Automation is one of the major reasons for increased productivity. It helps companies avoid the need for, or limit the repercussions of, heavy physical work in production processes in various industries including foodstuffs, pharmaceutical, plastics and chemicals sectors. Here’s a look at current automation innovations that can streamline existing processes.

Praj Industries, the global process engineering and solutions provider for bioethanol, alcohol & brewery, water & wastewater and process equipment has launched a training program for the brewery industry professionals in association with Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD) to offer ‘Diploma in Brewing–Module 1 Training 2015’.

BPCL has entrusted Essar Projects, a subsidiary of India's Essar Group, with a US $ 109 million engineering contract for its Kochi Refinery. The contract is the second collaboration of the two partners in 2013...

Water, water, everywhere - Nor any drop to drink: The Nemmeli sea water desalination plant in Tamilnadu uses reverse osmosis membranes to process sea water into drinkable water. It is also the first desalination plant to use electric actuators in redundant line topology for the automation of valves. Here’s a look at how highend technology was combined to build India’s largest seawater desalination plant...

Clariant has signed two key agreements with Sinopec in Beijing. In the first agreement, Sinopec licenses its FCAS series of S-Zorb sorbent to Clariant. The second agreement is the FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) Agency Agreement between Sinopec Catalyst Company (SCC) and Clariant Qatar W.L.L. stating that Clariant Qatar W.L.L. will be the representative for Sinopec’s FCC catalysts to oil refineries in Qatar.

Air Products announced an agreement to acquire Shell’s Coal Gasification Technology business as well as the patent portfolio for Liquids (Residue) Gasification.

The Danish Pharmaceutical Group Novo Nordisk has chosen Bürkert, to equip its latest production line for the formulation of insulin vials at its site in Chartres (Eure-et-Loir), France. A technical solution supported by Bürkert allows the pharmaceutical leader to simplify their processes and increase productivity. Learn about the details ...

A major plant expansion by Eastman Chemical Co. that will double the European production capacity for its Therminol-branded heat-transfer fluids is approaching completion in Newport, Wales, United Kingdom.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) provides an interim update on the chemical industry amidst the global pandemic of Covid-19. ACC forecasts that U.S. chemical volumes are expected to fall 3.3 % in 2020 before rising 5.2 % in 2021. Also, global GDP is expected to contract by 2.5 % in 2020 before rebounding 6.0 % in 2021.

To update their fertilizer production in Alexandria, Egypt, the Abu Qir Fertilizers and Chemical Industries Company (AFC) assigned the revamping of their existing plants to Uhde Services. In cooperation with Honeywell Process Solutions as supplier for control systems and physical-layer-specialist Turck, Uhde Services converted the complex to Foundation Fieldbus, including detailed diagnostic functions for a comprehensive asset management system.