Test and Measurement 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 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 » Read More

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 » Read More

04/02/2025 A hot topic Louise Davis showcases the latest product innovations and explores how thermal imaging technology is being put to use in a variety of engineering applications » Read More

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. » Read More

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 » Read More

05/12/2024 Noise protection Machinery manufacturers are legally required to provide information about the noise emissions if machines exceed certain levels. Darren Hugheston-Roberts, senior manager for digital & industry solutions at TÜV SÜD – a leading expert in ... » Read More

07/11/2024 A centre of sustainability A novel sensor system has been developed to help data centres optimise the energy efficiency and sustainability of their operations. Anu Kätkä, product manager at measurement technology company Vaisala describes the technology, which has ... » Read More

07/11/2024 Take the time to transition Solving critical infrastructure challenges to meet the ever-changing industrial landscape requires a great deal of effort. However, the payoff of all of the hard work is an operation that ensures longevity, availability and reliability ... » Read More

07/11/2024 Made to measure In PCB manufacturing, smart displacement sensors can be used in pick-and-place machines, where they perform reliable quality inspection at micrometer accuracies. The sensors can also inspect the position of integrated components and ... » Read More

02/07/2024 The influence of Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 is a major paradigm shift as the convergence of enterprise IT and operational technology enables systems and devices to exchange and interpret shared data on a global scale. Darren Hugheston-Roberts looks at the dynamic ... » Read More

09/04/2024 Comment: Rise up with resilience We continue to hear more and more from the UK Government about the issues surrounding the ‘resilience of systems’, whether they be financial, political, disaster or climate related. The prominence of the phrase is due to ever-increasing ... » 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 Opting for infrared With the goal of locating and identifying pedestrians at night even in weather-degraded conditions, Owl AI has developed a new image sensor based on diffraction-limited, high-resolution imaging in the LWIR band. This white paper explains ... » 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

05/12/2023 Measuring low liquid volumes via Coriolis sensors To optimise measurement and control accuracy for low liquid volumes, Coriolis sensors are often the prime technology choice. Providing a true mass flow reading, these devices are also highly repeatable. Coriolis technology is suited to ... » Read More

31/08/2023 Real-time digital twins Germany’s International Centre for Networked Adaptive Production (ICNAP) recently explored some of the technical issues of using digital twins in real time » Read More

31/08/2023 Analysing gas Gas analysers are used to measure the chemical composition or some other property of a gas. Typically gas analysers are configured to detect specific chemical elements or compounds in a gas flow. This is most commonly achieved using ... » Read More

31/08/2023 The potential of water reuse Rising concerns over water scarcity and environmental impacts mean industries are increasingly recognising the importance of water reuse as a critical strategy for sustainable resource management. Tom Austin-Morgan reports » Read More

08/08/2023 Switching from copper landlines We’ve been making telephone calls over copper landlines since the days of plummy-voiced Post Office operators plugging cables into exchange switchboards. Now the deadline’s finally looming for the copper network’s retirement party. And ... » Read More

13/07/2023 Green is growing Environmental issues run through this month’s magazine like a stick of rock. The cover feature addresses coming regulation of so-called ‘forever chemicals’ used for their waterproofing and non-stick properties, and many other consumer and ... » Read More

21/06/2023 Avoiding hump instability Hump instability is a type of unstable fluid flow that can result in increased drag, vibration or buffeting, similar to vortex shedding, stall or cavitation. It is a flow phenomenon typically occurring at high flow speeds or pressure ... » Read More

21/06/2023 Understanding EMC Understanding EMC obligations can be challenging, but is essential for machinery manufacturers and end-users, explains TÜV SÜD chief engineer Ian Wright » Read More

21/06/2023 Growing with technology Sensor supplier Vaisala explains why measurement and control technology will be key to the success of this rapidly growing sector » Read More

31/05/2023 ION sensors for hazardous vapours Businesses that handle hazardous vapours have a duty of care to protect workers from overexposure to harmful gases. ION Science contends that its sensors serve as an alternative to the unproven and low-cost alternatives that could increase ... » Read More