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.

01/08/2006 Sustaining the future - making it happen Ever a practically-minded body of men and women, the SOE's annual conference in Birmingham was particularly well worth attending, because it was not so much about the threats to the world environment and the nation's energy supply as it ... » Read More

01/08/2006 Measuring up to noise Noise-induced hearing loss can occur to people at low levels of noise. An HSE survey in the 1990s indicated that in excess of two million workers were exposed to noise levels between 80db and more than 142db, averaged over the working day ... » Read More

01/08/2006 In peak condition Today's maintenance engineer is a far cry from that of a spanner-wielding repairman called in when something has broken down. The role of the modern maintenance department is very much about preventing the equipment failing in the first ... » Read More

01/08/2006 How to maintain a sure footing Industrial flooring is becoming smarter than ever, with manufacturers' research and development leading to a new era in floors that are faster to apply, more attractive and harder working. However, some basic factors need to be considered ... » Read More

01/08/2006 Hands-on sensing A novel vibration dose meter is being developed that can be worn on the hand, in order to measure exposure to damaging hand-arm vibrations from machinery. In its present form, it can advise of excessive risk levels and store information ... » Read More

01/08/2006 Foot on gas to alternative fuels Whereas there has been much recent publicity about running motor vehicles on biologically-derived liquid fuels, an increasing number of enterprises, from very large to very small, are turning to gas as a feedstock, presently mostly derived ... » Read More

01/08/2006 Environment for change In 1952, the Great Smog of London caused nearly 2,000 deaths above the norm for that period. This resulted in the Clean Air Act of 1956, which marked the beginning of effective environmental legislation in Britain. » Read More

01/08/2006 Don't stand for pain The position of standing is one many of us take for granted in our daily lives. It is not until we start to feel the odd ache and pain that we become more aware of how much pressure the standing posture creates on our bodies. Although it ... » Read More

01/06/2006 You can be lifted... A new breed of powered access equipment is being developed to help end users achieve greater time savings and working efficiencies, particularly where working conditions are difficult and inhospitable, while also delivering valuable gains ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Why bespoke speaks for itself When installing cable management products, getting all the equipment you need from stock is not always possible. After all, specific production facilities cannot be picked from a stock catalogue. Often, production lines within a facility ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Reliable technology As a function of quality management, reliability is defined as a measure of the degree to which a system does what it is intended to do. Clearly, reliability is crucial, and all manufacturing processes require safe and reliable operation ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Recovery position Despite the government's delays over implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, organisations must start to consider and implement solutions for disposing of this type of equipment. » Read More

01/06/2006 Raising the ante on safety While lifts and lifting operations have generally become much safer certainly than when passenger lifts first made their appearance during the 19th Century handling and lifting are still the largest source of industrial accidents in the ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Massive effort to take control Wasting compressed air is like watching money go up in smoke. People too often treat compressed air as if it is as free as the air around us, when in fact it's the most expensive utility available. This is because compressors turn around ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Key strategies In theory, it is possible to use computers to run a factory or plant in such a way that production is automatically optimised. Orders received can be responded to in such a way as to minimise production times and costs. » Read More

01/06/2006 Engineer surveyors: a testing role In the beginning?there were boiler explosions, and lots of them! And so the engineer surveyor, as we know that person today, came into existence - around the middle of the 19th century. This was a time of rapid industrial expansion that ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Watching for the red alert Plant engineers face a dilemma. Is it best to wait for something to break down or undertake maintenance work at pre-planned intervals (which may mean performing maintenance and causing downtime when it is not really needed)? Or should they ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Straining to be heard Talk 'training and education' to the leading lights in many businesses and there's a strong probability their eyes will glaze over. It's not a subject that's dear to everyone's heart. It doesn't set the pound signs rolling in the financial ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Red spells danger For many businesses, getting started in thermal imaging has never been easier. The latest thermal imagers designed for industrial maintenance are both powerful and easy to use. Maintenance engineers can quickly learn how to use the ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Prevention & protection There are only two ways in which workers can be protected from environmental, chemical and biological hazards. One is by giving them protective clothing - gloves, boots and, where appropriate, ear and eye protection. The other is by ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Planting seeds of recovery There is a part of all of us that agrees with the notion 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. But, equally, when it comes to plant maintenance and operations, the purpose of this activity is to minimise the risk to the business of expensive ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Kill Bill On 8 March, the government announced it is to push ahead with its draft Corporate Manslaughter Bill. In response, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "We are pleased that ministers have listened to concerns over the way that the ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Go with the flow Energy efficiency is near the top of every industry's list of business priorities, especially given its impact on the cost of operations and product margins. In addition to conventional means of gaining productivity improvements, in many ... » Read More

01/02/2006 What lies beneath Presentations at a recent seminar revealed the enormity of the tasks to be addressed if carbon capture and sequestration is ever to become a reality. » Read More

01/02/2006 The wrong mix Since The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations 2001 came into effect, much debate has ensued regarding oil storage, and the challenges of avoiding water contamination in particular. But what are the real ins and outs of oil ... » Read More