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 » Read More

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 » Read More

04/02/2025 Humanoid robots are coming

Torque-dense, efficient motors are essential in the development of humanoid robots which work closely with humans » Read More

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 ... » Read More

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 ... » Read More

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 » Read More

02/07/2024 Personalised solutions

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

10/06/2024 Smarter robots

Industrial robot manufacturers are turning to advanced artificial intelligence to improve manufacturing efficiency, flexibility, and safety. » 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 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

31/08/2023 AI sorts waste

When it comes to sorting waste on a conveyor ready for recycling operations, AI-based robotic technologies are setting the tone for a step-change in this challenging process, reports Steed Webzell » Read More

31/05/2023 Wider use for AMRs

While autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) superficially resemble automated guided vehicles (AGVs), AMRs can navigate anywhere across the factory floor using vision systems and other sensors. » Read More

31/05/2023 Cobots for palletising

The most visible application for collaborative robots is in palletising – picking and stacking boxed items on to a pallet, ready for transport. This boring, potentially injurious work is ideal for a robot, but does, crucially, sometimes ... » Read More

14/06/2022 Life among the cobots

Designed to perform tasks in collaboration with workers, the use of cobots is rapidly expanding. Where do they compete and align with industrial robots – and, of some growing concern – with their human ‘co-workers’? By Brian Wall » Read More

30/06/2021 Inside a new BAE Systems digital factory demonstrator

With a big future project in mind, BAE Systems has built a demonstration facility to develop innovative manufacturing tools to improve its production efficiency over the next decade. Where it leads, others may follow » Read More

30/06/2021 A guide to automated guided vehicles

Although not new, the autonomous wheeled robots that pick and carry boxes and pallets are becoming ever more popular in improving productivity. These are known as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). By Jody ... » Read More

15/04/2021 Are robots the solution?

Although the UK has historically trailed other nations in robot adoption, it seems there is market optimism for a brighter and more automated future. By Steed Webzell » Read More

30/03/2020 The cobots have landed

The UK has been lagging behind much of Europe when it comes to embracing collaborative robot (cobot) technology. But that is rapidly changing as the productivity gains such investment can bring become clear » Read More

03/06/2019 Inside job

Manually-operated inspection vehicles are used to inspect pipelines and pipework. But the days of these vehicles may be numbered, as researchers look at truly autonomous inspection and repairs » Read More

03/06/2019 Doing the dirty

Recent research has suggested that more than four in five Brits want robots to ‘do the dirty work’. Luckily, such technology is starting to become a reality, able to take over different tasks in various sectors of industry » Read More

03/06/2019 Avoiding robo-flop

Make UK launched a course last year to retrain and up-skill employees, covering the knowledge and practical skills involved with robotic and automation engineering. Commercial manager Mark Farrant, and commercial maintenance tutor Gordon ... » Read More

26/08/2017 Right here, right now

Industry 4.0 is more than just a flashy catchphrase. A confluence of trends and technologies promises to reshape the way things are made – and it’s finally happening, as Mark Venables discovers » Read More

01/11/2009 Mustang reborn

Ford's classic Mustang is now being manufactured at the AutoAlliance car plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, USA. Brian Tinham looks at the automation now behind the all American icon » Read More

01/12/2008 Hospital robots

The robot revolution is underway and will be happening in a hospital near you very soon. So says Dr Patrick Finlay, director of Prosurgics, the company he founded back in 1995 to build medical robots. And he adds: 'Within the next 20 ... » Read More

01/02/2008 Working order

This year's Maintec exhibition seems set to do rather more than what it says on the tin - with a focus that extends from predictive maintenance to wireless systems for plant data gathering. As well as around 150 exhibitors - including ... » Read More