Today’s process technology enhances industrial operations like never before. Although similar to the production technology used to create products made of metal, wood, or electronics, it differs in several respects. Process technicians work primarily with these components:

• Industrial pumps, compressors, and turbines
• Pressure, level, temperature, flow, mechanical and fluid dynamics
• Troubleshooting and maintenance of industrial operations
• Operating equipment such as furnace and boiler operations, and heat exchangers
• Distillation of liquids and general operating principles and problems

Enhancing Process Technology can help reduce wasteful activities, eliminate mundane tasks that take up valuable time, and increase overall quality. It can also help organizations save money by streamlining their operations and reducing errors that could have costly consequences. Process technicians and operators are trained to enhance current industrial operations and search for new and improved processing technology. Processing technologies must maintain current quality standards while improving or increasing the processing outputs. Exploring the oil, gas, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries will provide more insight into a career in process technology.

Enhancing Process Technology in the Oil Industry

Although government regulations have slowed U.S. oil production, new technologies have increased oil exploration. The ‘shale revolution’ uses a combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to move ahead by:

• Allowing producers to access oil reserves from low-permeable geological formations
• Lowering costs to extract oil reserves and refining oil into useful products
• Moving into tar sands and deepwater drilling operations
• Changing the energy map and the implication for the environment

New digital technologies are transforming today’s oil industry worldwide by increasing worker safety, increasing production, and lowering costs. The use of AI, machine learning, and IoT also improves efficiency and safety. Let’s look at how the natural gas industry benefits from similar technologies.

The Natural Gas Industry and Enhancing Its Operations

Although the natural gas industry has come under attack recently, it is also making strides forward like the oil industry. Gas is also part of the ‘shale revolution’ and essentially uses the same combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling as oil. New processing technologies provide these exceptional benefits:

• Enhances the exploration and production of natural gas
• Creates more efficiency, safety, and environment friendliness
• New gas production software keeps better track of available inventories
• Increases efficiency with the use of AI and drone systems
• IoT and big data analytic technologies move the industry forward

Electronic monitoring allows companies to oversee their facilities and evaluate current conditions with less human help. It can provide updates on scheduled maintenance, inventory stock levels, and the working condition of some devices and equipment.

“Today’s process technology enhances industrial operations like never before. Process technicians and operators are trained to enhance current industrial operations and search for new and improved processing technology.”

Chemical Industry Process Technology

I can’t think of anyone who does not benefit from the chemical industry. We use many products in our everyday lives including household cleaners, paint, salt, mouthwash, and many others. Chemical process technology includes all primary areas in chemical engineering, such as:

Many chemical processes are typically operated continuously because of high consumer demand. Process technology is enhanced by effective collaboration between research and development. Data analytics, machine learning, process modeling, and simulations are also used to improve operations.

Technicians and plant operators work on the continuous development of technologies, automation, and environmental sustainability in their training and development at work. All of us benefit from their efforts to improve current products and create new useful ones.

Pharmaceuticals and Process Technology

Virtually everyone in the U.S. uses some type of prescription or over-the-counter medicine. Their manufacture is closely regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pharmaceutical processing is broken down into a variety of unit operations, including:

• Blending
• Granulation
• Milling
• Coating
• Tablet pressing
• Filling

This industry has precise requirements and manufacturing guidelines for quality control. Thus, pharmaceutical equipment must comply with good manufacturing practices. The processing of drugs goes from research, development, and laboratory formulation to commercial production.

Advances in nanotechnology have created new medicines and given new life to old medicines that were inadequate. The adoption of this technology has led to more efficient, precise, and high-performance equipment and drug-mixing solutions.

Essential Skills for a Career

The essential skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in Process Technology are gained by earning a college degree. They include these components:

• Operating industrial pumps, compressors, turbines, furnaces, boilers, heat exchangers, and personal computers
• Installing, maintaining, repairing, and replacing the processing devices and equipment
• Mastering computer-based control systems and troubleshooting them
• Showing skills in technical writing, reporting, and workplace communications
• Displaying a working knowledge of general mathematics, industrial processing and systems, electronics, electricity, industrial safety, and environmental practices
• Understanding the basics of instrumentation subjects such as pressure, temperature, level, flow, mechanical and fluid dynamics

Enhancing Process Technology improves business processes to achieve greater efficiency, productivity, and accuracy.

Earning an associate degree will put you in a position to obtain an entry-level job in Process Technology in a variety of industries. May your future be fulfilling. Call us today at (877) 591-1070 for more information about all our programs!

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