New Products & Services
October 2020
Aspen Technology
AspenONE V12, the newest release of the leading asset-optimization software platform, embeds artificial intelligence (AI) across the portfolio, and uses the cloud for delivery of enterprise-wide analytics and insights for increased safety, sustainability, and improved margins. AspenONE's Hybrid Models bring together the company's process models and machine-learning capabilities to move forward advancement in process engineering and plant improvement. AspenONE V12 solutions feature what is said to be the first industrial-AI hybrid-model capability that is purpose-built for the process industries and other capital-intensive industries. These models capture data from assets across the enterprise, and then apply AI, engineering first principles and AspenTech’s domain expertise to deliver comprehensive, more accurate models at enterprise speed and scale. Furthermore, the release enables users to apply AI to critical processes without additional data science expertise and offers support for new users without deep process knowledge or experience. New features of aspenONE V12 include: Maestro (photo), a new capability for Aspen mTell that automates the development of models faster by guiding a less experienced user on how to build a particular model or agent; Deep-Learning IQ, which enables the building of more accurate models and predictions; Event Analytics, which provides rapid insight into production events; Cloud Connect, which provides flexible connectivity with high performance and security to transfer data from edge to cloud; Capital Cost Estimator Insights (ACCE), which provides visualization and collaborative workflow within a hybrid cloud environment; and much more. — Aspen Technology, Inc., Bedford, Mass.
MetalSCAN 4110 (photo) is a condition-monitoring technology designed to detect and monitor the progression of component damage, including severity and remaining life indication, for bearings and gears in high-temperature, severe industrial and hazardous environments. The rugged MetalSCAN 4110 effectively detects Fe and non-Fe (NFE) metal particles to provide equipment operators and maintenance professionals early reliable detection of component damage. The included MetalSCAN Monitor Software continuously records and displays component damage data and annunciates warnings and alarms when debris accumulation exceeds defined limits. — Gastops, Ottawa, Ont., Canada
AperCal is a new calibration rig for this company’s clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters (photo). This new offering enables flowmeter users to conduct autonomous calibrations at their own sites. Typically, calibration consists of a comparison of the device under test with a reference instrument on a wet-flow calibration rig. However, the flow profile in every flow rig is influenced by pipe characteristics and installation conditions, leading to uncertainty. The patented, traceable aperture-calibration method eliminates uncertainties by defining the calibration process on the basics of clamp-on ultrasonic flow measurement according to the transit-time principle. AperCal produces the same effect, without flow, through defined displacement of the transducers. This reduces the calibration procedure to the measurement of length and time, both of which can be performed with high levels of precision. — Flexim GmbH, Berlin, Germany
The Philadelphia Wellington heavy-duty workboot (photo) is built to withstand tough work environments, while also keeping feet comfortable. The Philadelphia Wellington features a full-grain, waterproof leather to help resist the damaging effects of many chemicals, including oleic acid, urea, sodium chloride, ammonium hydroxide and more. The boots are designed with left and right asymmetrical, non-metallic carbon-fiber toes, which are said to be 15% lighter than steel. The outer sole is oil- and slip-resistant, and it also heat-resistant up to 300°C (572°F). Furthermore, electrical-hazard- or electric-shock-resistant footwear provides a secondary source of protection in case the user accidentally comes into contact with live electrical circuits. The boots are also equipped with a polyurethane midsole and are lined with a moisture-wicking mesh textile. — Keen Utility, Portland, Ore.
Sar-Gel Blue (photo) is a new nontoxic water-finding paste. It provides a reliable way to detect phase-separated water in fuel or equipment tanks containing gasoline, gasoline/ethanol blends (up to 15% ethanol), diesel, jet fuel, fuel oil, biodiesel and other water-incompatible solvents. The presence of water at the bottom of a fuel or equipment tank can contaminate product added into the tank and damage the vessel itself. Users spread a small amount of the paste on the end of a gauge stick and insert the stick into the tank for the recommended amount of time. When it detects water, Sar-Gel Blue paste will change from orange to dark blue. The high-contrast color change provides visibility in poor lighting situations. The new formula will not run or fade, so it is easy to see the water line. — Sartomer, a business line of Arkema, Colombes, France
The N.Mac twin-shaft grinder is now available in expanded sizes (photo) for flowrates up to 400 m³/h. The N.Mac is designed for breaking down a variety of different materials and is ideal for wastewater treatment, biogas and biomass plants, food processing and many other waste-handling and industrial applications. The N.Mac can be installed upstream of a pump (inline version) or above the feeding screw of a hopper pump (channel version) or in any effluent channel. The inline version of the N.Mac is available in three sizes and can handle a maximum flowrate of up to 350 m³/h. The channel version of this grinder is available in four sizes, designed for a maximum flowrate of up to 400 m³/h. For applications with even higher flowrates, several grinders can be run in parallel, additionally allowing parts of the system to be serviced during operation. Installation of several grinders in sequence allows a gradual reduction of the particle size. The N.Mac is equipped with flushed and lubricated mechanical seals for dry-running capability. — Netzsch Pumpen & Systeme GmbH, Waldkraiburg, Germany
With the IE/PB Link HA gateway (photo), highly redundant infrastructures can be implemented based on the open Profinet Industrial Ethernet standard. This ensures uninterrupted system operation because changes can be made to the configuration during ongoing operation. In addition, the gateway is suitable for use in harsh ambient conditions and temperatures from –40 to 70°C. The IE/PB Link HA enables the connection of Profibus (standard for fieldbus communication) field devices to a redundant controller, such as the CPU 410-5H (central processing unit). The CPU as Profinet IO controller treats the connected Profibus DP (Decentralized Peripheral) slaves as field devices with Profinet interface. The IE/PB Link HA is therefore their proxy. Through the use of the IE/PB Link HA as a Profinet S2 device including Configuration in Run (H-CiR), Profibus DP slaves can be connected to a Simatic S7-400H controller — both via an MRP ring and via redundant Profinet infrastructures (R1). — Siemens AG, Munich, Germany
The Vibroport 8000 (VP-8000) portable vibration analyzer (photo) for rotating and reciprocating equipment is a specially configured and packaged version of this company’s VC-8000 machinery protection system. The VP-8000 features the same universal measurement modules and design as the VC-8000, but is optimized for portable dynamic-data collection and diagnostics. It is useful for verifying the condition of machines after a turnaround and those repaired prior to service startup. It is also used for steady-state and transient condition monitoring (for example, during a run up and coast down) for observation and trending of machines following a process event, such as operational changes or machine fault detection. The VP-8000 can also be used as a mobile platform for monitoring a number of machines within the plant that are not instrumented or that only have protection systems. — Brüel & Kjær Vibro GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
In plants where extensive piping, decentrally placed reactors and transport equipment or remote loading and unloading stations require guard tours by specially trained staff, adequate surveillance can present major cost factors. This company’s IP-based camera systems (photo) are an economical alternative for safely identifying potential hazards and reducing personnel costs. The manufacturer also offers a service package that includes user-specific planning, project engineering, configuration and commissioning of the closed-caption television (CCTV) systems, as well as corresponding training. Solutions for the surveillance of extensive areas are based on a combination of fixed cameras with series EC 94x PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) remote pan and tilt cameras with optical zoom. Certified according to ATEX, IECEx, NEC, CEC and EAC for hazardous Zones 1, 2, 21, 22, the cameras provide detailed images even in difficult light thanks to full HD resolution and low-light technology. — R. Stahl, Waldenburg, Germany
This company has introduced a new series of clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters (photo) that fasten on the outside of vertical or horizontal pipes ranging in size from½ through 48 in. Housed in a water- and dust-tight NEMA 4X polycarbonate enclosure, these flowmeters are compatible with a range of metal and plastic pipe materials, as well as challenging flow media, such as viscous chemicals and abrasive materials that would damage standard flowmeters. The non-intrusive ultrasonic sensors feature enhanced flow measurement with no pressure drop, and can transmit flow readings to remote displays, recorders or controllers. The programmable relays are useable for flow control, pump protection or flow proportional pulse. A built-in keypad and menu system simplify calibration and programming of pipe diameter, pipe material, liquid types and measurement units. Users can choose to display and totalize flow readings in preferred volumetric engineering units, including gallons and liters. — AW-Lake, Oak Creek, Wisc.
Farleygreene’s Sievmaster Easilift sack-tip station, which is distributed in the U.K. and Ireland by this company, is a sack-tip station that is used widely throughout the processing industries. Now, with the launch of its Localized Dust Extraction System (LDEE, photo) Farleygreene has further improved the system. The LDEE system consists of an ATEX 22 rated electric fan that is coupled to a large, horizontal HEPA (high-efficiency particulate-air) filter, which is built into the back of the sack-tip hood. Dust is sucked away from the operator and into the filter while a removable baffle plate directs the flow of dust up into the filter. The fan and filter operation point has been finely tuned to balance both energy efficiency and extraction rates. The system has been shown to trap 99.9902% of dust down to a particle size of 0.2µm. — Genesis Process Solutions Ltd., Sandbach, U.K.
Bearing, Plate, Engine, Equipment, Machine Part
This company has upgraded its Thermec range of enhanced polymers, with the introduction of a cost-efficient product based on polyether ether ketone (PEEK), blended with a solid polymeric lubricant. The new material has been specially developed to replace polyamide-imides (PAI), without impacting performance. Thermec K is an experimental product that has been developed at this company’s laboratory in Mumbai, India, a major market for friction- and wear-resistant materials (photo). The material is suitable for numerous industrial applications, including bushings and bearings, aerospace parts, pump and valve components, medical instrument parts and food-processing-machinery components. In addition to having tribological properties comparable to PAI, Thermec K can be processed using a standard injection-molding procedure. — DOMO Chemicals GmbH, Leuna, Germany
The Transic100LP oxygen transmitter uses tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TLDS) for repeatable and drift-free measurements, independent of process or sample gas flow, temperature and pressure. The device has no moving parts, and its optical components demonstrate durability, even when faced with liquid or dust incursions. The Transic100LP oxygen analyzer can be installed as a standalone in-situ analyzer, or as part of a close-coupled extractive measurement system. In-situ installations provide rapid response times and require no sample extraction or transport components for greater simplicity. Designed for in-process measurement, the optical probe is made of stainless steel with magnesium fluoride and quartz lenses for long-term durability. — SICK Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.
Musculoskeletal disorders are a common occupational disease in the E.U. and North America and are one of the most common causes for long-term absence from work. Wearables — clothing enhanced through technology — offer an approach for reducing these injuries. Ironhand (photo), developed by the Swedish company Bioservo Technologies, is a soft robotic glove that strengthens the human grip with help of this company’s patented SEM technology. The gripping force support of the individual fingers is made possible with this company's drives. The glove is available in four different sizes and can be worn by left- and right-handed users. The battery pack, which is worn like a backpack, contains both a computer unit, as well as the motors that control the individual fingers. Users can preset various profiles that contain different combinations of sensor sensitivity, force, finger symmetry and locking tendency. To control the individual fingers, d.c.-micromotors with graphite commutation of the 1741 CXR series in the Ironhand is used. — Faulhaber Micromo LLC, Clearwater, Fla.
When it comes to developing defoamers (photo) for paints and coatings, the general rule is that the stronger the defoaming strength, the higher the incompatibility. The Coatings and Additive business of this company has developed a novel defoamer, TEGO Foamex 852, that provides a combination of both effectiveness and compatibility. This new, patent-pending technology offers formulators a new level of freedom. The new defoamer was specifically developed for printing ink application, and can be used to successfully meet Swiss A, FDA and China GB guidelines. TEGO Foamex 852 is a siloxane-based defoamer for waterborne formulations, is 100 % active and thereby also solvent-free. Further product benefits include: excellent shear stability and long-term effectiveness, which is particularly relevant for long print runs or if the printing ink must be stored for long periods. — Evonik Industries AG, Essen, Germany
The newest addition to this company’s X-Flow line of membrane elements, the X-Flow XF75 ultrafiltration (UF) element (photo), can be implemented into both new and existing water-treatment projects. Although the outer dimensions are the same as those of existing X-Flow membrane elements with membrane areas of 55 and 64 m2, this company has redesigned the internal workings and used modified materials to create extra membrane surface area. This latest update provides key advantages in terms of surface area in relation to element size. By maintaining the existing element outer dimensions and increasing the total surface area to 75 m2, users can take advantage of more membrane surface area per unit of weight or volume than the average of similar UF technologies available today, says the company. — Pentair plc, London, U.K.
This company has introduced three new models to its Laboport series of laboratory pumps — the N 96, N 820 G and N 840 G (photo). These new diaphragm pumps expand upon the Laboport pump design with oil-free, non-contaminating, chemically resistant construction, as well as speed-controlled d.c. motors for greater versatility. N 820 G and N 840 G models include an integrated gas-ballast valve to facilitate short process times, even for high-boiling solvents. The smooth, rounded surfaces of all three pumps enable thorough cleaning. Compared to similar pumps, these new models are said to offer a 10–20% footprint reduction to and a 5–30% weight reduction for improved portability. The two larger pumps are expandable into custom vacuum systems by connecting an optional separator or condenser module. Maximum flowrates for the new series range from 7–34 L/min. Applications include rotary evaporation, degassing, filtration, fluid aspiration, gel drying, centrifugal concentration, vacuum ovens and more. — KNF Neuberger, Inc., Trenton, N.J.