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If Brenton Engineering had adhered to traditional outsourcing decision-making, the company may have obtained the outsourced component it wanted, but not the one it needed for improving competitiveness. Instead of [...]

OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES, billions of dollars have been spent by companies on technology to increase the productivity of knowledge workers through process automation, communication and other enablers, and [...]

LNG-fueled ships still account for only a fraction of the US and global fleets, and it may take several decades for significant benefits of LNG-powered vessels to be realized. It is also possible that alternative ship fuels, including biofuels, electric engines, and hybrid engines, will become more economically viable in coming years. Given the uncertainty surrounding LNG as a ship fuel, it is hard to predict the potential benefits or costs LNG bunkeringmay provide to the US.The combination o

A California refiner has implemented technology to reduce contents of nitrogen oxides (cNOx) and carbon monoxide (cCO) emissions as part of a retrofitting project at the site. ClearSign Combustion Corp., Seattle,Wash., successfully retrofitted its Duplex Plug & Play technology in an up-fired process heater at the refinery. Phase 1 of the program achieved sub-6 ppm cNOx and sub-50 ppm content cCO emissions at firing capacities up to 8 MMbtu/hr, with the system turned over to the team trained.

Novel noncombustion asphaltene uses are enabling refiners to use materials previously considered waste streams in a manner that has a positive environmental impact. Ongoing advances in selective extraction of asphaltenes (SELEX-Asp) technology—a solvent-based physical separation process that selectively removes asphaltenes as dry granulates in heavy crude oils and petroleum residue—continue to provide refiners with a costeffective and flexible solution for realizing maximum value from a refiner

The Canadian government, along with some provincial governments, have set policies to cut methane emissions from 40-45% of baseline value by the year 2025. Baselines might differ between governments, but the overall targeted reductions by Canada are about 25 million tons (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 e) of methane emissions by 2025. The optimal reduction scenario achieves this reduction at a total cost of C$0.4-1.5 billion.The gas supply chain can be broadly divided into upstream, midstr

The article focuses on the status of shale gas-advantaged projects of the U.S. as of November 7, 2016. Topics include the report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) which forecasts the increase inn gross U.S. exports of chemical products, the inefficiency of productivity growth in the construction industry, and the kickoff of North American ethylene projects with the Braskem-Idesa ethylene project of Mexico. It explores the liquefied natural gas (LNG) construction projects in the country.

The article offers a detailed description of the concept. It analyzes the concept with regard to its relevance in the field so as to depict its implications and benefits. Topics discussed include advantages of the concept, the methods to pursue it and way to address its complications. Cases with regard to the matter are also presented with detailed description of each scenario.

Oscilloscopes come in many shapes and sizes, with functionality ranging from simple signal Capture to complex time-domain signal analysis. Recently, oscilloscope manufacturers have heeded user requests by enhancing the automated [...]

The article reports that higher feedstock prices and production costs did not affect olefin prices in the U.S. Gulf Coast market between February and May 2016, when propane prices, natural gas prices and spot prices for ethylene all posted price increases. Topics discussed include the state of U.S. ethylene production based on data from Petral Consulting, the hike to about 47 dollars per barrel in prices of spot prices for ethylene feedstock, and trends in olefin-plant operating rates.

The article focuses on fuel hauler Texas TransEastern. Topics covered include corporate president J. J. Isbell citing the decision of the company to undergo rebranding, the corporate culture of Texas TransEastern, and the company's efforts to improve productivity. Other topics include the company's customer base, slip-seat operation, and received awards.

The article explores the adoption of virtualization in the chemical manufacturing industry, including benefits and challenges it is facing. Topics discussed include the collaboration between chemical producer BASF, tech firm Siemens and design, engineering and construction firm M+W on making virtualization more safer and efficient, Siemens' virtualization projects in the chemical industry and benefits offered by virtualization technology.

The article offers information on the advantage of arc welding robots in streamlining operations and improve repeatability in trailer manufacturing. Topics discussed include views of Brian Doyle, sales manager of Miller Welding Automation, on the shop benefits of robotics; views of Mike Mueller, plant manager at B&W Trailer Hitches, on implementing technology to keep workers happy and productive; and increase in industrial productivity.

The Internet of Things permeates our lives daily, changing the way we live by shifting how we connect and communicate with people or systems. The same holds true for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which offers similar benefits when used to increase plant productivity and reliability. “For automation, control, and process management, the industry has been collecting data and using it to inform actions for years," said Kevin Clark VP of Fluke Accelix.

The article discusses the application of industrial internet of things (IIoT) for pneumatic industrial systems. Topics discussed include modern production environments and equipment relying on real-time data analysis, details on IIoT implementation so as to improve industrial productivity and the role of IIoT in monitoring the performance of valve cylinders and tracking pressure variances.

The article focuses on the state of employment and manufacturing in the U.S. and mentions the technology such as the industry Internet of Things (IOT). Topics discussed include impact of automation on the productivity of work, how technology helps in decreasing costs, and the growth of manufacturing output in the previous years.

The article discusses the findings of the journal's global ethylene survey for 2015. Topics covered include a sharp decline in global ethylene production capacity compared from the previous year's survey, the rankings of the 10 largest ethylene production complexes in the world, and the year-on-year changes to regional capacities.

The article discusses the Roads & Bridges' Mid-year Equipment Survey where two-thirds of companies characterized 2015's business year as at least good and 40% saw it as very good or excellent. Topics discussed include an uptick seen in used equipment value and length of time equipment being kept, plans of 68% of respondents to rent more equipment and the perception of growth across the board with city and village-level agencies anticipating a return to pre-recessional levels of productivity.

The article focuses on the status of China's carbon reservoirs and the two novel completion techniques, diverting acid fracturing and segregated completion, along with its significance to increase productivity. Topics discussed include characteristics of carbonate reservoirs, the process of diverting acid fracturing, and the application of segregated completion method to meet the requirements of acid fracturing in carbonate reservoirs in China.

The article discusses the launch of an In Country Value (ICV) Program by Oman's Ministry of Oil and Gas which was aimed at transforming the Sultanate's oil wealth into broader based industrial wealth. Noted was the establishment of an ICV Committee to map potential supply, demand, and the design of an overall strategy towards sustaining economic growth in the oil and gas production. Highlighted is the heart of the ICV program which is the investment on training.

The industrial IoT (IIoT) is the computerized networking of sensors, instruments and other devices in industry settings, including manufacturing and energy management. This setup allows for the collection, exchange and [...]

During turbulent economic times and/or an arid budgetary climate, healthcare facilities typically turn to performance improvement (PI) programs to identify and eliminate, if not ratchet down, wasteful processes and spending [...]

An interview with several truck body manufacturers and trucking industry experts such as Patrick Jennissen, Dustin Smith and Kirk Cowell are presented. Topics discussed include inclusion of Three-dimensional (3D) printing, difference in materials used from what going currently into products and change in plant management. Other topics include plausible way of improving plant productivity and product quality; and vulnerability with international competition.

The article discusses ventilation and moisture as two aspects of building operations that directly impact worker health and productivity. Topics covered include one cause of under ventilation in locations such as conference rooms, ways to improve ventilation effectiveness and lessen the possibility of virus sharing among occupants and the benefits of conducting accurate indoor and outdoor carbon dioxide measurements.

The article offers information on how downtime can impact machine and process industry. It also presents information on condition monitoring and obsolescence management that can reduce the cost of downtime in in industries. Topics include equipment breakdowns that is the major downtime, monitoring of machinery performance to avoid breakdowns that impact production, and the use of predictive analytics that enables users to identify problems .

The article discusses the use of data in process automation analytics at plants and facilities. An overview on the process variables generated by analyzers and power measurement devices and automation system, is provided. Also highlighted is the development of asset models and hierarchies to address the lack of relationships in data points.

The article offers information on nine tips to improve industrial safety and productivity, compiled by industrial automation company Rockwell Automation. Topics include the review of security risks in relation to safety risks, early performance of risk assessments in the design process, and the benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT) in detecting failures.

The article offers information on the application of electro-hydraulic motion controllers for the synchronization of multiple hydraulic axes. Topics include the role of multi-axis synchronization in improving productivity and quality, linear magnetostrictive displacement transducers (LMDTs), and selection and programming of motion controllers.

The article discusses the use of robotic arms in manufacturing. Topics include the impact of the cost efficiency and easy installation of collaborative robots such as robotic arms on an organization's return on investment (ROI), the potential use of the Industrial Internet of Things to offer subscription models to manufacturers, and the use of end-of-arm tools and accessories to improve efficiency and productivity.

The article focuses on the efforts of China to develop horizontal fracturing technologies (HFTs) to enable the increase of its energy productivity. It says that despite the increase in the country's demand for natural resources and crude oil, its productivity is still low. It mentions a 5-year program initiated by the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) for the application of HFTs in the industry.

The article reports on the impact of transportation and logistics requirements on safety, cost, and productivity concerns for oil and gas operators. The opportunities for operators to take an approach to managing transportation and to drive greater value for the company are discussed. The role of shale development in increasing the transportation and logistics requirements at the well site is noted.

The article presents an outlook for the global condensate trade for 2010-20. It expects continued growth for segregated condensate volumes in the east of Suez Canal market in the near term, particularly Middle East gulf countries. Also expected is for Saudi Arabia to post a two-third increase in its segregated condensate output by 2015. It notes the important role of condensate splitting in reducing or eliminating the need for gasoline imports in Iran.

The article offers information on the medical and industrial applications of optical coherence tomography (OCT). It mentions that OCT promises innovative methods for process control and quality assurance in which real-time OCT can monitor continuous assembly and manufacturing processes. It adds that system designers can use OCT as an analysis tool for nondestructive testing and monitoring of hidden structures to increase quality, throughput, and yield in manufacturing process.

The article offers seven steps on how to attain central-plant optimization, which is vital in achieving and sustaining ongoing energy and cost saving. The steps include creating a flexible infrastructure, maximizing efficiency through building automation, and measuring, verifying and managing performance data. The author also emphasizes the need for building owners and operators to take holistic approach in handling their central plant, which consumes the most energy of the organization.

The article discusses the integrated service provider, performance and risk management of an exploration drilling project in Norway. It examines the selection of one contractor to provide for integrated services including a destination driven strategy to reduce time and cost of the operation. It focuses on a work flow that identifies key persons and deadlines for the drilling of wells, in addition to the use of the Rushmore benchmark to compare the trends in industrial efficiency.

The article reports that global ethylene producers have added over 8.6 million tonnes per year (tpy) of capacity in 2010. It states that data for 2010 exceeded capacity added in 2009. It notes that as of January 1, 2011, global ethylene production capacity was over 138 million tpy compared with about 130 million tpy for 2009.

The article presents the results of an analysis of well production profiles for the Fayetteville shale gas play in north-central Arkansas as of April 2011. Particular focus is given on peak month production rates for the first year, total first-year well production rates, first-year well production decline rates and inter-annual well production decline rates for the first four years. Data used were from the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission's database.

The article reports on the moves of Huntsman International LLC to boost its propylene oxide (PO) productivity and safety in the U.S. Josh A. Nordgulen of Huntsman states that it conduct a bidding to find firms that can provide standardized tractors and trailers with increased cargo capacity and high level of safety. The winning bid Slay Transportation Co. Inc. and Huntsman with Polar Tank Trailer LLC to determine the specifications of its hybrid DOT407 trailer that will be ordered from Polar.

The article discusses the benefits of equipping automation kits in standard lift trucks in warehouses. It states that lift trucks with automation kits can increase productivity and that operators can work efficiently. The article also offers guide on how to install automation kits on all popular makes and models of lift trucks.

The article focuses on lean flow distribution strategy as applied to warehouse management. The strategy is mentioned as a method by which productivity of the business can be attained and at the same time limit waste in the course of production. Push and pull analogies and comparisons of the two approaches in relation to lean distribution are presented. Moreover, the relation of kanban trigger or re-order point (ROP) and minimum order quantity (MOQ) in lean flow strategy is also noted.

The article focuses on the importance of outsourcing logistics operations and the case study about the advantage of outsourcing that involved the third-party logistics provider (3PL) Sataria Distribution in 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It states that companies are hiring 3PLs in order to reduce operational costs and increased productivity. According to Sataria general manager Patrick O'Keefe, concentrating on using space and labor in managing the warehouse can save money of its employer.

The article focuses on the new technologies used for high-volume production of precise and cost-effective wafer-level stacks of lenses for next generation cameras. It states that with the emerging development on cameras, manufacturers of wafer-level optics also find innovation to cope with the increasing demand. It mentions that manufacturers are also developing special tools and methods to maximize production yields and optimize the optics itself.

The article reports that half of office workers surveyed by research firm Software Advice expressed that they are dissatisfied with their office's temperature several times a month. Topics discussed include temperature control solutions available that gives employees control over the office's temperature, the impact of having more control of the office's thermostat on productivity and morale and temperature preferences across all age and gender.

The article presents answers and questions related to adjustable speed drives. The article discusses how electric drives contribute to productivity in an automation environment. Advice on specifying, sizing and applying adjustable speed drives for productivity is also provided. The dangers of a motor or drive that is not specified or installed correctly are analyzed.

The article discusses the business growth opportunities could offer by supply chain execution (SCE) system for business growth in the U.S. It cites that if properly configured, it can provide accuracy in all phases of operation, resulting in cost savings and business expansion. It will enable manufacturing and distribution organizations to improve productivity and efficiencies within their distribution systems. Companies that have successfully benefited from the SCE system are also cited.

The article presents questions and answers related rack and pinion drives including how these drives contribute to productivity; the best advice on specifying, sizing, and applying these drives where productivity is the main goal; and the effect if a rack and pinion drive is not specified or installed correctly.

The article presents questions and answers related to cable designs and cable carrier systems including how cable and carriers translate to productivity, the challenges in specifying them, and their future in the automation environment.

The article offers ways on how to increase the sales productivity of the medical laboratory. According to the author, the secret to building an excellent sales force is in repeating core training on basic sales skills and studying the competition. Furthermore, the seven ways he has discussed include establishing rapport, building value through linkage, overcoming objections and client relationship management.

The article highlights the need for companies in the U.S. to improve their ergonomics to achieve productivity. Shawnalea Shelley, program coordinator for Therapeutics Associates Inc., claims that most employees do not have a clear understanding of posture and force and how to change them. Remedy Interactive has launched the On-line Enterprise Safety (OES) software which help industrial managers to detect ergonomic risks.