Clean Machines

CLEAN

MACHINES

THE EFFECT HUMANITY IS HAVING ON OUR PLANET, AND IN PARTICULAR ON CLEAN AIR AND WATER, IS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE AT THE MOMENT. WE INVESTIGATE HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS.

Deanna O’Connor speaks to Dr Liam O’Faolain and Brendan Sinnott about the important work of cleaning our air and water.

The air we breathe and the water we drink are vital to life on earth and the health of humans, as well as animal and plant life. However, naturally occurring bacteria and human-made pollutants and contaminants can threaten our lives and health when they enter the air supply and the water systems.

Air quality is a major problem in modern cities, but pollutants contaminate air everywhere. Increases in air pollution have been linked to decreases in lung function and increases in heart attacks, most significantly affecting people with asthma and lung or heart disease. The elderly and children are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.

While the modern world—with its industrialisation and increased vehicle usage and international air travel—has negatively impacted air pollution, technological advances have played a part in decreasing the health threats posed by water in many parts of the world, with populations enjoying the benefits of access to safe drinking water supplies.

However, clean air and clean water go hand in hand; for example, nitrogen pollution emitted by vehicles and industrial sources is carried by winds, falling across land and water. The harm this causes can be observed where an excess of nitrogen (and phosphorus) in water causes algal blooms, which reduce the amount of oxygen available to fish and other aquatic life.

Clean water is singled out as one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, and also appears in SDG 14 Life Below Water. While it is not named, air does quite literally infiltrate every aspect of life on earth, but particularly impacts on SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being. It is directly mentioned in two SDG targets: SDG 3.9 (substantial reduction of health impacts from hazardous substances) and SDG 11.6 (reduction of adverse impacts of cities on people).

SOMETHING IN THE AIR

According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation, the improvements in air quality due to COVID-19 mobility restrictions during 2020, made it very clear that developing cleaner means of mobility and trade could have a decisively positive impact on pollution. This would have knockon effects on climate change, sustainable development and future food security.

Sophisticated technology solutions are being developed to work towards greater monitoring and control of pollution. In January of this year, the Cork-based Centre for Advanced Photonics and Process Analysis (CAPPA) launched the EU-funded research project PASSEPARTOUT, which aims to develop low-cost sensors for air quality monitoring in urban areas. Exploiting photo-acoustic and photo-thermal based spectroscopy, the pan-European project, comprising 18 consortium partners across Europe, will create compact photonic sensors to be mounted on buildings, vehicles and drones, for real-time outdoor air pollution monitoring. Direct access to high quality, trustworthy data would feed into a system of air quality alerts, allowing people and businesses to optimise their daily schedules in order to reduce exposure to pollution.

Speaking about the project, Dr Liam O’Faolain, Project Coordinator, states, “It

Brendan Sinnott

demonstrates the inherently crossdisciplinary nature of photonics research, requiring expertise ranging from semiconductor lasers, gas chemistry and spectroscopy, electronics and software, data mining and app development, to drone operations and practical, in-field deployment experience. It is only by working together that we can ensure PASSEPARTOUT has real benefit for society and climate action.”

WATER WORKS

Clean, healthy water is essential for our economy, our aquatic wildlife and for our health and well-being. According to Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the percentage of groundwater bodies and coastal water bodies in satisfactory quality is well above the European average, overall surface water quality has declined by 4.4% since 2015, mostly most driven by the deterioration in river water quality.

“The significant global need for clean water drives investment into sustainable products and processes around wastewater management,” notes Brendan Sinnott, Managing Director, Sulzer Pump Solutions Ireland Ltd. Headquartered in Switzerland, Sulzer is a global leader in fluid engineering, with a site in Co Wexford dedicated to the design and manufacture of pumps and mixers for wastewater, construction, mining, and commercial markets, complemented by a sales and service centre in Dublin. “One of the major focus points in the water industry is the removal of micro-plastics and chemicals, both of which are affecting global water supplies.”

Sulzer’s product range includes a full suite of products for the wastewater processing market.

Sinnott continues, “Today, wastewater plants must deal with two to four times more effluent than 50 years ago. Efficient treatment of wastewater and wash water is essential for the cost-effective management of this vital resource as well as the development of a more sustainable environment.”

Another area of great concern, which Sulzer targets, is that of micro-plastics. “One of the major focus points in the water industry is the removal of micro-plastics and chemicals, both of which are affecting global water supplies. Our modular filtration systems can be tailored to suit specific requirements of both wastewater treatment and water purification plants,” he adds. Sulzer’s recent acquisition of Nordic Water has further expanded its depth of expertise and offering to the water treatment sector, to widen the availability of solutions for more sustainable water treatment processes.

We can no longer take clean air and water for granted. In global terms water is a scarce commodity, and we are becoming more aware that we must look after our supplies and treat wastewater in the most advanced and sustainable manner possible. With sophisticated research into air quality and the depth of experience of companies with decades of history in water treatment, we are well placed to tackle these challenges.

The Innovator

Keith Moran

CEO, SL CONTROLS Smart factories, once the sole domain of car manufacturers, are no longer unusual. Keith Moran, of SL Controls, talks about the future of automation,

AT A GLANCE

50

NEW JOBS TO BE CREATED IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS BRINGING SL CONTROLS WORKFORCE IN IRELAND TO 140

80%

INCREASE IN TURNOVER PREDICTED TO €14.5M OVER THE PERIOD 2019 TO 2023

... on Research and Development

Every production line is different, so R&D is a core part of what we do as we push the boundaries of what is possible. I know the same applies in other parts of our industry too, including machine builders and how they use robots. As for how Ireland does in this area, we certainly punch well above our weight.

... on AI and the IoT

Manufacturers need integrated systems and other data-driven solutions first, but once those are in place, a new world of opportunities opens up with technologies like Artificial Intelligence, the Industrial Internet of Things, and cloud-to-edge computing. With these technologies, we are only at the beginning of the journey. We are particularly focussed on assisting clients in developing and implementing their Industry 4.0 strategies

... on opportunites for development

We are seeing strong demand in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. Regulated sectors like these are not as advanced as others for a variety of reasons, but they are catching up fast.

... on stable supply chains

The global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic is unique, but I think automation and making better use of data will help when supply chains come under strain. We talk about vertical and horizontal integration, where you integrate systems beyond the factory floor within the organisation and through each node on the supply chain. In terms of stabilising manufacturing in extreme situations, this deeper integration makes it possible to predict problems and rapidly identify and understand issues.

... on potential weaknesses

I believe we’ll see that acceleration over the coming years. The pandemic highlighted to manufacturers important weaknesses or potential weaknesses in their operations. Robotics won’t be the only solution to those issues, but it will play a role.

... on reaching the limit

I’m not placed to say when or even if robotics will reach its limit. Human development is an extraordinary thing. We keep driving ourselves on and reinventing how things are done. So, when it comes to technology, we are only limited by our imaginations.

“In terms of stabilising manufacturing in extreme situations, this deeper integration makes it possible to predict problems and rapidly identify and understand issues.”

2021 - 2024

FOCUS ON INCREASED EXPANSION INTO THE US MARKET WHERE SL CONTROLS IS EXPERIENCING GROWTH.

... on SL Controls

In March of this year, we announced a significant expansion of the company with 50 new jobs to be created in Ireland over the next 18 months to bring our total workforce to 140. We will also be creating new jobs in the US where the company opened its first office in 2020. We are forecasting an 80% increase in turnover by 2023. Our goals include to become the provider of choice for equipment systems integration solutions in Ireland and grow our reputation in the US and beyond.

... on instinct

I was told a long time ago to always go with your gut and to this day, I always trust my own instincts.

... on operating in Ireland

We have international ambitions at SL Controls but being an Irish company and having a presence across the country, in Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Dublin and Cork, is extremely important to us. While we could do with more engineers in Ireland, the level of skills here is exceptional. Ireland also has thriving medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors, which are crucial for our business.