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.

06/06/2005 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

04/04/2005 SED Preview - The great outdoors If you want to see construction plant and machinery demonstrated in as near as possible realistic working conditions, as opposed to simply static displays, Site Equipment Demonstration (SED) is the show for you. It has the largest assembly ... » Read More

04/04/2005 Professional Development - Registering the benefits When it comes to professional engineering registrations, the SOE is punching above its weight. In 2004 there were 189,406 Chartered Engineers (CEng), 42,905 Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and 12,554 Engineering Technicians (Eng Tech) ... » Read More

04/04/2005 Maintenance - What do you know? Most maintenance improvement philosophies work on the basis that if more time is spent on predictive and preventive maintenance work, equipment will become more reliable: breakdowns will become less frequent, making more time available for ... » Read More

04/04/2005 Licensed to skill Keeping Biffa's massive UK waste management operations on the move is a man with a mission. Shaun Stephenson has watched the skills levels within both industry as a whole, and the engineering profession in particular, go through a serious ... » Read More

04/04/2005 Energy Efficiency - Technology advances make for energy saving There are many ways in which plant and factory operators can improve energy efficiency. Some are simple, but many rely on taking advantage of the latest advances in technology. » Read More

01/02/2005 Space Heating - The heat is on Heating large premises is a major challenge for employers seeking to ensure comfortable working conditions for employees, as well as the protection of the building's contents (such as stock or equipment) and fabric. » Read More

01/02/2005 Risk Management - Taking the pressure Before 1989, the Factories Act 1961 detailed the requirements for the examination of, and reporting on, steam and air plant within the power industry by the Competent Person (often the insurance company). Where water tube boilers were ... » Read More

01/02/2005 Pollution Control - Don't get caught by COP According to the Environment Agency there are more than 5,000 oil incidents reported every year. In 2000, one sixth of all pollution incidents affecting the environment involved oil: most incidents were caused by oil leaking from tanks ... » Read More

01/02/2005 Dust and Fume Control: Clearing the Air Implementing dust and fume control measures is key to providing a safe working environment, with current legislation and best practice extending the scope of control well beyond the factory. Where activity is undertaken that gives rise to ... » Read More

01/02/2005 Compressed Air - Maintaining a safe system Regulation 12 of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR) is very short and simple, as these things go: "The user of an installed system and the owner of a mobile system shall ensure that the system is properly maintained in good ... » Read More

01/02/2005 The key to 'greener' energy - advanced plant It is increasingly obvious that only a combination of engineering technologies is likely to be able to meet the world's growing energy needs in the near term without totally destroying its climate and environment. » Read More

07/12/2004 Paints and Protective Coatings - Extensive coverage Just about everything we see is surfaces. And just about every manufactured product has had its surface coated or treated in some way to improve its performance. The benefits can be immense. For instance, the world's shipping fleets would ... » Read More

06/12/2004 Water Treatment - Scale solution means cash back for supermarket The Waitrose supermarket chain is generating savings on the maintenance, replacement and running costs of its water system, thanks to electronic treatment units which negate the effects of hard water. » Read More

06/12/2004 Water and Effluent Treatment - Where there's sludge, there's money A new sewage treatment works sets new standards for reduction of pollutants in its effluents, its odour-free operation, easy and safe access for maintenance operators, and attentions to the requirements of new regulations such as ATEX. » Read More

06/12/2004 Renewable Energy - Out of the shadows Green energy is high on the UK agenda. Announcements are spawned on a seemingly daily basis about the government's commitment to renewable energy - and the Prime Minister has said that he will try to use Britain's forthcoming pole ... » Read More

06/12/2004 Renewable Energy - Cast your fortune to the winds Search the internet for the keywords 'wind power', 'manufacturing', 'process' and 'industry' and see what you find. After a little delving in relation to business, the sector you might come across most is farming and 'wind farms', but not ... » Read More