PECM - Issue 15 2015

www.pecm.co.uk

PECM

Global Success Through Innovation

Process Engineering Control & Manufacturing Issue 15 ÂŁ3.95

practical advice & solutions on the technical and management challenges faced by engineers and managers in the process engineering & manufacturing industries.

Control & 40 Automation

Electrical & Electronics

26 Air, Gas & Odour Control

Facilities 64 Management

Health & Safety 78

Measurement Process 109 & Monitoring 95 Technologies

54

Machining & Machinery 88

Storage, Handling & Equipment 117

industry news & events || boilers & maintenance || fluid handling || manufacturing || software & systems || water & effluent treatment

Man and Machine Training Academy

Man and Machine offer an extensive range of Autodesk training courses

Man and Machine specialise in Autodesk training for Manufacturers, Engineers, Architects & Product Designers.

All courses are taught with the official Autodesk courseware and includes one month’s free post training support.

Autodesk AutoCAD courses include:

AutoCAD Essentials AutoCAD Electrical Fundamentals AutoCAD Advanced AutoCAD 3D Drawing & Modelling AutoCAD Mechanical Essentials

E: marketing@manandmachine.co.uk W: www.manandmachine.co.uk T: 01844 263 700

Connect onnect with u us

PECM

Global Success Through Innovation

Process Engineering Control & Manufacturing Issue 15 Contents Editor: Elizabeth Hutton Assistant Editor: Justine Sanders Sales Director: Benjamin Dubois Sales Manager: Sophie Plowman Digital Manager: Jamie Bullock Publishing Director: Martin Holmes

Tel: 01227 392575

Email: elizabeth@pecm.co.uk

Tel: 01227 392575

Email: justine@pecm.co.uk

Tel: 01227 392529

Email: benjamin@pecm.co.uk

Tel: 01227 392517

Email: sophie@pecm.co.uk

Tel: 01227 392571

Email: jamie@pecm.co.uk

Tel: 01843 830249

Email: martin@pecm.co.uk

M H Media Global Ltd. St Augustine’s Business Centre, 125 Canterbury Road, Westgate On Sea, Kent, CT8 8NL Tel 01843 830249 Fax: 08721 152240 www.pecm.co.uk All web addresses are inter-active, simply click the web address of your choice to view the company website. There is also a useful tool bar where you can search for a specific product, or simply view the index on page 3 and then type in the page number of the section that you wish to view.

Please mention Process Engineering Control & Manufacturing when responding to items in this issue.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in Process Engineering, Control & Manufacturing however, the publishers accept no responsibility for the claims or opinions made by the contributors, manufacturers or advertisers.

No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic (including printing), recording or stored in any information retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Editors Choice Air, Gas & Odour Control Boilers & Maintenance Cables Calibration Solutions Cleaning Control & Automation Drives, Gears & Motors Electrical & Electronics Facilities Management Fasteners & Fixings Flow Measurement & Control Fluid Handling Health & Safety Hydraulics & Pneumatics Lubricants Machining & Machinery Measurement & Monitoring News & Events Process Technologies Product News Software & Systems Storage, Handling & Distribution Tools Valves & Flow Control Waste Management Water & Effluent Treatment

6 26 29 30 32 38 40 50 54 64 66 68 72 78 82 84 88 95 107 109 114 115 117 122 124 128 129

DELIVERING STRAINERS & FILTERS TO YOUR PROJECT WITHOUT DELAY

Y-type strainers 3 asket strainers 3 Duplex strainers 3 T-type strainers 3 Radial fin cartridge filters (to 1 micron) Filter separators and demister pads 3 Quick release closures Materials available include: Carbon Steel & LTCS 3 Stainless Steel 304/316 3 Duplex and Super Duplex Stainless Steel 6Mo 3 Monel 3 Aluminium ,*)2e 3 Cunifer 3 Hastelloy 3 Incoloy 625 & 825 3 Titanium 3 Norsok MDS

Based in the UK, Barton Firtop manufacture and stock hold an extensive range of ASME/CE Marked Y-type, Basket and Duplex strainers.

Contact: sales@bartonfirtop.co.uk or visit our website: www.bartonfirtop.co.uk Issue 15 PECM

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Introduction to Electrical Principles

This course will give you a basic working knowledge of the principles of electrical engineering and will also cover safe working practices. See more at www.peta.co.uk Course Details ĖĺLocation: Havant ĖĺDuration: 4 Days ĖĺMember: £629 ĖĺNon-Member: £740 All fees subject to VAT Objectives On completion of this course, delegates will be able to; understand the basic electrical principles and how they apply in electrical circuits additionally, delegates will be shown how to work safely and competently with electrical equipment, including operating techniques and the various symbols and icons which are important to understand.

Course Overview Practical application - wire an intermediate lighting circuit, a ring main circuit, a motor control circuit and wiring of junction boxes and terminals Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Introduction to 17th Edition Electrical safety, safe system of work and permit to work Ohms law, relationship between voltage, current and resistance and basic electrical calculations AC Generation and Transformer Principles AC Starters theory of operation Protection devices including fuses, MCBs, RCDs and RCCBs Understanding simple electrical drawings and simple circuit diagrams Identification and use of a range of electrical cables Electrical systems testing – continuity, polarity, insulation resistance Measurement of voltage, current and resistance Basic electrical fault diagnosis Earthing, bonding, insulation of electrical circuits.

Group Discounts 5% off for 2-3 people 8% off for 4-5 people 12% off for 6 or more people

For more information please see www.peta.co.uk

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PECM ssue 15

Introduction to Turning

Lathes are highly technical and require specialist training. This course is extremely safety-focused and will enable you to operate to a high standard of safety. Attending this course will enable you to operate the machinery effectively and safely. See more at www.peta.co.uk Course Details ĖĺLocation: Havant ĖĺDuration: 5 Days ĖĺMember: £799 ĖĺNon-Member: £940 All fees subject to VAT Objectives On completion of this course, delegates will be able to; use digital readouts and dials calculate speeds and feeds use of automatic feeds understand machine axis use tailstock and compound slide use attachments and precision techniques.

Course Overview Machine safety and guarding How to read and use measuring tools How to use feeds and speeds Tail-stock and running centre drilling, reaming & threading Precision techniques of turning diameters and boring holes Understanding drawings Facing/Parting off Machining shoulders and chamfers Basic cutting tool identification and setting Machining angles using compound slide Understanding and using digital readouts (DROs) Course Data Due to the nature of this course, dates are available upon request.

Company Sponsored Option This course is also available as a company sponsored option which is for your delegates only, this is a flexible solution and can be tailored to reflect your business needs, delivered on a date, time and place to suit you.

For more information please see www.peta.co.uk Issue 15 PECM

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Full Thrust: Innovation for Maintenance of High Performance Industrial Gas Turbines Repair process based on EOS technology opens new opportunities for industrial gas turbine maintenance cost reduction

I

n 1852 James Prescott Joule described for the first time the physical principle of the gas turbine – the thermodynamic cycle, also known as the Joule Process. The initial ideas and concepts behind this invention date back as early as 1791.

The Swedish-based company Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB (SIT) manufactures gas turbines for power generation in industrial and oil and gas applications. The performance spectrum of Siemens’ industrial turbines ranges from 15 to 60 megawatts. Besides construction, the Siemens subsidiary also provides long-term service and maintenance for these engineering masterpieces. In an effort to help reduce maintenance costs, Siemens is currently working on the development and implementation of Additive Manufacturing technology, utilising EOS technology and equipment.

Challenge The gas turbine consists of air inlet, compressor, combustor, turbine and hot gas outlet. The compressor compresses the air going through the engine. In the combustion chamber, compressed air is mixed with fuel and

During operations, the components in the engine’s hot gas path are exposed to high temperatures burned in order to increase the kinetic energy of the flow. In the turbine, the kinetic energy of the flow is

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PECM ssue 15

converted into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is used to turn the gas turbine compressor and generator (to generate electricity) or other driven equipment (e.g. compressor to pump the gas /oil through the pipe lines).

During operations, the components in the engine’s hot gas path are exposed to high temperatures, at times in excess of 1,000 degrees Celsius (e.g. blades and vanes). This, in turn, leads to a high level of wear of the hot gas path components.

This is also true for the burner tip – the point at which the ignition of the fuel-air mixture takes place. Here, the effects of wear and tear can be clearly seen and measured. The manufacturer undertook rigorous testing to establish a prescribed operating period after which the burners typically need to be repaired.

Conventional repair procedure required prefabrication of a big portion of the burner tip. This prefabricated burner tip is used for replacement of the burner tip after a specified operation time (cut old and weld prefabricated one). Conventional repair procedure can be time-consuming with a significant number of sub-processes and examinations. To help simplify and speed up the repair procedure Additive Manufacturing technology was implemented at Siemens.

Solution Such an undertaking requires an innovative partner. Siemens found just that in EOS: In addition to having the right Additive Manufacturing technology, EOS was also able, within a short time frame, to individually adapt one of its in-house machines – an EOSINT M 280 – for this processing. The alterations concerned, in particular, the scale of

the machine’s interior, which had to be enlarged to accommodate the 800 millimetre burner. The manufacturer also amended further hardware components such as a camera system and an optical measuring system and made corresponding adjustments to the software. EOS carried out the extensive re-working of the EOSINT system in less than a year.

From the outset it was clear that the approach would be reaping benefits From the outset it was clear that the approach would be reaping benefits.

Rather than replacing a large portion of the burner tip, Siemens began by removing the damaged material only. Moreover, during repair, former versions of the burners in the fleet could be re-built to the latest design. So, theses former versions of the burners in the fleet could be not only repaired, but also improved – thus bringing new meaning to the term Additive Manufacturing.

Results Figures, data and facts clearly detail the success of the new repair process.

Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB will be able to make a significant impact on the central concern – the reduction of the repair time: For the operator, what is equally important is that the turbines are quickly ready to return to service. This provides additional opportunities

for potential cost reduction of the repair process – resulting in overall maintenance cost reduction.

Alongside the benefits to its own repair process, Siemens can now offer its customers strategic advantages: Through the new process, the experts are able to make improvements to the turbine technology relating to the component by building them into the repair process. In this way, operators could have access to the latest technology, even if their turbines have seen years of service.

Dr. Vladimir Navrotsky, Head of Technology and Innovation at Siemens Energy Service, Oil & Gas and Industrial Applications, summarizes: “With this new repair technology we are looking to carry out these high precision jobs much more quickly.”

It’s not only the Swedish Siemens’ subsidiary that views the project as a significant achievement.

“We have successfully pushed our technology into the repair arena. We have shown that we are capable of modifying our system quickly to meet customer-specific requirements. In this case, the modifications to both hardware and software were significant.

Everyone involved can look back with satisfaction, not only at the end result but also the route to achieving it,” says Stefan Oswald from EOS.

Repair technology in use: Dr. Vladimir Navrotsky, Head of Technology and Innovation at Siemens Energy Service O&G, holding a burner tip which was repaired within a short time frame by means of Additive Manufacturing (Source: Siemens).

EOSINT M 280 Custom: The system was individually adapted to the purposes of Siemens and helps to simplify and speed up the repair procedure of burners for industrial gas turbines (Source: Siemens).

Facts Short Profile Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB manufactures, installs, commissions and services industrial gas turbines with a power range of 15 to 60 megawatts.

Address

“Additive Manufacturing opens up new dimensions for us in the use of integrated design and production. This technology enables us to manufacture and repair components for our industrial gas turbines far quicker than before. At the same time, the functionality and performance of the part is increased.”

Dr. Vladimir Navrotsky, Head of Technology and Innovation at Siemens Energy Service O&G

Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB SE-612 83 Finspong Sweden

Challenge Customising an EOS solution for the precise, cost-effective, and faster repair of gas turbine components exposed to extreme temperatures.

Solution Enlargement of the construction capacity to accommodate individual customised repairs through the reapplication of material to the worn burner tip of the gas turbine.

Results - Fast: time required for the repair process of burner tips has fallen by more than 90% - Innovative: old versions of the burners can quickly be brought up to the latest standards of technology - Cost-effective: potential cost reductions already seen at an early stage Issue 15 PECM

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I

nnovation underpins the continued success of global-leading multinational Procter & Gamble (P&G). By strengthening its portfolio of consumer products and the processes behind them, scientific breakthroughs sharpen the company’s competitive edge, create jobs and ultimately drive growth and market share. But they simply could not be achieved without a solid platform of world-class research. P&G commits R&D resources in the UK that are at levels significantly higher than the UK’s proportion of P&G’s global business, reflecting what it sees as the UK’s unique research climate where pioneering projects and high-calibre expertise generate insights that benefit

both the business and the wider economy.

Since 2006, P&G’s Strategic Partnership with Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has helped it to access crucial expertise in academia and catalysed new upstream work dovetailing with its own nearer-market research. With Innovate UK helping innovations negotiate the ‘valley of death’ between the laboratory and the marketplace, real- world solutions to tough industrial problems and outstanding career opportunities for some of the UK’s brightest scientists are the welcome result.

The UK’s strong position needs to be constantly reinforced through ever smarter investment in priority themes and research tools to partner with business, as other regions learn from and try to emulate UK success.

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P&G has 16 sites across the UK and Ireland

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P&G serves approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands including Always, Ariel, Ambi Pur, Braun, Duracell, Fairy, Febreze, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Iams, Lenor, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, SK-II and Wella

EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in a broad range of subjects – from mathematics to materials science, and from information technology to structural engineering

UK Research Opens the Road to Growth Letting good ideas flow ‘Caking’ of powdered materials is a common problem for many industries including detergents, bulk chemicals, food and pharmaceuticals.

P&G Engineer Graham Calvert’s work on a rig allowing caking of powdered materials to be studied in unprecedented detail builds on knowledge developed during his partly EPSRC-funded PhD, his post-doctoral placement at P&G and his Innovate UK/EPSRC-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).

Meanwhile, Senior Engineer Hossein Ahmadian – also harnessing insights from his partly EPSRC-funded PhD and Innovate UK-backed KTP – is leading

an Innovate UK-funded project aiming to reduce the energy costs of spraydrying techniques used in powder production by 10 per cent. In addition, he is fostering tomorrow’s research leaders, overseeing multiple research projects at Leeds University receiving substantial P&G investment on top of EPSRC/Innovate UK support.

Cold water comes clean Effective low-temperature detergents offer huge benefits for the consumer and the environment. Funded through an EPSRC/P&G collaboration, research led by Warwick University has shown that nano-scale carbon pieces help loosen fat from fabrics without hot washing.

Cold water cleaning is also a focus of CEMENT (Centre of Excellence in Methods and New Technologies for Surface Modification and Cleaning), a £14 million Regional Growth Fund initiative involving P&G, Durham University, Peerless Systems and the Centre for Process Innovation (part of Innovate UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult). Creating a ‘hotspot’ of academic/private expertise, it will also harness the skills of EPSRC-funded students that it is inspiring in North-East England – binding research and innovation in a lasting partnership.

Editors Choice E-TECK: experts in advanced adhesives E-Teck Ltd provides industrial users with advanced adhesives together with ancillary products for the engineering, marine and automotive sectors. Our products cover both generalist and specialist applications and are compatible with a wide range of substances including composites, plastics, metals, glass, wood and concrete.

Our current products utilise the latest chemical technology while our excellent laboratory facilities in Europe and the USA ensure our customers benefit from continued product development. With over 20 years’ experience in the adhesives industry, we supply customers all over the world. Exceptional customer service remains our priority.

Email: sales@e-teck.com

www.e-teck.com

HRH The Duke of York visits BSRIA Instrument Solutions as a part of 60 year celebrations As a part of their 60 year celebrations BSRIA were visited by HRH The Duke of York, KG on April 13th. The Duke visited BSRIA’s Bracknell Headquarters where he met with Senior Staff before touring the BSRIA test laboratories and meeting the test engineers. The Duke follows in his father’s footsteps as His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh visited BSRIA in 1962. During the visit The Duke toured the BSRIA Instrument Solutions calibration test labs where he saw a number of instruments being calibrated including BSRIA’s new infrared test rig. His Royal Highness then watched a demonstration of one of BSRIA Instrument Solutions most popular thermal imaging cameras before progressing on to view the wind tunnel that caught The Duke’s eye during the tour.

Tel: 01344 465677

www.bsria.co.uk

HBM go above and beyond the standard with load cell range

HBM waves to success with tidal power plant

Following recent changes to the European ATEX Directive 94/9/EC, HBM – a market leader in the field of test and measurement – is pleased to announce that nearly all standard load cells are now available for various zone areas.

HBM – a market leader in the field of test and measurement – has been successfully awarded the contract to install strain gauges inside Deep Green, the latest tidal power plant from Minesto, which is the largest marine energy company in the Nordics.

The ATEX Directive 94/9/EC outlines the requirements suppliers must meet to achieve compliance for their equipment and protective systems for use in hazardous areas. It applies to both electrical and mechanical equipment and covers potentially explosive areas below ground, on the surface and on offshore fixed facilities. Under the ATEX regulations, hazardous areas are now divided into ‘zones’ relating to the likelihood of an explosive atmosphere existing. Almost all standard load cells from HBM cover device groups I (for mining) and II (non mining) and are suitable for use in categories 1, 2 and 3, corresponding to zones 0, 1, 2 ,20, 21 and 22.

Tel: 0208 515 6000 Email: info@hbm.com www.hbm.com

As part of the rigorous development work undertaken by Minesto, HBM was able to play a key role in verifying how the plant behaved in the water and how it measured the forces to which it was exposed.

Although relatively protected inside the power plant, the most important issue was to ensure that the moist environment in no way compromised the measurement result but thanks to HBM’s installation and sizing technology for offshore environments, this was successfully achieved.

Tel: 0208 515 6000 Email: info@hbm.com www.hbm.com

Seton UK wins ECMOD award

Andrews celebrates 50 years as hire specialist Andrews Sykes this year celebrates 50 years in sector that has seen them grow to become a dominant player in the hire of industrial equipment such as air-con, dehumidifiers, boilers and chillers, heaters and ventilation equipment.

“Now firmly established as one of the UK’s leading specialist hire firms, we have much to celebrate as we look back on five decades of sustained growth,” says Paul Wood – Managing Director. “What started off as a humble heater and steam cleaner supplier in Wolverhampton and developed into a multi-million pound, multi-national corporation that has only been made possible by the dedicated endeavours of our staff.” Originally a one-man operation that started in the mid 1960’s, the Andrews specialist hire business now has over 600 employees with depots in Western Europe and the Middle East.

Email: james.duck@andrews-sykes.com

www.andrews-sykes.com

Improving Health and Safety in the Workplace Marken offer a range of solvent cleaning wipes standard and specials (made to order). The bespoke service was introduced to help improve Health and Safety standards for applications where loose solvent of customer choice can be substituted by using our pre-saturated wipes. A good range of wiper fabric, size and packaging is available.

Popular choices; IPA, Acetone, MEK, Low Odour Solvents.

Our wipes are the solution to solvent storage issues, effective in reducing solvent emissions for wiping applications, improving operator safety and quality of finished product.

Tel: 0114 2697107

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PECM Issue 15

Email: info@markenchemicals.co.uk

Top players in the UK multi-channel retail sector gathered at the exclusive Hurlingham Club in London earlier this month for the eagerly anticipated European Catalogue & Mail Order Direct Commerce (ECMOD) Awards. Presented by Sky News anchor Dermot Murnaghan, the event recognised the hard work, flair and commitment of businesses in the catalogue and multichannel retail sector. Seton UK, a leading manufacturer and distributor of health and safety and facilities management solutions, is proud to have won the prestigious Outstanding Customer Service Award against tough competition.

Excellent customer service has always been the corner stone of the Seton business, giving customers the positive buying experience they expect and deserve. Winning this award is a fantastic endorsement of Seton’s exceptional service and ongoing commitment to customers.

www.seton.co.uk

VisionScope Technologies Ltd for all your Industrial Inspection As from the 1st July 2015, VisionScope Technologies and INSPECTION OPTICS LTD will be merging together to provide multiple brands and own make Industrial Imaging devices.

Endoscopes, Camera systems, Light Sources, Pipe Camera and Machine Vision components.

Combined we are agents for Heine Technoscopes GmbH, HIPP Endoskopie GmbH, Wohler GmbH, IT Concepts, Endoscan Ltd, MC Medical Ltd and Moritex. Additionally we offer second user equipment and provide service support for Medical Devices.

Our main website is www.vst.org.uk and email info@vst.org.uk Additional websites: www.heinetechnoscopes.co.uk and www.hipp-borescopes.co.uk Telephone : 01223 440239 or 01935 881414

Instant data management enables smart grids to maximise power distribution efficiency Raima delivers high-performance, always on database technology for both inmemory database usage and persistent storage devices

T

here are multiple pressures on the power supply network. More people are using it, established customers are consuming ever more electricity, and the pressure to reduce carbon emissions from power generation is increasing. Part of the solution to this dilemma will lie in developing smart grids that provide better husbanding of the available power – metering it more precisely, reducing transmission losses and encouraging more sustainable practices by consumers. A key characteristic of a smart grid is the efficient and timely use of operational data to constantly match supply to demand.

In recent decades developing countries have wanted to extend their electrical distribution networks to new population centres and industrial bases. In many cases they have not been in a position to increase their generating capacity quickly enough, so have looked to develop ‘smart grids’, which make best use of the power available.

The developed nations are also looking to smart grids, although it is to meet growing demand from existing users.

(The alternative is to add generators to the network, but capital outlay and increased emissions are hard to justify.)

Further, there is increasing concern about global warming, and smart grids

make better use of available power.

Smart grids are also attractive in relation to renewable power sources, which are variable in output and tend to lead to a complex network architecture, based on many small-tomedium power sources, rather than a few large power stations.

A smart grid uses data collection and computer technologies to gather information about consumption by individual consumers, interpret it and optimise operations to match the everchanging patterns of demand.

Electric utilities are transforming their grids by improving and renewing infrastructure, while simultaneously adding the intelligent digital technology, which includes automatic meter reading.

For instance, smart meters use continuous communications to provide real-time monitoring, so that they can determine how demand from individual users varies over time – and predict future needs. Often the data is transmitted as broadband over power lines (BPL), although other systems use wireless technologies, such as mesh networking.

The amount of data that needs to be collected is enormous and it has to be analysed instantly as well as being stored for reference and reuse.

Quite simply, this could not be done manually, so high-performance

database technologies need to be married with automated metering and other supporting technologies.

A state-of-the-art high-performance database management system, such as the Raima Database Manager (RDM), can be configured to precisely match the needs of any grid. Multiple databases can be embedded into the grid to provide local real-time control.

RDM is an ACID-(atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability) compliant database management system (DBMS). Its multi-core processors can be distributed about the grid, yet work together to maximise the use of available memory capacity.

Its speed of processing is almost instantaneous, because it uses on-chip data storage; however, it also instantly transfers data to disk for secure longterm storage.

If smart grids are to achieve their full potential, efficient data handling is a prerequisite. Raima’s RDM data management technology is proven in many demanding fields, such as the control of nuclear facilities, subsea oil well management and worldwide telecommunications networks, and is fast proving its worth in smart grid applications. www.raima.com

Issue 15 PECM

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Editors Choice

New TC Model t 500 - 2000kg/hr t Touch control screen t Full modulation feature 50-100% firing t Natural Gas, Light Oil, LPG and Bio Fuel t Automatic facility option t >98% Efficiency * t Steam in 3 minutes t Compact construction t Lightweight, suitable for mezzanine floors t Factory tested prior to dispatch to site t

Electrical Range t Compact t 8 - 160kg/hr Steam output t Modulating ouput t Skid mountable t Steam in 3 minutes t Automatic facility option

Dual fuel option

Junior & Universal Range t 80 - 2000kg/hr t Natural Gas, Light Oil, LPG and Bio Fuel t Automatic facility option t >98% Efficiency * t Steam in 3 minutes t Compact construction t Lightweight, suitable for mezzanine floors t Factory tested prior to dispatch to site

CERTUSS (UK) Limited Unit 45 Gravelly Industrial Park Tyburn Road Birmingham B24 8TG

£3.5 Million Amazon order is largest ever for Stertil Dock products Stertil Dock Products has won its largest ever order to supply Combilok vehicle restraint systems for 14 Amazon sites throughout Europe.

Before securing the contract, Stertil Dock Products was asked to participate in exhaustive trials, in competition with other manufacturers, at Amazon sites in the UK, France and Germany. The trials were highly successful in proving the performance and reliability of the Combilok across a whole range of lorries and vans including double deck trailers. Consequently, Amazon placed an order, with a contract value of £3.5 million, covering the supply and installation of more than 500 Combilok systems.

The Combilok was developed to reduce the risk of unintentional vehicle movement on loading bays and offers a ‘safety net’ by holding vehicles in one place until loading or unloading is completed. Also, the Stertil Combilok vehicle restraint system helps to ensure the safe loading and unloading of vehicles by eliminating the common problem of poor communication between drivers and distribution personnel in loading bays.

CVE Package Plant t compact t Pre-pied, Pre-Wired t Skid mounted t Fully factory tested t Lightweight t

Easily maintained

Tel: 0121 327 5362 Fax: 0121 328 2934 sales@certuss.co.uk www.certuss.co.uk

Smallest cable gland meets constantly changing market needs Specialist German component supplier, Walter Logan, now offers the industry’s smallest cable gland, the PFLITSCH UNI Dicht cable gland system from PFLITSCH, the German industrial cable gland and cable routeing manufacturer.

Responding to demands for smaller cable glands, the PFLITSCH UNI Dicht M4 cable gland has a mounting height of just 8.8mm (max) with a connection thread length of 2.7mm.

The PFLITSCH UNI Dicht cable gland is particularly suitable for use in cable and pipeline routeing for sensor systems and in projects where space is a premium. It offers a compact construction with maximum sealing range, from 0.9 to 1.6mm, ensuring it can be used with a wide variety of cable types.

Offering protection against dust ingress the PFLITSCH UNI Dicht M4 cable gland is certified to IP68 and up to 10 bar / one hour. Additionally, an O-ring in the gland provides a seal to the enclosure wall. A wide operating temperature of -40 to +130̊C makes the cable gland suitable for use in harsh and extreme environments.

This latest cable gland is offered with brass nickel plating, and a stainless steel version is available on request.

Stertil Dock Products Tel: 0870 770 0471 www.stertil.co.uk

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PECM Issue 15

Please contact: Tel: 0044 (0)208 446 0161 Fax:0044 (0)208 445 5137 Email: glands@walterlogan.com www.walterlogan.co.uk

DJJ Precision Engineering Ltd

Specialists in Stainless Steel Production Specialist in Stainless Steel, Nimonics, Brass, Duplex, Aluminium, Exotics, Super Alloys, Titanium, Inconel, Copper, Hastelloy, Bronze, Advanced Engineering Plastics, most Ferrous and None Ferrous materials and many more...

14 Pontyfelin Ave Ind Estate Pontypool, South Wales, NP4 0DQ, UK

0044 (0)1495 760561

sales@djjengineering.com www.djjengineering.com

Tsubakimoto delivers power & performance to the paper industry

As one of the world’s premier manufacturers of power transmission products, Tsubakimoto has developed a wide range of reliable products, specifically designed to meet the tough working environment of the paper and pulp industry.

Tsubaki invests heavily in R&D and offers a wide range of products which have been designed for all types of industries and environments.

This means that for most applications, even traditional hard wearing ones, we are able to specify a solution which will last many times longer than a basic chain.

A

s one of the world’s premier manufacturers of power transmission products, Tsubakimoto has developed a wide range of reliable products, specifically designed to meet the tough working environment of the paper and pulp industry. To help those involved in operating and maintaining the many processes of paper manufacture achieve their performance and efficiency goals, Tsubaki has released a comprehensive product brochure, which is available on its website.

From beginning to end, the paper manufacturing process involves the continuous movement of materials from the original woodchip to the finished paper roll and each process can benefit from the expertise of Tsubaki’s design engineers.

From drive chain and sprockets to couplings and reduction gearboxes, Tsubaki can deliver a wide range of products that will reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) and improve productivity and profitability.

The operating environment within a typical paper manufacturing facility is often laden with dust that can stick to drive chains and block the conventional lubrication path. This can cause increased levels of wear in the drive chains, which will need more frequent maintenance, increasing costs and possibly reducing productivity and efficiency.

The operating environment within a typical paper manufacturing facility is often laden with dust that can stick to drive chains and block the conventional lubrication path Tsubaki has developed a range of products, such as Lambda chain, which is a lube-free chain with oil impregnated sintered bushes that retain lubricant, thereby negating the need for external lubrication and extends the wear-life of chain dramatically. This

can be matched with a drive chain sprocket that has a deep hardened layer over the entire component that provides excellent wear resistance for a long service life.

Derek Mack, Sales Director for Tsubaki UK, concludes: “Tsubaki invests heavily in R&D and offers a wide range of products which have been designed for all types of industries and environments. This means that for most applications, even traditional hard wearing ones, we are able to specify a solution which will last many times longer than a basic chain. We will conduct a site visit prior to specification to make sure that we understand the unique requirements of every job and can offer an accurate estimate for our chain’s TCO.” The latest Paper Industry brochure is available from the Tsubaki website, http://goo.gl/WuxUM4 or to find out more about Tsubaki chain, contact the Tsubaki Europe Sales team either by phone +31 (0)78 6204000.

Editors Choice QUOTE

PECMJL15 FOR A

10% DISCOUNT Derbyshire and Sons are a family run, precision engineering company known nationally for quality service at competitive prices. Trading for over 35 years, Our commitment to premium quality & service is demonstrated by our full ISO9001 accreditation.

Ecotile interlocking PVC floor tiles are a heavy-duty flooring solution with a proven track record in many of the UK’s premier manufacturing companies.

In addition to general precision machining, our areas of expertise include the production of flanges, screwed stainless steel pipe fittings, block tees for the Petrochemical / Turbine & Automobile Industries as well as one off bespoke work to your own requirements.

• Fast installation: minimal downtime • Durable and easy to maintain – 10 year guarantee

Our services are extensive and include:-

• Made in the UK

Turning – Conventional methods and also CNC Turning up to 6ft in Diameter.

• Copes easily with forklift traffic • Oil and chemical resistant

Advanced CNC turning - 5 Axis including power tooling; specialising in exotics metals.

• Anti-slip and anti-fatigue • Full quality ratings including: ISO9001 / 14001, CE Mark, BFI S1 Fire Rating and the R10 anti-slip rating.

Boring, Milling & Drilling – Conventional and CNC. Boring up to 1 Ton. Tel:- 0151 423 1478 Or email sales@derbyshiresengineering.co.uk for more information. Or why not visit our website:www.derbyshiresengineering.co.uk

Free Light in a Pipe 100,000 of our LED lights are installed in factories, warehouses, train stations, car parks and 12 of the UK’s busiest shopping centres with £2 million annual electric and 30% carbon savings earning us a Lux Award.

Sky Tunnel® daylight technology helps Save Cash & Carbon® plus natural light has proven benefits for the workplace.

Telephone 01582 788 232 or email enquiries@ecotileflooring.com

Quality products and excellent service,

Strong performance.

We provide a full range of rugged & reliable measurement sensors, instrumentation, pumps, drive couplings and hydraulic components to suit the needs of even the most demanding of industrial applications.

• Sky Tunnels® from 300mm to 1000mm diameter

q Flow metering and Instrumentation

• LED lighting with 5 years warranty

q Gear & Piston Pumps

• Emergency lighting

q Magnetic Couplings

• Advanced lighting and building controls The A+ Group offers power, lighting, water, waste and ecobuild products.

q Hydraulic System Components q Process Measurement Sensors

Call 01202 470133, email info@the-agroup.co.uk or look at www.the-agroup.co.uk.

DP Seals success with patent Poole based seal and moulding specialist, DP Seals, have now been granted a UK patent for their unique tooling and moulding system.

Originally developed by the company’s founder, David Piper, almost 40 years ago, the basic concept was for a moulding tool incorporating locating plates that not only allowed free and easy movement during assembly and disassembly, but could also be locked into position to ensure the closed cavities remained closed and so drastically reduced any potential for flashing.

The combination of practicality and ingenuity immediately gave DP Seals an advantage over their competitors and enabled it to produce small, close tolerance, flashless mouldings that no-one else could match.

The system has been an integral part of its production process ever since and now the ownership of the idea has been signed, sealed and delivered with the granting of UK patent GB 2 513 012.

Tel: 01202 674671

Email: sales@dpseals.com

Specialist suppliers to Large Industry

UK Flowtechnik

Contact us today on 0800 433 4770 or Email: sales@ukflowtechnik.com Discover more at www.ukflowtechnik.com Issue 15 PECM

15

The Utility Forum is an energy conservation consultancy based on the Fylde coast that looks in to ways to not only reduce the costs to your energy but also how you use it.

A family run business that has a combined experience of over 80 years in the energy industry.

Our MD, Chris Holdsworth was one of the few volunteers to take part in the Consultation process with the DECC and the Energy Institute for ESOS (Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme), the UK Governments response to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. Chris was one of the first Lead Assessors for this programme.

The Utility Forum has done over 300 Carbon Trust Energy Audits which were mainly carried out by the MD, personally.

The Utility Forum has been working with M.A.S (The Manufacturing Advisory Service) for over 250 clients and has pre-agreed funding to help with the consultancy costs involved to help with the impact of anything relating to energy usages in manufacturing and Engineering.

The Utility Forum can help any business of any size deal with their energy requirements and specialises in helping larger organisations reduce both their costs and usages.

Services we offer – t &OFSHZ "VEJUJOH o We have our own acclaimed, unique ABLE – (A Better living Environment) system – Which includes metering individual circuits to establish waste and opportunities for reduction.

Some of the benefits – Sustainable elimination of waste, reduction in consumption and increase in energy efficiency.

Access to a wide range of energy efficiency measures.

Ability to identify energy production overhead in order to cost sales.

Freeing up of management time.

Recovery of previous overcharges to re-invest in business growth. t 1SPDVSFNFOU (BT &MFDUSJD o Some of the benefits to working with UF Over 80 years of combined knowledge in the energy sector.

Dedicated to getting the best options available to you, which isn’t always about price.

Securing back dated costs – a consultant can sometimes secure back dated payments for you in areas unknown to yourself.

No hidden/additional fees – what we offer is what you pay.

Significant buying power – working with some

of the larger clients in the UK, Redrow Homes, Bibby Distribution allows for us to secure very competitive prices for all our clients 99% retention on our energy clients t8BUFS o Business Water Rates – The Utility Forum provides: Retrospective analysis of water charges.

Arrange for rebates and savings on inaccurate charges.

Investigations into water leaks.

Smart water metering to allow for monitoring and targeting.

Negotiations with water suppliers to claim overcharges.

Ongoing monitoring of invoices to ensure services are required and received.

Surface Water and Trade Effluent – The Utility Forum provides: Retrospective analysis of Surface Water charges.

Retrospective analysis of Trade Effluent charges.

Negotiations with water suppliers to claim overcharges.

Ongoing monitoring of invoices to ensure services are required and received. t5FMFDPNT o Mandate Utilities is the first telecoms for business provider to literally charge you for what you use instead of adding all the hidden

fees.

At Mandate Utilities we have over 20 years experience in providing major savings for businesses all over the UK. Most businesses just accept the rates such suggested by the major telecoms companies but we are here to fight back and could save you thousands!!

Our telecoms for business packages include: Landlines: We provide line rental and call solutions at competitive market rates.

We tailor packages to suit your individual business requirements based on clear research.

We can offer One-Bill bundles for businesses who want a simple package to enable month to month budgeting.

We can offer no set up fees or minimum spend commitment with per second billing Broadband: Telecoms for Business – Mandate Utilities can: Provide you with the latest broadband with download speeds up to 24Mb. Packages starting from as little as £11.75 per month.

Mobiles: Telecoms for Business – Mandate Utilities can: Offer services with leading providers including Vodafone, 02, Orange and T-Mobile.

Help you to understand how the current range of applications can enhance your business.

Arrange number porting for administration ease.

www.theutilityforum.co.uk

Call 01253 851 818

Email info@theutilityforum.co.uk or visit our website

We are registered members of – EMA – Energy Managers Association North East Initiative And our MD, Chris Holdsworth BSc is a member of Institute of Directors Fellow of the Energy Institute Carbon Trust Accredited A Chartered Engineer Registered Lead Assessor for ESOS Member of CIBSE RPEC – Register of Professional Energy Consultant The Team – Chris Holdsworth – MD/Owner Tanya Hyde – General Manager Sarah Walton – Principal Analyst Gavin Hall – Head of Sales/Business Development Lynette Toon – Analyst

From right to left Gavin Hall - Head of Sales/ Business Development Sarah Walton - Principal Analyst Chris Holdsworth Lynette Toon - DataAdministration Officer

From right to left Tanya Hyde Gm Chris Holdsworth MD Sarah Walton - Principal Analyst

( & . 4 ("(" &OFSHZ .PEVMF Software This is a new software we have developed for helping business do everything from ESOS through to energy management and currently have it out on trials with several companies.

&404 XIBU B IBOEGVM PG ( & . 4 it has turned out to be?!

Recently the EU decided to enforce one of its main directives across the entire grid, from Spain through to the UK. Article 8 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive states that individual member states across the domain are required to enforce movements towards reducing their impact on the environment, look in to ways they can reduce their impact on it and investigate modern technologies to see if they can also reduce what they use.

Modern organisations have been mainly focused on how to reduce their costs instead of looking at reducing what they use and as most reduction applications have taken too long to gain the benefits outlined from surveys, they have often been shelved in many cases.

The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) has been translated the wrong way, it should be taken that you have an opportunity to look at energy through the eyes of industry

experts and gain a clearer knowledge of your own energy usages, in ways you have more than likely looked at but never engaged.

Companies have been making vast savings on their energy usages by using state of the art technologies like converting to LED or updating their EMS (Energy Management System) to a more modern version.

With this in mind The Utility Forum have developed a software called GEMS, that

seamlessly helps you monitor ALL your energy usages, including fuel, for ESOS compliance. It has been designed to fit in to any organisation with minimal effort and comes with a full back-up/support service. It has some of the highest encryption security protection to make sure your information is safe and secure and is continually updated with “opportunities� that can help your company reduce both its costs and usages from the ground up.

www.theutilityforum.co.uk

Rugged Touch Screen Computer Reduces Cost Through Modular Design

H

uman Machine Interfaces (HMI) play a vital role within the production and manufacturing sectors, these factory control applications are often installed on outdated hardware that can be bulky and lacking the opportunity to upgrade or expand with technological advances - which can lead to an expensive investment for such demanding industry sectors.

Steatite are exclusively offering the Cincoze panel PC, which employs a modular design that helps to minimise the total cost of ownership within the control and interactive system technology. Through a unique ‘configure by design’ build, the computing hardware or touch screen components can be upgraded and expanded separately as your needs and requirements change. This two part design helps to simplify servicing and maintenance, meaning these tasks can now be carried out without the need for specialist training or a

pause in operational use. The rugged and reliable structure allows users to complete tasks manually with the optional transferrable PC module through a plug-in design; creating a constantly running schedule.

Through our expertise we custom build industrial computer systems from the initial concept design through to the final product.

Through our expertise we custom build industrial computer systems from the initial concept design through to the final product. Steatite’s specialised

Steatite’s specialised systems are equipped to tackle the most critical tasks and roles in some of the world’s toughest working environments

systems are equipped to tackle the most critical tasks and roles in some of the world’s toughest working environments through functional designs, responsive software and superior performance.

To learn more about how Steatite can assist you with your production and manufacturing needs contact our technical team on +44 (0)1527 512400 or visit www.steatite.co.uk/pecm

This two part design helps to simplify servicing and maintenance, meaning these tasks can now be carried out without the need for specialist training or a pause in operational use.

STEATITE Limited Ravensbank Business Park, Acanthus Road, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 9EX Telephone: +44 (0)1527 512400 • Email: sales@steatite.co.uk • Web: www.steatite.co.uk/pecm

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PECM ssue 15

nstitute of Solar Technology (IST) is an academic and researchoriented & Entrepreneurship Development institute under GATE Trust that has worked in partnership with companies, organizations, community development associations and sociological research institutes. We offer professional solar training with a real time practice laboratory and hands-on training on solar PV technologies. We have experienced instructors trained. Our professional solar PV training is tailored for your needs, may it be for solar technicians, solar engineers, senior solar plant architects, solar sales or business managers.

I

Institute of Solar Technology An established brand name in industry through quality and efficient training and education services Variety of solar training under one roof has taken the lead to contribute to a strong and sustainable thrust for solar training.

IST offer solar training course – • Hands-on Diploma in Photovoltaic System Design and Installation • Advance Certificate in Photovoltaic System Installation • Advance Certificate in Photovoltaic Business Management • Advance Certificate in Solar Rooftop Installer • Advance Certificate in Solar Street Light Installer • Advanced Certificate in Solar Water Pump Installer • Certificate in Basic of PV Solar System • Workshop On Solar Power Technology • Vocational Training Program on PV Solar Technology for B.E/B.Tech students And more For admission and New Branch Affiliation: Visit us: www.istindia.org Email us: customercaregps@gmail.com

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PECM ssue 15

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The Brand Of Choice For Vibration Control Manufacturing expertise for over 60 years

The History….

For over 60 years, TICO has been the brand of choice for vibration control. From our Manufacturing site in Cornwall, we have been supplying elastomeric Vibration attenuation solutions across the world. With an on-site laboratory, technical unit and research team, we have been offering unparalleled service and tailored engineered solutions to all aspects of industry.

TICO is the generic brand name for a range of products that are used for a variety of purposes including: Machinery Mounting, Vibration Attenuation, Plant Levelling, Pipe Supports, Movement Joints, Low Friction Supports and Impact Absorption. With a wide range of off-the-shelf and bespoke manufactured solutions, all backed with technical excellence and an assurance of quality, we are able to make recommendations on all vibration and related problems.

The Science ….

TICO is a rubber bonded cork compound that is vulcanised to create three dimensional bonds. This procedure delivers greater strength + toughness, compared to glued rubber crumb products or air filled elastomers and also gives a higher resistance to break up during the life of the products.

The rubber bonded cork compound has a key benefit, our pure elastomers having a high compression set that occurs within its own volume. This means the product under compression maintains its foot print and does not creep or bulge outside of the load area.

TICO is only manufactured in the UK at the Tiflex facility, where it has a quality controlled production process and end of line testing. This testing verifies performance against product data sheets, giving confidence of product reliability and consistency. Over 60 years of reliability in many diverse applications, validates the TICO brand name, heritage and recognition all over the world.

TICO products are designed to operate in harsh environments with its closed cell structure, providing resistance to absorption of oils & water. The product maintains it’s original performance structure through a wide temperature range, beyond that of many competitive materials.

With a wide range of off-the-shelf and bespoke manufactured solutions For more information please contact Tiflex Limited Email: tico@tiflex.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1579 320808 Web: www.tiflex.co.uk/tico/ Issue 15 PECM

23

Challenging thinking

The independent design and engineering group Arup sees benefit in backing research that challenges conventional thinking and achieves broad impact across society.

Arup’s global business is in three main areas – infrastructure, building and consulting – and it sees research as an essential ingredient of business development in all three. “But unlike other organisations in these areas, we don’t have any physical research laboratories ourselves,” said Professor Jeremy Watson CBE FREng – Director of Global Research, Arup Group Ltd. “We have always worked closely with the Academy through long- term partnerships, and have strategic memoranda of understanding with universities around the world. The benefit from the university connection, he said, is easy access to talent and skills. The academics also value us in introducing research projects with real impact.”

The impact of research The engineering design consultancy behind some of the world’s most striking structures, including the Sydney Opera House and the ‘Birds’ Nest’ Beijing Olympic Stadium, Arup has built its reputation by challenging convention. This applies to its portfolio of research funding as much as to its management of engineering projects.

Arup’s co-sponsorship of Royal Academy of Engineering’s research chairs indicates the breadth of the group’s interests and its willingness to do things differently.

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PECM ssue 15

Arup organises its research activities through a directorate called the Arup University, Professor Watson said.

“We have a group that looks over the horizon at the emerging challenges: climate change was one, but we see it as a current challenge now. There is a requirement to introduce new research programmes and to work effectively with research councils and universities.

Also, there is a requirement to maintain ‘skills networks’ that convert research outcomes into guidance notes or engagement with real client projects.”

The research chairs that Arup funds jointly with the Royal Academy of Engineering are ’the jewels in the crown‘ in a research network that includes up to 150 research projects. “You can place our research activities in the category of ‘serendipitous research’. This is not blue skies but is driven by academics’ own agendas, where we’d be looking for emerging technologies that might be applicable to our own business. The other side is trying to shift their focus on some real problems that need to be answered. Arup’s joint appointments with the Academy operate on both aspects, but the questions they are answering are perhaps more fundamental, and have wider society benefits. That’s an important aspect for Arup”, Professor Watson said.

The ‘different thinking’ approach

by Professor Miles, one of the joint research chairs, has led the company to collaborate with a large Japanese partner and become joint owners of electric buses and their associated wireless battery charging infrastructure. This novel business approach has addressed the common problem of how to deliver promising and unconventional solutions in a real commercial environment.

Professor Watson said “We think of it as a demonstrator and it’s very exciting. The business opportunity is in designing the infrastructure systems for this type of installation and this is also a practical way to test the concept to justify the research”.

Measuring the impact Professor John Miles, whose Research Chair at Cambridge University is jointly funded by the Academy and Arup’s engineering design group, said that the ties between himself, Arup and other Academy Chairs are strong, and the business ventures that are taking on some of his work have significant Arup involvement. More widely, there are constant interchanges of human resources between Arup and all its academic partners.

Professor Watson said that the company’s structure is based on

Arup, The Ove Arup Foundation and the Royal Academy of Engineering’s jointly funded research posts are, in different areas, challenging conventions (Past and present): Professor John Miles, Professor of Transitional Energy Strategies at University of Cambridge, aims to plot a pathway towards sustainable transport – a real life example being the trial of electric buses in Milton Keynes

Professor Luke Bisby, currently a Research Chair at Edinburgh University, is conducting fundamental research that challenges long-held views of how fires and extremely high temperatures impact on structures of all kinds Dr Graham Spinardi, Senior Research Fellow at Edinburgh University is researching ways to integrate technical and social aspects of fire safety engineering and expertise employee ownership rather than external shareholders. Therefore, it enables the company to take a broader view of the research investments which extend into other areas too. “For example, the HS1 Channel Tunnel Rail Link was an eight-year commitment and I don’t think we saw any fees for at least half that time. The aim of the work that the company does, is not just focussed on the time immediately before delivery; it’s also about what you need to know to satisfactorily deliver the project“.

This approach is not entirely due to Arup’s unique corporate structure: the group has done an analysis with Imperial College and found that those which take a longer view have greatest impact in terms of revenues. “Business quite reasonably thinks it wants a solution tomorrow and wants it to be innovative, but actually there’s only incremental work you can do that way,” said Professor Watson. “It’s important to build this into relationships and research structures so that even in hard times we don’t stop doing the right things.”

The ‘right things’ are not limited to direct benefit to Arup. Research collaborations with the Academy, tackle broad economic and societal issues

and this is kind of impact that Arup wants. “We want to be engaged with policy makers in work that’s relevant to the UK’s position globally and our economic strength and the well-being of the population,” Professor Watson said. It is not entirely altruistic: “Areas such as assisted living research motivate us. There isn’t a business there yet, but we think there will be and we’re willing to put in work to develop a position and gain some research-based information.”

“The challenging and issue-driven research done by the Royal Academy of Engineering research chairs is something that Arup wants to pursue more”, said Professor Watson . “We’d expect to do more of it in a targeted way with the universities that we have memoranda of understanding with. We should work with key universities, placing staff members into the universities and then placing them back into our business.”

Arup is involved in many aspects of the Academy’s work: The Ove Arup Foundation has supported 10 Visiting Teaching Fellows who focussed on issues around the Built Environment and were the initiators of a consortium,

managed by the Academy, that has supported 6 Visiting Professors in Building Engineering Physics. Arup has also been serving on national and international research councils. “We’ve been involved with the Academy since its inception. It’s a highly regarded organisation and it’s helpful to us as a company to be seen to be working closely with it”, Professor Watson said.

“Royal Academy of Engineering’s research schemes are encouraging the research community to do high quality research, which benefits us directly through tangible outcomes” Professor Jeremy Watson

Issue 15 PECM

25

Air, Gas & Odour Control ACE presents NEWTONLINE - a brand new family of industrial gas springs Motion control products manufacturer, ACE Controls International has introduced a brand new family of gas springs that will now become their standard product range solution for customers.

Wireless gas detection solutions: OLDHAM launches the MX 40 controller After introducing the wireless BM 25 work site system, Oldham is expanding its product range and today introduces the new MX 40 gas detection controller.

Called NEWTONLINE, ACE has managed to integrate several notable innovations in this new generation of industrial gas springs to give customers a higher quality product offering improved performance and lifespan.

The MX 40 controller was designed to centralize the information transmitted by the BM 25 over a wireless network and can display up to 32 measurements in real time. When a BM 25 signals an alarm, the MX 40 also goes into alarm mode and can, for example, control internal relays and order other monitors to transmit the alarm as well.

NEWTONLINE gas springs are available in cylinder sizes from 15 to 40 mm with strokes from 20 to 1000 mm and force ranges from 40 to 5000 N.

The MX 40 can connect to up to 16 BM 25 units on the same wireless network and up to 16 different networks can be used independently.

Email: info@ace-controls.co.uk

For more information on the BM 25 Wireless, please visit the pages MX 40 & BM 25 on our web site www.oldhamgas.com.

www.ace-controls.co.uk

New BOGE guide explains how to keep compressed air supply clean and pure

Airdri Quest™ and Quazar™ - inclusive washroom provision for process plants

BOGE Compressors has released a new guide that explains how to ensure compressed air supply is kept clean, pure and free of contaminants. With so many potential contaminants placing the purity of compressed air and quality of manufactured products at risk, this new guide is an essential tool for compressed air system operators.

The Airdri Quest™ and Quazar™ are the latest models in Airdri’s Q range of hand dryers. These models uphold the inclusive qualities identifiable with all Airdri products – reliability, lifespan, design innovation, energy efficiency and low noise output ensuring that Airdri can provide a hand dryer to meet the needs of busy process plants.

The free guide outlines in depth the variety of threats that impact on compressed air systems. These threats include airborne particles such as dust and pollen, water vapour, which naturally occurs in air, and compressor oil that is emitted as an oil vapour. It also discusses the consequences of ignoring or failing to deal with potential contaminants, such as the contamination of end products. This creates health risks and can result in reduced productivity and profitability when product batches must be discarded and is especially true in the highly regulated and competitive food and beverage industry.

Get the free white paper today by visiting www.boge.co.uk

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PECM Issue 15

Designed to comply with the standards set out by both the Quiet Mark and the American Disability Act, the Airdri Quazar™ is an ultra-slim dryer with a stunning design. The stylish, wall-mounted hand dryer comes in a variety of cover finishes – black, white, chrome or brushed stainless steel.

Its contemporary design will suit any modern washroom environment, whilst being perfect for facilities limited in space.

Email: sales@airdri.com

www.airdri.com

Maintenance is virtually eliminated due to the dual-wall, high-density plastic body.

Tough Fans from VAF Air controlling odours and dust in confined work spaces W

hen working in confined space it is imperative that the air is changed to provide a safe working environment. Miniveyor Air VAF series portable fans can move contaminated air out of a building or work area. They effectively exhaust fumes, dust and smells, ventilate confined spaces, and increase the flow of fresh air.

are still the biggest cause of lost man work days.

Weighing up to 40% less than conventional metal skinned fans of comparable size, in terms of movement from site to site and indeed on site, this is a huge advantage. Especially when you consider that back problems

The Miniveyor Air units easily withstand blows without denting, giving less downtime and greater productivity. The casing is corrosion free and unlike its metal counterparts will not rust when they are dented, chipped or scratched.

Maintenance is virtually eliminated due to the dual-wall, high-density plastic body. The polythene casing is resistant to the normal knocks and bangs of everyday use that can stop a sheet metal fan as metal fans often dent which can obstruct the fan blade.

They simply last longer and offer greater value for money and because of that come with an industry beating 10 year warranty on the body.

The VAF series range has recently been extended with the introduction of the VAF-200C Canister blower. The compact VAF-200C is ideal for confined space ventilation and fume extraction and benefits from a, simple to attach, Duct Canister that neatly clips onto the fan body and houses 7.5 metres of flexible duct. It is great for contractors that have limited storage space in service vehicles and can be carried to the job site with ease.

Visit us online at www.vaf-air.com Issue 15 PECM

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Loss Prevention Bulletin dies in process The leading source of case stu ar archive of lessons safety with access to a 40 ye aluable resource for learnt from accidents. An inv ety. anybody concerned with saf Company wide licences available to this valuable resource

www.icheme.org/lpb sales@icheme.org

ADVANCING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WORLDWIDE

0951_14

IChemE safety publications T

he Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) offers a range of safety publications relevant to the engineering and process industries.

Loss Prevention Bulletin (LPB) Our Loss Prevention Bulletin is the leading source of case studies in process safety in the industry and has an archive spanning over 40 years of lessons learnt from accidents.

It was first published in response to the disastrous explosion at Flixborough in 1974 when a need was established for the process industries to be able to share information on accidents in the hope that a lesson shared is a lesson learnt.

LPB is offered on an individual subscription basis, or as a site licence allowing multiple users at one

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PECM Issue 15

organisation to have access to this vital resource. Visit www.icheme.org/lpb for more information.

Safety books

We offer a wealth of safety books. We have just launched a new edition of one of our best selling books, HAZOP Guide to Best Practice, Third edition.

The new edition brings additional experience to help you deliver optimum safety and efficiency of performance. www.icheme.org/hazopguide We also market the BP Process Safety Series which is a collection of 17 books produced by us, in collaboration with BP. It demonstrates both organisations’ ongoing commitment to process safety and best practice through the dissemination of lessons learnt from recurring accidents. It is intended

to help the reader understand safe operating practices and procedures within processing plants. Now available electronically, the series comprises titles such as Hazards of Water, Hazards of Electricity, Confined Space Entry, Safe Furnace and Boiler Firing, and many more. For the full list visit our online shop. The series is available to buy individually, as a full set, or as a company-wide annual licence.

For the full collection of our safety books visit www.icheme.org/shop For enquiries contact sales@icheme.org

Boilers & Maintenance

Gas Process Burners Lanemark gas burner systems offer users reliable, high efficiency, process heating solutions.

FD Series Packaged Oven/Dryer Burners Specifically designed for process air heating applications in convection ovens and dryers High turndown/short flame lengths providing accurate process temperature control High efficiency gas + air modulation, gas only modulation and simple high/low control options Heat Input Range: 9 kW – 880 kW

D D D

D FD-C high turndown oven/ dryer air heating burners.

FD-E low cost high turndown

oven/dryer air heating burners.

FD-C (GA) modulating gas + air process air heating burners.

TX/TRX Series Gas Fired Process Tank Heating Systems High efficiency (80%+) heating of all types of spray and dip process tanks Compact high efficiency small diameter immersion tube heat exchangers occupying minimum tank space Accurate performance modelling using Lanemark TxCalc design software Heat Input Range: 15 kW (1½") – 730 kW (6")

D D D D

Midco DB Series Air Replacement or “Make-Up” Air Heating Burners Direct fired, high efficiency burner systems, for high volume air heating applications such as paint spray booths, ovens and dryers.

Supplied either as Midco burner heads for OEM system integration or as complete packaged systems including modulating gas valve trains and controls Wide range of firing rates to suit alternative temperature rise and air velocity system requirements DbCalc system design software

D D D

Midco HMA high efficiency,

TX high efficiency small diameter

high turndown, air replacement or “make-up” air heating burners.

immersion tube tank heating systems.

Lanemark Combustion Engineering Limited Lanemark House, Whitacre Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 6BW United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 24 7635 2000 Fax: +44 (0) 24 7634 1166 E-mail: info@lanemark.com www.lanemark.com

Large Scale Rotational Moulding Installation benefits from Lanemark Process Heating Technology The heating efficiency of process gas burner systems from Lanemark Combustion Engineering, and the company’s ability to work closely with customers to meet specific applications needs, have been clearly demonstrated through a major project undertaken by rotational moulding specialists, Rotomech Engineering.

Lanemark FD (forced draught) burners have been specified as a key element in a large-scale ‘rock-and-roll’ system – the latest facility to become operational at Etills, who produce a wide range of water storage tanks, vessels and containers for both public and trade markets across Europe and are well known for the ‘Ecosure’ brand.

Email: info@lanemark.com

www.lanemark.com

D

COMBUSTION ENGINEERING

New pressurised deaerator system cuts boilerhouse energy and operating costs Spirax Sarco has launched a pressurised deaerator system that reduces the dissolved oxygen content of boiler feedwater to virtually nil without chemical treatment. This enables steam plant operators to reduce energy consumption, save water treatment costs, increase productivity and meet BG01 “Guidance on Safe Operation of Boilers”.

BG01 gives guidance on complying with the recommended guideline BS EN 12953 Part 10 which deals with water quality and defines maximum levels of impurities including dissolved oxygen. A pressurised deaerator is one way to meet the requirements of BS EN 12953 Part 10.

www.spiraxsarco.com

WTS Benefits from Economic Upturn

Fulton electric boiler provides a cure for Prysmian Group

Wellman Thermal Services, are benefiting from the productivity increase in the manufacturing sector particularly in the Aerospace, Automotive and Steel industries. Although the economy would seem to have turned a corner and is now heading in the right direction, it has not yet demonstrated sufficient growth or stability for manufacturers to invest in new capital plant. Therefore the additional production demands must be met by existing plant.

Bristol-based heat transfer specialist Fulton has supplied Prysmian Group’s Bishopstoke facility a skid-mounted electric boiler and ancillaries, steam from which is being used to cure the insulation applied to the company’s electric cables.

Running and maintaining industrial heating plant, in some cases as much as sixty years old, requires a lot of time and effort especially given new demands for increased production, reduced energy consumption, etc. With a pedigree stretching back 110 years and incorporating some of the UK’s best known furnace builders, together with an extensive archive and spares inventory, Wellman’s Furnace Team are perfectly placed to meet the needs of manufacturing industry in keeping its furnace equipment, regardless of manufacturer, operating at peak performance.

Tel: 0121 543 0000

www.wellman-group.com

Commenting on the process, Prysmian’s Nicolas Chevaux explains that curing is used to strengthen and increase the heat resistance of the insulation. “Without the process, the insulation would have a lower temperature resistance and hence the cable would have a lower current rating.”

Following manufacture, batches of up to 16 drums are placed into a container where steam from Fulton’s EP100 Electropack boiler system is injected to start a curing process that can take up to twelve hours at 80°C.

Email: uk.sales.office@fulton.com

www.fulton.co.uk Issue 15 PECM

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Cables Statoil’s Gullfaks subsea compression station powered by Nexans umbilicals Nexans’ power umbilicals will power two subsea compressors at the Gullfaks field off the coast of Norway.

The Statoil operated Gullfaks gas field in the Norwegian Sea will rely on Nexans’ innovative power umbilicals combining power, fiber-optic and hydraulic lines in a single cross section. The cables were successfully handed over to Statoil this month.

The subsea gas compression station will be installed on the seafloor at the Gullfaks Sør satellite field, 15 km from the Gullfaks C platform. It will increase total gas extraction by 22 million barrels.

The cables will power two fivemegawatt gas compressors at a depth of 135 metres. The 650 tonne station will be housed in a 420 tonne protective structure, managing a flow rate of 10 million cubic metres per day.

Subsea compression is used when reservoir pressure falls below a critical level, reducing gas production. By compressing the gas on the seafloor, pressure in the pipelines is increased.

Gas flows faster and allowing more to be extracted from the field. Subsea compression increases production, as well as the lifetime of the field.

The Gullfaks compression station will be in operation later this year.

Email: sales.uk@nexans.com www.nexans.co.uk

Fischer Connectors sponsors young sports talent Fischer Connectors is proud to continue its sponsorship of the young Swiss GP3 racing driver, Mathéo Tuscher.

F

ischer Connectors, a worldwide leader in high performance circular connectors, shares a passion for sport, particularly motorsports where performance really matters.

The company confirms its continued sponsorship of the young Swiss GP3 racing driver, Mathéo Tuscher, who ranked seventh in the GP3 Series World Championships in 2014, was runner up in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, and won the prestigious AutoSport Rookie of the Year Award in 2012. The talented 18 year old will race in the GP3 Series World Championship in Barcelona, Spain from 8-10 May. This event will attract young talent and dedicated audiences from around the world. Fischer Connectors is keen to continue helping young people reach high levels of achievement.

Mathéo hails from Noville, near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, close to Fischer Connectors’ global headquarters and primary design and manufacturing

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facilities in St-Prex. Fischer Connectors has a long history of encouraging innovation and sponsoring young talent in many fields, including car racing and sailing. Its connectors and cable assembly solutions are known for their precision, ruggedness and reliability in harsh environments.

For more information: www.fischerconnectors.com/ automotive www.matheo-tuscher.ch www.gp3series.com

Calibration Solutions All-new 20-channel temperature logger

Isotech’s New 4000 Range The company has updated nine of its most popular calibrators to bring new styling and updated features.

Each model is available in three different versions from a cost effective heat source to fully featured devices which include a three channel temperature indicator, temperature logging and Ethernet interface.

DATAPAQ TP3 for heat treatment, paint-curing, and ceramics processes.

This new “4000 Range” spans -45 to 1200°C with models that can be used as Dry Blocks or Stirred Liquid Baths with options for infrared thermometers, surface sensors and even to operate ITS-90 Fixed Point Cells.

“Our customers, who range from the worlds’ leading National Laboratories to site engineers have long valued the accuracy and quality of our equipment.

This new range is a response from customers demanding modern styling and more features such as more input channels, advanced logging and an Ethernet interface. We are proud to meet this demand in a new lighter and stronger rugged case.”

Email: info@isotech.co.uk

www.isotech.co.uk

Intertek, leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, has launched a hi-tech tank calibration service in the UK offering highly accurate calibration data to customers across Europe, complementing the company’s existing services for the oil and gas industry.

This new service combines years of tank calibration experience with the latest available software to enable Intertek to provide highly accurate tank and sphere calibrations, using the latest laser theodolites and laser scanners. The new system also makes available tank settlement, tilt check and tank shell out-of-roundness surveys. These hi-tech surveys produce highly accurate data which is important to identify the common ‘tank shell out of roundness’ problem which can affect floating roofs, by impeding their vertical motion.

www.intertek.com/uk

The new DATAPAQ TP3 data logger provides more measurement channels, connectivity options, and ease of use for profiling and surveying in high-temperature heat treatment applications. With a ±0.3 °C (0.5 °F) accuracy, the all-new logger surpasses the most stringent requirements.

“We have worked towards this exciting launch for two years,” states Elie El Choueiry, Furnace and Kiln Product Manager at Datapaq Ltd., Cambridge, UK. “Compared to our previous, successful heat treatment solution TPAQ21, the new DATAPAQ TP3 provides even more detailed insight into high-temperature processes. It is more resilient and includes numerous new features, such as full connectivity including Bluetooth, fully certified TUS capability for AMS 2750E and CQI-9, integrated correction and calibration functions, and flexible charging with multiple battery options.”

The new series comprises 20- and 10-channel loggers that store up to 3.6 million data points. One logger can perform up to ten measurement runs before data download. Thermal and ingress protection have been enhanced to ensure optimal performance in extreme applications, such as vacuum brazing, aluminum solution reheat, and water or gas quench. The DATAPAQ TP3 logger is being released along with new, durable thermal barriers for use with the industry-specific temperature profiling systems from Datapaq: Furnace Tracker® for metal-working, Kiln Tracker® for ceramics, and Oven Tracker® AutoPaq® for premium paint cure processes in the automotive OEM assembly market. Each profiling solution includes Insight™ analysis software and thermocouples tailored to the application.

Email: stephan.wilke@fluke.com www.datapaq.com

Raimo Ahola, Beamex Group’s long-standing CEO, will retire on the 31st of July 2015 T he Board of Directors of Beamex announced today that Raimo Ahola, Beamex Group’s longstanding CEO, will retire on the 31st of July 2015. Jan-Henrik Svensson, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, at Beamex Group, will be appointed as the new CEO starting from August 1, 2015.

Raimo Ahola has been the CEO of Beamex Group for seventeen years, and his retirement in the end of July this year is part of a long-term plan agreed with Beamex’s Chairman of the Board to ensure a controlled and

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smooth transfer of CEO’s duties to a successor. Even if Raimo leaves Beamex and steps down from operative business management positions, he plans to remain active in business in other roles elsewhere, such as an advisor or a board member.

The new CEO of the Beamex Group will be Jan-Henrik Svensson, BSc (Eng), starting August 1st, 2015. For the last nine years Jan-Henrik has been the Vice President of Beamex Group. Before joining Beamex, JanHenrik worked in various international management positions within ABB and also as a Business Unit Manager within

the KWH Group. “Beamex’s Board of Directors is very pleased that JanHenrik accepted the offer to become the new CEO of Beamex. Jan-Henrik already has a strong track record with Beamex and his work history prior to joining Beamex is very valuable in this new role. I am very confident that he will take the company to the next level”, says Wikström.

For further information, please contact: Raimo Ahola, Tel: +358 40 516 3888 Jan-Henrik Svensson, Tel: +358 40 506 6063

providing NEW portable temperature calibrators with greater accuracy and additional features New 4000 Range covering -45째C to 1200째C Portable Dry Blocks, Liquid Baths and Multifunction Heat Sources Three versions from a Basic Heat Source to an ADVANCED Model with inbuilt three channel thermometer, data logging and automatic temperature cycling New Rugged Lightweight Outer Cases

Call now to request a FREE on-site demonstration - 01704 543830

Isothermal Technology Limited Pine Grove, Southport, Merseyside PR9 9AG England Telephone: +44 (0)1704 543830 Fax: +44 (0)1704 544799 Email: info@isotech.co.uk

www.isotech.co.uk

Conveniently Calibrate Plant Vacuum Gauges Why do vacuum gauges need to be calibrated?

The largest uncertainty when using vacuum gauges on a process plant is knowing when the process has caused drift or shifts of calibration. Many processes handle vapours and, if any condensation or deposition happens, the chances are it will also happen in the vacuum gauge. Many such gauges - Pirani, cold cathose and ion gauges - use thermal or ionisation cross-section measurements to infer the level of vacuum being experienced and they have filaments, cathodes and other hardware, all of which may be coated with by-products from the process.

Even more rugged gauges such as capacitance manometers will be affected by depositions or particulates because any deposition will have mass and the gauge will weigh it, especially if it has a low range and therefore a very thin diaphragm.

Chell’s CalCube is a convenient solution to vacuum gauge calibration

As processes move away from their design parameter due to gauge “drift”, little about the quality of the process can be inferred from the instrumentation readings, so diagnosis is down to a skilled operator recognising when a batch of product does not conform.

This is too late! If the process is sensitive to the level of vacuum being achieved, then the cost of losing a batch could be astronomical - many times the cost of maintaining the plant properly in many cases.

With the inherent lack of ruggedness of many vacuum gauges, it is imperative that plant gauges are regularly calibrated and that the operator has spare, calibrated gauges ready to substitute as soon as he fears the process may have drifted away from specification.

The difficulties of calibrating vacuum in-situ Unfortunately, it is very difficult to carry out in-situ vacuum calibrations due to the amount of hardware needed to establish a suitable level of vacuum in a situation where a calibration standard gauge may be compared. Not the least of concerns is the possible cross-contamination of the standard by a contaminated sensor under test. Another is the difficulty of access to many on-plant gauges. So it has become tradition for gauges to be removed regularly from the plant and shipped to an external calibration laboratory for re-calibration and, in many cases, adjustment to compensate for the effects of contamination.

CalCube complies with BS ISO3567:2011 which specifically covers the design and use of vacuum calibration systems and incorporates an ISO/Dis stainless steel calibration chamber with geometry optimised to ensure that all gauges connected see the same level of vacuum so that comparisons may be made.

The development of a technique Having its own ISO IEC 17025:2005 accredited UKAS laboratory with the lowest uncertainties for Vacuum in the UK, Chell are well placed to prepare CalCube for on-site gauge calibrations.

The Transfer Standards fitted to CalCube are calibrated in the laboratory both before and after an on-site calibration job so that the confidence level of the calibration is the highest possible.

CalCube comparing two manufacturer’s Capacitance Manometers

CalCube is constructed within a rugged, wheeled flight-case type enclosure having just a 13A mains plug yet containing dry diaphragm backing and turbomolecular pumps with high vacuum isolation valves. Over 40 year’s experience of calibrating vacuum gauges have gone into CalCube’s design, which includes such capabilities as calibrating both rising and falling pressures very accurately using a pair of ultra-fine Chell CMF valves.

Fitting easily into almost any estate car, CalCube comes with lifting handles to aid safe removal from a vehicle or lifting up steps, etc. A removable side panel is foam lined with cut-outs to hold all the common mating vacuum connector systems - of course, custom connectors may be purchased and housed for specific applications.

Choice of vacuum Transfer Standards will be an important decision, which is aided by Chell’s years of experience. These standards, when not fitted to CalCube are housed in another, matching flight-case, ready for convenient return to Chell’s calibration lab. for scheduled UKAS calibration. Chell’s in-house vacuum standards consist of three high-accuracy capacitance manometers having 20 years of continuous calibration history at national Standard level and these are monitored on a daily basis by a Spinning Rotor Gauge whose ball-flange assembly is also calibrated annually at National Standard level. At the atmospheric pressure end of the scale, the vacuum straight line generated by the capacitance manometers is calibrated against our 32” Schwien Merco-Master manometer giving us the lowest uncertainties in that pressure regime.

Chell’s customers thus enjoy the accumulated vacuum calibration skills of over 40 years and, should they have specific different requirements, Chell has the skills to customise CalCube to suit.

For more information contact:-

CalCube showing its useful vacuum coupling storage

With the development of Chell’s on-site UKAS calibration service, they have developed CalCube both as a portable vacuum calibration system with which to offer an on-site service but, for customers who would prefer their own facility, a convenient, tried and tested system.

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Chell Instruments Ltd Folgate House Folgate Road North Walsham Norfolk NR28 0AJ Tel: 01692 500555 Fax: 01692 500088 e-mail: info@chell.co.uk Website: www.chell.co.uk

Implementing a calibration system?

Our calibration and IT expertise helps you face calibration process improvement projects that are typically complex and consume a lot of time and resources.

Only 20% to 30% of a calibration system upgrade is tools and technology, the rest is business culture and process. Therefore, the success of a new calibration system depends especially on the implementation of the system and the ability to define and adopt a new calibration process. We are the experts in both technology and implementation, so you can focus on the opportunities, while we support and guide you in the evolution of your calibration system and successful implementation of the calibration process change.

Learn more at: beamex.com/CalibrationProcessImprovements

www.beamex.com info@beamex.com

Large Commutator Refurbishment A Specialist Operation S

everal industries - including mining, steel, rail and power generation - rely on large motors equipped with commutators to produce the power required by their applications.

However, without precision maintenance, these vital components can become inefficient and eventually fail. John Bird, Commutator Supervisor at Sulzer’s Birmingham Service Centre looks at the processes involved in delivering a fully refurbished commutator.

The first, and possibly most important step, is communication with the customer to ensure that all the necessary information has been received; especially the history of the commutator, which will have a bearing on the type of refurbishment to be carried out. The best way to illustrate the process is using an example that was completed by Sulzer’s engineers recently.

Initially the customer sent over a set of drawings and asked for a quote to reinsulate a 1.9m diameter commutator that was used in the

steel industry. This is quite a common task and involves dismantling the component, cleaning and then reusing the original copper plates with new mica insulation.

The in-house commutator production facility at Sulzer’s Birmingham Service Centre is able to refurbish almost any commutator or slip ring assembly and Sulzer is the only facility capable of building new Pollock commutators.

The design capability combined with machining expertise and supported by a dedicated team of experienced engineers enables Sulzer to deliver commutator and slip ring projects to budget and on time.

To reinsulate or not?

When the job arrived in the workshop, a previous Sulzer job number was noticed on the component and the records showed that it had already been reinsulated once before. Sulzer recommends that commutators are only reinsulated once before being rebuilt with new copper. This is because the job requires an amount of copper to be machined off the plates and if this is done more than once it

can weaken the plate and may cause cracking.

Based on the information available, Sulzer advised the customer that it would be better to completely refurbish the commutator, including the manufacture of new plates. Following this advice, the customer agreed and the project got underway.

The next step was to measure all of the dimensions and compare them to the original drawings and with Sulzer’s own drawings from the previous refurbishment job. This commutator consisted of 816 copper bars and 816 mica segments that separate the copper. Overall the component weighed in at close to 4 tonnes.

Jig manufacture For every job a jig is required to arrange the copper bars and mica segments in the correct shape. Since this particular commutator had been previously repaired by Sulzer, the correct jig was already available. In the more extreme cases a brand new jig has to be manufactured by the Sulzer workshop, such as the one that was

Main Picture

The in-house commutator production facility at Sulzer’s Birmingham Service Centre is able to refurbish almost any commutator or slip ring assembly

The angle is very carefully calculated so that when all the segments are assembled they form a perfect circle

created for a 3.5 metre commutator which contained 2,400 copper bars.

Once all the measurements have been recorded, the original copper is stripped out and the steel frame is cleaned and primed ready for the new copper bars that are manufactured in house.

This involves starting with a flat rectangular piece of copper and milling an angle onto one surface so that the plate is very slightly wedge-shaped.

The angle is very carefully calculated so that when all the segments are assembled they form a perfect circle.

Therefore, the larger the diameter of the commutator, the smaller the angle on the plate.

The copper plates are then assembled, with the mica sheets between each plate for insulation, into the prepared jig, which consists of a number of sections that are all bolted together. At this point it is crucial to be certain that the correct number of bars have been assembled and so they are counted and recounted, just to be sure.

Consolidation The process of consolidation involves

the bolts of the jig being tightened so the sections are drawn together compressing the copper bars and mica sheets together. This starts with the bolts being torqued to an initial value before the complete assembly is placed in a stove to soften and consolidate the mica. Once out of the stove the bolts are tightened again and the process repeated until the required bolt torque is achieved.

With the mica consolidated, the entire jig assembly is mounted in a large lathe to allow the machining process to be completed. This is where the rectangular plates are machined to the exact shape and dimensions required by the drawings. In essence, two ‘V’ profiles are machined at each end of the bars to allow them to be located in the steel frame that has been previously stripped and cleaned.

While the machining is being completed, the steel frame is reinsulated to allow the new commutator to be positioned on the bottom section before the top section is added and bolted down. At this point the run-out is measured to ensure that

the commutator will run true when it is reinstalled. On this particular component, the specification was for a maximum run-out of 30 thousandths of an inch or 0.76 mm over the 1.9 m diameter.

The bolts are then tightened progressively and the entire component is replaced in the stove before the bolt torque is increased again. This process is repeated until the steel frame holds the copper in place and the jig can be released.

Testing Once the commutator has been reassembled and checked it moves to the testing bay where high voltage tests, insulation resistance tests and bar to bar resistance tests are completed. With a clean test sheet, the commutator is placed back on the lathe for the final machining process to produce the finished external diameter.

All of the electrical tests are then repeated to ensure complete integrity of the insulation after which the component is packaged and shipped back to the customer.

The Biomass industry is just one of many that can benefit from our sound solution

A sound solution to ash build up in biomass power plants

By Donald F Cameron stablished in 1998, PrimasonicsÂŽ International Ltd is the worldwide leader in design, manufacture and supply of Acoustic Cleaning Systems and Technologies. Our products are used in a variety of industries such as Power Generation, Cement, Petro Chemical, Food, Gypsum, Carbon Black, Chemical, and many more.

E

Acoustic technology, a green, nonpolluting efficient means to prevent ash build up - and it is certainly proving to be the case!

Claymark based in Rotorua, New Zealand are specialists in milling, manufacturing and distribution of high quality timber products.

This non-intrusive, affordable technology can increase the efficiency of process plant, provide improved thermal conductivity, prevent material blockage and remove particulate build up wherever ash, dust, powders or granular materials are processed, generated, stored or transported.

The Biomass industry is just one of many that can benefit from our sound solution, yet there is a unique synergy between the technologies that seems to make a perfect combination – Biomass a green, low carbon footprint alternative to burning coal in power generation plants and Primasonics

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the timber drying kilns.

The company needed to find an innovative, effective and environmentally friendly solution and so made initial contact with Primasonics International. We recommended the installation of two Acoustic Cleaners with a 230 Hz frequency to be sounded together. In addition, to comply with local plant noise regulations, acoustic covers were designed and installed.

After three months operation an inspection was made and no ash build up was found on the boiler tubes.

The total project cost was easily fully recouped within the first year of operation and Claymark now have an efficient, green and environmentally friendly solution to their previous serious ash build up.

The problem they faced was essentially fouling of the biomass/wood waste fired boiler which provided hot water to

Email: sound@primasonics.com Tel: +44 (0)17684 80372 www.primasonics.com

Control & Automation iTRAK modular transport system increases flexibility and drives machine performance

Drives for process technology applications At the ACHEMA exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS recently presented distributed drive concepts that meet the typical demands of the process industry.

Variable-speed drives with IP66/IP69K ingress protection are suitable for applications that require regular cleaning with high-pressure steam jets.

All components are manufactured in-house: gearboxes, smooth-surface motors, and frequency inverters. The nsd tupH anti-corrosion treatment – developed by NORD and FDA-certified (Title 21 CFR 175.300) – gives the aluminum housings a smooth and durable surface. Even blows and scratches do not impair the corrosion resistance. Since no coating is applied but the surface itself is hardened, there can be no pollution of products or process media as for instance with chipping paint.

Rockwell Automation is about to make life dramatically easier for engineers and production technologists. At least that’s the idea behind iTRAK, a modular, scalable motion control system that provides independent control of multiple magnetically propelled movers on a track. The simple configuration and patented pitch-less technology solves different motion and speed needs. It enables production/handling systems and assembly lines to be readily designed with the aid of a number of accurately positioned carriages.

Several carriages, consisting of a frame and a linear permanent magnet motor, can move individually along straight or curved rails. The iTRAK can be used, for example, on packaging lines, in the medical industry (filling lines for IV bags), but also on assembly lines for machine construction. The combination of iTRAK technology with the Rockwell Automation integrated Architecture (programmable with Studio 5000 Logix Designer) lays the foundation for a new standard in dynamic linear transport solutions.

Carriages are available in a standard versions and with customization for specific applications. Customers can also design their own carriages if they chose to. Take a look at the following video in which a bag filling line using custom-made carriages can be seen: http://embed.vidyard.com/share/vQa5C7hRqLrN7dxsQl7M7w

Tel: 0870 242 5004 Email: ukmarketing@ra.rockwell.com

Email: info@nord.com

www.nord.com

New All-Gigabit Stratix 5400 Industrial Switch Helps Manufacturers Address Growing Network-Bandwidth Requirements

Rockwell Automation has expanded its Allen-Bradley Stratix family of industrial switches with the Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 switch, an allgigabit option that helps manufacturers achieve higher network speeds for their increasingly high bandwidth applications. The switch also supports both Layer 2 switching and Layer 3 routing for a range of network configurations.

“Network convergence, increased reliability and the growing adoption of high-speed devices across The Connected Enterprise are driving the need for a higher-performing and more versatile industrial switch,” said Mark Devonshire, product manager for Rockwell Automation. “The Stratix 5400 switch provides this capability and helps confirm that manufacturers have a robust architecture in place as network demands continue to broaden.”

When used as a Layer 2 switch, the Stratix 5400 switch is ideal for industrial environments experiencing an influx of high-performance, gigabit-speed end devices, such as IP video cameras and telephony.

It’s also fit for heavy-industry applications that require resilient network topologies. When used as a Layer 3 switch, routing is enabled between segmented networks to help achieve better performance.

The switch uses an all-gigabit design for high-performance network and end device support. The GE Power over Ethernet (PoE) and additional GE fiber port options enhance scalability and help meet a wide range of application needs.

Tel: 0870 242 5004 Email: ukmarketing@ra.rockwell.com

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PUSHING THE LIMITS Choose WAGO’s TOPJOB®S terminal blocks with Push-in CAGE CLAMP® for total reliability

As the world’s leading innovator in interconnection technology, WAGO has once again set the industry standard for excellence.

Our TOPJOB®S Push-in CAGE CLAMP® range of rail mounted terminal blocks offers unique benefits. They ensure totally dependable connections, whatever the application.

Solid and stranded conductors can simply be pushed in while for fine stranded conductors, an easy-to-use operating tool is provided.

To find out more contact us today.

tSuitable for all conductor types tRange of multifunctional jumpers tThe fastest marking system available tIndustry-leading safety reserves tIdeal for switch cabinets and terminal boxes tEx approvals as standard Telephone E-Mail Internet

0870 264 0773 ukmarketing@wago.com www.wago.com

FANUC UK is the leading global manufacturer of factory automation and industrial robotics.

FANUC launches world’s first heavy lifting collaborative robot P

reviously the collaborative robot has only been seen in works of science fiction.

However, today marks the launch of the world’s first heavy lifting industrial collaborative robot, the FANUC CR-35iA, working hand-in-hand with human employees.

FANUC’s collaborative robot ensures safety through the use of intelligent sensors,

which automatically stops the robot if it touches a human operator. This removes the need for safety fences, a previous requirement for all industrial robots, increasing production efficiencies and enabling a higher level of automation.

Servicing a variety of manufacturing industries, the CR-35iA can perform both simple and complex tasks lifting payloads of up

to 35 kg. The collaborative robot is also available with patented iRVision technology.

Servicing a variety of manufacturing industries, the CR-35iA can perform both simple and complex tasks lifting payloads of up to 35 kg.

Chris Sumner, vice president of FANUC Europe and managing director, FANUC UK said: “Collaborative robot technology opens up a new era for manufacturing in which humans and robots will work even more closely on tasks; increasing productivity and efficiencies across the plant floor.”

Tel: 024 7663 9669 Email: sales@fanuc.co.uk www.fanuc.eu

FANUC UK offers the most complete range of industry-leading products and services for robotics, CNC systems and factory automation solutions, helping to transform the manufacturing industry through innovation in automation.

Let’s work together!

NEW COLLABORATIVE ROBOT CR-35 A / ( e stop functions / $% ( ety fences needed / *& )% kg payload / ) 3 / &'oven standard robot technology / RVision support

LIFTS UP TO 35 KG

Strong and sensitive FANUC’s new CR-35 A is the world’s first collaborative robot with a payload capacity of up to 35 kg. Fenceless, it opens a whole new world of possibilities. Working safely side by side with human operators, it is space as well as cost saving. And because inside it’s like any other FANUC robot, it operates like all FANUC robots.

That’s future made by FANUC.

WWW.FANUC.EU

sales@fanuc.co.uk

Control & Automation

Reduce down-time, equipment failure and energy use R unning manufacturing automation systems at high temperatures will have a major negative impact on the system’s performance and reduce its service life. By not keeping their drives at or close to their optimum operating temperature, manufacturers risk huge consequential costs when the production line grinds to a halt as a result of system failure.

A typical electrical component’s life expectancy is approximately halved for every 10 °C increase in its ambient temperature. Controlling the temperature within enclosures is therefore critical for manufacturers to avoid premature component failure and the interruption to production if the automation system falls over.

A Rittal RiAssure3 survey will identify

the likely risk of a system overheating which could lead to equipment tripping or failing. The survey will review any existing cooling solution and determine how suited it is to that particular working environment. It will then provide recommendations around remedial action – for example, changes to the system’s service and maintenance regime to help improve its efficacy or the need to invest in different climate control technology.

A basic checklist for reviewing climate controls in a manufacturing automation system: • Equipment tripping or failing due to high temperatures which is having an impact on production lines, in that they are either slowing or stopping completely • Enclosures which feel hot to the touch • Enclosure doors regularly left open or a need for large fans blowing into the panels as the weather improves • An inadequate chilling of process fluids which results in production down-time • Or simply the opportunity of a health check for the cooling solution As summer approaches, ambient temperatures will rise which could push operating temperatures beyond the limit of the existing equipment, so tackling the issue now could be a timely call.

Further information at www.rittal.co.uk and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com, or on twitter @rittal_ltd.

Enclosures from the smallest to the largest.

ENCLOSURES

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POWER DISTRIBUTION

CLIMATE CONTROL

Control & Automation

New whitepaper on “Industry 4.0”now available from Rittal anufacturing can become faster and much more flexible with consistent, IT-assisted value chains. A newly published whitepaper from Rittal shows the key role IT plays in what is termed Industry 4.0 and explains how companies can establish the infrastructure that is required to bring the concept to fruition.

M

The new “IT infrastructure in the context of Industry 4.0” whitepaper from Rittal is now available to download.

The document is aimed at decisionmakers as well as anyone responsible for production and IT and details the opportunities that Industry 4.0 is creating through new and existing infrastructures.

The whitepaper shows how IT and production can be effectively interlinked, and outlines the interdependence of “back office” and “factory” functions. It also highlights the similarity of the challenges faced by production managers and system administrators as well as the differences that continue to exist

IT INFRASTRUCTURE

between them. To function effectively and maximise the benefits afforded by Industry 4.0 the differences between these two parts of the business must narrow.

The whitepaper identifies data quality as one of the key requirements to deliver success under Industry 4.0. There are also some suggested practical ways that businesses can start to apply Industry 4.0 methodologies and a demonstration of how Rittal components and solutions can help create an Industry 4.0 infrastructure.

The basis of Industry 4.0 is underpinned by IT systems that represent the entire value chain across design and manufacturing. It is a network of intelligent machines that communicate with one another creating self-regulating manufacturing processes and providing highly efficient volume production (even with small batch sizes).

Why Industry 4.0 is important Manufacturing needs to rapidly and flexibly adapt to new customer requirements and market demands.

The “IT infrastructure in the context of Industry 4.0” whitepaper can be obtained free of charge from the Rittal website: www.rittal.com/whitepaper

The concept of Industry 4.0 is one where businesses can automate their production processes to a greater degree, and where machines can network with each other, making production processes more flexible.

Further information at www.rittal.co.uk and www.friedhelm-loh-group.com or on twitter @rittal_ltd

SOFTWARE & SERVICES www.rittal.co.uk

Issue 15 PECM

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Supporting automation in food and beverage production

By Jarn Gill, Head of Corporate Sales, RS Components

T

he manufacturing and processing industry has seen massive changes with increasing integration of technology and the automation of industrial processes, and perhaps no more so than in the area of food and beverage production. It has gone from employing little or no automation to a situation today where an entire bakery or dairy can be run by a handful of people operating largely computer-controlled machinery in the manufacturing process.

Like any industry, the challenges are many, such as compliance, consistency, traceability and the reliability of measured data in addition to meeting demanding price pressures as manufacturers compete in a global marketplace.

At RS, we understand that the pace of technological change has increased from a low- to a high-tech automation environment where every single part of the process is monitored and controlled and performed at very high speed. RS has been a leading supply of automation components, electrical parts and consumables in this industry for many decades now, helping customers to keep their production lines running. Within RS is a wealth of experience in maintenance and repair operations and procurement, enabling its customers to attain high efficiency in its management of maintenance costs. RS has been at the forefront in working with its customers to improve their processes,

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bringing new technology to deliver extra functionality and helping them to reduce production downtime while also meeting demands for higher levels of hygiene, traceability and data measurement. RS has an enviable portfolio of leading manufacturers including brands such as Siemens, Schneider Electric and Rockwell AllenBradley, and many specialists including SMC, Sick and Ambersil, which deliver custom solutions targeting specific areas of production and packaging.

back-end, starting with the initial preparation of raw product through to packaging the product in the final stages.

Investing in production automation is key to delivering energy efficient processes with minimal human involvement to reduce costs, while maintaining quality and consistency.

A growing number of companies are looking to automate their entire operations from the front- to the

RS has long experience in providing solutions for hygiene and product traceability as well as helping companies with data capture and energy management challenges.

This is where RS can bring its experience with access to technologies and know-how from leading manufacturer partners offering process control solutions from intelligent vision sensors and energy saving pneumatics, to automated lubrication systems and food-safe cleaners.

uk.rs-online.com

BRANDS INCLUDING:

YES

NO

YES

DO THEY STOCK A

WILL THEY DELIVER MY ORDER

ON TIME? YES

WIDE RANGE

Don’t settle for second best.

FROM LEADING BRANDS?

DO THEY HAVE

NO

WHO’S BEST TO DEPEND ON FOR THE

AUTOMATION & CONTROL PARTS I NEED?

GREAT CUSTOMER SUPPORT? YES

You can count on us for the parts you need.

Choosing the right distributor is as important as choosing the right parts.

With RS Components, you can access 100,000 automation and control products from trusted global brands.

Our outstanding customer support makes it easy to find and buy what you need. No order is too small and we offer Next Working Day delivery on orders placed up to 8.30pm plus free delivery* for orders over £20.

uk.rs-online.com

*Business Account holders only, Terms & Conditions apply. See online for full details.

Page Title

Control & Automation

Email: alan@alldrivesandcontrols.co.uk Web Site: alldrivesandcontrols.co.uk

Why go to Rio! It’s SAMBA time in the UK. Samba up your competitive advantage.

R

epresented in the UK by authorised distributor Alldrives & Controls, Unitronics announces the release of the Samba™ 7, the latest member of the Samba Series of combined PLC+HMI`s.

With its wide screen dimensions, the Samba 7 is an integrated 7 inch touch screen (800 x 480), controller with digital and analogue I/Os. Competitive pricing, yes, powerful control, yes, easy to program, yes, the Samba 7 is an ideal PLC for OEMs small scale systems, for machine builders to replace a smart relay, and low budget applications.

The Samba 7 comprises a mini USB programming port, and in addition,

the Samba PLCs support a variety of optional communication modules such as Ethernet, Serial, and CAN bus allowing the unit to communicate with, and control, other devices.

The Samba 7 features data tables for recipe programming, data logging, trends & alarm displays, as well as multiple language support. Samba units can be remotely accessed using GPRS/GSM and other IP networks for data acquisition, program download.

software and applications are a free download, so no hidden extra costs.

The full range of Unitronics products are available from Alldrives & Controls, a Unitronics authorised full service stocking distributor.

Great look, Great power, Great Service; - incredible price.

Tel: 01543 241899 Email: sales@alldrivesandcontrols.co.uk www.alldrivesandcontrols.co.uk

In addition the Samba 7 supports e-mail and SMS notification messages for real-time remote management.

Compatibility with VisiLogic™ The Samba 7 is supported by VisiLogic™ version 9.7.55 and up. As is the norm all Unitronics programming Issue 15 PECM

49

Drives, Gears & Motors

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PECM Issue 15

Premium efficiency AC electric motors from standard stock to customised solutions

Low and High voltage options Safe or Hazardous area IE2, IE3 or IE4 efficiency Brook Crompton. St Thomas’ Road, Huddersfield. HD1 3LJ. Tel: +44(0)1484 557200 Fax: +44(0)1484 557201

www.brookcrompton.com

Bright Ideas

Dr Jennifer Hastie leads research into new kinds of semiconductor laser that have not been built before.

These lasers are easily tuneable, even at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths, which make them highly applicable in many fields – especially Biophotonics.

Research area Dr Jennifer Hastie is a Research Team Leader at the Institute of Photonics, Strathclyde University. Her research work has focused on the development of optically pumped (using light as the ‘fuel’) semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) that use novel semiconductor materials and nonlinear conversion techniques.

This enables the lasers to operate at novel wavelengths. Conventional semiconductor lasers are electrically injected, and the advantage of optically pumped devices is that they offer high beam quality with relatively high output power, and this improves the brightness of the laser significantly.

Dr Hastie’s work on this type of laser began with her PhD thesis when she worked on solving an issue that held back the development of these lasers: managing the heat they generate when in operation. “We optimised the heat removal using transparent materials with exceptional thermal conductivity, such as silicon carbide and diamond, and could demonstrate higher power for these lasers at any SDL emission wavelength,” she said.

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With the practicality demonstrated, Dr Hastie’s work during the period of her Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowship was directed towards expanding the spectral range of these devices. Dr Hastie said, “Previous SDLs operated in the invisible infrared range, but we saw an opportunity to target our work towards the applicationsrich areas of visible and ultraviolet where it is much more difficult to get conventional compact laser sources.

“The principal advantage of these lasers is our ability to tailor the wavelength to meet different application needs – they are more easily engineered than others”.

The work involved designing the semiconductor structure that provides the amplification at the desired wavelength within the laser, sometimes using novel materials, then working with external fabrication specialists to produce the structure, followed by further refinement and performance testing.

Dr Hastie’s research during her Academy Fellowship was further

supported by project funding from EPSRC. This supported her work on ultraviolet SDLs for use in biophotonics and on indium phosphide quantum dot SDLs. The second of these projects was in collaboration with researchers at Cardiff and Sheffield Universities.

Key achievements Dr Hastie is a senior member of international optical and engineering societies and sits on the technical programme committees of leading conferences and meetings on lasers. In 2011, she was appointed a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland.

Biography/Career Progression 2000 – 2004 PhD, High power surface emitting semiconductor lasers, University of Strathclyde

2004 – 2009 Royal Academy of Engineering/EPSRC Research Fellowship, Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde

2006 – 2012 Senior Research Fellow and Associate Team Leader, Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde

2011 – Present EPSRC Challenging Engineering Award, Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde

2012 – Present Research Team Leader, Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde

Academy support Jennifer Hastie was supported by a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship. This gave her the opportunity to apply for further research funding immediately after her PhD. She said, “It enabled me to build up a research record and put me on the academic track earlier than is usual. It gave me a step up and any other research success that I’ve had has stemmed from that.”

Other support During her Academy Fellowship, Dr Hastie has been a principal and a co-investigator on different research projects funded by EPSRC totalling £1.1 million; other EPSRC projects have followed since. Her current Challenging Engineering grant of £1 million supports the research work of her team at the Institute of Photonics and she is actively pursuing other support from research organisations and industrial funders.

Research impact The focus of Dr Hastie’s research is the development of new types of laser, strongly motivated by potential practical applications. “We work closely with people in industry and other research fields who have good knowledge of the applications,” she said, “so we know what the ‘useful’ performance of a laser is and can then guide our work towards it.”

The SDLs produced through her work are more compact and more efficient than more conventional laser sources at similar wavelengths, and the added tuneability of her laser sources means that there will be a wide range of applications ready for them. Current fields that could benefit from these tuneable lasers include biophotonics – the study of biological cells and tissues using optical techniques – and spectroscopic analysis of gases.

“Many of the early applications are in scientific and research laboratories,” Dr Hastie said, “but the beam quality, flexibility and tuneability mean that wider application outside laboratory work is likely, and their compactness means the lasers can be accommodated more easily inside systems than other laser types.”

Future challenges Dr Hastie’s current research builds upon her earlier work and aims to develop further both the optically pumped SDL technology and the range of applications it can be applied to. Systems for ultra- precision lithography, spectroscopy and metrology are among those being investigated.

She has also worked on an EPSRC Engineering Platform grant on the development of advanced solid-state laser systems and a grant on diamondbased Raman lasers where her group was able to demonstrate the first

tuneable diamond- based laser.

Dr Hastie is now gearing up for the next scientific challenges in her research. She said, “We’re looking to take our experience in short wavelength SDLs and to get the full potential from the unique capabilities of this type of laser source. In particular, we are looking at very narrow spectral linewidths or long coherence lengths – what we refer to as high finesse performance – and further wavelength flexibility.”

“A huge benefit of the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship was that it enabled me to start applying for research funding straight away after finishing my PhD. It put me on track.”

Dr Jennifer Hastie

Issue 15 PECM

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Electrical & Electronics Fujikura introduces new Fibre Recoater Series

With a new WEEE receptacle from Pooling Partners, Recupel is the first to offer a solution that fully complies with European Agreement ADR 2015

Fujikura is introducing a new series of Fujikura fibre recoaters - the FSR-05, FSR-06 and FSR-07.

The recoaters feature easy-to-exchange moulds for common coating sizes including 196 µm, 255 µm, 280 µm, 450 µm, 670 µm and 1,000 µm. All recoaters consist of a programmable resin injection quantity and colored and non-colored fibre recoating capability. The FSR-06 and FSR-07 recoaters include proof testers to test the strength of fibre after recoating.

Pallet pooling and production company Pooling Partners is the first in Europe to introduce a receptacle that complies with the latest requirements for transporting waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The new WEEE receptacle was recently put into use by the Belgian organisation Recupel, which is responsible for collecting and treating old electronic equipment for all of Belgium.

The FSR-05 recoater is the only model without a proof tester and is ideal for manufacturers that don’t require constant proof testing after each recoat. The FSR06 model includes a proof tester with a linear clamping system for devices in which confirmation of reliability is required. The FSR-07 includes a mandrel proof tester and is ideal for reliability proof testing as well as tension testing to failure. All fibre recoaters feature automatic and easy operation as well as easy mould and recoat material exchange. Additionally, the recoaters include a PC interface via USB. Compatible with special recoating compound, the recoaters provide a higher stiffness recoating of 900 µm jacketed fibres.

The European guidelines for the ‘transport of dangerous substances and articles’ were revised this year (ADR 2015).

As a result, the bulk transport of WEEE products that contain lithium batteries is no longer permitted. Recupel recognised the need to change its collection and transport methods and initiated a project together with Pooling Partners to find a solution. The new WEEE receptacle, which Pooling Partners developed in conjunction with Recupel, is the first receptacle suitable for the collection of small devices containing a lithium battery such as mobile telephones, tablets and small domestic equipment.

www.fujikura.co.uk

www.recupel.be

Customised LED Displays, Signs & Screens That Meet Your Needs

New POSITAL rotary encoders combine incremental and absolute functionality

Based in Hampshire, LEDsynergy electronic LED display and sign manufacturer has nearly 35 years’ experience in the sector and has enabled the business to secure itself as a principle frontrunner in LED production and customisation.

Approximately over 20,000 installations have been conducted in this time; an exceedingly impressive track record which marks the company’s great success and continued reliability.

Producing signs for many esteemed brands, LEDsynergy has created both indoor and outdoor masterpieces for a wide range of factions including financial tickers, highways & roads, factories, sports arenas, retail outlets, advertising & promotional businesses and those working in offices and medical centres. “As an LED screen and display manufacturer we are able to offer a complete bespoke solution for your business,” explained Jeremy Harwood, Managing Director at LEDsynergy.

The FRABA Group introduces new members of its IXARC family of rotary encoders that combine incremental and absolute rotation measurement capabilities in a single, compact package. Since absolute encoders provide the control system with an accurate report of the rotational angle and number of complete rotations of the encoder shaft at a specific point in time, they are an ideal solution for many machinery positioning tasks. Incremental encoders, on the other hand, provide a signal pulse every time the encoder shaft rotates by a specified angle. Their excellent dynamic response makes them a good choice for monitoring rotational speed and direction. The combination of both measurement capabilities in a single device provides control system designers with extra flexibility. Moreover, the incremental signal can be used as a “heartbeat” that confirms that the sensor is functioning normally.

Email: sales@ledsynergy.co.uk

Email: forthaus@posital.com

www.ledsynergy.co.uk

Johannes Huebner Giessen presents the next generation of its universal encoder system U-ONE-SAFETY With U-ONE-SAFETY the specialist for robust encoder and drive technologies, Johannes Huebner Giessen, offers the next generation of the universal encoder system U-ONE to support machine builders and system operators in their endeavours to prevent accidents. When rectifying faults, setting up machines or performing test runs it is sometimes necessary to intervene in procedures when the machine is running, something that could pose a risk to the safety of operating personnel. With U-ONE-SAFETY it is easy to realize motion and position dependent safety functions. New features in comparison with the previous version include a safe position and error switch as well as the latest intrinsically safe absolute encoder interfaces. In addition, the system offers a reliable speed switch as well as optional current or incremental outputs. It is possible to simply and reliably program the respective parameters utilizing the configuration software included in the scope of supply without having to intervene in the higher-level PLC.

Tel: +49 (0) 641 / 79 69-0

www.huebner-giessen.com

www.poolingpartners.eu

www.posital.eu

Lascar extends PanelPilotACE capabilities with new Design Studio software release Lascar Electronics has today released an update to its PanelPilotACE Design Studio software, which enables the rapid development of display interfaces with a simple drag-and-drop interface. The update provides powerful new interfacing and maths tools all of which can all be implemented without users needing to write a single line of code.

Design Studio 2.0 is available to download now from http://www.panelpilot.com/panelpilot-downloads.

The addition of RS232 support in Design Studio 2.0 allows communication between PanelPilotACE and other external devices, supporting the sending and receiving of serial messages and configuration of protocol, message format and error checking. This allows, for instance, users to mirror the display to a slave device or to enable logging of readings.

www.lascarelectronics.com

Increases rather than decreases with exposure to sunlight over time For over fifty years, Kimball Electronics has produced electronic assemblies for the automotive, industrial, medical, and public safety markets.

Kimball specializes in durable electronics; assemblies that are required to perform in harsh and demanding environments requiring very high reliability for very long periods of time. Kimball operates six facilities in 5 countries: Mexico, China, Thailand, Poland, and two operations in the United States.

Kimball Electronics provides services such as design, prototyping, subassembly, and complete system integration. At Kimball Electronics, client designs are transformed into final assemblies by a very experienced team executing world-class manufacturing processes.

Visit www.kimballelectronics.com to learn more!

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PECM Issue 15

A key attribute of CIGS (copper indium gallium selenium) thin-film solar panels is that their performance increases rather than decreases with exposure to sunlight over time. US-based Stion Corporation has developed a proprietary in-line “light soaking” process which enables it to condition panels on its state of the art production line in Hattiesburg, MS rather than “sunsoaking” them outdoors. This is a first in the industry and enables Stion to increase cycle times as well as maximize margins. Controlling the sunsoaking process also benefits customers by increasing predictability, making Stion’s solution “Simply Better” on all fronts.

www.stion.com

CRITICAL CARE

POWER SOLUTIONS

Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS)

Isolated Power Systems (IPS)

Automatic Changeover & Monitoring Device (ATICS速)

Bender is the market leader in the supply of electrical safety solutions for group 2 medical locations

www.bender-uk.com

BENDER UK Low Mill Business Park, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 9EE Tel: 44(0) 1229 480123 Fax: 44(0) 1229 480345 Tel ROI: +353 1 5060611

Electrical & Electronics

Designed to look like a traditional consumer unit ith regulation 421.1.201 starting from January 2016, CPN Cudis’ 17th Edition 3rd Amendment Lumo Metal Clad Consumer Unit was produced in order to meet the regulation, stating all domestic consumer units installed have their enclosures made from noncombustible materials. Being designed to look like a traditional consumer unit, whilst also including their Lumo feature – LED function in the lid so that no-one is left in the dark. It’s available in white or black as standard or any RAL colour to suit consumer needs whilst also being designed to be easy to install and conforming to BSEN61439-3.

W

The Lumo Metal Clad Consumer Unit has been widely researched in order to meet the needs of the regulations, contractors, house builders and home owners. Being aesthetically pleasing with an all steel construction and metal hinged drop down lid; the unit

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PECM Issue 15

combines ease of installation with added safety features such as Earth bonding contact points throughout the unit, its knockouts allow for full access of cables yet also being positioned on all four sides as well as the rear.

Receiving high praise from the NICEIC – ELECSA live south exhibition audiences and within the electrical industry as a whole, the Lumo board is proving to be a great success. The Lumo Metal Clad Board offers a lower fire risk and has been designed in the UK by CPN Cudis with electricians in mind. As a standard feature the LED strip allows anyone to reset a tripped circuit in the dark with ease, making it ideal for properties where it’s fitted in a dark location, such as under the stairs.

Marketed all across the UK and via a network of 200 stockists the Lumo Metal Clad Consumer Unit is safety by design!

www.cudis.co.uk

Electrical & Electronics

Ecopac Power announces the release of the latest LED Drivers from Mean Well the APV-8 and APC-8 series.

T

Connect 2 Expertise

Reliability

Innovation

hese 8 watt plastic enclosed LED Drivers meet the requirement for lower wattage highly efficient small and economical units. Designed for applications where space is at a premium and cost is an issue these Mean Well LED Drivers are available in both constant current and constant voltage options.

The constant current APC-8 series is available from 250mA, 350mA, 500mA and 700mA with universal 90 264VAC full range input and up to 84% high efficiency.

The constant voltage APV-8 series is available in 5v, 12v and 24v. They can operate from -30째c up to +70째c with only free air convection.

To keep costs down Mean Well have manufactured the AP series for any application that does not require high IP ratings, they have been designed with built-in standard features including short circuit, overload and over voltage protections. The inputs and outputs are supplied pre wired with the input at 18AWG x 2C (15cm) and output at 20AWG x 2C (15cm).

With a 2 year warranty the APV-8 series and APC-8 series Mean Well LED Drivers are all produced with a plastic enclosed case that has fire prevention level 94V-0 and isolation class II with no field ground.

Available from the 1st July contact us for more information or to order your samples now.

Call: 01844 204420 Email: Sales@ecopacpower.co.uk Website: ecopacpower.co.uk

Get the right solution Proven, reliable connectors and cable assemblies are here www.fischerconnectors.com/uk

Fischer Connectors Ltd. Havant / Hampshire Freephone 0800 432 0301 sales@fischerconnectors.co.uk

Issue 15 PECM

57

Electrical & Electronics EGRAN, A New Stainless Steel Terminal Box Range from ETA Enclosures UK New to the already extensive range of Stainless Steel enclosure products from ETA Enclosures comes EGRAN a high quality line up of Terminal Boxes manufactured from 1.2mm thick grade 304L Stainless Steel. Customers can also specify an upgrade to 316L material if so required.

EGRAN Terminal Boxes are offered with pressed lids incorporating formed corners for high aesthetics along with rapid fix (minimum turns to secure) stainless steel captive screws and Silicone Seals.

Protection ratings are to IP66/IP69K thus making the product ideal for high pressure clean down and so a wide range of applications in the Food and Beverage industry or where the boxes are exposed to harsh environments.

Available in 6 standard sizes these terminal boxes come with internal mounting rails provided and can be used with either mounting plates or Din-type rails.

Sizes available are: 150mm x 150mm x 80mm 200mm x 200mm x 80mm 300mm x 200mm x 80mm 150mm x 150mm x 120mm 400mm x 200mm x 120mm 300mm x 300mm x 120mm The complete range of ETA Enclosure products can be found in our comprehensive 350 page catalogue which is available by calling 01709 386630 or by contacting your local ETA Distributor. info@eta-enclosures.co.uk www.eta-enclosures.co.uk

New innovations in Stainless Steel Enclosures providing high protection for harsh environments

innovative enclosure solutions for industrial & electronic applications

www.eta-enclosures.co.uk

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PECM Issue 15

Electrical & Electronics

Global manufacturer & distributor of fasteners & components Full service provider offering end to end support from engineering & design, through to specification, manufacture, quality control & logistics. Servicing many industry sectors including automotive, electronics, telecoms, home appliances, marine & general industrial.

Screws | Nuts | Bolts | Washers | Self Clinch | Brass Inserts | Plastic Products Spacers & Pillars | Locking Nuts | Rivet Bushes | Blind Rivets | Blind Rivet Nuts Security Fasteners | Circlips | Micro-Diameter & more Contact TR: sales@trfastenings.com www.trfastenings.com

Issue 15 PECM

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Electrical & Electronics

The value of using Briton EMS EXCELLENCE I N E L E C T RO N I C M A N U FA C T U R I N G S E RV I C E S

1. Complete turnkey electronics manufacturing services – including design – supported by in-house engineering, PCB / SMT assembly, materials procurement, full testing and shipping.

We provide . SMT & Through Hole PCB Assembly

2. Devolving manufacturing to Briton EMS improves your companyÊs cash flow – and your ROI.

. Complete Product Build

. Low/Medium Volume Manufacturing

. BGA/µBGA Placement & Inspection

3. Electronic products manufactured in low and medium volumes in the UK.

. Test Solutions/JTAG/AOI . Global Procurement

. Lead Free Services

4. Option to manufacture higher volumes in our offshore facilities in Indonesia.

. Engineering and Design Support To meet your

Quality, Flexibility & Delivery targets

Call our sales department today

01234 266300 www.britonems.co.uk

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PECM Issue 15

KM85790

Briton EMS Ltd 4 Shuttleworth Rd Elms Industrial Estate Bedford " MK41 0EP

[e]: sales@britonems.co.uk info@britonems.co.uk

A project you'd like to discuss?

E-mail sales@britonems.co.uk info@britonems.co.uk or call 01234 266 300.

www.britonems.co.uk

FIBOX TAKING ENCLOSURES DESIGN TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL! K

eeping ahead of the competition in the innovative development of new products is the life blood of any forward thinking manufacturer. It seems a new car design rolls out of the production plant of the three main German car manufacturers every week! And all because their need to keep one step ahead is paramount. The enclosure industry is no different, just on a much lesser financial scale.

But we can only develop these successful products if we know what the market in which we operate demands.

Business survives through new growth No better illustration of this business method which is based on our ability to know or predict what our customers will need, is the introduction of the new Euronord 3 range.

Features should always result in benefits, and the backbone of the Euronord 3 design is to make the installer’s life

easier In designing Euronord 3 we have listened closely to the OEM market and developed a range of products which offers more features than those of our main competitors. Features should always result in benefits, and the backbone of the Euronord 3 design is to make the installer’s life easier while

endorsing the aesthetic importance of the enclosure, crucially important to the discerning OEM. Steve Gallon, Fibox UK MD said, “We have taken the 6 most popular Euronord 2 sizes and developed this innovative new range which moves this genre of enclosures to another level. We were able to do this by taking notice of customer feedback which once again highlights the clear benefits of building collaborative partnerships with our customers; linking product development with industry requirements, reinforced by the knowledge of knowing that we are making our customers life easier”.

Designed specifically for use in numerous applications in harsh and demanding environments, Euronord 3 is a product which incorporates a host of market leading features and benefits which will be attractive to the Instrumentation and Electronic Control Unit manufacturing sector, but will also appeal to any manufacturer looking to make their own innovation stand out from their competitors; • ¼ turn quick release, noncorrosive cover screws, designed to save time in installation and maintenance • Recessed covers for fitting membranes, labels and other surface mounted panels. Corners are protected by the recess • Cover screw corner plugs for aesthetics, cover cleaning and security • Opaque and smoked transparent covers. The edge around the recess is textured to offer a pleasing effect. Euronord 2 covers are interchangeable with the Euronord 3 bases

• Available in Polycarbonate and ABS • IP66/67. Market leading ingress protection Steve Gallon explained that the Fibox Euronord 3 development philosophy was really quite simple “ Euronord 2 has been a real success story but our customers wanted more. We listened and have now delivered”.

For further information, please contact, Steve Gallon.

FIBOX, Suite 25, Durham and Tees Valley Business Centre, Orde Wingate Way, Stockton on Tees TS19 0GD Tel: 01642 604 400 or visit: www.fibox.co.uk

We have taken the 6 most popular Euronord 2 sizes and developed this innovative new range which moves this genre of enclosures to another level Issue 15 PECM

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The driving force quality

Our goal is perfection – no more and no less

e of highy custom solutions

NEW The NEW generation of

products

For many years iwis’ ELITE brand of roller chain has been used by major OE manufacturers and End Users and is seen as a critical component to countless applications where consistent quality and value for money are of paramount importance. iwis are now very proud to announce that re-development of the range with focus on key elements such as production techniques, tolerances, raw materials and our recently developed eliDUR lubrication means it just got better! In fact in many cases we have improved it’s lifespan by over 50% which adds even more value to the product, and tests within iwis’ laboratory against well know “market leaders” have proven in many cases that it is capable of outperforming it’s rivals.

The comprehensive range includes British and American standard roller chains in carbon, stainless steel and nickel plated options.

iwis drive systems Ltd. Unit 8c Bloomfield Park, Bloomfield Road, Tipton West Midlands, DY4 9AP Tel: +44(121) 5213600, Fax: +44(121) 5200822

Conveyor and attachment chains are available from the UK and can be produced to order when required, and our huge range of British, American and European leaf chains on stock in the UK service a large proportion of the UK and European market. As OE supplier to the Agricultural market, ELITE combine and bailer chains are available from stock in the UK as well as our Agrisystems plant in Germany.

Preferred Supplier of the Bosch Group The range satisfies most conveying and transmission applications and customers such as Bosch Gmbh are so satisfied with the product they have decided to award iwis with it’s certificate of excellence and have recognised the ELITE brand as their No.1 product for all transmission and conveying applications.

www.iwis.com

Andrews Prevents Data Centre Closure due to Burst Water Pipe

W

hen a burst pipe threatened loss of critical temperature control in the data centre of a major telecommunications company, Andrews Chiller Hire were called upon to deliver a solution that would achieve and maintain constant air temperature whilst the in-house air conditioning system was shut down for repair and test.

Since the water leak was discovered on a Saturday maintenance staff needed to contact a chiller hire company that could support them immediately, providing a solution to protect the expensive equipment at the data centre.

Should the air conditioning system have to be shut down, without any alternative supply of chilled air it would be extremely costly, with the company facing millions of pounds per hour in lost revenue, and potential contractual supplier fines.

Andrews Chiller Hire was the first point of contact since it offers ‘local’ availability of chillers and associated equipment, and there is no such thing as closed-at-weekends, the company provides round-the-clock service, 365 days a year. It is this level of support backed by experience staff that has enabled Andrews to deliver, promptly, so many temporary fully engineered solutions.

Data centres with their banks of computer suites demand a consistent temperature controlled environment.

Heat dissipated from computers, servers and other associated electronic equipment is a major contributor to rising room temperatures hence the requirement for a reliable airconditioning system. With any temperature rise there can be a subsequent increase in room humidity creating potential from electrostatic discharge which is detrimental to safe and secure computer performance. The outcome is potential total loss of or corruption to data.

The emergency phone call to Andrews Chiller Hire was made on a Saturday afternoon and within just one hour a solution had been formalised with the customer and the required equipment and engineering team mobilised.

To meet the high-level air-conditioning demands of this telecommunications data centre which is split over two floors Andrews Chiller Hire supplied a range of duplicated equipment so that it could be installed on opposite sides of the building to achieve essential critical temperature control. On each side of the building engineers installed a 750kW chiller that delivered chilled water to 5 air handlers, (3 supplying the top floor and two the lower floor). Since this had to be a totally independent solution Andrews also installed one 550 kVA generator on each side of the building, connected to a 3,000 litre fuel tank.

In many installations air handlers act as recirculating systems, drawing air

Telecoms Data Centre When a burst pipe threatened loss of critical temperature control in the data centre, Andrews Chiller Hire were called upon to deliver a solution.

from a room, routing to the chiller and returning the air at a much lower temperature. For this data centre there were site restrictions in doorways for ducting therefore air handlers chosen were tasked with delivering chilled ambient air by use of cooling fluid from a 750kW chiller.

This provided sufficient cooling allowing the data centre maintenance team to shut down their system and bleed it without actually closing down the routine functionality of the datacentre. Only once all pipework had been tested using ultra sound technology and any leaks repaired was the in-house air-con plant returned to full duty.

Andrews Chiller Hire was the first point of contact since it offers ‘local’ availability of chillers and associated equipment, and there is no such thing as closedat-weekends, the company provides roundthe-clock service, 365 days a year.

Andrews Chiller Hire, a specialist division within the Andrews Sykes Group, holds an impressive range of modern aircooled fluid chillers with capacities from 6kW to more than 750kW and single air-handlers capable of delivering up to 600kW. It operates from more than 25 depots across the UK, providing 365 days, 24/7 dedicated support. This level of customer commitment has enabled Andrews Chiller Hire to respond and deliver many time critical temporary solutions, prevent business losses due to faulty in-house air conditioning plant.

Andrews Sykes Hire Limited Chiller Division Unit 54 Gravelly Industrial Park Tyburn Road Birmingham B24 8TQ Tel: +44 (0)1902 328725 E: shdinternalsales@andrews-sykes.com www.andrews-sykes.com

Issue 15 PECM

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Bolt security made easy with new Wedge Lock Nut from Heico

T

he security of bolted joints is critical, understanding the causes of bolted joint failure is the only way to resolve an issue and for this you have to go back to the basic forces at work. Preload is the most fundamental aspect in bolted joint design, it is the force that makes a bolted joint work and able to withstand working loads. It is a fact that 80% of all bolted joint failures are related to incorrect preload, so maintaining this force is paramount.

Heico Fasteners innovative range of anti-vibration washer products are designed to do just that and the company’s’ successful philosophy of continual product development has seen the recent launch of the Heico-Lock® Wedge Lock Nut that uses the proven locking ability of the original Heico-Lock® Washer combined with the ease of use of a flanged nut. This one piece design provides the customer with ease of use, effective bolt security and a reduction of assembly time and effort all in one.

The Heico Wedge Lock Nut is supplied pre-assembled with the nut and washer combined in a captive and rotary way and uses the preload force, rather than friction, to positively lock the bolt in place.

The proven Heico-Lock® principle of wedge shaped cams

Heico Wedge Lock Nut

on the inside of the washers and radial teeth on the outside results in increased clamping force being applied during periods of vibration or dynamic load.

The external radial teeth embed into the mating surfaces when tightened while the internal cams react to any movement in the joint by moving across each other and, as the height of these cams is greater than the pitch of the bolt thread, the increase in the height of these moving cams increases the clamping force on the joint, thus causing the bolt to selflock.

The original Heico-Lock® washer

The one piece design eliminates the risk of misuse as the 2 component parts are fixed permanently in the correct position. The design makes the wedge lock nut perfect for use in hard to reach locations and also offers considerable reduction in assembly time and effort. As well as being easy, safe and fast to use (even for non-specialist users) the nut is totally re-usable without any loss of function The Wedge Lock Nut is an exciting addition to the Heico range that already includes the original Heico-Lock® washer and the innovative Ring-Lock system so why not contact the Heico team today to discuss your requirements further.

Heico ‘Ring-Lock’ System

Tel: 01268 745421 t E-mail: sales@heico-fasteners.co.uk t www.heico-lock.co.uk 66

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The Heico Evolution in Bolt Security continues...

In 2010 we launched Heico-Lock®...

2013 saw the ‘Ring-Lock’ System...

New for 2015, Heico bring you the next step in wedge locking technology with our one piece locking nut!

Heico-Lock®,

bolt security you can rely on Contact us to see how we can help with your project Tel: 01268 745421 email: sales@heico-fasteners.co.uk web: www.heico-lock.co.uk

Revolutionary Oval Gear Flow Meter Range Marking a revolution in positive displacement flow measurement technology the latest MX-Series oval gear flow meter range from Macnaught is now available in the UK exclusively from Bell Flow Systems. val gear meters are widely recognised as one of the most versatile flow measurement solutions with their ability to accurately meter a broad range of low to high viscosity fluids without the need for flow conditioning. Based on over 40 years manufacturing experience Macnaught has taken the proven benefits of oval gear and combined them with a revolutionary modular design and cutting edge production techniques. The result is MX-Series, a reliable, high performance flow meter range with exceptional accuracy, repeatability and durability.

O

Unique to Macnaught the M-Lock bayonet mounting system allows output modules common to all MX-Series models to be connected or removed in seconds without having to disassemble the meter or remove it from service.

Pulse modules are easily changed or replaced with LCD displays with a simple quarter turn providing a major benefit to users with a large installed meter base. Reed switch and Hall Effect Sensor are standard outputs with high temperature, intrinsically safe and analogue options. A comprehensive range of M-Lock compatible rate, total and batching displays with outputs, ATEX options and remote mount versions complete the line up.

The MX-Series model range covers from DN8 ¼” up to DN100 4” with flow rates from 0.5LPH to 1200LPM at up to 138bar. To ensure dimensional stability each meter body is individually CNC machined from solid stainless steel or aluminium billet with aluminium bodies being black anodised to prevent corrosion with high water content fluids. Standard seals are Viton and Teflon. Oval gear rotors are precision engineered in PPS, aluminium or stainless steel to exacting tolerances with high temperature 150c and high viscosity +1000cPs versions available. The result is a standard accuracy of better than 0.5% with the option of 0.25% accuracy with 3 point calibration and repeatability of 0.03%.

With moving parts inside the meter body limited to a pair of oval gear rotors maintenance is minimal. Unlike more complicated technologies MX-Series can be quickly and easily disassembled, serviced and reassembled whilst still in the line without the need for special tools or training. Each meter is individually tested and calibrated before dispatch, has a full range of spare parts readily available and is backed with a 2 year factory warranty.

Richard Davison, Macnaught Product Manager at Bell Flow Systems, said ‘Having the flexibility to be able to change pulse and LCD modules quickly and easily is a major benefit for many users and combined with Macnaught’s renowned quality makes MX-Series the ideal solution to many flow measurement problems. It is not often that an evolutionary change takes place and with further additions planned MX-Series will continue to set the benchmark in oval gear flow measurement’.

Oval gear meters are widely recognised as one of the most versatile flow measurement solutions with their ability to accurately meter a broad range of low to high viscosity fluids without the need for flow conditioning.

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Tel: 0800 027 7786 • Email: sales@bellflowsystems.co.uk www.bellflowsystems.co.uk

Material benefits

Professor Ian Kinloch aims to develop practical methods of manufacturing and using carbon nanomaterials.

Concepts that he pioneered in carbon nanotubes are now being applied to other materials such as graphene.

Research area Ian Kinloch became Professor of Materials Science at the University of Manchester in 2012. He leads the nanomaterials group and works with other departments within the university and with researchers at other universities and in industry. From doctoral studies and postdoctoral work at the University of Cambridge, he developed methods for the large-scale production of carbon nanotubes which have been commercialised through the speciality chemicals company that sponsored his studies and through a spin-out company based in Cambridge.

His current research applies the methods developed for carbon nanotubes to investigate routes to manufacture graphene on a commercial scale; he is also researching the rheological properties of graphene – how it might be distributed within a polymer matrix – and methods of developing composite materials that could take advantage of graphene’s properties. Professor Kinloch takes what he terms a ‘ holistic’ approach in developing the materials, the processes to

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manufacture them, and the application markets, all in parallel. “This assures potential customers that the product will be available in the right quantities when they need it, and assures suppliers that there are markets for the materials and products that they are gearing up to produce”, he said.

Academy support Ian Kinloch held a Royal Academy of Engineering/EPSRC Research Fellowship, initially at Cambridge and later at Manchester. The Fellowship enabled him to progress his ideas about commercial- scale production of carbon nanotubes and to build his own career and, at Manchester, his own laboratory.

He said, “One of the beauties of the Royal Academy support is that it is an individual prize, and gives a huge amount of flexibility. It takes the brightest and the best people who are going to be the future engineering leaders and gives them a completely open field in terms of what they research. The focus of the research is of your own choosing, and the Academy enables you to progress your

career by developing your research topics and by providing the flexibility to move between institutions. Its support for me included a wonderful mentor in Professor Dame Julia King DBE FREng, and I appreciated the low admin load as well. But mostly it really gave me the chance to develop my own independent research career.”

Other support Including the Academy’s support, Ian Kinloch’s research has attracted funding totalling more than £4 million, with contributions from the Royal Society, the EPSRC, the BBSRC and industry. He currently receives funding from the EPSRC, and aims to transfer the work that he pioneered with carbon nanotubes to graphene.

Research impact Ian Kinloch’s research has been based in commercial realities throughout his career, and has implications for important industries such as aerospace, automotive and biomedical engineering. His postdoctoral research at Cambridge was sponsored by Thomas Swan and Co and is the basis of the commercial carbon nanotubes

Biography/Career Progression 1997–2001 PhD, Carbon nanotubes: production and dispersion, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge 2001–2004 Research Associate, University of Cambridge 2004–2009 Royal Academy of Engineering/EPSRC Research Fellow 2009–2010 Lecturer, School of Materials, University of Manchester 2010–2012 Senior Lecturer, School of Materials, University of Manchester 2011 to Present Challenging Engineering EPSRC Fellowship, University of Manchester 2012 to Present Professor of Materials Science, University of Manchester production technology that Swan sells under the Elicarb name. Further research led to the invention of a production method for ‘nanotube ropes’ that is being commercialised through a Cambridge University spin-out company called Q-Flo. In parallel, Professor Kinloch worked on the rheology and dispersion of nanotubes, refining their behaviour and developing processes that will enable them to be incorporated into polymers in ways similar to those already used with other kinds of fibres in composite materials.

The carbon nanotube work is now at the point where it is ready for exploitation by engineers in real-world applications, and Professor Kinloch’s emphasis has shifted to expanding the methodologies developed for carbon nanotubes into graphene, a material for which colleagues at Manchester University won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Applications for such materials will be in areas such as aerospace, where a graphene-based composite should significantly outperform current carbon fibre-based composites for use in, for example, wing structures and biomedical engineering applications as scaffolds for reconstructive surgery. A lot of current work, however, is focused on energy storage, where the large surface area, low density and chemical

stability of graphene offer huge potential for electrodes in batteries, solar cells and fuel cells. The research in this area is also developing fundamental knowledge of electrochemistry that feeds through to work in other areas such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors.

Future challenges New materials inevitably take a long time to find applications, but the basic challenge is to produce them on a commercial scale and to incorporate them into formulations such as composites that make their adoption in products practical.

Professor Kinloch’s work has helped to bring carbon nanotubes to the point where exploitation is now possible, but with graphene development there is greater urgency and a national desire to ensure that the UK is well-placed to benefit from the commercial exploitation.

The challenge is to transfer technology and at the same time to engage businesses that will take the next steps to develop viable products. Through the National Graphene Institute, Professor Kinloch and his colleagues are talking directly

to companies, using Knowledge Transfer Networks and other means to drive UK, European and worldwide take-up.

“The Royal Academy of Engineering support for research is fundamental to enable younger engineers to develop their ideas and to broaden their independent careers. I became a professor at the age of 36: without the Academy I could never have achieved that.”

Professor Ian Kinloch

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New Innovation from Colex International Limited

NeuVend SI Tap Tail

NeuVend SI

C

80% of Colex product is bespoke, so they have a wealth of experience in designing and manufacturing hose to meet your specific requirements.

olex International Ltd. is a UK company with over 20 years’ experience in the manufacture of high quality hoses and tubes.

With an excellent reputation for forward thinking, innovation & new product development, Colex has added a number of new lines to their portfolio to meet the ever increasing demands of the market.

Protectaflex is the next generation dual containment hose system, offering all the benefits of existing products but in a smaller, lighter and more manageable format.

The durable PU outer is UV stable and offers excellent clarity for visual inspection. Inner hoses are available in reinforced PVC, Vendhose and NeuVend™.

NeuVend SI™ is a triple layer hose with added antimicrobial protection.

It has been designed for critical applications where there is an enhanced risk to human health from microbial organisms within

Protectaflex

the potable water supply system.

these Tap Tails to exactly suit your requirement.

NeuVend SI ™ is suitable for use in all potable water supply applications especially where the additional Biomaster Antimicrobial Protection properties are critical, such as, hospitals, dental clinics, nursing and care homes, HVAC, aviation & leisure.

Antimicrobial Silicone Tube offers all of the benefits of standard silicone, with added antimicrobial protection.

Specifically engineered for applications where bacteria control is required, antimicrobial silicone provides prolonged and effective protection against bacteria such as MRSA and E.coli.

NeuVend SI™ Lined Flexible Tap Tails are comprised of NeuVend SI™ Liner overbraided with stainless steel and fixed on both ends with the required fitting. The NeuVend SI™ liner itself is manufactured from a blend of polyolefin based materials lined with smooth polyethylene internal surface all containing a Biomaster antimicrobial additive.

The NeuVend SI™ liner combined with stainless steel over braiding results in a Tap Tail that has excellent flexural and working pressure properties. Available in a variety of lengths with a number of different fittings, Colex can make

In addition Colex also manufactures a range of stock products including, nylon, PVC and polyurethane hoses & tubes plus a range of PTFE and Silicone. 80% of Colex product is bespoke, so they have a wealth of experience in designing and manufacturing hose to meet your specific requirements.

Please visit www.colexint.com for more information about all of Colex Internationals products and services or email sales@colexint.co.uk to enquire about products.

Fluid Handling Spirax Sarco’s new B850 Flow Computer makes it easy to measure true steam boiler efficiency With the launch of the Spirax Sarco B850 Flow Computer, steam system operators can now accurately measure true boiler efficiency without the need for Building Management or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems that can be costly and time consuming to implement.

Typically, steam system operators use burner efficiency to indicate boiler efficiency. However, this ignores energy losses that can occur after the burner, such as scaled or dirty heat transfer surfaces or excessive boiler blowdown rates. The only way to obtain true boiler efficiency is to meter all energy into the boiler (in the gas and feed water) and compare this with the useful energy out of the boiler (in the steam).

Spirax Sarco water flowmeter simplifies boiler efficiency measurement Spirax Sarco of flowmeters electromagnetic water and other

has extended its range with the launch of an flowmeter for measuring conductive liquids.

The Spirax Sarco ELectroMagnetic Flowmeter (ELM10) is aimed primarily at boiler feed water and cold make-up water monitoring applications. Its launch means a steam system operator can now source all its steam and condensate loop meters from a single supplier, saving them time and money and ensuring the most suitable meters for the requirements of this specialist field.

The ELM10 is also suitable for process applications to identify ways to cut water consumption, and can be used in the wider plant to meter slurry and other conductive liquids such as waste water.

The unit can display real-time and historical data for an easy way to detect drops in boiler efficiency and identify their causes quickly. This enables swift action to be taken to prevent unnecessary costs arising from inefficient boiler blowdown procedures, degradation of insulation or a system failure (for example, in heat recovery equipment). Using burner efficiency data alone, such changes can often go unnoticed until an expensive fuel bill comes in.

The ELM10 can be integrated with Building Management Systems (BMS) or Spirax Sarco’s new B850 Flow Computer to provide accurate data on all aspects of boiler operation. By using ELM10 to meter the energy into the boiler (in the feed water) and compare it with the useful energy leaving the boiler (in the steam) boiler operators can gain a true picture of the actual energy efficiency of their boiler. This enables any drops in boiler performance (for example due to inefficient boiler blow down procedures or degradation of insulation) to be spotted quickly, helping to reduce maintenance costs and minimising downtime.

The B850 Flow Computer therefore enables energy and facilities managers to benchmark the efficiency of boiler settings and operating procedure, allowing energy and cost saving measures to be effectively implemented.

It also provides proof of return on investment for any related expenditure.

This compact, single component meter is easy to install and cost-effective to run. The ELM10’s smooth internal surfaces allow liquids to flow freely, reducing wear on pumps and cutting running costs. The meter can be sized to installed pipework for fitting to existing boiler plant.

Tel: 01242 521361 Email: UK.Enquiries@spiraxsarco.com www.spiraxsarco.com

Tel: 01242 521361 Email: UK.Enquiries@spiraxsarco.com www.spiraxsarco.com

The B850 Flow Computer is an all-in-one unit that uses input data from gas, water and steam flowmeters to calculate the energy efficiency of the boiler system without the need for additional equipment.

Multi Gun® The New Multi Cartridge Vacuum Greasing System from Lumeter® The new Multi Gun® is the latest release from Lumeter Ltd. and its British designed Barrel System has a worldwide Patent Pending.

Lumeter Ltd., Oldbury, Birmingham have developed this new versatile grease gun which is designed to be used with any DIN 1284 cartridge, plus 400g and 500g threaded cartridges. Requiring no spring loading, MULTI GUN® charges the pressure chamber with new grease by vacuum before dispensing at pressures tested to 6000psi.

Loading a new grease cartridge, of every type, is clean, simple and quick to do on site, requiring no tools at all.

Each MULTI GUN® is supplied with a 450mm High Pressure Spring Guard Supply Hose and 4 Jaw Coupler, special Adapter for use with Standard Cartridges, Follower Seals and fittings for use when using screw threaded cartridges.

This new Multi Gun Grease Gun is the next step development from the existing Lumeter A1034 Twin Handled Grease Gun. Developed in the UK, interest in MULTI GUN® is already high. This is down to its basic principles of operation, versatility and build quality” said Lumeter Managing Director Mike Gregory.

Tel: +44 (0) 121 544 3090 Email: sales@lumeter.co.uk www.multigun.co.uk

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The software safeguard Professor Dino Distefano is a world leader in software security, developing routines and systems to ensure that complex programs are secure and reliable and contain no hidden errors that could lead to unintended consequences.

Research area Dino Distefano is a Professor of Software Verification at Queen Mary, University of London and a pioneer in the growing area of software security. He leads both academic and commercial research teams developing mathematical models that find mistakes in software – errors that, in some applications, could be safety-critical. In the same way that compiler tools do checks in computer programs for incorrect syntax, Professor Distefano’ s tools construct a mathematical model of what software programs will do when they run and identify when they might misbehave.

From a background of applying mathematical logic to verify the correctness of systems, Professor Distefano has concentrated on software verification for the past 10 years and is credited with development of the first separation logic program analysis tool. The core theory behind this work is to separate the computer code into discrete areas and test the each area individually rather than the entire code

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at once. For example, the separation logic program analysis tool would only check the memory used by the program, and not the entire system, and therefore would work much faster than conventional proving tools. Under the RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowship, he has been working on automating verification of industrial and large-scale software: programs of the kind that are used where errors can have safety and reliability implications. He and his co-researchers founded a company, Monoidics, to commercialise the results of their research.

Academy support Professor Distefano was backed by the RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowship which helped him focus and achieve the goal of automating the software checking routines. He said, “I think it’s one of the greatest things the UK has that it gives support to young engineers and scientists to enable them to concentrate on their research and be relieved of teaching and admin duties. I don’t think I could have done what I’ve done without this support.”

Key achievements Developed Space Invader, the first separation logic program analyser Shortlisted for Times Higher Education Supplement Research Project of the Year, 2008 Winner, Roger Needham Award for contributions to computer science, British Computer Society 2012 Microsoft Research developed internal software tool for software verification based on his work Professor Distefano’s start-up company, Monoidics, was acquired by Facebook in July 2013

Biography/Career Progression 1999 to 2003 PhD in systems verification, University of Twente, The Netherlands

2003 to 2007 Postdoctoral researcher, Queen Mary, University of London

2007 to 2013 RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowship 2009 to Present Founding partner and originally CEO of Monoidics

2012 to Present Professor of Software Verification, Department of Computer Science, Queen Mary, University of London Other support Professor Distefano’ s work has been an inspiration for many other research programmes, including University of California, Berkeley and Princeton University. His collaborations span across academic organisations and commercial entities such as Microsoft Research Laboratories at Cambridge.

His company, Monoidics, works with leading commercial software companies and is part of a €4.1 million European-funded research programme. He is also backed by EPSRC (The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) funding of more than £750,000.

Research impact “Software engineering is everywhere but it is still a very new discipline. In other parts of engineering that have been around for a long time, such as building bridges, for example, you have a strong mathematical foundation that gives engineers tools that enable them to build a model and know that the bridge isn’t going to collapse. Software engineering is a young branch of engineering and we are just now developing these kinds of mathematical tools,” Professor Distefano said. The automatic verification essentially constructs a mathematical model of what a complex software program will do when it runs and identifies any undesired behaviours. The tools deduce the behaviours without actually running the software and flag up errors.

“For industrial software, to do this

manually would take an army of PhD people but now an engineer can just press the button and it does it automatically,” Professor Distefano said.

The initial impact of this work has been in areas where software performance is safety critical: aerospace, automotive industries, defence and power. Modern aircraft and cars, for example, have tens of millions of lines of code inside them, often controlling critical functions.

Leading companies, therefore, have long been keen to verify the software they use. Professor Distefano believes that automation will soon make this a mainstream technology: “Before, it was elite and expensive, and you needed experts to do it. Now everyone can use it.”

Professor Distegano sees particular application in areas such as the operating systems of mobile phones, where the software suppliers and network operators are under extreme pressure to innovate constantly. “This provides a means to keep the quality standards that they need while remaining innovative,” he said.

One of Professor Distefano’s major and most recent achievements has been the acquisition of Monoidics, a company he co-founded in 2009,

by Facebook. “Monoidics specialises in automatic formal verification and analysis of software. Its aim is to bring verification and program analysis

research to the forefront of industrial practice”, he said.

Future challenges Professor Distefano sees his work developing in two particular directions: one is cyber security, which is coming to the fore with the ubiquitous mobile phone but which is likely to grow further with embedded software in many other products used everyday.

The other direction he expects his work to take comes with the continued increase in computing power, particularly through multicore processors, the full use of which requires more complex software.

“We are dealing with real problems in software and our contacts with industry are giving us some very interesting real-life issues to work on.”

Professor Dino Distefano

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Health & Safety TBA Protects against Static Shocks

Protecting people & property

Of course things have moved on since then. TBA Protective Solutions moved from the old site in 2012 and are now situated in a modern facility on the Transpennine Trading Estate, next to Junction 20 of the M62 motorway, but manufacturing still remains a huge part of its business.

LBS GROUP provide a range of fire resistant insulated rolling shutters and sectional overhead doors to provide vastly increased property protection, ranging from EW 90 Double skin steel rolling shutters forming a radiation zone, V60 shutters with EI 60 insulation and EI 120 insulated Sectional doors with the additional benefit of 35dB sound reduction.

Using their own specially formulated conductive and static dissipative polymers, TBA use injection moulding machines to produce an array of products including conductive boxes and bins, earthing plugs and pins, coiled cords and wrist band buckles as part of their static control range.

All products are tested as CEN 1634-1 and are supplied, installed and maintained nationwide by LBS GROUP who also offer a complete ongoing maintenance and repair service to ensure that Building occupier’s continue to meet their legal obligations.

Email: info@tbaps.com

For further information on LBS Commercial, Retail, Industrial, Fire & Security doors and shutters please visit www.lbsgroup.co.uk

Manufacturing has always been at the heart of TBA Protective Solutions.

Originally a textile manufacturing company, trading began from Clod Mill, Rochdale in the 1800s.

www.tbaps.com

New Showa 240 gloves protect hands from arc flash burns and cuts The new Showa 240 glove, has been added to the range of hand protection solutions by Globus, a British company and world leader in protecting hands. The glove has been made with flame-resistant materials to provide high performing protection against arc flash burns, flames and cuts. The glove is particularly suitable for maintenance and electrical workers as well as resistance welding within manufacturing.

The Showa 240 glove will provide protection when turning switches on or off and when working around electrical equipment. Flame resistant personal protective equipment should also be worn for complete protection.

The Showa 240 is available in sizes small, medium, large and extra-large.

For more information on this or other gloves across the Globus range, visit www.globus.co.uk, call +44(0) 161 877 4747 or e-mail: gloves@globus.co.uk.

Training Key to Staying Safe Used correctly abrasives have an extremely good safety record and manufacturers follow stringent manufacturing standards to ensure products are fit for purpose. However, problems arise when products are used incorrectly or for materials and applications for which they were not intended.

So where can you go to get the correct training for your specific application, machine and environment? In most instances abrasive wheel producers and distributors can offer valuable advice but in an effort to raise standards and awareness the British Abrasives Federation (BAF) have been providing an accreditation scheme to ensure that trainers and training companies are giving the right information.

For more information on BAF training programmes or a list of accredited trainers contact BAF Secretary Stuart Lane on 08456 12 13 80 or info@thebaf.org.uk. Alternatively visit the website www.thebaf.org.uk

Master web shop launches July 2015

Master Abrasives is launching a brand new web shop (www.masterwebshop.co.uk) in July 2015, initially offering a range of pneumatic tools for body shop technicians and composite engineers. The product offering will be expanded over the following months to include additional products, such as a selection of Master’s high quality abrasives and accessories. The web shop will be easy to use and supported with high stock levels. Special offers and promotions will be regularly updated on the web shop so follow us on twitter or monitor our website for further details.

Master has also been appointed the UK agent for ZIPP Air Tools, an innovative brand that offers a complete range of tools for different industries worldwide. A selection of these tools will be made available to purchase on the Master web shop as well as through a trade credit account or one of Master’s distributors.

Tel: 01327 703813 Email:@sales@master-toolservices.co.uk www.master-toolservices.co.uk

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Health & Safety

Tom Parker Ltd. Putting Safety First ever choose between performance and safety Tom Parker Ltd., national distributors of pneumatic and hydraulic products, is renowned for introducing the highest quality and most innovative ranges to the UK market. They were originally formed to distribute the premium quick connect safety coupling range of Cejn Sweden to the UK, but over the last 40 years’ Tom Parker Ltd. has expanded into one of the leading UK distributors. Now offering a comprehensive range of more than fifty market leading brands and over 30,000 catalogue lines, they are fully equipped to be a one-stop fluid power source. Tom Parker Ltd. is now delighted to announce the launch of its new, safety-focused short-form catalogue.

Operating alongside their main biennial product catalogue, the brochure contains an overview of their complete range of safety products, safe usage of compressed air guidelines and suggestions to ensure accidents

N

are easily avoided.

Efficient, Ergonomic and Economical One key product range highlighted within the new catalogue, is the Cejn eSafe safety coupling, which easily ensures operator protection. This new generation of safety coupling provides the highest flow available on the market and, this in conjunction with the resulting low pressure drop, guarantees maximum efficiency and productivity. Simple to use; eSafe offers a one-hand push feature to connect or disconnect, due to its ergonomic design which offers durability and ensures a long service life. eSafe series couplings vent the downstream pressure before disconnection occurs, reducing noise levels and removing the risk of operator injury caused by hose-whip. This vented safety function is a feature on all of the products as standard. Furthermore, eSafe couplings are the first safety couplings to share the same compact dimensions and weight of a standard coupling. This innovative range boasts a low connecting force and offers a reliable solution against impact, vibration &

swivelling. Additionally, eSafe products save energy and comply with international safety standard ISO 4414, the European Standard EN 983 and OSHA 1910.95.

The high quality choice Safety is a key priority when choosing goods to complement Tom Parker Ltd.’s vast but carefully selected product range.

They believe the products highlighted within their safety catalogue will easily and cost effectively ensure that customers adhere to increasingly stringent safety regulations, but most importantly keep their operations running smoothly, ensure maximum profitability and keep their workforce safe.

They believe that these ranges guarantee superior quality, performance and peace of mind, because you should never have to compromise.

To maintain these exacting standards throughout all of their operations, Tom Parker Ltd. employs quality management systems, in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001:2000 and is certified by the BSI. Their expertly trained Technical Sales Team is on-hand to offer impartial advice and assist with all enquiries, no matter how challenging. Their Business Development Team can easily cross reference other supplier’s part numbers and endeavour to beat your fiercest quotes.

Tom Parker Ltd. cater for timed deliveries and can provide text and email confirmation of arrival time for most orders. www.tom-parker.co.uk T: 01772 255109 E: sales@tom-parker.co.uk

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Signage for an efficient turnaround The plant operability, maintainability and reliability can be increased using durable signage. Worldwide Identification Specialist Brady Corporation explains how in a freely available, new white paper ‘Equipment visuals for process operations’.

F

ield operators in the physical plant often face a labyrinth of pipes and instruments relying solely on past training and experience to know where they need to be. Durable signs and pipe markers can increase the safety and efficiency of professionals in the field, trying to determine exactly which pipe, instrument, gauge, valve or pump needs maintenance or renewal.

Brady offers durable signage constructed with researched and tested materials, adhesives and ink that resist chemicals, oil, weathering and UV-exposure. These durable quality signs and pipe markers stay attached and remain legible in tough conditions so maintenance workers can rely on them, in the field, to communicate safety precautions and practical information to efficiently service machinery and installations.

Durable signs can be used to support compliancy, to increase safety and to make any oil & gas plant more aligned with principles from lean manufacturing. Practical applications include: • Gauge marking • Lubrication point identification • Replacement parts identification • Equipment, component identification • Fluid level marking • Checklists & procedures • Condition monitoring • Valves, levers and switch position identification • Pipe marking • Lockout/Tagout

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On-site printable Brady signage can be printed on-site using Brady’s industrial grade thermal heat transfer printers. The on-site printable option puts Operations Managers or Safety Managers in full control of all signage. Standard templates can be uploaded and any missing identification can immediately be applied where it is needed to increase the speed of future maintenance actions in order to resume operations more quickly.

Improve plant operability, maintainability and reliability with great signage. Find out how in the free white paper ‘Equipment visuals for process operations’.

Download the free White paper on www.bradyeurope.com/petrochem

:PNUHNL MVY HU LMÄJPLU[ [\YUHYV\UK Field operators in the physical plant often face a labyrinth of pipes and instruments relying solely on past training and experience to know where they need to be. To easily navigate the ever evolving COG physical plant, Brady offers durable signage solutions for a more efficient turnaround. Navigate the labyrinth with durable COG signage!

PROCESS VISUALS FOR EQUIPMENT & RELIABILITY MAINTAINABILITY OPERATITOONS NT OPERABILITY, IMPROVE EQUIPME USING VISUALS

Last updated:

March 2015

Improve plant operability, maintainability and reliability with h great signage. Find out how in our white paper ‘Equipment visuals for process operations’

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BRADY UK Wildmere Industrial Estate, Banbury, Oxon OX16 3JU ^^^ IYHK`L\YVWL JVT WL[YVJOLT T: F: E: LTLHFYLX\LZ['IYHK`JVYW JVT

Excellence in hydraulic engineering

HES has earned its status as a trusted supplier to the OEM,reseller and MRO markets, servicing and supplying generations of engineers.

Group HES Fuels the Fluid Power Industry for Half a Century

W

ith a reputation established during 50 years of serving the hydraulics industry,Group HES has earned its status as a trusted supplier to the OEM,reseller and MRO markets, servicing and supplying generations of engineers. The Group takes pride in striking the ideal balance in delivering exceptional customer care expected of a small company while offering the breadth and depth of product choice,professional knowhow and best business practice of a large corporation. Today,the Group distributes and builds hydraulic and power transmission components and systems for major global brands.

The Group success is strengthened further through the pooling of resources and expertise of four engineering divisions; Hydraulic Equipment Supermarkets,Branch Hydraulic Systems,HES Tractec and HES Lubemec. As a centre of excellence,these divisions work in partnership to offer value-added engineering solutions from full system design,build,installation and service, through to spare parts distribution.

The expertise of the Group ranges across a wealth of technology-leading applications and sectors,including industrial,construction, agricultural,offhighway,food and beverage, waste management,automotive and aerospace. All divisions are underpinned by the Group’s proven warehousing operations, infrastructure,systems and technical expertise.

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Hydrauuc Equipment Supermarkets Hydraulic Equipment Supermarkets has achieved an enviable reputation in the market by carrying substantial inventory levels consisting of 60,000 listed products from global manufacturers. A highly skilled team of technical sales engineers provide support for all products complete with historical knowledge, application advice and product selection guidance.

Trade counter facilities,extensive stock holdings and a local delivery service are offered from three regional branches,located in Birmingham,Leeds and Durham. OEMs and resellers also benefit from a nationwide team of field-based engineers,providing a value added onsite installation and maintenance service.

Branch Hydraulic Systems The Branch Hydraulic Systems arm of Group HES delivers a design and build service for complex bespoke engineering systems to meet individual specifications. In addition to manufacturing hydraulic power units,drives and controls,Branch Hydraulics Systems is also a dedicated service division offering on site maintenance,repair and installation to

ensure optimum system performance and efficiency.

HES - Tractec HES Tractec is a specialist supplier of genuine, market leading parts for the agricultural, off-highway,skip,waste and recycling sectors. The division offers spare parts,including axles, steering parts and clutches,from such premium industry brands as Matbro, Carraro, ZF Axles,in addition to components for Maclift, Telehoist and other brands of skip and hook loader equipment.

The company is the UK and Ireland distributor for Comer Industries industrial and agricultural products.

HES Lubemec A centre of expertise in everything lubrication related, HES Lubemec is a national distributor and major stockist for the world-renowned lubricant specialist, SKF. The division has an industry wide reputation for quality and reliability,offering the complete SKF Vogel range of centralised lubrication systems. www.grouphes.com

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The widest choice in hydraulic pumps

Handle The Pressure With Call our specialist team for product and technical advice.

Fixed Displacement Vane Pumps | Axial Piston Pumps

Gloucester: 01452 730774 gloucester@grouphes.com

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Birmingham: 0121 327 2664

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Hydraulic Equipment Supermarkets is the official UK distributor for international hydraulics manufacturer, Duplomatic Oleodinamica, and supplies its complete range of high quality, industrial hydraulic pumps.

birmingham@grouphes.com Leeds: 0113 270 7295 leeds@grouphes.com

www.grouphes.com

Durham: 0191 410 6619 durham@grouphes.com

Next day delivery on stocked items

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The Full Lubrication Package Prevention is better than cure, with SKF & Lincoln pumps We deliver a complete hydraulic lubrication service from system supply, design installation to spares and service. Ensure your lubrication system has minimal downtime, increased efficiency and optimised machine operation and performance.

New: Heavy Duty Multi-line Introducing the new Lincoln P212 multi-line pump, for use in multi-line lubrication systems or as a centralised pump in large progressive systems. As the UK authorised distributor of SKF Lincoln lubrication systems, HES Lubemec can supply and install the P212 into an existing system or produce a bespoke design for you.

Delivering service excellence.

Nationwide.

Call our lubrication specialists on 01452 733104 to discuss your project #CompleteLubrication

www.grouphes.com/lubemec Dowco House | Innsworth Technology Park Innsworth Lane | Gloucester | GL3 1DL lubemec@grouphes.com

Manufacturing | Food & Beverage | Pharmaceutical | Packaging | Water Treatment Pulp & Paper | Wind Power | Chemicals | Oil & Gas | Automotive

Issue 15 PECM

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Lubricants

Choose from a selection of over 2,500 oils, greases, pastes, waxes, bonded coatings, tribo-system materials and corrosion inhibitors for all kinds of components and requirements.

With speciality lubricants from Klüber Lubrication you can contribute to the economic and environmentally friendly operation of your plant and equipment by ensuring the right product is in the right place at the right frequency and volume - making speciality lubricants from Klüber Lubrication not only the safest choice, but the economic choice too.

Parker Chomerics enhances thermal management solutions with the release of its latest THERMA-GAP™ gel with conductivity extensions to 6 W/m-k As more and more high performance electronics are utilised across a wide range of applications, it has stimulated a growing need to provide new innovative thermal materials that can effectively manage the heat dissipation challenges. In line with this need Parker Chomerics is constantly evolving its range of THERM-A-GAP™ thermally conductive dispensing gels in order that customers can maintain both system performance and reliability. As the market leader in this domain Parker Chomerics has recently extended its range of gels to offer thermal conductivity up to 6 W/m-k and typical applications include high performance devices requiring minimal thermal resistance, ranging from automotive electronic control units (ECUs), power supplies and semiconductors, through to memory/ power modules, microprocessors/graphics processors, flat panel displays and consumer electronics.

“NIS” Completes a successful 8 Months Field Trial of its NanoLub® Diesel Engine Power Generation Oil Additive

“Nanotech Industrial Solutions, Inc.” (NIS), the USA innovative nanotechnology company and “NanoMaterials Ltd.”, NIS’s wholly owned subsidiary, have concluded an 8 month long field trial in collaboration with “Thermoguayas Generation S.A”, an operator in the field of power generation.

During the field test, conducted at “Thermoguayas” diesel engine Power Plant in Ecuador, NIS’s NanoLub® Power Generation DEM5000 Diesel Engine oil additive was used with 4MW Wartisla diesel engines, resulting in an 8.6% power output increase for recently overhauled engines and a staggering 42% increase for pre overhauled engines, with an impressive overall boost in the Power Plant’s output capacity. In addition, major engine maintenance cycles (MMC) were prolonged by 75%, from 8000 to 14000 hours.

USA Email: sales@nisusacorp.com

www.chomerics.com

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www.nisusacorp.com

Europe & Asia Email: info@apnano.com www.apnano.com

SICK Introduces World’s Most Advanced Hazardous-Area Safety Light Curtains B

y designing an explosion-proof enclosure for its leading light curtain technology to ATEX and UL Listed hazardous area standards, SICK is offering unprecedented safety protection for high risk flammable gas, vapour and dusty industrial environments.

The deTec4 Core Ex, C4000 Select Ex and C4000 Advanced Ex light curtains are all-in-one pre-assembled safety devices suitable for a wide range of hazardous environments from pharmaceutical, chemical and paint manufacture to food processing and storage, to gas and coal industries.

“This is the first time a true fit-and-forget safety light curtain solution has been available for ATEX and UL designated hazardous areas,” points out Martin Kidman SICK (UK) machinery safety specialist.

“There’s no assembly needed as the light curtain and enclosure have already been tested as a single unit and verified ready for use; the only one to have achieved UL Classified and Listed status so offers complete peace of mind.

“As well as being an all-inone solution, downtime is reduced and therefore all the dangers of starting and stopping critical processes to install safety light curtains to guard dangerous

machinery and protect personnel are eliminated.

The range of fields and enclosure sizes means all sorts of equipment can be easily protected.”

The deTec4 Core Ex, C4000 Select Ex and C4000 Advanced Ex safety light curtain models offer a range of protective field heights and can be combined to create ten different variants within the rugged aluminium IP66 explosion-proof enclosure. Highly-visible LED status indicators ensure rapid troubleshooting.

“This is the first time a true fit-and-forget safety light curtain solution has been available for ATEX and UL designated hazardous areas” Available in three different lengths, the enclosures can accommodate a number of light curtains allowing protective field heights of 600mm, 900mm, 1200mm and even 1500mm (only with deTec4 Core). With a resolution of 30 mm a scanning range of up to 16m can be achieved (depending on the model).

Both enclosures and light curtains are maintenance free and have a number

of features to aid quick installation. The enclosures are supplied fully assembled and the light curtains are pre-wired into the enclosures to certified standards. Quick alignment mounting brackets enable rapid set-up and the optional laser alignment tool can make installation even easier. Removable handles are included with the enclosure for easy handling and positioning by installers.

The explosion proof enclosures for safety light curtains are available separately (Transmitter/ Receiver) or as a pair and are supplied pre-wired and assembled so that specialist installation is not required. They are designed and approved for use in hazardous locations according to ATEX for gas: II 2 G Ex d IIB T6 Gb, for dust: II 2 D Ex tb IIIC T56°C Db. NFPA 70/NEC 500, Class I, Div. 1, groups C and D, Class II, Div. 1, groups E, F and G and Class III, Div. 1.

EN safety parameters met are Type 4, Performance Level PLe, Safety Integrity SIL3/SILCL3 and Category 4. Teach-in is rapid, and the deTec4 Core Ex, C4000 Select Ex and C4000 Advanced Ex safety light curtain models are suitable for fieldbus integration, being compatible with a range of comms profiles including CANopen, DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP

PROFIBUS and PROFINET. For more information on the SICK deTec4 Core Ex, C4000 Select Ex and C4000 Advanced Ex safety light curtain models, please contact Andrea Hornby on 01727 831121 or email andrea.hornby@sick.co.uk.

Issue 15 PECM

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Taking a new line

With the UK rail industry predicted to face many challenges in the future, Network Rail believes that a new strategy should be deployed towards research and development.

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etwork Rail’s current research and innovation strategy is mainly focused on technology planning and constructing a systems approach in which the short-term needs and the long-term vision can be balanced. “It is a transformative time on the railways”, said Dr Paul Zanelli, Head of Research and Development at Network Rail.

The partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering is a valuable component of the strategy that is delivering that long term vision and is a demonstration of the value of wide-ranging deep thinking research that goes back to the fundamentals to discover new and better ways to do things.

The impact of research Forecasts suggest that in 20 years’ time, many more passengers will be travelling by train than there are today; freight traffic is also predicted to grow. In a rail system that often seems already to be operating perilously close to capacity, this is a challenge, and it is not one that can be met just by building new lines.

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The need to get greater capacity into the existing rail system is just one of a wide range of factors – the four Cs: carbon, cost, capacity and customers – that are driving the industry towards a more structured approach to research and innovation. This is encapsulated in the ‘Rail Technical Strategy’ published in autumn 2012 produced on behalf of the Technical Strategy Leadership Group on behalf of the rail industry in Great Britain. Dr Paul Zanelli is working on his company’s technical strategy, and publication is due in summer 2013.

Rail co-sponsored Research Chair with the Academy several years ago and this has proved a highly productive combination.

Dr Zanelli’s recent appointment at Network Rail is seen as part of a wider rail industry move to install best practice in strategic planning in core areas and then link the strategies through to investment. He sees ‘a strong desire to change’ within the organisation.

Dr Zanelli wants to build a research strategy that links the different research venues through a unified structure which also then relates to the overall strategic drivers of the business. It is based on what the large automotive and aerospace groups such as Ford, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce do, but it is fairly new thinking in the rail industry. “We need to be sure then that we have a balance of investment through the range of technology maturity,” he said.

Network Rail has strategic relationships with four UK universities (Southampton, Sheffield, Birmingham and Nottingham) and individual projects with others. The University of Nottingham had the first Network

Professor John Andrews, Network Rail’s joint Research Chair with the Royal Academy of Engineering, leads a team in investigating and modelling decision making processes in maintenance and asset renewal. This is, on Dr Zanelli’s reckoning, “towards the strategic side of the spectrum, but it represents absolutely the kind of thing we should be doing”.

This kind of balance is not easy to

Network Rail and Royal Academy of Engineering’s jointly funded Research Chairs (Past and Present): Professor John Andrews, University of Nottingham: Professor Andrews’ work is about modelling the status and the maintenance and renewal activities on railway infrastructure assets, though the work has implications for other complex infrastructure areas such as the gas and water utilities and other kinds of transport. The aim then is to model the effects of different kinds of maintenance management strategies to optimise decision-making in terms of safety, continuing operation and cost.

Professor Rod Smith, Imperial College London: Research undertaken by Professor Smith, resulted in developments in rail energy research, improvements in infrastructure and support for UK high speed rail. achieve. Short-range, quick-delivery research projects can have instant appeal and obvious value, but the value can be harder to demonstrate.

Especially, with the long-term and strategic research of the type done by Professor Andrews and other university partnerships, the research horizon is measured in terms of years or even decades and the value can be harder to demonstrate. Even so, Dr Zanelli said he has been encouraged by attitudes throughout Network Rail: “Even people who are very focused on specific shortterm issues are saying that they worry about the long term and see the real necessity for the kind of work Professor Andrews is doing,” he said.

Measuring the impact Professor John Andrew’s Research Chair is different from Network Rail’s other strategic university partnerships in terms of the degree of autonomy that John Andrews and his team are given, along with the freedom to ask fundamental questions.

That kind of thinking is absolutely necessary as part of the overall research strategy in Network Rail,

said Dr Zanelli. “There has been a tendency in the rail industry, for attention to be focused on local issues rather than systems and that has applied in research as well as in investment. Deeper underlying strategic problems and opportunities can get overlooked in the rush to tackle immediate and obvious areas of work”, he said.

Direct results are expected from Professor Andrews’ research. But the fact that the research is looking into the interaction and interplay of different elements as a whole is highly relevant in terms of demonstrating the value of a systems approach and of innovation strategy.

Professor Andrews has direct contact with many people inside Network Rail, and he is building on these strategic relationships.

Aside from the contacts with the Academy, Professor Andrews’ team is also gathering the experiences and expertise of a lot of other businesses that face similar issues. “I am very much from an open innovation

background,” Dr Zanelli said. “I think we need to have a funnel for innovation that’s as wide as possible.

I know that however many pounds we spend with John Andrews, we are getting a lot more in return.”

“We can’t just build new railways to meet our targets; we’ve got to do it cheaper, more sustainably, more efficiently and the only way to do that is to be more strategic” Dr Paul Zanelli

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E

uroteck Systems UK Ltd is a privately owned company offering the latest technology from world leading specialist manufacturers in the field of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), with a UK sales & service force based centrally in Tamworth they cover all aspects of Industrial X-ray, Ultrasonic Immersion Testing and Magnetic Particle Inspection throughout the UK, Ireland and some areas of Europe.

They have been in business since 2002 and have NDT backgrounds with many years’ experience.

What is NDT? – NDT covers a group of methods where you can inspect and test materials, components or assemblies for faults or defects without damaging the part so when the testing is completed if it is a good part it can still be put into service.

Not all methods are suitable for all materials, this is where Euroteck can offer their expertise in determining the correct method for their clients applications. They also have a large Real-time X-ray facility, equipped with Digital Radiography and Computed Radiography where customers can

bring components and use Euroteck’s facilities or have their in-house radiographers undertake the inspection work for them, alternatively they can hire equipment for use at their own premises.

Having comprehensive after-sales support from their large service and sales teams, with many years’ combined experience in the NDT industry. Euroteck’s staff will support you through the equipment’s life, from simple solutions to turnkey projects.

X-ray, CR, DR, Real-Time Systems and CT, CP, Portable & Microfocus: Euroteck are sole agents for: DURR NDT, world leader in CR (Computed Radiography) & DR (Digital Radiography) throughout the Aerospace and Oil & Gas industries with the new HD-CR35 scanner, CR Test Phantom and duplex IQIs for system checks.

Compact Film Processors and green X-ray chemicals that are non-carcinogenic and safe and have no transport restrictions.

BOSELLO manual and fullyautomatic Real-time systems with CT capabilities.

X-RAY-WorX for Microfocus including rod anode X-ray systems.

ICM for portable equipment with the lightweight Sitex CP series.

GULMAY Approved systems integrators for high-stability CP X-ray from 100 kV to 450 kV. THALES image intensifiers and tubes.

VARIAN X-ray tubes.

COMET X-ray tubes and systems.

As systems integrators, Euroteck can provide a custom solution to meet your requirements using the best equipment available on the market today.

Freestanding Radiation Shielded exposure rooms and cabinets: designed to meet your exact requirements. Safety Systems to IRR99 and Machine Safety Directive to Cat 4 with 3 stage warning lights.

X-ray Film Digitizers from VIDAR a cost-effective scanner to digitize/scan radiographic films, having been specifically designed to meet the most stringent demands of the NDT market.

SOUTHERN SCIENTIFIC radiation monitoring devices.

Real-Time X-ray Inspection Facility: Specialising in Real-time radiography, DR and CR, Euroteck Systems’ Inspection Division has five Real-time X-ray systems, four Microfocus systems and the latest generation high-resolution DR and CR scanners, producing highquality digital X-ray images.

We can inspect castings and moulded parts from 80 kg down to microchips. Images can be provided on memory sticks, CD/DVD as stills or as movies showing the part being manipulated in Realtime.

Their clients come from leaders in Formula 1, aerospace, automotive, electronic/electrical, petro-chemical and sports industries amongst others.

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Magnetic Particle Systems: Euroteck Systems UK Ltd is the exclusive agent for TIEDE products from MAGNAFLUX, world leader in MPI, UV equipment and consumables.

Calibration, Service and Repair: As one of the biggest NDT service companies in the UK, Euroteck pride themselves with their after sales support, with most makes of equipment being supported by their skilled engineers.

Ultrasonic Scanning Systems: Euroteck are now the UK distributor for SCANMASTER, who offer a wide range of high precision, high productivity immersion scanners incorporating conventional and phased arrays technology to provide solutions for a variety of applications, they are also a UTEX InspectionWare system integrator.

Equipment Hire, On-site contract maintenance and calibration: Equipment hire, focal spot measurements, refurbishment and second user sales.

You are welcome to visit them at Tamworth and compare their facilities and spares stock to others in the industry before you buy.

The company is BS EN ISO 9001:2008 registered.

They will be exhibiting at the MATERIALS TESTING 2015 at Telford in September.

www.euroteck.co.uk They have been in business since 2002 and from NDT backgrounds with many years’ experience.

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Starrett Core Ejector addresses an age old problem

F

ollowing comprehensive product testing and evaluation at its facility in Jedburgh, the L.S. Starrett Company is launching a cost-effective and simple solution to an age old problem. The company’s new Core Ejector for bi-metal hole saws has been designed and developed to effectively remove the slug of material that usually ends up inside the cup of the hole saw once it passes through the sheet material being cut.

Comprising of a precision tapered spring and an aluminium pressure plate the Core Ejector has been created to improve productivity and efficiency, as well as operator health and safety.

As Marketing Manager, John Cove, explains: “Safely removing the annular disc of sheet material that often becomes jammed inside the hole during normal operating conditions is an age old problem that many customers have faced. Usually the operator will stop the saw, remove the entrapped material by sliding a drift or even a screwdriver in to the slots in the side of the hole saw. As well as the lost time required to perform this task there is an obvious danger to the operator as the teeth of the saw are naturally sharp and will be at an elevated temperature.”

The Core Ejector addresses these problems in a simple and reliable way. As the saw cuts into the sheet material, the aluminium pressure plate compresses the spring inside the cup of the saw. When the saw breaks through the spring will act on the pressure plate as it returns to its natural open state, effectively ejecting the disc of raw material before it becomes trapped.

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Fitting the Core Ejector is very straightforward as the saw’s pilot drill slides through the internal diameter of the nickel-plated spring. The narrowest wrap of the spring is precisely sized to sit on the shank of the drill, holding the Core Ejector in position so it rotates with the hole saw when it is in use and keeping it correctly located when it is not running.

Available in six sizes to cover a range of hole saw diameters, the Core Ejector works best for sheet material below 7mm thick with optimum performance achieved with material between 2 to 5 mm thick. The range starts with the KA8-1 Core Ejector for saws between 20 and 24mm diameter, stepping in increments up to the largest KA8-6 for saws between 133 and 210mm diameter.

“There is a lot of flexibility in the size ranges and customers do not need to stick to the sizes too rigidly,” says John Cove. “During our tests we have taken the KA8-1 and used it perfectly with a 38mm diameter saw. So, even though the purchase cost is very reasonable at just a few Pounds the number of units required to cover a vast range of hole sizes is very low.”

As well as ferrous and non-ferrous sheet metal the Core Ejector also works very effectively when applied to holes generated in sheet GRP and composite materials, as well as ceramics and tiles when fitted to diamond hole saws.

Tel: 01835 863501 Email: marketing@starrett.co.uk www.starrett.co.uk

The Core Ejector addresses these problems in a simple and reliable way.

Cut Cut Cut Cut

: : : :

Faster!

Smoother!

Longer!

Deeper!

www.starrett.co.uk U.K. manufacturing since 1958

Machining & Machinery

NEW! PSD1700ELC Compact Cable Coiler A new addition to the PSD range of cable coilers and winders is the COMPACT PSD1700ELC. This electric version is designed for areas where space is at a premium but still handle 25mm² SWA. The footprint of the machine is approximately 1200mm long by 1000mm wide, has a 0.75kw motor gearbox which allows it to pull off a 500kg donor drum.

Complete with coiling head and facilities and drum coiling (800mm diameter). Linear bearing for cable layering.

Designed with safety in mind having a protection cage to protect passing pedestrian traffic and an operator’s panel positioned to ensure them complete safety.

Email: sales@advantage-equipment.co.uk www.advantage-equipment.co.uk

B&B Coatings Offer New Leading Edge Thermal Spray Coating Services

International success for UK manufacturer of plastic tanks The blend of skill, knowledge and technical capacity at Barkston Ltd has placed the UK manufacturer as a supplier of choice in Asia. The Leeds based company is using polypropylene and pvc to make more commercially sustainable tanks.

The lightweight plastic materials used have wide acceptance for use in corrosive applications because they are more cost effective, eliminating the need for additional maintenance such as re-coating to guard against corrosion. Modifications and repairs can easily be made with no advanced preparation needed on the material with little down time and usually no need to remove the equipment from service.

Tel: 0113 249 2200

www.barkstonltd.co.uk

Maxim Solutions launches Rapitainer Rapitainer is an all new, all plastic, returnable reusable transit pack which can be adopted onto any existing pallet.

Rapitainer can provide several benefits including …

B&B Coatings can now deliver a range of thermal spray coatings that can dramatically improve the performance of different base materials.

Significant Reductions in Transit Costs (compared to one trip corrugate)

• Increased Hardness • Increased Wear Resistance • Increased Conductivity • Increased Corrosion Resistance

Enhanced Compliance with Packaging Waste Directives

The coatings can also be used to repair damaged or worn components. Coatings include Tungsten Carbide, Nickel Alloys and Ceramics.

B&B Coatings is one of a small number of companies in the world that can offer HVOF Thermal Spray Coatings incorporating Liquid Carbon Dioxide Cooling. Using this technology results in superior coatings to those applied using conventional HVOF processes.

Reduced Packaging Waste & Landfill Enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility Highly protective water/weather proof packaging Rental rates from just pence per week

B&B Coatings is a division of B&B Precision Engineering and can offer either a subcontract coating service or a complete component manufacturing service.

For more information contact Andy Lomax – Director, on 0151 486 3618 or 07954 214378 e-mail - andy@maximproductsolutions.com

Tel: 01484 866386

Please see www.returnabletransitpackaging.co.uk (or search Rapitainer) for more information

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www.bandbcoatings.co.uk

Stieber backstop used for controlled back running of inclined conveyors

I

n established industries there are tried and trusted solutions for most engineering requirements; however, sometimes we must look beyond the ‘standard’ to find new improvements. By starting a design project from the very basics – defining system requirements and looking at all potential approaches – it is often possible to challenge conventional practices and find better solutions.

An example can be found in a coal mining company based in Pennsylvania which required a new inclined coal conveyor in one of its mines. Instead of commissioning a replica of its existing conveyors, it took the time to re-evaluate the requirements of the mine and the demands that would be placed on the conveyor. It then sought alternative solutions to see if they could offer greater returns in terms of reliability, productivity and efficiency.

Normally inclined conveyors have a backstop arrangement that prevents them from running backwards under load. This is particularly important in coal mines, where the load on a conveyor can be truly enormous, made up of coal and rock over the whole length of the conveyor. This is a vital feature that prevents tonnes of rock accelerating backwards and offloading at the end of the conveyor – which could lead to many hours of lost

Allowing the conveyor to run backwards makes it possible to quickly clear blockages and undertake maintenance when required

production and would have a risk of causing further damage.

However, the Pennsylvanian engineers soon realised that in their case, if the conveyor had the ability to run backwards in a controlled manner, even if only a short distance, there would be considerable advantages when it came to clearing blockages and undertaking maintenance.

With this thought in mind, a search was launched to find a suitable clutch, or other mechanical mechanism, that would meet the project’s requirements.

The RDBK high-speed backstop from Stieber Clutch, part of Altra Industrial Motion was quickly identified as probably the best match to the conveyor’s needs. The supplier was contacted and technical discussions and tests followed soon afterwards.

The RDBK is a centrifugally operated, lift-off sprag, high-speed backstop, equipped with integral torque limiter.

The latter limits the backstop’s transmissible torque to a value that is factory set, according to user specification.

The backstop is often specified on multi-drive systems, such as large inclined conveyors, where two or more backstops share the reverse load. The torque limiting function is performed through a multi-disc brake working in oil. This solution not only provides for

The RDBK is a centrifugally operated, lift-off sprag, highspeed backstop which can perform multiple reverse rotations when required for maintenance purposes a high torque density of the complete unit, but also ensures that the set slip torque remains constant over extended periods, regardless of the environmental conditions, even in the rigours of a coal mine. Similarly, the friction linings work in an oil bath to make sure that the unit remains functional even if there are periods of inaction.

With the RDBK fitted the mine’s operators are confident that in the event of a failure the conveyor will be held in position. However, offloading the conveyor is now a much simpler process which allows maintenance work to be carried out quickly and downtime to be reduced greatly.

The RDBK is designed so that the sub-assembly which rotates backwards under overload is fully bearingsupported. This means it is capable of performing as many reverse rotations as may be required (within the limits of energy dissipation) to completely unload the conveyor prior to maintenance work being carried out.

Stieber can build each RDBK with the release function manually, hydraulically or mechanically controlled; with the last generally being preferred in mines.

This easy-to-use release function helps reduce downtime by making the clearing of blockages, belt jams or overloads fast and efficient.

The RDBK range is available with torque capacities from 5,500Nm up to 180,000Nm, it is able to offer up to 3.5 times more torque capacity than other backstops of similar size, with up to 15 times more energy dissipation. www.stieber.de Issue 15 PECM

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Buy on-line www.labfacility.com info@labfacility.com

Leaders in temperature measurement

Bognor Regis 01243 871280 Sheffield 01909 569446

TEMPERATURE SENSORS Thermocouple sensors mineral insulated fabricated & fine wire versions configurations for plastics & special applications

Platinum resistance thermometer sensors mineral insulated fabricated configurations for special applications

PRT sensing elements flat film wirewound class A,B,1/3DIN, 1/10DIN RO 100/ 500/ 1000 Ohm

All in stock for immediate despatch

Custom made specials to order.

Measurement & Monitoring Monitor and Control Indoor Air Quality with the new Touch Screen IAQ Monitor

New HBM sensor launches a new solution for dynamic weighing

PPM Technology Ltd is pleased to announce their latest Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring instrument - the PPMonitor TS Unit. This is a stand-alone unit, capable of continuously monitoring multiple IAQ parameters. Built with an integrated 4.5” ‘touch screen’ panel, sensor readings are displayed continuously and in real time.

Each unit can monitor up to 7 customer specified IAQ parameters. Readings are stored on the instrument’s internal memory and the user is able to navigate through the software and various sensor options simply by touching the panel. The ‘touch screen’ software allows simple control and navigation; setting up of text-message alerts; viewing the data graphically as well as saving and exporting the data into the PPMonitor software suite for more advanced reporting and graphical interpretation.

Remote monitoring is possible via WiFi so the user can view the data on a PC/Laptop from any location..

Email: info@ppm-technology.com

www.ppm-technology.com

New DATAPAQ TP3: 20-channel temperature logger for heat treatment processes

www.datapaq.com

New RUGGED 4-20mA Panel Indicator

■ Stainless Steel & Toughened Glass ■ High Impact IP66 Front ■ Suitable for Ex e, Ex n or Ex p Equipment ■ Ex ia Model for Zone 1, 2, 21 or 22 ■ Ex nA Model for Zone 2 or 22 (Isolator or Barrier Not Required) ■ General Purpose Model also Available

www.beka.co.uk

Hitchin, Herts. SG5 2DA, UK sales@beka.co.uk Tel +44 (0)1462 438301

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Suitable for use in a very wide range of production environments which require dynamic weighing, sorting, filling and dosing, the robust FIT7A load cell offers manufacturers high precision and processing speed.

Based on the very latest HBM strain gauge technology, the innovative new sensor features class C4 accuracy per OIML R60 and a maximum scale division Y of up to 25,000 and addresses the problem of bottlenecks, which can often slow down production rates.

Tel: 0208 515 6000 Email: info@hbm.com www.hbm.com

Alicat Basis Mass Flow Controllers – essential OEM flow control

At the METEC-THERMPROCESS exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, Datapaq officially introduced a smarter, stronger, and time-saving quality control solution for high-temperature heat treatment applications. Featuring up to 20 channels and a large memory for 3.6 million data points, the new DATAPAQ TP3 data loggers record detailed temperature profiles. The loggers can be powered with any of three user-interchangeable battery types: Lithium, Alkaline, or rechargeable NiMH batteries. Users can perform ten consecutive profiling runs before downloading to a computer via USB or Bluetooth. Even water or gas quench processes can be profiled – with variable sampling intervals that can be programmed to capture fast temperature changes when needed.

Email: stephan.wilke@fluke.com

HBM – a market leader in the field of test and measurement – is pleased to announce the new FIT7A Digital Load Cell, specifically designed to meet the needs of demanding requirements of weighing in modern manufacturing lines.

Alicat Basis Mass Flow Controllers – essential OEM flow control.

Making you faster with 100ms control response and accessible PD valve tuning, basis are ready to control process flows in just 70 ms.

Offering 1.5% of reading + 0.5% full-scale accuracy and flow rates from 1 to 1000 SCCM. Selectable on board multi-gas calibrations (Air, Ar, CO2, N2, O2, N2O) make the basis ideal for OEM gas analyser and automated gas mixing applications.

RS-485 digital communications and 0-5 VDC analogue signals ship as standard.

Contact Premier Control Technologies for full details.

Tel: 01953 609930 email: sales@pctflow.com web: www.pctflow.com

Measurement & Monitoring

Vibration Monitoring Services Limited :MFVEXMSR ERH 8LIVQEP -QEKMRK 7YVZI]W

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Condition Based Monitoring TVSZMHMRK GSWX IJJIGXMZI ERH TVSJIWWMSREP :MFVEXMSR 1SRMXSVMRK ERH 8LIVQEP -QEKMRK 7YVZI]W ! 8LIVQEP -QEKMRK 7YVZI]W ! 1EGLMRI :MFVEXMSR 'SRHMXMSR 1SRMXSVMRK ! 2I[ TPERX ZMFVEXMSR GSRHMXMSR VITSVX ! :MFVEXMSR %REP]WMW GSRWYPXMRK ERH HIJIGX EREP]WMW HMEKRSWXMGW ERH XVSYFPIWLSSXMRK ! &YMPHMRK ERH (IQSPMXMSR IRZMVSRQIRXEP ZMFVEXMSR MQTEGX QSRMXSVMRK

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Creating Environments

Temperature & Climatic Chambers Test & Evaluation Systems

Tel: 01628 850611 www.unitemp.co.uk Issue 15 PECM

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Be successful & stay human riginally established in 1919 as Foundrometers Ltd, the highly regarded business specialises in the manufacture, supply and repair of mechanical and electrical instruments for the measurement of rotational movement.

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Back in 1980 Foundrometers took over the instrument division of Harding of Leeds and subsequently secured its position as a globally recognised industry leader. For more than 10 years now, Rheintacho UK has been a subsidiary of the German company Rheintacho Messtechnik GmbH. The Leeds-based manufacturer was set up with the principle purpose of providing a vast array of customers with an unparalleled level of service and quality surrounding rotational speed instrumentation. Its extensive inventory of products ranges from mechanical & electrical tachometers to handheld tachometers, portable & fixed stroboscopes and speed sensors.

The company is firmly placed in the measurement sector, but its testing capabilities are utilised in many industries, from shipbuilding to printing and production machinery. Its main customers are distributers and OEMs located in the UK or abroad in Europe and the US, and many of its esteemed clients appreciate the fact that the company is one of the very few offering spares and repairs services professionally.

“What makes us stand out from competitors is our high level of quality, our flexibility and speed in connection with delivery reliability and spare parts or repairs!’ Paul Hargraves, Director of Rheintacho UK, said. “In addition, our parent company is specialised in sensor technology as a complement technology to our mechanical and electrical products!’

The business’s renowned commitment to providing complete customer satisfaction extends to flexibility in terms of its S&R services (spares and repairs), as Rheintacho UK is willing to fix not only their own products, but also their competitors: Even

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instruments from closed companies can be repaired, regardless of how old they may be. If not, they will find an alternative solution.

Rheintacho UK work under the influence of economic, human and socially focused responsibility. “Our mission is to be successful, but to stay human at the same time:’ Paul explained. “We operate having acquired a Corporate and Social Responsibility Code of Conduct (ZVEI), and we want to be a leader in efficiency, innovation and quality while running a business focused on a fair partnership with our customers and suppliers alike.”

Rheintacho UK work under the influence of economic, human and socially focused responsibility.

The company places a direct emphasis on product development and further progression, prioritising innovation and efficiency alongside high value and effective customisation. The last 18 months saw the introduction of a very successful line of handheld tachometers (HTMs) - which is also available in an ATEX version - exemplifying its dedication to continued expansion and advancement.

The future is set to be promising for Rheintacho UK, who will be focusing specifically on enlarging its portfolio and securing more jobs in the UK in 2015 and beyond. There are many developments in the pipeline for the notable supplier, who will be receiving further product families from Rheintacho Messtechnik GmbH throughout the course of the next few years.

Contact: Paul Hargraves Tel: 0113 287 4411 Email:sales@rheintacho.co.uk Website: www.rheintacho.com

RHEINTACHO UK Ltd, a subsidiary of the German company RHEINTACHO Messtechnik GmbH, is specialized in the production of non-electronic measurement and indication instruments, and acts as a sales and service center for the UK and Ireland. In-house product development, production and assembly departments guarantee quick and innovative solutions to customers’ individual requirements.

The production range incorporates a wide range of solutions of a high technical quality, principally in the field of rotational speed: sensors, hand-held measuring devices, rotary encoders and switching devices.

As a manufacturer of measuring devices, sensors and accessories for rotational speed recording and monitoring, RHEINTACHO has been offering first-class solutions for a wide range of applications for more than 114 years. Our rich experience in rotational speed measurement is reflected as much in our standard products as in the special solutions we develop for our customers.

5FM t 'BY t &NBJM TBMFT!SIFJOUBDIP DP VL t XXX SIFJOUBDIP DPN

Generating partnerships

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s support has been instrumental in inspiring a complete change in the research philosophy of Cummins, an international powergeneration group with long standing roots in the UK

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ummins, an Americanowned multinational company with a long heritage of manufacturing in the UK, is known primarily for its diesel engines that power trucks and off-road vehicles around the world. But engines are only part of their business, which covers a broad range of power generation systems and related technologies.

One arm of the Cummins group, Cummins Generator Technologies, has had manufacturing operations in Stamford, Lincolnshire for over 100 years and is a long established supplier of generators to some of the largest power generation companies across the world. Cummins Generator Technologies already had strong links with the UK research community spread over many universities and research groups, but new challenges and changes that faced the advanced electrical machines industry meant that a different approach was needed.

Increased electrification of transport,

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the growing need to integrate different kinds of power generation systems and evolving environmental and emissions targets are stretching existing technologies to their limits and require a fresh wave of innovation from research. Dr Neil Brown, Director of Research and Technology at Cummins, reflects: “In the past we engaged with most of the UK universities wherever we saw pockets of expertise, and also with some in other parts of Europe.

That was great for creating a network and keeping our ears to the ground in terms of knowing what was going on”, said Dr Brown. ”This policy of ‘trying to do lots of little bits in lots of places’, though, meant there was a lack of focus to our overall research strategy”.

Dr Brown acknowledges the Royal Academy of Engineering’s support in the area of applied sciences. “Funding is already available from research councils for blue skies work, but there is always a need for other funding streams that can help turn ideas into profitable products and services,” he said. “The Academy has really

caught on to the urgent need for support in the applied sciences and that is really commendable. I think we’ve already made a lot of progress between ourselves and the University of Nottingham thanks to their support and there’s still a huge amount more to come.”

The impact of research A particular challenge of conducting a research project is the vagaries of academic life – individual researchers leave when a project ends, and hence, the talent pool of the institution can dry-up very quickly. After discussing the possibility of collaborations between academia & industry with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Brown decided to steer Cummins’ research strategy in a completely different direction.

“We decided that we needed to establish a single centre at a centralised location,” Dr Brown said.

“We had worked with the University of Nottingham for many years and noticed that people didn’t move on,

Cummins’ partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering: Professor Chris Gerada is the Director of the Cummins Innovation Centre and the Royal Academy of Engineering/Cummins Research Chair within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham. He has been part of the Power Electronics, Machines and Drives group at Nottingham for 10 years, with a research focus on electromagnetic energy conversion in electrical machines and drives, concerned mainly with more-electric transport and distributed energy generation. so we could have that continuity. And it had what may well be the largest power electronics and machines group in the world.”

The result of this change in philosophy has been the establishment of the Cummins Innovation Centre at the University of Nottingham and the appointment of Professor Chris Gerada to a joint Royal Academy of Engineering and Cummins Research Chair. The Centre provides Cummins with a range of world class facilities and a research community eager to explore and develop the real-world industrial applications, with the benefit of secured research continuity thanks to the clear focus of the Centre and its research groups.

Dr Brown said that none of this would have been possible without the active support and sponsorship of the Royal Academy of Engineering. “On cost alone, it would have been difficult for us to justify were it not for the Academy backing,” he said “The Royal Academy of Engineering’s role in actively encouraging the setting up of centres of engineering excellence, and the keenness of the University of Nottingham to embrace the concept, have been crucial.”

Measuring the impact The impact of the Cummins Innovation Centre at the University of Nottingham has been much greater than Dr Brown anticipated.

“Initially, we expected to have a research portfolio that the academics

would work on,” he said. In fact, the relationship with Professor Gerada and other academics at the centre has been much broader and more interactive than had been foreseen.

“We now have a number of our fulltime employees spending time at the university, and we have students and researchers spending time with us in our facilities,” Dr Brown said.

“We’ve been able to use their worldclass facilities for our research, and they’ve been able to benefit through greater opportunity to participate in projects with real-life applications.

It’s becoming a seamless interaction between Cummins and the University.

We have a symbiotic relationship which integrates the creative initiatives at Nottingham with the ambitions of Cummins in new products and they come to us when they’re drawing up their research plans to see how we can fit in with them.”

There are range of different research project areas where Cummins is benefitting from the collaboration with Professor Gerada and his colleagues – including electrical machine topology, thermal analysis, machine prognostics and diagnostics, and integrating power electronics with electrical machines.

Thanks to this collaboration and the additional funding that the establishment of a centre of excellence can bring there are always new projects on the horizon. “It’s quality research at the cutting edge,” said Dr

Brown. “And the fact that we’ve got a channel to market through Cummins provides real value.”

Future plans As a global company, when looking for a research partner, Cummins was particularly attracted to the University of Nottingham’s international outlook.

“This has been a somewhat unforeseen bonus,” said Dr Brown. “Nottingham’s Ningbo campus in China is near our centres of particular strength in Shanghai and Wuxi and we’ve already sponsored two PhD students there.”

“I think the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Research Chairs scheme is outstanding, and it’s commitment to engineering research is really commendable.”

Dr Neil Brown

Issue 15 PECM

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Measurement & Monitoring

Salinometer Redesigned for increased safety nton Paar is proud to announce the launch of an update for the SCO 1 salinometer to measure salt in crude oil. This instrument has been thoroughly redesigned; it is now not possible for the operator to come into contact with the electrodes during testing.

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The new design has the sample jar securely held in place, reducing the risk of spillage. Two keys have to be pressed to initiate a test, reducing the

risk of the operator coming into contact with high voltages. The instrument automatically switches off if currents above 20mA occur.

The SCO 1 salinometer allows the user to determine the chloride (salt) concentration in crude oil.

The measurement is based on the conductivity of a salt present in crude oil, when subjected to an alternating current.

Knowledge of the chloride concentration is important as it is a major cause of corrosion during the refining process. The SCO 1 is used to assess desalting requirements for incoming crude oil and provides information on the efficiency of the desalting process.

For further information contact Anton Paar Ltd Tel: +44(0)1992514730 info.gb@anton-paar.com www.anton-paar.co.uk

Compact triaxial vibration monitoring from Hansford Sensors

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ansford Sensors, the leading designer, developer and manufacturer of high performance industrial accelerometers, has launched a new compact and lightweight 100m/Vg triaxial vibration sensor. Called the HS-173, the new accelerometer is a side entry device, can be used in both onand off-line applications and has been introduced to enable OEMs, vibration analysts and end users to measure vibration in three axes simultaneously. This makes it ideal for use across a range of industries, including process, mining and quarrying, automotive, paper and metals manufacture.

With an operating sensitivity of

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100mV/g and a transverse sensitivity of less than 5 percent, the HS-173 is one of the most compact triaxial accelerometers on the market and ensures measurement time can be reduced due to the simultaneous reading of three axes. This, combined with its excellent frequency response of 6 Hz to 6 kHz, makes it ideal for monitoring vibration in a variety of machines, from fans, motors, pumps, compressors and gearboxes, to conveyors, process equipment and spindles on machine tools.

The HS-173 is a robust and reliable industrial accelerometer, weighing just 250g, protected by a stainless steel casing that is sealed to IP67, and capable of operating at temperatures ranging from -55 to +140 ºC. Installation is quick and simple, via

a standard M12 connector, either temporarily for off-line data monitoring with a handheld data collector, or online as part of an integrated condition monitoring system.

The HS-173 forms part of Hansford Sensors’ extensive range of industrial accelerometers, which includes 4-20mA, AC and AC/Velocity sensors, vibration modules, enclosures, switch boxes and cables and connectors.

For more information on Hansford Sensors’ wide range of vibration monitoring solutions, please go to www.hansfordsensors.com

Measurement & Monitoring

Compact analogue pressure sensor Monitor compressed air filters with the new PQ from ifm electronic

Is HAVS causing you issues?

The Vexo Hand-Arm Vibration Meter

ust launched by ifm electronic is a new pressure sensor with analogue and switched output for efficient monitoring of compressed air or filters.

The new models in the PQ series pressure sensors measure both relative and differential pressure. This makes them ideal for condition-based maintenance, for example when a filter is exchanged or leakage is detected by pressure loss.

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The coated silicon measuring cell guarantees high overload resistance and an accuracy of ± 0.5 %. The special coating protects the measuring cell from air humidity and condensate.

The two-colour LED display enables immediate status detection. The parameter setting can be carried out via two pushbuttons or IO-Link interface. These compact sensors offer an analogue output and a switching output, both of which are configurable.

The sensor is available in two versions: with a measuring range of -1...1 or -1…10 bar. ifm is committed to working closely with its customers to develop products which precisely match their needs, and the company provides expert, readily accessible technical support to help users maximise the benefits they gain from ifm products.

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For further information, contact Gemma Anderson, ifm electronic Ltd, efector House, Kingsway Business Park, Oldfield Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2HD. Tel: 020 8213-0000.

Email: gemma.anderson@ifm.com Issue 15 PECM

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THE GENESIS HIGHSPEED RANGE FROM HBM JUST GOT FASTER! HBM – a market leader in the field of test and measurement – is pleased to announce the arrival of its GEN7tA HighSpeed Transient Recorder and Data Acquisition System, which is the latest and fastest addition to its Genesis HighSpeed range.

The GEN7tA

is available with the latest full Perception software options, which are pre-installed on the system.

recording without any throughput limitations, or transferred directly to the internal DDD. It can also be stored on to the optional removable disc or transferred to an external PC or to an NAS (Network Attached Storage), to enhance security.

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eading on from the prestigious GEN7i, the GEN7tA is a premium system which has been further enhanced to support a maximum of up to 224 channels and handle a streaming rate of 400 MB/s to its hard disk.

The new hardware from HBM, which features a high resolution touch screen and a robust seven-slot acquisition unit opens the door to a range of possibilities including, individual configurations, connecting strain gauges (SG), direct measurements of voltage signals up to 1000V or even extremely fast measurements with 100 million measured values per second and channel.

Featuring three connections for digital outputs, timers/counters, which can be used to connect up to six torque transducers for acquiring torque and rotational speed, the GEN7tA has been designed for easy integration into a 19-inch rack, a very practical feature for test bench applications.

The GEN7tA is available with the latest full Perception software options,

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which are pre-installed on the system. Designed for fast and reliable processing of large quantities of data, Perception software is ideal for highspeed data acquisition. By allowing ten gigabytes of data to be visualised within ten seconds, ‘live’ data feeds enable users to keep up to date on the status of measurements. This unique software also allows users to access saved data, even during running measurements whilst recording continues in the background.

The GEN7tA, which supports the Precision Time Protocol, can be easily integrated into a system with other devices without difficulty, if required.

Depending on the selected operating mode of the GEN7tA – continuous or transient – measurement data can also be initially buffered in high speed RAM on the input card, to offer transient

The GEN7tA, which supports the Precision Time Protocol, can be easily integrated into a system with other devices without difficulty, if required. This also makes it possible to synchronise the times of multiple devices networked via Ethernet, regardless of the product family.

The new GEN7tA High Speed Transient Recorder and Data Acquisition System from HBM offers a virtually unlimited range of application possibilities, both in the field and in the laboratory.

Setting faster than ever performance and usability benchmarks in the marketplace, the GEN7tA offers unmatched DAQ and transient recording capabilities in one simple solution.

The Genesis HighSpeed range of Transient Recorders and Data Acquisition Systems share the highest sample rates and mid to high channel counts. Based on modular platforms, all models can be configured to the need of the application, be it a single channel or a thousand. All systems in the Genesis HighSpeed range from HBM are available out-of-the-box and ready to use immediately.

For more information, please contact HBM on +44 (0) 208 515 6000 or visit www.hbm.com

Measurement & Monitoring

Professional test and measurement technology From sensor to software: The complete measurement chain from HBM The requirements placed on sensors, electronics and software in terms of operation, acquisition and analysis are continuously increasing. Optimal matching of all components in the entire measuring chain is crucial.

We at HBM place special emphasis on this aspect. Worldwide, in all branches of industry: Automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, weighing technology and many more. For maximum quality and precision.

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Strain gauges

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Load cells, mounting aids and accessories

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Force, pressure, torque and displacement transducers

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Amplifier systems for test and process measurement technology

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Precision measuring instruments

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Software for acquisition, analysis and prediction

Further information: www.hbm.com/pecm-tm

Q Fax +49 Q www.hbm.com HBM Test andUnited Measurement + 49 803-0 803-9100 Q info@hbm.com Q 6151 Q www.hbm.com HBM Kingdom QLtdTel. Q Tel.6151 0208 515 6000 info@uk.hbm.com

The Fastest Sensors on Four Wheels: Feeling the Force H urtling across the desert Alkali plate at 1000mph in a 7.5 tonne car will undoubtedly cause extreme force and stress. The suspension alone will face 30 tonnes of weight.

Bloodhound has designed the aluminium wheels to sit within the crust, formed over the top of the desert mud. If the car experiences too much down force, pressure is put on the crust below, resulting in the car braking through the crust to the softer mud below. If this was to happen more drag would be generated, slowing down the supersonic car. In order to reduce the likelihood of this occurring, 25mm position sensors will play a key part on measuring the movement of the suspension and how much the car is pushing down on the wheels. The data from the sensors will notify the engineers if too much force is being put on the plate below.

The supersonic car is equipped with front and rear winglets to help adjust the down-force created by the car. Two GSC 360 Rotary sensors are installed onto each of the front and rear winglets to monitor the winglet angle relative to the car body. The rotary sensor will provide positional data to notify when the winglets need to be adjusted in order to maintain stability and adjust the force created by the car during its runs.

For more information on the sensors installed in the Bloodhound SSC please visitgillsc.com/bloodhound or contact +44(0)1590 613900.

Proud Sponsors GSC capacitive liquid level and inductive position sensors are designed for challenging environments such as the Bloodhound Project. Even in extreme applications the sensors are able to provide reassurance of optimum accuracy and unmatched reliability.

Issue 15 PECM

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£4115

01580 890700

News & Events Farmfoods new distribution centre uses eco-friendly refrigeration solution Frozen food specialist Farmfoods has chosen cooling expert Star Refrigeration to deliver an environmentally conscious refrigeration package using zero carbon ammonia at their brand new facility in Bristol.

The new distribution centre will supply the southern retail stores and requires exceptional efficiencies across a wide range of operating conditions, as well as the capability to increase refrigeration capacity for future potential requirements.

Major re-brand for long-standing technological business A well-known Yorkshire business, with a reputation spanning over 20 years, has undergone a major re-brand following a period of growth and a change in management.

Opentree, formerly tsaADVET, provides document management software for sectors such as oil and gas, steel, manufacturing, rail and energy and is one of the longest established businesses of its kind in the UK. Andrew Frank has been involved with the business since its inception in 1992 and took over sole management in 2014 and now has full ownership.

Star Refrigeration, the largest independent cooling and heating contractor in the UK, designed and installed two modular coldstore Azanechiller packages and a chillstore Azanefreezer package, both with spare refrigeration capacity to accommodate future additional load.

Since then, turnover has grown by almost 50% and Andrew has added five new staff, now employing a team of 16, with plans to create five new jobs in the coming months. In addition, Andrew has re-branded the business to ‘Opentree’ and launched a successful second office in Sheffield to cope with demand in the area.

www.star-ref.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1642 714471

AUMA UK achieves Wessex Water approved supplier status

Falling energy costs will encourage investment in future energy security

AUMA UK, which has been an established supplier of electric actuators to Wessex Water for over a decade, achieved approved supplier status from the utility on 3rd March 2015. As part of the authorisation process, the supplier of modular actuation technology was comprehensively evaluated for its products, training support and service.

Wessex Water plants supported by AUMA include Charmouth STP where the company supplied products from its sister company SIPOS Aktorik to support Sequencing Batch Reactor technology. AUMA has strong roots supplying the water industry which date back over 50 years. AUMA Actuators Ltd, the group’s UK subsidiary, supplies the majority of UK utilities: the company’s credentials include a number of frameworks and approved supplier agreements.

Email: mail@auma.co.uk

www.auma.com

Chain manufacturing back in the UK An industrial chain supplier is bringing chain manufacture to Britain in a drive to put the UK back on the map for the manufacture of high quality chain.

Bob Wellsbury, managing director of Donghua Limited, has worked in the chain industry for over 30 years and wants to see the UK manufacturing high quality chain again.

The UK arm of the Hangzhou Donghua Chain Group, which Bob heads up, was created in 2009 and has doubled its turnover year on year to become one of the country’s leading chain suppliers.One of the reasons for their success is Donghua only sells direct to OEMs and distributors, unlike other chain manufacturers who also sell to end-users which undermines the distributor’s place in the market.

To find your nearest Donghua stockist, check out our interactive Locate a Dealer map at www.donghua.co.uk/locate-a-dealer

Pristine Condition Raise the Bar with Team England England Weightlifting has teamed up with Health and Safety specialists, Pristine Condition Limited, to provide the perfect support for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Pristine Condition is pleased to announce the launch of the newly built “John Lear Centre of Excellence” training facility in Henley-on-Thames, which will be the perfect platform for budding medalists, allowing them to train alongside other leading lifters and development lifters, knocking on the door for International selection.

www.opentree.co.uk

With crude prices set to remain below $100 a barrel for the foreseeable future, investing savings in renewable technologies is now a ‘no brainer’ for businesses, according to Lorien Engineering Solutions. Lorien Engineering Solutions, which produces the Energy Index, anticipates stability and moderate growth in the short term, enabling industry to invest savings in efficiency measures and alternative renewable and low carbon technologies.

The Lorien Energy Index, which is produced by Lorien Engineering Solutions, monitors the overall cost of energy for business users. It enables companies of all sizes to make sense of their current energy consumption and look at ways they can make savings in the future, by being energy efficient and utilising low carbon and renewable technologies to boost energy security.

www.lorienengineering.com

RHEINTACHO is your No.1 choice for Rotational Speed Measurement, Control and Indication.

Whether it is required for: Mobile Hydraulics, Mobile Material Handling, Large Engines, Construction Machines, Ship or Train applications, Preventive Maintenance, Service/Start-up and Industrial applications.

Over 100 Years of manufacturing excellence spread over two sites in Germany and the UK has resulted in the two sites producing Machine and Process Mounted Equipment (mechanical & electrical tachometers, non-contact speed sensors & programmable speed sensors) and instruments for Inspection and Diagnostics ( hand held tachometers including ATEX models and hand held and fixed stroboscopes) Please contact sales@rheintacho.co.uk

www.rheintacho.com

Riley Surface World wins large order from specialist Mexican product finishing company Riley Surface World has recently won a sixfigure order for the supply of pre-owned nickel plating, anodising, cleaning and water treatment plants from a specialist metal finishing company in Mexico.

The partnership will see Pristine Condition back a series of quarterly elite training camps for English Squads as part of their long term preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth games in Brisbane. This new facility will also provide a great opportunity for up and coming coaches who will develop their skills alongside a number of Senior International coaches, as the sport gears up for future successes.

The equipment had all been declared surplus to requirements by a large, international provider of safety products to the nuclear power generation sector. Riley Surface World was selected to dispose of the plants due to its specialist knowledge of the global surface finishing industry. The various items have now been shipped from their original home in Birmingham, UK to their new location in Toluca, near Mexico City.

For more information on lasting and memorable safety training that delivers beyond expectations, contact Pristine Condition Training on +44 (0)1491 414 464 or visit www.pristinecondition.com

Tel: 01922 45 8000

www.rileysurfaceworld.co.uk Issue 15 PECM

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News & Events James Walker and Teadit awarded Shell global supply contract for sealing products Sealing product engineering specialists James Walker and Teadit have signed an Enterprise Framework Agreement with Shell Global Solutions International B.V. to supply the gasket requirements of all Shell and Shell joint venture sites in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Australia, Canada and South America.

The contract covers an initial 5 year period with an option to extend for another five. In addition to supplying gaskets for the nominated areas James Walker & Teadit will provide Shell with a secondary source of supply across the remaining areas of the globe as well as meeting the sealing requirements for new projects throughout the company’s upstream and downstream operations.

www.jameswalker.biz

Precision Marketing Group’s new eco head office officially opened by MP Precision Marketing Group was recently officially opened by new MP, Jo Churchill.

The new eco-friendly head office includes over 400 solar panels and full LED lighting. The opening was attended by a number of senior figures and representatives from the Suffolk Council, Suffolk Carbon Leaders & Carbon Smart.

Jo Churchill hailed the head office as offering ‘benchmark green initiatives within the marketing industry.’

Matthew Caldwell-Nichols, MD of Precision Marketing Group said ‘This is a real milestone and will dramatically reduce our carbon footprint and position us as the green leaders within our industry.’

www.precisionmarketinggroup.co.uk

BSRIA Holds 60 Year Celebration Reception at The House of Lords

Tube Developments celebrates 50 years in business

As a part of their 60yr celebration BSRIA held a reception at the House of Lords, the event hosted by Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan, a previous Chairman of the BSRIA Briefing was held in the Cholmondeley Room.

Founded in 1965, Tube Developments Ltd has developed into one of the largest steel tube stockholders in Europe and is now celebrating 50 years in business. The company’s initial aim was to provide an immediate stock supply of steel tube throughout Scotland and the North of England servicing the shipbuilding and heavy engineering industries.

The company however quickly developed a reputation for quality, reliability and value, and this allowed them to establish themselves in the international markets covering Europe, Australia, USA, Africa, India the Middle East and Asia.

The event was attended by representatives of over 100 of BSRIA’s member organisations. During the event Lord O’Neill in-conjunction with Tom Smith BSRIA Chairman, presented a commemorative plaque to the representatives of the 22 companies who were the founding members of BSRIA and have retained their membership of BSRIA for 60 years.

“For 60 years BSRIA has provided leadership for the industry, developed people and skills, promoted the advancement of the industry, smart technology and its introduction to deliver a sustainable future, allowing BSRIA to deliver on our mission of making buildings better” said Julia Evans, BSRIA Chief Executive.

Tube Developments Ltd, international but independent. The company still operates with the same principles and commitment to quality and service that the founder, envisaged when he created the company. The Company operates from their modern premises near Glasgow and has at any one time thousands of tonnes of carbon steel pipe and tubulars in our covered and controlled warehouses.

Email: bsria@bsria.co.uk

www.tubedev.com

www. bsria.co.uk

Ocip Energy supplies and installs a wide range of high efficiency LED lighting products from leading UK manufacturers.

Products range from LED high bays, floodlights, streetlights, office panel lights, LED linear fittings and ATEX lighting.

Clients include leading companies in the automotive, ports, paper and food & beverage industries.

Ocip Energy Limited is exhibiting at Nextgen 2015, the UK’s leading bioenergy and renewable energy generation event 7 – 8 October 2015 at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. You are invited to visit us on our stand, H1 for a demonstration of some of the latest LED products.

Aidan Brown, Ocip Energy Limited Telephone: +44 (0) 1242 250633 www.ocip.co.uk

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Brammer partners with Grundfos to pump up the value As part of its commitment to providing customers with the broadest possible range of quality maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products, leading supplier Brammer has announced a new partnership with Grundfos Pumps Limited, with an extensive range of pumps now stocked in its centrally-located National Distribution Centre (NDC).

Grundfos is a UK leader in supply of pumps and pump systems for process industry applications, manufacturing some 16 million pump units worldwide each year. It offers a comprehensive selection of pumps for industries including food & drink, pharmaceutical, utilities and the machining industry, with specialist models suitable for applications such as boiler feed, heating, cooling, refrigeration, potable water supply and transfer, as well as wastewater and Cleaning in Place (CIP) systems.

Tel: 0870 240 2100

www.brammeruk.com

New TC Model t 500 - 2000kg/hr t Touch control screen t Full modulation feature 50-100% firing t Natural Gas, Light Oil, LPG and Bio Fuel t Automatic facility option t PM5 Facility option t Pressure range up to 32 barG t >98% Efficiency * t Remote compatible with Profibus/ CANbus etc. t Steam in 3 minutes t Compact construction t Lightweight t Suitable for mezzanine floors t Factory tested prior to dispatch to site t NOx Gas reduction option t Dual fuel option

SC Range t 80 - 2000kg/hr t Natural Gas, Light Oil, LPG and Bio Fuel t Automatic facility option t PM5 Facility option t Pressure range up to 32 barG t >98% Efficiency * t Steam in 3 minutes t Compact construction t Lightweight t Suitable for mezzanine floors t Factory tested prior to dispatch to site t NOx Gas reduction option

Electrical Range t Compact t 8 - 160kg/hr Steam output t Modulating ouput t Skid mountable t Steam in 3 minutes t Automatic facility option

CERTUSS (UK) Limited Unit 45 Gravelly Industrial Park Tyburn Road Birmingham B24 8TG

Tel: 0121 327 5362 Fax: 0121 328 2934 sales@certuss.co.uk www.certuss.co.uk

Duty Standby with CVE Package Plant

CVE Package Plant t compact t Pre-pied, Pre-Wired t Skid mounted t Fully factory tested t Lightweight t Easily maintained

Containerised Plant t Easily relocated t Self contained plant room t Full lighting and heating t Fast site connection

Process Technologies Save energy & save money!

Air Dryer Technology is an independent specialist company providing service and after sales support on all types and makes of compressed air/gas dryer, filtration and condensate management systems.

The main activity is providing technical support and comprehensive packages for on-site servicing of compressed air/gas treatment equipment and desiccant air drying plant.

Air Dryer Technology also provides consultancy and equipment upgrades to increase efficiency and reduce energy costs. Retrofitting a dryer control system provides significant benefits by operating to actual site conditions, rather than original design specification. It will also restore customer confidence in equipment operation and performance.

Installing a dewpoint control system to a compressed air desiccant dryer will save energy, considerably reduce operating costs, and provide efficient dewpoint control. Features and benefits include; Controls Compressed Air Monitor Dewpoint Extends Service Time Extend Cycle Time Constant Dryer Knowledge Retrofit Design Record Performance Data Installation Service/Technical Support

Tel: 0161 788 7900

Save Money Reduce risk Maximise desiccant life Reduce switching valve wear Increase confidence No equipment modifications required Predict dryer failure Peace of mind

www.airdryertechnology.com

Servicing & Repairs of Rotary Valves and Diverter Valves Free of charge assessment by a DMN engineer Genuine spare parts used to the original manufacturer’s specification Comprehensive 12 month warranty with continued support with all refurbished DMN valves Refurbishment service by the original manufacturer ATEX certification and validation services

DMN UK Ltd. T +44 1249 818 400 dmn@dmnuk.com

www.dmn-shop.co.uk

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PECM Issue 15

COMPONENTS FOR BULK SOLIDS HANDLING

• • • • • • • •

Process Technologies

Specialist Power Screw Products

Since 1986 Mydax has offered process temperature control solutions for OEM and one of a kind custom chiller applications.

Ex stock power screws & nuts Precision-machined components Self-reversing screws and followers Accredited by Aerospace, Nuclear & Chemical customers Specialist leadscrew & power screw products

With the ability to provide extreme temperature stabilities of ±0.05°C for critical applications, even with high cooling power requirements up to 70kW, Mydax is bringing laboratory precision to the industrial market.

Mydax also offers the CryoDax series of chiller systems for the most demanding requirements with fluid temperature ranges of -70°C to +150°C with cooling capacities from 2kW up to 15kW @ -50°C available.

Please call or visit Mydax online for more information.

Call C all 01482 325676 Mydax Inc. 12260 Shale Ridge Ln. Auburn, Ca. 95602 USA 00-1-530-888-6662 www.mydax.com

Kingston Engineering Co (Hull) Ltd, Pennington Street, Hull, East Yorkshire, HU8 7LD, UK Fax 01482 216438 Email: sales@kingston-engineering.co.uk

www.kingston-engineering.co.uk

Tel: 0208 339 7370 462 Ewell Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7EL, England

Fax: 0208 339 7371

Email: sales@blackfast.com Web:

www.blackfast.com

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Rolls-Royce meets most of its fundamental research needs by accessing the very best expertise available in academia.

The Power of Partnership olls-Royce, a flagship UK company, has been providing power systems for aircraft, ships and land applications for more than 100 years.

Accounting for 0.6% of GDP and 2% of UK exports of goods its current importance is more than matched by future opportunities to secure business in sectors offering major growth potential.

R

But commercial success depends on a relentless commitment to confront fierce global competition – and that demands science & engineering excellence rooted in world-class research.

It’s not just about the capacity to respond rapidly to in-service issues and keep customers happy. It’s about generating fundamental insights – into each material used, each system built, each process developed – that ensures every component can withstand extreme operating conditions, whether in aero-engines or nuclear reactors. Crucially, these insights mean materials can be exploited more effectively, efficiently and sustainably too, and they also pave the way for innovations that equip Rolls-Royce to keep pace with – and often outpace – its competitors.

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The company’s relationship with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), based on a Strategic Partnership Flagship Programme, is essential to making it happen. Working closely with EPSRC, Rolls-Royce is able to leverage not only funding, but also ideas and talent within the UK research base. EPSRC invests more than £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, providing a platform for the two organisations to dovetail their delivery of technologies, capabilities and skills.

This generates an array of benefits both for Rolls-Royce and for ‘UK plc’, as well as enhanced air safety, a cleaner environment and lower costs for countless organisations worldwide.

Weight of Evidence One breakthrough achieved by the Strategic Partnership Flagship Programme has been the implementation of titanium aluminides – low-density materials that, when used in the low-pressure turbines at the rear of aero-engines, cut engine weight, fuel-burn and emissions.

Swansea University has been at the forefront of this work, harnessing its specialist expertise in the testing of materials’ properties developed over the last 30 years with Rolls-Royce and EPSRC support. Following successful engine tests at Rolls-Royce Derby in summer 2014, titanium aluminides are on track to enter service in the company’s world-renowned Trent® family of aero-engines.

Pioneering research and skills

A changing culture A

n automated system which allows the culture of a large number of stem cells has been developed and systems worth ÂŁ20.1 million sold. This was the result of research undertaken with Loughborough University where scientists looked at ways to improve the manual stem cell culture processes to enable automated therapeutic stem cell manufacturing which is regulatory compliant and hence commercially viable stem cell products.

The product was launched by TAP Biosystems and has a global reach with 40% of the systems sold in Europe and 60% in the USA. Being able to manufacture stem cell based products is one of the key critical translational steps to allow therapies to reach large numbers of patients and the market for successful business investment and sector growth.

To download the Growth Stories app visit www.epsrc.ac.uk/growth

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Image credit: Thinkstock

Product News Increase Reliability and Efficiency of your Weighing Process Even small inefficiencies can add up to big costs. Why settle for inefficient operations when you can improve overall productivity with innovative POWERCELL® technology from METTLER TOLEDO.

New maXYmos NC for monitoring and controlling Kistler NC servo press modules The new Type 5847 maXYmos NC represents a significant improvement to the capabilities of the Kistler NC servo press modules. The maXYmos NC will monitor, evaluate and document the XY characteristics of joining and press-fit processes using the force and displacement data from the servo press module.

Modern weigh modules with POWERCELL® technology help predict and diagnose issues before they even happen to avoid downtime and production problems - keeping your equipment running until repair is possible.

The new version extends the capability of the NC Servo Press system to monitor and control the shape of the measurement curves against a defined profile in real-time. A significantly greater degree of control in terms of position, velocity and force, is possible compared with equivalent hydraulic systems. As a result, optimum cycle times can be achieved with the highest degree of process repeatability.

METTLER TOLEDO’s accuracy white paper and batch-control checklist can help increase yield, reduce risks and enhance the efficiency of your weighing process. Stand-alone batch controller advantages also include:

Rugged panel mounting indicators may be safely installed in Ex e cabinets

•

Minimum raw material wastage and risk through track and trace

•

Legislative compliance

•

Consistent results

•

Lower costs

Email: sales.uk@kistler.com

Thanks to a new range of BEKA intrinsically safe and Type n rugged panel mounting indicators, it is now possible to safely install 4/20mA loop powered indicators in Ex e increased safety and Ex p pressurised cabinets located in Zones 1 or 2 and in Ex n cabinets located in Zone 2 without invalidating the cabinet’s certification.

Housed in a 316 stainless steel case with an impact resistant IP66 front, these IECEx and ATEX certified indicators significantly reduce installation complexity and cost. The instrument certificates define in which certified cabinets and in which Zones the indicators may be installed.

www.mt.com/uk-SWB605-WP www.mt.com/uk-batch-checklist

Densoband aids prevention of concrete surface cracking Winn & Coales Densoband was specifically developed to meet Highways Agency requirements for concrete-toasphalt joints and asphalt-to-asphalt road joints. Now, a new use has been found by CLS Civil Engineering of Brigg, Lincs., which does not rely on Densoband’s longterm water sealing properties. Following discussion with Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd a 55x8mm version of Densoband was used to provide an expansion joint between the concrete and the steel anchoring in a gap in the channel of a steel anchor plinth base for a wind turbine foundation. The purpose was to prevent cracking on the surface of the concrete base to which the turbine is anchored, which can be caused by temperature differences and the vibration that can arise from movement of the wind tower. The Densoband strip also prevents any stone or gravel debris getting into the channel.

Tel: 020 8670 7511 Email: mail@denso.net www.denso.net

Terex Port Solutions introduces four new empty container handlers Terex Port Solutions (TPS) has followed up the recent launch of its Liftace™ 5 31 reach stacker with the introduction of four new generation lift trucks. The Terex® Stackace™ E 5 8, E 6 8, E 6 9 and E 7 9 empty container handlers replace existing TPS models, combining the strengths of their respective predecessors with many new features. The Stackace™ lift trucks are cost effective, easily serviced and ergonomic. The compact container handlers feature a user friendly cab design and offer ease of manoeuvrability. The machines have a maximum load capacity of 8 or 9 t. They offer low fuel consumption and simple access to all maintenance points.

Email: bnb-help@terex.com

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www.kistler.com

www.terex.com

The Ex nA non-sparking certified indicators do not require a Zener barrier or galvanic isolator and may be installed in Zone 2 cabinets. For Zone 1 applications the intrinsically safe models should be used. Both are supported by Application Guides, AG310 for Ex nA and AG300 for Ex i applications.

Email: sales@beka.co.uk

www.beka.co.uk

Save Time and Money with Lindapter’s Type ALP adjustable lifting point Lindapter’s steel-to-steel connections are providing contractors with a faster and more convenient alternative to traditional drilling or welding.

Lindapter’s latest product is the Type ALP, an adjustable lifting point that adjusts to suit beams ranging from 70 to 210mm wide with flange thicknesses of 5 to 26mm.

Suitable for parallel and tapered beams and lifting up to 3 metric tonnes at an angle +/- 18°, the Type ALP can be used for a wide range of applications.

The Lindapter Type ALP is available off-the-shelf, phone +44 (0) 1274 521444 to get yours today.

http://www.lindapter.com/News/?view=92

In-Line Panel Cleaning KSM Superclean are pleased to announce the launch of the new SC-IPC Inline Panel Cleaner. The SC-IPC is designed to clean rigid panels from 125 micron to 6mm thick and will remove dry, unattached particles from your critical surfaces to the sub micron level.

The SC-IPC is a slim 243mm wide and will slot nicely into your production line to clean substrates directly before any critical process that could be ruined by the presence of micro-contamination.

Some of the outstanding features of the SCPC include, 4 x 36mm dia particle transfer rollers for double sided cleaning, variable speed control, panel counter and beacon. The PTR cleaning core can be completely removed for cleaning and maintenance and the adhesive rolls are on side-pull slides to make purging the saturated layer as easy for the operator as possible.

Visit www.ksmsuperclean.com today and see what systems are available to solve your micro contamination problems.

Man and Machine CAD Training Academy ur goal is to help you optimise your design process.

Whether you are in the architecture, plant or construction industries, we have the experience to understand your business and what you are trying to achieve, and we have the expertise to enable you to do it better.

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Established in 1989, Man and Machine is part of a pan-European group, operating in 11 countries, with over 750 staff and over 500,000 installed CAD seats. We provide expertise in digital design and data management with over 60 years of combined technical experience and extensive industry. Our specialist knowledge has allowed us to develop a wide variety of services that address the needs of our customers’ across multiple industries to enable them to design, visualise, and simulate to the highest standard.

Man and Machine’s professional training centre is a fantastic environment where customers can learn

from industry experts, gain authorised qualifications and ensure that any CAD investment is utilised to its full potential. If you are looking to improve design efficiency, reduce costs and bring products or infrastructure to market faster, Man and Machine’s consultative approach will help you to gain a competitive advantage and leverage your own expertise to increase productivity and innovation.

To ensure learning outcomes are met, all of our CAD training solutions come with post training support for one month.

Being an educationallyrich environment, the training academy allows you to select an appropriate learning track to help you derive the most from your software investment.

To ensure learning outcomes

are met, all of our CAD training solutions come with post training support for one month. Students also receive an Autodesk or Man and Machine certificate on completion and all Autodesk CAD courses are taught using the official Autodesk courseware. Man and Machine are an authorised Autodesk Training Centre (ATC) and an approved Certification Centre, allowing students to receive an industry recognised Accreditation.

“Man and Machine were able to drop straight in as our new reseller and provide a seamless transfer from our previous supplier.

They have been able to give us all we need on the software side and have also provided a flexible training

program for a couple of our new starters”.

Nick Slater - ITAB Shop Concept For more information on all of the CAD services Man and Machine provide including our latest training schedule and upcoming webinars please visit, www.manandmachine. co.uk, call 01844 263700 or email marketing@ manandmachine.co.uk.

Man and Machine’s professional training centre is a fantastic environment where customers can learn from industry experts, gain authorised qualifications and ensure that any CAD investment is utilised to its full potential.

Software & Systems GSM Graphic Arts GSM Graphic Arts manufactures a full range of durable plastic and metal barcode labels to suit your particular unique identification label requirements including:• Roll-form labels offer an economical option for high volume usage in low risk applications such as Logistics and Stock Control.

• Anodised aluminium barcodes provide a hard wearing, solvent resistant finish in which the unique code is printed and sealed within the grain of the material - these are used in Asset Management, Logistics and Warehousing applications.

• Undersurface Printed Plastics, where the barcode is printed on the rear of the material producing a very durable finish, ideal in applications where a hard wearing flexible label or tag is required. Ideal for Marketing and Warehousing applications.

• Etched Stainless Steel is used in very high temperature applications or in harsh environments.

All barcode labels can be supplied with self-adhesive or fixing holes to suit your specification. The latest digital printing technology enables GSM to print full colour logos within the barcode labels to offer the complete labelling solution.

For further information on the comprehensive range of barcode labels and tags produced

by GSM Graphic Arts visit our website www.gsmgraphicarts.co.uk or call us now on +44(0)1845 522184.

Caltec world leader in production boosting and compact separation Caltec is the world leader in production boosting and compact separation; enhancing production processes for over 100 oil and gas fields around the world.

Caltec’s Wellcom Boost™ system increases producing LP wells, or can revive ‘dead’ wells by utilising energy from HP wells otherwise wasted by choking.

Caltec’s technology also de-bottlenecks compressors, replaces compressor stages and recovers flare gas, reducing emissions, using no moving parts, consuming no power/fuel gas and is virtually maintenance free.

Email: J.Pulford@caltec.com

www.caltec.com

MIE Solutions UK Limited are pleased to offer MIETrak Pro the industry specific MRP/ERP Software.

With over 23 years experience in the Sheet Metal, Engineering and Fabrication industry and with a Worldwide presence, we understand our existing and potential new Clients needs within these industries.

MIETrak PRO can offer you a cost effective complete solution including: t t t t t t t t t t t t t

RFQ / Quotation / Estimating Sales Order Processing Works Order / Router Design Purchasing Scheduling Shop Floor Data Capture Stock Control Time Clock / HR Costing / Reporting Shipping / Invoicing / Accounts Integration Quality Control Preventative Maintenance And much more.........................

To discuss your requirements or for further information call 01527 576444 or visit

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Proud to manufacture in the UK ver the last few years, much of the UK’s manufacturing work has been outsourced to overseas locations especially China - for a variety of reasons. The economic downturn which began in 2008 was disastrous for the British manufacturing industry, causing a lot of firms to go out of business and forcing their customers to look elsewhere. The cost savings on volume production offered

by Chinese companies made them seem like a logical choice.

O

Recently however, many companies have begun to bring their manufacturing work back onto British shores. Leicestershire-based QTS, who design and manufacture wire mesh based products for the warehouse logistics markets, made the decision in 2013 to retake control of their entire production system.

The company began life as a major importer of their products, importing completed decking and anti-collapse safety systems direct from the manufacturer for re-sale in the UK market - which was not without its problems.

“We found ourselves running into more and more complications,” says MD Shaun Ingram. “For example, lead times were a constant worry. It would often be 12 weeks before products would reach us, which was frustrating both for us and our customers. Small orders were all but out of the question - we’d frequently have to order far more product than we needed just to could fill up a shipping container to meet our customers’ deadlines. As a result, our spending our stockholding went through the roof, and our service levels credibility went in the opposite direction.”

After moving into their new premises in 2011, QTS decided to change their approach. Rather than buying in complete decking systems - which would often be over specified for the customer’s particular needs – they decided instead to buy in components and manufacture from scratch in the UK. This gave them the increased flexibility to produce every part of their racking solutions, including the mesh, support bars, and related accessories in-house in order to provide better quality control and a better service to their customers.

Changes in the warehousing industry have also driven demands for bespoke racking setups to be delivered at shorter notice than ever. Thanks to the

expansion of e-commerce, many large wholesale companies have been able to make the jump into direct consumer retail, meaning that their distribution cantered designed for bulk palletised storage have had to be reconfigured to incorporate small part picking areas.

This necessitates more intelligent use of available space.

Thanks to their new entirely in-house system, QTS’ design process has been greatly streamlined.

Without having to liaise with partners operating on a vastly different time zone, completed blueprints can be delivered to clients within 72 hours.

QTS are now able to fully design, manufacture, and deliver customised racking systems to customers all across the UK and Europe in as little as three weeks – a drastic improvement on the three-month waiting period they had been accustomed to when using Chinese manufacturers. The company now has greater control over its pricing and can offer its customers a clearer picture of their order’s progress.

“It’s been a fantastic move for us,” continues Shaun, “We’ve got so much more control over our work. It really shows that our customers prefer to use a local manufacturer – since we brought production back in-house, our capacity has grown from 750 completed units a week to 5,000 – and we’re on track to expand to 10,000 a week this summer. One of our key suppliers for logistics Velta International has also been very supportive of this change. Where they are shipping less for us on an import basis they are expanding on our outbound logistics to newly formed export markets “Aside from selling direct to the customer, we’ve also had a few other racking manufacturers begin using us as a supplier. I think the appeal for them is that we free them from having to go to overseas suppliers. We source all our parts from trusted European and British suppliers with full traceability, so we know our final products will be of a high quality. And because we use locally-sourced steel, our products are not only far stronger than those made of timber, but also flame-retardant which means they’re far more hard wearing and reliable, and help you meet health and safety requirements.”

By bringing their processes back to British shores, QTS are helping to lead the way for a stronger UK manufacturing industry For more information, please visit http://www.qts-ltd.co.uk

Storage, Handling & Distribution

Crating Solutions UK

CSi Industries BV opens assembly plant in China On June 2nd 2015 CSi industries BV opened its first assembly plant in China.

Despite relatively low labour costs the demand for automation in China is definitely on the increase as the country seeks to attract high quality engineering solutions to reduce its dependence on local labour. Also, finding the right calibre of personnel in the market place is becoming more of a challenge. In response to these market changes, CSi are now operating a streamlined production and assembly line at its new factory in Foshan where a high volume of palletisers can be manufactured in the European way at prices the Chinese customer can afford.

Tel: 01244 341298

Crating Solutions UK is an East Yorkshire based award winning service for the whole UK with strong customer bases in Yorkshire & Humber, East Midlands, West Yorkshire and Manchester.

Our teams specialise in bespoke timber packing cases and crates in accordance with BS1133, but also in moisture and corrosion intercept measures.

Providing full turnkey projects we can lift and remove machinery for international exportation.

Our plywood boxes and crates are suitable for all types of products, whether light, heavy or sensitive, and provide protection against rugged transportation and changes in climate, and during long term storage.

Tel: +44 (0)1482 470490 Fax: +44 (0)1482 441433 Email: logistics@cratingsolutions.co.uk www.cratingsolutions.co.uk

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www.CSiportal.com

Primera Introduces LX2000e Color Label Printer Primera Technology Europe, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty printers, announced its new LX2000e Color Label Printer.

LX2000e is Primera’s fastest-ever desktop colour printer. It produces labels at speeds of up to 152mm (6”) per second – about 25% faster than Primera’s best-selling LX900e Color Label Printer (for comparable print quality).

Large, separate ink cartridges for cyan, magenta, yellow and black keep the cost per label low. Other features include pigment-based ink for stronger resistance to UV light, chemicals and water, built in “pizza-wheel” cutter, colour display, viewing window to see label stock levels and wired Ethernet or USB 2.0 and wireless connection options.

Complete product details are available at http://primeralabel.eu. Follow Primera on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/primeraeurope and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/primeraeu.

Storage, Handling & Distribution

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BARNSHAWS DELIVER CURVE APPEAL TO MANCHESTER VICTORIA STATION

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The task of producing the curved structure for this project was awarded to expert tube and metal profile bending company Barnshaws

Below Right

The ribs had to be made in sections up to 20 meters in length and then transported to the site before final assembly and installation

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Main Pic

The largest of the ribs measuring 96 meters in length and weighing nearly 86 tonnes, was installed using a 750 tonne crawler crane

he £44 million project undertaken by Network Rail to redevelop and transform Manchester Victoria station includes a state-of-the-art roof which has been constructed around 15 curved steel ribs, all of which are unique in both size and curvature. The task of producing the curved structure for this project was awarded to expert tube and metal profile bending company Barnshaws, which conveniently has one of its production facilities located in the city.

The new £16 million roof will provide a modern and bright feeling to the new concourse, which has been designed to be sympathetic with the original Grade II listed building and also to provide sufficient capacity for future expansion.

For the main contractor tasked with delivering the project, precision and timing were key to the overall success of the refurbishment.

From the start, the design of the new roof was going to pose some tough challenges for the fabricators, Severfield (UK). Each rib has a unique design, not only in length but also in width, depth and curvature, so the actual manufacturing of the ribs required a high level of precision. In addition, the ribs had to be made in sections up to 20 meters in length and then transported to the site before final assembly and installation.

Established in 1969, Barnshaws has grown to become the world’s premier specialist profile bending company; supplying market sectors such as construction, power generation, mining, transport and general manufacturing with shaped beams, tubes, plate and other profile section materials.

From the outset the engineers from Severfield (UK) consulted with Barnshaws to discuss the best way of creating and manufacturing the design so that it could be installed in the most efficient manner. As it turned out this would involve two of the largest cranes in the country and some millimetreperfect construction as well as precise timing.

Greg North, Commercial Director for Barnshaws, comments: “We have worked with Severfields on a large number of projects in the past and we understand each other’s capabilities and strengths. For one particular part of the project we were able to provide 350mm square hollow section (SHS) steel that was curved to a 7000mm radius at certain points with no distortion to the section, thanks to our specialised methods of bending.”

In fact, all of the SHS steel required 3 or 4 different radii within each length but this is all within the capability of Barnshaws and the engineering team, who were able to deliver these components, on time, to Severfield’s.

The second part of the project required steel plate measuring up to 550mm wide by 50mm thick to be curved to various radii in order to make the larger sections of each rib.

Each plate section has been curved to a specific set of dimensions to allow it to be assembled into a curved boxsection by Severfield (UK). These are then transported to the station site where they are welded together to create the complete rib which is then carefully positioned and installed.

Each of these unique ribs has required considerable precision and tight tolerances to ensure the installation process went smoothly.

Most of the curved beams were installed using the UK’s largest telescopic crane, a 1,200 tonne behemoth, while rib 9, the largest of the ribs measuring 96 meters in length and weighing nearly 86 tonnes, was installed using a 750 tonne crawler crane, which is one of Europe’s largest of its type.

This in itself created complications due to the live tracks that run beneath the new roof structure and the whole installation process required close cooperation with Network Rail. In this way, the short periods during which the tracks can be made safe could be utilised as efficiently as possible, ensuring the roof structure was installed on schedule.

With the main ribs installed, the smaller subsections could be fitted that would support almost 400 ETFE (Ethylene Tetraflouroethylene) panels, similar to those used in the Eden Project and Manchester Piccadilly station. As with the steel sections, each one of the polymer roof panels has a unique shape and relies on the precision of the steelwork to ensure a perfect fit.

Greg North concludes: “The design of this project has posed some challenges to all of those involved in making it a reality, but together we have succeeded in delivering a fantastic structure that will greet everyone visiting Manchester Victoria.” www.barnshaws.com Issue 15 PECM

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67 percent more power opens new application areas

Metabo’s turnover and result has grown by two digits

The new brushless cordless compact angle grinder from Metabo, with LiHD technology

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INDUSTRIAL HOSE & ASSEMBLIES

RUBBER . METALLIC . PTFE . COMPOSITE . PVC

= Air/Water = Oil/Chemical/Gas = General Purpose = Steam = Food & Beverage = Custom Built Large Bore = Armoured Dixon Group Europe Limited 350 Walton Summit Centre, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 8AS

Hose Assemblies certified to PED 37/23/EC Module D1

by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance. (Notified Body 0038).

Telephone: +44 (0)1772 323529 Fax: +44 (0)1772 314664 marketing@dixoneurope.co.uk

For further information please contact us now on:

01772 323 529

www.dixoneurope.co.uk

MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTION WITH DIXON QUICK COUPLINGS

Dixon Group Europe Limited 350 Walton Summit Centre, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 8AS Telephone: +44 (0)1772 323529 Fax: +44 (0)1772 314664 marketing@dixoneurope.co.uk

www.dixoneurope.co.uk

The Dixon Family of Quick Release Couplings offers complete Interchanges to all major manufacturers.

U Sizes from 1/8” to 21/2” U Full Interchange Guide Available

For further information please contact us now on:

01772 323 529

The perfect solution for abrasive wear

The state-of-theart special ball valves, which ATEC manufactures and markets itself, feature a T-bore, which allows a flexible 3-way redirection of the material flow.

New, metal-sealed 3-way ball valves with minimised dead space ensure high durability even with abrasive products all valves with a minimum of dead space play a crucial role in the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries. This is because, particularly with fast-hardening materials, it is important to avoid deposits and residual products on the inside of the valve – between the ball and the housing. Otherwise, crystallisation and polymerisation can cause the ball to block, with the result that redirection or shut-off of the material flow is no longer possible.

Residues of other materials can also lead to contamination, for example when the product is changed. ATEC GmbH has now developed innovative ball valves with minimised dead space that allow the safe flow of material in multiple directions and provide reliable protection against blockages – even with abrasive products, high pressures and extreme temperatures.

B

The state-of-the-art special ball valves, which ATEC manufactures and markets itself, feature a T-bore, which allows a flexible 3-way redirection of the material flow. The products are unique in that the cavities are filled out with half-shells made of a range of materials from hightemperature plastic to stainless steel depending on the product, providing reliable protection against deposits in the housing. They are suitable for temperatures up to 500°C and can also be used with extremely high pressure of up to PN 320.

The metal ball valves, for which a special manufacturing process was developed, all have the highest level of leak tightness (Leakage rate test in accordance with DIN EN 122661 Leakage rate A = zero bubbles).

This is a major advantage over many other metal ball valves on the market, because these only have “Leakage rate B”, which allows a certain amount of bubbles per minute.

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The ATEC metal-sealed 3-way ball valves are also characterised by a prolonged service life, a higher switching frequency, high flow rates, and high chemical resistance to corrosion with a resulting reduction in maintenance intervals.

The innovative ball valves, which have already been successfully tried and tested by well-known companies around the world, are now in stock for all customers in Germany and abroad.

They are also available with an L-bore and in horizontal and vertical versions with nominal diameters ranging from DN 15 to DN 250.

100% Made in Germany ATEC attaches great importance to the fact that without exception, every product is manufactured in its production facility in KleinWinternheim near Mainz, by its own highly-qualified specialists. Only in this way can consistent quality, optimum safety and a high degree of flexibility be guaranteed. ATEC is thus always able to respond to every customer request quickly.

Perfect, tailor-made solutions in next to no time – guaranteed!

Andreas Hampel, head of the technical department at ATEC told us: “We are a real problem-solver, and instead of mass production, we always deliver 100% tailor-made quality. Our customers value our flexibility, and our ability to supply individual solutions that meet the most demanding specific customer requirements“. He added: “Because we manufacture all our products ourselves here in Germany, we can guarantee that every order will be delivered in unsurpassed quality in an unusually short space of time”.

For more information visit www.atec-armaturen.de

CUSTOMIZED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS

Special custom made Exotic materials

The best way to a reliable valve is to customize the valve to the process.

Short delivery time YOUR PARTNER FOR CUSTOMIZING

Waste Management

Grundon announced as winner of Large Business Award at the Oxfordshire Business Awards More than 500 guests attended the stylish awards ceremony at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel, Sandford, with 14 different awards up for grabs.

The award was presented to Clayton Sullivan-Webb, Managing Director of Grundon, who commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been announced as the winner of The NatWest Large Business Award. Being headquartered in Oxfordshire and having a significant proportion of our operations based in the county, receiving this award means a lot to Grundon.

“To be recognised as a business that has shown continued growth and development over the past year, along with a commitment to our customers, our staff, the local community and the economic growth of the region is very satisfying, and is testament to our fantastic team of people.”

For 21 years, the Oxfordshire Business Awards has been recognising, rewarding and promoting the excellence of Oxfordshire-based companies.

Organised and supported by 14 of the county’s leading organisations, the Awards are firmly established as a benchmark for excellence in today’s competitive business environment.

See more at: http://www.grundon.com/Blog/Grundon-Win-Large_BusinessAward#sthash.vZXYMZTb.dpuf

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PECM Issue 15

Water & Effluent Treatment NVP Energy among the big winners at the UK’s Top Water & Energy Awards

Ondeo Industrial Solutions improves water treatment output performance at EDF plant

NVP Energy, a clean-tech company with an innovative technology (Lt-AD) that can turn wastewater into a revenue generator for end-users in the Food & Drink and Municipal wastewater industries, recently won the Most Innovative New Technology of the Year award at the Water Industry Achievement Awards followed by the Innovation Award for Energy from Waste at the Environment & Energy Awards.

Ondeo Industrial Solutions, part of Degrémont Industry, has provided EDF Energy with a water treatment system that has significantly improved pre-treatment plant performance. The successful two week delivery of the project at the new EDF Energy power station in West Burton, Nottinghamshire, underlines Ondeo’s status as the leading solutions provider in the water and wastewater industry.

NVPE has also been awarded the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change which will financially support the delivery of a full-scale Lt-AD reactor at a large Food & Drink customer’s wastewater treatment plant by March 2016.

Tel: (Irl). +353 (0)87 667 7007 (UK). +44 (0)7733 943 909 Email: michael.murray@nvpenergy.com www.nvpenergy.com

Blue-White Peristaltic Pumps

The new EDF Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station was commissioned in 2013 and produces 1340 MW, which delivers enough power to supply 1,500,000 homes. EDF Energy awarded the Operations and Maintenance contract for its water systems to Ondeo in response to a number of challenges at the power station.

www.ondeo-is.com

WES Hire Division WES’ Hire division operates a dedicated fleet of chemical dosing products for temporary and emergency requirements.

WES is the exclusive European Distributor for the Blue-White range of peristaltic pumps. These pumps are an excellent alternative to traditional solenoid and diaphragm pumps.

Ranging from our DosingCube™ through to fully-integrated dosing systems, this rapidly expanding division of WES is highly reactive and geared towards quick deployment.

Maintenance is very simple and can be undertaken in minutes and requires no training. The tube assemblies are inexpensive and can operate for up to 12 months in many applications. These pumps are particularly suited to hypochlorite dosing as off-gassing has no effect on their performance.

WES continues to invest in expanding the hire fleet to meet increasing demand from existing and new customers.

WES’ customers consider this a key service, in particular, to meet emergency chemical dosing requirements and also to provide continued process operation during main plant maintenance, asset replacement or chemical trials etc.

For more details visit www.wes.ltd.uk

For more details visit www.wes.ltd.uk

Equipped with the latest control and motor technology, they offer great dosing characteristics on viscose and high solid content liquids.

Treatment plant protected Treatment plant protected by effluent monitor at major drinks factory

T

he installation of a HACH LANGE BioTector continuous TOC (Total Organic Carbon) monitor to police the front end of Cobevco’s wastewater treatment plant has enabled tight control of the treatment process. Delivering results 20 times faster than laboratory techniques, the monitor at the Elton facility in Cheshire provides advance notice of organic overload so that the plant is able to instantly divert carbonrich waste and protect the treatment process.

The recently rebranded Cobevco filling division operates a state of the art bottle filling and wastewater treatment plant at their manufacturing site at Elton in Cheshire, which includes a large biological wastewater treatment facility, operating 24/7 between 3

staggered Sequential Batch Reactors (SBR). This process relies on the activity of bacteria which break down the organic content in the waste stream. However, if the organic load is too strong or too weak, the bacteria are unable to function efficiently, so monitoring is necessary.

Historically, laboratory analysis has taken too long to allow proactive intervention and the ability to measure organic load continuously has not been possible because instruments have been unable to cope with the strength of the effluent without filtration.

However, the patented two-stage chemical oxidation process employed by the BioTector completely resolves this problem and has enabled Cobevco to protect the treatment plant and dramatically improve efficiency.

Tel: +44(0)161 872 1487 Email: info@hach-lange.co.uk www.hach-lange.co.uk Issue 15 PECM

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Umbilical test rig improves efficiency of testing & commissioning

O

ff the west coast of Africa investment in subsea oil exploration is growing year on year, which is driving the development of more and more subsea structures as part of the production infrastructure.

New fields require the installation of umbilical systems to connect the structures together and in order to ensure efficient and reliable performance, the umbilical system needs to be tested and cleaned at regular intervals. This process has been streamlined with the introduction of a new test rig developed by RMI Pressure Systems and delivered to Duco UK as part of an initiative to improve the speed and reliability of the commissioning process.

As the known reserves of oil and gas diminish, companies involved in the industry continue to search for and exploit potential new sites. However this is an extremely expensive process, requiring huge levels of investment which must deliver more efficient methods and equipment to ensure a return on investment.

Angola is the second-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa behind Nigeria, and recent exploration suggests that Angola’s reserves may be larger than initially estimated.

Successful exploration in Angola’s pre-salt formations continues to drive optimistic oil production forecasts for the country, with

further exploration to be undertaken in deep water, 1200m and beyond. One of the major players will invest US$3 billion per year to the end of the decade in Angola alone.

With this investment comes the requirement for more reliable and efficient equipment to ensure that the development of each site is as cost effective as possible. Duco UK, a leading manufacturer of bespoke umbilical products based in Newcastle, UK, found that using their own test equipment, rather than contracting the work out, was not only more cost effective but also provided more flexibility for customers.

Due to the critical nature of the systems and valves which are controlled by the hydraulic umbilicals throughout the subsea networks, it is essential that the hydraulic fluid be cleaned to the required specifications. The lines and connections must also be regularly checked for leakage to ensure that they operate correctly and with the necessary reliability and efficiency. In order to carry out the cleansing and checking procedures a test rig is required which is capable of flushing out the entire umbilical length and submitting it to a pressure test.

Having already developed a new test rig for use in offshore applications, RMI was approached by Duco UK to develop a similar rig for onshore use, to

be delivered to another division operating in Angola.

Having previously delivered a unit designed to meet the stringent offshore regulations, RMI was able to use this design as a basis for the new test rig, which would incorporate its Trimax S250 high pressure pump.

The new test rig had to be enclosed in a custom steel framework which would fit inside a standard cargo container and allow for it to be lifted by a whilst also acting as protection from occasional knocks.

The design needed to deliver a system capable of producing pressures up to 15,000 psi (1,035 bar) with flows between 3 - 15 US gallons/ min. (11 - 56 litres/min). Achieving these figures would reduce the overall time required to fill, flush and pressure test the umbilical system, which in turn would reduce the cost of installation and commissioning.

RMI Pressure Systems has developed a new test rig for onshore/offshore use which allows for streamlined cleansing and pressure testing in-situ.

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PECM ssue 15

The completed test rig provided this facility with a much more efficient pump, providing substantial savings in time and money to complete the testing and flushing operations

The Trimax range of crankshaft-driven, reciprocating pumps provides high efficiency pumping at pressures up to 1380 bar and flows up to 610 litres/min, delivered by three piston, crankshaft driven, positive displacement pumps.

Controlled by a Danfoss variable frequency drive (VFD) and Omron PLC, the characteristics of the RMI test rig allows it to be used for both the filling / flushing operation as well as the high pressure testing; which immediately reduces the overall testing time, thereby reducing overall costs.

All of the pumps are fitted with a robust, fully supported crankshaft with con-rods assembled with lead bronze big and small end bearings. Extremely high wear-resistant solid ceramic plungers, combined with Kevlar fibre seals, provide long-lasting, high-pressure sealing. All pumps undergo a rigorous testing programme prior to dispatch, which includes oil temperature and pressure checks plus vibration monitoring, as well as verifying the normal pump performance criteria. www.rmipsl.com

A passion for

Quality

Compressed air monitoring was never better value The PQ compact pressure sensor – ideal for handling and robotics.

The angled display can be inverted, making it easy to read even in awkward installations.

The display can be in red or green to indicate chosen settings, so the status is visible at a glance even if the sensor is moving.

All this at an unbeatable price.

ifm electronic – www.ifm.com / uk/ pq

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