Articles
Powerlink motion control network for unique winding machine
Swiss company Carbo-Link creates carbon fibre components for challenging applications such as rigging for racing yachts.
[ + ]Innovative fluid connectors simplify construction of state-of-the-art compressor seal testing line
Parker Instrumentation’s fluid connector, Phastite, has simplified the construction of a state-of-the-art facility for testing dry gas compressor seals at John Crane’s new turbomachinery facility in Slough, UK. The connector’s combination of high-pressure operation and push-fit assembly has allowed the company to make considerable time savings compared with a system built using the conventional options of cone-and-thread and welded tube connections.
[ + ]Steel recoiler safety controlled
It’s often a requirement of many manufacturing processes to have the operators become directly involved in the machine action at the unloading point, either to unload or secure the outbound product. Unfortunately, the outfeed sections of most processes are notoriously dangerous, so in reality we should be striving to remove the operators from the area at all times.
[ + ]Integrating control and safety — where to draw the line
New digital technology now makes it feasible to integrate process control and safety instrumented functions within a common automation infrastructure. While this can provide productivity and asset management benefits, if not done correctly, it can also compromise the safety and security of an industrial operation. This makes it critically important for process industry users to understand where to draw the line. Cyber-security and sabotage vulnerability further accentuate the need for securing the Safety Instrumented System (SIS).
[ + ]Behind the scenes: protecting the world’s largest machine
Hotter than the sun and yet in one of the coldest places on earth, the largest machine in the world is 27 km long, lives 100 m underground and spans two countries. The European Organization for Nuclear Research, more commonly known as CERN, has designed the machine, known as the Large Hadron Collider, to reveal the secrets of the universe.
[ + ]Mining industry: achieving real benefits from simulators
The power, oil and gas, and chemical processing industries have been using real-time dynamic process simulation for decades and now the minerals processing industry can follow suit.
[ + ]Laying foundations with compressed air
When TrimPile decided to take its pile-trimming and concrete-breaking business to the next level, the company chose air compressor and jackhammer technology from Sullair Australia.
[ + ]Mixing multiple wireless technologies - Part 1
Joel Young explores how to mix different wireless technologies, including cellular, Wi-Fi/802.11, WiMAX/802.16, ZigBee/802.15.4 and proprietary wireless, to form a successful commercial or industrial deployment.
[ + ]Where did all the people go? — the new case for condition monitoring
Not so long ago the main reason companies monitored equipment condition was to reduce direct maintenance expenses. Condition monitoring and its logical extension, condition-based maintenance, served them well by identifying impending failures early enough to avoid costly repairs and reducing downtime by only performing maintenance when required.
[ + ]Reducing packaging planned downtime: effective sensor application — Part 2
Sensor technology is constantly evolving, giving OEM packaging machine designers new ways to reduce the cost of their machine designs. In Part 1 we looked at reducing the cost of changeovers with linear position sensing. This time we look at simpler, more reliable power connections, rotary encoders and optical detection.
[ + ]Desalination plant adopts unique instrument design
Among the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant’s numerous accolades are top awards for construction excellence and project management which it won earlier this year. At the heart of the plant is a sophisticated and future-proofed instrumentation and control strategy that has helped make the project a model for other desalination plants being considered — not only within Australia but also worldwide. This strategy also propelled the plant to a win in the recent Zenith Awards, where it won Best Automation Project 2007.
[ + ]How to find energy savings in process plants
Process plants can make significant reductions in energy usage, with appropriate focus. Using the techniques presented here it is typical to see energy savings from 0.5% to 2% of total energy cost, with some plants seeing as much as 20% reduction. These techniques can be applied with little capital investment.
[ + ]Bonfiglioli technology helps drive refurbishment of Sydney Harbour Bridge
The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was opened in 1932, is one of Australia’s most well known and photographed landmarks, along with the Sydney Opera House. The bridge is the world’s largest steel arch bridge with a total length of 2.3 km, the top of the bridge standing 134 metres above the harbour.
[ + ]Hot-standby for manufactured water
Australians, by and large, have responded differently to the devastating drought of the past few years. The Queensland government’s response was to initiate major water management reforms. In 2005, the Beattie government established the Queensland Water Commission and set aside $9 billion to overhaul the management, distribution and marketing of water through the SE Queensland Water Grid.
[ + ]Reducing carbon footprint with the right vacuum system
Today, carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered to be the largest environmental threat to our world by most researchers. Heightened levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lead to global warming, which in the long run can jeopardise our future on this planet.
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