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Date Published:
26 February 2016

Volume 4, Issue 2


Sense and actuate

Feature
In 2012, it was reported that weaknesses in the manufacture of sterile injectable drugs resulted in almost one third of the biopharmaceutical industry's manufacturing capacity being taken off-line. A major reason for these shortages has been quality and manufacturing issues. According to US Government Accountability Office's 2014 report, the most... [read more]

Solving the homogenisation dilemma

Feature
Many will have surely heard the word homogenisation before, but might not necessarily know what it is. Basically, homogenisation is a process used to make a mixture of two mutually non-soluble liquids the same throughout. This is achieved by turning one of the liquids into a state consisting of extremely small particles distributed uniformly throughout the... [read more]

Extra safety in one neat package

Feature
Right along the oil and gas supply chain – from extraction through to delivery to the end user – safety is the number one concern. When an operator wants to isolate a pipeline, whether this is part of the routine operation of a facility, to carry out maintenance, or in response to a potential crisis, it is critical that the valve used is 100%... [read more]

Easy selection, powerful performance

Feature
Pilot-operated pneumatic valves are used in a huge array of industrial applications, from simple on/off operations to those using multiple inlets and outlets for more complex logicbased control architectures. In many instances, their method of operation has remained the same for several years, with body and flow designs coupled with advances in... [read more]

Drop the shovel, use a pump

Feature
A food industry company based in northern France was looking for a solution to transfer fruit puree from barrels to a heated mixer. Fruit puree is a food product composed of finely ground fruits, in which sugar is added in different quantities depending on its use. Sugar is mainly used for preservation during storage, but it also enables the producer to fix colour... [read more]

Nao is the time

Feature
The main factor driving the market of pumps today is the increasing use of sophisticated devices both for individual and industrial use. The challenges faced by the industry are two-fold, including the high level of accuracy in delivery with pulseless flow whether delivering a small or large dose of fluids, and the cost of the disposable pump head... [read more]

A bit of bitumen

Feature
Transferring road surfacing products from bulk holding tanks to road tankers demands pumps that are not only capable of handling the liquid, but are also wholly reliable to ensure that products are readily available on demand. When Axflow, a London-based pump manufacturer, was requested to recommend pumps capable of handling viscous, sheer sensitive... [read more]

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!

Feature
A large UK water company works to supply drinking water to the city of Manchester from the Longdendale Chain of reservoirs in northern Derbyshire. Originally conceived in the late 1800s, the water treatment process has seen many changes as technology and processes have improved. One such water treatment plant is based on a process installed in the 1960s. It... [read more]

Picking the perfect magmeter

Feature
Since their introduction in the 1950s, electromagnetic flowmeters have become one of the most widely used flowmeter types for measuring water and other liquids. Also known as Magmeters, magnetic flowmeters, or induction flowmeters, they function with conductive fluids to measure flow across a controlled magnetic field. The magnetic flowmeter design offers... [read more]

Accuracy defined

Feature
Municipalities that are looking to accurately measure their water flow rates often fall into one of three categories. One, they may want a flow control valve that has the ability to vary flow rates over time, but would rather not to have to install a flowmeter, a valve with an actuator and positioner. Two, when filling a reservoir they might like to know... [read more]

Choosing the right flow measurement technology

Feature
Flow measurement instrumentation options are many, and the challenge of picking the right one for a particular application can be daunting. Many experienced plant personnel default to one they have used before – or perhaps count on a supplier to help them select among the available technologies. Instead, they should probably start by getting... [read more]

Tank World Expo 2016 boasts major names

Feature
Tank World Expo, the definitive tank storage event for the Middle East and North Africa regions, will take place on 12-13 April, 2016, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The two-day event brings together the best and brightest from the Middle East and African bulk liquid storage industry, opening its doors to suppliers and key decisionmakers from across... [read more]

Listen to your heart

Feature
Every day millions of patients worldwide receive intravenous (IV) infusion therapy, many times assisted by a smart infusion pump. These pumps provide well-controlled drug delivery over a prolonged period of time and are of tremendous help for hospital staff. However, they fall short when it comes to reliable failure detection. Today's infusion pumps lack... [read more]

Tanker loading challenges in the pharmaceutical industry

Feature
In the last 20 years, the design and technology used in tanker loading and unloading systems in the pharmaceutical industry has changed surprisingly little. Tankers are still between 3.2m and 4.2m high, and their conditions fluctuate greatly. Tanker walkways are widely variable and, occasionally, just not there. Solvents are still dangerous, flammable,... [read more]

Moving liquids with sound

Feature
Acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) moves liquids with sound. When a pulse of ultrasonic energy passes through a liquid and is focused at the meniscus of the fluid, a droplet of fluid can be ejected upward from the bulk fluid (figure 1). The initial work on the physical and biological effects of ultrasound was published in the early 20th century, but it... [read more]

Coupling into the future

Feature
Rubber-in-compression couplings provide failsafe operation, protecting both staff and machinery. Torque is transmitted through compressed rubber blocks, which dampens vibration and eliminates backlash. When rubber is loaded in compression, it is inherently stronger than alternative options, such as rubber-in-shear or tension,s where the slightest... [read more]

Proactive: not just a buzzword

Feature
It is often thought that hydraulic hose failure cannot be predicted, and as a fairly inexpensive component, many production managers accept failure as unavoidable. Equally, it is common for hydraulics users to pre-emptively replace hoses which are still in safe working order, utilising unnecessary time and money. But the low cost of the hose itself belies... [read more]