Process Engineering articles from July 2003

Process Engineering archives from July 2003

ICI appoints new chairman-elect. (News).
July 1, 2003... Peter Ellwood has been named as the new chairman of 101, set to replace current chairman, Lord Trotman, who is due to retire. Ellwood, a former chief executive of Lloyds TSB Group, will initially join the board in a nonexecutive position as...

Caspian order for Heatric. (News).
July 1, 2003... Meggitt subsidiary Heatric has landed its first order from the Caspian Sea oilfields, with a [pounds sterling]2.2million contract for 14 printed circuit heat exchangers on BP's Azerei, Guneshli and Shirag rigs. The use of the compact exchangers...

Mountainous acquisition. (News).
July 1, 2003... GE Fanuc Automation has bought Mountain Systems, a provider of manufacturing execution systems based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for an undisclosed sum. Serving industries such as brewing, life sciences and pulp and paper, Mountain Systems...

Chemicals look up. (News).
July 1, 2003... Chemicals production is set to rocket next year, according to the economic panel of the European Chemical Industries Council, GEFIC. But the growth will follow another year of near-stagnation, the panel revealed at CEFIC's recent annual meeting...

Fuel cell trials start at BOC. (News).
July 1, 2003... BOC has started trials of fuel cells to power two of its facilities in the UK. The trials, at its fabrication technology centre in Wolverhampton and its St Helens site, will test a variety of different hydrogen sources to establish which type...

John Brown is bound for Chicago. (News).
July 1, 2003... Venerable London-headquartered contractor John Brown Engineering has been acquired by Chicago Bridge and Iron (CB&I) for an undisclosed sum. Most recently part of Russian petroleum company YUKOS, which bought it from troubled giant Kvaerner in...

P&G in drug deal. (News).
July 1, 2003... Nottingham-based flow control specialist FCX Pegler & Loudon has secured two major contracts in the pharmaceutical sector worth a total of over [pounds sterling]3million. The valve manufacturer claims that the contracts are arguably the biggest...

Management role for Foster Wheeler in China. (News).
July 1, 2003... Foster Wheeler has been appointed as project management contractor for CNOOC and Shell's $4.3billion petrochemicals project in Guangdong Province, China, as part of a consortium along with Bechtel and Sinopec. The project represents the largest...

Regulation poses 'unacceptable' risks. (News).
July 1, 2003... The way that the UK regulates chemicals is unacceptable', according to a report from the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP). 'Given our understanding of the way chemicals interact with the environment, you could say we are...

CEL wins new ACTIVE contract. (News).
July 1, 2003... Oxoid International has awarded a multi-million pound project to build a laboratory chemicals production facility to CEL International. Based around the partnering approach embodied in the ECI ACTIVE initiative, the contract covers detailed...

Sira runs MCERTS inspection scheme. (News).
July 1, 2003... The Environment Agency has appointed Sira Certification Services the contract to operate its Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTS). The scheme is being extended to cover onsite inspection of effluent flow monitoring arrangements.

Manchester office for Schenck. (News).
July 1, 2003... Solids handling specialist Schenck Process has opened a new office and service centre in Manchester as part of the expansion of its AccuRate range of feeders and weighers. AccuRate systems are suitable for light industry uses such as food,...

Joint organisation for Interkama. (News).
July 1, 2003... Messe Dusseldorf and Deutsche Messe have agreed to stage the automation exhibition Interkama jointly from next year at Hanover Messe.

Marathon for control valves. (News).
July 1, 2003... Fast delivery times to remote locations helped control valve manufacturer Severn Glocon to win a major order for a gas production project in Africa. The company shipped 16 carbon steel severe service globe control valves in a variety of size up...

Lubrizol deal for Aker Kvaerner. (News).
July 1, 2003... Lubrizol has awarded a maintenance contract for its manufacturing plant in Bromborough, Merseyside, to Aker Kvaerner. The contract includes management of site engineering and sub-contractors.

Nanotech concerns trigger study. (News).
July 1, 2003... With interest in nanotechnology increasing, pressure groups are beginning to express concerns about the safety of the high-profile science. To allay these fears, the government has launched an independent study to examine the risks and benefits...

UK and international plant cost indices. (News).
July 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...

Finding products & services is easy using ENDAT standard indexes[TM].
July 1, 2003... ENDAT's index driven compendiums for engineering professionals are easy to use, packed full of information and extensively illustrated. Both are free to designers, specifiers and buyers looking for ideas and product suppliers. ENDAT PENTEC...

The smaller the scale, the bigger the problems. (Comment).
July 1, 2003... Last month the UK government announced the setting up of an independent study into the risks and benefits of nanotechnology. Whether intended as such, or merely the result of fortuitous timing, this was a welcome riposte to the recent rumblings...

Events.
July 1, 2003... 15-16 July Particle characterisation is the subject of a series of free seminars organised by Malvern Instruments that will enable delegates to meet specialists, discuss individual applications and learn about the basic principles of this...

Diabetic hope from pump. (Research & Technology).
July 1, 2003... Researchers at the State University of New York have developed a microscopic pump which could help spell the end for daily blood tests for diabetics. The pump, which has no mechanical parts, is also likely to find uses in 'lab-on-a-chip'...

Breathing hydrogen. (Research & Technology).
July 1, 2003... Materials which can 'inhale and exhale' oxygen could he the key to the small-scale fuel cells which engineers hope will power cars in the near future, according to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GeorgiaTech) in Atlanta....

Nano-dispersions win BASF award. (Research & Technology).
July 1, 2003... Polymer dispersions technology has won Stefan Mecking this year's BASF Catalysis Award. Worth [euro]10 000, the award recognises Mecking's work on designing molecular catalysts for the production of nanoscopic polymer particles dispersed in...

Metals from molten salts. (Research & Technology).
July 1, 2003... A new process to refine metals could reduce the cost of pure metals and make possible the production of previously-unobtainable alloys, according to Metalysis, a company spun off from Cambridge University. Based around the techniques developed...

Valve locks help in Tees clean-up. (Equipment in Action).
July 1, 2003... As part of its support of a local programme to improve water quality in the Tees estuary, Huntsman Petrochemicals is using valve Jocks from Conbraco on a new jetty loading facility at North Tees. Huntsman briefed its contractor, Wests...

Mobile CIP washes out. (Equipment in Action).
July 1, 2003... In what could be described as the industrial equivalent of a 'car valet' service, CIP Services has developed a mobile cleaning unit for food-grade tanks that takes the wash facility to the customer for temporary or long-term contracts. The...

Level device passes the acid test. (Equipment in Action).
July 1, 2003... At Lucite International's methyl methacrylate plant in Billingham, Teesside, an Endress+Hauser radar level device has solved a problem on a scrubber column in the MMA process. Liquid levels in the column, containing 96 per cent sulphuric acid,...

Ultrasonics wins over turbine meters for ethylene. (Equipment in Action).
July 1, 2003... The consortium of chemical companies connected to the European Ethylene Pipeline has opted for ultrasonic flowmeters designed by Krohne in preference to the more usual combination of turbine flowmeters and density meters. The consortium --...

Vacuum for vitrification. (Equipment in Action).
July 1, 2003... In an order worth $1 million, BOO Edwards is to supply a large-scale vacuum pump system for a demonstration unit of the Archimedes plasma mass filter. Archimedes hopes to design and install commercial filter units to treat 53million gal of...

Weighty matters: Stuart Nathan reports from CEFIC's annual meeting in Hamburg, where the German Chancellor lined up with the chemical industry to oppose the proposed chemicals White Paper. (Industry Focus).
July 1, 2003... It's about ten inches thick and bound with strong twine, and it took a visible effort for CEFIC president Eggert Voscherau to hoist it over his head. 'Here it is,' he told delegates at the European chemical Industry council's annual meeting,...

A matter of scale. (Solids Processing).
July 1, 2003... The hype surrounding nanotechnology -- the manipulation of particles smaller than a micron -- is currently overshadowing the science and engineering aspects of the field. Stuart Nathan looks at the ways process engineers are coping with...

Improved separations for polyester feedstocks. (Separation Processes).
July 1, 2003... Production of the two main precursors for polyester has been improved by changes to the separation stages of the main process. Dating back to 1941, the production of polyester is based on the polymerisation of either dimethyl-terephthalate...

Condensing theory into practice. (Separation Processer).
July 1, 2003... Building on its plate hea t exchanger expertise, Alfa Laval has developed a new plate condenser custom-made for vacuum vapour condensation duties. Mike Spear reports from its launch at Achema. One of the biggest exhibits on one of the...

A solid success. (Achema Review).
July 1, 2003... Once the poor relation of process engineering, solids handling and processing is now much more sophisticated as particle technology has become better understood. Collaborative work between Malvern Process Systems and Hosokawa Micron, for...

Out with the old! (Advertorial).
July 1, 2003... Fileder Filter Systems introduce the all-new 3G Filter housing, with a LIFETIME WARRANTY Finally, a Filter Housing has been designed with not only the practicalities in mind, but also that of the consumer. You may ask the question,...

MTL opens up control market. (Control Systems).
July 1, 2003... Cementing its commitment to open systems in process control, the MTL Instruments Group last month formally announced the creation of its MOST (MTL Open System Technologies) business unit. MOST president Dennis Gillespie says the new unit...

The flow must go on. (Flow Measurement).
July 1, 2003... For many years, the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) in East Kilbride, near Glasgow, has been one of the most important places for the UK process sector. If you want to make sure your flowmeters are accurate -- whether they're small or...

Reap the whirlwind. (Flow Measurement).
July 1, 2003... Keeping your pipes clean is fundamental to maintaining good fluid flow, but by its very nature, it's a messy business. Flushing with water produces large volumes of effluent. Blasting the pipes with compressed air consumes power, can lead to...

Zero leakage ball valves. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... The latest Hoke 7 Series zero-leakage bail valves from CIRCOR Instrumentation employ energised stem packing technology to extend service life up to 50 000 cycles, and live-loaded seats that compensate for wear and temperature cycling without...

IBC sump cover. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... Covered 180 sump pallets from Empteezy ensure that if a unit has to be used outdoors the sump will not fill up with rainwater. Available as single or double (side by side) units, each comes complete with a self-assembly steel frame and...

Taking calibration in hand. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... Complying with the ATEX directive, the Fluke handheld 707Ex Loop Calibrator offers a cost-effective, integrated unit for calibration, repair and maintenance of current loops. It features a new, ergonomic design that offers one hand operation...

Enhanced solenoid control. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... The newly designed CoolCube solenoid control module, produced by Bio-Chem Valve for Omnifit, enables OEM instrument designers to place an overdrive voltage on a solenoid valve. This can decrease valve response time, increase operating pressure,...

All you wanted know about ATEX. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... A CD-ROM from ABB contains a wealth of information on the ATEX directive, covering the marking and uses of motors and generators in hazardous areas. A presentation emphasises the important aspects of the directive and shows users how they can...

Hygienic RTD unit. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... New from Delta Controls, a member of the Concentric Group, is the Model 46 RTD hygienic resistance thermometer for in-line operation in food, beverage, pharmaceuticals processing and other applications where it is vital to prevent any...

Upgraded diverters. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... DMN-Westinghouse's plug type diverter valves have been upgraded to a new, improved user-friendly design suitable for working pressures up to 6barg when fitted with inflatable seals. Models with standard, static seals are good for pressures up...

Tank ferrules. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... Axium Process offers a range of 316L stainless steel tank ferrules machined to customer specifications. Available in sizes from 1/2 to 10in, the ferrules can be machined from schedule pipe sizes S5, S10, S20 and S40 as standard and can be...

Condenserless chillers. (What's New).
July 1, 2003... Hydrocube is a new range of air- and water-cooled condenserless chillers from Daikin Europe. Three Hydrocube ranges are available -- small air-cooled (EUWA/Y5-24), medium air-cooled (EUWA/Y30-90), and small water-cooled/condenserless (EU...

No worries over Ethernet. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... With the Beckhoff TwinCAT RT Ethernet, available in the UK from Hayes Control Systems, users of fieldbus-based control systems can now take full advantage of the low cost and high performance offered by Ethernet, without worrying about its...

On the spot. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Ideal for use in the food and beverage industries, the latest TT and TS temperature probes from FM Electronic can be combined with the TR control monitor to provide convenient on-plant temperature indication. Display units for type TT probes...

Enhanced lube for food. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Foodlube Multi-Lube is Rocol Lubricant's latest maintenance lubricant for the food industry. NSF-approved, this high performance lubricant is designed to provide excellent lubrication, penetration and corrosion protection in a wide range of...

Deep monitoring. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... The new MTN 100QW compact industrial accelerometer from Monitran can operate completely submerged to a depth of 100m. This makes it ideal for vibration monitoring of underwater pumps, roll bearings in the continuously wet conditions of paper...

Dual-action intensive mixer. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... The Hosokawa Cyclomix combines the benefits of a new mixing element, the shape of the mixing vessel and the location of the mixing element to the inner vessel wall to achieve impressive mixing results, It can mix a wide range of powders and...

Sealing catalogue on CD-ROM. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Garlock Sealing Technologies has introduced a single-sourse reference of Sealing solutions on a CD-ROM. The CD Product Catalogue provides engineers with full specifications, in a downloadable form, of the complete Garlock product range. Each...

Flowmeter for engine labs. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Labcell has introduced a new air intake flowmeter for internal combustion engines that is believed to be the lightest, most compact and most accurate instrument of its type. Suitable for engine test labs, the flowmeter consists of a Meriam...

Easy-fit drive PLC. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Omron Electronics' new easy-fit PLC module for its 3G3MV inverter drives transforms the drive into a complete and versatile automation system which, in many applications, will perform all of the necessary control functions without the need for...

Couplings are long lasting. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Designed to be efficient, reliable and highly cost-effective, the L Series membrane couplings from John Crane offer many significant advantages, including easy installation and versatility of application. With correct machinery alignment, the...

Enclosures on the web. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Sarel, a broad of Schneider Electric, has launched a new website - www.sarel.co.uk -- that makes it easier than ever to choose the best and most economical enclosure solution for virtually any application. The website provides direct access to...

Care for drives. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... DriveCare is a new service from ABB to improve the reliability and security of drive applications. Provided by ABB's channel partners in ABB Drives Alliance, the service is designed to prevent downtime and to minimise it when it does happen....

Low cost, high performance. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Serfilco Europe's low cost, high performance, self-priming plastic pumps are now available in a new 3in size providing a 50[m.sup.3]/h flow rate. After initial priming, the pumps will suction lift up to 5m and remain primed even after shutdown....

Online ordering for valves. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Bio-Chem Valve's website -- www.bio-chemvalve.com -- now offers convenient online ordering. The easy-to-navigate site provides detailed information on the company's broad range of valves, pumps and accessories for liquid handling in analytical...

In stainless. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Rittal's successful TS8 range of enclosures is now complete with the introduction of grade 304 stainless steel units. A new brochure, 'In Stainless Steel', shows all the necessary part numbers for ordering these products. For harsher...

Safety lamps are air-driven. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Wolf Safety has launched a new generation of Turbolite high power, compressed-air driven safety lamps. These are CE marked to the ATEX directive for use in Zones 1 and 2 hazardous areas, and dual marked with US Factory Mutual approval. There...

Conveyors for china clay. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Wright Brothers Industrial Services has completed a project to install a 28tonne/h raw material conveyor system to deliver china clay to kilns at a plant in the South West. The specification was for two 600mm wide, inclined troughed belt...

Increased load. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Thames Side-Maywood has extended its family of LeverMount load cell assemblies to include a new, larger mount designed to take 3000kg to 5000kg capacity load cells. The LeverMount system now covers the range 300kg to 5000kg. The system allows...

Pigs flying to new levels. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Pig clearing of pipework has been used in industry for many years, but is taken to new levels by IST Pigging Systems in terms of both cleanliness and the range of fittings that the company can supply. Pig clearing can now be used in all...

Steam resistant diaphragms. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Crane Process Flow Technologies has redeveloped its range of Saunders 214S grade diaphragms as part of continuous in-house innovation in diaphragm technology. The new Saunders 214S grade Hi-Steam' diaphragm has been developed to optimise...

Message centre. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... The 3000 Series of temperature/process controllers from Eurotherm comprises four precision units with a number of innovative features not available in any competitive products. A new text display feature, for example, provides operators with a...

Master controller for actuators. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Limitorque, Flowserve Flow Controls' specialist electric actuator and controls manufacturer, has launched the Master Station II, a new single-source controller for up to 250 actuators. The unit simplifies the necessary wiring overhead and...

Mills need less energy. (Marketplace).
July 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...

Pack up your leak problems. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... The Portable Bund from Empteezy is a multi-purpose, secondary containment system that is incredibly easy to use. Manufactured from 25oz rip stop acrylic and vinyl coated fabric, with aluminium wall supports, it is available in six standard...

Faster joining for plastic pipes. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... For use on its range of ABS pipework and fittings, Durapipe has introduced Durapipe One-Step ABS solvent cement and Eco-Cleaner cleaning fluid. The new system presents a nondrip solution, which removes the need to abraid, reducing system...

Complete valve catalogue on CD. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... The Durapipe Valves CD-ROM offers users a simple and convenient means of accessing information on the company's extensive valve range. It categorises the entire 400 page technical catalogue in addition to an introductory brochure. To aid pipe...

Extended temperatures. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Haskel/Butech high pressure valve, fittings and tubing systems are available with valve packing and stuffing box options extending their standard -73[degrees]C to 31 5[degrees]C operating temperature range up to -253[degrees]C to 648[degrees]C....

SIL 3 for valves. (Marketplace).
July 1, 2003... Worcester valves and Norbro actuators from Flowserve Flow Control have received third party approval to Safety Integrity Level (SIL) rating 3 from BASEEFA under the IEC 61508 safety systems standard. Flowserve understands this is the first time...