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.

19/12/2022 On the rise - lift maintenance developments Technologically-powered connectivity via Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices is driving time, cost, and environmental changes in the lift industry » Read More

19/12/2022 Fire-resistant hydraulic fluids When lubricants operate under pressure, there is a risk of small leaks and a fine spray of lubricant being atomised into the air. If such leaks occur with mineral oil-based lubricants in an area where there is an ignition source or near ... » Read More

24/11/2022 When fasteners go wrong Taking machinery apart is a routine that every engineer knows – and often enjoys. But what if you can’t take it apart – if fasteners get stuck in place, or (worse) pull out of their fixings? » Read More

14/11/2022 Shedding light on lighthouses Lighthouses use some of the most effective lights in the world but maintaining them can prove tricky. Ben Spencer finds out why » Read More

14/11/2022 T Levels - the new broom The first engineering repair standard in the new T Level course suite took its first learners in September. Will Dalrymple reviews the course and approach » Read More

27/10/2022 From the ground up The aerospace industry has developed one of the most mature models for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). We look at how the process works and what future changes are coming » Read More

16/10/2022 How to commission a motor repair Karl Metcalfe, technical support at the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades, explains what to look for when commissioning a repair. » Read More

04/10/2022 Pallet truck care A guide to the care, inspection and maintenance of pallet trucks, as covered by PUWER » Read More

15/08/2022 Maintaining uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) Uninterruptible power supplies play a key role when mains power fails, making a carefully planned maintenance regime all the more crucial. By Brian Wall » Read More

18/07/2022 From the ground up: aerospace MRO The aerospace industry has developed one of the most mature models for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). We look at how the process works and what future changes are coming. » Read More

18/07/2022 Minding the store The trend of appointing third-party MRO service providers is gathering pace with the promise of cost savings and the reassignment of resources to core activities » Read More

18/07/2022 What's up with HAZOPs? A hazard and operability study (HAZOP) is a type of risk assessment used for chemical process systems at the design and planning stage. It was first created as part of ICI’s six-stage hazard study process in the 1960’s, and subsequently ... » Read More

18/07/2022 Minimising the risk of temperature control equipment summer downtime While the UK wasn’t really renowned for heatwaves, nearly every year a number of days see spikes in temperature upwards of 30°C, putting additional strain on the temperature control equipment at manufacturing sites across. With these ... » Read More

22/06/2022 Reducing pump maintenance with liquid gaskets and adhesives For those operating in processing sectors such as paper, power generation, chemicals, sugar, mining and oil and gas, adopting a proactive maintenance strategy is key to eliminating common failures modes and extending the useful life of ... » Read More

01/06/2022 Now showing Maintec returns to the NEC 8-9 June, with two days of conference presentations in two theatres, and more than 50 exhibitors. Products, organised alphabetically by selected exhibitors, are profiled below » Read More

19/04/2022 Auditing and standardising inventory The benefit of a spare parts strategy has as much to do with accurate and efficient records – clean data – as it does with the parts themselves. By David Thompson, MRO spares parts specialist, Ramsoft » Read More

19/04/2022 A basic guide to legal liability When something goes wrong on site there are usually two routes by which legal liability could follow: contract and tort. By Susan Hopcraft, partner, Wright Hassall » Read More

14/03/2022 Tool and equipment preventive maintenance Reducing or eliminating the risk of unplanned downtime, manufacturing interruptions and missing repair stock is an issue for every manufacturing company. An effective way to achieve best practice is to focus on implementing a service ... » Read More

14/03/2022 Train wreck In January, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch released its report into the derailment and fire involving a tanker train at Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, 26 August 2020. The report, which blames the incident on inadequate maintenance, ... » Read More

09/03/2022 Prevention is better than cure: caring for compressors Well-planned maintenance of any equipment is essential for long-term reliability and efficiency. Following the routine servicing carefully detailed in the operator’s manual may seem obvious, but this is crucial to preventing potential ... » Read More

14/02/2022 NDE 4.0 - a new dawn for evaluation As well as developing and adopting new technologies, the transition to NDE 4.0 will demand new ways of working for inspection personnel. By Steed Webzell » Read More

19/01/2022 Profile: coming in to land Kelly Cole started her engineering career as an apprentice technician at GE Aviation, eventually progressing to a field service director. Earlier this year, she took a role as general manager of electric power for Caterpillar’s UK dealer ... » Read More

19/01/2022 Rise of the plug-and-play CM system ‘Plug and play’ condition monitoring offerings over the past year claim to do away with the need for expert analysis (at a certain low level, anyway), thanks to automation, cloud computing and standardised hardware. By Jody Muelaner » Read More

19/01/2022 Training: practical into virtual While many engineering courses are available online, how well, poorly or not at all do courses with practical content transfer to a virtual platform? By Steed Webzell » Read More

13/01/2022 Inadequate maintenance blamed for August 2020 Wales tanker train derailment and ... At about 23:04 hrs on 26 August 2020, train 6A11, the 21:52 hrs service from Robeston (Milford Haven) to Theale, conveying 25 laden tank wagons, derailed near Llangennech, in Carmarthenshire. The derailment and the consequent damage to the ... » Read More