Expand RF validation techniques for radar and space systems.

The signing of an agreement with Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) to advance wideband characterisation methods for active electronically scanned array (AESA) systems has been announced by Emerson. This joint effort aims to accelerate innovation, improve test coverage, and reduce risks for industries adopting next-generation AESA technologies, including aerospace and telecommunications.

LtoR:Rene Nuessgen, Senior Director, R&D, Emerson,
with Prof. Dries Peumans,VUB, Electricity Department.

AESA architectures are rapidly transforming radar, communications, and navigation systems, driving the need for more sophisticated and real-world-relevant test methodologies. To address this demand, Emerson will work with VUB to develop innovative approaches for wideband characterisation of RF and microwave components and subsystems used in AESA systems.

As part of the collaboration, Emerson is providing NI PXI test hardware and vector signal transceiver (VST) instruments to VUB. These tools enable multichannel, high-fidelity signal generation and analysis, allowing researchers to validate component behavior under realistic wideband conditions. This joint effort aims to accelerate innovation, improve test coverage, and reduce risks for industries adopting next-generation AESA technologies.

“Our partnership with Vrije Universiteit Brussel underscores Emerson’s commitment to ongoing refinement and advancement of RF and microwave testing methodologies,” said René Nuessgen, senior director, research and development, Emerson. “By integrating our advanced test and measurement technologies with VUB’s research expertise, we are enabling the development of robust and scalable approaches that will drive the adoption of AESA systems in high-reliability applications.”

The collaboration also supports PhD training, joint publications, and deeper engagement between industry and academia. With a focus on advanced technology applications, the partnership will foster internal knowledge development at Emerson while contributing to the broader engineering community.

Nuessgen and Professor Dries Peumans of VUB’s Electricity Department signed the agreement during an official ceremony held at European Microwave Week.

Prof. Peumans commented, “This collaboration with Emerson is an excellent opportunity to push forward our research in wideband characterisation and modeling of high-frequency components and active antenna systems. With access to Emerson’s advanced measurement infrastructure and expertise, our researchers can explore new ways to measure and understand complex systems. We’re excited to see what practical innovations will come out of this program – especially those that could shape the future of wireless communication and sensing.”

---

@Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @NIglobal @VUBrussel #TandM #Belgium

Carbon Dioxide sensors at Biennale Venezia!

Some of its leading-edge carbon dioxide sensors  have been donated by Vaisala to the team responsible for creating a thought-provoking and inspirational exhibit at this year’s Biennale Architettura in Venice, Italy. One of the key aspirations for the project is to use trees to create an agreeable indoor climate.

Commissioned by the Flanders Architecture Institute and curated by landscape architect Bas Smets, the Belgian Pavilion will this year feature an exhibition titled ‘Building Biospheres’. 

“Climate change and the recent crises that we have faced, are forcing us to rethink the relationship between architecture and nature,” Smets explains. “Historically and traditionally, architecture has isolated itself from the natural world, recreating an indoor climate with heating, ventilation and mechanical tools. As humans we prefer the conditions of a sub-tropical climate, so our project will investigate and demonstrate what happens when sub-tropical plants such as the camphor tree are used to manage the indoor environment.”

With its inception in 1895, La Biennale di Venezia is one of the longest-running cultural festivals in the world, and now features around 30 permanent pavilions established by different countries. In 2025, the goal of the Biennale Architettura will be to eliminate waste, recycle and circulate materials, and regenerate natural systems to demonstrate that the built environment can coexist harmoniously with the natural environment.

In November 2024, a prototype of the ‘Building Biospheres’ exhibit was built at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University, where Professor Kathy Steppe and her team established a greenhouse facility in which sub-tropical trees are closely monitored with TreeWatch technology. Prior to the beginning of the Biennale Architettura, all of the plants and associated monitoring infrastructure were transported to Venice and re-established within the Belgian Pavilion. Four of the key environmental measurements are light, temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide because these are the factors with greatest influence on indoor human comfort and well-being.

Explaining the potential for utilising plants to manage indoor environments, Prof. Steppe says: “In order to maintain optimal conditions inside buildings, it is usually necessary to implement some form of heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning, but this can be very costly, both financially and from a carbon footprint perspective.” Comparing and contrasting the built and natural environments, she continues, “Plants actively interact with and help regulate their local climate through processes such as photosynthesis and transpiration. This means, for example, that the CO₂ produced by humans, other organisms and natural processes can be taken up by plants during photosynthesis, helping to prevent excessive indoor CO₂ build-up.”

As a greenhouse gas, CO₂ levels in the atmosphere are having an impact on climate change. Indoors, CO₂affects the comfort and performance of the people inside a building. Occupied spaces with good air exchange may contain 450-1,000 ppm CO₂ , but anything above this can induce drowsiness. Levels above 2,000 ppm CO₂ cause headaches, sleepiness, poor concentration, loss of attention, increased heart rate and slight nausea. Exposure to very high levels (from oil/gas burners or gas leaks for example) can even result in fatalities from asphyxiation.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the operations of buildings account for 30% of global final energy consumption and 26% of global energy-related emissions (8% being direct emissions in buildings and 18% indirect emissions from the production of electricity and heat used in buildings). The climate crisis is therefore challenging all sectors, and the building industry in particular, to find ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions. ‘Building Biospheres’ therefore seeks to investigate the opportunities presented by the integration of plants into indoor environmental management, and to engage with the architecture and building design community, to challenge traditional approaches to building design and operation.

The ‘Building Biospheres’ exhibit will serve as a living laboratory, exploring the ways in which plants can be used to complement traditional energy-intensive building management technologies. Vaisala’s CO₂ sensors have therefore been deployed at different locations throughout the exhibit: one outdoors, one in the entrance hall of the pavilion and one within the plant canopy in the ‘Building Biospheres’ room, to monitor how effectively the plants help regulate indoor CO₂levels.

This year, visitors to the Belgian Pavilion of the Biennale Architettura will be able to view live data from the ‘Building Biospheres’ exhibit. “This is one of the most prestigious architectural events in the world,” Prof. Steppe adds. “So, it represents a fantastic opportunity to inspire building designers from around the globe. The most obvious applications – you could call them the lowest hanging fruit! – are large buildings such as train stations and airports.”

The objectives of the Biennale Architettura 2025 align with Vaisala’s sustainability objectives, including the company’s core purpose, which it describes as: taking every measure for the planet. “We were delighted to be invited to participate in this highly respected event,” comments Vaisala’s Pekka Ravila, Vice President, Industrial Measurements EMEA. “Not just because it highlights the performance of our CO₂sensors, but mostly because this represents a very exciting opportunity to help create a paradigm shift in the way that buildings are designed and managed. If we can achieve that, the potential beneficial impacts on climate change will be enormous.”

Summarising, Prof. Steppe says: "If we are to convince building designers to incorporate plants into their design, it is essential that we are able to supply them with data to support our ideas. Vaisala’s carbon dioxide sensors are therefore playing a vital role in helping us to demonstrate how plants are able to help regulate indoor CO₂levels naturally, without the need for a heavy carbon footprint, and with the added benefit that the plants look great!”

Real-time data display at Biennale.  (Pic:Dirk De Pauw, Plant AnalytiX)

---

@VaisalaGroup @GlobalGoalsUN  @la_Biennale @_Enviro_News #Environment #Italy #Belgium

Don't throw away those probes...

The measurement technology company Vaisala and the logistics services provider H.Essers have cooperated to develop a bespoke monitoring solution for multiple sites across Europe, with a focus on sustainability.

In addition to protecting the environmental conditions experienced by goods throughout the supply chain, the monitoring solution also allows for humidity and temperature probes to be reused. By helping to ensure sustainable consumption and production, the project seeks to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12. “This is an important development,” explains Vaisala’s Patrick Hoevenaars. “At Vaisala our central purpose is: ‘Taking every measure for the planet’ so we are constantly looking for ways to improve sustainability, and one of the ways we can do this is by reducing waste,” he adds.

“The solution starts with product design, because probes can only be reused if they are robust and reliable in the long-term.” However, Hoevenaars is also keen to emphasise the importance of ongoing calibration and maintenance. “Reliability and sustainability cannot be optimised under a ‘fit and forget’ scenario, so we worked closely with H.Essers to develop an ongoing program to ensure that sensors are maintained in optimal condition.”

Background.
Founded in Belgium in 1928, H.Essers remains a family-owned business, but with more than 7,500 people at 89 facilities in 18 countries, the company has grown to become one of Europe’s leading logistics services providers for industries such as chemicals, healthcare, and infrastructure. With services including pharmaceutical logistics, dangerous goods storage, and temperature-controlled storage, the business has a significant requirement for multi-site environmental monitoring and control.

Strategically, H.Essers aims to build long-term client partnerships with a strong commitment to its people and sustainability. This philosophy is reflected in the company’s relationship with Vaisala, which was established to create a cost-effective, accurate and reliable long-term monitoring solution across multiple sites. In addition, key objectives included the development of a system that would be quick and easy to operate.

“From the start, our relationship with H.Essers focused on building a solution for the long-term,” explains Hoevenaars. “The main aim, with our consultative approach, was to help H.Essers choose/configure the right continuous monitoring system (CMS) for their business, supported by lifecycle services that ensure longevity and sustainability. At Vaisala, we want to be a complete solution provider; a partner delivering other services such as training and calibration, rather than simply being an equipment supplier.”

Continuous monitoring to meet the strictest requirements.
H.Essers’ multi-client warehouses provide a one-stop-shop service that meets the strict requirements of customers, providing safe, compliant, high-quality storage. Monitoring therefore performs a critically important role, and the internal environment at the company’s facilities benefit from Vaisala’s viewLinc CMS with humidity and temperature probes (HMP115) with VaiNet wireless access points (AP10).

“The movement and storage of goods within the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors is strictly regulated,” Hoevenaars says. “H.Essers therefore has to be able to demonstrate that all products have been kept in exactly the right conditions throughout the entire supply chain. This demands precise, reliable measurement of humidity and temperature.”

A partnership approach.
The key to the success of this process, was to develop a system that would continue to deliver benefits in the long-term. This necessitated a partnership approach, including a clear strategy for the maintenance and calibration of the hundreds of measuring devices used across H.Essers’ warehouses. “Calibrating and maintaining measuring equipment on this scale is a complex task, so we worked with H.Essers to develop a solution that would make the process as easy and worry-free as possible,” Hoevenaars explains. “This was achieved through a ‘Calibration Care’ agreement, tailored to meet H.Essers’ specific needs.”

With tens of warehouses and thousands of square meters of carefully controlled storage space to be monitored, large numbers of sensors would be necessary, and minimal downtime was required for probe calibration. Vaisala sensors are designed for long-term drift-free accuracy, however, for warehouse zones storing pharma products, each sensor should have a calibration check after 12 months.

Bespoke monitoring solution.
Vaisala developed a unique solution for H.Essers based on the timely swapping out and replacement of probes. Procedures were established to ensure that H.Essers staff are automatically notified when a probe is due for calibration, so that they can quickly and simply order replacements and return the used probes to Vaisala for recalibration.

“The teams at H.Essers have a dedicated order code and a clear order placement procedure to ensure they get the right product and service every time,” explains Hoevenaars, adding: “The Vaisala probes are designed to facilitate quick and easy replacement to minimise downtime. All of the instructions for how to return the probe are available online, and feedback from H.Essers indicates that this is saving them a lot of time and effort.”

Given the importance of accuracy, many companies would discard old probes and replace them. However, the Vaisala probes are designed specifically for long-term stability and reliability, so the plan is for swapped out probes to be recalibrated ready for reuse.

The opportunity to reuse probes instead of disposing of them after 12 months will save resources and reduce waste. “These are high-quality instruments, so it makes perfect sense to reuse the probes instead of replacing them,” Hoevenaars points out. “We estimate that as many as 500 probes per year could be reused by H.Essers as a result of this solution.”

Sustainable by design.
Patrick Hoevenaars is keen to highlight the importance of building sustainability into the design stage of measurement instruments. “By developing sensors that can undergo a calibration check and then be passed as suitable for reuse, Vaisala has created a scenario in which sustainability opportunities have been created. These include waste reduction, energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction,” he says.

Hoevenaars also attributes the success of this project to the partnership approach adopted by H.Essers. “They share our commitment to sustainability, and from the outset they could see the benefits of developing a long-term plan to meet their strict monitoring requirements, whilst also providing the flexibility they need to scale up as their business continues to grow.”

After successfully piloting the Vaisala solution at two of its sites in spring 2023, H.Essers has now rolled it out across sites in Italy, Romania, Denmark, and Germany.

---

@VaisalaGroup @GlobalGoalsUN @_Enviro_News #HEssers #Sustainability #Wharehouse

Towards reliable geothermal clean energy production.

HITA, the deep geothermal energy company in Belgium, has selected Emerson as a key technology provider in the discovery and development of geothermal energy sources in Northern Belgium. Emerson’s geological and reservoir modelling software will help reduce risk in selecting locations for renewable geothermal energy projects, increasing the safety and reliability of construction and operation while enabling long-term sustainable energy production from the Earth’s heat.

Climate change policies are driving the growth of geothermal energy – an industry forecasted to grow as much as eightfold in the European Union by 2050, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Emerson’s geological modelling software will help HITA locate the most suitable subsurfaces for drilling deep geothermal wells to unlock sustainable energy sources for corporate and municipal use.

“A highly accurate and realistic picture of subsurface geology is critical for the safe development of sustainable energy sources,” said Stijn Bos, chief operating officer and senior project geologist at HITA. “Emerson technologies use seismic, geologic and other data to generate detailed models that can determine the best location for geothermal plants.”

Emerson’s SKUA-GOCAD modelling software will help HITA more easily identify drilling locations by creating highly realistic models designed for easy interpretation.

“Geological exploration and production software, including Emerson’s SKUA-GOCAD modelling software, has traditionally been used in the oil and gas industry. But it’s also well suited for geothermal energy, as well as carbon capture and storage,” said Mark Bulanda, executive president of Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. “Emerson’s advanced, science-based applications will help move society toward a safer and more sustainable future.”

@ParadigmLtd @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Energy #Belgium

How many were there!

In recent months we have become used to pictures of crowds not adhering to the new distancing protocols and putting their and others in danger. But how can one measure just how large a group gathering is? CrowdScan, a spin-off from imec and the University of Antwerp (B), has developed a system that measures the density of a crowd in real-time using a wireless sensor network.

Based on six years of research, CrowdScan has developed a system to measure crowd densities without using camera images, mobile phone data or other privacy-sensitive information. By transmitting low-energetic radio waves (868 MHz), CrowdScan measures the average signal attenuation of a wireless sensor network relative to the empty environment.

The technology was validated at different large-scale events such as Tomorrowland. When the coronavirus crisis broke out, CrowdScan immediately realized the added value of the technology for helping society adapt to the new needs of social distancing. The business model was extended from services for event organizers to services for local governments and cities. In May, a successful pilot project was launched to measure the size of groups on a bridge and a street near the MAS museum in Antwerp.

"There will be no mass events this summer, but the importance of accurate information on crowd densities has only increased since the coronavirus crisis", says Ben Bellekens, CEO of CrowdScan. “By providing police and emergency services with accurate information on crowd densities, they can make fast, objective decisions. This can help cities guarantee social distancing at places where population density is high, like city streets, public events, or parks. CrowdScan also aims to make an online ‘crowd barometer’, to show population density at specific places”.

“We are proud to enable the creation of this spin-off together with the University of Antwerp”, says Jo De Boeck, CSO at imec. "Recently, the innovative technology has been optimized for use cases with high market potential and a noble social purpose. For example, CrowdScan now offers a concrete solution to the new challenges that cities are facing today. With the support of the imec.istart acceleration program, the commercialization of this technology will accelerate in the coming months."

"In Antwerp's innovation ecosystem for metropolitanism and smart city, our university is focusing more than ever on value creation from research. To do this, we collaborate with the city government, local businesses and citizens. Open innovation hubs such as The Beacon facilitate this process by bringing people together and actively setting up projects that effectively benefit partners. That's how CrowdScan grew into a startup that, due to the coronavirus crisis, became more relevant than ever", says Silvia Lenaerts, Vice Rector Valorization & Development of the University of Antwerp. "This spin-off is a textbook example of how scientific research from the Faculty of Applied Engineering Sciences can actually generate an impact on society. As an entrepreneurial university, together with the City of Antwerp and imec, we have every reason to be proud".

 @imec_int @UAntwerpen #Safety #Belgium

MES support in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

Pharma and biotech manufacturers in France, Belgium and Switzerland are to benefit from a promising partnership using Werum’s PAS-X MES to optimize their manufacturing. To further expand the PAS-X Service Partner network of Werum IT Solutions, supplier of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for Pharma & Biotech and the French-based company SPC Consultants signed a mutual agreement to offer extensive MBR services.

Marc Meyer, MD Werum IT Solutions France,
and Thierry Lacombe, CEO SPC Group

SPC Consultants is specialized in supporting French pharma and biotech manufacturers in project management, validation of computerized systems and their maintenance. As a PAS-X Endorsed Service Partner, SPC Consultants will provide support to Werum customers in France, Belgium and Switzerland in the field of MBR design, support and verification. The partnership will be extended mid-term to additional activities.

“With the increase of our business on the French market we extend our local services capacity accordingly. The partnership with SPC Consultants gives us this opportunity. They are already well-known by our customers and recognized for their high quality of work. I’m convinced that this is a win-win-win situation for our pharma and biotech customers, for SPC Consultants and for Werum IT Solutions”, says Marc Meyer, Managing Director at Werum IT Solutions France.

Thierry Lacombe, CEO of the SPC Group, adds: “As independent player of the MES market in France, SPC Group is eager to collaborate with the main MES vendors. Our strong and historical positioning within the pharmaceutical sector has naturally led us to build a non-exclusive partnership with Werum IT Solutions, whose solution is clearly a reference for the sector.”

PAS-X Endorsed Service Partners meet all requirements of Werum's PAS-X Service Partner Program. The main objective is to offer the same quality and competence of services to Werum customers all over the world – through reliable, experienced and certified partners. The Service Partners need to have comprehensive PAS-X knowledge, participate at PAS-X trainings on a regular basis, possess experience in the regulated industry and use a quality management system. The certification has to be renewed on a regular basis.

@Werum #PAuto #Pharma #France  #Belgium #Switzerland

Valves for LNG industry.

Emerson has announced that it has acquired Advanced Engineering Valves (A.E. Valves). The transaction will enable them to provide their customers with the world’s broadest portfolio of valves to improve process performance and reliability. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A.E. Valves a Belgian company, and has a nearly 10-year track record as a valve manufacturer at the leading edge of innovation. Its breakthrough ball valve design creates a step change in safety, environmental and performance outcomes for the LNG industry, as well as oil and gas, chemical, and petrochemical customers.

A.E. Valves Extends Emerson's Final Control Portfolio in Key End Markets

“Adding A.E. Valves makes Emerson’s value to customers along the entire global LNG value chain even more compelling as a single, accountable partner for all of their valve needs,” said Lal Karsanbhai, executive president of Emerson Automation Solutions. “Our expanded portfolio of leading valve technology will help customers unlock greater capital efficiency and asset productivity as they embark on a wave of investment to meet rising global energy demand.”

The addition of A.E. Valves supports Emerson’s Main Valve Partner™ initiative to be the premier supplier of final control solutions for the LNG industry, and complements its Vanessa triple-offset valve range to create a single technology leader for process isolation in critical cryogenic and severe service applications.

Both companies are focused on innovating to deliver superior technology that helps customers achieve project delivery success and operational excellence in their end markets. A.E. Valves is a leader in torque-seated, friction-free, zero-leakage ball valve technology that drives performance, cost and reliability improvements over traditional ball valves. This technology is a strong complement to Emerson’s portfolio of solutions that help customers achieve Top Quartile performance.

“A.E. Valves is a natural addition for Emerson and shares the same commitment to developing value-creating solutions for our customers’ most challenging process applications,” said Ram Krishnan, group president of Emerson’s Final Control business. “This acquisition represents another important investment that builds on our final control technology portfolio to help customers unlock greater profitability and productivity in their businesses.”

@EMR_Automation  #PAuto @HHC_Lewis 

CAN Seminars to end of year.

CiA has five CAN-related seminars to the end of the year. Those interested in getting a better understanding of CAN-related topics, can participate. These seminars are about Classical CAN, and CAN FD, CANopen (CiA 301), and the specific use of CANopen in car add-on modules (CiA 447).

In CAN in Automation’s (CiA) CAN/CAN FD seminars attendees learn how CAN works, which possibilities it offers, and in which markets CAN is used. The seminars introduce CAN as it is specified in the updated ISO 11898 standard series. This comprises the Classical CAN, the CAN FD protocol, as well as the updated CAN physical layer specification. Hence, impacts on CAN-based higher layer protocols are discussed. Two of these seminars are scheduled in the last quarter of 2018.

 One on 20 November 2018 in Antwerp (Belgium) in English language, 

The second one on 04 December 2018 in Nuremberg (Germany) in German.

In CiA's CANopen seminars attendees learn the basic principles of CANopen in order to select the right CANopen devices for their applications, to integrate their devices in a proper control application, or to design the intended CANopen network behavior. In addition, attendees get an overview on CANopen application fields as well as a base for assessing the effort of introducing CANopen in their projects. 

The first seminar takes place on 21 November 2018 also in Antwerp and 

the other one on 05 December in Nuremberg.

Attendees of a CANopen car add-on modules seminar get a basic understanding of CANopen system design in the application field of car add-on devices (e.g. interfacing the in-vehicle network, adding bluelights, printers, radio, etc.).  In addition to this insight to CiA 447, the seminar covers a brief introduction to the basic CANopen services as well. It will take place in Nuremberg on 15 November.

 #PAuto #CAN

Expansion in Brussels.

The Endress+Hauser Group is celebrating another development: After expanding production and building a new plant in the US, plus opening new sales offices in Malaysia, France and Chile, the company has now dedicated a new facility in Brussels. Endress+Hauser invested approximately 6.6 million euros in the new building in Belgium’s capital.

L to R: Klaus Endress, Supervisory Board President of the Endress+Hauser Group, Marc Lambotte, CEO of the employers’ association Agoria, Julien Meganck, CEO of the institute for regional development CityDev, Ivano Mazzoletti, Corporate Sales Director for Central Europe at Endress+Hauser, Johan Puimège, Managing Director of Endress+Hauser Belgium, Martine Raets, city councilor of the Brussels municipality of Evere, and Matthias Altendorf, CEO of the Endress+Hauser.

“The sales center has fortunately experienced encouragingly strong growth in recent years,” said Johan Puimège, Managing Director of Endress+Hauser Belgium, at the opening ceremony in front of guests from business and politics, media representatives and employees. “The new building provides space for the company’s further development and creates an inspiring meeting place for customers, employees and business partners.”

The four-story, 3,600-square-meter building features a welcoming reception area, an experience-oriented exhibition zone, an attractive restaurant for visitors and employees, state-of-the-art conference rooms and offices as well as workshops including a calibration lab and a warehouse. It was erected in the immediate vicinity of the previous location of Endress+Hauser Belgium. The 10,000-square-meter site offers room for future expansion.

Endress+Hauser put an emphasis on an appealing architectural design and the use of quality materials. “People should feel comfortable at Endress+Hauser. Our aim was a communicative environment, in which we can work in a creative way for the benefit of our customers,” underlined Johan Puimège. Geothermal systems and 175 solar panels provide a high degree of energy self-sufficiency. Endress+Hauser instruments monitor energy flows in the building and ensure efficient use.

Leading position in IIoT
“Increasing digitalization opens up new opportunities with regards to process optimization and plant efficiency,” said Matthias Altendorf, CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group. “Our sales center in Belgium plays a leading role when it comes to helping customers to increase their productivity, taking advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things.”

From Endress+Hauser’s new Brussels offices, around 80 employees support customers in Belgium and Luxembourg. Chemical, food & beverage, life sciences and water & wastewater are the main industries served by the sales center. In recent years, the services and automation solutions businesses have developed particularly well.

 @Endress_Hauser  #PAuto #Belgium

Seminars on Petroleum,Refining,Environmental Monitoring.

The organisers of PEFTEC 2017 (Antwerp, 29-30th November) (B) have published details of a comprehensive series of seminars that will follow the event’s themes of testing, analysis and monitoring in the petrochemical sectors.

Running throughout both days of the event, a program of over 60 seminars will operate from 8 different seminar rooms within the Exhibition hall. The seminars will operate on a walk-in, walk-out basis, offering visitors the opportunity to select the subject matter of greatest interest. The seminars will address an enormous variety of subjects, covering techniques, methods, standards and cases studies in laboratory analysis, process monitoring and environmental monitoring. Abstracts for all of the seminars are available on the website.

Located at the Antwerp Expo in Belgium, PEFTEC 2017 will be situated at the centre of one the world’s largest clusters of petrochemical companies, and will include 4 Conferences focusing on analytical techniques, environmental monitoring, methane measurement and safety issues in hazardous situations.

In addition to the event’s Conferences, Exhibition and Seminars, PEFTEC 2017 will also feature a Poster Display Area in which researchers from both academia and industry will publish the results of their latest work.

#PEFtec #PAuto #Oil #Belgium

Reliable protection from hazardous gases and vapours in port!

As the largest integrated (petro) chemical cluster in Europe, the Port of Antwerp is committed to ensuring the on-going health & safety of their employees working in the area. As a result, the port authority is now one of the largest users of Cub personal volatile organic compound (VOC) monitors from Ion Science.

Antwerp is one of the biggest ports in the world, employing some 1,650 people and about 150,000 in total. It covers an area measuring 12,068 hectares, or about 20,000 football fields. The top ten chemical producers in the world are present in Antwerp with four refineries (Total, ExxonMobil, Gunvor Petroleum Antwerp and ATPC Bitumen) located in the Port itself. The recent construction of the biggest ethylene terminal in Europe by Ineos Oxide also confirms the area as a hub for chemical feedstocks.

A spokesperson for the Port of Antwerp says: “We take the health & safety of employees very seriously. With the high volume of petrochemical processing and handling in the port, we have been searching for a high quality yet cost effective PID instrument that would help protect staff from exposure to dangerous levels of VOCs.

“Every employee of the Port Authority working in the port area now wears a Cub personal PID that will give an early warning of the presence of hazardous vapours or gases. Initially approached by Ion Science’s distributor, Euro Index, we chose the Cub for its small and unobtrusive design. Plus it seemed to be the only instrument on the market that was compact enough to be worn comfortably as a personal safety device.

“The Cub is easy to operate, reliable and robust which makes it ideal for use in the port environment,. The training and service provided by Ion Science’s distributor, Euro- Index, was also very good.”

Extremely comfortable to wear, Ion Science’s Cub is the smallest and lightest personal PID available, helping set a new benchmark in personal gas monitoring. It offers a dynamic range of one parts per billion (ppb) to 5000 parts per million (ppm) sensitivity - giving an early warning of exposure to hazardous gases, including benzene.

When worker exposure exceeds pre-set limits the Cub’s audible, vibrating and flashing LED alarms provides an alert to the gases present. Readings are displayed on a bright, back-lit LCD display with selectable data logging time. An independent alarm sounds to the employee if to the employee if the cabinet is not functioning properly but also records a quantifiable measure of exposure to VOCs.

The Cub is available as a standard instrument with 10.6 eV lamp for accurate detection of a wide range of VOCs to ppm levels. The CubTAC ppm variant with 10.0 eV lamp accurately detects total aromatic compounds (TACs), including benzene. Both models can be upgraded to ppb sensitivity quickly and easily via Ion Science’s micro website.

The Cub’s patented MiniPID sensor technology has been independently verified as best performing for speed, accuracy and humidity resistant operation. Innovative anti-contamination and patented Fence Electrode technology provide extended run time in the most challenging environments.

 @ionscience #Belgium #PAuto #Safety

Dairy producer reduces refrigeration energy use substantially!

A Belgium-based producer of dairy products is achieving minimum energy savings of at least 18% from its refrigeration process as a result of switching to Dyneo permanent magnet motor technology from Control Techniques & Leroy-Somer. The solution, which also features a Leroy-Somer Powerdrive high-power modular drive, is being used in an industrial refrigeration system that cools milk after pasteurisation or sterilisation.

Based near Ghent, Inex specialises in products including milk, chocolate milk, buttermilk, fermented milk, yoghurt, cream and butter. The company, founded in 1898, manufactures and packages both fresh and long-life produce for large European retail chains and multinationals. It has around 440 employees and annual sales of circa €150 million.

Since refrigeration is a key element in the manufacturing process, optimum operation and reliability is paramount. As part of a recent investment package, Inex acquired four new industrial refrigerator systems based on Sabroe SMC 106E reciprocating ammonia compressors. At the time, the company had heard good reports of permanent magnet motors and wanted to install one as a trial. As a result, three of the compressors were supplied with standard Leroy-Somer IE2 (90kW) asynchronous AC motors, and one with a Leroy-Somer IE4 (105kW) synchronous permanent magnet motor from the Dyneo range.

The refrigeration systems are used to cool water to 1°C, which in turns cools milk to around 4°C. The installation operates almost continuously, but at variable load. Here, the benefits of permanent magnet motors come to the fore as their performance retains almost constant partial load, unlike standard asynchronous motors, generally leading to a reduction in energy consumption.

To put the theory to the test, Control Techniques and Leroy-Somer’s experts visited Inex after the installation was complete. They discovered that the refrigerator operating with the Dyneo permanent magnet motor was delivering significant energy savings.

Using a digital energy analyzer, the drive and motor experts made a series of power measurements comparing two refrigeration units working at the same conditions. One featured the LSRPM280SC-T synchronous magnet motor (105kW) running at 1500 rpm and Leroy-Somer Powerdrive, while the other housed the standard LSES280MK-T (90kW) asynchronous motor running at 1487 rpm and a competitor drive.

It was found that energy savings were being achieved using the permanent magnet motor across a range of different load profiles. Depending on the type of measure – involving number of pistons, speed, evaporation temperature and condensation temperature – the calculated energy savings were between 18-21%, taking into account any losses from the drive and the motor.

@EmersonIndAuto  #Pauto #Food

Dairy producer reduces refrigeration energy!

A Belgium-based producer of dairy products is achieving minimum energy savings of at least 18% from its refrigeration process as a result of switching to Dyneo permanent magnet motor technology from Control Techniques & Leroy-Somer. The solution, which also features a Leroy-Somer Powerdrive high-power modular drive, is being used in an industrial refrigeration system that cools milk after pasteurisation or sterilisation.

Based near Ghent, Inex specialises in products including milk, chocolate milk, buttermilk, fermented milk, yoghurt, cream and butter. The company, founded in 1898, manufactures and packages both fresh and long-life produce for large European retail chains and multinationals. It has around 440 employees and annual sales of circa €150 million.

Since refrigeration is a key element in the manufacturing process, optimum operation and reliability is paramount. As part of a recent investment package, Inex acquired four new industrial refrigerator systems based on Sabroe SMC 106E reciprocating ammonia compressors. At the time, the company had heard good reports of permanent magnet motors and wanted to install one as a trial. As a result, three of the compressors were supplied with standard Leroy-Somer IE2 (90kW) asynchronous AC motors, and one with a Leroy-Somer IE4 (105kW) synchronous permanent magnet motor from the Dyneo range.

The refrigeration systems are used to cool water to 1°C, which in turns cools milk to around 4°C. The installation operates almost continuously, but at variable load. Here, the benefits of permanent magnet motors come to the fore as their performance retains almost constant partial load, unlike standard asynchronous motors, generally leading to a reduction in energy consumption.

To put the theory to the test, Control Techniques and Leroy-Somer’s experts visited Inex after the installation was complete. They discovered that the refrigerator operating with the Dyneo permanent magnet motor was delivering significant energy savings.

Using a digital energy analyzer, the drive and motor experts made a series of power measurements comparing two refrigeration units working at the same conditions. One featured the LSRPM280SC-T synchronous magnet motor (105kW) running at 1500 rpm and Leroy-Somer Powerdrive, while the other housed the standard LSES280MK-T (90kW) asynchronous motor running at 1487 rpm and a competitor drive.

It was found that energy savings were being achieved using the permanent magnet motor across a range of different load profiles. Depending on the type of measure – involving number of pistons, speed, evaporation temperature and condensation temperature – the calculated energy savings were between 18-21%, taking into account any losses from the drive and the motor.

@EmersonIndAuto  #PAuto @Leroy_Somer

Petrochemical industry’s testing and monitoring event programme announced!

The organisers of PEFTEC 2015, the petrochemical industry’s testing and monitoring event, have unveiled details of the event’s Conference and Seminar Programme, featuring speakers from the oil and chemicals industries, technology manufacturers, standards organisations, research and academia. Speaker and abstract details are available for all of the Conference and Seminar presentations.

Taking place at the Antwerp Expo from 18th-19th November, PEFTEC 2015 was created to provide the petrochemical industry with an opportunity to discover the latest information on testing and monitoring, in the laboratory, in the field and on-site. Visitors will be able to choose from a wide variety of presentations covering key topics such as Analytical Standards, Quality Assurance, Regulation, Analytical Techniques, Process and Environmental Monitoring.

On Wednesday 18th November, the Conference will focus on Environmental Monitoring, Process Monitoring and Regulation in and around petroleum and petrochemical plants. Then on the following day, the conference will have an analytical theme, addressing issues such as the latest developments in Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography, and in hybrid or hyphenated techniques, and novel detection technologies.

Visitors to PEFTEC 2015 may register now.  Registered visitors will be provided with free access to the event’s exhibition, featuring over 120 international laboratory and process monitoring equipment suppliers and analytical service providers.

The PEFTEC Seminars are also free to attend for registered visitors, and these will take place in the 8 seminar rooms that will be located in the Exhibition Hall. Over 80 Seminars will be available offering the latest help and advice on almost every issue relating to detection, monitoring and analysis in the petrochemical sector. “With so many different subjects to choose from, the Conference will address Environmental and Safety themes on the Wednesday whilst the Seminars address Analytical themes; and vice versa on the Thursday,” reports PEFTEC organiser Marcus Pattison. “By attending on both days, delegates will therefore be able to benefit from the presentations of most relevance to them.”

• See also our story: Petroleum, Refining & Environmental Monitoring Technologies - Exhibition/Conf for Belgium!

Petroleum, Refining & Environmental Monitoring Technologies - Exhibition/Conf for Belgium!

PEFTEC 2015 (the petroleum, refining and environmental technologies conference and exhibition) has announced a partnership with the Port of Antwerp. PEFTEC organiser Marcus Pattison says:

Port of Antwerp (B)

“This is a major announcement because the Port of Antwerp is the leading European integrated maritime and logistics hub and the second largest seaport in Europe. As such, the port is situated at the heart of Europe’s industrial community, so the support of the Port of Antwerp is a major boost for the show, providing visitors and exhibitors with confidence that PEFTEC 2015 will be an essential date in the diaries of anyone involved with monitoring, sampling and analysis in the petrochemical field.”

Taking place on the 18th and 19th November 2015, at the Antwerp Expo centre, PEFTEC will be situated at the centre of the world’s largest cluster of petrochemical companies outside of the USA. The world’s 10 largest chemical producers are present in Antwerp, either with their supply chain or with a production unit, so the area is a magnet for world trade. Companies with major facilities in the Port of Antwerp include BASF, Air Liquide, Monsanto, Bayer and 3M, and both Total and ExxonMobil have refineries in the port.

PEFTEC 2015 is a new Conference and Exhibition created specifically for organisations involved in testing and monitoring in the Petrochemical and Refining sectors, covering applications such as process monitoring, quality control and environmental monitoring. As a partner with PEFTEC 2015, the Port of Antwerp will help publicise the show locally and provide speakers for the main conference.

• See details of the event’s Conference and Seminar Programme (Announced August 2015).

Roadshow series on device management!

The FDT Group and PACTware are working closely together to host a series of user seminars focusing on device operation management to educate plant engineers on easier solutions to commission, diagnose and maintain HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and PROFIBUS devices over the device life cycle with a single tool.

The no charge seminars will be given by PACTware experts who will be making four European stops:

• Frankfurt, Germany; Oct. 21,
• Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Oct. 22,
• Antwerpen, Belgium; Oct.23,
• Ludwigshafen, Belgium; Oct. 24,
to broaden the scope and awareness of PACTware.

PACTware is a manufacturer and fieldbus-independent software organization for operating field instruments. The PACTware organization uses the FDT standardized interface that supports device integration between their Frame Application, PACTware and the individual device via a DTM (Device Tool Manager). Users no longer need to use several different manufacturer-specific configuration applications to access device information from different field instruments.

The half day events will kick off with an overview of the technology, followed by user-oriented, vendor neutral workshops focusing on operation and maintenance benefits. Attendees will have the chance to learn how configuration of a device is made easier and how advanced diagnostics enhances predictive maintenance and troubleshooting – while at the same time- increasing productivity and making life of a plant engineer a little easier. In addition to the tutorial, the event will allow attendees to network with their peers and PACTware experts at table tops showcasing the latest equipment available from leading manufacturers.

Each event will conclude with a multi-vendor demonstration showing attendees first-hand how PACTware, a Frame Application, enhances device operation through the entire life cycle of a device. The demo features numerous application examples, showing how device access can be facilitated and accelerated by using a single tool for all networks and field devices communicating via HART, PROFIBUS and FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocols.

The events are sponsored by the leading manufacturers in the industry including; Bopp & Reuther, ICS, Foxboro by Schneider, KROHNE, Pepperl+Fuchs and VEGA exhibiting their FDT enabled equipment on table tops.

Certificate for design!

Magnetrol® International NV, in Zele (B), has received a BREEAM® Interim Certificate for the Design Stage of its production and office facilities expansion, achieving a score of Very Good.

BREEAM is the world's foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings, with over 250,000 building certifications and over a million buildings registered for assessment since its inception in 1990.

MAGNETROL regional headquarters for the EMEAI markets has been located in Zele for more than 40 years. A result of the company’s strong growth, the expansion project increases the facility footprint by more than 5,000 square meters. With ground-breaking on December 12, 2012, production facilities completed in October 2013 and office space completed in June 2014, the Zele manufacturing complex will be one of the first industrial buildings in Belgium with BREEAM certification.

“BREEAM is the world standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation and is a widely recognized measure of a building’s environmental performance,” said Jeff Swallow, CEO of MAGNETROL. “We are proud that the Zele facilities have been designed to optimize energy and water use, and minimize impacts of pollution, transport, materials and waste on the environment.”

Magnetrol Products are marketed in Ireland through Ntron!

Belgian cheesmaker wins “Best Practice in Process” award!

Cheesemaker fabrelac from Belgium has won this years’ ITM award “Best Practice in Process” for an automation project to continuously monitor and control the product composition.

Variations in the composition are a constant challenge for anyone working with natural products such as milk, which has large fluctuations in the levels of fats and proteins. To gain an advanced form of process control, fabrelac was looking for an inline and continuous measuring solution to monitor and control the product composition.

Günter Pinkowski, Vice President Marketing KROHNE, and Jos Peters, Managing director fabrelac, with the ITM award “Best Practice in Process”

The Bree-based cheesemaker contacted Krohne, and after a pilot project to monitor the quality of the raw product with OPTIQUAD-M 4050 W proved successful, fabrelac decided to equip production streams with the inline analysis system: in total, fabrelac now uses 10 OPTIQUAD-M systems to monitor and control the product composition and one OPTIQUAD-WW 4050 W to measure the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in the waste water. fabrelac decided to lease the systems from KROHNE, which is a special financing option available for OPTIQUAD systems.

The ITM jury appreciated the innovative automation approach of fabrelac, not only because of the advanced form of process control and the results achieved, but also because the challenge was on both sides: to make this application possible, fabrelac and KROHNE worked closely together to identify the relevant parameters for each application and make them available within the process control system. By using the inline analyzers, the company manages to maintain a high product quality and constant composition, documented through all process stages, while increasing automation level.

OPTIQUAD-M 4050 W is a spectroscopic analysis system for the continuous in line measurement of protein, fat, lactose and total solids in the production of milk-based products including cheese. It uses up to 12 wavelengths (UV/VIS/NIR/IR - from 200 to 4000 nm) and combines up to four optical principles (transmission, scattering, fluorescence and refraction). The underlying calibration is calculated automatically from reference data specific to the application.

Based on the same functional principle, OPTIQUAD-WW 4050 W is a spectroscopic analysis system for the continuous in line measurement of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the wastewater flow of dairies or cheese factories.

• Krohne products are marketed in Ireland by DWN Instrumentation.

Collaborate in ExaScience Life Lab in Belgium

Lab will allow development of even more powerful supercomputers for life sciences research

Intel, imec and five Flemish universities (UA, UGhent, KULeuven, UHasselt, VUB) announced the planned foundation of the ExaScience Life Lab on the imec campus in Leuven, with which Janssen Pharmaceutica will collaborate in the future. The ExaScience Life Lab will combine Intel’s supercomputing expertise with Flanders’ extensive expertise in life sciences and biotechnology. The objective of the collaboration is to create new supercomputer solutions and generate breakthroughs in life sciences and biotechnology.

High performance computing can lead to new insights and breakthroughs in life sciences and biotechnology. As a result, the use of supercomputers will become as strategically vital as lab research. In the development of medical supercomputers, close collaboration with specialists in the field is becoming ever more important since this allows the additional computing power to be utilised to maximum advantage. That is why Intel, Janssen Pharmaceutica, imec and five Flemish universities have decided to join forces. During the coming months, Intel, Janssen Pharmaceutica, imec and the Flemish Universities will negotiate in good faith to establish the appropriate agreements in such respect.

The ExaScience Life Lab aims to boost research in the life sciences. Initially, the lab will focus on two fields of application. First, the lab will examine how supercomputers can accelerate the processing of entire genome sequences. Today, such an analysis takes approximately 48 hours, and with the expected explosion of genome data becoming available in the coming years, it is crucial to improve the efficiency of the computing process. A second application area of the ExaScience Life Lab will be to examine the use of computer simulations in the life sciences. Testing hypotheses through computer simulation both cells and tissues instead of through wet-lab testing saves considerable amounts of time and cost associated to lab tests.

The ExaScience Life Lab is conceived as an extension of Intel’s ExaScience Lab for High Performance Computing opened at imec in 2010.

“Intel has an extensive network of research laboratories in Europe. Once operational, the ExaScience Life Lab will be our European centre of excellence for high performance computing in the life sciences”, says Intel lab manager Luc Provoost. “The intended collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals should enable us to build even more powerful supercomputers. We expect the lab’s joint research and development efforts to lead to major breakthroughs in the use of supercomputing for bioscientific applications.”

“It is our conviction that the ExaScience Life Lab will act as a catalyst in our aspiration to solve certain critical medical needs through technological innovation”, stated Gunaretnam Rajagopal, Janssen Pharmaceutica’ Head of computational sciences. “In the future, supercomputing will become a key force behind advances in life sciences.”

Flemish Minister of Innovation Ingrid Lieten pointed out that “Flanders enjoys an enviable reputation in the fields of life sciences, biotechnology and high performance computing, with a research-driven industry and highly skilled knowledge workers. The ExaScience Life Lab will stimulate collaboration between various disciplines and between the academic and the corporate world. It will establish Flanders as a leading region for supercomputing in life sciences. To achieve this, the ExaScience Life Lab will work closely with the Flemish Supercomputer Centre.”

Luc Van den Hove, President and CEO at imec, stated that “We are very excited about this unique collaboration with leading international companies such as Intel and Janssen Pharmaceutica, and with the Flemish universities. I have every confidence that by pooling our resources and expertise, the ExaScience Life Lab will achieve excellent results that will stimulate research and development in the life sciences. I would like to thank the Flemish government and IWT for their financial support to the ExaScience Life Lab. And I am looking forward to a productive and strategic long-term collaboration.”

New website & headquarters!

Magnetrol®; International has launched its new, redesigned corporate website.

It has a brand new look! "After almost a year in development, MAGNETROL is excited and proud to announce the launch of its new, revamped corporate website. Users will enjoy the improved functionality and simplified navigation. The streamlined product offering enables the company to focus to a greater degree on customer’s and representative’s needs."

This new site enables the company to more efficiently promote new products and initiatives, as well as quickly direct traffic to the content they are looking for. Additional enhancements and improvements that are on the way will be constantly reported on the new site.

Not only is its website new, so is the corporate headquarters! In August, the U.S. headquarters relocated to Aurora (IL USA). Magnetrol’s headquarters move accommodates the need for increased capacity by the company. The relocation to a new 20.530m³ facility in the Meridian Business Campus more than doubles its production capacity, while housing Magnetrol’s headquarters operation under one roof.

Also the build - out of the facility in Belgium, which houses manufacturing, sales and administration operations, will double production capacity of Magnetrol’s regional headquarters for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India markets. The expansion is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2013.

“Magnetrol’s growth represents our commitment to delivering excellent products and service, while leveraging strategic market opportunities,” said President and CEO Jeffrey K. Swallow. “Our company’s history is tied to instrumentation technology breakthroughs, and our continued success will come from remaining our customers’ preferred partner for level and flow control solutions.”