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.

19/03/2014 Top 10 steam safety and efficiency tips With the importance of steam plant to a wide range of plants, factories and other facilities, Brian Tinham talks to Greg Sutcliffe, global segment manager at Bürkert, about getting maintenance right » Read More

27/02/2014 Material world New materials are being investigated for coal-fired power plants as their owners and operators seek to reduce emissions, using alternative fuels and carbon capture technologies. » Read More

27/02/2014 Fee for Intervention or fining for HSE income? Police, prosecutor, judge and jury. » Read More

23/02/2014 Plant and assets With the Plant & Asset Management show opening its doors early in April, Brian Tinham provides a quick guide to what operations and maintenance managers and engineers can expect at the event. » Read More

23/02/2014 Protect and survive Even though personal protective equipment (PPE) is a last resort in any health and safety strategy, it remains a crucial element. Ian Vallely presents an A to Z guide to PPE. » Read More

22/02/2014 Digital world Control valves may not be renowned for their rapid development, but actuators and positioners are continuing the transformation. » Read More

21/02/2014 There was no initial pain, just the shock Gordon Rose was crushed into a concrete wall by a reversing forklift in a factory in 1991. Max Gosney finds how he's fought back and asks why some sites are still shirking safety 23 years on. » Read More

21/02/2014 New directions The acrimonious debate over PC-based automation versus PLCs and distributed control systems is fading into obscurity. Now, the clever talk is of mobile, connected and cloud-based systems. » Read More

18/02/2014 Maintec 2014 Maintec, now in its 39th year and incorporating HAZEX, is one of the key shows for maintenance managers and engineers this year. » Read More

19/01/2014 Maintain to sustain As managers wrestle with ageing workforces, skills shortages and a perception of maintenance as non-core, Brian Tinham looks at how to change all that and get more and better out of technicians, factories and plants » Read More

19/01/2014 ‘It’s hard to believe people are so short term in their thinking’ Dirk Villé is bemused that 52% of UK manufacturing managers are still fire-fighting on compressor maintenance. The new Atlas Copco chief let's off steam with Max Gosney » Read More

18/01/2014 The 46 reasons to take falls seriously Gravity is good. It causes dispersed matter to coalesce and ensures this combined material – which includes you and me – remains intact. It is also, literally, the force of nature that keeps our feet on the ground. There are, however, ... » Read More

14/12/2013 Top 10 steps to world class Zero breakdowns and impeccable plant reliability don't have to be the preserve of those with six figure budgets. Max Gosney gets some inexpensive tips on achieving maintenance nirvana from former Nissan maintenance engineer and Sora ... » Read More

14/12/2013 Challenges of biomass With so many organisations building biomass plants and/or converting existing units to biomass fuel, Alan Fitzpatrick and Marcus Robson examine some of issues being seen by the insurance industry. » Read More

14/12/2013 Time for tribology As the UK strives to rebalance its economy in favour of manufacturing, Brian Tinham talks to Dr Peter Jost about the still unfulfilled roles for tribological science and technology. » Read More

14/12/2013 Future fuels? Materials handling is a sweet spot for hydrogen fuel cells, according to one expert. They've been introduced in the US, with proven benefits, so why haven't they taken off in the UK? Laura Cork reports » Read More

14/12/2013 Taking the credit To the excessively cautious, buying on credit is like getting drunk – the buzz comes immediately and gives you a lift, but the hangover that follows can be painfully debilitating. Ian Vallely dishes out the paracetamol » Read More

14/12/2013 Crystal ball gazing Techniques such as vibration monitoring, acoustic emissions sensing and thermography are more accessible than ever, but what should you use where? » Read More

10/12/2013 Engineering revival needs new partnership When it comes to boosting engineering skills, it's been a busy couple of months for the Coalition. » Read More

29/11/2013 Cream of the crop Former BFA award winner Barfoots of Botley is generating 13,000MwH of green energy a year from vegetable waste thanks to a pair of combined heat and power units fuelled by a massive anaerobic digestion plant. Ian Vallely reports » Read More

19/10/2013 The golden oldies WM's in-depth survey takes the temperature of the UK's maintenance operations. Annie Gregory reports on the refusal to give in to the challenges of ageing equipment and a shrinking skills base. » Read More

18/10/2013 Sustainable production Sustainable manufacturing is great in principle but much harder to achieve in practice. Brian Tinham looks at what engineers and managers can do today to make a difference. » Read More

15/10/2013 Water features Existing and emerging water treatment technologies are changing the game for plants and factories in more ways than many may realise. » Read More

15/10/2013 So much potential, yet so little uptake Where sustainability is concerned, the art of the possible is accelerating far faster than the reality of adoption. » Read More

26/09/2013 Do you feel lucky? As CS Forrester's Lord Hornblower said: "The lucky man is he who knows how much to leave to chance." That's true of making maintenance sustainable, too. » Read More