Control Automation 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.

08/01/2020 Sweet tricks Operations improvement manager for energy, Chris Mayhew, has witnessed energy management change during his 30+ year career at British Sugar. He explained more to delegates at the Energy Management Exhibition (EMEX) in November, about the ... » Read More

08/01/2020 Fatal falls Maintenance problems are causing accidents and falls with extending lift platforms, according to the Health and Safety Executive, which has issued guidance. Similar guidance has also been issued by the National Farmers Union » 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

12/12/2019 Stepping up to the challenge Thyssenkrupp Elevator has produced its longest-ever escalators, which are now operating in Baku, Azerbaijan » Read More

12/12/2019 Elevated status As the operator of a tower crane, getting from the bottom to the top and vice versa takes considerable time and effort. Surely there is an easier way? » Read More

12/12/2019 All systems go People that manage lifts and escalators have different requirements to those that supply and maintain the equipment. Richard Peters and Jim Nickerson of Peters Research address the challenges of developing a lift and escalator management ... » Read More

12/12/2019 A lift for standards With no legal standard in force to ensure forklift truck technicians have the essential skills, knowledge and competence to carry out their roles, to whom should employers turn? Enter F-TEC » Read More

12/12/2019 Robobus Next year sees a new type of bus service arrive in Scotland, traversing Edinburgh’s Forth Road Bridge. Just like every other bus route, it will run regularly, and customers will have to pay a driver in the front seat. But unlike every ... » Read More

12/12/2019 End of life Electric vehicle (EV) use is soaring and with it the growing issue of how to dispose of a large volume of expensive batteries. There are two major strands of thought – repurposing or recycling. Both offer an opportunity to recover residual ... » Read More

12/12/2019 Increased range Thermo-pressure hydrolysis uses heat and pressure to pre-treat food waste before anaerobic digestion. This increases the methane yield while improving the process tolerance to contaminants. It also dramatically increases throughput, ... » Read More

12/12/2019 A sticky situation An on-site trial at a ciabatta bread bakery has demonstrated that it is possible to successfully pump viscous, sticky dough products, even when they are mixed with baked bread. Seepex UK’s customised enclosed, automated waste removal ... » Read More

01/11/2019 Steady on the tiller The SOE’s new patron is Sir John Parker, a near 60-year veteran of industry. He sat down with OE to reflect on his career in shipbuilding and heavy industry and to state the importance of carrying on learning » Read More

01/11/2019 Comment: Diversity is key The cover story this month comes from an interview with new SOE Patron Sir John Parker – a man that has held many roles for nearly 60 years. » Read More

01/11/2019 Building a better way A ‘golden thread’ of core information throughout the lifecycle of a building lies at the heart of a new building safety regime, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. A vital part of that thread will be the building safety manager » Read More

01/11/2019 Show business Energy efficiency and sustainability movers and shakers meet at The Energy Management Exhibition (EMEX) – a free to attend annual event – from 27-28 November at ExCeL in London » Read More

01/11/2019 Emission impossible? We are at a defining moment in the war on global warming, but the good news is that the sector is playing its part in mitigating the impact of climate change » Read More

01/11/2019 Let there be light Solar lighting sounds like an oxymoron, but the rapidly decreasing cost of photovoltaic cells for solar power and growing lighting efficiency makes it a viable option – particularly where mains electricity is difficult to find » Read More

01/11/2019 Job done A maintenance department may range from a single operative to a full team of personnel. Keeping on top of pending, upcoming and surprise tasks can be made easier by displaying and sharing information » Read More

01/11/2019 Exposed An oil and natural gas producer was hit with a significant fine earlier this year following an offshore gas blast resulting from corrosion under insulation (CUI). But what exactly is CUI and how can it be prevented? » Read More

01/11/2019 Coiled to strike Not all pump or gearbox performance issues are caused by mechanical problems, such as bearing failures. Damaged motor windings could be at fault. OE explores how coil damage occurs and how coil rewind works » Read More

01/11/2019 Avoiding the trap What are some of the ways in which operators can protect themselves from the dangers of purchasing counterfeit spare parts? » Read More

07/10/2019 Going to great lengths The Historic Dockyard Chatham, situated on the River Medway in Kent, has been handed funding for conservation and repair works to machinery within its working Victorian Ropery. OE’s deputy editor made his way along the ropewalk to find out ... » Read More

07/10/2019 Comment: Welcome Welcome to Operations Engineer (OE) magazine issue #12. A strange introduction perhaps, but this is a number that I have been counting towards all year. Why? Because OE has now completed a whole one-year cycle since it was relaunched from ... » Read More

07/10/2019 Military to civil The 2018 Engineering UK report stated a shortfall of between 83,000 and 110,000 engineers across all engineering disciplines in the UK. Are technically trained service leavers part of the solution? » Read More