Power is nothing without control. You can have the best, most technically advanced burner. If the burner is not properly controlled, and the heat is not applied appropriately during the production process, the result will be disappointing — or worse.

The importance of steam in manufacturing dates back to the dawn of the industrial revolution in the 18th century. While its use in transportation has declined, its use in other industries has grown, broadening the range of applications. 

While programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and advanced controls proliferate in many industrial operations, thermal processes often are the exception that proves the rule. 

Users of the Genesis Network can monitor, maintain and troubleshoot heat-trace systems that include as many as 10,000 heat-trace circuits. The tool connects heat-trace controllers with the control room using wireless communications.

Take a look at the Top Ten Process Heating articles of 2020!

An adage attributed to marketing pioneer John Wanamaker goes like this: “Half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is, I don’t know which half.” Maintenance managers in many process manufacturing facilities may feel something similar.

What is the product that made you stop and ask, “Where have you been all my life?” For me, it’s a tight race between my smartphone and heated car seats. For many companies engaged in operations involving thermal processing, I suspect it will be the advent of cloud-based predictive maintenance and remote process management platforms.

Aside from simple blending processes, most chemical processes involve a temperature change in one way or another. For example, products may need to be heated to facilitate a reaction, or cooled to control reaction rate. Many of these applications involve using a heat exchanger to add or remove heat from the process fluid.