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.

08/06/2012 Coriolis flowmeters help GF reduce filling times and improve accuracy GF is reporting reduced filling times, improved accuracy and repeatability and tighter filling tolerances on its filling machines since installing the latest Micro Motion FMT filling mass transmitter, from Emerson Process Management. » Read More

05/04/2012 Building Britain’s industrial future Building Britain's industrial » Read More

05/04/2012 Pumping iron The vast majority of pumps and fans could be running more efficiently and saving their plant operators serious money. Brian Tinham examines equipment advances and cautionary tales » Read More

05/04/2012 Safe operation of escalators and moving walks SAFed's guidelines for the safe operation of escalators and moving walks was published in May last year. In the first of a two-part feature, Vince Sharpe reviews key elements for owners and operators » Read More

05/04/2012 Is your boiler house safe? As de-manning on steam and hot water boiler plant continues to gain momentum, operators need to consider best practice and their legal duties in respect of operational safety, warns S Moore Holmes » Read More

05/04/2012 Managing maintenance Anything that can help maintenance managers to realise cost and time-savings, while simultaneously improving plant uptime and product quality outcomes, has to be worth considering. Brian Wall looks at modern CMMs in action » Read More

05/04/2012 Falling foul of the law Slips, trips and falls remain a problem are across a wide range of facilities and industry types. Leigh Carter spells out the regulatory position and examines issues and solutions » Read More

05/04/2012 Laser focus Energy from waste plants are shining a light on the power of laser-based, real-time gas analyser instrumentation. Brian Tinham talks to Bob Lane of Siemens » Read More

05/04/2012 What’s your poison? For plant engineers keen to avoid disaster caused by flammable or toxic gas leaks, Steed Webzell provides an update on some of the latest sensing equipment and methodologies » Read More

05/04/2012 Testing times The power of sensing systems today is to be found less in the range of techniques, technologies and hardware designs, and more in their on-board software. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

05/04/2012 Total Organics tighten effluent for Greencore Greencore Foods' plant in Selby,Yorkshire, has dramatically improved its wastewater treatment process, managed by Veolia Water Industrial Outsourcing, since installing a continuous TOC (total organic carbon) monitor. » Read More

05/04/2012 Operator-driven reliability programme does it for Stora Enso Global paper, packaging and wood products firm Stora Enso is reporting significant benefits since introducing SKF's operator-driven reliability (ODR) programme. » Read More

05/04/2012 Ocean energy test rig testing get programmable power A laboratory scale rig at the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre (HMRC), University College Cork, is now capable of emulating the variable power testing required at sea, thanks to control equipment from Emerson Industrial. » Read More

05/04/2012 Fuchs Lubricants sees operational improvements from Siemens PCS 7 Fuchs Lubricants UK says it has seen cost and operational efficiency improvements at its Stoke-on-Trent lubricants plant since migrating to Siemens' PCS 7 distributed control system (DCS) and Simatic Batch. » Read More

05/04/2012 Moving experience Although aimed primarily at commercial vehicle operators, engineers and technicians, the CV Show offers useful opportunities for those whose careers span the fixed and moving plant divide. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

06/02/2012 Pole position Although control valve, actuator and positioner technologies develop only relatively slowly, there have been advances that offer practical, diagnostic and cost/benefit issues. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

06/02/2012 Manchester Airport saves 4,000 MWh on ABB drives and motors A project to upgrade the air handling units at Manchester Airport is saving 4,000 MWh, as well as cutting CO2 emissions by over 2,000 tonnes a year. » Read More

06/02/2012 Emerson’s smart wireless technology helps Swedish paper mill Swedish paper and board firm Korsnäs Gävle is reporting better environmental compliance verification since installing Emerson Process Management's Smart Wireless instrumentation. » Read More

06/02/2012 Restored Italian mill generates clean micro-hydrolelectric power A former water mill, at Travesio in northern Italy, has been renovated and converted into a micro-hydroelectric scheme, and is now saving 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. » Read More

06/02/2012 Welsh Water improves efficiency with new gearboxes Welsh Water is reporting improved efficiency at one of its sewage treatment works since replacing old worm gear drives on six half-bridge scrapers with planetary gearboxes that were a direct fit for the original boxes. » Read More

06/02/2012 Cement fan solution keeps plant in production A design fault on a large centrifugal fan that could have caused Hanson Cement's plant in Clitheroe to stop production, due to a failure to comply with emission regulations, has been resolved by Brammer. » Read More

06/02/2012 Really Useful Products’ makes really useful savings International plastics manufacturer Really Useful Products says it is enjoying a 10% increase in productivity – equating to an extra £3 million of turnover – yet without investment in additional machinery. » Read More

06/02/2012 Maintec 2012 With this year's Maintec show just a few short weeks away, Brian Tinham takes a lok at what engineers, technicians and mangers can expect to find » Read More

06/02/2012 Plant & Asset Management 2012 Does the industrial maintenance sector need another exhibition? The organisers of MACH, Drives & Controls, Air-Tech and IFPEX clearly think so. Brian Tinham looks at the line-up » Read More

06/02/2012 Shock tactics About 1,000 accidents at work involving electric shock or burns – of which around 30 prove fatal – are still reported to the HSE annually. Brian Wall investigates procedures that could prevent needless deaths » Read More