Features

Maintaining an obsolete automation system is both costly and a drain on plant efficiency. One common solution is to ignore the problem altogether. While this strategy can bring short-term cost savings and some increased return on investment, overall it exposes users to potentially devastating risks. For example, unexpected failures lead to expensive downtime, rush charges and hasty replacement purchases. To make matters worse, a user might opt to replace existing functionality only and so miss out on the competitive advantages associated with new technologies and solutions. Another solution goes to the other extreme. Here, the old system is completely replaced. While this certainly has its advantages, the cost and downtime involved...

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The intrinsically safe detection of toxic gases and vapours is necessary for the protection of staff and assets. Draeger Gas Detection division has upgraded to infra-red technology with the explosion-proof DraegerSensor IR. Designed to detect flammable gases and vapours, the ATEX approved DraegerSensor IR has been specifically developed to allow existing pellistors or catalytic bead sensors to be replaced easily, without creating technical problems. Even in the harshest of conditions, these poison resistant, fail-safe sensors are simple to install, simply unscrew the traditional pellistor and screw in the innovative DraegerSensor IR. The inclusion of a Wheatstone Bridge, which is able to duplicate a standard pellistor output,...

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Demonstration of their single source HIPPS solution at the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) exhibition held in Stavanger in Norway has led to high levels of enquiries for Hima-Sella and Bel Valves. With 28 nations represented by exhibitors, attendance broke previous records with some 41,000 visitors during the four-day event. Systems integration specialist Hima-Sella and specialist valve manufacturer Bel Valves teamed up to exhibit their complete High Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS) solution for the oil and gas industry at ONS. The one-stop-shop approach to HIPPS - being able to purchase a complete HIPPS solution from a single source was a big hit with ONS visitors. Hima-Sella Sales Manager, Andy Tonge commented, "Interest...

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Industrial explosions caused by seemingly unknown reasons have been a hazard that manufacturers and risk managers have dealt with for countless years. Stefano Tranquillo looks at the mechanism of dust cloud explosions Under the right circumstances, dust explosions can be forceful enough to collapse an entire building. For organisations, such as companies in the food, forest products, rubber, fibre, tobacco, metal powder handling and pharmaceutical industries, whose operations by their very nature produce combustible dust, the property damage from a dust explosion can be catastrophic, resulting in business operations being interrupted or shut down entirely. The financial implications of a dust explosion can in fact be devastating to...

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