Open & shut case
You'll have heard it said more times than you probably care to remember that variance is the bane of manufacturing - and the same is true in the process sector, the utilities and so on. Why? Because it leads to all sorts of problems, ranging from quality issues to yield reductions, rework, excessive energy use, maintenance loading? The list goes on.
Instruments for control
Help is at hand for plant engineers facing up to the challenge of handling instrumentation and control. Brian Tinham reports on recent developments
So much more
Intelligent instruments have been with us for years, but although many more plants are installing them, they're still missing some important tricks, says Brian Tinham
Control freak
Let's talk about drives, motors and controls - no, not just the technologies for linear or rotational motion control, important though those are, but also control engineering in, for example, transportation, the process sector and the utilities. Why? Because there's quite a lot happening that could make a difference to plant engineers specifying, installing, commissioning and maintaining all of this stuff.
Control Revisited
Control valves, actuators and positioners aren't renowned for rapid technological development, but advances are changing the shape of best practice. Brian Tinham reports