Maintenance, Repair and Operations 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.
13/05/2025
Space-based solar power
Space-based solar power could help us decarbonise power grids and, it may soon become a commercial reality. Dr Jody E Muelaner reports
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13/05/2025
Drones deliver
The oil & gas industry is embracing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for a range of inspection applications, and, as Stefano Zampieri tells Louise Davis, the benefits of these drone deployments go beyond just being safer than ...
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13/05/2025
The digital wave
Schneider Electric hosted a workshop to address the challenges and opportunities within the water sector. This article summarises the key findings of the event that were compiled within a white paper
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13/05/2025
Pump it up
With a recent report showing declining sales of heat pumps in Europe in the last year, what can the UK do to ensure its healthy growth doesn’t follow suit? Tom Austin-Morgan finds out
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13/05/2025
Comment: Enhanced connections
I am pleased to share that the combined sector committee of IPlantE and BES was conducted on 4 February 2025. The meeting was held smoothly with all of the relevant issues discussed in a very positive manner.
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13/05/2025
Smooth operators
Properly applied and maintained lubrication keeps equipment running for longer. Louise Davis explores how the latest lubricant products can reduce operational costs as well as friction
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13/05/2025
Cybersecurity resilience
Cybersecurity is something has to be a high priority for every organisation. Joe Lamoko, IoT business development manager at TÜV SÜD, shares his thoughts about new legislation coming into play
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13/05/2025
The future of foam in fire suppression
Fire suppression systems are fundamental to the safety and security of a facility. Mark Thewlis, operations director at Alpine Fire, discusses the potential changes to legislation that engineers need to be aware of
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13/05/2025
Make the right choice
Air compressors are vital to many road construction projects. Alex Persyn, director of product management at Rotair, gives a comprehensive guide to choosing the right air compressors
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08/04/2025
Sensor sensibility
As plants become better connected via increasingly sophisticated networks of systems conducting critical monitoring activities, Louise Davis discovers what is new from the sensors specialists
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08/04/2025
Routine examination
Louise Davis speaks with an engineering inspection expert to explore how plants can incorporate inspection activities into their regular maintenance plans – and what site personnel can do to ensure inspections run smoothly
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08/04/2025
Navigating new cobot regulations
New robot safety standards have come into effect to reflect technological changes and advancements in collaborative robots (cobots). Matt Androsiuk of Cobots and Machinery Safety looks at the changes
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08/04/2025
Constant motion
Domin has released a whitepaper that highlights the inefficiencies of hydraulic systems and how to revolutionise motion control. Ben Spencer provides a summary of the findings
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08/04/2025
Comment: The importance of CPD
I hope that you enjoy reading this edition of Operations Engineer, and don’t forget to record any learnings gained in your Continued Professional Development (CPD) log. Recording CPD is a fundamental part of being a professionally ...
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08/04/2025
Fixing the pockets
Libby Peacock, compressed air expert at Rubix, explains why production facilities across the continent are costing manufacturers more than necessary, and what they can do to fix it
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08/04/2025
Ensuring humidity control
Humidity is the enemy of battery manufacturers, so its measurement and control is extremely important – not just for the plant’s energy efficiency, but also for the quality and yield of batteries, affecting issues such as range in EVs. ...
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18/03/2025
Accelerating the green revolution
The transition of the UK power sector to clean energy presents challenges, but by embracing the opportunities industries can contribute to national decarbonisation goals while enhancing competitiveness, writes Tom Austin-Morgan
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18/03/2025
Exhausted by non-compliance?
With some testing companies reporting failure rates of 60-80%, many plants clearly struggle to achieve first-time COSHH compliance for their LEV system
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18/03/2025
Ensuring fire safety for electrical connections
Fire-protected enclosures mounted directly onto a wall surface can make maintenance and installation of electrical junctions faster while maintaining the required safety standards. Chris Lloyd, managing director at Spelsberg UK, explains ...
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18/03/2025
Automation liberation
Choosing the right safety expert is of critical importance. Stewart Robinson, advisory consultant and functional safety expert at TÜV SÜD, explains why
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18/03/2025
Comment: Platform to move forward
The combined sector committee of the BES and IPlantE met for the first time on 4 February with a packed agenda. The new committee was well balanced with elected and co-opted members and the initial indication is the format worked well and ...
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18/03/2025
Positive vibrations
Chris Ryan, a senior technical expert in plant reliability techniques, explains to Louise Davis how vibration analysis is a hugely useful monitoring tool – but that its value depends on the availability of professionally trained personnel
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18/03/2025
Collaborative effort
Louise Davis meets the specialist providers who are delivering automation solutions designed to improve productivity in manufacturing and that can also contribute to tackling the sector’s skills gap
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