This page lists the event organised by the Manchester & Chester section of the InstMC.  Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   if you would like to be added to the circulation list for these events.

Don't forget to look on the Venues page for directions to the various sites that we use for lectures and social events and the Contacts page if you need to contact any members of the local committee.  The links are at the bottom of the page.

Thurusday 16th October 20087- Annual Dinner @ LCCC - Manchester
The Annual Dinner will be held at Old Trafford Cricket Ground (Tyldesley Room) on the 16th October 2007.  Ticket will cost £35 each and there will be a raffle on the night. All the money raised by the raffle will be donated to a local charity.  Dress code for this year's event is dark lounge suit as in previous years.  Following on from last year's success we will have a speaker and comedian.The after dinner speaker is John Bentley who represented his country for both rugby union and rugby league and the comedian is Martin Gold.

Please contact Tim Seed on 0161 251 4159 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   if you would like further information.

Wednesday 11th June 2008- Technical Lecture @ Yokogawa, Runcorn
Control Valves – Why are they all different?
The lecture will be given by Harvey Dearden of Time Domain Solutions Ltd, Chairman of the Manchester IM&C. The lecture will discuss the application of automatic control valves, why they have different characteristics and how to pick the correct one. Harvey has over 30 years experience in C&I engineering, is the author of several valve sizing software packages and does not work for a valve manufacturer! The lecture will start at 18:30 (with coffee and biscuits from 18:00) and will last for approximately 1.5 hours.

"Why do all control valves look different? How do I know if my control valve isn’t working correctly? These are common questions about control valves. We may have heard of terms like ‘linear, equal %, quick opening, stay-put, reverse acting’, but what do they mean? How do I know if my control valve can handle changes to the design of the process? The lecture covers all approaches. Yes, there are Standards; what do they mean? Also includes demonstration of software based sizing programme."

Wednesday 16th April 2008- Technical Lecture @ Endress & Hauser, Manchester
Wireless Systems for Industrial Automation - Application of Forthcoming Standards
The lecture will be given by Andy Wallace of Emerson and Russell Hobbs of Yokogawa and the ISA. The lecture will discuss the forthcoming standards (ISA SP100, HART 7 & IEEE 802) and will start at 18:30 (with coffee and biscuits from 18:00) and will last for approximately 1.5 hours.

"Why wireless, where and how can I use it? The lecture covers all approaches. From self-organising networks to host integration. Reliability of different network setups like star, mesh and star-mesh. How wireless coexists with walkie-talkies, mobile phones, etc. Integration to existing hosts. Battery life and offerings from manufacturers. The lecture will cover the available standards HART 7, Wireless FieldBus, ISASP100 and IEEE802 and will also cover the concerns of hackers on the network."

Wednesday 26th March 2008- Technical Lecture @ Endress & Hauser, Manchester
Talking To Your Smart Instruments – Are You Even Speaking the Same Language?
The lecture will be given by Klaus-Peter Linder of E+H and Russell Hobbs (the Chairman of the ISA). The will give us an insight into the Standards behind a united protocol for industrial instruments and its practical implementation. The lecture will start at 18:30 (with coffee and biscuits from 18:00) and will last for approximately 1:30 hours.

"The user benefit of open instrument protocols continues to be an elusive goal. Users plants often feature HART, Foundation FieldBus and Profibus in the same building. Not to mention the other protocols (there are dozens of them). Users now demand both plug & play hardware and software. The ISA and the IEC are both trying to unite all protocols around ‘FDT’. But these efforts are clouded in jargon (FDT, EDDL, DTM, PACT, HART, PAM, FF, Profibus PA DP, SC65 to mention just a few) and we are some way off the solution yet. But what should you be doing now?"

Wednesday 16th January 2008- Technical Lecture @ Yokogawa, Runcorn
How to Destroy a Control Valve - A workshop for all who use actuated valves 
The lecture by Dave Barnes and Harry Thom of Dresser-Masoneilan, with over 65 combined years of experience in the industry. The lecture will start at 18:30 (with coffee and biscuits from 18:00) and will last for approximately 1 hour.

"The workshop is an entertaining review of the use and mis-use of valves with an emphasis on the main sources of valve failures, including Corrosion, Erosion, Cavitation, Noise, and Vibration. The selection, use and maintenance of actuated valves are rapidly becoming the ‘Cinderella’ of control engineering, with a widening knowledge gap between users and manufacturers. Many younger instrument engineers are unfamiliar with terms like ‘equal %’, ‘reverse acting’, or the difference between say globe valves and ball valves. Moreover, how do I know when routine maintenance is needed?"

Thurusday 1st November 2007- Annual Dinner @ LCCC, Manchester
The Annual Dinner is to be held at Old Trafford Cricket Ground (Tyldesley Room) on the 1st November 2007.  Ticket prices are £35 and there will be a raffle on the night.  Dress code for this year's event is dark lounge suit as in previous years.  The after dinner speakers are Steve Daley and Josh Daniels.

Steve Daley cost Man City £1.47m in September 1979 and never really settled in. Steve is reported to be one of the ten biggest wastes of money in football! Josh Daniels will follow with his unique comedy act.

Please contact Tim Seed on 0161 251 4159 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   if you would like further information.

Tuesday 9th October 2007- Technical Lecture @ Yokogawa, Runcorn
The lecture by Keith Armstrong of Cherry Clough Consulting covering EMC and Functional Safety. The lecture will start at 18:30 and will last for approximately 1 hour. It will be held on Tuesday 9th October at Yokogawa, Runcorn.