plant Automation control systems specialist Denca Controls is to supply the E&I controls for the new IPB2 facility, designed by laboratory clean room specialist T Squared for chemicals firm SAFC in Irvine, Scotland. » Read More

08/06/2011 BBC Fake Britain boosts the campaign against counterfeit PPE BSIF (the British Safety Industry Federation) is praising last week's showing of Fake Britain on BBC One, which included an investigation into the devastating impacts of counterfeit and illegal PPE (personal protective equipment). » Read More

07/06/2011 Speedy says suppliers must shape up or ship out Plant rental firm Speedy has launched a sustainability strategy under which its suppliers are being warned to prove their environmental credentials or risk losing out. » Read More

06/06/2011 24-hour service for geared motors from Siemens Mechanical Drives Round-the-clock service for geared motors and couplings has been introduced by Siemens Mechanical Drives. » Read More

06/06/2011 Worker cheats death after being dragged through 125mm gap A worker who sustained horrific injuries, but lived, having been dragged through a gap no wider than a CD case on a poorly guarded machine, has become a symbol for getting guarding right. » Read More

03/06/2011 Four killed in Chevron Pembroke refinery explosion Four people have been killed and one seriously injured as a result of an explosion and fire yesterday evening (2 June 2011), at Chevron's Pembroke refinery, currently being bought by Valero Energy. » Read More

03/06/2011 Ex-serviceman’s severed arm costs Transwaste Recycling £18,000 An incident in which an ex-serviceman had his right forearm severed by a baling machine, while working at the Transwaste Recycling plant in 2009, has refocused attention on the Importance of machine guarding. » Read More

03/06/2011 Algerian desalination plant saves energy with inverters and soft starters The Spanish consortium building the Tlemcem-Honaine desalination plant near Oran, in Algeria, is expecting significant efficiencies as a result of using inverter drives and soft starters. » Read More

02/06/2011 Firms fined £130,000 after worker's electric shock Two companies, a director and a subcontractor have been fined a total of £130,000 for health and safety failings, after a construction worker suffered serious burns following an electric shock from an overhead power cable. » Read More

02/06/2011 Drives maintenance service integrated with online data SEW-Eurodrive has launched what it calls a Complete Drive Management (CDM) service that integrates maintenance and servicing of industrial drives with an online databank. » Read More

01/06/2011 Heinz fined over finger loss at Wigan baked bean factory Food giant Heinz has been fined £20,000 plus £5,000 costs after a worker suffered serious injuries to his left hand on 11 April 2008 at its Kitt Green baked bean plant in Wigan. » Read More

01/06/2011 Laser sensors improve concrete blocks production quality German automation firm R&W Industrieautomation has developed a laser-based system for measuring the height of concrete blocks during production. » Read More

31/05/2011 Scotland’s premier water project goes for Hensel electrics Engineers working on Glencorse water treatment works, for Scottish Water, have installed over 400 top of the range electrical enclosures and junction boxes from Hensel. » Read More

31/05/2011 Alcoa cuts compressed air maintenance costs, with Hydrovane Thirty-three new 37kW Hydrovane compressors are helping global aluminium producer Alcoa to increase productivity and cut maintenance costs at its San Ciprián refinery, in Spain. » Read More

27/05/2011 Speedy takes steps to eradicate falls from height Equipment and plant rental firm Speedy says it is standardising on award-winning Xcalibre fall arrest blocks to eradicate falls from height among customers. » Read More