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.

08/05/2019 Tapping into nature A Queen’s Quay regeneration project in Clydebank is set to be the site of one of the UK’s most exciting energy projects, creating Scotland’s first large-scale water source heat pump scheme to connect to a district heating network » Read More

08/05/2019 Go with the flow The new Advanced Multiphase Facility will provide cutting-edge facilities necessary to address the technical challenges of extreme subsea operating conditions. The facility is a pressurised, closed loop flow circuit that offers a range of ... » Read More

08/05/2019 Energy cycle Turbo-compounding uses a turbine to recover energy from the exhaust gases of a piston engine, and supplies this additional energy to the engine’s output shaft. It is, in effect, a form of combined cycle power, with a piston engine ... » Read More

04/04/2019 They came… They thaw… They conquered Engineers and scientists have taken industry standard equipment to Antarctica and used a hot water drill to break through the ice. From there, a string of instruments has been used to understand ice flow and history » Read More

04/04/2019 Comment: Head in the sand? A workshop from Make UK’s National Manufacturing Conference is profiled this month. Entitled ‘monetising your digital future’, the session gave speakers from across different manufacturing sectors a chance to talk about their own, very ... » Read More

04/04/2019 Hydrophonical Water supply utility Anglian Water has begun installing thousands of leak sensors across its network, as well as trialling a new kind of pressure sensor to stop a big cause of leaks; transient surges » Read More

04/04/2019 A nuclear approach to seismic sensing This article discusses the latest trends in seismic monitoring and protection systems for nuclear plants, including technologies adopted and current best practice driven by enhanced risk management demands » Read More

04/04/2019 Current advice Eddy current testing locates flaws in metal structures. But how does it work? » Read More

04/04/2019 A measure of success Developments among industrial system and component suppliers are changing the rules of inspection of fixed industrial assets: goodbye clipboard, hello tablet. OE offers an overview of how these systems work, their benefits and drawbacks, ... » Read More

04/04/2019 Interview: AI for industrial inspection Artificial Intelligence for Industrial Inspection was the title, and subject, of a January conference organised by the Bristol Robotics Lab and the Centre for Modelling & Simulation. The latter’s AI domain specialist, Kiran Krishnamurthy, ... » Read More

04/04/2019 Changing operations 5G communications networks and the rules that govern their use are evolving to transform industrial operations » Read More

04/04/2019 Facing digital Make UK (formerly EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation) held its National Manufacturing Conference in February. A panel of speakers in one workshop spoke about their own, very different digital journeys, and warned delegates not to get ... » Read More

04/04/2019 Turning up the heat Heat networks and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) have gained in popularity, as legislators and developers recognise them as a way to meet energy reduction targets. However, technical and operational challenges, and user acceptance issues, ... » Read More

07/03/2019 Artful Apprentices National Apprenticeship Week, 4-8 March, shines a light on future technicians and engineers, and the courses, teachers and employers that prepare them for success. Here, apprentices across industry say their piece. » Read More

07/03/2019 Comment: Don’t bottle it A cross-industry consortium set up in January, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, aims to reduce the amount of waste plastic that ends up in the world’s oceans, as it harms aquatic life and aquatic environments. » Read More

07/03/2019 Brainy benches Intelligent assembly workbenches go beyond a printed manual to instruct operators on how to perform tasks step-by-step with context-based lighting, graphical displays and other cues. What benefits can this bring for operators and ... » Read More

07/03/2019 Wat-er decision An extraordinarily cost-effective project at a UK theme park, involving the fitment of modern variable-speed drive electronics to existing pump motors, has won supplier Central Group an industry award » Read More

07/03/2019 Pressure cooker A move towards renewables is vital if we want to stop burning fossil fuels. But the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy has been a stumbling block. Promoters of two fluid-compressor plant technologies claim to have the solution » Read More

07/03/2019 Printing up performance Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies offer a wide range of benefits for short run products, prototyping and high-end superalloy components. Now, having built a foothold in niche products, AM is set to break out of its traditional mould » Read More

07/03/2019 Where there’s smoke… Recently-published HSE guidance has set the first UK limits for workplace exposure of nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen monoxide, as well as lowering the carbon monoxide value: that means that employers whose workers come into contact to ... » Read More

07/03/2019 Dust busting Exposure to dust and other particles can result in breathing and lung problems. Luckily there are different solutions available to employers and employees to reduce dust intake, and campaigns looking to shake things up » Read More

07/03/2019 Improvement works Following a pumping station pollution incident that led to a fine, Thames Water has made a series of improvement changes involving personnel, maintenance and data management » Read More

07/03/2019 Getting the shakes Vibration signals can identify the condition of a machine’s balance, lubrication, bearings and gears » Read More

07/03/2019 ComVac Show Preview ComVac, the trade fair for compressed air and vaccum technology, is being held in halls 25 and 26 from 1-5 April. See also: www.is.gd/asotur » Read More

05/02/2019 The wonders of waste United Utilities’ £200 million investment at its Davyhulme wastewater treatment works in greater Manchester has put the site right at the forefront when it comes to sewage treatment » Read More