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.

21/01/2021 The uses of ultrasound inspection Ultrasound is especially good at early detection of bearing faults, lubricant condition, leaks, discharge in electrical systems and steam trap monitoring. Unlike vibration analysis, it generally doesn’t require detailed knowledge of the ... » Read More

21/01/2021 Discharging your duties - chemical effluent sensors Chemical sensors can highlight potential risks with discharged water and whether environmental standards are being met. How do these technologies work in practice and what are their limitations? By Brian Wall » Read More

20/01/2021 Sulzer-led award-winning project improves performance and control of sewage ... The Forward Flow Project, instigated by Anglian Water, looks at the flows in a station or between a network of pumping stations and was developed to include a management tool that would improve the availability and efficiency of the ... » Read More

07/01/2021 Condition monitoring and vibration analysis best practice guide Vibration analysis is not condition monitoring, and condition monitoring is not vibration analysis. Their similarities and differences, their uses and technicalities are explored here. By Colin Pickett, independent consultant, formerly ... » Read More

26/11/2020 Isolation and tag-out procedures Equipment that is offline for maintenance must be properly isolated from power, water, air and other sources to protect the safety of the people working on it, as well as the integrity of the process and equipment. But what are the ... » Read More

01/10/2020 Making the right choice for industrial pH measurement In a wide range of industrial applications, accurate measurement of pH values is vital to ensure regulatory compliance and end product quality. The importance of effective pH measurement, and how to achieve it, is explained below By ... » Read More

17/09/2020 Testing of safety systems A new publication from the Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association offers practical guidance on some of the problems which have to be dealt with when testing real process plant equipment. Here, the organisation introduces the ... » Read More

17/09/2020 Water leaks and the ‘jaws of death’ Water demand in the UK will exceed supply in just 25 years, the head of the Environment Agency has warned – with part of the blame falling on leaking pipework. What can be done to avert this? By Brian Wall » Read More

10/09/2020 Brewery enters uncharted waters A new water recycling plant at the Fredericia, Denmark brewery of Carlsberg will reuse 90% of its process water and reduce overall site consumption by 10%. But how? By Steed Webzell » Read More

24/08/2020 Community spirit The Environment Agency, along with a variety of partner organisations, is celebrating 10 years of successful soft engineering along rivers in Cumbria, England » Read More

03/08/2020 Watch your distance As UK industry tries to get back to some form of working normality, social distancing measures are still to be encouraged. Adam Offord finds guidance and products to help with social distancing in an industrial setting? » Read More

03/08/2020 Fever screening The Coronavirus epidemic has created a worldwide demand for infrared cameras as fever screening tools. Explaining how to be sure that the camera chosen can actually do the job it is supposed to do is Glenn Wedgbrow, business development ... » Read More

08/06/2020 Safe operations One of the many hazards to people posed by industrial environments is forklift trucks. To improve pedestrian safety, digital solutions have come to the fore » Read More

20/04/2020 Bearing the brunt Seismic isolation bearings decouple structures, such as buildings and bridges, from the ground. This allows such structures to behave more flexibly during seismic activity » Read More

13/04/2020 Sensing a new era Rapid development of the electronics and manufacturing sectors, along with rising environmental concerns, are driving up demand for passive infrared sensors » Read More

06/04/2020 Sight sensing Motion amplification is a powerful technique for visualising vibration and other motion in mechanical systems, which can lead to rapid diagnosis of potential problems » Read More

23/03/2020 Hidden gems Vibration sensors can monitor the health of different assets, including motors, pumps, compressors and fans. These small, low-cost devices can be a godsend to operators by highlighting potential catastrophic failure via data » Read More

05/02/2020 Ship shape From the advanced polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough to the new £6.2 billion Queen Elizabeth Class carriers, on-board water systems are playing a vital role at sea » Read More

05/02/2020 Comment: Floating cities The November 2019 issue of Operations Engineer featured an interview with new SOE patron Sir John Parker, a near 60-year veteran of industry who started his career in shipbuilding. Among other comments, he said: “Ships have every ... » Read More

05/02/2020 Oh snap! OE’s editor and thermal camera novice Adam Offord visited Flir Systems to test its product range and user-friendliness » Read More

05/02/2020 Staying focused There are a wide range of infrared training courses on the market, from general introductions to specialist and sector-specific instruction » Read More

08/01/2020 Shaking things up Some analysis tools promise to automate the interpretation of vibration signals to extend the job of collecting data to unskilled trades, instead of just trained experts. OE explores how they work » Read More

01/11/2019 Emission impossible? We are at a defining moment in the war on global warming, but the good news is that the sector is playing its part in mitigating the impact of climate change » Read More

06/09/2019 Comment: Tick tock There are just 20 Fridays until Christmas. That is the post that popped up on my social media newsfeed during August thanks to my mother-in-law. (Shakes head in despair). I jest of course, but knowing that Christmas is just around the ... » Read More

06/09/2019 A big step-change Nereda technology was originally presented to the UK water industry in 2013. Since then, the technology has been tested and implemented at more plants » Read More