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Chemical Engineering & Process Control
Bridging the gap from classroom theory to industry practice.
A guide to teaching chemical engineering unit operations and process control with the Armfield CE Series for reactors, distillation, and absorption, plus the PCT Series including the PCT23 Process Plant Trainer for hands-on multi-loop control.
What students learn
Reactor design
Residence time distribution, conversion in CSTRs, plug-flow reactors, and batch reactors.
Mass transfer
Gas absorption, liquid extraction, distillation tray efficiency, McCabe-Thiele construction.
Unit operations
Fluidisation, filtration, sedimentation, drying, membrane separation.
Single-loop control
PID tuning, level, flow, pressure, temperature loops; first- and second-order dynamics.
Advanced control
Cascade, feedforward, ratio, and split-range control on multi-loop trainers.
SCADA fluency
Working with the same conventions students will see in industrial DCS environments.
The Armfield range
The hub-relevant Armfield equipment Hoskin Scientific supplies and services in Canada:
CE100 Reactors
Reconfigurable apparatus for CSTR, PFR, and batch reactor experiments. Conductivity and dye-tracer methods for residence time distribution.
CE105 Gas Absorption Column
Packed column for studying CO2 absorption into NaOH, with sample ports and pressure-drop instrumentation.
CE400 Continuous Distillation
Bench-scale distillation with bubble-cap or sieve trays, reboiler and condenser, and full instrumentation for column performance and efficiency studies.
UOP Series Unit Operations
Compact teaching units for fluidisation, filtration, extraction, and drying.
PCT9 / PCT13 / PCT14 Single-Loop Trainers
Self-contained level, flow, pressure, and temperature control loops with hands-on PID tuning experiments.
PCT23 Process Plant Trainer
Full multi-loop process simulation with realistic interactions: students tune, model, and troubleshoot a coupled flow, level, and temperature system.
Canadian application notes
Canadian chemical engineering programs increasingly need teaching equipment that mirrors the industrial control environments students will encounter at refineries, biotech plants, and food and beverage manufacturers. The Armfield PCT range gives students fluency in PID tuning and multi-loop interaction analysis on trainers their faculty can integrate with the same SCADA conventions used in industry. Hoskin Scientific provides the Canadian quotation, install, and ongoing service.
Why specify through Hoskin Scientific
- Pre-purchase consultation — matching equipment to course learning outcomes and lab utilities.
- Quotation in CAD — including landed cost, duty handling, and trade-compliant documentation for grant and tri-council purchasing.
- Installation and commissioning — on-site, by Hoskin technicians familiar with Canadian electrical and water service standards.
- Service, calibration, and parts — held in Canada to minimise downtime during the academic year.
Explore the six Armfield hubs
Frequently asked questions
What does the PCT23 Process Plant Trainer simulate?
A multi-loop process with realistic interactions between flow, level, and temperature, allowing students to tune, model, and troubleshoot using industrial SCADA conventions.
Can the CE100 reactor run as CSTR, PFR, and batch?
Yes. The CE100 is reconfigurable across all three reactor types so students can compare residence-time distributions and conversion behaviour.
Are the PCT trainers suitable for multi-loop control teaching?
Yes. The PCT23 supports cascade, feedforward, ratio, and split-range control on a working multi-loop process.
Is the CE Series suitable for graduate-level coursework?
The CE Series teaching units are designed for undergraduate unit operations labs but work equally well for graduate-level demonstrations and short-course teaching.
Get a Quote on Your chemical engineering or process control Lab
Building out a unit operations lab, or adding a process-plant trainer to your control engineering curriculum? Our team will scope the right CE and PCT mix for your program.
Contact our Education team
