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.

06/12/2012 Liquid assets Water and waste treatment plants are among the oldest around anywhere, but don't imagine they're bereft of developments. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

06/12/2012 Taming the beast With applications for industrial compressors expanding, their demand for energy has reached unnecessarily dizzying levels. Brian Tinham and Brian Wall looks at how to put the beast back in its cage » Read More

06/12/2012 Get your bearings Selecting the right bearings for plant and equipment is a nicety that plant engineers under pressure often sidestep in favour of personal preference. Steed Webzell provides advice » Read More

06/12/2012 Making MRO matter Surprising as it may seem, some plants and factories may be expending too much of their maintenance effort in the wrong direction. Brian Wall reports » Read More

06/12/2012 Synchronous savings Synchronous motors offer the potential for significant energy savings in high power, heavy load applications. Brian Tinham talks to Marek Lukaszczyk, of Weg, about the pros and cons » Read More

05/10/2012 Absorbing practice Staying on the right side of the law might mean paying more attention to absorbents, spill kits and the professional services around them to prevent problems. Brian Wall reports » Read More

05/10/2012 NSK’s L-PPS bearings solve heat-induced failures problems NSK's L-PPS bearing cage technology has improved long-term performance and cost for an unnamed manufacturer of screw compressors in the refrigerant sector, according to the company. » Read More

05/10/2012 Steel-maker set to save £68,000 on pumping energy costs with ABB drives Tata Steel in Rotherham is set to save £68,000 a year on energy costs associated with pumping, following installation of five ABB motor drives. » Read More

05/10/2012 Automation opens doors on Seventh Century Cathedral Using a motor from Rotor UK, design engineers from Drive Lines Technologies have developed a discrete and sensitive solution to motorising a huge medieval door at Ripon Cathedral in North Yorkshire. » Read More

05/10/2012 Thwaites green upgrade is picture of efficiency Yellow dump truck manufacturer Thwaites' paint line has been refurbished – and improved its efficiency and environmental sustainability on the way. » Read More

05/10/2012 Laundry saves £30,000 thanks to flash steam recovery Commercial laundry Bates of London is reporting savings of tens of thousands of pounds in energy since installing FREME (flash recovery energy management equipment) plant, from Spirax Sarco. » Read More

05/10/2012 Hidden assassins Every year, thousands of people in Great Britain develop occupational asthma or die of lung diseases, because of airborne contaminants they inhale at work. Brian Wall reports » Read More

05/10/2012 So much more Intelligent instruments have been with us for years, but although many more plants are installing them, they're still missing some important tricks, says Brian Tinham » Read More

05/10/2012 Pressure on pumping Pump designs may be evolving only slowly, but that's far from the whole story. Brian Tinham examines developments and some cautionary tales around selection and installation » Read More

05/10/2012 Lifting the bar Case law demonstrates that courts are taking an increasingly tough line with lifting-related accidents, if companies and plant managers cannot prove due process, writes Crispin Kenyon » Read More

05/10/2012 Buyer’s market Try before you buy can make a lot of sense in all sorts of situations. But there are plenty of others where the shrewd option might well be plant hire. Brian Wall reports » Read More

05/10/2012 Academics to engineers Building up individuals' plant engineering skills is always rewarding, but for one training company that took on Nigeria, the experience has been mega. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

05/10/2012 Keep things fluid Innovation is continuing apace in the worlds of fluid power. Steed Webzell examines some of the developments most likely to be in demand » Read More

05/10/2012 Good acoustics? It's a poor workman that blames his tools, goes the proverb. But on machinery condition monitoring, it's been understandable. However, all of that is about to change, writes Brian Tinham » Read More

05/10/2012 A UK strategy worth the fight? So, at long last we have a cabinet minister – none other than Vince Cable – not only talking persuasively about a government-led industrial strategy for Britain, but one prepared to put substantial meat on the bones. It would appear there ... » Read More

01/08/2012 Herculean effort or Olympic gold? As we go to press, with London on the final countdown to the 2012 Olympics, plant engineers – although excited by the spectacle and impressed by the scale of the interdisciplinary project engineering that has made it all happen – will ... » Read More

01/08/2012 Accidents waiting to happen? Although blessed with one of the best industrial health and safety records on the planet, statistics reveal that the UK cannot afford to become complacent. Brian Tinham examines problems and solutions » Read More

01/08/2012 Silence is golden To avoid effects such as occupational deafness and hand-arm vibration, plants must adopt a best practice approach to noisy environments and processes. Steed Webzell reports » Read More

01/08/2012 Hard bargain Electric motors are responsible for by far the lion's share of electrical energy consumed throughout British industry. Brian Tinham examines options for cost and energy saving » Read More

01/08/2012 To protect and serve Personal protective equipment is clearly a must in all sorts of plant and factory environments, yet problems with adoption are still reported. Brian Wall advises that PPE needs to be carefully monitored and regulated » Read More