The Hidden Pressure Hazard of a Sunny Day

"It's just a section of pipe filled with liquid... What could possibly go wrong?" More than you might think. In the process industry, we devote a great deal of attention to high pressures. Compressors, reactors, pumps—everything is carefully designed to withstand the expected operating conditions. But sometimes, the biggest source of pressure isn't a pump at all. Sometimes it's simply.. ... Read more

Overfilling Incident. And everyone was right. (Sort of.)

My experience as a process engineer/production engineer on the plant floor, close to operations, is not only dynamic but also incredibly valuable. It shapes you, makes you stronger, and sometimes even changes you as a person. You grow not only as an engineer but also as an individual. And trust me, when something happens, everyone has a different version of the story. Once, I had to conduct a RCA for a ... Read more

The level meters that *did* work. Until they stopped working.

It worked. For months. The radar delivered stable measurements, no strange spikes, no dropouts. During the design and commissioning phase, everything seemed right. The sensor type was selected according to the datasheet, process conditions were within specification, and installation followed the manufacturer's guidelines. Box checked. Then, little by little, it became less reliable. Unexplained jumps. Values that were just slightly off. And that nagging feeling that this wasn't simply a settings issue. And Read more