There are three key steps to ensuring that control valves don't cause process plant instability. Mark Perry explains the problems and their solutions
valve actuators
'Sustainability': that word is rising up the engineering agenda even faster than 'environmental' did before it. The latest development was last month's release of the Engineering Council's new...
Social Responsibility
With a breakdown in plant sometimes so catastrophic (failures of lubrication pumps have resulted in shutdowns of more than a year before new parts could be made), it is astonishing that so few plant...
Bearings
Last summer's government energy strategy - which called for power generation from renewables to rise to 20% by 2020 and for CO2 to be reduced by 60% before 2050 - is going to have a profound effect on...
Communication Systems
A recent survey of 1,500 IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety & Health) members revealed that slips and trips are the most recognised safety hazard in the workplace. Yet just 22% of respondents use...
Flooring
Did you know that if dry wire wool - think of discarded Brillo pads - comes into contact with a dead nine-volt battery, it can spontaneously combust? Or that dust - for that matter, even sugar or...
Fire Protection
Working at height comes with clear - indeed often all too visible - dangers, of which more later. By contrast, in confined spaces, the hazards may be less evident, but nonetheless potentially fatal -...
Working at Height
Maintenance engineers used to have a lot in common with fire fighters. Now, the job is increasingly about heading off trouble before it starts - and on highly automated plants, this predictive...
Instrument Diagnostics
Ask any engineer about electric motors and most of us visualise low- or medium-voltage three-phase equipment, either precision synchronous motors, driving machines or, more likely, standard...
Electric Motors AC
On average, each of us drives past around 1,000 pumps on our daily commute to work. That's all types, including pumps installed in process plants, industrial facilities, construction sites, HVAC...
PumpsWhen it comes to automated plant, ensuring safety is not just about adherence to the IEC 61508 control system standard or its industry-specific derivatives (IEC 61511 for the process industries, IEC...
Machine Safety/Protection
When it comes to automated plant, ensuring safety is not just about adherence to the IEC 61508 control system standard or its industry-specific derivatives (IEC 61511 for the process industries, IEC...
Health and Safety