Process Engineering articles from September 2003

Process Engineering archives from September 2003

Draeger to supply Rhodia.(News)
September 1, 2003... Speciality chemical major Rhodia is to purchase fixed and portable gas detection equipment from Draeger for its 10 UK sites for the next three years.

Technip adopts AVEVA system.(News)
September 1, 2003... Paris-based EPC contractor Technip has acquired a licence to use AVEVA's Vantage engineering lifecycle product suite for some $1.2million. The licence allows Technip to use the system on a 'pay-peruse' basis. 'Our flexible licensing package and...

Speciality firms win funding for PhD projects.(News)
September 1, 2003... Three specialist chemical companies will receive funding for PhD projects in their chosen field thanks to a scheme operated by the Specialised Organic Chemicals Sector Association (SOCSA). Each of the winners receives a [pounds sterling] 44 700...

Environmental and safety boost.(News)
September 1, 2003... The chemical industry in the UK is maintaining its health and safety record, according to the CIA's 2002 Responsible Care survey, Indicators of Performance. Safety records show no employee or contractor fatalities in 2002 and a decrease in...

Pilkington opts for Eurotherm.(News)
September 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Glass manufacturer Pilkington has awarded Eurotherm preferred supplier status for control systems operating at the 'hot end' of its manufacturing process. The award will cover control systems in around 65 float glass...

Ineos secures funds for Runcorn revamp.(News)
September 1, 2003... After several years of trying, Ineos Chlor has succeeded in securing funds from the government and ICI for much-needed modernisations at its Runcorn chlor-chemicals operation. The company plans to replace the existing mercurycell technology...

CIA updates code for chemical weapons.(News)
September 1, 2003... An updated code of conduct for chemicals producers aims to prevent substances that could be used to make illegal drugs or chemical weapons from falling into the wrong hands. Drawn up jointly by the Chemical Industries Association, the British...

New BASF chief prepares US job cuts.(News)
September 1, 2003... Plant closures and some 1200 job losses in the US over the course of the year are likely, according to BASF's new chairman, Jurgen Hambrecht. Making a low-key first appearance at a financial results conference, Hambrecht said that earnings from...

Government set to tap green expertise.(News)
September 1, 2003... The Crystal Faraday Partnership, which aims to aid the development and promotion of environmentally-friendly technologies in the chemical sector, has been named a Centre of Excellence in Manufacturing by the DTI's Manufacturing Advisory Service...

New capacity for Watson-Marlow Bredel.(News)
September 1, 2003... Hose pump specialist Watson-Marlow Bredel has doubled its manufacturing capacity for platinumcured silicone tubing, investing [pounds sterling] 250 000 in an extrusion line and oven at its Falmouth factory. 'We've exceeded sales expectations by...

Process merger creates SPX.(News)
September 1, 2003... Three of the leading names in process pump and mixer technologies, Bran + Luebbe, Lightnin Mixers and Waukesha Cherry-Burrell, have joined forces to form a new business, SPX Process Equipment. Also incorporating names such as Plenty Mixers,...

Correction.(News)
September 1, 2003... In our July issue's nanotechnology issue (page 17), we mentioned the Dyno-Mill horizontal bead mill. We should have stated that this equipment is manufactured by the UK firm Glen Creston, which can be contacted via its website,...

SHAPA launches updated website.(News)
September 1, 2003... SHAPA has revamped its website, at www.shapa.co.uk, to include a database of

HRS Group sets up US company.(News)
September 1, 2003... Heat exchanger manufacturer HRS Group has set up a US company, HRS Process Technology Inc, to sell the Spiratube and Dynamic ranges of heat exchangers and the Hygienic Piston Pump. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the company will debut at this...

MTL sells Dutch panel systems.(News)
September 1, 2003... MTL has sold its panel wiring company, E & M Systems, to SES, a private company incorporated in Malaysia. The business will continue to be based in Bemmel, in the Netherlands. seminars and training.

Process sale delayed, but remains on track.(News)
September 1, 2003... As PE went to press, troubled engineering conglomerate ABB was expecting to complete the sale of its oil, gas and petrochemicals operations, excluding the Lummus Global unit, to a consortium of investment companies. The sale, forced by a...

DSM deal for Aker Kvaerner.(News)
September 1, 2003... Aker Kvaerner has landed a $15million contract to revamp a caprolactam plant in Nanjing. The contractor won the contract, which covers extended basic engineering, project and construction management, after completing the basic engineering phase...

UK and International Plant Cost indices.(News)
September 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...

Contractors look to the future, wary of the past.(Comment)
September 1, 2003... Traditionally among the major employers of chemical and process engineers, EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractors tend to mirror the industries they serve. And as the impending sale by ABB of its former CE-Lummus...

Events.
September 1, 2003... 17 September Practical aspects of process control and instrumentation for the pharmaceutical industry is an IChemE approved course giving a practical, hands-on introduction to the principles of measurement and control of pharmaceutical...

Show me the way to no foam.(Research & Technology)
September 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most of us might associate surfactants with foam, but researchers at BASF are trying to develop detergents which don't produce froth. Foams interfere with the washing cycle of modern washing machines, increasing...

Sandia's shell collection.(Research & Technology)
September 1, 2003... Synthetic crystals with structures similar to seashells could form the basis of a new generation of industrial devices, say their developers at Sandia National Laboratory. The US government-funded research centre in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is...

Phosgene-free process cuts polycarbonate costs.(Research & Technology)
September 1, 2003... Korean chemicals manufacturer LG Chem has developed a new process for making polycarbonate, the plastic used to make CDs and DVDs, in less than half the time and for much lower investment than conventional processes. Moreover, the process...

Gentle touch for distillation.(Research & Technology)
September 1, 2003... A new distillation process developed by German process firm GE Wiegand could bring major benefits to manufacturers of heat-sensitive materials. Combining short-path distillation with falling-film evaporation, the technique can be used in the...

Checking out ATEX compliance.(Equipment in Action)
September 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At its sites in Bradford and Grimsby, Ciba Specialty Chemicals wanted to undertake a full site area classification to meet the then forthcoming ATEX regulations (now in full force since 1 July). In March last year...

Slow opening valve gives fast payback.(Equipment in Action)
September 1, 2003... A Spirax Sarco automatic slow-opening steam valve has helped textile dyer Bulmer & Lumb to halve the cost of the steam it uses for processing and space heating at its Bradford site. The [pounds sterling]6500 installation paid for itself in just...

Tanks for the memories.(Equipment in Action)
September 1, 2003... A tank replacement programme at the Rotherham plant of Laporte Fluoride has highlighted the durability of the original HDPE tanks on the site and their near 30 years old design. The storage and processing tanks handle highly aggressive...

'Astonishing' mixing.(Equipment in Action)
September 1, 2003... A specialised mixing system from Joshua Greaves & Sons is helping London Oil Refining to improve the processing of liquid ingredients for its range of Astonish cleaning products. Installed at the company's Leeds factory, the new...

A free flow for paper.(Equipment in Action)
September 1, 2003... A Swiss paper producer was experiencing serious problems with the blocking of a conventional plate heat exchanger on its process waste water treatment plant. The waste water contained relatively high levels of pulp and paper strands which...

Experience counts.(Plant Contracting)
September 1, 2003... The launch of Bayer Technology Services as an independent company brings a new player to the global contractors industry. Stuart Nathan looks at the formation of the company, its areas of expertise, and how it intends to compete on the world...

EPC contractors at the point of change.(Plant Contracting)
September 1, 2003... Fluor Corporation's John McQuary shares with PE his vision of where the engineering, procurement and construction contractors might be in five years time--and the challenges they face on the way. ********** A mechanical engineer from...

Follow the sun to global projects.(Plant Contracting)
September 1, 2003... Engineering today is very much a 24-hours a day process, but working around the clock means working around the globe. Mike Spear reports on how a German company engineered a new plant in the US using the latest engineering data management...

The start-to-finish PPMA Show.(Exhibition Preview)
September 1, 2003... Featuring equipment from across the spectrum of processing and packaging, this month's PPMA Show at Birmingham's NEC (23-25 September) should have something to interest engineers from a host of different industries. We start our preview with a...

Making your remote monitoring work.(Remote Monitoring)
September 1, 2003... Remote monitoring can transform the ways in which companies operate and manage their processes, but first they have to decide which methods for gathering and manipulating the data suit them best. Katie Shiels gives some tips on how to navigate...

Turning data into information.(Plant Management)
September 1, 2003... Focusing on management execution systems, Paul Bunyan argues the case for the delivery of accurate, up-to-date plant and process data to management in the food and drink industries ********** Manufacturing industries of all kinds are...

Automating the past.(Automation)
September 1, 2003... The food and beverage sectors are relative newcomers to the field of automated processes, and some applications require some ingenuity, as Stuart Nathan reports ********** Of all the process industry sectors, the food industry is the...

Even faster fast food.(Applications)
September 1, 2003... Beloved by students, derided by gourmets, Pot Noodle must be doing something right--it's Britain's best-selling instant hot snack. Demand is rising so fast that its maker, Unilever Best Foods, has automated production lines at its plant in...

They knead the dough.(Applications)
September 1, 2003... When Warburtons, the UK's largest independent baker, needed to ensure that its dough making operations were as energy efficient as possible, it turned to process cooling specialist Coolmation. As chief engineer Russell Jackson explains: 'The...

Bottling it up.(Applications)
September 1, 2003... Essex-based independent brewer Ridleys is one of the most traditional brewers in the country. Grain is still weighed on a sack scale more than a hundred years old. But when the company needed a rapid, accurate quality assurance system, it...

Small beer.(Applications)
September 1, 2003... Small German brewers have been creating their distinctive lagers for centuries. Their job may be made easier by a complete microbrewery in a single package, powered by two Lenze smd micro drives. The Easy-Brew microbrewery carries out the...

Eurotherm gets ethernet.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... Eurotherm's Model 2500 multi-loop controller and data acquisition unit now has the capability of communicating as a slave device on any Modbus TCP/IP network. The instrument can connect up to four simultaneous TCP/IP masters, providing the...

Industrial dc.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... A new range of dc motors from Astrosyn is available in series wound and permanent magnet models, in a wide range of standard types, frame sizes, voltages and power ratings to 17kW. The AP industrial series can operate down to speeds as low as...

Brushless Ex pump motor.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... Flux Pumps has introduced a world-first brushless, explosion-proof motor for barrel pumps. The FBM 4000 Ex motor is said to combine safety in hazardous environments with operational flexibility, controllability and reliability. Initially...

On the road with Burkert.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... Burkert Fluid Control systems has launched a UK Service Division to support its extensive range of fluid control equipment. General manager Mike Rodd says: 'The growing demand for our products to integrate with complex control systems,...

All the detail on thermoplastics.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Durapipe ABS Technical Brochure details the manufacturer's entire range of ABS pipes, fittings and valves for the building services, industrial and utility sectors. The 72-page, full colour guide reinforces...

Membrane treatment.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... Eco Technology has launched the Ecomem 1000 UF system, which uses ultrafiltration to treat aqueous industrial wastes and reduce volumes by up to 99 per cent. Suitable effluents include soluble oils, semi-synthetic coolants, wash waters and...

Super for [C.sub.2][H.sub.4].(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... Krohne's ultrasonic GFM 700 SE flowmeter has been chosen by a consortium of chemical companies, including Dow, for use in supercritical ethylene applications in preference to a combination of turbine meters and density meters. The consortium...

A revolution for pipeworking.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... George Fischer says the ability to reconfigure its new Type 546 ball valve to operate with or without an electric or pneumatic actuator, without removing it from the pipeline, will create a revolution in pipework installation. Just by removing...

From road to rail, and return.(What's New in Process Engineering)
September 1, 2003... Cement giant Rugby is the first customer to realise the major benefits of the H type ISO-Veyor from inBulk Technologies. An innovative bulk materials transportation system, the H type is truly intermodal, facilitating transition between road...

Gas analyser sees [H.sub.2] in C[l.sub.2].(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Just annnounced by Servomex Group is the company's katharometer-based gas analyser, the K650, designed for measuring the presence of hydrogen in chlorine. The analyser measures the concentration of hydrogen (0-5 per cent) and chlorine (0-100...

Valve repair.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Tyco Valves & Controls, the world's largest manager of valves and control accessories, now offers customers the benefit of guaranteed performance with an advanced aftermarket service, including dedicated valve repair for power plant...

Easier valve testing.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... 'Easi-Test' from Smith Flow Control is a new device that permits independent testing of pneumatic actuators and process valves on live systems. Until now, function testing of actuated valves while a process was live has been extremely...

Actuator turns on a quarter.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new IQT electric actuator from Rotork brings the advantages of proven, market-leading intelligent and 'non-intrusive' control technologies to the compact, drive driven actuation of quarter-turn valves. The IQT is...

Combi regulates temperature.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... The Combi range of thermoregulators from Tricool Engineering provide flexible temperature control and has been desiged to cope with the demands of the industrial environments. There are three models in the Combi range, 9kW, 12kW or 18kW all...

Multiplicity curries favour.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Multiplicity recently delivered and commissioned CDH food processor at the up-to-date premises of The Punjab Kitchen for the preparation of various purees for ethnic meals used in hospital feeding. The equipment included a CDH horizontal bowl...

Online steam.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... A free online training programme that enables engineers to cover vital topics on the design and maintenance of steam systems in just 30 minutes has been launched by Spirax Sarco. The Distance Learning site requires no long in or registration....

Easy-fit load cell assembly.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An innovative new loading assembly for suspended loads allows simple, fast installation and removal of the load cell without any specialist tools or equipment. Developed by Thames Side-Maywood, the TensionMount...

Digital voltmeters get around.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Lascar Electronics has launched a family of round, IP67 rated voltmeters in LED and LCD formats, designed for panel mount instrumentation, process and control and automotive applications. The EM32-1B (LCD) and EM32-1B-LED voltmeters have a 3.5...

One barrier for all applications.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... RTK has developed a range of Zener safety barriers designed specifically for hazardous area weighing, load cell, strain gauge and other instrinsically safe transducers and amplifiers. The S90 series of Zener barriers has been designed with...

Code makers.(Marketplace)
September 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...

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

Gate valve handles steam.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rated for temperatures to +650[degrees]C and pressures to ASME 4500, the Raisteam gate valve from Raimondi is available for applications in the chemical, petrochemical, offshore and power industries. To assure...

Crane cuts costs on actuators.(Marketplace)
September 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 assmebly. By...

Versatile data acquisition.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Tempatron has launched an upgraded version of the Sigma data acquisition system. Sigma is a distributed, modular system with IP55 protected measurement units catering for all types of ensor from single temperature measurement full bridge strain...

Static grounder.(Marketplace)
September 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...

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

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

Annunciators go on-line.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... RTK Engineering has launched www.annunciator.co.uk, the world's first online site to specify, configure and order process alarm annunciators. The site is simple to use and allows the user to easily select different formats, window sizes and...

Quiet dust filter.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Dustcheck, the dust control company, offers solutions with reduced operating noise levels and effective use of internal space. In particular, the innovative Dustcheck 328 wing filter is very quiet and efficient in operation, while being more...

Compact humidifier.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... JS Humidifiers is launching the Neptronic SKE resistive steam humidifier, which controls humidity to within [+ or -]1 per cent relative humidity and delivers up to 80kg of steam from a single unit. It is the only steam humidifier in the UK that...

Custom gaskets, cut by jet.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Gasket Express has been launched by James Walker as the one-stop shop for fast and economical supply of cut gaskets across all sectors of UK industry. Cut gaskets for standard flanges are available off-the-shelf in a full range of jointing...

Safety lamps are air-driven.(Marketplace)
September 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...

Torqsense about pumps.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Charles Austen Pumps is using ultrasound waves to model torque and thus contain development costs to within predictable limits. The firm makes pumps individually designed to meet customer requirements that cannot be satisfied by off-the-shelf...

Hot for safety.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... Rittal has extended its range of air-water heat exchangers to include 4kW and 5kW units. These are equipped with electronic safety devices, including condensate sensors and collective fault signal, so that if a component stops functioning at...

Valve matches tubing.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2003... To meet growing demand for clean valves, Flowserve Flow Control is introducing a new product to the UK. The Worcestor Controls WK70 three-piece bidirectional flow ball valve, a stainless steel tube bore valve, has internal diameters designed to...