Process Engineering articles from March 2003

Process Engineering archives from March 2003

Particles deal for Hosokawa. (News).
March 1, 2003... An agreement between Hosokawa Micron and a major toner manufacturer has created a new facility for contract processing for powder and particle manufacturers. The facility combines Hosokawa's particle testing services with small-to medium-scale...

Pharma order for Flowserve. (News).
March 1, 2003... Flowserve has clinched a deal to supply 1500 Worcester valves and Gestra check valves to Lundbeck's new pharmaceuticals facility in Seal Sands, Middlesbrough. The valves will be installed on a plant producing the bulk active ingredient for...

TEi relaunches heat exchanger. (News).
March 1, 2003... Wakefield-based TEi Greens has relaunched its industrial heat exchanger division to market economisers, boiler and heat exchanger products, along with a range of services including consultancy, design, manufacture, installation and...

White Paper promises emissions reductions. (News).
March 1, 2003... New, tough targets for greenhouse gas emissions will trigger [pounds sterling]300 million of new funds for renewable energy projects, the DTI has announced. The government has committed itself to cutting [CO.sub.2] emissions by 60 per cent by...

BASF shells out. (News).
March 1, 2003... This striking image -- produced by BASF as part of Germany's Year of Science celebrations -- shows how the company's water treatment products, polycarboxylates, help keep desalination plants free of limescale deposits. Normally, calcium...

Foster Wheeler goes down under. (News).
March 1, 2003... The growing market for low-sulphur diesel has helped Foster Wheeler net a major contract to design a desulphurisation facility at New Zealand's only refinery. The project could be worth more than $75 million. The project is split into two...

MCERTS extended. (News).
March 1, 2003... The Environment Agency has extended its monitoring certification scheme (MCERTS) to cover continuous water monitoring (CWM) systems. Used in most large-scale water treatment systems, CWMs monitor flow, turbidity, pH, chemical oxygen demand, and...

Flavours mar ICI. (News).
March 1, 2003... Problems in production of flavour compounds at ICI subsidiary Quest International stopped the company from increasing its profits for 2002, with pre-tax profits static at [pounds sterling]401million. ICI is still trying to improve efficiency,...

Bio boost for AMEC. (News).
March 1, 2003... AMEC has been awarded Lithe contract to provide engineering services to the new National Biomanufacturing Centre in Liverpool. Planned to provide specialised services for small and medium bioscience firms, the NBC is part of the North West...

ECS applications are on the increase. (News).
March 1, 2003... The Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme (ECS), which allows companies to claim tax relief on the costs of energy-efficient equipment, is beginning to take off, according to the Carbon Trust, which manages the scheme. Increasing numbers of...

Ciba posts strong results. (News).
March 1, 2003... Net income at Ciba Specialties rose 6 per cent in 2002, to CHF406, on net sales up 3 per cent to CHF7.1 billion. Strongest performers were the plastic additives and coating effects businesses. 'We are clearly benefiting from the, simplified...

Newson Gale to focus on statics. (News).
March 1, 2003... Process safety specialist Newson Gale is to exit the process sampling systems market, focusing instead on its Cenelectrex range of static control equipment for hazardous atmospheres. It will no longer repesent the interests of Dopak, Keofitt...

Amplicon invests in Brighton site. (News).
March 1, 2003... Instrumentation and IT specialist Amplicon Liveline is to double the size of its Brighton engineering, warehouse and office facilities over the next five years. The company has also agreed to distribute products from Iwill, HiTek Powerm CNet...

Rietschle switch for Thomas. (News).
March 1, 2003... Thomas Industries is to change the name of its pumps and compressor business to Rietschle Thomas, reflecting its acquisition by the Weiner Rietschle group last year.

Atofina set to expand styrene. (News).
March 1, 2003... Atofina and General Electric Petrochemicals are to boost the capacity of their joint-venture styrene monomer plant in Carville, Louisiana, by more than a quarter, to 1.15milliontpa. The expansion will include upgrades to the ethylbenzene and...

New face for SHE at CIA. (News).
March 1, 2003... Jon Chapman, formerly chief executive of contract chemicals manufacturer Witton Chemicals, has been appointed director for Responsible Care and Safety at the CIA. He will replace Doug Rodger who is to retire after 13 years as a director of the...

Emerson lands clean fuel work. (News).
March 1, 2003... Emerson Process Management is to automate a clean diesel oil refinery in Hungary in a project worth some $10million. The system will help the ultra-low sulphur diesel oil desulphurisation plant at the Danube Refinery, in Szazhalombatta, to...

BP to target 'key products' in shake-up. (News).
March 1, 2003... BP Chemicals is to focus its business on just seven key products, and will dispose of assets representing up to 20 per cent of capital employed in its chemicals group, according to new chief executive Ian Conn. The seven products--ethylene,...

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

Targets, goals and aspirations: how to play the energy game. (Comment).
March 1, 2003... If, as Harold Wilson once said, 'a week is a long time in politics', what are we to make of Tony Blair's announcement last month of an initiative with a near 50-year timeframe? Under the prime minister's proposals, the UK and other European...

Events.
March 1, 2003... 18-20 March Maintec 2003 is the only annual UK event dedicated to maintenance and asset management. Condition monitoring and computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS) are the traditional product areas of the show, but they will be...

Green' synthesis plant wins RSC award. (Research & Technology).
March 1, 2003... The Royal Society of Chemistry's long-term projects in its teamwork category. A family of versatile, easy-to-handle catalysts for manufacturing optically-active materials, under development for five years, wins the award for Huddersfield-based...

Badge detects styrene levels. (Research & Technology).
March 1, 2003... Also highly commended at the RSO Awards was research to monitor personal exposure to styrene monomer. Commonly used in many areas of the plastics industry, styrene can cause respiratory problems, drowsiness and memory loss f inhaled. Exposure...

Valves please pop plant. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2003... With soft drinks such as Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Orangina and 7-Up going through the same plant, the last thing Vrumona wanted was for any product mixing when switching lines during manufacture. Part of the Heineken Group, the Utrecht-based company...

Level probe takes the biscuit for Fox's. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2003... When Fox's Biscuits wanted to upgrade its bulk ingredients distribution control and silo level detection system it turned to Applied Weighing and its Uniprobe 100/200 level detection system. Unlike many other level probes, the Uniprobe can...

Rotabolts reduce leaks for Du Pont. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2003... In an initiative to reduce leaks at Du Pont's nylon plant on Teesside, more than 2000 Rotabolt load-monitored fasteners have been installed following a major overhaul. Before this, there were recurring problems of joint failure on the flanges...

Keeping Kodak in the picture. (Equipment in Action).
March 1, 2003... Within an hour of a pump breakdown in its main photographic coating plant, Kodak had received a visit from an AxFlow service engineer who immediately diagnosed the problem. Within another couple of hours a new Waukesha circumferential piston...

Validating CFD with tomography. (Reactor Technology).
March 1, 2003... Although it's a popular tool in reactor design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling can be difficult to validate. Mike Spear reports on how the recently commercialised technique of process tomography can provide the necessary proof ...

From pilot to product. (Reactor Technology).
March 1, 2003... With its customers cutting back on R&D, polymer manufacturer Synthomer called in project engineers Strata Technology to design and build an automated PVC pilot plant to develop its own customer service. 'Our business is the production of...

Ultra-pure crystallisation: a combination of crystallisation and a novel wash column has led to a process technology capable of producing ultrapure chemicals. (Reactor Technology).
March 1, 2003... Using proven crystallisation and separation techniques, the Dutch company Niro Process Technology has claimed a breakthrough in the production of ultra-pure paradichlorobenzene (p-DCB] -- a chemical perhaps better known as the primary...

Baffling techniques. (Mixing & Blending).
March 1, 2003... Oscillatory flow mixing may have a major impact on some of the most specialised sectors of the process industries. As well as providing a new method of mixing, they could help speed up production of high-value substances. Although the...

Food for thought. (Environmental Regulation).
March 1, 2003... Environmental legislation is now high on the corporate agenda for the UK food and drink industry. Here, we explain how the legislation will affect process control issues in the sector -- and show that it is as much opportunity as threat. ...

Gas or liquid systems. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Intended to replace the use of closed loop sampling systems, CIRCOR Instrumentation's GO MS3 modular sampling system is claimed to be both cost-effective and efficient. The system comprises a single block-and-tube architecture which has a...

Modular systems. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... The upcoming Achema exhibition in Frankfurt is providing the launchpad for Swagelok's modular platform components for process analysing. Backed up by configurator software, the modular system allows engineers to reduce the size, weight and flow...

Niton X-rays for metal detection. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Niton's latest range of X-ray frequency sensors, the XLt 800 series, can be used for metal detection and positive material identification in petroleum refining and petrochemical manufacture, the company says. Offering the speed and efficiency...

Heated cells for gases. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Servomex has launched an electrically heated cell for its 2500 series infrared process gas analysers. Suitable for Zone 1 (ATEX category 2) hazardous areas, the heaters maintain the cells at a constant 60[degrees]C. The heaters provide 'an...

No maintenance. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Phase Technology has upgraded its range of online petroleum analysers to provide what it claims is a fully integrated and virtually maintenance-free system to measure cloud, freeze and pour point. Available from Sartec, the systems are suited...

In-line ion analysis. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Metrohm's 811 online ion chromatography system is designed to provide data for plants which rely on online titration to control their production processes. Available in single-and dual-channel versions, the instrument has a range of safety...

No leaks, no waste. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Designed to ensure the integrity of packaging seals and guard against leaks, Qualitek's Qualipak 700 series of sensors can be used on a wide variety of pack sizes and shapes. The units are bench-mounted and transportable, and can be used by...

ATAC expands refinery lines. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Analytical Technology and Control (ATAC), a Surrey-based manufacturer of process analysers for refining and petrochemical production, has acquired the business assets of Sysco Analytics for an undisclosed sum. Sysco provides turnkey...

Three at once for Jiskoot. (On-Line Analysis).
March 1, 2003... An ability to take three samples simultaneously was the key factor for a major contractor's choosing Jiskoot's fastloop sampling system for a Shell offshore platform in Malaysia The small size of the system was also a factor, as it had to fit...

Siemens starts new attack on process market. (Control Systems).
March 1, 2003... In what can only be perceived as a concerted effort to make deeper inroads into the process control market than it has managed to date, Siemens announced two important developments at the end of January. The first is more organisational then...

Signed, sealed and delivered to 21 CFR Pt11. (Control Systems).
March 1, 2003... The impact of the US Food and Drug Administration's 21 CFR Part 11 guidelines on the use of electronic signatures is now being felt across the food and pharmaceutical industries -- as well as the equipment supply industry. Three key...

Packing it in from Australia. (Marketplace).
March 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...

Code makers. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... DVT and Veritec have announced an agreement to integrate Veritec's industry-leading VeriCode symbol reading capabilities into DVT's Legend Ethernet-enabled SmartImage sensors. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, SmartImage Sensors...

Victaulic gives design data. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Victaulic is making it easier for customers to reach informed specification and installation decisions with the launch of a new technical brochure. Designed for ease of use, the 52-page brochure contains detailed technical information on all...

Diaphragm valves upgrade. (Marketplace).
March 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 known in the biopharm market. Developed by Crane Process Flow...

No-clog filters aids recycling. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... A simple and robust solution to recycling industrial fluids and waste water while concentrating pollutants for disposal is now available from Finishing Techniques. The WasteWizard uses a patented polymer membrane that never clogs to filter out...

Dammit that's a good idea. (Marketplace).
March 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 and drums, is now available in a disposable applicator pack. This allows faster, easier deployment, even...

Fat separation. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Chronos Richardson is now supplying the Scott Particulate Capture Unit (PCU) into a diverse range of European material processing sectors. The PCU is a centrifugal separator intended to replace traditional cyclones and reverse jet filters...

Free PC-control guide. (Marketplace).
March 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...

Shrink gun that cools it. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... The Ripack 2000 is a high-quality shrink gun, claimed to offer a fast and reliable performance with complete safety. It remains cold both during and after use, preventing any risk of burning and eliminating the need for protective clothing. ...

Clamps now in 316 stainless. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Axium Process has upgraded its standard design of clamp to 316 stainless steel. The comprehensive range runs from 1/2 in up to 12 3/4 in with metric alternatives also available. Light duty and high pressure options are available in 304...

New style dryer. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... A new technology for compressed air drying from Hoerbiger-Origa features a hollow fibre membrane to replace the desiccant absorption media of older style membranes. The new membrane is ideal for low to medium air lows, offering many advantages....

Dosing for Bronkhorst. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Measure or control fluid mass flow rate at up to 500kg/hr with the Bronkhorst CORI-FLOW affordable Coriolis meter. With full digital or analogue communications, the P65 unit is suitable for dosing or blending high-pressure chemicals, liquids or...

Safety lock with no shock. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Castell Iso-Lok has introduced an electrically insulated version of its Multi-clasp for use when locking off electrical equipment. Providing additional protection against electric shock, the clasp can be used to safely lock machine controls,...

Chillers designed for R407C. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... An all new range of air-cooled water chillers, the Rhoss TCAP series, has been launched by Coolmation. The banning of the ozone depleting R22 refrigerant has led some makers to simply retrofit the replacement R407, but the TCAP range has been...

Lightweight actuators. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Alpha Controls has introduced a range of polyamide pneumatic valve actuators, which provide a high degree of resistance to corrosive and other aggressive media and are designed for use with composite valves. The Prism range can be operated by...

Shrinking drive. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... A dc drive with drastically reduced space requirements has been launched by ABB. The DOS 500-A5 is 25 per cent smaller than its predecessor, with a compact design that makes it the market's smallest product in the 1000-2000A range. This enables...

Pigs flying to new levels. (Marketplace).
March 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 fillings that the company can supply. Pig clearing can now be used in all...

Valve position switches. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... FM Electronic now offers one of Europe's largest ranges of inductive proximity switches for valve-position monitoring applications, making it easy for users to benefit from dependable and cost-effective solid-state sensing for valves of...

Multiple ports. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Multiple products or control lines can now be handled through one axis of rotation with Rotaflow Multiports. Bearings are specified to support required external loads, thus simplifying machine design by eliminating the need for separate...

A success story of storeys. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... The sky's the limit for leading technical tapes manufacturer Scapa. The company's adhesive tapes have been used in the construction of the 88-storey Two International Finance Centre in Hong Kong. Scapa 337, an aluminium foil tape, and Scapa...

Machine safety. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Mistura Systems has introduced a safety interlock for large machines that acts directly on the main power isolator. Rather than a safety interlock as part of the control circuit or emergency stop, this consists of a trapped key, made from...

Rapid release chlorine tabs. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Palintest has developed a range of rapid dissolving chlorine release tablets for professional applications in water treatment and disinfection. The range of Instachlor PR tablets comprises four different tablet sizes to suit a wide variety of...

Cuts fuel costs. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... SureBurn is a new combustion trim system from Marathon Sensors designed to cut incineration fuel costs and reduce pollution emissions. The system maintains the most efficient air/fuel ratio. It consists of an oxygen sensor probe and a setpoint...

Dosing pumps. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Javelin Water Engineering has introduced MixRite products into its wide range of pumping equipment. Manufactured by Tefen, the family of water-powered, self-priming precision dosing pumps has been developed for the accurate injection of a wide...

Slick operation for rain pump. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... The problem of pumping rainwater with potential hydrocarbon traces from a pipe track catchment area has been solved by Mono Pumps. Shell UK Oil Products is now using an SPO82P range vertical progressive cavity, positive displacement pump for...

Higher flow rate for solenoids. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... The new Humphrey 315/415 series direct-acting solenoid valves from Alpha Controls have an unqualified 0.42Cv flow rate in a very compact 19mm wide valve package. This flow rate is three times higher than comparable valves, without any limited...

Seals suitable across pH range. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Ceetak UK has launched a new range of high-performance seals manufactured from a unique polyurethane compound called P5500, created by the Parker Hannifin group. These are the first polyurethane seals to be compatible with media across the...

Boone takes the biscuit. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... John R Boone's Delta Blade Mixer was selected for a particularly difficult mix after successful tests in the US, where it produced retail cookie mixes with 20 per cent of block fat in under 3 minutes. The 'difficult' mix is a 50 per cent...

Giving out good vibes. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Eriez' new range of vibratory feeders are extremely versatile for feeding and metering of dry powders and granules. Equipped with glass springs for a trouble-free life, they are dusttight and water resistant. They offer controlled and fully...

Intrinsically safe interface. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... BEKA associates has introduced a certified instrinsically safe panel-mounting instrument that can display text and simple graphics in a hazardous area. Incorporating six push-buttons and two solid state outputs, the BA488C is a low-cost...

Spray without blockages. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... A new series of spray-dry nozzles for food and pharmaceutical powders has been developed by Spraying Systems. They combine excellent control of particle size with reduced potential for blockages. Changes in the design of the nozzle core and...

Integrated flowmeter for steam. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Spirax Sarco has launched DIVA, the first spring-loaded variable area flowmeter to integrate a flow sensing device, temperature sensor, connection accessories and flow computer into a compact unit. This stand-alone meter provides accurate mass...

You know you got sole. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Static discharge can lead to ignition of solvent vapours, gases and dust clouds in a potentially explosive atmosphere. One way of controlling static electricity is to ensure that static dissipative (antistatic) footwear is used. However, do you...

Quiet mills need less energy.
March 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...

Keeping cool with Marley. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Wherever cooling towers are used to maintain a supply of cool, clean water, the Marley Plan Service Agreement can maintain the integrity of associated products or process applications. The service is provided by Marley Cooling Towers, which has...

Low-cost CHP. (Marketplace).
March 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 10 bar to feed the CHP burners. KV has...

Conbranco adds capacity. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Valve and flow control manufacturer Conbraco has invested a further [pounds sterling]50 000 in additional warehouse racking and handling equipment at its facility in Manchester. This has increased inventory storage capacity from 36D[m.sup.3] to...

Wolf torches shed light, safely. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... The new Wolf ATEX safety torch range for use in explosive gas and dust atmospheres represents the ultimate combination of performance and safety. The T4 temperature class models. approved for use with long life halogen or xenon bulbs, offer up...

Customised data acquisition. (Marketplace).
March 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...

Listen with Pulsarguard. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Pulsarguard 2010 acoustic monitoring units have been installed at NWF Agriculture, to give non-invasive and wear-free flow detection on key items of production equipment. The first unit was bolted directly to a flange on the outside of a feed...

Sick's sensors. (Marketplace).
March 1, 2003... Sick, the market-leading manufacturer of photoelectric and complex sensors, has further extended its W9-2 range of photoelectric sensors to provide a complete solution for packaging machinery and a variety of similar applications. The range now...