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Pump Industry News
ENERGY SNAPSHOT EXPOSES WASTAGE IN BUILDINGS
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At the recent EMEX exhibition, ABB launched an updated energy assessment process, specifically targeting the financial community, energy managers and maintenance teams.
The Energy Snapshot is a six-step process in which an ABB engineer, or one of its approved partners, visits a site and in half-a-day identifies up to five motor driven applications that are wasting the most energy. Typical applications examined include pumps, fans and compressors.
The output from the Energy Snapshot is an Executive Summary, tailored to meet the specific needs of financial, energy or maintenance managers. The summary highlights which applications can benefit from retrofitting or upgrading variable speed drives (VSDs) and/or high efficiency motors, together with an estimate of the energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions saving potential.
Commenting on the launch, ABB’s Steve Hughes said: “Motor-driven applications are rarely seen or heard unless something goes wrong. To that end, VSDs are not generally at the front of many employees’ minds when it comes to energy saving initiatives. This lack of awareness means that companies could be missing out on the significant energy savings that VSDs can deliver. It is, therefore, important that energy managers can build a compelling business case so that others can understand the potential benefits.”
COMPACT LIFTING STATION SOLVES WATERSIDE CHALLENGE
Saniflo Sanfos lifting station has been used to handle the wastewater at a challenging Norfolk building project.
The build was at a riverside property, situated within the Norfolk Broads. Part of the project was a boathouse that included occasional accommodation which needed to be connected to the site’s wastewater system. However, its position on the water’s edge meant that the boathouse was some 4m below and 65m from the drainage level of the on-site sewage treatment plant. Because of this, discharging black and grey water waste would require a pump capable of lifting waste up and along soil pipes to meet the waste treatment plant.
The project was further complicated by the waterside position, which meant that the ground was understandably damp. This meant that the smallest possible hole needed to be dug for the waste transfer solution, to keep it stable and minimise the cost of the works.
The site’s contractors called in Saniflo, and a site visit confirmed that a Sanifos 110 would be the ideal size to lift the grey and black waste and discharge it via 40mm pipework up to the treatment plant. Being significantly smaller than alternative solutions, it met the criteria for the project. A hole just 1m deep and less than 500mm wide was all that was required.
The Sanifos has been covered by a simple manhole cover which is flush with the ground so creates no obstruction. The outlet pipe is sited out of the way by the guttering of the boathouse. Access to the unit for maintenance is still very good.
SPEAKERS INSPIRE WOMEN IN WATER CAMPAIGN
Delegates to the second Women in Water conference organised by British Water have embraced the trade association’s campaign to support women in the industry. The event took place at MWH Treatment’s Manchester headquarters on 16 October and speakers shared their career stories along with offering expert advice from direct experience.
British Water chief executive Lila Thompson said, “One of the important things about Women in Water is that it’s not just an event, it’s now a campaign, and we’re building our resources and incorporating other organisations’ actions and events. We’ve already had some excellent feedback from delegates that will help determine our next steps as we build on this important initiative.”
In the spirit of collaboration, Angie Needle, founder of the Women’s Utility Network, delivered a keynote on empowerment.
Setting out the current gender imbalance in stark terms she said only 20% of the half-million people working in the utilities are women; only 23% of those in leadership positions in the water industry are women and only 1% of those in skilled trades.
MWH Treatment human resources director, Hilary Tew, had practical advice for companies wishing to recruit and retain female employees. She said: “We asked whether our benefits are inclusive. We now offer an extra five days of holidays you can buy. It’s not just about women; men can share the benefits. If we can help with their family life, it’s a win-win.”
Feedback from delegates during and after the event was overwhelmingly positive.
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION
Steam solutions provider, Spirax Sarco, is celebrating three decades of course-accreditation from City & Guilds Group.
Beginning in 1989, the relationship was born out of a decision by The Dairy Trade Federation and City & Guilds to introduce a skills testing scheme for the validation and accreditation of maintenance engineers in the dairy industry. This led to the introduction of a nationally recognised certificate.
Sally O’Connell, Training Centre Manager at Spirax Sarco, explained: “At that time, Spirax Sarco was the only authorised provider of the Steam Plant Maintenance training for the scheme. In the 30 years since we have continued to develop the course and gain accreditation for both our Steam Plant Maintenance and our Steam Boiler Plant Fundamentals (Shell Boiler) courses.”
Kirstie Donnelly, Managing Director at City & Guilds Group, added: “We are proud to have maintained a relationship with Spirax Sarco for three decades, accrediting their skills training and highlighting the quality process and credibility that learners are actively looking for.”
XYLEM LAUNCHES RENTAL HUB
Flooding due to heavy rains, prolonged drought or temporary projects with changing wastewater conditions all require fast and flexible solutions. Xylem understands that the priority is to keep businesses operational and prevent downtime that results in additional cost. It has, therefore, set up what it says is the largest rental hub in Europe to provide fast, on-demand assistance, including expert support and on-site installation.
The company’s rental fleet includes more than 6,000 assets available across 80 sites, chosen strategically for fast distribution and installation, to ensure that critical situations can be resolved quickly.
“Unfortunately, due to climate change, there is a risk that heavy rainfall can cause damage to wastewater infrastructure or communities’ drinking water networks. Now, we can cover all of these demands and ensure continued operation with a fast response service and installation,” explained Andy Grewar, General Manager Service & Rental, Xylem Water Solutions UK&I.
AESSEAL COMPLETES £1.4 MILLION TEST HOUSE REFURBISHMENT
AESSEAL has officially reopened its mechanical seal test house following an upgrade totalling more than £1.4 million.
The test centre, where the company’s mechanical seals and compressor dry gas seals are produced and put through rigorous trials to ensure they meet the highest quality and performance standards, has undergone significant refurbishment over the past two years.
This final phase has seen the company invest £800,000 in five state-of-the-art test rigs, with a sixth due to arrive in 2020. These will ensure the testing process is even more efficient and accurate.
Michael Rich, AESSEAL Test House Manager, said: “All our test rigs can be run on an automated basis, leaving operators more time to focus on preparation and post-test analysis. They are also user-friendly, which means new test technicians can be trained quickly, adding another efficiency to this rapidly expanding area of our business.”
SIEMENS AND GRUNDFOS SIGN DIGITAL PARTNERSHIP TO TACKLE GLOBAL CHALLENGES
SIEMENS AND GRUNDFOS HAVE SIGNED A DIGITAL partnership framework for strategic cooperation between the two companies. The new partnership focuses on the complementary products and solutions provided by both parties in three main areas: water and wastewater applications, industrial automation and building technology.
By combining their complementary expertise and knowledge in a long-term co-development digital partnership, both Siemens and Grundfos aim to benefit customers by creating synergies that extend beyond the sum of their parts. Both parties are entering into this partnership, aiming to achieve sustainable global change by joining forces in digital solutions.
“We are delighted to be further extending our collaboration with Grundfos,” explained Klaus Helmrich, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Digital Industries. “Siemens and Grundfos are combining the competences of both companies to support our joint customer base in their digital transformation, and in the implementation of intelligent solutions.”
“Our purpose is to pioneer solutions that contribute to solving the world’s water and climate challenges. To live up to that purpose, we are on a major digital transformation journey to supplement our pump solutions business by also becoming a digital solution and service provider. Partnering with Siemens is a big step in this direction,” added Mads Nipper, CEO of Grundfos.
POLES APART
Michael Mitten, Chief Executive of BPMA member, Houghton International, is taking on a challenge unlike any other.
Early in December 2019, Michael begins a trek across the final degree of latitude, crossing 60 nautical miles (111km) in freezing temperatures and extreme conditions to reach the South Pole. He will be taking on this momentous challenge in memory of his mum, Christine, who sadly passed away in 2016 following a long battle with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to raise awareness of the condition which affects over 10,000 people in the UK alone.
Michael had his first experience of the polar wilderness in 2009 when he challenged himself to trek to the North Pole in memory of his dad, Ron Mitten, who he lost to cancer in 2007. Ten years on, Michael felt it only fitting to get both feet under the table, in Polar trekking terms, and embark on a second trek, but this time to the South Pole to support the MS Society.
Further information, progress updates and details of how you can support Michael can be found on the challenge’s dedicated website.
