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The article addressed energy efficiency opportunities associated with many of the common unit operations and equipment designed and operated by chemical engineers. Topics include area for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction through energy efficiency; and vehicle tyre design and manufacture an industry sector where chemical engineers are pivotal, and are enforced to reduce U.S. reliance on oil imports.

The article offers information on common preventive maintenance practices can actually do more harm than good. Topics include using the wrong viscosity oil not only results in lubrication damage and premature failure of major components, and the hydraulic fluid is the most important component of any hydraulic system.

Pneumatic cylinders and actuators are much like their hydraulic and electric counterparts: Their main task is to generate enough force to move a load from one point to another. A pneumatic actuator exerts a force that can be calculated using the equation F = PA, where A is the pneumatic piston's usable area and P is air pressure. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on simple guidelines which can be used to determine the right hydraulic cylinder to fit their specific needs. It mentions that the internal friction which is produced by piston and rod seals prevents a cylinder from achieving the theoretical output force. The significance of considering the annular area, determining the actual operating pressure, and determining the speed requirements.

The article presents information on pneumatic double-acting cylinder applications. With the invention of the spool-and-sleeve valve by Numatics Inc. and the industry's subsequent development of similar designs, 5-ported, 4-way pneumatic valves have become the standard in the 21st century. Most pneumatic double-acting cylinder applications do not require the same force in both the extend and retract conditions. In any double-acting cylinder, the total load is a combination of three factors, namely, the external load, the internal friction load at the piston and rod seals, and the exhaust backpressure preload.

The article presents information on a new type of wire rope isolator that upgrades shock and vibration isolation, meets heat-loss and electrical- conductivity requirements. The isolator is installed between a bus bar on the equipment and a larger bus bar for terminating rigidly mounted multiple cables. The device combines the current-carrying capacity of ordinary cables with lower-than-normal heat loss. The original design work on the new device was performed using a phosphorous bronze cable with copper retainer bars. Internal friction developed between individual fibers and strands of the cable was responsible for damping and attenuating vibration.

The article presents information about the design of a spring-applied, pressure-released, wet multi-disc parking brake for articulated loaders, which is designed to operate in harsh conditions with minimal maintenance. In addition to maintenance savings, the location and configuration of the brake eliminate costly drivetrain components. In wet brakes, shearing of the oil film between the discs provides the braking torque. Installed at the articulated joint and mountable to the frame in the driveline, the brake integrates the joint's bearing carrier with the brake itself, removing the need for the bearing carrier.