Reducing dependency on multiple vendors.

Investing in new industrial automation hardware and software solutions is essential to support business growth. But not all growth is planned or anticipated. This can lead to solutions being implemented because they meet an immediate business need or a customer requirement, rather than forming part of considered, long-term strategy. Under such circumstances, many manufacturers can find themselves managing and maintaining disparate solutions from several solution providers. This creates complications, from having multiple points of contact for device maintenance, to different service schedules and contracts for each device; not to mention the difficulty of having one holistic view for monitoring or programming automation solutions. This haphazard architecture framework can stifle innovation, and it makes achieving key goals – like increasing productivity, meeting compliance regulations or achieving net zero targets – much harder.

The power of consolidation.
An example of a company that saw the value of reducing its dependency on multiple vendors, is Artikon Machinery. Established over 30 years ago, today it is one of Turkey’s top five manufacturers of PVC and aluminium profile processing machines. The company exports to more than 100 countries and operates through over 120 dealers worldwide. Artikon Machinery has embraced a no-compromise approach to quality in its production, from design through to R&D. It is committed to providing quality machines, and not budget ones. Its R&D team works closely with its domestic and international customers to establish their needs, which ensures it integrates useful, functional ideas in the development of its machines. Faced with the inherent complications that come from operating multi-brand automation and production solutions, Artikon Machinery chose to streamline its operations to more effectively meet growing demand from customers, while maintaining the high-quality standards the brand is known for.

A new era demands new solutions.
Artikon Machinery determined that the new solution needed to integrate automation capabilities that could support multiple machine types while offering compatibility with its existing CAD/CAM systems. In order to facilitate decision-making, it also needed to provide efficient data flow. Given its objectives, the technical requirements demanded by Artikon Machinery included support for G-code processing; a real-time HMI interface and program management; the elimination of manual file loading; centralised control and data visibility; and high levels of compatibility and optimal performance. It also had to be scalable to provide the flexibility needed to easily accommodate future growth.

Having assessed competitor offerings, Artikon Machinery’s engineering, R&D and production specialists determined that Delta’s automation solutions were best suited to its current and future needs. They stood apart for their system compatibility, product reliability, seamless integration capabilities and strong local support. Combined with Delta’s global reputation for product excellence, Artikon Machinery was confident it could successfully replace its multi-brand automation components with Delta’s unified ecosystem.

In consultation it was established that the most suitable solutions for this application would be Delta’s DVP15MC (a multi-axis motion controller); DOP-115WX (an HMI Touch panel); 8 x ASDA-A2-M (an AC servo drive and motor); 2 x VFD-EL-W (a new generation compact vector control drive); DX-2300 (an industrial Ethernet DIA cloud router data acquisition device); AS228T (a PLC Controller); DOP-110IS (a Standard HMI); DOP-112WX (a 24-bit colour TFT LCD) and a DVS-005R00 (a 5-port unmanaged Ethernet Switch).

Artikon Machinery machine

Since the long-term implementation began two years ago, 25 devices have already been replaced - with only five still to be transitioned – demonstrating the compatibility of Delta’s solutions, and their device-to device interoperability. This rapid deployment has seen Artikon Machinery enjoy a rapid return on investment. Following the deployment, Artikon Machinery speaks positively about how Delta’s solutions have driven improved workflows, reduced manual tasks, and added greater accuracy to decision making through the provision of real-time data management. Artikon Machinery also reports that it is enjoying improved process speed, increased machine uptime and reduced error rates in welding, cutting, and cleaning operations. The seamless data handling through FTP/USB and Lua scripting has now become a key talking point during customer site visits, impressing many with the high-level of automation operating at the factory.

The successful deployment at Artikon Machinery demonstrates Delta’s ability to deliver end-to-end automation solutions in sectors like the PVC and aluminium profile processing industry. It has further helped Artikon Machinery to position itself as a strong competitor against other brands in this sector. The deployment illustrates how Delta’s single automation platform can replace multiple suppliers across an entire machine portfolio, as well as its strength in offering a fully integrated and scalable automation solution that meets high-performance expectations. As Artikon Machinery demonstrates, Delta can be trusted as a high-performance, fully-integrated technology partner with solutions suited to even the most demanding industrial automation environments.

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@DeltaEMEA @Artikon_Machine @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #HMI #Turkey

International collaboration in energy monitoring.

The international partnership established between MEGGER, Master Machinery, and Simtech International is redefining standards in energy infrastructure monitoring and management in Türkiye. Thanks to this collaboration, high-tech online monitoring solutions can now be implemented more widely and integratively in the Turkish energy sector.

Founded in 2004 in Romania, Simtech International operates in numerous areas including the design of substations, testing and measurement of electrical equipment and installations, expertise in rotating machines such as transformers and electric motors, monitoring and diagnostics of electrical equipment, data collection and database creation, as well as insulation system analysis and improvement. This technical expertise provides a strong foundation, especially for integrated applications with advanced monitoring systems and smart grid solutions.

Master Machinery relies on MEGGER’s trusted online monitoring technologies for power transmission and distribution networks. Backed by the decades-long experience of its new partner Simtech International, the company has now reached the capacity to deliver turnkey projects in online monitoring solutions. This enables not only hardware supply but also value-added services such as system design, software integration, and technical consultancy to be delivered in the field.

Master Machinery can integrate the following MEGGER online monitoring devices into a single platform using SIMTECH’s proven and tested “Gridwise” monitoring software:

• Smart Grid Monitoring – Megger MS5000
• Partial Discharge (PD) Monitoring – Megger ICMObserver
• Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) – Megger InsuLogix G2

In this context, the collaboration between the three companies will be able to meet the needs of transmission and distribution system operators in a prompt and satisfactory manner in the short term.

This integrated structure allows for prevention of unplanned outages, extension of asset lifespan, and revolutionary improvements in maintenance strategies, making maintenance planning significantly more efficient. Thus, energy utilities gain a more efficient, safe, and predictable infrastructure management approach.

The global innovation strength of MEGGER, the software engineering expertise of Simtech, and the field experience of Master Machinery come together to make a significant contribution to the widespread adoption of smart grid technologies in Türkiye.

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@MeggerUK #PAuto #TandM #Power

Online partial discharge monitoring innovation.

A new high-tech innovation has been introduced to the Turkish energy sector through the strategic partnership between MEGGER and Master Machinery. The initial implementations of Online Partial Discharge (PD) Monitoring systems, which are critically important for medium and high voltage assets such as power transformers, cable systems, and generators, have been successfully completed in Türkiye.

This advanced technology is a solution that only a limited number of companies worldwide are capable of implementing. It enables the early detection of insulation defects in high electric field environments, allowing maintenance processes to be managed more efficiently. Online PD monitoring has become one of the cornerstones of smart grid management, helping to prevent system failures and costly outages.

Master Machinery, which is leading this initiative, plays a key role with its strategic vision and extensive industry experience. The technical leadership of the innovation will be provided by Dr. Mihai Huzmezan, General Manager at Megger Power Diagnostix Systems GmbH, and Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Huzmezan, internationally recognised in the field of partial discharge monitoring technologies, will shape the innovation aspect of this collaboration with his deep technical expertise and field experience.

By combining MEGGER’s global expertise with Master Machinery’s local strength, this partnership introduces a new benchmark for Türkiye’s energy infrastructure that enables smarter, safer, and more resilient power grid operations.

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@MeggerUK #PAuto #TandM #Power #Türkiye

Plug-and-play robotics for Turkey.

Movu Robotics has announced Morel Robotics as its premier integrator in Turkey. This collaboration aims to revolutionize the country's automation landscape by bringing accessible and cutting-edge robotic technologies to businesses across various sectors.

Movu aims to redefine the future of automation with its seamless plug-and-play solutions to drive efficiency, productivity, and safety in industries worldwide. Through this partnership, Movu Robotics will leverage Morel Robotics' extensive expertise and market presence in Turkey to introduce its advanced robotic solutions to businesses seeking to optimize their operations.

Movu escala bin shuttle, Movu atlas pallet shuttle and Movu ifollow autonomous mobile robot (AMR) will be installed in Morel Robotics' showroom as a demo center for the clients. The installation will include 4000 pallet positions, 19000 tots and 8 ifollow robots. The demo center will showcase how to upgrade warehouses with Movu's accessible automation.

"Morel Robotics brings a lot of experience and a deep understanding of the Turkish market," said Stefan Pieters, Co-CEO at Movu Robotics. "Their commitment to excellence aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver easier, modular and flexible solutions that empower businesses to thrive in an increasingly automated world."

"We are excited to partner with Movu Robotics to bring accessible plug-and-play automation to our clients in Turkey," said Hakan Aksoy, co-founder at Morel Robotics. "Together, we aim to drive technological innovation and empower businesses to achieve operational excellence via automation," added Emir Altaras, another co-founder at Morel Robotics.

With Movu's state-of-the-art robotic solutions and Morel Robotics' robust integration capabilities, businesses in Turkey can expect unparalleled opportunities to enhance their operations, streamline processes, and achieve greater competitiveness in the global market.

This partnership underscores Movu Robotics' commitment to expanding its global footprint and delivering impactful solutions to businesses worldwide. Both companies are determined to redefine the future of automation in Turkey, setting new standards for efficiency, productivity, and innovation.

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@stow_Group @MorelRobotics #Automation #Robotics #Pauto

Safe travel over the Dardanelles!

Teledyne FLIR recently installed its dual thermal AID camera technology for use on the new 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey, which was constructed in a joint venture between DL E&C (formerly Daelim), Limak, SK Ecoplant and Yapı Merkezi. With incident detection cameras covering the entire length of the 4.6 km bridge, this technology will allow traffic users to cross the Çanakkale Strait in a fast and safe way.

The Çanakkale bridge is the first fixed crossing over the Dardanelles and the sixth one across the Turkish Straits, after three bridges over the Bosphorus and two tunnels under it. 

Wikamedia Maps

At 4608-meters in length, 1915 Çanakkale Bridge is the longest mid-span suspension bridge in the world to date. The deck carries six lanes of motorway (three in each direction), together with two walkways on each side for maintenance purposes. Part of the Malkara-Çanakkale Motorway, the bridge is expected to be a huge contribution to the region and country’s economy by decreasing the time it takes to cross the Çanakkale Strait to six minutes.

Weather-Proof Incident Detection.
From the onset, the consortium of DL E&C, Limak, SK Ecoplant, and Yapı Merkezi was looking for a high-performance automatic incident detection (AID) system that was able to deliver reliable detection results in all weather conditions. Operators needed to be able to see clearly in various environmental conditions as well, including foggy weather and heavy rain. Another difficulty was the risk of sun glare which could distort the images generated by a visual camera based automatic incident detection system. Thermal cameras have no issues whatsoever with fog, bad weather, or sun glare since they can detect traffic based on heat and not light. “Winters can be hard in Çanakkale and Malkara, with snow, fog and heavy wind,” says Emrah Ilteray, Chairman of the Board at Elmak-YMIdis, the joint venture responsible for ITS part of the project.

Thermal and Visible-Light Camera in One.

Teledyne FLIR provided 98 units of the ITS-632 Dual AID camera to be installed along the entire bridge length every 96 meters on each side. This camera combines best-in class thermal and visual imaging technology with advanced video analytics to provide a complete solution for automatic incident detection. The camera can reliably detect incidents—including collisions, stopped vehicles, wrong-way drivers and pedestrians—in challenging lighting and weather conditions. In addition, the camera also detects fires within seconds of ignition and provides valuable traffic data, including number of vehicles and vehicle classes.

The visible-light camera offers bridge operators a way to verify incidents in real time in a visual way. The visual footage can also be used as forensic evidence after an incident. In addition to the incident detection cameras, Teledyne FLIR also delivered 8 of its FLIR Elara DX-Series multispectral pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) security cameras, which offer control room operators extra means to monitor the bridge for incidents.

“The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge is a high-profile project with international impact,” says Ilteray. “That’s we did not want to compromise on the quality of our incident detection technology. FLIR’s Dual AID camera ticks all the boxes in terms of detection performance and accuracy, and the support from the company to realize this project has been nothing but amazing.”

Aid On the Edge.
One of the strengths of Teledyne FLIR’s dual series AID cameras, which knocked most of the company’s competitors out of the park, is that they have their video analytics embedded within the camera. Since the camera takes care of all the video analytics processing, the video stream does not need to be sent over the network to a central processing server. This significantly reduces network traffic and results in much lower latency. And in case the network should go down, the camera can still store its incident events. Another benefit of such a distributed architecture is that in the rare case that an AID camera should go down, the rest of the network and camera infrastructure are not affected.

Managing Sources in the Control Room.
Information coming from the 98 AID cameras and 8 security cameras is collected and managed by FLIR’s Flux video detection management system. Control room operators use this software to overview traffic data, events, alarms and video images generated by the various cameras. Flux provides a user-friendly interface composed of a monitoring and a reporting application and enables real-time monitoring of events and alarms.

@flir @mepaxIntPR #Transport #Traffic #Turkey

Foundry temperature measurement.

Atik Metal the foundry industry leader, has approved AMETEK Land’s Cyclops L portable pyrometer for use in its furnaces, with the aim of replacing its traditional dip thermocouple instruments.

Prasath Venkatasamy, AMETEK Land’s Regional Manager of Business Development and Service for the Middle East and India, commented: “As a leading foundry company, Atik was looking to make sure its processes and systems were first-class, which led to implementing the testing of Cyclops. We’re pleased to see that the results are unquestionable – using Cyclops leads to improved quality and a reduction in defects. Most importantly, it increases safety for furnace workers.”

Atik was using dip thermocouples to take measurements at the furnaces, casting lines and pouring lines, collecting temperature data at each part of the casting. However, the company wanted to assess the Cyclops for its suitability to improve quality, reduce casting defects and costs, and minimise the use of the short-lived dip thermocouples.

The Cyclops L is a portable handheld optical pyrometer that delivers instant temperature measurements using a trigger control. It can be aimed at the area of focus on liquid metal by looking through an eyepiece.

In order to carry out the required tests, Atik used the Cyclops L to measure temperatures in the melting furnaces and moulding plants, evaluating the pyrometer’s ergonomics, accuracy of data transfer, and ease of use.

To calibrate and compare, Atik measured temperature with both a dip thermocouple and the Cyclops. The measurement time for a dip thermocouple was 13-14 seconds. The Cyclops, meanwhile, only took 1-2 seconds.

The Cyclops measurement testing was also carried out without the need to open the furnace lid, and directly measured from pouring metal. With a range of up to 5 metres away, this provided a much safer environment for the workers.

An additional benefit of using the Cyclops L is that, unlike thermocouples, it does not use disposable tips that need replacing, thereby allowing for successive measurements.

Following the assessment, Atik Metals has approved the use of Cyclops L in its furnaces.

 @landinst @codacomms #Pauto

Distributor for Turkey.

Silicon Designs has announced the appointment of the Istanbul-based Elektro Elektronik San Ve Tic As (Elektro) as its exclusive authorized distributor in Turkey for all of the company’s product lines (MEMS capacitive accelerometers and chips) effective June 2020.

Since 1979, Elektro has been supplying semiconductor, passive, and electromechanical components, including sensors, switches, and inertial measurement units, to aerospace, OEM, and industrial equipment customers in Turkey, and via its role as experienced technical sales representatives for some of the industry’s top manufacturers. In addition, Elektro is both an ISO 9001 and TRACE certified manufacturer of its own product technologies.

#SDI #Elektro @EmbassyGlobal #Pauto 

Energy efficiency in Turkey.

At the invitation of the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry and Camille Bauer Metrawatt AG will discuss Turkey's strategic goals for energy efficiency.

From left: Sascha Engel, Oguz Can,
Hilal Celik and Bilal Düzgün

The whole world is facing radical transformation. Climate change and technological innovation in an age of rapidly permeating digitalization are transforming processes and other more disruptive things that just a few years ago were considered “immutable”. Many people and especially the younger generations, not least due to the Fridays for Future movement, are concerned about their future in the face of global warming. The focus is now on energy transition, which more and more companies, private individuals as well as states are investing in, to gain in energy efficiency and conserve natural resources by using renewable energies.

Due to increases in its energy consumption, Turkey is ranked No. 1 in Europe according to the Ministry in terms of the growth in demand for energy, and No. 2 in the world after China. It is planned to reduce consumption by 20% compared to 2011. At the same time, renewable energy sources are to be given priority over traditional means of energy production to take climatic and environmental considerations into account. In addition to wind power plants, emphasis is being put on roof-top photovoltaic systems, because with the introduction of smart grid technology, decentralised feed-ins can simultaneously be used as storage. Furthermore, in the case of a decentralised supply, the power transmission infrastructure is already in place and expensive cable routes and underground lines do not have to be built from scratch.

#PAuto #CamilleBauerMetrawatt @mepaxIntPR

International co-operation in fieldbus training.

Ireland provides lecturer for training course in Turkey

Hassan Kaghazchi

Dr. Hassan Kaghazchi (right), Chairman of PI Ireland successfully conducted a Certified PROFINET Engineers course for Siemens in Turkey in last December.  Siemens Istanbul is a Research and Development facility for Siemens Germany and mostly made up of young motivated engineers.

As well as the normal syllabus for the course, Dr Kaghazchi covered additional PROFINET features such as shared-device, ring redundancy, and Configuration in Run were also covered.

The use of S7 controllers allowed the demonstration of the full functionality of PROFINET in industrial communications. All participants successfully completed and passed the course.

@AllThingsPROFI #PAuto @siemensindustry  

Distributor in Turkey acquired.

Yokogawa Europe B.V. has acquired 100% of the shares of its distributor in Turkey, Birleşik Endüstriyel Sistemler Ve Tesisler A.Ş.(BEST), which is based in Izmir. The acquisition of shares was carried out on November 25.

With this acquisition, Yokogawa strengthens its focus on Turkey as a market with substantial growth potential. It will allow Yokogawa to extend its position in promising segments such as the power industry. Through the acquisition, Yokogawa will also enhance its relationships with customers in Turkey.

"BEST has been Yokogawa's distributor since 1977 and has already built an excellent reputation in the oil and gas industries, where it will continue to provide great value to customers," comments Yokogawa Europe's president Herman van den Berg: "Yokogawa is committed to working with customers as partners to help them get maximum value from their plant operations, and this acquisition is a major step forward in our plans to grow our footprint in emerging markets, and specifically in target industries including the power and energy sectors."

Yokogawa is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015, and is continuing to create new value with its clients for a brighter future. The company is now accelerating its efforts to bring about a transformation that will allow the company to sustain growth for another 100 years. To share the essence of this vision statement with stakeholders and encourage all employees to join forces in the pursuit of this initiative, Yokogawa has established the corporate brand slogan of "Co-innovating tomorrow".

The term "Co-innovating" conveys Yokogawa's determination to engage in the co-creation of value through the development of solutions in long-term partnerships with clients, "tomorrow" expresses the company's resolve to move steadily into the future one step at a time.

Under this slogan, Yokogawa will seek to establish even stronger bonds of trust with its customers by working with them to create value and stimulate growth, and this new acquisition typifies our determination to pursue these goals through long-term partnerships. In this way, Yokogawa is further shaping its mission to ensure our customers' long-term success and help to build a more sustainable world.

Improving extrusion machine efficiency & accuracy.

The manufacturing site of Clariant at Izmit, Turkey, has adopted the latest high performance Emerson technology to help it overcome issues surrounding maintenance and inefficiency. Control Techniques’ Unidrive M, in tandem with a Leroy-Somer Dyneo® permanent magnet synchronous motor from Emerson Industrial Automation, is being used on a process-critical extrusion machine in order to help boost both the efficiency and accuracy of its work for customers in the plastics and chemical industries.

Clariant, one of the world’s leading speciality chemical companies, was experiencing issues with its previous DC motor and drive system on an important extrusion machine at its Izmit facility. The plant, located around 70 km east of Istanbul, centres on colouration solutions for plastics and polymer products, as well as a host of other products ranging from PVC stabilisers to waxes for polyolefin compounds. The motor and drive package had been in service for many years but was now ageing and proving inefficient. Furthermore, frequent maintenance was required and, as a result, the facility sought an alternative solution.

Having researched the market, Clariant opted to move away from its previous supplier of motors and drives in favour of a complete drives and motors solution from Emerson Industrial Automation.

“Aside from new technology and increased energy efficiency, the choice was based on the user-friendly and easy-to-use parameters of the Unidrive M600,” said Serdar Kiyi, technical manager at the plant. “We are now using the package to leverage more efficiency, accuracy and reliability from the extrusion machine than was possible using our previous systems.”

Among the main technical features of the Unidrive M600 that appealed to Clariant was its ability to support sensor-less open loop control. This mode offers impressive dynamic performance and enables more compact and higher efficiency motor technologies to be used, such as Dyneo®. It also supports simple positioning without the need for encoder position feedback.

The Unidrive M600 also offers a high performance onboard PLC with a real-time task that can be used for straightforward logic control, speed following and digital lock to enhance drive application capability. The drive also features CODESYS technology for machine control programming.

“We really like the user friendly menu and parameters, as well as its compact, slim design,” says Mr Kiyi. “Since installing the new solution from Emerson Industrial Automation, the extrusion machine has been working with markedly higher efficiency and precision, and our total throughput has increased by around 10 per cent.”

Sensors for world's deepest immersed tunnel!

Mantracourt Electronics tells us that its SGA load cell amplifiers are being used within the monitoring systems of the Marmaray Project, a major new rail tunnel project in Turkey.

The 76.3km long tunnel is the deepest immersed tunnel in the world and is regarded as the foremost challenging infrastructure project in Turkey.

Tunnel sensors

The Marmaray development team needed to monitor the displacement of the joints within the tunnel. Mantracourt Technical Partner, Applied Measurements Ltd, created a bespoke bridge monitoring system using three 50mm displacement transducers, forming a triaxial measurement of each joint.
The displacement transducers utilise strain gauge technology to convert the linear movement of the joints within the tunnel into an analogue electrical signal. Mantracourt’s SGA load cell amplifiers are used to amplify the transducers signals, enabling the Marmaray team to accurately monitor the displacement of the joints within the tunnel.

“We chose to use Mantracourt SGA load cell amplifiers for this project, due to their high stability and accuracy,” said Darren Skipp at Applied Measurements. "This level of performance is essential for such a major project. We are very pleased with the way the system is performing.”

The SGA series of load cell amplifiers are capable of delivering highly stable, high speed, industry standard analogue outputs, such as 0-10Vdc or 4-20mA, from very low-level input signals.

“We are very proud to once again see our technology playing a vital role in a major infrastructure project,” said Louise Stubbs, Marketing Co-ordinator at Mantracourt. “This project also demonstrates the value of our global network of technical partners, and how they are able to work at a local level to create bespoke instrumentation solutions.”

Applied Measurements provide a comprehensive range of load cell and force sensors for use in a broad range of applications. They also provide a design service for applications needing bespoke features and special performance requirements.

Emissions monitored in Turkey!

Turkish delight with CEM 2014 emissions monitoring event

The organisers of CEM 2014, the emissions monitoring event that took place in Istanbul during May, have expressed their delight with the feedback that they received following this year’s Conference and Exhibition.

“Increasing awareness of air quality issues coupled with international climate change initiatives have resulted in a growing number of regulations and standards relating to emissions monitoring in a wide variety of industries. As a result, CEM 2014 included speakers from 13 different nations and attracted delegates from 42 countries,” commented CEM organiser Marcus Pattison.
CEM 2014 () was the 11th in a series of international conferences and exhibitions focusing on emissions monitoring, providing visitors with an opportunity to catch up on the latest regulatory requirements and standards, and with the technologies that are being developed to comply with them.

Summarising the reasons for the event’s success, David Graham, a delegate from E.ON (GB), said: “CEM 2014 brought together many different interest groups: manufacturers/exhibitors, users, environmental regulators and researchers. This forum is invaluable for the emissions monitoring community.” 

Olli Antson from the VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland agreed, adding: “It was a good conference with up-to-date information on legislation and standards, and practical information on monitoring.” 

Reijo Tolberg from Eesti Energia AS in Estonia described the event simply as “The best conference in its field.”

The opening presentation and welcome speech was given by Mr Soner Olgun, Head of the Laboratory, Measurement and Monitoring Department at the Turkish Ministry of Environment, and the main conference themes were:

1. Regulation - international and industrial
2. Standards, quality assurance and control
3. Equipment innovation
4. Industrial case studies – monitoring and control

All of the most important pollutants were covered by the presentations which also addressed process and emissions monitoring issues for all types of regulated processes including power stations, steelworks, industrial processes, combined heat and power plants, energy from waste systems and carbon capture.

In addition to participation in the CEM Conference, delegates were also able to browse a major Exhibition that was co-located with the event. The CEM Exhibition featured 52 stands and included almost all of the world’s leading players in the emissions monitoring market including instrumentation manufacturers, analytical service providers, regulators and accreditation organisations. Delegates travelled to Istanbul from around the globe and included official groups from Iran and the Nigerian petrochemical sector.

With such a high level of attendance from global players in the emissions monitoring sector, the exhibitors were naturally very pleased with the event. For example, Andre Dabinet from Horiba Europe said: “CEM 2014 provided an excellent opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with a variety of CEM experts and equipment manufacturers in a stunning location,” while Robert Baxter from B3 Systems (USA) commented: “I have attended 3 CEM conferences and each one outdoes the last; CEM is absolutely one of the best conferences we attend.”

Since the inaugural meeting in 1997, the CEM conferences have been held in the Britain, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Turkey and the next event, CEM 2016 will take place during May in Lisbon, Portugal.

Bridge monitoring for Turkish tunnel!

Sentez, the Turkish distributor of Applied Measurements were asked to design a bespoke bridge monitoring system for Turkey’s new rail tunnel - The Marmaray Project. This 76.3km long tunnel is the deepest immersed tunnel in the World and is regarded as the foremost challenging infrastructure project in Turkey.

Using Applied Measurements’ AML/SGD strain gauge displacement transducers, the tunnel provides a direct link between Halkalı on the European side of Istanbul, with Gebze on the Asian side. This modernised high capacity rail tunnel will carry up to an estimated 65’000 passengers per hour in 2015, increasing to a predicted 75’000 in 2025, saving commuters a 1 hour 15 minutes of travelling time (Figures from The Marmaray Project website passenger demand and planning.)

The Marmaray development team needed to monitor the displacement on the joints within the tunnel. To do this we created a bespoke bridge monitoring system using 3 off 50mmAML/SGD displacement transducers, forming a triaxial measurement of each joint. TheAML/SGD series of displacement transducers utilise strain gauge technology to convert the linear movement of the joints within the tunnel into an analogue electrical signal. TheAML/SGD series of displacement transducers were chosen for their excellent accuracy (0.1%), coupled with their high resolution and long-term stability, making them a perfect transducer for The Marmaray Project.

Applied Measurements’ 50mm higher accuracy AML/SGD linear variable displacement transducers were wired into a custom-made IP68 die cast enclosure. This IP68 enclosure housed 3 off SGA load cell amplifiers, protecting the amplifiers from moisture ingress. This provided the Marmaray team with an amplified signal enabling them to accurately monitor the displacement of the joints within the tunnel. These SGA series of load cell amplifiers are capable of delivering highly stable, high speed, industry standard analogue outputs, such as 0-10Vdc or 4-20mA, from very low-level input signals and are available next day delivery.

"Applied Measurements are proud to have been involved in such an important project for Turkey, said a company spokesperson. We hope to continue to assist with new and existing projects through our new Turkish distributor Sentez."

Istanbul welcomes international emissions monitoring event!

CEM 2014 is the 11th in a series of international conferences and exhibitions focusing on emissions monitoring. Taking place at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel in Turkey from 14th to 16th May, CEM 2014 provides an international focus for anyone involved with emissions to air, and registration is now open.

The CEM Conference will feature speakers from 13 different countries covering a wide variety of subjects within the event’s emissions monitoring theme.

The opening presentation and welcome speech will be given by Mr Soner Olgun, Head of the Laboratory, Measurement and Monitoring Department at the Turkish Ministry of Environment. The Conference will address all of the most topical issues relating to emissions monitoring and will contain four main themes:

1. Regulation - international and industrial
2. Standards, quality assurance and control
3. Equipment innovation
4. Case studies

All of the most important pollutants will be covered by the presentations which will also address process and emissions monitoring issues for all types of regulated processes including power stations, steelworks, industrial processes, combined heat and power plants, energy from waste systems and carbon capture. For example, one of the speakers will describe the application of FTIR monitoring technology to emissions from Germany’s vast biogas industry.

The CEM Exhibition is 15% larger than the previous event and registered Conference delegates are able to visit the Exhibition without further charge,

Speakers announced for international emissions conference.

The organisers of CEM 2014 have published the titles of the Conference presentations that will take place from 14th to 16th May in Istanbul, Turkey. The selected presentations will be given by speakers from 13 different countries covering a wide variety of subjects within the event’s emissions monitoring theme.

The control of emissions to air can only be effective when accurate, reliable monitoring systems are in place. The Conference will therefore address all of the most topical issues relating to emissions monitoring and will contain four main themes:

1. Regulation - international and industrial
2. Standards, quality assurance and control
3. Equipment innovation
4. Case studies

Within these themes there will be presentations covering the latest regulatory changes in both Europe and the USA, in addition to a range of papers that will provide an update on relevant standards such as Quality Assurance EN14181. In addition to standards relating to industrial emissions, there will also be a paper on particulate emissions from residential heating appliances and boilers burning solid fuels.

All of the most important pollutants will be covered by the presentations, but there will be specific papers on mercury, particulates, VOCs, ammonia, dioxins, furans, formaldehyde, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

The presentations will address process and emissions monitoring issues for all types of regulated processes including power stations, steelworks, industrial processes, biogas plants, combined heat and power plants, energy from waste systems and carbon capture.

Flowmeters aid shampoo products!

Coriolis flowmeters provide high accuracy results under vacuum conditions in challenging two-phase flow (entrained gas) applications 

Unilever has installed six Micro Motion® ELITE® and F-Series Coriolis flowmeters from Emerson Process Management to measure the mass flow of silicone feedstock used to manufacture shampoo products. The flowmeters’ highly accurate mass flow measurements have improved product quality and reduced production time by 10–15 per cent at the Unilever facility in Gebze, Turkey - one of the world’s largest manufacturing plants for detergent, household and personal care products.

A new automatic silicone mixer line for shampoo products is part of a major investment programme by Unilever to meet increased demand for these products, including its Clear®, Clear Cosmo, Dove® and Elidor® brands. The accuracy of the blending process on the mixer line is critically important to the quality of the final products, but after the new mixing line was started, Unilever discovered that the original Coriolis flowmeters (which were not Emerson products) were unable to measure feedstock flow because of entrained gas in the silicone.

To ensure production could continue with the best product quality, Unilever decided to use a process of weigh scales and load cells to replace the unsuccessful flow measurement system. However, the resulting handling, transport and storage of over 7000 barrels of silicone per year increased production time, operating costs, and health and safety risks. Wastage increased because 1–2 per cent of the silicone was left in the empty barrels. The equipment used to handle the barrels also increased plant energy usage and costs. Most importantly, the silicone measurement accuracy from the weigh scales was lower than expected and not sufficient to meet Unilever’s exacting quality standards.

To eliminate the weighing process, Unilever required a highly accurate measurement system based on mass flow. However, the presence of entrained gas in the silicone feedstock used in the blending process made this a challenging application - as demonstrated by the failure of the previous Coriolis meters. This challenge was compounded by the need to operate at a vacuum of -700 mbarg, to help separate bubbles from the silicone and improve the quality of mixing. Unilever evaluated several types of Coriolis flowmeters supplied by various vendors, but the tests were unsuccessful under these extreme operating conditions.

To address these issues, Emerson worked with Unilever to investigate how Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis flowmeters, which were not included in the previous evaluation, would perform in the same conditions. Emerson’s Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis flowmeters feature low-frequency flow sensors that increase flow accuracy in the presence of two-phase flow. MVD (multivariable digital) technology considerably improves the accuracy and stability of the Coriolis signals from the flow sensor. Enhanced signal processing, as well as sensor stability and design, ensures accurate measurements even under entrained gas conditions. Extensive onsite tests proved the performance of the Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis flowmeter.

"Our tests concluded that Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis flowmeters are the only meters that can successfully measure silicone feedstock flow with high density bubbles," said Atilla Bozkaya, Unilever project control and system design engineer. "The meters maintained measurement accuracy despite operating in the -700 mbarg vacuum needed in this application."

Installing the Micro Motion flowmeters enabled Unilever to eliminate the process of weigh scales and load cells, reducing operating costs by 17 per cent. In addition, the reduced handling of the silicone feedstock has reduced health and safety issues and minimized the risk of accidental spills that could damage the environment.

Based on the performance of Emerson’s Coriolis flowmeters, Unilever installed an additional 12 Micro Motion ELITE and F-Series Coriolis flowmeters at Gebze when the capacity of the line was increased with two more mixers. Unilever is also expanding the use of Micro Motion products to other similar harsh applications and locations. For example, a Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis flowmeter was recently installed at a Unilever plant in Nigeria to measure detergent slurry.

Tank Blanketing!

Seminars help users reduce operating costs, enhance safety and comply with clean-air regulations

Tank University seminars provide a unique opportunity for participants to learn and share their tank blanketing knowledge and experiences with other users

Programme venues and dates

Gdansk, Poland – 16 October

Leuna, Germany – 17 October

Milano area, Italy – 18 October

Ploiesti, Romania – 22 October

Cartagena, Spain – 24 October

Lyon, France – 25 October

Budapest, Hungary – 29 October

Istanbul area, Turkey – 31 October

Emerson Process Management will hold a series of Tank University seminars from October 16th to October 31st at eight strategic locations across Europe. Tailored to the needs and interests of operators and installers of tank blanketing systems, the Tank Blanketing seminars will help users understand how to reduce operating costs, enhance safety and comply with clean-air regulations.

The seminars will be in English and will show how users can take advantage of Emerson’s technologies to solve tank blanketing problems. Topics include instability and accuracy, nitrogen cost, environmental compliance and product quality. The interactive content includes presentations, sizing exercises, workshops and a hands-on demonstration unit.

Open forum discussions will provide a unique opportunity for participants to speak with Emerson’s tank blanketing specialists about the challenges they are facing. Emerson’s panel of experts will use their extensive product knowledge and industry experience to suggest cost-effective solutions.

The full day’s programme runs from 8.30am to 5.00pm and includes a buffet lunch.

Middle east expansion

Company seeks new partners to support demand for GPC

PPCL, formerly, Curvaceous Software Limited, the award-winning British company, is seeking new partners in the Middle East to support demand for its Geometric Process Control (GPC) technology product, CVE 2.5, and the no-maths model-building capabilities of its process modeller (CPM) and Response Surface Visualisation (CRSV) products.

Following the company’s expansion into North America and The Republic of China the Middle East is its next target. The company will have an active presence at two large events in the region later this year: the 2nd Annual World Refining Technology Summit & Exhibition (1st - 2nd November 2010 Abu Dhabi UAE); and the 15th Annual ERTC Meeting (29th November – 2nd December 2010 Istanbul TK).

Robin Brooks, Managing Director of PPCL says: “We’re seeing new markets for our unique product suite develop and are extending our focus into the Middle East. We are working to further extend our partner programme in 2010 and welcome approaches from experienced salespeople who can add to our offer, particularly in the petrochemical, oil, gas and batch chemicals markets.”