Process Engineering articles from February 2003

Process Engineering archives from February 2003

Shell studies Singapore. (News).
February 1, 2003... Shell Chemicals is to join forces with Sumitomo to study the feasibility of a world-scale ethylene complex in Singapore. The companies are considering a plant with a capacity of 1 million tpa, which would be scheduled for start-up in 2007. The...

ABB agrees CE bankruptcy. (News).
February 1, 2003... ABB has agreed a prepackaged bankruptcy plan fonts US subsidiary, Combustion Engineering, which is mired in litigation over its asbestos liabilities. A trust will be set up to handle claims filed after a Chapter 11 reorganisation has been...

Dow turns back executive clock. (News).
February 1, 2003... Dow Chemicals has fired its chief executive, Mike Parker, after just two years in the job and returned William Stavropoulos--the man Parker replaced--to the position. Stavropoulos, who has served as Dow's chairman since Parker's appointment,...

Slow growth for Europe. (News).
February 1, 2003... The European chemicals industry is set to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2003, according to BASF's chief economist. Ralf Groynch, who also chairs Cefic's economic outlook committee, does not expect strong growth to return to the sector until 2004, he...

Leadership issues. (News).
February 1, 2003... A new body to set the agenda for the chemical industry, the Chemical Leadership Council, is being formed following the publication of the report of the Chemicals Innovation and Growth Team (CIGT). The CLC's aim is to 'develop a vision and a set...

Serck takes control of Rotork safety. (News).
February 1, 2003... Rotork has sold its control and safety business to Serck Controls, a specialist in Scada software for utilities operations, for an undisclosed sum. The takeover will provide investment for the operations to reach their potential, according to...

Cracking time. (News).
February 1, 2003... B P has announced that it is to reinstate the fluidised catalytic cracker at its Grangemouth complex, with a start-up date of March 2004 pencilled in. The cracker has been shut down since June 2000 following the outbreak of a fire. Sited...

Mono taken over. (News).
February 1, 2003... Mono Pumps, which is best known for progressing cavity pumps, has been bought by US firm National Oilwell from its former parent, Halliburton, for [pounds sterling]87million. All of Mono's operations in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US...

Advisory note. (News).
February 1, 2003... A European advisory group for chemicals will help ensure that industrial policy remains 'balanced' and that the chemical industry is sustainable for the future, according to Eggert Voscherau, president of the European Chemical Industry Council,...

Funding PICME up. (News).
February 1, 2003... The Process Industries Centre for Manufacturing Excellence, PICME, is to receive a grant of [pounds sterling]2.25million from the government, particularly aimed to help it reach smaller companies. PICME analyses companies' business practices...

Monsanto shock as CEO resigns. (News).
February 1, 2003... Hendrik Verfaillie has resigned as president, chief executive and director of biotechnology major Monsanto after agreeing with the board that the last two years' performance had been disappointing. The chairman, Frank AtLee Ill, will act as ceo...

AEA Technology buys safety software firm. (News).
February 1, 2003... AEA Technology has bought Lexware International, a supplier of environmental, health and safety software, for an undisclosed sum. Based in East Kilbride, Lexware produces the SHE2000 range of software, which complements AEA Technology's...

BNFL wins Bulgarian work. (News).
February 1, 2003... Nuclear specialist BNFL Environmental has won a [euro]7.7 million contract to provide project management and engineering services for the decommissioning of Kozloduy nuclear power station in Bulgaria The contract involves writing technical...

Carlisle fits out Orkney creamery. (News).
February 1, 2003... Carlisle Process Systems has won a [pounds sterling]1.3million contract to supply cheesemaking equipment to the Orkney Cheese Company. The order includes three cheese towers and two 15 000litre cheese vats, two pasteurisers, and clean-in-place...

Emerson assists Great Lakes. (News).
February 1, 2003... Great Lakes Chemical has turned to Emerson Process Management to provide engineering services for an expansion to its phosphate flame retardant plant at Trafford Park. The plant uses a PROVOX control system.

BASF fibres swap. (News).
February 1, 2003... BASF is to swap its nylon fibres business for Honeywell's engineering plastics operations in a deal which will also involve exchange of cash. The German firm is paying Honeywell $I7Omillion in addition to the fibres operations, and will receive...

CIA publishes Responsible Care goals. (News).
February 1, 2003... The CIA has launched its first initial set of performance goals for safety, health and environmental, based on its Responsible Care guidelines. The association intends for them to be adopted as a complete set of goals by the Autumn, after...

UK and international plant cost indices. (News).
February 1, 2003... The format of Process Engineering's PREDICT plant cost indices has recently changed, as detailed in PE, September 2002, p11. However, a couple of typographical errors crept into that explanation. The correct equations for the Eq and Ci...

A challenging future for the chemicals industry. (Comment).
February 1, 2003... The UK chemicals industry is an industry in transition, facing key challenges on four fronts--its reputation, sustainable development, innovation, and skill levels. This is the conclusion put forward by the Chemicals Innovation and Growth Team...

Events.
February 1, 2003... 4 and 6 March This year's ASi-tech Conference and Exhibition is being held at two venues--the first at the Madejsky Stadium, home of Reading FC, and then at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground. According to AS-Interface UK chairman,...

Cheese, please. (Research & Technology).
February 1, 2003... As generations of students have discovered, milk can turn into cheese with apparently blinding speed. But in the cheesemaking industry, where the leave-the-carton-on-the-window-sill technique isn't practical, speed of cheesemaking is a critical...

Sticky stuff. (Research & Technology).
February 1, 2003... Insights Into particle behaviour could help laboratory equipment maker Varlan and Canada's Alberta Research Council (ARC) to devise ways of saving water in paper production. The organisations have developed a thermal collold analyser, which...

BASF invests in fuel cells. (Research & Technology).
February 1, 2003... BASF's venture capital arm has invested heavily in a new company which is developing rechargeable fuel cells. ZOXY Energy Systems, based near Karslruhe, produces zinc-air cells, which could be used to supply uninterrupted current to critical...

Bacteria can eat pesticide. (Research & Technology).
February 1, 2003... Endosulfan, a chlorine-containing pesticide used worldwide, is causing problems to environmental scientists. Classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as having extremely high acute toxicity, the pesticide has a half-life of up to...

UV picked for upgrade. (Equipment in Action).
February 1, 2003... Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has opted to upgrade existing ultraviolet water disinfection units at one of its UK sites with new Hanovia Photon medium-pressure UV systems. Six systems have been upgraded, all used to disinfect...

Agitator drives solve polymer problems. (Equipment in Action).
February 1, 2003... At its new plant in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, Scott Bader produces water-based emulsion polymers for the graphics arts and industrial coatings market. Batches ranging from 2tonnes to over 20tonnes are processed in the Zone II plant in...

Chiller helps keep beer in tip-top condition. (Equipment in Action).
February 1, 2003... Yes, that's beer--not lager, not alcopops, nor any of the other ice-cold concoctions that pass for a drink these days. With names such as 'Fortyniner', 'True Glory' and 'Old Thumper', the cask-conditioned beers brewed at the Ringwood Brewery...

Roof-raising energy savings. (Equipment in Action).
February 1, 2003... At its Broomfleet plant near Brough, East Yorkshire, Sandtoft Roof Tiles manufactures clay tiles in a process that demands kiln firing of the tiles for up to 60 hours at over 1000[degrees]C. Combustion conditions are clearly critical to product...

Changing direction: the chemical industry may be forced to rethink its attitudes on regulation, recruitment and investment if it is to survive, according to its Innovation and Growth Team. (Petrochemicals).
February 1, 2003... The chemical industry needs a drastic change of attitude if it is to survive in the UK, according to the report from the Chemicals Innovation and Growth Team (CIGT). The CIGT was set up last year by the government to identify the best...

Looking forward into the past: processors looking to increase profitability by optimising their plant performance would do well to look at new technology that traces plant history. (Process Optimisation).
February 1, 2003... There is no doubt that savings can be made in those cost centres most favoured by accountants--buying and stockholding of raw materials, manning levels, manufacturing methods and distribution of the end product, for example. But significant...

Insitec on-line particle sizing no more running blind.
February 1, 2003... Intrinsic safety with Insitec X Built on the established Malvern Insitec platform, Insitec X is designed for on-line particle size measurement in dry powders where GMP compliance is required. It is the world's first Intrinsically Safe...

Trendsetting maintenance: a computerised maintenance management system has helped increase productivity at a US cement manufacturing plant. Mike Spear reports on another example of process optimisation in action. (Process Optimisation).
February 1, 2003... With an annual production capacity of more than 6 million tons of cement, Ash Grove cement is the largest American-owned producer of cement and the fourth largest producer in the US. In the past three years the company has more than doubled the...

Safe or sorry? (Self-Certification).
February 1, 2003... Most products are certified as safe by the companies that actually make them. But is this 'self-certification' the best way of doing things? Health and safety consultant Martin Keay takes a close look at the self-certification process. The...

Switched on generators: in the deregulated energy market, electricity generators are turning to plant management systems to optimise their production. We look at one such system and the real-time applications platform at its heart. (Plant Management).
February 1, 2003... Formerly National Power, Innogy has in recent years been improving the control systems in its coal-fired power stations. Since electricity must be generated as it's needed, these plants have to be capable of a rapid response to extreme and...

Reflections on level: over the past decade, radar has become one of the most widespread methods of measuring level of liquids and solids. Stuart Nathan looks at how the technology has developed. (Radar Level Measurement).
February 1, 2003... Curiously, it's been our desire to keep in touch that has been the biggest factor in the increased popularity of radar level detection. When radar level detectors were first developed, they tended to be large, heavy and consumed large amounts...

Sensors on show. (Exhibition Preview).
February 1, 2003... Mtec, the largest UK exhibition dedicated wholly to sensors, measurement and instrumentation, opens its doors at Birmingham's NEC on 12-13 February. With seven other related events running alongside, the show should help visitors keep pace with...

Light, compact dispense value. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... The ErgoLOC valve from Henkel Loctite is a hand-held dispense valve designed to provide accurate and reliable dispensing of virtually all Loctite cyano-acrylate adhesives and low to medium viscosity anaerobio adhesives. With a weight of only...

Safety relay. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... Machine safety specialist Castell has developed the CMM200 motor safety relay. DIN-rail mounted, the relay monitors the back EMF generated by a motor to detect whether it is safely at rest or in motion, It is the only such device to be...

Watch out, intruders about. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... The Klaxon Flashguard Xpro security alarm sounder is aimed at users that do not require a premium priced product. With a no frills' specification, the alarm features a high visibility xenon strobe activated when the unit is in intruder alert...

Profibus valves take control. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... Burkert Fluid Control Systems has supplied Prof bus-compatible products as part of a control system for purified water at Colgate Palmolive's toothpaste plant in Salford. Burkert modulating globe valves and zero dead leg (ZDL) diaphragm valves...

Dammit now that's a good idea. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... Developed by Darcy Products at the request of the London Fire Brigade, Dammit X Ready Mix Emergency Sealant, for damaged and leaking tanks, drums and so on, is now available in a disposable applicator pack. The applicator system allows faster,...

Oil seals are custom-made. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... Oil seals specialist Blue Diamond is now offering custom-moulded rubber parts. There are no predetermined standards apart from the classic elastomers such as Nitrile, Viton, EPDM and silicone rubber. Virtually any shape can be requested,...

Dry to last drop. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... The CT Dryer is the latest addition to Hosokawa Micron's range of Vrieco Nauta conical vacuum dryers. The CT features a special Hosokawa-designed central tapered mixing screw, which ensures constant motion of all vessel material, resulting in...

Italian job for Coolmation. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... The Coolmation Group has become the exclusive distributor in the UK for Rhoss Spa, one of Italy's largest manufacturers of water chillers, associated equipment and airside products. Rhoss was recently acquired by the IRSAP Group and since then...

Taking level to higher levels. (What's New in Process Engineering).
February 1, 2003... The DM 300 magnetorestrictive level systems from Able Instruments take field-proven sensing technology and incorporate intrinsic safety with a field-programmable zero and span, ensuring no calibration and easy installation. Developed by Ametek...

Manesty offers FATs capability. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Following its move to new, purpose-designed premises, Manesty can now offer full scale Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) for its ranges of tablet presses and tablet coating machines for the pharmaceutical industry. A large area of factory floor...

From Barcelona. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Corby-based PCM Pumps has been appointed the UK agent for Tecnium of Barcelona, a move that considerably expands PCM's already extensive range of centrifugal pumps. Manufactured in solid plastic materials, the Tecnium pumps have flow rates up...

Centrifugal feeder launched. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Launching at this month's MDT Show, AGR Automation's Rotafeed is a centrifugal parts feeder designed to compliment and enhance OEM automated machinery. The conical and flat-top versions of Rotafeed suit high-speed parts feeding, in particular...

Filler-drying on small scale. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Powder Systems has developed a revolutionary small-scale dryer to complement its high-containment pharmaceutical process range. The 2.5 litre cake capacity filter-dryer is available in stainless steel or C-22 hastelloy construction and...

Ties that bind, and can't be lost. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Ty-Rap from Thomas & Betts offers engineers in the food and other processing industries a strong, versatile tie that can be easily detected should it fall into the production process. The 316 food-grade stainless steel barb, anchored inside the...

Spill kits meet EA guidelines. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Darcy Products has extended its range of spill kits in line with recent Environment Agency recommendations relating to liquids classified as low-hazardous or non-hazardous but with high pollution potential when stored or transported--milk and...

Steam dryer. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The new Drymeister from Hosokawa Micron is a continuous flash dryer that can achieve evaporation rates of up to 5 to 6 tons/h on slurries and liquids. It operates by atomising the wet particles in a hot gas stream. Unlike most flash dryers that...

Clean and calibrate sensors. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Mettler Toledo has launched a new modular system for cleaning and calibrating process sensors. EasyClean can monitor and control the automatic cleaning of sensors and is 'completely autonomous when used with retractable housings. Benefits...

Flowmeters drawn to water. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Torbar Flowmeters' Tribar fully integrated flowmeter is proving popular in the water industry, particularly in sewage treatment plants. There are now many installations, for example, where Tribars are being used to measure mass airflow in...

Packing it in from Australia. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... James Walker has launched its new Auflon compression packing worldwide, following impressive results with highly aggressive chemical slurries in Australia. Originally developed as shaft gland packing for pumps in the alumina industry, the...

Low-cost CHP. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... KV Process Controls has integrated safety shut-off valves into a control system for a customer in the combined heat and power industry. The valves have to work on natural gas and LPG fuel lines from 0 to 10bar to feed the CHP burners. KV has...

Intelligent panel meters. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Spectra Displays has added the 96x48mm TAS-1 Series of intelligent panel meters to its range. The series incorporates a new A/D conversion system for a wide range of transducers, allowing the unit to reach effective resolutions on display of 32...

Clamp-on is ATEX certified. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The KATflow 160 clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter from Katronic Technologies is purpose-built for use in hazardous areas and is fully ATEX certified for Zones 1 and 2. The meter can be applied to all commonly used pipe materials with a diameter of...

Pump protection flow switch. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... A 'no-moving parts' thermal flow switch from FCI is available ex-stock from UK representatives Allison Engineering. For pump protection, the FLT93 offers low flow detection that often precedes cavitation and dryrunning; and seal system...

Pay as you save energy. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Solutia's Newport, South Wales, plant (pictured) is saving [pounds sterling]1200 a year on its energy bill with the help of ABB's Pay As You Save scheme, which allows the company to pay for its new ABB variable speed drive with the money from...

Cool service. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Garrett Engine Boosting Systems has extended its service agreement with Marley Cooling Tower to cover three cooling towers on its Skelmersdale site, where the towers provide an essential service for the product testing and air compressor...

Giant plug valve for oil duty. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Howserve Flow Control has manufactured the largest pressure-balanced plug valve ever to be made in the UK. Part of a Serck Audco contract to supply valves to an oil company in the Middle East, the 24in valve is 8ft long and weighs 9tons. The...

Rotary lobe pumps extended. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Invensys APV has upgraded and extended its DW rotary lobe pump range. Two new models, the DW6 and DW7, each consist of four sizes, increasing the total range from 16 to 24 sizes with flow rates up to 370m3/h. Due to improvements in hydraulic...

New family of dataloggers. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The Gemini family of dataloggers introduced into Amplicon's new catalogue features seven different ranges designed to offer a truly comprehensive measurement solution across almost any industry. The loggers offer both single- and dual-channel...

Team cooling. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Rittal has launched the TopTherm design of enclosure cooling units. They feature a Master-Slave system that eliminates the need for intricate wiring to link all the cooling units together to form a teamwork unit. Incorporating features such as...

Diaphragms on ink duty. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... At its new ink production facility in Manchester, Akzo nobel us using over a hundred Verderair air diaphragm pumps. They perform a variety of dosing and bulk transfer duties and are equally suited to handling the water-based inks and flammable...

Better packaging for lubes. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... As part of a commitment to effective product use, handling and storage, Rocol Lubricants has improved the packaging for all of its bulk grease and fluid products. Bulk greases will be supplied in 18kg resilient plastic packs, tapered for easy...

Customized data acquisition. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... National Instruments FREE DAQ DesignerTM 2002 CD takes users through a step-by-step configurator to select the optimal software and hardware products for their custom data acquisition (DAQ) systems. Users answer questions about their...

Due diligence for chickens. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... A company cooking chicken products is using the dataTaker steam-proof Thermal Barrier system of dataloggers to monitor and maintain due diligence and quality procedures, providing it with the knowledge that its ovens and freezing processes are...

Static grounder. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The Bond-Rite self-testing static grounding clamp from Newson Gale helps prevent static related incidents by continuously testing its connection to drums, containers and other mobile plant to ensure static is safely dissipated. The Bond-Rite is...

PC-based automation guide. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... PC Control, a new guide from Hayes Control systems, provides detailed information about dozens of automated applications based on the use of PCs and open fieldbus technology. Examples covered in the 76-page A4 publication are temperature...

Quiet mills need less energy. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Netzsch Condux Jet Mills are taking the place of spiral mills, unidirectional jet mills and wet grinding systems. This is because they require less energy and have a more favourable price to performance ratio. The machines also produce less...

Free pump audit service. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... As part of a renewed focus on the UK water and waste treatment industry, Netszch Pumps has expanded its dedicated customer service centre in Walsall with the appointment of service engineer Brett Walters. For a limited time, the centre is...

UV disinfection. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... BlueLight UV disinfection systems from Heraeus Noblelight are now the preferred choice of Fords Packaging Systems, the world's leading supplier of capping presses, which are used throughout the food industry for products from mustards and...

Spray drying on the bench. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... The SD-06 bench-top spray dryer from Lab-Plant is ultra-compact, measuring just 1110mm x 825mm x 600 mm including an integral compressor. Unlike ovens, freeze dryers and other forms of drying equipment, the programmable SD-06 produces a yield...

Diaphragm valves upgrade. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Designed specifically for biopharmaceutical applications, the new 425 grade of EPM diaphragm from Saunders offers an even higher performance for diaphragm valves than previously know in the biopharm market. Developed by Crane Process Flow...

Mobile training unit for steam. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Recent plant surveys by steam specialist Trouvay & Cauvin shows many steam systems are operating at up to 25 per cent below optimum efficiency. To address the problem, T&C, in partnership with TTE Management, has set up a fully equipped Steam...

Datalogging on right track. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Checking the wear and life of rail track and sleeper movement while the track is in use is one of the most demanding applications specified for the data Taker DT800. The datalogger is ideal for most monitoring applications and can sample...

Testing through thick and thin. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... New to Brookfield's viscometer range is the CAP 100+ cone and plate viscometer. Ideal for QC applications, it is the fast, simple way to carry Out repetitive viscosity testing--with a single point test, choice of shear rate and rapid...

Weighing terminal for all. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... Mettler Toledo's ID7 weighing application terminal is ideal for use in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Its rugged stainless steel design and IP68 protection against dust and water ingress make it particular'y suitable for...

Safety first steam valve. (Marketplace).
February 1, 2003... 548 enquiry card If you mix steam and water for washdown, the Armstrong Steamix valve from Trouvay & Cauvin is the ultimate safe and efficient solution. The valve will not pass live steam under any circumstance of pressure reduction or...

Mayo gets mixed with Chemineer's Colloid Mills. (Advertorial).
February 1, 2003... Mixing specialist Chemineer has extended its proven range of Greerco Colloid Mills, the highly efficient, in-line processing units that are specifically designed to rapidly and uniformly disperse solids and/or liquids in the food industry,...

Greerco Homogenizers Solve Mixing Problem. (Advertorial).
February 1, 2003... Mixing specialists Chemineer have solved a production headache for a major body care manufacturer in the Midlands by designing and installing a customised Greerco Homogenizer at the bottom of the main processing tank. The company had been...

Small, low-cost chemineer mixer is big on quality. (Advertorial).
February 1, 2003... Mixing specialist, Cemineer has continued its expansion into providing low-cost, yet high quality small mixers, with the introduction of a new range of the DT top-entering range. Ideal for both open and closed tank applications for paper...