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.

01/12/2006 Smoothing the way While many new developments now allow lubricant quality to be monitored continuously in situ - as well as various kits and portable equipment that enable tests and measurements to be carried out on site - it is still general practice for ... » Read More

01/10/2006 Surface Preparation - It's a blast! So what exactly is industry's hang-up with surface preparation? Unfortunately, it's that the process doesn't add any value to the finished component. However, ignoring this important operation is likely to be a very costly decision, if it ... » Read More

01/10/2006 Monitor this situation Yorkshire Water (YW) has 4.7 million customers - a lot of people to let down, if a piece of equipment fails. OFWAT ranks YW as 'the most capital-efficient company'. At YW, therefore, monitoring of the equipment that is used so extensively, ... » Read More

01/08/2006 In peak condition Today's maintenance engineer is a far cry from that of a spanner-wielding repairman called in when something has broken down. The role of the modern maintenance department is very much about preventing the equipment failing in the first ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Reliable technology As a function of quality management, reliability is defined as a measure of the degree to which a system does what it is intended to do. Clearly, reliability is crucial, and all manufacturing processes require safe and reliable operation ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Key strategies In theory, it is possible to use computers to run a factory or plant in such a way that production is automatically optimised. Orders received can be responded to in such a way as to minimise production times and costs. » Read More

01/04/2006 Watching for the red alert Plant engineers face a dilemma. Is it best to wait for something to break down or undertake maintenance work at pre-planned intervals (which may mean performing maintenance and causing downtime when it is not really needed)? Or should they ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Red spells danger For many businesses, getting started in thermal imaging has never been easier. The latest thermal imagers designed for industrial maintenance are both powerful and easy to use. Maintenance engineers can quickly learn how to use the ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Prevention & protection There are only two ways in which workers can be protected from environmental, chemical and biological hazards. One is by giving them protective clothing - gloves, boots and, where appropriate, ear and eye protection. The other is by ... » Read More

01/02/2006 Maintenance means business Maintec 2006 promises everything for today's maintenance professional, whether in industry, commerce or the public sector. It takes place from 14-16 March at the NEC, Birmingham. » Read More

01/12/2005 Stem the flow These days, industrial lubrication has two main purposes: first, to ensure by some mechanical, electronic or outsourced human means that machine mechanisms receive timely lubrication; and, secondly, that this lubrication should be as ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Skin-deep functionality Beauty may only be skin deep, but protective coatings, which tend to be even thinner, determine corrosion and wear resistance, as well as the product's outward appearance. » Read More

01/08/2005 Water and Environment - Water, water everywhere... With rapidly rising populations, coupled with the effects of global warming, water is becoming an increasingly sought-after commodity in nations both developed and developing. » Read More

06/06/2005 Lubrication - Smooth operator In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of lubrication-free chain products on the market - and manufacturers are continuing to develop more. But why do we need so many different types of lubrication-free chain ... » Read More

04/04/2005 SED Preview - The great outdoors If you want to see construction plant and machinery demonstrated in as near as possible realistic working conditions, as opposed to simply static displays, Site Equipment Demonstration (SED) is the show for you. It has the largest assembly ... » Read More

04/04/2005 Maintenance - What do you know? Most maintenance improvement philosophies work on the basis that if more time is spent on predictive and preventive maintenance work, equipment will become more reliable: breakdowns will become less frequent, making more time available for ... » Read More

01/02/2005 Compressed Air - Maintaining a safe system Regulation 12 of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR) is very short and simple, as these things go: "The user of an installed system and the owner of a mobile system shall ensure that the system is properly maintained in good ... » Read More

07/12/2004 Paints and Protective Coatings - Extensive coverage Just about everything we see is surfaces. And just about every manufactured product has had its surface coated or treated in some way to improve its performance. The benefits can be immense. For instance, the world's shipping fleets would ... » Read More

06/12/2004 Water Treatment - Scale solution means cash back for supermarket The Waitrose supermarket chain is generating savings on the maintenance, replacement and running costs of its water system, thanks to electronic treatment units which negate the effects of hard water. » Read More

06/12/2004 Hot water systems - Better tanks give quick and clean hot water Hot water tanks made by a small German company use a patented system to ensure that they deliver hot water soon after heat has been applied to the water. This makes them especially suited to systems fuelled by solar energy. » Read More

01/10/2004 Pumps & Valves - Process Machinery - a troubleshooting guide Every piece of process machinery is purchased to be installed, operated, and play its part in making a profit for the plant operator. When a problem arises with a piece of equipment that causes concern to the operator and starts to affect ... » Read More

01/10/2004 Condition Monitoring - Bearing down on stoppages A machine tool spindle condition monitoring unit (CMU) at car manufacturer BMW's plant at Steyr, Austria, has reduced the number of bearing failures from 21 per year to zero. The Multilog CMU, supplied by bearings manufacturer SKF, is an ... » Read More

01/03/2004 Keeping it simple saves cash Factory services like compressed air and steam systems are classic examples of functions that are only noticed when they go wrong. Nowadays, like - thankfully - modern cars, these systems can be relied upon to work consistently. But - also ... » Read More