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.

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09/12/2010 Airs and graces

With costs under perpetual scrutiny, Steed Webzell assesses compressed air systems and how best to please both plant engineers and managers » Read More

06/10/2010 Compressor investment to pay for itself within two years

Petrochem Carless' Harwich refinery reports savings of more than 430,000kWh per annum from its investment in new energy-efficient compressors – which it says will pay for themselves in two years. » Read More

01/01/2010 Steam sensation

The technology behind last year's record-breaking steam car has been shrouded in mystery. Brian Tinham gets project manager Matt Candy to reveal all » Read More

01/01/2010 Not just hot air

With the announcement late last year that Atlas Copco compressors can now recover 100% of their energy input, Peter Lattaway provides in-depth insight into the technology » Read More

01/12/2009 Zero waste?

In Europe, 10% of electricity consumed by industry is for compressed air, yet much of that energy is wasted. In a carbon-conscious era, something has to change, says Steed Webzell » Read More

01/04/2009 The filter factor

The benefits of keeping hydraulic fluid and compressed air clean are well known to time-served plant engineers. They include higher system reliability, longer component life and improved efficiency, as well as more responsive plant ... » Read More

01/04/2009 ISIS or Oracle

What has the opening of the £200 million second target station (TS2) at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory's ISIS pulsed neutron source got to do with plant engineers? More than most mere mortals - apart, that is, from the world's ... » Read More

01/04/2009 Compressed energy

Electric motors use two-thirds of all electricity consumed by industry, so any technology capable of cutting this drain on resources has got to be a good thing. Yet, despite proven and significant savings from variable speed drives (VSDs) ... » Read More

01/12/2008 Breath of fresh air

It is not uncommon for organisations to report that up to a third of their total factory energy bill can be attributed to compressed air plant. No surprise then that, with energy prices at record highs, reviews of compressed air systems ... » Read More

01/02/2008 Global warning

For some engineers, questions about how much money could have been saved if a major failure had been predicted, trigger thoughts about the cost of expensive process interruptions and downtime. For others, it's all about avoiding ... » Read More

01/12/2007 Taking the air

Energy sustainability is one of the hottest topics on the political agenda - closely linked to environmental concerns. Combine these with soaring energy costs and it's no surprise that reducing consumption on plant is right up there for ... » Read More

01/12/2006 Plugging the cost of compressed air leaks

New products are now available that step up the efficiency of compressed air systems - especially compressors - finding and attacking leaks, and improving the management of pneumatic systems, while slashing energy losses and costs by up to ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Massive effort to take control

Wasting compressed air is like watching money go up in smoke. People too often treat compressed air as if it is as free as the air around us, when in fact it's the most expensive utility available. This is because compressors turn around ... » Read More

01/02/2006 Safety and savings

Compressed air continues to offer many advantages in process industry applications, especially in hazardous areas, but often continues to be used inefficiently. Help - much of it free - is readily available to help reduce energy costs and ... » Read More

01/12/2005 Under pressure

The use of compressed air systems in manufacturing and process industries is said to account for some 10-15% of energy consumption, and they are found in almost every area of economic activity. The applications and use of compressed air ... » 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 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

01/10/2004 Compressed Air Systems - Technology gives a clearer picture

Standard air compressors are often linked in banks to accommodate varying base loads throughout the working week, with a speed-regulated compressor making up the module to cope with peak and variable loads. And modular makes sense. It is ... » Read More

01/03/2004 Keeping it simple saves cash

Factory services like compressed air and steam systems are classic examples of functions that are only noticed when they go wrong. Nowadays, like - thankfully - modern cars, these systems can be relied upon to work consistently. But - also ... » Read More

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