Maintenance, Repair and Operations Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

08/04/2025 Routine examination Louise Davis speaks with an engineering inspection expert to explore how plants can incorporate inspection activities into their regular maintenance plans – and what site personnel can do to ensure inspections run smoothly » Read More

18/03/2025 Accelerating the green revolution The transition of the UK power sector to clean energy presents challenges, but by embracing the opportunities industries can contribute to national decarbonisation goals while enhancing competitiveness, writes Tom Austin-Morgan » Read More

18/03/2025 Positive vibrations Chris Ryan, a senior technical expert in plant reliability techniques, explains to Louise Davis how vibration analysis is a hugely useful monitoring tool – but that its value depends on the availability of professionally trained personnel » Read More

18/03/2025 Attaining the highest standards There is stringent legislation for water quality across the globe. Mattias Feldthusen, director of products for Nordic Water, a Sulzer brand, looks at some of the common standards and the equipment that can be used to meet this legislation » Read More

04/02/2025 Boosted boiler cleaning A novel boiler cleaning technology originally designed for waste-to-energy plants is now being embraced by various other engineering sectors, too. Louise Davis hears how this solution is proving a gamechanger for both cleaning and ... » Read More

04/02/2025 A hot topic Louise Davis showcases the latest product innovations and explores how thermal imaging technology is being put to use in a variety of engineering applications » Read More

04/02/2025 Preventing downtime Why uptime does not need to be an uphill struggle. By Carlo Carlotta, global product manager, ABB Electrification Service » Read More

04/02/2025 Powering a carbon-free future Impact Clean Power Technology has launched Europe’s most advanced battery production line for heavy transport » Read More

09/01/2025 Stable and wireless Louise Davis speaks with leading industry specialists to discover the latest technical trends in condition monitoring and how they tie into maintenance strategies, the drive for greater automation, and everything else that combines to keep ... » Read More

09/01/2025 Deterring corrosion with FRP Strainers constructed of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) are designed to resist corrosion at a fraction of the cost of special stainless steels » Read More

09/12/2024 Expert support as a service for plant facilities management Ongoing services bring dedicated expertise to engineering teams of all sizes, and facilities of all shapes. » Read More

05/12/2024 Noise protection Machinery manufacturers are legally required to provide information about the noise emissions if machines exceed certain levels. Darren Hugheston-Roberts, senior manager for digital & industry solutions at TÜV SÜD – a leading expert in ... » Read More

07/11/2024 Final rusting place Tackling the costly issue of corrosion is an ongoing headache for plant managers in many industries. Louise Davis meets the specialists at a coatings expert whose aim is to empower the industry in its efforts to conquer corrosion » Read More

07/11/2024 Small but mighty Components such as bearings, belts and fans are no less critical to engineering operations than the giant bits of equipment they keep running. And innovation here is continuous: Louise Davis finds out what’s new in moving parts » Read More

02/10/2024 A show of strength The predictive maintenance market is bulking up at a rapid rate, driven by the rising adoption of increasingly powerful emerging technologies. Brian Wall investigates the sector and finds out what the future might hold » Read More

08/08/2024 Consumption considerations Have you developed an energy consumption hierarchy? If not, David Sing, managing director, metering and data at Energy Assets, suggests it’s a good time to start thinking about it – and shows you how » Read More

08/08/2024 Supply chain spotlight Following a major survey, Eriks has published its maintenance, repair and operational (MRO) supply chain report in association with the Institute of Engineering & Technology. The new document highlights several critical insights and areas ... » Read More

02/07/2024 Managing obsolescence How can plants plan for and tackle obsolescence more efficiently? Louise Davis gets some expert insight on managing this inevitable threat that faces industrial operators and plant engineers all over the world » Read More

02/07/2024 MRO developments Maintenance, repair and overhaul is BIG business. The global aircraft component MRO market size alone is expected to hit US$25.7 billion by 2028. Given there are countless other revenue streams across industry, Brian Wall takes a closer ... » Read More

10/06/2024 All about cleaning In industrial operations, cleanliness isn’t merely a priority; it’s an indispensable requirement. Tom Austin-Morgan reports on the latest offerings » Read More

09/04/2024 AI and energy under the lens The International Center for Networked, Adaptive Production (ICNAP), an association of three Fraunhofer Institutes, has presented its latest findings on the digitalisation of production in its annual study report » Read More

09/04/2024 Comment: Rise up with resilience We continue to hear more and more from the UK Government about the issues surrounding the ‘resilience of systems’, whether they be financial, political, disaster or climate related. The prominence of the phrase is due to ever-increasing ... » Read More

09/04/2024 Information providers Harnessing the power of Industry 4.0 dashboards means more data for technicians to give them a better insight when problem-solving » Read More

08/03/2024 AI and condition monitoring systems Could AI be used to improve the performance of conventional condition monitoring systems? Dr Jody Muelaner finds out » Read More

06/02/2024 Quantifying performance via OEE Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) can be a powerful way of looking at – and quantifying – the performance of any process or industry. Toby Clark explains how it works » Read More