Industrial plants must function effectively. Remedying production downtimes and breakdowns is an expensive and time-consuming business. That is why companies collect data to evaluate how their facilities are doing. [ + ]

Many processing plants have adopted pneumatic process control system methodologies. However, as the complexity of these control systems has grown, reliability and integrity have become more critical - as has the need for appropriate specification. [ + ]

With potentially billions of dollars at stake, reliable and secure real-time drilling data is one of the most important requirements for oil and gas drillers today. [ + ]

In challenging economic times, we can do well to stop and reflect on some of the past methods our industry has used to solve engineering challenges. [ + ]

Recent major upgrades to water treatment plants in North East Victoria mean residents can now enjoy cleaner, better tasting drinking water flowing from their taps. [ + ]

Joel Chan and Christian Schunn of the University of Pittsburgh have been researching the way engineers create. They say that not enough has been done to understand the creative process. Understanding it, according to Chan and Schunn, may provide a road map for speeding up innovation. [ + ]

Traditional fieldbus networks were - and some still are - isolated automation systems that required extensive local monitoring and routine on-site maintenance. To increase productivity and reduce operating costs, many manufacturers and plant operators have deployed Industrial Ethernet to converge remotely isolated fieldbus systems for centralised control and monitoring. [ + ]

Olympus has partnered with Ford Performance Racing (FPR) since 2007 to provide the team with the latest technology to ensure their cars are tuned for success. [ + ]

Kolak Snack Foods is a London snack food manufacturer that, having experienced an upturn in business, needed to increase its output capacity. [ + ]

Mark Elrick has been in love with watching stuff being made since childhood factory tours. Cheese was the first date, the 'Rotolactor' turntable milking machine the engagement and ice-cream wrapping lines the wedding. At age seven he knew he wanted to be around machinery. [ + ]

Encoders are special sensors that capture position information and relay that data to other devices. They are used to determine the position, velocity and direction of a motor shaft or other mechanical motion. They provide information required for the precise control of a variety of applications, such as positioning a rotary table, pick and place, machine assembly, packaging, robotics and more. [ + ]

A quick check of the local supermarket shelves gives a clue as to the complexity of the snack-food manufacturing process. The variety on display is enormous. Everything from high-energy breakfast alternatives and morning pick-me-ups to chips and party foods is readily available. [ + ]

With the increasing use in industry of common IT networking technologies such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi and WANs, there is an increasing need for the ability to effectively monitor and troubleshoot these technologies in industrial settings. [ + ]

A 25-year project on thickener modelling that has already delivered huge value for the mineral processing industry has now entered a new phase. Jodie Parry investigates what the world's first three-dimensional thickener model will deliver to industry. [ + ]

Sunshine Sugar's centrifugal drive system was aging and in need of replacement, and after considering all the options, the company chose a Siemens AC drive-motor combination for the upgrade. [ + ]