Eaton MTL

MTL Instruments Group

Technical Support Notes

White Papers

Our white papers are not only a means to demonstrate how our technology solutions can best address your needs; but an opportunity for us to share with you a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise. You can view or download your copy by simply clicking on the description text against the white paper of your choice.

We also offer a range of Application Notes that provide background information on specific MTL product ranges including some useful aspects and applications of a particular technology.

We hope you will find these both useful and informative.

Title Description Author
Certification and standards

This document is intended to provide guidance on the certification and standards used in the design and application of instrumentation used in hazardous areas. Inevitably this subject is one of constant but usually slow change and hence the date on which this document is written [June 2015] should be taken into account when considering any action based on this document.

 		Chris Towle
Ex ic Intrinsic Safety’s New Protection Level

The protection of electrical apparatus for use in flammable atmospheres is embracing a new technique: Ex ic. As a logical extension of the existing intrinsic safety concept, it formalises the application of intrinsic safety in Zone 2 hazardous areas, but users and manufacturers alike are wrestling with the details. The discussion centres as much on the withdrawal of the Ex nL technique, as on the application of Ex ic which replaces it. This paper deals primarily with the impact on countries that follow IEC and ATEX practice, but there are parallels with the ‘nonincendive’ technique that is adopted in North America.

 		Philip Saward
How to secure Industrial Control System Critical Infrastructure

Stuxnet was an eye opener for many: a malicious piece of software (malware) that infiltrated the Iranian Uranium Enrichment plant and causes physical damage to centrifuges by spinning the motors up and down repeatedly until they failed [1]. Shortly after the incident, several other malware were detected which remained hidden for a long time prior to their detection: Flame, Gauss, and Duqu [2]. Stuxnet made people aware that governments (even though it remains unproven which government was responsible) have the ability to infiltrate critical infrastructure and cause damage.

 		Andreas Agostin
Rugged HMIs for reliable performance in the oil and gas industry

Human machine interfaces (HMIs) and visualisation units present mission critical data across many industries, enabling users to make decisions and take actions about their process and equipment to work more efficiently. They are especially important in the oil and gas industry where understanding rig performance and operation is key primarily to safety but also to improving profitability. With the cost of oil at the lowest it’s been for more than five years, operating efficiently has never been so important. The cost of rig downtime is exceptionally high, estimated at up to $500,000 per day offshore, so it is clear to see that increasing reliability and uptime goes a long way to increasing productivity and profitability.

Choosing the right electrical equipment, which includes HMIs and visual displays is vital to achieving this, and in this article Dani Alkalay from Eaton, reviews the latest HMI technologies, advising how engineers and operators can have both increased productivity and improved profit, without compromising on safety and reliability.

 		Dani Alkalay