Process Heating articles from February 2008

Process Heating archives from February 2008

Reduce, reuse, replace? Applying a critical eye to your process tools.(Commentary)
February 1, 2008... In late January, I moved to BNP Media's Deerfield, Ill., office to reduce my commute. Over the years, I've streamlined my office materials, transitioning to mostly electronic files. Nonetheless, I faced a sizeable pile of files, magazines and...

SPX acquires APV.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... Charlotte-based SPX Corp. has completed the acquisition of APV, a global manufacturer of process equipment and engineered solutions primarily for the sanitary market. "The acquisition of APV greatly enhances our process equipment...

Dean signs export agreement.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... Dean Pump Division of Met-Pro Corp. has inked an agreement with Dorian Drake for internal distribution. Under the terms of the agreement, Dorian Drake International, White Plains, N.Y., will manage exports for the maker of pumps for...

Oxidizer maker receives order for 8 units.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... Pro-Environmental Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., has received orders for eight thermal catalytic oxidizer systems to handle the emissions from presses at three oriented strand board (OSB) plants and the emissions from five veneer dryers in...

Temperature measurement CD released.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... Descriptions of different types of temperature-measurement devices, process applications for temperature sensors, and an Interactive Resource Center that includes a scientific calculator and technical papers are contained on a CD from Nanmac...

Razor manufacturer gets a competitive edge.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... Obtaining a good shave requires a blade with the finest edges, which is why quality and production consistency are fundamental requirements for Supermax Corp., a large manufacturer of disposable razor blades located in Mumbai, India. But...

Relay technology extends controller life.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... In an effort to extend the life of relays incorporated into temperature and power-switching controllers used in heating applications and requiring a high volume of cycles, engineers at St. Louis-based Watlow have developed a new technology....

Petrol project seeks fuel from thin air.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... Using concentrated solar energy to reverse combustion, a research team from Albuquerque, N.M.-based Sandia National Laboratories is building a prototype device intended to chemically "reenergize" carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using...

Renewable energy projects draw funding.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D., was awarded $2.9 million for three renewable energy projects from the Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund. A total of 22 projects...

Shell and HR Biopetroleum to grow algae for biofuels.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... A pilot facility for growing algae to be used as a biofuels source will be built by Royal Dutch Shell plc, The Hague, The Netherlands, and HR Biopetroleum, which is incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Hawaii. The facility will...

Dust collection technology information explained.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... With a comprehensive library of technical information, case studies and articles, the dust- and fume collection CD from Jonesboro, Ark.-based Farr Air Pollution Control introduces users the company's range of equipment. [ILLUSTRATION...

Pro-environmental solves emissions problem with fluidized bed concentrator system.(Inner Workings)
February 1, 2008... A large manufacturer of nail-polish enamel replaced its aging shell-and-tube recuperative thermal oxidizer with a fluidized bed concentrator system and addressed concerns with VOC emissions and poor equipment efficiency. The oxidizer at...

Calendar of events.(Conference news)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... February 11-15--Infrared Thermography (Level II) Training Course, Boston. Hosted by Infrared Training Center (Flir, Agema and Inframetrics Products). Call (978) 901-8405 or visit www.infraredtraining.com. 12-15--Infrared Thermography...

Good controller, bad control: what's going on?(Heating Highlights)
February 1, 2008... For all the adjusting and tuning, the controller cannot do the job. Look at the process. Here are three examples. Plastics Extruder. A plastics extruder, fitted with well-proven temperature controllers, suffered temperature cycling of the...

Make it hotter or make it bigger: how to save energy in convection dryers: raising a dryer's operating temperature and increasing the dryer size are two strategies that can help reduce energy usage in convection dryers.(Dryers)
February 1, 2008... As I write this, the price of a barrel of oil has been flirting with $100 again, and the price of a gallon of gasoline is well above $3 in most parts of the country. While the current energy environment is unprecedented, it is doubtless just a...

Flotation drying: reasons for change: noncontact flotation drying enables a printer or converter to print or coat both sides of a web simultaneously, all while avoiding the risk of scratching delicate substrates. Could flotation drying provide the best fit for your web drying process?(Dryers)
February 1, 2008... If you want to know why your family does something differently than other families, ask your grandparents." I heard that statement quite a few years ago, and it was related to the family turkey. One Christmas, a woman who was hosting her first...

Oxidizers 'can' do: the use of regenerative thermal oxidizers is expanding into applications where they would not have been considered years ago.(VOC Abatement Systems)
February 1, 2008... As the first generation of oxidizer systems nears the end of their service life, many can-making plants face repair or replacement of their existing air pollution control systems. Like many others in the industry, a Silgan can-making plant...

Cast-in band heaters: cast-in heaters will provide long life and dependable, trouble-free service if properly installed, operated and maintained. This primer about the types of cast-in band heaters and suitable applications outlines the basics you need to know.(Heaters)
February 1, 2008... Cast-in band heaters are used on the barrels of plastic extruders instead of other types of band heaters where possible because they can withstand vibration, abuse and contamination. These characteristics give them an advantage in many...

N[O.sub.x] 101: a primer on controlling this highly regulated pollutant.(Burners)
February 1, 2008... N[O.sub.x] is a pollutant formed in nearly all combustion reactions, including fired equipment such as ovens, heaters, dryers, boilers and furnaces. As N[O.sub.x] currently is or will soon be regulated for all process plants, anyone involved...

Temperature controllers: use our equipment overview to find a temperature control supplier that will help you keep your process in spec.(Equipment Overview)(Cover story)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You know you need to get control of your process. But, what kind of control does your process need? Process Heating has created this bullet chart to help you figure that out. This chart allows you to cross check...

Power controller.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... EPower incorporates a predictive load management function that helps manage power demand. Applications that have traditionally used resistive loads or phase-angle firing now can be reconfigured to burst firing, which may help reduce operational...

Conveyor oven.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Gas-fired conveyor oven includes blow-off and cool-down zones for drying moisture on aluminum replacement coils. The oven has horizontal airflow, a 2'6" x 20'4" x 3'6" work chamber and a 300[degrees]F (149[degrees]C) max. operating temperature....

Sensor assemblies.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Built-to-order RTD, thermistor, thermocouple and semiconductor assemblies are offered for OEMs and high-volume users. Sensing elements, tubing, lead wires, termination design, fittings and calibration can be combined to create custom sensors....

Noncontact thermometer.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Simple to operate, Model OSXL450 reads temperatures in less than 1 sec. The noncontact thermometer has a laser-sighting system that defines the target for point-and-shoot measurement of temperatures from -20 to 320[degrees]F (-4 to...

Insulating coating.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Designed to protect equipment against condensation and corrosion-under-insulation effects, DTI-AC is a specially formulated version of the company's Delta T composite ceramic thermal insulation coating. The nontoxic, noncombustible coating...

Turnkey, PLC-based control systems.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Hot-air process heating control systems include programmable PLCs that can be preconfigured for multiple heat zones, each with independently controlled heaters or blowers and redundant safety interlocks. Designed for plug-and-play operation,...

RO platform.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Features of the RO platform include a stronger support structure, high quality stainless steel and instrumentation, and reduced permeate flux rates with better balance for reduced membrane fouling. The platform is designed with additional...

Monitoring instruments.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Heavy Duty Series comprises four separate devices: Model HD200, a differential thermometer datalogger; Model HD300, a thermo-anemometer; Model HD500, a psychrometer with infrared thermometer; and Model HD700/ HD750, a differential pressure...

Fiber-optic temperature measurement.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... For temperature monitoring in harsh EMI/RFI, microwave and high-voltage environments, Luxtron 800 Series provides accuracy, stability and repeatability with the option of a faster sampling speed. The series includes fiber-optic...

Top-loading oven.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... No. 955 is a 500[degrees]F (260[degrees]C) electrically heated, top-loading oven used for testing electronic components. Workspace of the unit measures 312 x 24 x 24". Nichrome wire elements heat the oven while four 2-hp recirculating blowers...

Toxic gas detector.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Model TS4000 has been third-party certified for SIL 2 applications and is approved by CSA, ATEX, CE and GOST. Features of the toxic gas detector include long-distance remote mounting (up to 2,000'); dual, redundant Modbus communications; 8 A...

Multimeter kit.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Intended for predictive maintenance tasks, kit includes the company's Model 289 digital multimeter with built-in datalogger and its View Forms PC software. In combination with the software, it allows unattended equipment monitoring, and the...

Transition fittings.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... DoubleSafe provides a leakproof seal and prevents cracking under high torque when transitioning between metal piping systems and the company's Schedule 80 plastic piping systems. Metal-to-plastic joining is especially useful when tapping a...

Miniature infrared thermometer.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Model IRtec includes options such as a choice of optics, temperature ranges and wavelengths. The miniature infrared temperature sensor has dimensions of 0.7 x 5" and accuracy of up to [+ or -]0.05 percent of reading or 2[degrees]F...

Thermometer for harsh environments.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Suitable for measuring temperature in harsh environments, Series IT is constructed of die-cast aluminum. The thermometer's glass lens can be cleaned and resists scratches for to ease viewing of the scale. The adjustable stem can swivel...

High-temperature coatings.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Thurmalox 218 (primer) and Thurmalox 219 (topcoat) are formulated to protect metal surfaces under insulation that will be exposed to temperatures from ambient to 450[degrees]F (232[degrees]C), and in other applications involving continuous and...

Environmental monitoring systems.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... As part of the Falcon F-Series, the F1000 and F3400 stand-alone systems enable remote environmental monitoring of critical operating parameters. Embedded firmware handles all data-collection, alarm-reporting and multiple concurrent...

Process actuation and control system.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... AirLine Type 8644 offers on/off pneumatic functions, analog and digital I/O modules and fieldbus connectivity in a single, DIN rail-mount assembly. By deploying the remote process actuation and control system, it is possible to "gang" all of...

Moisture analyzer for LNG.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Analyzer technology helps prevent ice formation in liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction. In the LNG liquefaction process, it is desirable to extend the life between regeneration of the mole sieve or to monitor performance of a glycol or...

Abrasion-resistant refractories.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Refractories provide abrasion resistance and physical strength in the petrochemical applications. Intended particularly for fluidized catalytic cracking units, Thermabond Formula 2112-R was developed as a highly abrasion-resistant rammable...

Recirculating chiller.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... Neslab ThermoFlex 2500 unit offers continuous cooling capacities of 2,500 W, making this recirculating chiller suitable for applications such as semiconductor processing, packaging, analytical instrumentation, lasers and laboratories. Each...

Thermal imager.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... A long-distance model has been added to the line of Heat Spy thermal imaging cameras. Model HSI3003 offers narrow-angle 9.1[degrees] by 6.8[degrees] field of optics, which enables detection and temperature measurement of small objects over long...

Silicone compound.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... For high performance casting, potting and encapsulation, MasterSil 151 is designed to cure at room temperature or more rapidly at elevated temperatures. The two-component, low viscosity silicone compound has superior electrical insulation...

Thermostatic steam traps.(Product Highlights)
February 1, 2008... FTI Series is suitable for applications such as heat exchangers, steam-to-steam generators, cooking kettles, large open heating vats and storage tanks. Encompassing a range of pressures and flows, the 1.5" thermostatic steam trap is offered in...

Eclipse Inc., Rockford, Ill., introduced Front Runner, a newsletter for customers and employees.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... Eclipse Inc., Rockford, Ill., introduced Front Runner, a newsletter for customers and employees. The inaugural issue contains details on upcoming training as well as a review of previous sessions. Eclipse developed the publication to help mark...

John Zink Co. LLC, Tulsa, Okla., has acquired Coen Co. Inc., Woodland, Calif., a privately held combustion supplier to the power generation, steam generation and process combustion markets.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... John Zink Co. LLC, Tulsa, Okla., has acquired Coen Co. Inc., Woodland, Calif., a privately held combustion supplier to the power generation, steam generation and process combustion markets. Coen, which has an engineering and sales office in...

Nanmac Corp.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... Framingham, Mass.-based Nanmac Corp. hired Anand Pandey as director of sales engineering, where he will be responsible for managing and providing engineering support, and increasing U.S. sales in top segments such as aerospace, electronics,...

Heraeus Noblelight LLC, Duluth, Ga., introduces a monthly e-newsletter, Application Notes in IR Heating: Noblelight News.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... Heraeus Noblelight LLC, Duluth, Ga., introduces a monthly e-newsletter, Application Notes in IR Heating: Noblelight News. The publication includes application case histories, product descriptions, brief technical lessons and technical center...

Montgomeryville, Pa.-based Selas Heat Technology Co. LLC inked an agreement with Heat Equipment and Technology Inc. (H.E.A.T.) to represent the company in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... Montgomeryville, Pa.-based Selas Heat Technology Co. LLC inked an agreement with Heat Equipment and Technology Inc. (H.E.A.T.) to represent the company in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia. In addition to...

Eraser Co. Inc.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... Eraser Co. Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., appointed Sean Fitzgerald sales manager. Fitzgerald will be responsible for assisting with the implementation of sales initiatives to promote the wire-, cable- and tube-processing equipment manufacturer's...

Cleaver-Brooks Inc.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... Stephen "Steve" C. Summerill joined Milwaukee-based Cleaver-Brooks Inc. as senior vice president of strategic business development. Summerill will report to Welch Goggins, president and CEO, and work from the Thomasville, Ga., location, where...

TurboSonic Technologies Inc.(Places & Faces)
February 1, 2008... TurboSonic Technologies Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, received a US$3 million OEM system contract from a U.S. wood products manufacturer for a SonicKleen wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) system to control condensable VOC and particulate...