Helping to meet regulatory emission requirements now and in the future.

Servomex has launched the Laser 3 Plus Environmental helping plant operators meet with legislative requirements.

With integrated auto-validation software to ensure highly consistent measurement accuracy, the Laser 3 Plus Environmental Tunable Diode Laser (TDL) analyzer is a compact, reliable solution for accurate continuous emissions measurements of ammonia (NH₃).

Rhys Jenkins, Spectroscopic Product Manager, of Servomex, said: “This will allow our customers to meet or even exceed the performance requirements of EPA PS18 for cross stack continuous emissions monitoring, avoiding needless downtime or inaccurate NH₃ concentration that can lead to costly fines.”

Although NH₃ is not currently regulated as a hazardous air pollutant under the United States’ Clean Air Act, some US states regard it as a precursor pollutant for the creation of particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and find that 5 ppm NH₃ in emissions can cause eye and respiratory irritations.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strongly recommends that analyzers used for continuous ammonia (NH₃) monitoring in combustion emissions standards set out in Performance Specification 18 (PS18) are met. Many US state regulatory agencies are targeting the precursors that create PM2.5 as a pathway to lower PM2.5 emissions, so EPA PS18 looks set to become the basis of future regulation.

Additionally, Procedure 6 (40 Code of US Federal Regulations Part 60, Appendix F) states that all continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) equipment must also be able to perform daily quality tests. This means that any downtime can affect the validation of an analyzer and may incur significant financial penalties.

With the Laser 3 Plus Environmental’s auto-validation software enabling compliance with Procedure 6, the analyzer’s non-contact, low-maintenance TDL sensing techniques minimises downtime, keeps operational costs low and ensures customers are ready to meet the legislative requirements of the CEMS market.

@Servomex @codacomms #Pauto #Pollution #CEMS

Are drive users breaking the law?

New legislation covering the export of high frequency (HF) drives could result in hefty penalties, including potential prison sentences, for machine builders and system integrators. EU Regulation No. 428/2009 and subsequent amendments covers the export of goods, software and technology normally used for civilian purposes but which may have military applications, or may contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. With this in mind, the EU controls the export, transit and brokering of these items as a key instrument contributing to international peace and security.

The amended legislation came into force in the EU in December last year and, among other things, concerns the supply of HF capable drives, e.g. drives capable of producing an output frequency of greater than 600 Hz.  Regulations controlling the export of high frequency drives are already in force in the United States, and similar regulations were introduced to China earlier this year.

In order to comply with the new legislation, businesses which export goods or machines that incorporate goods that are controlled under the terms of the EU regulation to locations outside the EU must apply for the relevant export licences from their respective governments. The changes also have an effect on the documentation required in any transaction, as well as the measures which are taken to securely store the controlled goods.

Potential sanctions for failing to comply with the legislation range from financial penalties through to trade restrictions and even prison sentences for individuals.  Exporting controlled goods without suitable authorisation is a customs offence.

High frequency drives are used in a number of applications, including automotive testing, turbine test benches, grinding, where speeds in excess of those which can be achieved by a ´standard´ variable speed drive are required. However, as well as civilian applications, drives operating at higher output frequencies can also be used in the process of refining nuclear materials, hence the stricter export controls brought in with the amended legislation.

Emerson Industrial Automation is keen to advise OEMs and machine builders which incorporate HF drives in their designs that it is they, not the drives manufacturer, who are responsible for checking and evaluating whether or not their machines comply with, or contravene, the relevant legislation. It is also important for businesses to identify whether any existing machines and systems are affected by the directive, as it could affect their ability to export their machines.

Emerson is keen to help and will inform its customers if the drives they purchase appear on the controlled list, but is still advising people to educate themselves on the changes to the export regulations and the ways in which their businesses may be impacted.

The business took the step of limiting the frequency of the majority of its drives in anticipation of the new legislation. The Control Techniques Unidrive M range was limited to 550 Hz since its introduction in 2012, and older drive models were revised to be limited to 550 Hz. Servo and DC drives are not affected.

In anticipation of the new legislation, Control Techniques has specifically developed a range of HF drives to meet the requirements of the civilian applications that are an important part of its business.

Enrique Minarro Viseras, president of Control Techniques, added: "It is crucial businesses are aware of the amendments to the dual use legislation. We pride ourselves on our ability to make things as easy and trouble-free as possible for our customers, and have worked hard to ensure our products and processes comply with the new legislation.

"We would urge other businesses to investigate the extent to which they are liable and take the appropriate steps to ensure full compliance."

Legislation on both sides of Atlantic effects machinery OEMs

Motor efficiency upgrades - is it Win-Win or Win-Lose?

A seminal piece of legislation mandating minimum electric motor efficiency levels is scheduled to come into force across the EU in June 2011. It has enormous implications for machinery OEMs, with potentially serious consequences to sales and market share if attention is not paid immediately, says Baldor. The situation is made even more problematic by the USA's EISA minimum efficiency regulations, which came into force in December 2010.

From feedback at exhibitions and from calls and visits Baldor believes that as much as a third of the EU's OEMs are still either wholly or partially unaware that new general-purpose AC motors installed from June must meet a minimum efficiency of IE2. IE2 is equivalent to the previous CEMEP 'EFF1' standard.

Most OEMs currently use lower-efficiency EFF3- or EFF2- grade AC motors. Transitioning equipment designs with higher efficiency motors can involve physical and mechanical interface changes, changes to rotational speeds, and changes to thermal issues and starting behaviour. These issues can have a big impact for equipment OEMs, and they might need weeks or even three months or more to make the upgrade.

Robin Cowley

"We're sending an SOS message to European OEMs that if they do not start considering the impact of motor efficiency regulations immediately, then there could be negative implications for their sales and market share," says Robin Cowley, Industrial Marketing Manager for Baldor in the EU. "And when OEMs think about the upgrade to IE2 efficiency levels, we are also suggesting that they consider their strategy for the IE3 efficiency level that's coming down the track because if they don't, their competitors might - and steal a march."

Most end users of automation are becoming seriously worried about their energy costs. Many are also currently putting strong environmental care plans into place. Given this market situation, Robin Cowley thinks that OEMs who start to offer the best efficiency levels available - IE3 - could see their market share grow at the expense of those who merely offer the minimum required.

This situation is complicated by the USA's recent Energy Independence Security Act (EISA) which came into force in December 2010. EISA mandates a minimum efficiency level of 'NEMA Premium' for motors imported into the USA.

NEMA Premium is equivalent to IE3, which is not due to come into force in the EU until 2015. Robin Cowley expects that some USA OEMs could be adopting NEMA Premium as their standard offering for international sales as well. This means that much imported equipment could offer end users a significantly faster payback in terms of reduced energy consumption than equipment sourced from the EU.


"For some simple items of equipment such as pumps or fans, the motor is a significant proportion of the bill of materials and US competitors might offer a lower-spec IE2 alternative in the EU," adds Baldor's Robin Cowley. "However, where a motor is only a small proportion of some larger equipment - on a conveyor system for example - US competitors have the opportunity to offer premium efficiency as standard. This potentially puts them in a position to gain market share here in Europe."