Plant Equipment 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.
08/04/2025
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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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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18/03/2025
Attaining the highest standards
There is stringent legislation for water quality across the globe. Mattias Feldthusen, director of products for Nordic Water, a Sulzer brand, looks at some of the common standards and the equipment that can be used to meet this legislation
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04/02/2025
Boosted boiler cleaning
A novel boiler cleaning technology originally designed for waste-to-energy plants is now being embraced by various other engineering sectors, too. Louise Davis hears how this solution is proving a gamechanger for both cleaning and ...
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04/02/2025
Troubled waters
Anglian Water is committed to supplying clean drinking water and recycling it safely, and has collaborated with technology provider Samotics to anticipate a rotor’s mechanical unbalance, preventing catastrophic consequences. Tom Swain, ...
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04/02/2025
Comment: Honoured to be chair
In December, I took over as the new chair of IPlantE from Ian Jackson. I am honoured to be holding this role to share my insight, skills, experience and knowledge from Hong Kong, where I reside.
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04/02/2025
Procure early to secure delivery
The massive scale-up of work across the UK’s water and wastewater companies in AMP8 is no secret, but the way projects are delivered will have to change, says Dominic Hurd, managing director, ACWA Services
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09/01/2025
Safety systems
Automatic intervention systems, where plants stop automatically when hazards are detected, could be a future game-changer
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09/01/2025
Intelligent motion control
Specifying an embedded motion control system for gantry-based applications. Gerard Bush, engineer at motion specialist INMOCO, discusses motion system specification for gantry-based applications
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09/12/2024
Rise of the robots
Robotic systems are proving critical in the nuclear sector for challenging decommissioning and disposal applications. Louise Davis speaks to a technical expert about how this technology is evolving and what advantages robots are bringing ...
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09/12/2024
Lifting standards and reducing costs
Improved forklift safety, lower running costs and reduced downtime are among the many benefits that lift truck operator training will bring to a business, explains Nick Faulkner, training manager of Toyota Material Handling UK
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05/12/2024
Enhancing efficiency
Tom Austin-Morgan looks at some of the ways in which warehouses can be run more efficiently in a modern climate, where working at peak speed while delivering value is imperative
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07/11/2024
Small but mighty
Components such as bearings, belts and fans are no less critical to engineering operations than the giant bits of equipment they keep running. And innovation here is continuous: Louise Davis finds out what’s new in moving parts
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07/11/2024
Stay in control
In industrial facilities, electric motors drive everything from conveyor belts to fans and compressors. Now, with the cost of energy rising, manufacturers are trying to find new ways to reduce consumption – and motors are in the spotlight. ...
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03/09/2024
Motion solution precision
Innovation in motion control precision has the potential to expand the array of surgical procedures that can be performed by robots. Meanwhile, for current robotic surgical applications, enhancing control precision means improved patient ...
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28/08/2024
Drive forwards
Nord Drive Systems believes that there are numerous advantages of decentralised drive solutions with controlled frequency inverters. The company has recently written a white paper on the subject, which is summarised below
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08/08/2024
Education for all
Automation is set to transform the world of work, requiring people to learn completely new skill sets as new roles are created. Policymakers, educators and industry all need to support workers to make the transition
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02/07/2024
Personalised solutions
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A wave of personalisation has swept across the consumer marketplace in recent years. Julian Ware, UK and Ireland sales manager for ABB robotics, explains how robotic automation can support manufacturers to meet this accelerating trend
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02/07/2024
The push towards efficiency
In the field of industrial automation, achieving success depends on optimising efficiency, adaptability and ease of use. Tom Austin-Morgan looks at some examples of efficient pump and valve technologies
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02/07/2024
Maritime matrix
Where do ports land on their Industry 4.0 maturity index? Michael Larner, research director, ABI Research, investigates
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10/06/2024
Smarter robots
Industrial robot manufacturers are turning to advanced artificial intelligence to improve manufacturing efficiency, flexibility, and safety.
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10/06/2024
Motion sensor solutions
Bigger is almost certainly always better when it comes to heat pumps. In other words, performance, efficiency and cost advantages can all be achieved when going larger, says Jody Muelaner
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