Process Engineering articles from March 2002

Process Engineering archives from March 2002

CIA slams FoE Factory Watch ... and appoints director-general. (News).
March 1, 2002... Friends of the Earth's Factory Watch pollution report overstates emissions of carcinogens, according to the Chemical Industries Association. Moreover, it says, it neglects non-industrial sources of carcinogens such as vehicle exhausts. The FoE...

CIA slams FoE Factory Watch ... and appoints director-general. (News).
March 1, 2002... Judith Hackett, currently director for business and Responsible Care, is to take over as director-general of the CIA after current DG Elliot Finer's retirement in April. Prior to joining the CIA in 1998, she worked as a chemical engineer for 23...

Pump makers receive grant. (News).
March 1, 2002... The DTI has awarded a contract worth [pounds sterling]262 000 to the British Pump Manufacturers Association to 'transfer and exploit radio frequency identification devices technology to pump manufacturers. The technology uses wireless sensors...

Invensys to sell businesses. (News).
March 1, 2002... Hamstrung by negative growth rates and low profit margins, Invensys is to focus on just two divisions, cutting the size of the company by a third. Chief executive Rick Haythornthwaite believes that this will give the company a 7 per cent growth...

Shell launches joint venture to build first world-scale PTT plant. (News).
March 1, 2002... Shell Chemicals' Canadian division is to join forces with SGF Chemie to build the first world-scale plant for polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT). The plant, which will be sited near Montreal, will cost some [pounds sterling]100 million, and...

Biologics bonanza. (News).
March 1, 2002... Avecia is to build the world's largest plant for producing biologics -- pharmaceutical active ingredients based on natural proteins. Costing [pounds sterling]70 million, the 40 000litre-capacity plant is also the company's largest ever...

Kvaerner hopes to stem losses. (News).
March 1, 2002... Troubled contractor Kvaerner posted an NKr5billion ([pounds sterling]650million) lass in 2001, mainly due to losses in the engineering and construction division. With the company's refinancing now secure, however, president and chief executive...

Clean coal technology can help UK industry. (News).
March 1, 2002... The future of coal as a source of power for electricity generation depends on it becoming more environmentally friendly, according to energy minister Brian Wilson. 'The way we extract power from coal must become kinder to the environment if we...

Record ahead for Akzo Nobel. (News).
March 1, 2002... Akzo Nobel has posted 2001 earnings almost equal to its record year, just weeks after its recent announcement of widespread job cuts to reduce costs. Pharmaceuticals were the largest contributor to the [pounds sterling]938million net earnings...

Dish of the day. (News).
March 1, 2002... The Leatherhead Food Research Association is to form a new 'combined science unit' (CSU), focusing on bioscience, nutrition, chemistry, food ingredients and development. The reorganisation, which includes the formation of a division to handle...

New director for ChemiNet. (News).
March 1, 2002... Jim Gross has been appointed director of ChemiNet, the Middlesbrough-based organisation which helps disseminate new ideas and technologies in the chemical industry. Cross, previously with BP, is aiming to increase ChemiNet's membership by...

ACTIVE set to merge with ECI. (News).
March 1, 2002... ACTIVE, the organisation which aims to reduce the cost of process engineering projects through partnerships between contractors, operators and suppliers, has become a national unit of the European Construction Initiative. ECI ACTIVE, as it will...

Alfa Laval gains sludge foothold. (News).
March 1, 2002... Alfa Laval has formed an alliance with Vandenbroek, making it the exclusive distributor of the Dutch firm's sludge dryers. The deal gives it a valuable foothold in a fast-growing market, says vice-president Yannick Richomme. The thermal dryers...

Flovent changes its name to Aeromaster. (Company News).
March 1, 2002... Flovent International is to change its name to Aeromaster International. The company will specialise in aero-mechanical conveyors, while also maintaining its existing product range including manufactured screw features and filling machines. ...

Redler wins [pounds sterling]3m Kuwait contract. (Company News).
March 1, 2002... Bulk handling specialist Redler is to extend a storage silo and supply conveying equipment for Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries. The extension will add 100 000tonnes of capacity to an existing concrete silo, along with two outloading facilities....

Allibert merges with Buckhorn. (Company News).
March 1, 2002... Allibert and Buckhron, manufacturers of storage equipment, have been merged by their US parent company, Myers Industries. 'Both companies have a tremendous heritage in their complementary markets,' comments managing director Peter Good.

Domnick hunter improves profits. (Company News).
March 1, 2002... Filtration firm domnick hunter posted turnover up 17 percent, to [pounds sterling]million, in 2001, with pre-tax profits up i per cent to [pounds sterling]9.2million. Increased interest in biological and chemical weapons defence equipment...

Vector takeover heralds Precision changes. (Company News).
March 1, 2002... New name, new structure, new location: Precision Seals has officially launched from its Port Talhot offices. Formerly called Fluid Sealing Products, the company's relaunch follows its recent acquisition by Vector International Precision...

Burgmann seals a deal. (Company News).
March 1, 2002... Mechanical seal specialist Burgmann has bought the distribution arm of Beldam Crossley Group. The move brings Beldam's eleven branches into the Burgmann organisation. The company is to be renamed Burgmann Crossley Group, and managing...

Lobe pump benefits for smaller duties. (Product News).
March 1, 2002... Jabsco's range of Hy-Line rotary lobe pumps has in recent years successfully brought the benefits of hygienic operation to a wide variety of applications. The range has now been extended with the introduction of the LH3 series for port sizes...

Take the safe route to ground. (Product News).
March 1, 2002... Two new stainless steel models have been added to the extensive Cenelectrex range of static grounding clamps from safety specialist Newson Gale. Ideal for use in hazardous atmospheres with corrosive or hygienic working environments, the...

Putting the plant on the R&D bench. (Product News).
March 1, 2002... The MP-Micro is a versatile bench-top machine from Niro that allows R&D laboratories to optimise formulations and identify process parameters for a wide range of products. Providing all the flexibility of a full-size fluid bed dryer in a...

Environment accessed online. (Product News).
March 1, 2002... As industry is encouraged to improve its environmental performance, much is heard of issues such as environmental management systems, environmental awareness, sustainability and so on. But, according to the Environmental Practice @ Work...

Open season declared on automation software. (Comment).
March 1, 2002... Unveiling his company's much awaited strategic review last month (see page 2), Invensys' ceo Rick Haythornthwaite expressed the view that no one vendor in the process and industrial automation market has as yet really grasped the implications...

Pure solvents and complex conditions not needed for 'designer' polymers. (Research & Technology).
March 1, 2002... It's almost axiomatic that complex polymers require complex reaction conditions. Highly-purified solvents and extremely low temperatures are often needed for 'designer' polymers, which increases the cost of production and therefore of the...

Small is best at Bayer's labs. (Research & Technology).
March 1, 2002... A high-speed miniature reactor is helping Bayer to accelerate the development of new processes and products. Used mainly in the fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals and agrochemical fields, the ZeTO (Central Organics Pilot Plant) is being used to...

Biofilter is hot stuff. (Research & Technology).
March 1, 2002... A hardy biofilter could help to improve the environmental performance of papermills, according to Grant Allen of University Toronto's pulp and paper centre. Using resilient bacteria, Allen and his researchers have created a system which can...

Shattering discovery. (Research & Technology).
March 1, 2002... Researchers from UCLA have developed a plastic which repairs itself when cracked. Transparent and tough, the polymer has similar properties to epoxy resin -- except that when heated, it forms strong links between its molecular chains. The...

Clean up sulphur with calixarenes. (Research & Technology).
March 1, 2002... Carbonyl sulphide is a common impurity in natural gas and, because it is toxic and corrosive, must be removed during processing. Chemists from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology have found that it can be removed by treating...

Compact exchangers wrap up effluent contract. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2002... In a $100 000 contract, HRS Heat Exchangers has installed double tube coil exchangers in the Sri Lankan plant of knit manufacturer Textured Jersey. The fabric maker wanted the best possible heat recovery from its dye effluent streams, a duty...

Dual-role compressors cut Chinese costs. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2002... Two innovative process gas compressors are set to cut production costs at the Changling Petrochemical Company's refinery in China's Hunan province. Supplied by Peter Brotherhood under a [pounds sterling]1.52million contract, each package is...

Membrane clean-ups for steam power ... and process water. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2002... Reverse osmosis membranes from Koch Membrane Systems are helping Anglian Water to produce high purity water for use in steam raising at Peterborough Power Station, owned by TXU (Texas Utilities). Treated at Anglian's Flag Fen works, the water...

Membrane clean-ups for steam power ... and process water. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2002... PCI-Water is to supply a 'Fyne' membrane water treatment plant to Schering Plough's pharmaceuticals plant at Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, in Ireland. Featuring tubular nanofiltration membranes, the Fyne system will supply up to 480[m.sup.3]/day of...

IBC takes the weight in drug production. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2002... An integrated IBC (intermediate bulk container) filling and discharge station from Tycon Containers has helped improve production of the new oral weight-loss drug Xenical at Roche Ireland's plant at Clarecastle, Co Clare. Incorporating a...

Miles of heat keep frost at bay. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2002... Over 8000m of Raychem self-regulating trace heating cable, installed at the BASF Waste Gasification project at Seal Sands, Middles-brough is providing frost protection and helping to maintain process temperatures. The heat-tracing system...

Optimising analyser stream switching. (Stream Sampling).
March 1, 2002... Traditionally, double-block-and bleed valve systems are used to link process sampling lines with analysers. Graham Johnson highlights the weak points of such systems, and describes an alternative modular approach to stream switching. The...

Enhanced multi-valve range. (Stream Sampling).
March 1, 2002... Following its acquisition of Dublok last year, Sabre Instrument Valves has now integrated Dublok's range of multi-valve assemblies into its portfolio of instrument valves, manifolds, piping valves and instrumentation protection systems. ...

Putting valve advice in your pocket. (Stream Sampling).
March 1, 2002... Dairy Pipe Lines (DPL) has published a 28-page, pocket-sized guide containing information and advice on maintaining its single-seat valves. The company's md Steve Sharp said: 'we pride ourselves on delivering advanced processing solutions...

High pressure, low cost. (Stream Sampling).
March 1, 2002... Integrated safety shutoff valves from KV Process Controls have brought significant cost savings to a customer in the CHP industry. The company wanted valves for use in natural and LPG fuel lines to feed burners at pressures from 0 to 10bar, but...

Compact control valves. (Stream Sampling).
March 1, 2002... The Baumann range of compact control valves, from Emerson Process Management company Fisher Controls, are said to be lighter and smaller than competing valves, making them ideal for skid-mounted equipment or where space is limited. The...

Spotting a position in the positioner market. (Valves & Actuators Equipment Focus).
March 1, 2002... Although the market for intelligent control valves is growing rapidly, there are large areas that do not yet require the levels of sophistication that these valves offer. Heap & Partners has attempted to bridge this gap with its Storm valve...

Big valve for big contract. (Valves & Actuators Equipment Focus).
March 1, 2002... The 24in globe valve pictured above is one of the largest of over 400 valves being supplied by Severn Glocon to the Middle East. They are destined for gas processing plants being built for Qatar General Petroleum by a joint venture between...

Rotork adds to actuator range. (Valves & Actuators Equipment Focus).
March 1, 2002... Following its takeover of Jordan Controls, Rotork Controls is now offering a range of specialist electric and electro-hydraulic linear, rotary and lever-arm actuators, to complement its existing valve actuation capabilities. The Jordan...

Interlocks enhance plant safety. (Valves & Actuators Equipment Focus).
March 1, 2002... The new QLS and GLS value interlocks from Smith Flow Control provide a mechanical process management system for potentially hazardous operations requiring strict sequential control. A new feature is on-site lock recoding. This lets plant...

Cleanable ball valve. (Equipment Focus Valves & Actuators).
March 1, 2002... Celebrating its 40th year, Progressive Engineering has introduced a range of ball valves that can be cleaned in situ without stripping down the valve. Available in 1, 2 and 3in versions, the valves feature easy and safe cleaning by connecting a...

PED approval for valves. (Equipment Focus Valves & Actuators).
March 1, 2002... Huddersfield-based Hopkinsons, part of the Weir Group, has won Lloyds Register approval of its quality systems in meeting the requirements of the European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), which becomes mandatory in May this year. ...

Water switches to electric for valve actuation. (Equipment Focus Valves & Actuators).
March 1, 2002... As part of the refurbishment of pressure filters at Essex & Suffolk Water's Walpole Water Treatment Works near Walpole, Suffolk, Tyco Valves & Controls is to supply ASI (actuator sensor interface) electric actuators and interface cards for the...

Ethernet links for Baglan Bay development. (Field Communications).
March 1, 2002... An 11km-long fast Ethernet network is linking distributed control clusters at BP's newly-developed Baglan Bay site in South Wales. We report on the equipment involved and hear from BP's project engineers. Following the decommissioning and...

Eggs-acting monitoring. (Control Applications).
March 1, 2002... Instrumentation manufactures are used to dealing with situations that demand sensitivity, but one recent order had Omron walking on eggshells. Engineers at Chickmaster in Somerset contacted the company to monitor conditions inside their...

Emerson nails jelly. (Control Applications).
March 1, 2002... Fuchs Lubricants in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, is the only European producer of petroleum jelly to be licensed by the Medicines Control Agency. Producing soft and liquid paraffins for medicines and cosmetics, the plant refines and blends...

Dusty dilemma. (Control Applications).
March 1, 2002... Krohne has helped Huntsman Tioxide solve a level measurement problem at its Grimsby plant, which had led to staff needing to carry out frequent manual checks. Other manufacturers had tried and failed to find a way of measuring the level of fine...

Pilkington drives for glass quality. (Control Applications).
March 1, 2002... Pilkington the glass manufacturer has opted for Control Techniques drives to replace dc furnace fan drives at its plants around the UK. The plants all used old analogue drives supplied in the 1980s by a company that is no longer trading....

Hot job for ABB. (Control Applications).
March 1, 2002... ABB is supplying monitoring and control systems for BNFL's nuclear waste vitrification plant at Sellafield, handling the evaporation of radioactive liquid waste, its mixing with crushed glass, and the melting and handling of the subsequent...

Convey and weigh. (Control Applications).
March 1, 2002... Applied Weighing has been working with ST Machinery of Wellingborough to devise a range of belt conveyors with a built-in check-weighing facility. The belt, which incorporates a PLC to monitor and control the belt speed and the readout from...

Risk Management monitor, analyse, prioritise: using his own company Unilever as an example, Tom Taylor sets out the key issues that should be addressed to reduce risk in process production. (Production Management).
March 1, 2002... Risk management, as defined by the Institute of Risk Management, is the identification, analysis, control, financing and transfer of risks that threaten the life, property and viability of an enterprise. In process engineering, there are three...

Allergic reactions: Stuart Nathan looks at some of the facts behind food allergies, the ways food processors can minimise contamination, and some of the methods under investigation for making foods safer. (Contamination).
March 1, 2002... It's one of those things that everybody knows -- food allergies are becoming more common. In fact, it's a contentious issue. There is no firm evidence that the problem is increasing, and the issue is confused by the difference between an...

Schneider keeps the pressure on Kensey. (Applications).
March 1, 2002... Installation of clean-in-place (CIP) systems is becoming indispensible for food production plants, but it can cause problems. Kensey Foods, which manufactures chilled desserts, found that the water pressure at its plant dropped from its normal...

MacLabs shells out for Kemutec's mussel power. (Applications).
March 1, 2002... The Japanese dietary supplements market has proved to be good news for Kemutec. The company has supplied a mill to a firm in New Zealand which makes encapsulated mussel powder, which is used to treat arthritis. Maclab NZ, based in Nelson,...

Tetra milks the mix. (Applications).
March 1, 2002... Boulton Park Dairy in Lincoln is to use a Tetra Hoyer Prom ix batch preparation plant, installed and commissioned by Tetra Pak, to produce a range of flavoured milks. 'The plant was originally installed to produce the company's range of gourmet...

Turnkey weighing. (Applications).
March 1, 2002... Ready meal manufacturer Oscar Mayer turned to Bizerba to help improve the weighing systems at its plant in Chard. With ingredient prices rising steeply because of poor harvests and the effects of foot and mouth disease, the company was anxious...

Magnetic moments. (Applications).
March 1, 2002... Ritetrack has opted for Alfa Laval's new technologies to safeguard the integrity of milk at independent dairy company Freshways' Acton plant. Think Top valve tops, equipped with a Scada interface to communicate with the central control system,...

Applied Weighing is setting up a division specifically to provide systems for use in hazardous environments. (Company News).
March 1, 2002... Caption: Applied Weighing is setting up a division specifically to provide systems for use in hazardous environments. Many of the company's loadcells conform to the EU ATEX directive for explosive atmospheres, and it believes that it can best...

UK and International plant cost indices.
March 1, 2002... Process Engineering's PREDICT plant cost index for the UK is made up of five components covering mechanical [I.sub.M], electrical [I.sub.E], civil engineering [I.sub.C], site engineering [I.sub.S], and project overheads [I.sub.O]. These are now...

Events.
March 1, 2002... 9-10 April Combined Heat and Power in Industry and Commerce is a CRD (continuing professional development) short course at the University of Leeds' school of process, environmental and materials engineering. The focus of the course is on...