It wasn’t too long ago that hazardous zones and production zones were reasonably well separated. The areas where explosive gases, vapors, or combustible dusts were present tended to stay in their own very specific environments, and the equipment operating in those areas was specified accordingly. Today, however, that distinction is less clear.
Ensuring quality and consistency in plastic manufacturing and recycling processes
Hanna Lundin, product engineer at Emerson, explains in this article how simplified tank monitoring system architectures make it more feasible for companies to implement an automated solution to improve their inventory management, increase safety and efficiency.
APC enables capacity increases without new hardware, energy savings and cost reduction through continuous optimization, and more stable product quality under fluctuating conditions.
Integrated thermal protection technologies prevent overheating and identify heat sinking issues for equipment longevity
October marks the 50th year since ABB’s Low Voltage Variable Speed Drive was first brought to market. Developed by Finnish company Strömberg, which went on to become part of ABB, VSD have revolutionized industrial energy consumption and decarbonization
Looks matter, but they aren’t everything: long before croissants, biscuits or waffles are placed in protective packaging, manufacturers need to ensure that their contents are exactly as they should be. In upstream steps, producers pave the way for the highest quality, safety and shelf life of ready-to-eat products. Ingenious technologies that work towards this goal are always part of the packaging process.
As the world urgently seeks ways to decarbonise, James Clements from Signal Group explains how gas analysis will perform a vital role – particularly in carbon capture, and not just for CO2 but for all of the important greenhouse gases.
Maintaining wind turbines and identifying potential vulnerabilities is expensive and time-consuming, especially when they are located offshore. As a result, rotor blades are often simply replaced, a costly process, when damage is merely suspected. The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, working in concert with the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES, has developed a solution that can be used to identify cracks and breakages inside the blades remotely at an early stage.
As businesses in industry continually aim to become environmentally sustainable, the demands are increasingly pushed throughout the supply chains. Liquid and gas flow controls, ubiquitous throughout industry, are highlighted within the sustainability drive. Optimising the performance of valves and their controls can directly improve energy efficiency for end users. Moreover, procurement teams are progressively checking that flow control suppliers are achieving a holistic position to meet sustainability goals.
Fraunhofer researchers have developed sensor systems and measuring equipment that detect leaks in hydrogen lines and tanks. Applications for the new technology include continuous monitoring of hydrogen shipments and facilities in the chemical industry.
Affordable connectivity for large distances of up to 1.000 m in large plants
Finding possible contaminants in renewable hydrogen helps prevent equipment damages
Cleaning systems of industrial large filter systems are often poorly regulated and therefore consume large amounts of expensive compressed air. That´s over now: A new feature of the solenoid valve controller HE 5750 of AXXERON HESCH electronics, allows for an exact setting of the cleaning pressure. We asked the Managing Director, Werner Brandis: How does pre-pressure control work exactly and what are further advantages for the industry?
The measurement of low flow is becoming widely used in many industries. However, the smaller the flow, the trickier it is to control and measure, and finding a suitable flow measuring technology at reasonable cost can prove challenging for both users and flow sensor manufacturers.
In the process of transforming our economy and society towards greater sustainability and climate neutrality, green chemistry can make a decisive contribution. Fraunhofer scientists are playing a key role in supporting industry with practical solutions. At ACHEMA, the world's leading trade fair for the international process industry, 10-14 June, they will present a selection of their current projects and research results at Fraunhofer Stand D49 in Hall 6.0.
Reduction of capital and operating costs in offshore systems above and below water
Minimising downtimes with predictive maintenance
PCN Europe spoke to Mark Pontin, Managing Director of Resolve Optics about the challenges for lenses in optical material inspection and sorting applications.
Digital Plant Asset Management is a topic that often comes up in discussions about process engineering facilities. Today, while intelligent field devices might be the standard, system owners have yet to exploit their full potential. To provide the connectivity needed, Softing offers the right solutions with the smartLink product family.
For easier access to diagnostic data of sensors
At SPS – Smart Production Solutions 2023, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) announced new products and services for the development of safety devices with CC-Link IE TSN connectivity. This addition to the existing offering, supported by CLPA members Mitsubishi Electric and Neuron Automation, will help drive the implementation of highly effective, convergent industrial automation applications for functional safety.
A digital twin is not only the basis for a holistic view of the system and the individual processes. It is also the basis for automatic routines that react autonomously to changes in the process. It helps applications identify unwanted situations and the countermeasures to be taken often long before the plant comes to a standstill. Predictive maintenance is a key to the efficient operation of a process plant. However, digital processes are not a question of individual products or components, but require the seamless interaction of people and systems.
Veolia Water Technologies has built an ultra-modern plant to produce drinking water in Ostend, Belgium. In a multi-stage filtration process, the water supplier is now producing drinking water of excellent quality – far above the statutory requirements. At critical points of the process – during reverse osmosis, filtration with activated carbon and remineralisation of the water – sliding gate valves made by Schubert & Salzer Control Systems are responsible for regulating pressure and flow rate.
Photometer with UV-absorption-based measurement principle
Food and packaging machinery pose special challenges for drive and automation solutions. Functional safety concepts are of particular importance to overcome these challenges.
Corrosion resistant, non-ventilated units meet highest protection standards
Report Shows Need for Higher Degrees of Individual Customer Service on Complex Networks
For compressed air consumption measurement and avoidance of losses due to leakages and inefficiencies
What does an ambitious contract manufacturer need when customers wish to expand their orders? Exactly, new equipment! The Malmö-based Swedish company Rechon has been a reliable partner to many pharmaceutical producers for decades, from clinical trials through to commercial production. The current trend towards cartridge filling is a good reason for Rechon to continue the successful relationship with Syntegon.
German Fraunhofer researchers have developed an extremely heat-resistant ceramic-based ink. For the first time, this enables metal components processed in the automotive industry at temperatures over 1,000 °C to be marked with a code. This opens up wide-ranging possibilities for designing process chains in the industry more efficiently and reducing their carbon footprint significantly.
The world is facing a fundamental change to its entire energy supply. All current methods of generating energy are under scrutiny. Nuclear energy has fallen into disrepute for a number of reasons. Meanwhile, hydropower has its own limitations in terms of scope, one of which is its immense impact on the landscape and the associated consequences for flora and fauna. Biomass is another option, but it competes with food production and is also a limited resource. Author: Wolfgang Weber, Pepperl+Fuchs
Additive Manufacturing helps in creation of bespoke designs in the OEM sector
New IIoT compatible radar sensor for cloud platform brings new opportunities for remote monitoring
Permanent monitoring of temperature, vibration and seal condition
We spoke with Hubertus von Monschaw, Global Director HANNOVER MESSE at Deutsche Messe AG about HANNOVER MESSE 2023 in a challenging environment
The list of challenges facing industry is long, in Europe and all over the world: climate change, energy shortages, disrupted supply chains and a shortage of skilled labor.
Flow device helps improve accuracy and reproducibility of chemical reactions
How Raman process monitoring is providing a spectra of benefits across the biopharmaceutical industry. Dean Stuart, Product Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific
Plastic coupling elements for higher chemical resistance
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