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.

20/05/2015 Waiting for the wireless world Industrial wireless has been on offer for almost a decade now, but in that time it has failed to make the expected impact. Mark Venables looks at what is holding back the wireless revolution » Read More

14/05/2015 Biogas generation Experience with growing numbers of biogas plants has been pointing up design, construction and operation problems that are resulting in higher insurance premiums. » Read More

14/05/2015 Think engineering for next government Whether or not election fever floats your boat, there will be no getting away from manifesto analysis, criticism, re-casting and re-analysis for the remaining few weeks until 7 May 2015, when the great British electorate decides the colour ... » Read More

25/04/2015 Don’t be caught off guard There are compelling moral and business reasons to guard, quite literally, against the dangers posed by moving conveyors. Ian Vallely explains » Read More

24/04/2015 Business critical The publication of ISO 55000 enables a new chapter in business thinking around asset maintenance and management. Brian Tinham examines the issues » Read More

24/04/2015 Controlled exposure Not so much a roller coaster as a wild ride, developing and integrating control systems is getting easier and more rewarding. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

19/03/2015 Full Metal Jacket Drilling maintenance and production teams into one elite fighting force has helped Best Factory winners Alcoa, Kitts Green and Coca-Cola, Sidcup win the battle against breakdowns. » Read More

19/03/2015 Invest to save Despite currently reduced energy costs, the focus on emissions and efficiency is intensifying, driven in part by the government’s ESOS. Brian Tinham reviews some often missed opportunities » Read More

19/03/2015 Efficient energy Combined heat and power plants have come on in leaps and bounds – and contract packages and financial incentives are making them increasingly attractive. » Read More

11/03/2015 It’s the engineering conundrum, stupid As election fever (or torture, depending on your political outlook) starts to take hold, politicians and pressure groups are already piling on the pressure to persuade the populous and each other to their ways of thinking. » Read More

23/02/2015 Premium efficiency Since 1 January 2015, IE3 premium-efficiency motors have been compulsory for new machines in the range 7.5–375kW. Brian Tinham examines the implications of the second phase of EU MEPS » Read More

23/02/2015 Main event packs a punch Last year’s Maintec broke records, attracting more than 3,670 visitors. On its return to the NEC, Birmingham on 24–26 March 2015, it will be even bigger thanks to its co-location with other shows including the Health and Safety Event » Read More

23/02/2015 Automation architectures As control system developers increasingly adopt the technologies and techniques of mainstream IT, the results are reducing costs and improving flexibility. » Read More

25/01/2015 More than just a suitable case for treatment Setting up an occupational health department in your company or using an outside service for preventive healthcare can result in a healthy profit as well as a healthy workforce, says Ian Vallely » Read More

23/01/2015 Value adding Managers turning to the belief that maintenance may be non-core need to consider the implications of that notion before they outsource key engineering functions. » Read More

23/01/2015 Energy compression When it comes to systems delivering energy for industrial processes, compressors are among the least efficient. Modern designs, energy recovery and informed maintenance all help, but EU regulations will force change. » Read More

09/12/2014 Breath of fresh fluid What bothers engineers concerned with pneumatics can be very different to those working solely with hydraulics. » Read More

09/12/2014 Wired for sense Although electrochemical sensors remain the bread and butter for gas detection, alternative technologies have come a long way, with the oil and gas sector leading the charge. » Read More

09/12/2014 How do you shape up? A quarter of factory management teams lack a formal maintenance strategy, while a third are oblivious to the costs of downtime, according to research. Time for a wake-up call, says Max Gosney » Read More

09/12/2014 Firing on all four? Heat recovery should be a burning issue for engineers and managers – whether maintaining existing boiler plant or specifying new systems. Brian Tinham looks at available technologies, and what's coming » Read More

09/12/2014 Balancing benefits or appeasing the voters? With the chancellor putting the final touches to his Autumn Statement (as we go to press), and the pressure on to continue delivering the coalition's austerity programme, recent developments will be making this balancing act increasingly ... » Read More

03/12/2014 Starter for ten We're all aware of the importance of choosing higher-efficiency electric motors, pumps, fans, etc, to cut costs and emissions, but are we missing a trick? Brian Tinham reports » Read More

03/12/2014 Lay waste to poor treatment There are many ways to clean up performance of water and effluent treatment units in industrial plants. Steed Webzell takes a look at some of them » Read More

03/12/2014 Watch your step More than 29,000 people were killed or badly injured by slips, trips and falls in the UK in 2012/2013, but there are steps you can take to diminish the risks. » Read More

02/12/2014 The pursuit of power Improvements in forklift truck engines and motors – and the fuels that drive them – have led to more versatile machines and a greater choice in truck specification. Ian Vallely adds fuel to the arguments for and against the different power ... » Read More