The Future of Chemical Engineering in the Global Market Context

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Future of Chemical Engineering in the Global Market Context J.-C. CHARPENTIER: The Future of Chemical Engineering, Kem. Ind. 52 (9) 397–419 (2003) 397 KUI 21/2003 The Future of Chemical Engineering Received April 25, 2003 in the Global Market Context: Accepted June 3, 2003 Market Demands versus Technology Offers J.-C. Charpentier President of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering Department of Chemical Engineering/CNRS, Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Physique Electronique de Lyon BP 2077 – 69616 Villeurbanne cedex (France), Tel. 33 4 72 43 17 02 – Fax 33 4 72 43 16 70 – Email: [email protected] In today’s economy, Chemical Engineering must respond to the changing needs of the chemical process industry in order to meet market demands. The evolution of chemical engineering is ne- cessary to remain competitive in global trade. The ability of chemical engineering to cope with scientific and technological problems is addressed in this paper. Chemical Engineering is vital for sustainability: to satisfy, both, the market requirements for specific end-use properties of products and the social and environmental constraints of industrial-scale processes. A multidisciplinary, multiscale approach to chemical engineering is evolving due to breakthroughs in molecular mo- delling, scientific instrumentation and related signal processing and powerful computational tools. The future of chemical engineering can be summarized by four main objectives: (1) Increase pro- ductivity and selectivity through intensification of intelligent operations and a multiscale approach to process control; (2) Novel design equipment based on scientific principles and new production methods: process intensification; (3) Extended chemical engineering methodology to product de- sign and product focussed processing using the 3P Engineering “molecular Processes-Product-Pro- cess” approach; (4) Implemented multiscale application of computational chemical engineering modelling and simulation to real-life situations from the molecular scale to the production scale. Keywords: Future of chemical engineering, sustainability and chemical engineering, multidiscipli- nary and multiscale approach, product-oriented processing, the triplet “molecular Processes-Product-Process Engineering”, end-use property, soft solids, complex fluids, molecular modelling, process intensification. Introduction culture and food, environment, textile, iron and steel, bitu- minous,building materials, glass, surfactants, cosmetics and In the new consumer-based global economy, new needs perfume, and electronics, are evolving considerably at the and challenges arise. The key to survival for chemical engi- beginning of this new century, due to unprecedented mar- neering is the ability to cope with societal and economical ket demands and constraints, stemming from public con- problems encountered by the chemical process industry.1,2 cern over environmental and safety issues. This report highlights some of the challenges faced by che- mists and the awaiting chemical process industry in terms Chemical knowledge is also growing rapidly, and the rate of market demand and sustainability. The new multi-disci- of discovery is increasing every day, shown in Figure 1. plinary and multiscale approach to chemical engineering Over fourteen million different molecular compounds ha- and the necessary tools to ensure the success of this inte- ve been synthesized and about one hundred thousand can grated approach will also be presented. We propose that be found on the market. Only a small fraction of them are future research in chemical engineering is heading in four found in nature. Most of them are and will be deliberately directions: tailoring materials with controlled structures, conceived, designed, synthesized and manufactured to process intensification, product oriented engineering, and meet a human need, to test an idea or to satisfy our quest multiscale simulation and modelling from the molecular of knowledge. The development of combinatory chemical scale to the product scale. synthesis is a current example. Chemistry already plays an essential role in our attempt to feed the world’s population, to tap new sources of energy, Chemical and related industries are to clothe and house humankind, to improve health and at the heart of a great number of scientific eliminate sickness, to provide substitutes for rare raw ma- and technological challenges to be taken terials, to design necessary materials for new information and communication technologies, and to monitor and pro- up by chemical engineering tect our environment. Chemical and related industries, including process indu- Thus, the challenges faced by chemical and related indu- stries such as petroleum, pharmaceutical and health, agri- stries and the specific business of chemists is to imagine re- 398 J.-C. CHARPENTIER: The Future of Chemical Engineering, Kem. Ind. 52 (9) 397–419 (2003) process itself will be sought. Innovative processes for the production of commodity and intermediate products such as sulfuric acid, ammonia, calcium carbonate, ethylene, methanol, where patents usually do not concern the pro- ducts but the processes, need to be researched. Economic constraints will no longer be defined as: sale pri- ce minus capital cost plus operating costs plus raw material and energy costs. The problem will become more complex as other factors such as safety, health, environmental aspects, including non-polluting technologies, reduction of raw material and energy losses and product/by-product recyclability, are considered. Indeed, the customer will buy a process that is non polluting, is defect-free, and per- fectly safe. 2) Progression from traditional intermediate chemistry to new specialities, active material chemistry and related in- dustries involves the chemistry/biology interface of agricul- Fig. 1 – Chemical knowledge is growing rapidly ture, food and health industries. Similarly, it involves up- Slika 1 – Znanje iz kemije naglo raste grading and conversion of petroleum feedstocks and inter- mediates, conversion of coal-derived chemicals or synthe- sis gas into fuels, hydrocarbons or oxygenates. actions that will convert the chemical substances we find around us into substances or products that meet the con- This progression is driven by the new market objectives, sumer’s needs. Modern chemistry has evolved to meet where sales and competitiveness are dominated by the these new needs, such that the new keywords associated end-use properties of a product as well as its quality. The with it are: life sciences, information and communica- quality of a product is a function of its properties: size, sha- tion sciences, and instrumentation in the 21th century. pe, colour, esthetics, chemical and biological stability, de- gradability, therapeutic activity, solubility, mechanical, rhe- ological, electrical, thermal, optical, magnetic characteri- What do we expect from chemical and stics for solids and solid particles, touch, handling, cohe- sion, friability, rugosity, taste, succulence, and sensory pro- process engineering? perties etc. There are two demands associated with the previous chal- Control of the end-use property, expertise in the design of lenges to assure competitiveness, employement and sustai- the process, continual adjustments to meet changing de- nability in the process industry: mands, and speed in reacting to market conditions will be the dominant elements. Indeed for these new specialities What products and processes will be competitive in the and active materials the client will buy the product that is new global economy, where the keywords are globaliza- the most efficient and the first on the market, thus tion, technology, partnership and innovation (innovation strengthening the existing competition between the deve- means discovery + development)? The speed of product loped country producers. innovation is accelerating. For example, in the fast moving consumer goods business, to which the majority of the fo- In the framework of sustainability, these are examples of od businesses belong, product development time has de- current problems and challenges faced by chemical and creased from 10 years in 1970, to an estimated 2–3 years 3 process engineering specialists in the chemical industry. in the year 2000. This means that it is increasingly difficult What are the implications for chemical engineering? to be the first on the market with an innovative product. Thus, speeding up the product/process development cycle is of paramount importance. The chemical and process engineering The response to the evolution of market demands invol- approach in 2003 ves a double challenge: developing countries have low la- bour costs and less constraining local production regula- tions. Industrialized countries, on the other hand, have ra- The previous demands were satisfied by transforming ma- pid development in consumer demand, and more regula- terial and energy to create new industrial processes with tory constraints stemming from public and media concerns nearly zero pollution, zero defects and complete safety. over environmental and safety issues. The current chemical engineering approach accounts for new or emerging technologies such as biotechnology, mi- To respond to these demands, the following challenges will croelectronics and microoptoelectronics, biomedical, na- be faced by the chemical engineering industry: notechnologies, and new polymer, ceramic and composite materials and simultaneously remains competitive in tradi- 1) Processes will no longer be selected on a basis of econo- tional technologies
Recommended publications
  • China's Progress in Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment
    MARCH 2021 China’s Progress in Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Accelerants and Policy Implications CSET Policy Brief AUTHORS Will Hunt Saif M. Khan Dahlia Peterson Executive Summary China has a chip problem. It depends entirely on the United States and U.S. allies for access to advanced commercial semiconductors, which underpin all modern technologies, from smartphones to fighter jets to artificial intelligence. China’s current chip dependence allows the United States and its allies to control the export of advanced chips to Chinese state and private actors whose activities threaten human rights and international security. Chip dependence is also expensive: China currently depends on imports for most of the chips it consumes. China has therefore prioritized indigenizing advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME), which chip factories require to make leading-edge chips. But indigenizing advanced SME will be hard since Chinese firms have serious weaknesses in almost all SME sub-sectors, especially photolithography, metrology, and inspection. Meanwhile, the top global SME firms—based in the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands—enjoy wide moats of intellectual property and world- class teams of engineers, making it exceptionally difficult for newcomers to the SME industry to catch up to the leading edge. But for a country with China’s resources and political will, catching up in SME is not impossible. Whether China manages to close this gap will depend on its access to five technological accelerants: 1. Equipment components. Building advanced SME often requires access to a range of complex components, which SME firms often buy from third party suppliers and then assemble into finished SME.
    [Show full text]
  • The World's Largest Optical Networking and Communications Event
    EXHIBITOR PROSPECTUS The world’s largest optical networking and communications event. of the OFC 2017 exhibit hall is SIGN UP NOW! EXHIBITION: 21-23 March 2017 LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER CALIFORNIA, USA Sponsored by: OFCconference.org OFC 2017 EXHIBIT SPACE IS 96% JOIN 600+ EXHIBITORS AND SOLD OUT—SECURE YOURS TODAY. 13,000 BUYERS AT THE INDUSTRY’S LARGEST EXHIBITION. of exhibit attendees spent 99% of attendees visited the exhibits 32% 10+ hours on the show floor of all attendees have a role 72 countries represented in buying decisions. OFC attendees 13,000 are C-Level ATTENDEES of OFC 96% attendees come exhibitor satisfaction rate with from outside of 41.5 leads per exhibitor. the US OFC is the world’s largest from optical components and devices Exhibiting at OFC grows your A large and dynamic market. Capital and most prestigious to systems, test equipment, software business. expenditures among network event dedicated to and specialty fiber—OFC is where your operators will be nearly $180 billion optical networking and customers and prospects come to make With a solid and expanding base of in 2016, according to market research communications. their purchasing plans. 13,000 attendees from all sectors firm LightCounting. A strong growth of the market—from data center segment is in expansion of data Exhibit at OFC 2017 and be part OFC is Your BEST Opportunity to: end users and service providers and centers, with Google spending $10 of the ONE EVENT that defines carriers, to systems and component billion alone, and over $3 billion in • Connect with buyers the market and brings together vendors—OFC represents the transceiver sales for data centers • Meet decision makers the thought leaders and solution entire supply chain and provides across all customers, according to • Increase sales providers that drive the industry.
    [Show full text]
  • An Outlook on EUV Projection and Nanoimprint
    Adv. Opt. Techn. 2017; 6(3-4): 159–162 Editorial Jan van Schoot* and Helmut Schift Next-generation lithography – an outlook on EUV projection and nanoimprint DOI 10.1515/aot-2017-0040 But different from expected, the current solutions are still using most of the ingredients of traditional optical Lithography is dead – long live lithography! For years, lithography. In 1986, Hiroo Kinoshita proposed the use of optical lithography has been the workhorse for high- extreme UV (EUV) as the consequent continuation of pho- volume manufacturing (HVM) of sophisticated semicon- tolithography with smaller wavelengths, which means ductor chips used for data processing and storage. The 13.5 nm instead of 193 nm from deep ultraviolet (DUV) [1]. need for smaller and smaller structures has called for new However, instead of transmission lenses, mirrors have to patterning solutions, some of them involving the exten- be used; also, the mask has to be operated in reflective sion of existing optical principles, parallel patterning, and mode. EUV projection lithography (EUVL) will enable step and repeat by covering the surface of silicon wafers to go back to single mask exposure instead of double or with consecutive exposure of identical patterns, projec- quadruple exposure, at least for the coming node N7 and tion of demagnified patterns from a mask onto the wafer later N5 (see also Figure 1) [2]. instead of proximity printing. Others are employing differ- The leading semiconductor manufacturers are ent physical concepts from using massive parallel electron making now the transition toward putting EUV lithogra- beams or even mechanical imprinting of resists, which phy into production [3].
    [Show full text]
  • Powering Biomedical Devices.Pdf
    CHAPTER 11 Introduction The increase of world population is a challenge itself for world resources. The sustainability of food supplies, energy resources, and the environment are being questioned by analysts, while climate change just adds more pressure to the equation. The life expectancy of the world as a whole is rising while the fertility rate is declining. This will create a challenge in health care for the ageing population (Gavrilov and Heuveline, 2003). The United States alone will have 20% of the population over the age of 65 by 2050. In contrast, Europe will see rates close to 30% while Japan will arise to almost 40%, as summarized in Table 1.1. It is anticipated that in the near future, specialized health-care services will be in higher demand due to this increase. This demand will be characterized by medical resources not only to attend to this segment of the population, but also to keep them active as well. Therefore, the monitoring of physiological responses as well as specialized drug or other therapy delivery applications will be needed for portable, wearable, or implantable biomedical autonomous devices. In addition, wireless communication promises new medical applications such as the use of wireless body sensor networks for health monitoring (Jovanov et al., 2005; Hao and Foster, 2008; Varshney, 2007). These biomedical devices, however, come with their own issues, mainly power source challenges. Batteries are commonly used to energize most of these applications, but they have a finite lifetime. As biomedical Table 1.1 Percentage of Population Over 65 Years Olda Region 1950 2000 2050 World 5.2 6.8 16.2 USA 8.3 12.4 21.6 Europe 8.2 14.8 27.4 Japan 4.9 17.2 37.8 aPopulation Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision, http://esa.un.org/unpp.
    [Show full text]
  • Design of the Future Circular Hadron Collider Beam Vacuum Chamber
    PHYSICAL REVIEW ACCELERATORS AND BEAMS 23, 033201 (2020) Editors' Suggestion Design of the future circular hadron collider beam vacuum chamber I. Bellafont,1,2 M. Morrone ,2 L. Mether ,3,2 J. Fernández,4,2 R. Kersevan,2 C. Garion,2 V. Baglin ,2 P. Chiggiato,2 and F. P´erez1 1ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, 08290 Cerdanyola del Vall`es, Spain 2CERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland 3EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique F´ed´erale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland 4CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid, Spain (Received 15 October 2019; accepted 18 February 2020; published 6 March 2020) EuroCirCol is a conceptual design study of a post-LHC, Future Circular Hadron Collider (FCC-hh) which aims to expand the current energy and luminosity frontiers. The vacuum chamber of this 100 TeV, 100 km collider, will have to cope with unprecedented levels of synchrotron radiation linear power for proton colliders, 160 times higher than in the LHC for baseline parameters, releasing consequently much larger amounts of gas into the system. At the same time, it will be dealing with a tighter magnet aperture. In order to reach a good vacuum level, it has been necessary to find solutions beyond the particle colliders’ state of art. This paper proposes a design of a novel beam screen, the element responsible for absorbing the emitted power. It is intended to overcome the drawbacks derived from the stronger synchrotron radiation while allowing at the same time a good beam quality. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.23.033201 I. INTRODUCTION magnet cold bores, aiming to intercept the SR power at higher temperatures.
    [Show full text]
  • Fabrication and Evaluation of a Novel Non-Invasive Stretchable and Wearable Respiratory Rate Sensor Based on Silver Nanoparticles Using Inkjet Printing Technology
    University of Kentucky UKnowledge Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research Mechanical Engineering 9-18-2019 Fabrication and Evaluation of a Novel Non-Invasive Stretchable and Wearable Respiratory Rate Sensor Based on Silver Nanoparticles Using Inkjet Printing Technology Ala’aldeen Al-Halhouli German Jordanian University, Jordan Loiy Al-Ghussain University of Kentucky, [email protected] Saleem El Bouri German Jordanian University, Jordan Haipeng Liu Anglia Ruskin University, UK Dingchang Zheng Anglia Ruskin University, UK Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/me_gradpub Part of the Mechanical Engineering Commons Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Repository Citation Al-Halhouli, Ala’aldeen; Al-Ghussain, Loiy; El Bouri, Saleem; Liu, Haipeng; and Zheng, Dingchang, "Fabrication and Evaluation of a Novel Non-Invasive Stretchable and Wearable Respiratory Rate Sensor Based on Silver Nanoparticles Using Inkjet Printing Technology" (2019). Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research. 7. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/me_gradpub/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mechanical Engineering at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Fabrication and Evaluation of a Novel Non-Invasive Stretchable and Wearable Respiratory Rate Sensor Based on Silver Nanoparticles Using Inkjet Printing Technology Digital Object Identifier (DOI) https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11091518 Notes/Citation Information Published in, Polymers, v. 11, issue 9, 1518. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
    [Show full text]
  • COMMENTARIES Modern Chemical Engineering in The
    Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2007, 46, 3465-3485 3465 COMMENTARIES Modern Chemical Engineering in the Framework of Globalization, Sustainability, and Technical Innovation† 1. Introduction: Chemical and Related Process according to technical specifications, but rather according to IndustriessAt the Heart of a Great Number of Scientific quality features, such as size, shape, color, aesthetics, chemical and Technological Challenges and biological stability, degradability, therapeutic activity, solubility, mechanical, rheological, electrical, thermal, optical, Chemical and related industries, including process industries magnetic characteristics for solids and solid particles, touch, such as petroleum, pharmaceutical and health, agriculture and handling, cohesion, friability, rugosity, taste, succulence, and food, environment, textile, iron and steel, bituminous, building sensory properties. This control of the end-use property, materials, glass, surfactants, cosmetics and perfume, and expertise in the design of the process, continual adjustments to electronics, are evolving considerably at the beginning of this meet the changing demands, and speed in reacting to market new century, because of unprecedented market demands and conditions are the dominant elements. Indeed, these high-margin constraints stemming from public concern over environmental products, which involve customer-designed and perceived and safety issues, and sustainable considerations. formulations, require new plants, which are no longer optimized To respond to these demands, the following challenges are to produce one product at good quality and low cost. Actually, faced by the chemical and process industries, involving complex the client buys the product that is the most efficient and the systems both at the process scale and at the product scale. first on the market. He will have to pay high prices and expect (a) For the production of commodity and intermediate a large benefit from these short-lifetime and high-margin products such ammonia, sulfuric acid, calcium carbonate, products.
    [Show full text]
  • Energy Harvesting from Body Motion Using Rotational Micro-Generation", Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2010
    Michigan Technological University Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open Reports 2010 Energy harvesting from body motion using rotational micro- generation Edwar. Romero-Ramirez Michigan Technological University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etds Part of the Mechanical Engineering Commons Copyright 2010 Edwar. Romero-Ramirez Recommended Citation Romero-Ramirez, Edwar., "Energy harvesting from body motion using rotational micro-generation", Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2010. https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etds/404 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etds Part of the Mechanical Engineering Commons ENERGY HARVESTING FROM BODY MOTION USING ROTATIONAL MICRO-GENERATION By EDWAR ROMERO-RAMIREZ A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics) MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2010 Copyright © Edwar Romero-Ramirez 2010 This dissertation, "Energy Harvesting from Body Motion using Rotational Micro- Generation" is hereby approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the field of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. DEPARTMENT Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Signatures: Dissertation Advisor Dr. Robert O. Warrington Co-Advisor Dr. Michael R. Neuman Department Chair Dr. William W. Predebon Date Abstract Autonomous system applications are typically limited by the power supply opera- tional lifetime when battery replacement is difficult or costly. A trade-off between battery size and battery life is usually calculated to determine the device capability and lifespan. As a result, energy harvesting research has gained importance as soci- ety searches for alternative energy sources for power generation.
    [Show full text]
  • How Does Micro Technology Affect Me?
    Unit Five Microsystems Technology How does Micro Technology Affect Me? Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to do the following: • Identify one industry that uses microtechnology • Describe two inventions that affect everyday life • Compare and contrast micromachines with their larger counterparts Warning! Warning! This information is becoming obsolete as it is being written. By the time you receive this packet, the future may be the past. Nanotechnology is growing so fast that is difficult to keep up with the new machines being invented on an hourly basis. There are several interesting sites on the web that have fantastic photographs of some of these inventions. Sandia Laboratories web page and the University of Wisconsin MEMS page are two that I would recommend. The reference list also will lead you to pages from Scientific American and Popular Mechanics that give complete articles on the following material. Where might we find these machines tomorrow? Look no farther than the grocery store, manufacturing plants, automobiles, or even your blood stream. Let’s take a closer look at some of the machines that nanotechnology has allowed us to produce. Micromachines Helping Consumers Microsensors sent up a tiny antenna. The have been information is passed developed that along to the computer database via can test the radio waves. Alert! Alert! The chemistry of chemical properties are measuring seawater but outside normal ranges. The juice is consider even spoiled. The customer receives a smaller machines that can be used fresh container of juice and crisis is in other liquids such as your morning averted. No sick customers.
    [Show full text]
  • Microtechnology in the Clinical Laboratory ______
    _____________________________________________________ ______ Microtechnology in the Clinical Laboratory _____________________________________________________ Host: This is the podcast from Clinical Chemistry. I am Bob Barrett. The past two decades have seen phenomenal investment in microtechnology in the biological sciences. In the April issue of Clinical Chemistry five experts in the field of microtechnology answered questions about the scope of the technology and how it could impact the clinical laboratory. Our guest in this podcast, Dr. Peter Wilding, an Advisory Member of the Center for Biomedical Micro and Nanotechnology, an Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Former Director of Clinical Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, continues their conversation. So tell us, Dr. Wilding, what exactly is microtechnology, and how long has it been utilized in the clinical laboratory? Dr. Peter Wilding: Well, microtechnology is any technology that employs micro-sized components, micro-sized volumes, dimensions, etcetera. It's a technology which has been and is still very attractive to developers because of the real and the potential advantages that derive from these features. And one of the most formidable of these features is the ability to control fluid transport at the micro-volume level. Now, microtechnology has been used for a long time in clinical labs, in the form of valves and tubing, ion-specific electrodes, microparticles employed in devices for immunoassay, such as latex agglutination, and increasingly now in the area of molecular pathology. Now, you mentioned the length of time that this has been used, and it's interesting that over 25 years ago, the Technicon Corporation marketed an analyzer, which was derived from the famous Smack, that involved many micro- type features and used sample volumes of only one microliter.
    [Show full text]
  • Microtechnology – Smart Systems for Automation
    New markets New customers New networks New in Hall 17 MicroTechnology – Smart Systems for Automation NEW TECHNOLOGY FIRST 23–27 April 2012 · Hannover · Germany hannovermesse.de/en/industrialautomation MicroTechnology – closer to the user than ever before Microtechnology solutions are being used more than ever before at every stage of the production cycle. In order to meet the needs of today’s market, we have teamed up with IVAM Microtechnology Network to develop the new concept MicroTechnology – Smart Systems for Automation, which has been incorporated into the leading trade fair Industrial Automation. Here you can present your advanced technologies for today’s world just a few steps away from production automation. In the new location in Hall 17 established automation solutions are brought together with microtechnology in all its different forms. The integration of this interdisciplinary technology is an important step towards maximizing the effi ciency of industry in the future. Yours sincerely, Thomas Rilke Director, Industrial Automation Exhibitors give their verdict on 2011 FRT GmbH, Dr. Thomas Fries, Managing Director: “For FRT making ‘Smart Systems’ a part of Industrial Automation is a defi nite plus. Industrial automation depends on quality assurance and precision down to the micro- and nano-level. And that’s what FRT surface measurement devices stand for.” HSG-IMIT, Martin Trächtler, Group Leader, “Inertial Sensor Systems”: “We offer components and solutions that fi t perfectly into the interdisciplinary agenda of Industrial Automation. Therefore, moving to these halls brings us closer to our partners and prospective new customers.” Kugler GmbH, Till Kugler, Managing Director: “We too welcome the relocation towards the Industrial Automation.
    [Show full text]
  • New Fermilab Machine Dedicated
    NEWS staff and visiting scientists in celebrating the on-time, under-budget completion of the $260 million project. New Fermilab "It has taken seven years to reach this dedication day-a long time," said Fermilab director John Peoples, whose 10 year term in office has spanned the entire project. machine dedicated The new main injector will, literally, be a major boost for Fermilab's centrepiece machine -the superconductingTevatron proton syn­ chrotron and proton-antiproton collider. In 1991 a $2.2 million challenge grant from the state of Illinois enabled Fermilab to take the first steps towards building the new main injectors. Federal funding was approved in October 1991, and construction got underway in 1993. The main injector team worked together so well that a new storage ring - the antiproton recycler - was added to the accelerator com­ plex without increasing the total project budget or delaying its scheduled completion. The recycler, which shares the new, 2 mile, circular tunnel with the main injector, uses permanent magnets to retrieve, store and literally recycle antiprotons that would previ­ ously have been discarded. TheTevatron, which began operations in Fermilab's new 2 mile circumference, 150 GeV main injector (foregound) injects particles 1983, was previously fed by Fermilab's origi­ into the larger Tevatron. nal main ring, closed in 1997 after 25 years of service. The Tevatron and the main ring shared The world's newest particle accelerator - Secretary Bill Richardson, the Speaker of the the same 4 mile circumference tunnel. As the Fermilab's 150 GeV main injector - officially House of Representatives Dennis Hastert and Tevatron injector, the main ring was a bottle­ began its career on 1 June.
    [Show full text]