Process Heating articles from October 2002

Process Heating archives from October 2002

Why I no longer crack my knuckles. (It's A Small World).(cavitation)
October 1, 2002... One of my favorite web sites is Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works (www.howstuffworks.com). The basic premise of the site is that Marshall Brain (yes, that's his real name!) explains how ordinary things work, from capacitors to the world wide...

Emerson launches PlantWeb University. (The Insider).(Emerson Process Management's online courses)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Austin, Texas-based Emerson Process Management has added online courses to its educational curriculum. Using a leading education industry online platform, PlantWeb University, located at www.plantwebuniverity.com, is designed to deliver...

Invensys sells Sensor Systems business to Honeywell. (The Insider).(Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions acquires Invensys Sensor Systems)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... London-based Invensys plc, agreed to sell its Invensys Sensor Systems business to Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, Morris Township, N.J., for a net cash consideration of S394 million, representing gross consideration of $415 million...

Acrolab named Incos distributor. (The Insider).(becomes distributor of hot runner systems in North America)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Acrolab, Windsor, Ont., has been named North American distributor of Italy-based Incos HRS's hot runner systems. "Through diversification and continuous assessment of our products and services, Acrolab is working to become a one-stop source...

Forum for thermal management opportunities. (The Insider).(RTI International to hold forum )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Recent advances in thermoelectric and thermionic materials, thermotunneling, magnetic refrigeration and vapor compression may offer solutions to unmet demand for efficiency, miniaturization, performance and environmental friendliness. To...

NEMA releases controls standard. (The Insider).(National Electrical Manufacturers Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va., released ICS 19-2002, Industrial Controls and Systems: Diagrams, Device Designations, and Symbols. "ICS 19 satisfies the need for a 'stand-alone' reference for those...

Process this: desired calibration accuracy.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... PROCESS THIS: DESIRED CALIBRATION ACCURACY In June 2002, Process Heating conducted a market profile study on temperature controllers. Respondents were asked what their desired calibration accuracy is for temperature controllers used in...

Standards comparison study. (The Insider).
October 1, 2002... A subcommittee of Industrial Heating Equipment Association's (IHEA) Safety and Standards Committee is in the process of developing a guide to identify the main differences between the American and European standards used for industrial ovens...

Regloplas USA. (Web Watch).(revamps Web site)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... REGLOPLAS USA, St. Joseph, Mich., upgraded its web site, which includes information on temperature control units. Visit the upgraded site at www.regloplasusa.com.

International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). (Web Watch).(relaunches Web site)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACEUTICAL ENGINEERING (ISPE), Tampa, relaunched its web site. In addition to the new look, still located at www.ispe.org, several enhanced features are offered to ISPE members, including access to nearly 20,000...

Nebraska Poultry Industries. (Web Watch).(creates Web site)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... NEBRASKA POULTRY INDUSTRIES, Lincoln, Neb., created a web site in conjunction with the U.S.

Poultry & Egg Association. (Web Watch).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... POULTRY & EGG ASSOCIATION. The site, located at www.nepoultry.org, includes membership information, a calendar of events and industry links.

Calendar.
October 1, 2002... OCTOBER October 15-16--Fire Hazards in Oxygen Systems Course, West Conshohocken, Pa. Call (610) 832-9686 or visit www.astm.org. October 15-18--Expoplas 2002, Australia Pacific & Oceania, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Port Melbourne....

Pinning down gas-air ratios: do gas composition changes affect your process? (Energy Notes).(Column)
October 1, 2002... In my last column, I looked at the factors affecting burner flame temperatures. One big player is the fuel-air ratio. At stoichiometric, or correct, ratio, flame temperatures and combustion efficiencies are highest. But just how is the correct...

The drying curve, part 2: applying the drying curve to your drying process. (Drying Files).(Column)
October 1, 2002... As I explained in my column last month, the initial and constant drying rates may affect thc falling rate and offer benefits or advantages as well as limitations. Most commonly, the elapsed time for this falling rate period is frequently...

How should I calibrate, part 2: calibrating and testing control components on your heat process. (Heating Highlights).
October 1, 2002... Last month, I covered the test equipment you should have in your calibrating toolbox. In this issue, I'll explain control signal and temperature sensor calibration. Control Signals. Control signals are put out by controllers and expect to...

Ignorance is not bliss: know your safety regulations. (Safety Zone).(web sites provide information concerning safety standards)
October 1, 2002... Have you ever been pulled over for a traffic violation and tried to plead ignorance? "I had no idea the speed limit was reduced through this stretch of highway" or "When was that stop sign erected?" These excuses typically will not hold water...

Making a great gumbo: like making a great gumbo stew, when specifying thermal components, it's essential to take a systems approach. (Temperature Control).
October 1, 2002... A common mistake made when specifying thermal components is to fail to adequately consider how a component interacts with its environment and with other components in the system. For example, engineers often request heaters with very specific...

How to install an infrared thermometer: there are many ways to measure temperature in a process. Sensors such as thermocouples, RTDs and infrared thermometers are the most common temperature sensors utilized today. (Thermometers).
October 1, 2002... A noncontact infrared thermometer has the advantage of being able to measure the product temperature while it is moving. Or, if the product is in an oven, the instrument measures the product, not the environment. However, to obtain accurate...

Exchanger facts: line up the heat exchanger that's right for your process. (Heat Exchangers: Equipment Overview).
October 1, 2002... When selecting the type of heat exchanger to use, construction materials, heat transfer medium, flow arrangement and heat transfer method are all factors to consider--making the selection process a difficult job. Our Equipment Overview on Heat...

Cleaning organic heat transfer fluid systems. (Heat Transfer Fluids).
October 1, 2002... Heat transfer fluids will give long and trouble-free service in properly designed and operated systems. However, less than ideal operating conditions can result in degradation of the heat transfer fluid, formation of solids, and even deposits...

Reduce energy costs with a fluid bed dryer: one construction dry products manufacturer realized energy savings and improved productivity following a switch to fluid bed drying. (Fluid Bed Dryers).(Ventilex USA)
October 1, 2002... At construction sites in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, particularly at those for major building projects such as schools, hospitals and shopping malls, it is commonplace to find 25' high white silos with the blue stripe and Maxit...

Understanding cavitation: cavitation can be damaging to the pump components as well as other piping and system-related parts. Understanding cavitation and how it can be controlled is beneficial to any pump user. (Pumps).(MP Pumps Inc.)
October 1, 2002... Cavitation is a phenomenon of first vaporization, then collapse, of vapor back to the liquid phase. This may be difficult to understand, but in a simpler example, cavitation in a pump may be visualized as looking at a liquid particle as it...

Vacuum oven. (Process Heating).
October 1, 2002... Memmert Series VO operates at 68 to 392[degrees]F (20 to 200[degrees]C) and offers a short heatup time. Its microprocessor vacuum pressure controller is adjustable from 7.5 to 825 Torr (10 to 1,100 mbar). Vacuum drying is suitable for...

Heat transfer fluid. (Process Heating).
October 1, 2002... Therminol VP-3 liquid/vapor-phase heat transfer fluid is designed specifically to allow vapor-phase heat transfer at lower temperatures than are practical with traditional diphenyl-oxide/biphenyl-constituted fluids like the company's Therminol...

Purge vessel for batch drying. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Purge vessels typically are used as a second-stage dryer in continuous processes to reduce moisture or VOC content of pellets or powers in the low parts-per-million range. Batch drying processes also can include a purge vessel to efficiently...

Descaler. (Products).
October 1, 2002... D-Scaler system removes rust, scale and lime deposits from the process and from the circulating temperature control system. Offered in two sizes, unit is compact, portable and designed to increase process efficiency while prolonging the life of...

Electric-heat humidity chamber. (Products).
October 1, 2002... No. 904 has a vertical conveyor and provides a maximum relative humidity of 90 percent at 100[degrees]F (38[degrees]C). Fourteen stainless steel trays are supported at each side by a heavy-duty stainless steel roller chain driven by 0.5 hp...

Circulation heater. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Offered in more than 5,000 configurations with capacities from 0.1 kW to 1.9 MW, heater may have single or multiple zones. Offered in sizes up to 36" dia. for heating gases, steam or liquids, the heater's pipe body is available up to 3,000 psig...

Solenoid valve. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Direct-acting panel-mounted two-way 8257 Series has an angle-body construction that can be used to operate remote-piloted pulse valves used in dust collector systems. CIRCLE 202 Asco Valve Inc. (800) 972-2726 www.asco.com

Fluid bed dryer. (Products).
October 1, 2002... In this design, the entire dryer is part of the material-handling system. The heart of the transport system is a logical drive mechanism in which the dryer is supported on air bellows. Bellows are adjusted according to product requirements and...

Process heater. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Pure Flow can process clean, hot air; gas; liquids; or combinations of liquids and gases. Its 300 Series stainless steel and all-welded-joint construction results in pressure ratings up to 8 psig while operating at up to 900[degrees]F...

Heat exchangers. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Designed for cooling semiconductor manufacturing equipment, test equipment, electronics and ovens, 720 Series includes liquid-to-air copper fin-and-tube heat exchangers. All joints are silver brazed, and terminations are MIL-spec stainless...

Rotary-tray dryer. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Turbo-Dryer consists of a stack of slowly rotating circular trays in a welded enclosure. Material is spread on the top tray and, after one revolution, is wiped to the next lower tray. Heated inert gas provides the drying medium. All doors are...

Dave Kuipers was named director of international sales for Reading Bakery Systems, Robesonia, Pa. (Places & Faces).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Dave Kuipers was named director of international sales for Reading Bakery Systems, Robesonia, Pa. His responsibilities include directing international sales efforts and continuing to develop the worldwide network of agents that represents...

Danser Inc. (Places & Faces).(Scott Homschek)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Scott Homschek joined Danser Inc., Parkersburg, W.V., as a sales representative. Homschek will serve current and prospective clients of the industrial heating and process systems manufacturer in western Pennsylvania and surrounding territories....

Bonnie Kern-Koskela was appointed chairman of the board and CEO of Maxitrol Co., Southfield, Mich. (Places & Faces).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Bonnie Kern-Koskela was appointed chairman of the board and CEO of Maxitrol Co., Southfield, Mich. She is responsible for overall corporate policies, financial management of the company and day-to-day supervision of all departments. She remains...

Despatch Industries. (Places & Faces).(guide for selecting thermal processing ovens)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Four-color guide from Despatch Industries, Minneapolis, provides information for selecting thermal processing ovens. The guide details the necessary steps and considerations for matching a batch or continuous oven to specific processing...

Aeromix Systems Inc. (Places & Faces).(Guido Michelutti, regional sales manager)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Minneapolis-based Aeromix Systems Inc. appointed Guido Michelutti as regional sales manager.

BTU International. (Places & Faces).(Bill Brunstedt, director of sales, Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... BTU International, North Billerica, Mass., appointed Bill Brunstedt as director of sales, Asia-Pacific. He has been with BTU for 18 years, and prior to his new position, he was western regional sales manager.

Karl Dungs Inc. (Places & Faces).(names regional sales managers )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Minneapolis-based Karl Dungs Inc. added three positions for regional sales manager: Mark Hutchins is based out of Detroit and primarily handles territories in the Northeast; Richard Williams is based in Atlanta and covers the Southeast; and...

Danaher Corp. (Places & Faces).(acquires Raytek Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Danaher Corp., Gurnee, Ill., a maker of process and environmental controls and tools, agreed to buy Raytek Corp., Santa Cruz, Calif., a producer of infrared thermometers and thermal profiling systems, for roughly $75 million. Raytek will become...

ei3 Corp. (Places & Faces).(provides real-time engineering support to C.A. Litzler Co. Inc.'s customers)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Montvale, N.J.-based ei3 Corp., a provider of real-time engineering and web-enabled data acquisition and reporting software, now provides 24/7 real-time engineering support to customers of C.A. Litzler Co. Inc., Cleveland. In the event of a...