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.

01/12/2005 A man of the people When John Ratcliff, CBE, was made Patron of the SOE (Society of Operations Engineers) a year ago, not only did he see that as a tremendous honour, he also regarded is as a huge responsibility. For one thing, he was passionately committed ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Water waste batters cashflow Headlines about water shortages in the UK have featured heavily in the media in recent years - with threats of hosepipe bans and other rationing measures a regular occurrence. While businesses are often unaffected in the short term, the ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Turning up the heat At any stage in every manufacturing process, the application of heat to the workpiece or product is required - whether that is in the drying of paper or cellulose films, to the curing of rubber or painted surfaces. Within industry, the use ... » Read More

01/10/2005 The self generation society There is a growing movement towards generating electricity from wind and water locally, with rooftop wind turbines, small hydroelectric plants and solar photovoltaic cells. » Read More

01/10/2005 Skin-deep functionality Beauty may only be skin deep, but protective coatings, which tend to be even thinner, determine corrosion and wear resistance, as well as the product's outward appearance. » Read More

01/10/2005 Don't trust to luck While the risk of a prison sentence as a result of an accident resulting from the non-observance of safety regulations remains small, it is a possibility. The legal complications and potential damage to a business as a consequence of a ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Copycat scaffolding poses major threat Although perhaps more readily associated with building and construction, scaffolding is widely used throughout industry. Whether to meet a short-term access requirement or as part of a larger scale refurbishment project, the need to retain ... » Read More

01/10/2005 All fired up Fortum O&M (UK) operates and maintains the Grangemouth combined heat and power plant (CHP), which supplies power and steam to BP's Grangemouth complex, Scotland's largest industrial site and one of the biggest, most integrated oil and gas ... » Read More

01/08/2005 Water and Environment - Water, water everywhere... With rapidly rising populations, coupled with the effects of global warming, water is becoming an increasingly sought-after commodity in nations both developed and developing. » Read More

01/08/2005 Skills Shortage - Where there's a skill....there's a way While there could well be more academic engineering graduates than the country really needs, there is no doubt that there is an acute shortage of people with properly honed practical skills. » Read More

01/08/2005 Process Optimisation - A framework that can't be overlooked By 2007/8, some 4,500 installations regulated by the Environment Agency under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) regime brought in by the EU IPPC Directive should finally have completed the permitting process. The ... » Read More

01/08/2005 Noise and Vibration - Shake, rattle and hum All employers, operators and users of equipment that causes noise and/or vibration need to take very serious notice of the new regulations relating to vibration that come into force on July 6th 2005 and the corresponding noise regulations ... » Read More

01/08/2005 Lighting - Control systems come out of the shadows In the early days of lighting, the first person into the office, building or workshop generally just switched the light on at a wall location, interrupting the power supply and causing a surge of demand for power throughout the plant. At ... » Read More

01/08/2005 Flooring - Don't slip up on safety Slips and trips cost British industry millions of pounds a year, can result in expensive legal actions and, most significantly, can inflict great physical and mental pain on the injured party. » Read More

06/06/2005 Waste & recycling - Rubbish as a resource Rubbish is just waste, isn't it? Rubbish! It has significant value as a source of energy, according to a report from the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Renewable Power Association. The report says that if all residual waste were to ... » Read More

06/06/2005 Waste & environment - Waste water comes full circle Ford has commenced tests of a pilot plant that can completely recycle waste water from the company's vehicle paint shops in Saarlouis, Germany. The Saarlouis site produces the new Focus and Focus C-MAX models. » Read More

06/06/2005 Pumps and Valves - Benefits flow from new technology The combination of innovative technology with radical changes in manufacturing processes is a key factor in improving the total cost of ownership of pumps and valves. Cost-conscious buyers are looking for solutions that are not ... » Read More

06/06/2005 Lubrication - Smooth operator In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of lubrication-free chain products on the market - and manufacturers are continuing to develop more. But why do we need so many different types of lubrication-free chain ... » Read More

06/06/2005 Lifting & handling - Tell tail signs 'One of the most highly-regulated pieces of ancillary equipment currently available for fitment to a vehicle, with specific responsibilities placed on the equipment manufacturer, installer, specifier and/or operator.' These words appear in ... » Read More

06/06/2005 Lifting & handling - No pipe dream Oil and gas pipelines could be built at up to five times the rate they are at present. This could be achieved with trains of tracked vehicles up to half a kilometre long, supported in remote and inaccessible areas by airships with lifting ... » Read More

06/06/2005 Environment - Powered up for the green challenge Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station was constructed during the late 1960s, with the final unit being commissioned during 1970. All units have achieved over 230,000 running hours; at present they are required to operate to a mixed running ... » Read More

05/04/2005 Waste Treatment - Turning pollutants back to rock By treating waste containing calcium compounds (lime) with carbon dioxide, it possible to quickly and inexpensively convert materials to substances closely resembling limestones or other natural rocks. » Read More

05/04/2005 Health and Safety - Protect and survive If people are a business's greatest asset, then ensuring their safety not only saves injuries and lives, it also makes sound economic sense. Across the whole spectrum of industry, the consequences of not providing safety equipment have ... » Read More

05/04/2005 Fire Safety - That looks like smoke... By observing the behaviour of smoke as it rises, a vision system can give early warning of a fire developing, long before it becomes serious. It is especially useful in large areas, such as big factories and aircraft hangars, and where ... » Read More

05/04/2005 CIWM Preview - Time to raise the standard According to the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), the discipline of waste management is entering its third age. The first age was concerned simply with disposal, while the second age was also about removing waste swiftly ... » Read More