If you’re at all like me, you wonder which articles get the most attention on our website. Every year we publish around 45 feature articles, and at the end of the year we gather statistics to see which ones get the most page views. So, without further ado, here are the five most-viewed articles on www.industrialheating.com based on page views. This ranking applies only to articles published in 2020.

When the 2011 edition of the industrial ovens safety standard NFPA 86 was released, safety programmable logic controllers (PLCs) were recognized as logic devices suitable for the safe operation of industrial heating equipment for the first time.

Industrial Heating, during a Q&A session at FNA 2020, announced that it will support the Reshoring Initiative with a $2,500 sponsorship. The mission of the Reshoring Initiative is to bring good, well-paying manufacturing jobs back to the United States by assisting companies to more accurately assess their total cost of offshoring and to shift collective thinking from offshoring is cheaper to local reduces the total cost of ownership. As part of this new relationship, the Reshoring Initiative will provide Industrial Heating with editorial content throughout 2021.

It is a well-known fact that too many recordable safety incidents will result in the good people from OSHA showing up to hang around and ask a lot of questions. Nobody wants to get hurt on the job. Everyone at the facility has some other place to be once their shift is over, and many employees have family waiting for them. With that being said, why would people continue to operate poorly maintained manufacturing equipment and material-handling machinery? 

Air Liquide announced a long-term supply agreement with Eastman Chemical Company to provide additional gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and syngas supporting the company’s production in Longview, Texas. Air Liquide will invest more than $160 million to build a new air-separation unit (ASU) and partial oxidation unit (POX) and modernize existing assets. With this agreement and additional production capacity of the ASU and POX, Air Liquide will supply Eastman gaseous oxygen and nitrogen, as well as syngas. The new ASU and POX will begin production in late 2021 and will be integrated into the existing facilities.

The recent pandemic forced many companies into survival mode: reducing head-count, cutting costs where possible and establishing new health and safety protocols, all while trying their best to carry on with business as usual. But what about the next crisis?

Linde announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Praxair Inc., will begin operating under the Linde name effective September 1. This name change reflects the company’s evolution following the merger of Praxair Inc. and Linde AG. The combined product and service portfolios of the new Linde offer customers more options to improve operational efficiency and plan for future growth. The primary customer contact for products and services will remain the same. Beginning September 1, information on the U.S. business can be found at www.LindeUS.com.

Air Liquide signed a long-term agreement with Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) to supply gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and argon to SDI’s electric-arc furnace (EAF) steel mill in Sinton, Texas. To support the agreement, Air Liquide plans to invest over $100 million to install an air-separation unit (ASU) on its Gulf Coast pipeline network in Ingleside, Texas, and extend its pipeline network to SDI’s site.

After much analysis, feedback from attendees and the uncertainty of COVID-19, the MTI Board of Trustees has approved transition to a virtual format for Furnaces North America 2020. Attendees will be able to experience the virtual exhibit hall for free. For those wanting to view the three live panel discussions and 35 technical sessions, FNA is offering a special for attendees of $199 for each of the first two registrants from a company and $49 for every person after that. To qualify, everyone must register on the same online registration form. 

Some furnaces can benefit from new atmosphere mixing technologies that increase heat transfer and atmosphere reaction with the material.