Process Engineering articles from November 2003

Process Engineering archives from November 2003

Fluor UK wins Kuwaiti contract.
November 1, 2003... US contractor Fluor has been selected to consult on a series of oil industry projects for Kuwaiti Oil (KOC). The contract is set to run for five years, and includes project management, coordination, planning, front-end design, engineering,...

GSK in Ranbaxy Labs agreement.
November 1, 2003... GlaxoSmithKline has announced its first major link-up with an Indian company--a drug discovery and development agreement with New Delhi-based Ranbaxy Laboratories. Ranbaxy will be responsible for a range of activities, from optimisation of lead...

Foster Wheeler wins RoSPA safety award.
November 1, 2003... Foster Wheeler's safety record over the past decade has won the company the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)'s President's Award. The award is only presented to companies that have attained at least ten consecutive RoSPA...

REACH proposals do not suit industry.(News)
November 1, 2003... Predictable differences of opinion have emerged following the publication of the European Commission's revised proposals for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH). Industry associations, including the CIA and the...

Air Products safe with Siemens.(News)
November 1, 2003... Air Products has signed a five-year agreement to purchase process automation and safety systems from Siemens Automation and Drives. The agreement is an expansion of an existing relationship, established in 1998. 'Air Products relies on...

Abbott expands in Kent.(News)
November 1, 2003... US pharmaceutical major Abbott Laboratories has announced plans to build a [pounds sterling]39million biotechnology facility at its Murex manufacturing plant in Dartford, Kent. The new plant, which will make diagnostic products, will employ 125...

BASF IT in integration link with Aker Kvaerner.(News)
November 1, 2003... BASF IT Services (BIS) has joined forces with leading EPC contractor Aker Kvaerner to provide plant maintenance planning services to users of the SAP suite of enterprise resource planning software. The alliance is driven by 'the need for...

ABB set to sell oil and gas business.(News)
November 1, 2003... After months of rumours and speculation, ABB has finally confirmed that it is to sell most of its oil, gas and petrochemicals business to a private equity consortium. The sale, to Candover Partners, JP Morgan Partners LLC and 3i Group, will net...

ET2004 to colocate at NEC.
November 1, 2003... The environmental technology exhibition ET2004 is to colocate with three other environmental events next year. International Clean-Up, the Environmental Management Forum and NEMEX, the National Energy Management Show, will all be staged at the...

Algerian order for Peter Brotherhood.
November 1, 2003... UK compressor manufacturer Peter Brotherhood is to supply three reciprocating methane compressors worth [pounds sterling]1.85million to a gas processing facility owned by BP and Sonatrach in Amenas, Algeria. The skid-mounted units will have...

Bayer sells stake in Millennium.
November 1, 2003... Bayer has sold its stake in US biotechnology company Millennium Pharmaceuticals for more than $300million. It paid some $97million for the shares in 1998.

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2003... On our September issue's Research and Technology page (p11), we mistakenly referred to GEA Wiegand as GE Wiegand. The firm is not connected with the GE Group. Apologies for the error.

Solar alliance for BP and Romag.(News)
November 1, 2003... BP Solar has agreed to work with glass manufacturer Romag Holdings on producing transparent glass panels that produce energy. The deal, which Romag claims is the first major technical and commercial alliance in the UK solar industry, could lead...

Knick names UK distributor.(News)
November 1, 2003... The pH Control Company has agreed to act as UK distributor German sensor manufacturer Knick Elektronische Messgerate's laboratory and portable pH, oxygen and conductivity meters and analysers, process indicators and galvanic isolation...

Cluster off to flying start.(News)
November 1, 2003... The Pharmaceutical and Speciality (P&S) Cluster was launched earlier this month in the North East of England, with over 200 delegates representing pharmaceuticals, chemicals and engineering companies from the region attending the event in...

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

Consensus and concessions characterise REACH rewrite.(Comment)
November 1, 2003... They may have had their differences over the past year, but the leaders of the UK, France and Germany managed to put on a united front in their lobbying of the European Commission over its proposed legislation on the registration, evaluation...

Events.(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... 10-12 November The 2nd International Conference on the Integrity of High Temperature Welds is a three-day event covering all aspects of the subject from the design of weld metals to practical operating experiences. The conference is...

Tecnetium test at BNFL.(Research & Technology)
November 1, 2003... BNFL has begun trials of a new process to reduce discharges of a radioactive contaminant, technetium-99 (Tc99), from reprocessing waste. Tests have indicated that the technique might eliminate Tc99 from waste streams at Sellafield, but it would...

Titanium in a single step.(Research & Technology)
November 1, 2003... Titanium still has the image of a space-age material--strong, lightweight, and incredibly expensive. But researchers from QinetiQ believe that a new process for refining titanium could reduce the price of the metal, and open up new areas for...

No visible means of support.(Research & Technology)
November 1, 2003... For process engineers, containers can cause calamities. Not only do they affect flow patterns and mixing, they can contaminate materials. A technique employed by NASA to make new types of glass could provide an answer, albeit for small...

Golden opportunity.(Research & Technology)
November 1, 2003... Gold is, of itself, one of the most valuable materials in existence, but it's of particular value to the electronics industry. Its stability and conductivity make it the metal of choice for connections in electronic devices, but its...

Superheater beats the clock.(Equipment in Action)
November 1, 2003... Like most major petrochemical sites, Lucite International's Cassel Works at Billingham has scheduled shutdowns for maintenance overhauls. For its methyl methacrylate plant, these shutdowns are scheduled every two years. Plenty of time for...

Flexible film handling.(Equipment in Action)
November 1, 2003... At its polyester film plant in Dumfries, Scotland, DuPont Teijen Films was looking for greater flexibility from its materials handling system and increased storage capacity to accommodate all the different products from the plant. After holding...

Weighing up the hazards.(Equipment in Action)
November 1, 2003... Shropshire-based Polymer Labs recently completed a new production facility for polymer-based particles used in a wide range of applications, from analytical research through to drug purification processes. Much of the facility is classified as...

Putting a shine on batching process.(Equipment in Action)
November 1, 2003... Having decided to upgrade its Waterbase and UV departments, Morrells Woodfinishes wanted a complete solution to improve efficiency of its surface coatings production. The 'wish list' included filling control, vessel and tank weighing, platform...

Nuclear decommissioning.(Equipment in Action)
November 1, 2003... Decommissioning nuclear reactors is not just a matter of dealing with radioactivity--non-nuclear contamination can be equally difficult to remove safely and economically. Warrington-based NNC is currently developing a system to remove alkaline...

Gas for all seasons: advances in production technologies for industrial gases have made on-site systems an attractive option for pharmaceutical producers, rather than bringing in liquefied gases. Beth Jennings explains how Air Products helped AstraZeneca bring nitrogen generation on site.(Plant Utilities)
November 1, 2003... With increased demand for industrial gases, most notably in the pharmaceutical industry, manufacturers and processors are enhancing their competitiveness by moving gas generation systems on site. The benefits of on-site gas generation can...

Bottled lightning: the powerful oxidising agent ozone has great potential as an antibacterial agent for process water in the pharmaceutical industry, but requires specialised equipment. Stuart Nathan reports on ozone specialist Waterwise Technology.(Plant Utilities)
November 1, 2003... Hygiene and water quality are vital to many industries, but probably none more so than pharmaceuticals. Stringent quality standards and monitoring by regulatory bodies mean that drugs manufacturers, and the companies which supply them with...

Taking fieldbus into hazardous areas; as process fieldbuses finally show signs of widespread adoption, more attention is being focused on how best to operate them in hazardous areas. Mike Spear reports on recent developments.(Field Communications)
November 1, 2003... According to industry surveys by the ARC Advisory Group, the process fieldbus market is now primarily split between Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus. Each is available in two versions--H1 and HSE for Foundation, and DP and PA for...

Control valves for general service.(Control Products)
November 1, 2003... Designed to European standards and manufactured at Emerson Process Management's factory in Hungary, the new Fisher GX control valve and actuator system is aimed primarily at the general service market. Unveiled last month at the company's plant...

Process and logic--all in one.(Control Products)
November 1, 2003... To meet what it sees as a growing trend towards integrated systems with centralised control, CAL Controls last month launched CALogix, a compact answer to providing PID control with machine control capability from the one unit. A DIN-rail...

Putting data on the record; the requirements of the FDA's 21 CFR Part 11 regulations have focused attention on the capabilities of electronic data recorders. Martin Binney explains their benefits and how they can transform the way in which process data is collected and used.(Data Recording)
November 1, 2003... Developments in electronic data recording technology are offering new opportunities for the way in which data can be used. As well as recording the details of a production process, electronic data recorders are opening up a wealth of new...

Ireland--where local meets global: the success of the pharmaceuticals industry in Ireland owes much to the quality of process equipment and plant services sourced from within the country itself, as Mike Spear found on a recent visit.(Ireland)
November 1, 2003... From its early days in the 1960s and '70s, when a handful of US companies set up greenfield bulk production facilities in the country to supply their finishing operations elsewhere in Europe, Ireland's pharmaceuticals industry has just gone on...

Culture in a spin.(News)
November 1, 2003... Alfa Laval has produced what it claims to be the world's first fully hermetic purpose-built cell culture centrifuge. Developed principally for processes using mammalian cell cultures, the Culturefuge 100 can be used for laboratory testing, in a...

CFR consultants.(News)
November 1, 2003... Complying with legislation is always an issue for pharmaceutical companies, and at the moment one of the biggest issues is the US FDA's 21 CFR Part 11 regulations. These cover systems which create, modify, maintain, archive or retrieve...

Winkworth wins out.(News)
November 1, 2003... Ireland is becoming an increasingly popular manufacturing location for international pharmaceutical companies. Klinge Pharma, a subsidiary of Japan-based multinational Fujisawa Group, has an established base in Ireland, synthesising and...

In hot water.(News)
November 1, 2003... Janssen Pharmaceuticals has more than doubled the capacity of its manufacturing facility at Little Island, County Cork, thanks to a skid-mounted hot water system from Spirax Sarco. The system, centred around a 6000litre tank, supplies five...

Valves cut costs.(News)
November 1, 2003... A series of diaphragm valves from Burkert Fluid Control Systems can 'substantially reduce total cost of ownership in the pharmaceutical industry,' the company claims. Manufactured to a higher specification that most process valves, the systems...

ATEX approved dosing pumps.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... The EXtronic from ProMinent Fluid Controls is a precision dosing pump that is available in versions approved to the ATEX directive for metering fluids in Zone 1, group II. The new internal control version of the pump features stroke length...

Extreme switch.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... Hirschmann Electronics' Fire & Ice range of industrial Ethernet entry-level switches are designed specifically for extended environmental conditions. Unlike traditional components, these switches operate in extreme temperatures varying from...

Hire service expansion.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... Pipeline Center has expanded its specialist tool hire service to all of its 130 branches throughout the UK, with additional expert advice and stocks of equipment at 30 strategic locations. The expansion includes five dedicated centres at...

Data acquisition in the wild.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... The new portable data acquisition multi-analysers from Kenda Electronic Systems are suitable for a variety of equipment monitoring applications. The family initially consists of two models--the PDA-32 and the PDA-96--both of which feature...

Interlocks isolate power safely.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... Two new robust mechanical bolt interlocks from Fortress Interlocks interface with devices such as power breakers, valves and earth switches to indirectly interlock power sources. Part of the m-Gard range of modular trapped key interlocks, these...

Enclosure exchangers.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... Rittal has expanded its range of thermal management equipment for enclosures with the introduction of the UL TopTherm air-air heat exchangers. The range covers from 17.5 to 80W/K and is based on the unit sizes and cut-out dimensions of the...

Lined butterfly.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... For demanding or corrosive applications where the use of common elastomers is unsuitable, Neotecha has developed the lined NeoSeal butterfly valve. Available from Tyco Valves & Controls, the valve features a thick PTFE lining which totally...

Weigh straight.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... A new version of Thames Side-Maywood's T93 load cell and loading assembly is unaffected by angular misalignment during installation. Supplied as a complete loading assembly, the T93 LA contains a fully-welded stainless steel load cell, sealed...

Guide to valves.(What's New in Process Engineering)
November 1, 2003... Conbraco has released a new free guide to its range of valves for industrial uses. The brochure covers the company's Apollo range of ball valves, marine products, safety and relief valves for hot water, steam, air, gas and liquid services,...

Pressure transducers.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... OEM Automatic has introduced a complete family of pressure transducers from Tecsis. All units have full stainless steel construction, making them suitable for many industrial duties. The range covers pressures from 0-0. 1bar to 0-2500bar, with...

More flexible I/O.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Advantys STB is an open distributed I/O system from Telemecanique that is said to offer greater flexibility in device integration. It provides removable field-wiring connectors to allow prewiring of I/O for faster installation and maintenance,...

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

Versatile Pt sensor amplifier.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... In a single, easy-to-use unit, the versatile TR2 measuring amplifier from IFM Electronic meets the needs of virtually all common temperature sensing applications that use platinum (Pt) temperature sensors. The TR2 is compatible with two-,...

Crane cuts costs on actuators.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Crane Process Flow Technologies has introduced its new Saunders ES Modulator actuator range. Costs of ownership have been reduced through standardisation of the actuator spring cases (heads), and utilising an interchangeable bonnet assembly. By...

The air that we breathe.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... With its ultrapure range of breathing air products, ultrafilter has a processing system for all pressure flows when compressed air has to be transformed into extremely pure breathing air. The five-stage ultrapure process ensures that all...

Static grounder.(Marketplace)
November 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...

Putting safety first.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Transmitton's Integrated Safety Management (ISM) system is an open, fault tolerant, distributed system that is modular and simple to use with flexible, mixed communications. Proprietary sub-systems for fire security and voice alarm can be...

Pigs flying to new levels.(Marketplace)
November 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...

Is grounding clamp for static.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... The new mains powered Bond-Rite REMOTE EP grounding clamp from Newson Gale provides a reliable and economical way to enable static bonding connections to be continuously checked and verified in flammable atmospheres. The REMOTE EP combines the...

Sample safely.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... True representative sampling of highly corrosive media is provided without process interruption by the Sapro in-line sampling system from Neotecha. The PFA-lined Sapro is installed directly into the process pipeline, and can employ a syringe or...

Bench or panel dewpoints.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Building on the success of the Optidew Transmitter, Michell Instruments has developed Optidew Vision, a precision dewpoint meter with an LCD display panel. Designed for high accuracy, repeatability and stability, the new instrument has a...

Proximity sensor.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... The WT190T from Erwin Sick is a proximity switch for object detection. Available with sensing distances of 50 to 100mm or 100 to 300mm, it features a diffuse sensor and red light LED light source. With versions offering background or foreground...

Enclosures for sealing to IP69K.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Rittal has announced four new sizes of KL style enclosures, manufactured in grade 304 stainless steel, which meet the high sealing requirements of IP69K to DIN 40 0509/5.93 due to the seal being perfectly compressed between two surfaces by...

PC-control free magazine.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Available free of charge from Hayes Control, the quarterly PC-control Magazine from Beckhoff is intended to keep customers and other interested parties up to date with the latest developments in PC control and industrial automation. The...

Instant air rate.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... The new Metris compressed air flow monitors from IFM Electronic provide a convenient and costeffective way of monitoring compressed air consumption, making it easy for users to ensure that this expensive resource is utilised effectively and...

Memory scanner.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Erwin Sick introduces the S3000 safety laser scanner, an intelligent safety system for the protection of personnel and systems in automated manufacturing and transport processes. Offering type 3 safety to IEC/EN61496-3, the S3000 features many...

Measuring dewpoint to -90[degrees]C.(Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... As part of a strategic investment to produce high performance hygrometry for the pure gas and semiconductor industry, Michell Instruments has had its primary transfer standard hygrometer, the S4000 TRS cooled mirror dewpoint meter, successfully...