In the last issue of Perspectives, I described the key demand drivers for the instrumentation industry. One driver which is becoming increasingly important, both for our customers and for us internally at Spectris, is the growing focus on the environment.

All of our companies supply products which help customers to minimise their impact on the environment, either via instrumentation which reduces raw material consumption and waste or energy use or systems which measure and analyse emissions of noise, pollutants etc. Some examples of these applications are described in our feature article below.

Internally, too, we are committed to minimising our impact on the environment. Spectris is a member of the FTSE4Good index of socially responsible companies, and one third of the company is accredited to ISO14001, the international environmental standard, with many of the other operating companies currently working towards accreditation.

As regulatory requirements increase, so does the demand for instrumentation to monitor production processes and for new product development, as the following article illustrates.

Hans Nilsson
Chief Executive

Increased environmental legislation worldwide, in particular in the area of noise and air pollution, is driving demand for instrumentation. Water quality, land contamination, hazardous gas emissions, lead and sulphur in petrol are other areas where increased regulation is driving demand for Spectris products. In addition, the growing emphasis on recycling, particularly of paper, and the development of renewable energy resources has benefited Spectris companies. In this feature we look at how Spectris products help customers to address environmental considerations, from reducing energy consumption to monitoring noise levels, whilst bringing significant payback.

The increase in industrial activity and spread of urbanisation over the last few decades has resulted in increased pollution and a key challenge for sustainable development is to break the link between continued growth and the quantities of pollutants discharged into the environment. The essential goals are: less waste, decreased energy use, greater durability/recyclability of products, less extraction of non-renewable resources, and reduced or zero emissions to the external environment.

Reducing wastage
The majority of Spectris products are designed to help customers to improve production efficiency, thus conserving energy through greater throughput and reduced wastage and, ultimately, improving profitability. One example is Fusion’s ultraviolet (UV) curing system which cures, or dries, coatings instantly, reducing the amount of energy required compared with conventional curing techniques. UV curing also eliminates the harmful emissions and waste products caused by the evaporation of solvents produced by alternative technologies. UV curing is used extensively in automotive parts, CDs, printing and packaging and laminates for flooring and doors (see application article in this issue). Other Spectris companies market products which monitor production processes or measure output, leading both to reduced costs for the customer and less impact on the environment.

reducing wastage in the production process leads
to improved customer profitability

Reducing levels of pollution
Noise
Noise emissions legislation now exists in many countries and limits have been considerably tightened in recent years. For example, the EU Environmental Noise Directive of June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise is now being implemented in the EU Member States. This covers transportation and industrial noise in the environment arising primarily from industry and from construction sites. The directive requires that noise maps and action plans (noise policy) be made for major roads, railways, civil airports and large towns. Systems marketed by Brüel & Kjær measure and map noise and are able to carry out simulations of environmental noise situations.

Brüel & Kjær’s systems are helping customers in the automotive industry to meet noise regulations. A major factor contributing to the environmental impact of increased traffic is the noise created by vehicle tyres on road surfaces and Brüel & Kjær supply solutions to customers which enable quieter tyres to be developed.

Noise from commercial aircraft also poses an environmental problem, particularly around airports, where aircraft converge at low altitude and high engine power. Public demands have brought about strict legislation which has made noise monitoring compulsory in many countries. Brüel & Kjær has supplied more than 200 airport noise monitoring systems to airports around the world that enable flights to be tracked, recorded and the noise replayed as well as providing software to predict noise levels.

Increased regulation is driving demand for instrumentation

Air
Air pollution damages the environment and is an increasing source of concern to governments around the world. In the USA, for example, the 1990 Clean Air Act sets deadlines for states, local governments and businesses to reduce air pollution. Pollution from vehicles is a key contributor to air pollution and, in an effort to reduce the impact from increased road traffic, engine exhaust emissions are coming under ever stricter controls. Malvern's Spraytec particle size analyser is being used by one major vehicle manufacturer to characterise the fuel droplets from injection nozzles as part of work to develop more efficient engines.

Today's complex industrial plants can pose the risk of fire, explosions, and other hazardous incidents if proper safety mechanisms are not in place. Of particular concern are accidental gas emissions that can pollute the environment as well as jeopardize the health of workers and the safety of the facility. Servomex has developed a range of gas analysis technologies to meet the diverse and demanding requirements of the process industry, in particular to monitor hazardous gases. In addition to ensuring the efficient and safe operation of many industrial processes, gas analysis also plays a key factor in achieving effective environmental emissions compliance.

Water
The introduction of drinking water standards by the World Health Organisation has meant that the quality of water needs to be controlled. Common problems include sediments and bacterial growth and water sources need to be treated in a specific way to remove suspended materials which colour the water, as well as eliminating viruses and bacteria. Malvern’s particle characterisation instrumentation is used to analyse the use of treatment additives in drinking water to ensure it meets regulations.

Optimising the water treatment process further benefits
the environment by minimising the use of chemicals

Developing alternative energy sources
Spectris companies are also involved in the development and implementation of alternative energy sources, enabling power to be produced in an environmentally-friendly or renewable manner. One source of renewable energy which is increasing in importance is wind. Wind power is one of the cleanest forms of energy available, producing no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. HBM, Brüel & Kjær Vibro and Arcom are all involved in wind farms: in testing turbine blades, monitoring machinery and the remote monitoring of control systems, respectively. One of HBM’s applications is described here. Also described in this issue, here, is a development project to create an energy tower to produce electricity from hot air which Malvern is participating in. In the last issue of Perspectives, we described how Red Lion Controls is helping US environmental company Enviro-Energy with their first “biomass” system, a bio-waste system for treating and converting farm waste into energy units such as electricity.

Growth in recycling
The paper recycling industry has seen dramatic changes over the past decade. In the past, recycled fibre was mostly used to produce low-quality products, but today, as a result of technologies such as those developed at BTG, recycled fibre can be used to make even the highest quality grades of paper. In addition, recycling is increasingly required by law: for example an EU Directive on packaging requires the recycling of 25-45% of all packaging,

Around 38 percent of the raw material used in paper mills in
North America is recovered paper ⁽¹⁾

such as aluminium, glass, steel and plastic as well as paper and board. This is driving manufacturers to increase the amount of recycled material used in the production process, to reduce harmful chemicals and recover waste water. BTG’s instrumentation is used for measuring a number of parameters throughout the papermaking process. In addition to reducing the use of chemicals and brighteners, accurate control of pulp consistency prevents breaks in the web which can lead to costly downtime.

Conclusion
As customers seek to both improve profitability and meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations we expect the demand for Spectris products to continue to grow. In addition, greater use of renewable energy sources is bringing new opportunities for Spectris companies to develop their technologies and meet the challenges faced by an increased focus on sustainability.

References
⁽¹⁾ Source: Tappi, 2001

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