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.
02/07/2024
Personalised solutions
.jpg?width=100&height=75&scale=canvas)
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
» Read More
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
» Read More
02/07/2024
Maritime matrix
Where do ports land on their Industry 4.0 maturity index? Michael Larner, research director, ABI Research, investigates
» Read More
10/06/2024
Smarter robots
Industrial robot manufacturers are turning to advanced artificial intelligence to improve manufacturing efficiency, flexibility, and safety.
» Read More
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
» Read More
10/06/2024
Identifying faults on vessels
Identifying the predicted status of individual faults on a marine vessel – up to three months into the future – means highly specific maintenance plans can be drawn up
» Read More
08/05/2024
Well-oiled machines
With many businesses wondering if their lubrication maintenance plan is up to scratch – or even fit for purpose – what does the perfect programme look like? Tom Austin-Morgan investigates
» Read More
08/05/2024
Size is everything for heat pumps
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
» Read More
08/05/2024
Compressor costs
Purchasing an industrial air compressor is among the most crucial decisions for a business, but it also represents a significant capital expenditure. This is because compressed air is an essential utility for businesses along with water, ...
» Read More
08/05/2024
HVAC challenges
A white paper from the Advanced Services Group looks at some of the current challenges facing the HVAC industry, from the energy crisis to stakeholder education to decarbonisation
» Read More
09/04/2024
Digital hydraulic control
?Hydraulic systems are entering a new dawn of digital control, with a number of emerging innovations expected to provide notable benefits
» Read More
09/04/2024
Optimising food production
A drive to increase efficiency on food production lines has been ramped up in recent times – with a focus on maximising space and minimising waste
» Read More
09/04/2024
Rolling out heat pumps
The most common scenario for large-scale switching to heat pumps is retrofitting an existing gas-fired heating solution. What enabling works might be required and how ready is the UK supply chain to deliver when it comes to helping to ...
» Read More
08/03/2024
All about battery regulation
Sustainability and safety are two major metrics by which any business, product or process is judged today – and batteries are no exception. By Marcus Sampson, business line manager, transport at TÜV SÜD
» Read More
08/03/2024
Understanding variance
Mains power is supplied with voltage that varies by the time of day and by location. Most machinery can cope with the variation, but not all. Dr Jody Muelaner reviews causes of variance, how it affects common equipment such as motors and ...
» Read More
08/03/2024
Shuttle or stack?
When considering automated warehousing, stacker cranes have often been the default storage and retrieval choice for pallets and bins. Shuttles, however, are increasingly being seen as the more efficient, flexible and sustainable alternative
» Read More
06/02/2024
The impact of discharging sewage
2022 figures from UK environmental regulators revealed untreated sewage was discharged into UK rivers and coastlines at the very least 399,864 times; that’s 1,091 times a day. That’s most likely a huge underestimation of the scale of the ...
» Read More
06/02/2024
All about compliance
Operations engineers responsible for mid-sized boiler plant are facing a flurry of forthcoming regulatory deadlines. So, what needs doing and by when?
» Read More
06/02/2024
A new direction for reverse osmosis
At a molecular level, the natural process of osmosis normally causes water to move through a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area where the concentration is higher, moving the concentrations into ...
» Read More
06/02/2024
Preventing sewage discharge
We’ve all read the headlines about the amount of sewage being discharged into the UK’s rivers and beaches, but what technologies are the water companies implementing to reverse this trend? Tom Austin-Morgan finds out
» Read More
06/02/2024
On display at SPS 2023
With automation a major theme, the 32nd edition of German trade fair SPS, Smart Production Solutions, provided a space for 50,000 interested parties to learn more about developments in November 2023
» Read More
08/01/2024
Testing AI regulation
Artificial intelligence is starting to enter the nuclear sector with substantial investment. The UK nuclear regulator, ONR, convened its first regulatory sandbox to learn more about how it might manage the technology
» Read More