Floating plastic waste can be recovered cost-effectively and valorised if the recovery can take place before the waste reaches the sea. A research project led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd examines how plastic waste ending up in rivers can be taken out and recycled profitably. Jakarta, Indonesia is the testing ground.

Emerson has announced that it is adding the MyAssets toolset to its MyEmerson personalised digital experience to help users execute their maintenance plan more effectively. As part of the digital tools portfolio launched last year to improve productivity and collaboration, MyAssets provides instant access to device documentation, replacements, spares, and walkdown reports to help plant personnel better maintain and manage the useful life of their Emerson devices.

For many years, we have seen the evolution of technology and the acceleration of digital hybrid technologies.  What is industry 4.0 and how will it affect our factories in the short term?  

Emerson has introduced two new compressed air dryers designed to significantly extend maintenance intervals, minimize downtime and reduce energy costs in rail applications, including brakes and door control. Typically, air dryers have an average service interval of fewer than two years. The AVENTICSTM RDD (Roll-Up Desiccant Drying) and RDDmin air dryers have a service interval of eight years or 25,000 operating hours. 

ODVA  announced that it has entered into separate agreements to further integrate FDT and FDI technologies into EtherNet/IP™. Additional device description work on the next generation xDS™ for CIP™ devices also continues to move forward. 

Thirty-five years after the Russian cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya was the first woman to take a spacewalk, a new historical event took place above our heads on 18 October 2019. Two Nasa astronauts took the first all-female spacewalk. It was not just for fun, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir were responsible for replacing defective equipment from the International Space Station (ISS), and in that way also formed the first female maintenance team in the space.

Euromaintenance 2016 will take place in Athens at the end of May. It is the ideal moment to reflect on maintenance in a European context. Euromaintenance is known as the summit for all involved in maintenance across Europe, it’s the place to be. The conference, with the support of the EFNMS, is the only commercially independent conference covering the topics we deal with in the maintenance world.