Have you noticed how technology continues to change nearly every aspect of our lives? Or are you so used to it by now that new technological developments don’t even register anymore?
One area where you might take notice of new technology is at work. When you must adapt to new processes related to new technologies, it’s hard to ignore. Manufacturers everywhere adopt new technologies for a variety of reasons.
Often, new technologies bridge the gap left by having too few skilled workers to fill open positions. At other times, manufacturers seek a boost in productivity and efficiency that automating processes can provide.
Increasingly, though, research and development of new manufacturing technologies comes as a result of the pursuit of sustainability. The importance of fossil fuels and related products in manufacturing cannot be overstated. However, these products and their negative impact on the environment have led many manufacturers to search for alternatives that are sustainable and less harmful.
In a Chemistry World article, author Sarah Houlton discusses the companies exploring the use of biotech processes to manufacture chemicals. She gives several examples of manufacturers who “use bio-based raw materials, captured CO2 and recycled plastics as raw materials for new chemicals.”
For example, Houlton points out that German manufacturer Covestro makes “aniline from biomass via a fermentation process.” Doing so could “offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional petrochemical processing, and be more amenable to biobased raw materials.”
Not all biomanufacturing is new, though. Houlton notes that “BASF…has been working on industrial biotechnology for more than three decades, first for the animal feed enzyme phytase, and then shifting vitamin B2 production from a chemical to a biotech process more than 20 years ago.”
Biotech processes in chemical manufacturing are particularly attractive because “[t]aking a biotechnology approach also allows a much wider range of starting materials to be tapped into.” For example, Houlton notes that many “products are made by fungal or microbial fermentation processes, with renewable raw materials like sugars and vegetable oil that are rarely suitable for traditional chemical processes.”
Indeed, biomanufacturing represents “a promising alternative to petrochemical-based manufacturing,” because “using fermentation to produce chemicals is reducing the reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels.”
In addition, “[f]ermentation also presents a safe, lower energy consumption alternative. Unlike many chemical manufacturing processes that require high heat or pressure, fermentation typically operates at lower temperatures and pressures. Biomanufacturing also allows for the manufacture of complex biomolecules such as proteins, which are not readily made by chemical synthesis processes.”
While these new technologies present exciting alternatives for the future, those involved in hiring workers for the chemical manufacturing industry probably wonder where the workers for these advanced facilities will come from.
As always, the need for workers with advanced process control and instrumentation skills remains great. Proactive manufacturers will look to establish a pipeline of fresh talent from local schools while also seeking to upskill current workers.
Fortunately, manufacturers don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to effective process control and instrumentation training. Partnering with a training solutions provider with a proven track record can help any manufacturer or educational institution train workers with the hands-on skills they’ll need to hit the ground running in the workplace.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers a wide variety of training systems that teach basic to advanced process control and instrumentation skills. Its newest flagship process control and instrumentation trainer, the Smart Process Plant Training System (603-SP), is a fully-functional, industrial-quality fluid process system that provides hands-on training in the measurement and control of five of the most common process variables: level, pressure, temperature, flow, and pH.
The system groups these process control elements into one complete piping system, which allows it to teach multiple configurations of flow loops, controls, and communications. The system incorporates both new and legacy technologies so that users are prepared for anything they might encounter on the job.
The Smart Process Plant Training System features a wide variety of common, industrial-quality components and instruments to provide learners with a realistic training experience that will build skills that translate easily to the workplace. The Smart Process Plant also includes multiple experiments, which simulate both continuous and batch process control loops that are widely used in many process industries. The Smart Process Plant Training System is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many process control and instrumentation training systems. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its many other training systems, as well as advanced chemical engineering training systems from its partner, Pignat SAS!
