Process Equipment Update


Combining mechanical interlocks with process safety sensors


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n the process industry, mechanical interlocks guarantee strict adherence to procedures and help avoid human error. They are useful for highly dangerous operations such as pigging and valve changeover procedures. While interlocks ensure extremely high safety levels, they usually function as stand-


alone safety systems. New digital technologies are now emerging that enable traditional interlocking to be combined with digital process control and instrumentation systems. Smith Flow Control is the first company to combine these technologies in SmartTrap+, which incorporates signals from sensors into the interlocking sequence. During a pigging operation certain safety conditions need to be met: the vessel pressure should be at a safe level and all dangerous gases and residue must be removed before opening the pig door. Mechanical


Eliminating costly downtime


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ignificant time and cost savings are now being realised by


Elfab customers through the use its low-cost, portable, ATEX-approved Test-Tel tool. Offering a simple and cost- effective means of checking the status of both the rupture disc and the associated burst detection system, this part of the maintenance schedule can be completed without having to shut down the entire process. ●


For more information, visit www.elfab.com


interlocking guarantees that all required valve operations are performed, but cannot guarantee the outcomes of these operations.


By incorporating signals from other field devices, the SmartTrap+ ensures interlock keys can only be released if particular process conditions have been met. SmartTrap+ incorporates permissive signals and a door lock proximity switch (4-20mA) as standard. The signals can include (but are not limited to) pressure detection, gas detection, flow/ level and pig detection. ●


For more information, visit www.smithflowcontrol.com


Scale-up for process engineering U


nistat temperature control systems are tailored to applications in process engineering. They perform accurate temperature control for very small batches or for production volumes in a range of -125°C to +425°C. Unistat allows consistent scale-up in research, kilo-lab, miniplant, technology centre and in production. Choose from more than 60 models and 200 variants with cooling powers of 0.7 to 130kW. Furthermore, Unistats may be combined with vapour or cooling brine circuits; this makes them suitable for production volumes beyond the 10 m³ class.


When requirements increase, the can easily be adapted, while their mode of operation and general functionality remain the same. ●


For more information, visit www.huber-online.com


www.engineerlive.com 11


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