Process Engineering Control & Manufacturing - Issue 48 2021

Process

MANUFACTURING

Control &

Engineering

CORBETTS THE GALVANIZERS - 12

WILLIAM WHITELEY & SONS- 20

Record £1m month as historic galvanizer rises to the Covid-19 challenge

Investment gives one of Sheffield's oldest manufacturers a new cutting-edge

PECM

Global Success Through Innovation Issue 48 2021 £3.95 www.pecm.co.uk

BRANDAUER - 74 It's all about the micron as Brandauer set to play key role in £500,000 new electric machine project

Process

MANUFACTURING

Inside...

Sections

Control &

Engineering Inside Issue 48

Editors Choice

4

Boilers & Maintenance

28

Control & Automation

30

Electrical & Electronics

41

Facilities Management

45

Fluid Handling

52

CORBETTS THE GALVANISERS

SEMPRE GROUP

MAN GROUP

An industrial necessity for post-Brexit Britain?

Record £1m month as historic galvanizer rises to the Covid-19 challenge

£2m boost as MAN Group looks to recover from Covid-19 disruption

NOVOTEK

Fasteners & Fixings

54

Gears, Drives & Motors

56

Making production processes more sustainable

Health & Safety

58

WILLIAM WHITELEY & SONS

Machining & Machinery

69

Measurement & Monitoring

75

News & Events

80

Packaging

86

Process Technologies

92

Pumps

95

Software & Systems

97

Storage Handling & Distribution

98

£2m boost as MAN Group looks to recover from Covid-19 disruption

TR FASTENERS

Improving speed without increasing costs

PORTESCAP

Top motor trends in the continuing evolution of robots

Taking better care of medical manufacturers

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

Rockwell Automation Improves Productivity, Drives Profitability and Reduces Risk Across Plant Operations with the Release of PlantPAx 5.0

EMS

How infrared technology brings safety in multiple applications

BRANDAUER

It’s all about the micron as Brandauer set to play key role in £500,000 new electric machine project

SWMAS

Brexit uncertainty weighs heavy on SME manufacturers looking to recover from Covid-19

Issue 48 PECM

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New benchmark in thermal flow measurement The The latest latest SA SA flow flow meter meter from from ifm ifm electronic electronic for for liquids liquids and and gases gases also also measures measures temperature. temperature.

Fast Fast response. response. Easily Easily readable readable LED LED display display can can be be set set to to change change between between red red and and green green and and the the whole whole unit unit can can be be rotated. rotated. Calibrated Calibrated for for water, water, oils oils and and air. air.

A A clever clever solution solution from from ifm ifm

www.ifm.com / uk/ sa ifm Telephone 020 8213 2222

Process

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Every issue of the magazine contains the latest news, in-depth features, together with product innovations and case studies showing how process engineers are implementing new technologies to reduce costs and impact on the environment.

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Issue 48 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

CABLE INNOVATION HEATSENSE CABLES

Specialist High-Performance thermocouple and signal cable manufacturer continues to expand manufacturing capabilities CAPABILITIES Heatsense Cables is the UK’s leading specialist high-performance thermocouple and signal cable manufacturer.

The company is a technology leader in fluoropolymer extrusion, high-performance taping and cable wrapping. Related processes include cover sintering, colouring, etching and the application of various specialist coatings. The range covers cables that are resistant to flame, oils and chemicals and which operate in ultra-high vacuum, cryogenic and high radiation environments.

INSULATION & BRAIDING EXPERTS Insulation materials include PFA, FEP, PTFE, ETFE, EFGLAS, SILICONE, PE, PU, PVC, Taped & Sintered PTFE, Polyimide, Aramid, PTFE impregnated yarns and Mica.

Braiding materials include glass, quartz & ceramic fibres, other specialist yarns and various metals.

The company manufactures thermocouple cables, extension wires, equipment, wires, coaxial cables, multicore cables, microcables and fine wire from is manufacturing plant in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Markets include, aerospace, nuclear, automotive, medical, R&D, oil & gas and general industry. The company offers a range of approvals which meet internationally recognised specifications.

Highly customer focussed, Heatsense offers a bespoke technical design and manufacturing service, rapid response times, short lead times, low MOQ’s and competitive pricing.

EXPANSION Over the course of the last twelve months Heatsense has acquired a specialist thermocouple calibration laboratory. This has enabled the company to test thermocouple and resistance wires used in production and also ensure that all cables are calibration and resistance tested before dispatch.

The company continues to upgrade and

purchase additional specialist plant & equipment to further broaden capabilities and efficiencies.

Despite the economic impact of COVID-19 Heatsense has added a further 5000sq.ft of manufacturing space taking the total to almost 20,000sq.ft.

During this period the company has also continued to purchase specialist plant & equipment, expanded its manufacturing capabilities and taken on additional highly skilled staff.

The company continues to develop its digital strategy encompassing shop floor data capture, ERP, CRM and machine automation.

Heatsense is ISO9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015 Accredited and has been awarded F4N Status by the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

T: +44 (0) 1706 767070 W: www.heatsensecables.co.uk

For further information, please visit www.heatsensecables.co.uk

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PECM Issue 48

The UK’s leading specialist high-performance thermocouple and signal cable manufacturer The company is a technology leader in fluoropolymer extrusion, high-performance taping and cable wrapping. Related processes include cover sintering, colouring, etching and the application of various specialist coatings. The range covers cables that are resistant to flame, oils and chemicals and which operate in ultra-high vacuum, cryogenic and high radiation environments.

INSULATION & BRAIDING EXPERTS PFA, FEP, PTFE, ETFE, EFGLAS, SILICONE, PE, PU, PVC, Taped & Sintered PTFE, Polyimide & Aramid Yarns, PTFE impregnated yarns and Mica.

Braiding materials include glass & ceramic fibres, other specialist yarns and various metals.

MARKET SPECIALISTS

Automotive

Aerospace

Nuclear

Medical

Industrial

PARTNERSHIP BUILDERS Advanced technical design & bespoke manufacturing service • Rapid response times

• Service international partners

• Short lead times

• Competitive pricing

• Based in the UK

• Low MOQ’s

*Registered owner of the world-renowned INTEMP trademark

Find us online: heatsensecables.co.uk or call: (+44) 01706 767070

Research

EDITOR’S CHOICE

New benchmark in thermal flow measurement The new benchmark in thermal flow measurement is the SA from ifm electronic.

Quite simply the best and easiest to use, the SA is optimised for a range of media including water, oils, glycol and air. Not only will the SA measure the flow rate, but the device will also measure the temperature of the medium. The SA series are equipped with the latest sensing and connection technologies for optimum setting and usage, as well as featuring a very flexible design concept to reduce inventory.

The SA features a highly visible four-digit display, which the user can configure to show the flow rate or temperature and to alternate from red to green as required, and the housing can be aligned for optimum readability.

Unlike most flowmeters, using an SA does not mean specifying exactly the pipe diameter to find the correct device. The SA consists of a display and evaluation section that sits on the pipe where the display can clearly be seen, and a probe inserted through the pipe wall into the medium. As only a simple probe needs to be inserted into the pipe, the SA is easy to fit and versatile, covering a range of pipe sizes from and internal diameter of just 15mm up to a massive 400mm. Fitting is via a progressive ring compression joint, allowing control of the insertion depth. The user merely selects the probe length from 45mm,

both measurements are registered via a simple three-core cable. Moreover, as IOLink is a stronger digital 24V signal without conversion losses, the data is more reliable than any analogue mA value. IO-Link is a two-way street, giving the user the flexibility of remotely adjusting parameters, too. That means that the user is all set for Industry 4.0.

100mm or 200mm. If there are many different pipe sizes on site, the stock of different flow meters is kept to a minimum.

Accuracy and speed of response are vital, and the SA performs on both counts. The SA can react to a change in the medium as quickly as half a second, with an accuracy of ±0.3K for temperature and ±5% for flow.

Switching outputs (normally open or normally closed), pulse output, analogue signals and IO-Link provide various options to further process the signals. The IO-Link option has already proved of value to customers who have been able to replace two units with one, and not only that but as the IO-Link signal is transmitted over the normal output connection,

www.ifm.com/gb/en

NEW Jackets, Work Trousers & Topwear in the 2021 Snickers Workwear Catalogue With a focus on comfort, performance and sustainability in its new products, the 2021 digital catalogue has all you need to know about Snickers Workwear, including new products that now use REPREVE, the world’s number one brand of recycled performance fibre.

There’s also new AllroundWork Topwear with the cooling 37.5® moisture transportation fabric, as well as upgraded FLEXIWork Stretch Trousers with extra functionality and durability. By popular demand, there’s also a stretchy hi-vis Work Jacket with great comfort and flexibility for high-performance work and high visibility in low-light conditions.

Added to which, there’s the most innovative streetsmart stretch fabrics in the ALLROUNDWork clothing range for mobile comfort and a Layered Clothing System that ensures you can choose clothes to suit

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PECM Issue 48

the weather on site – rain or shine, wind or snow - plus an extensive range of EN-certified ProtecWork and PPE products.

Complimented by Snickers Workwear’s Profiling and Embroidery services and the most extensive range of garment sizes, this clothing system delivers the ultimate solution to make every man and woman’s workday easier and safer.

www.snickersworkwear. com/page/product_guide_ media

Many application are open to the SA units as they are rated up to a maximum pressure of 100bar, and many different media with flow rates of 5 to 300cm/s (liquids) or 200 to 10000cm/s (gases) over temperatures ranging from -20 to +100°C. Construction is up to ifm’s usual high standard, with wetted parts made of high-grade stainless steel and the housing sealed to IP65 / IP67. 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.

For further information, contact Gemma Anderson, ifm electronic Ltd., efector House, Kingsway Business Park, Oldfield Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2HD. Telephone: 020 8213-2234. E-mail – gemma.anderson@ ifm.com.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Tricor PRO Plus Series The new Tricor PRO Plus Series of Coriolis Mass Flow Meters is an accurate and highly repeatable meter with the smallest installation length on the market for installation into systems where space is limited. The TCD transmitter offers greater robustness, performance, diagnostics, and connectivity options. With a modern HMI interface and excellent logging functionality, the DSP transmitters provide users with an efficient configuration and analysis tool.

PRO Plus Series Features: • High dosing accuracy due to short response time (max. 10 ms)

• 100 Hz refresh rate makes this series suitable for pump monitoring and fast response control • Extremely short installation length makes for an easy fit in most configurations • Excellent zero stability for drift-free accuracy and long-term reading assurance • Extensive diagnostics and selfmonitoring, including empty pipe detection Sizes from ½” to 2”. Available for Litre Meter, call 01296 670200, now.

www.litremeter.com

we GEMÜ SUMONDO

Single Use Putting you in control GEMÜ SUMONDO - World’s first Single-Use diaphragm valve • Panel mount actuator & mini positioner • Gamma-sterilizable valve body material • Quick clamp body (Flowpath ready)

www.gemu.co.uk

Issue 48 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

Atom TPM Atom TPM are a multi-disciplined Consulting Engineering & Project Management Practice with the UK Centre of Excellence for Food Manufacturing Factory Design based in Edinburgh, Scotland with other associated offices in Canterbury and Dornoch. They were established in 1995 and have grown to become one of the leading Designers of Food Manufacturing Factories in the UK. This has led to the company uniquely being able to offer a full package of Total Project Management®, specialised in Architectural production layout design and spatial planning, Production Analysis, Project Management, Structural, M&E Engineering, Refrigeration Engineering and Building Consultancy services tailored to suit a Client’s needs and importantly to achieve major Retailer Technical Approval and industry wide standards such as BRC, EFSIS and SALSA accreditation.

The future of desktop manufacturing

Labelzone.co.uk – Your One Stop Label Shop!

Market leaders in 3D printing extrusion systems, E3D-Online have developed a technique of integrating subtractive technologies (on a layer-by-layer basis), into their award-winning, open-source tool changing 3D Printer, built with the best in-class components.

When you need to source labels or label printers, the Labelzone.co.uk website offers big brand labelling solutions at great prices.

As a key distributor of Brady, Brother, Zebra, TSC and Dymo labelling products, we can supply a wide range of labels for your existing label printers or help with new labelling projects. Custom labels, including short runs are available with fast turn round times. We specialise in cable marking, asset labelling, barcoding and tagging. Although the range offered on Labelzone.co.uk is vast, our knowledgeable pre-sales team will be pleased to offer advice and help on any aspect of labelling.

They have named this technology ASMBL™ Additive Subtractive Manufacturing by Layer.

Implementing an ASMBL toolhead grants users the ability to automate post-processing steps in a wide array of methods; including layer line removal, true square corners, correctly toleranced holes and radii, and even nonplanar surfacing.

To enable ASMBL™ E3D have developed a Fusion 360 plug-in which cleverly combines Fusion’s additive paths with subtractive CAM paths, working closely with Autodesk themselves.

www.atom-TPM.com

https://e3d-online.com/products/ toolchanger-motion-system-bundle-tools

Only nature can compete with us

Dr. Shrink, Inc.

SIRE was established in 1987. We have an extensive experience in cooling water systems to all types of industries. Our portfolio includes air-cooled and water-cooled chillers, heat-pumps and chillers with heat-recovery, containerized chiller units for concrete cooling, with capacities ranging from 6kW to 1.5MW+, shell and tube heat exchangers and cooling towers. In addition to these models, we are prepared to respond to the market with special chiller models for saltwater or naval chillers with titanium condensers and evaporators. We also offer chillers with heat pumps for climatization. All equipment is built with anticorrosion materials, enabling the placement of the equipment outdoor, and has a strict quality control, planning, production and finishes, which gives the client a product of guaranteed, excellent quality and reliability.

Dr. Shrink, Inc. is an international shrink wrap supplier of premium shrink wrap and all installation accessories.

Our chillers are submitted to a demanding series of control tests in terms of quality and durability. www.sire.pt

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PECM Issue 48

We stock shrink wrap from 12’ to 60’ in width for covering almost any object for protection against weather damage while being transported or stored.

Our major industries include marine, construction, industrial manufacturing, aerospace, military, and material handling.

Dr. Shrink is noted for innovative products, prompt delivery, competitive pricing, experienced application advice and hands on training.

Dr. Shrink, Inc. 315 Washington St Manistee, MI 49660 Phone: 1-231-723-2685 Email: drshrink@dr-shrink.com Website: www.dr-shrink.com

Visit www.labelzone.co.uk or call us on 0800 975 5040 Labelzone.co.uk Advanced Labelling Limited Unit B8 Arena Business Centre Holyrood Close, Poole, Dorset BH17 7FL Tel 0800 975 5040 Sales@labelzone.co.uk

Innovation, best practice and first-class customer service With the introduction of social distancing measures, end-to-end automation to facilitate fewer people along the production line will be the aim for many manufacturers. Extending automation beyond production and into packaging processes will make a print and apply labelling system an appealing option.

The benefits of a print and apply solution, of course, pre-date social distancing restrictions.

Print and apply labelling systems create the label in real time, on the line, with the security of built-in barcode verification, enabling an efficient workflow and reducing manual labour costs. No errors or security risks from manual application and no waste. Cobalt can supply a case sealing and labelling system in one small footprint that’s ready to run.

01270 539800 sales@cobaltis.co.uk www.cobaltis.co.uk

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Quantum’s Hire Fleet creates improved process, reliability and efficiency at Sugar Facility Its peak season for processing sugar beet and we received a request from a Sugar Company to help create a new system that improves the cleaning pump process and more importantly, the reliability. This new system had to be super silent, efficient and be able to withstand weather conditions of the outdoor site environment.

We partnered with a Pump Supply Company to give the best solution to our customer, a new pump system, a 22kW Hire Variable Speed Drive and Generator (both from Quantum Controls extensive hire fleet) were supplied to the customer. This gave the system extra flexibility with variable speed control and pump reliability.

Due to the location and such harsh operating conditions, our Unique Weatherproof Variable Speed Drives were the only VSDs on the market for this application. Because this was initially a trial to test the new system, a super silent and efficient generator was also supplied, this was to save on mains modifications in the timescale allowed.

The new system was trialled and proved a success, the units will stay on hire for a further 12 weeks while a new permanent system is installed.

Quantum Controls have an extensive range of hire equipment, not only Weatherproof Variable Speed Drives up to 4.5MW power rating, we have a fleet of; electric motors, mains cables, data loggers, flow meters, transformers, generators and harmonic filters. Our hire fleet are available 24/7 through our Quantum Prime service. One call to 0330 9000 247, day or night, and we will have any piece of equipment in transit within 30 minutes of your call.

www.quantum-controls.co.uk

Issue 48 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

LATEST NEWS FROM CORBETTS CORBETTS THE GALVANIZERS

Record £1m month as historic galvanizer rises to the Covid-19 challenge The UK’s oldest hot dip galvanizer is bouncing back from Covid-19 disruption after it processed a record amount of steel from one plant in a single month.

Corbetts the Galvanizers used the downtime in the summer to improve productivity and modernise processes and this has paid off with nearly £1m of orders completed in October.

Celebrating 160 years in business in 2020, the Telford-based company processed 34% more volume than the same time last year for customers involved in street furniture, transport and construction.

With volumes continuing to rise and new contracts being secured, the recently

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PECM Issue 48

strengthened management team are now planning to reopen the smaller Plant to increase capacity.

“This is a phenomenal achievement by our workforce and highlights growing optimism in our sector,” explained Sophie Williams, Finance Director and General Manager at Corbetts the Galvanizers.

“It proves that the manufacturing best practice improvements we have undertaken over the last six months are working, including throughput, how we hang work, process speed and upgrading the pretreatment process. There’s also been considerable investment in upskilling the workforce and bringing in new team leaders.”

She went on add: “All this has led to a record month in terms of volume and sales, but, most importantly, we have done all of this whilst maintaining outstanding quality and 24 to 48 hour turnaround time for existing business and 5-10 days for new clients.”

Corbetts the Galvanizers has been supplying world class hot dip galvanizing to thousands of customers across the UK and Europe for 160 years.

This process is the most effective and environmentally friendly way to protect steel from the elements and provides a long-term solution to corrosion (rust) and maintenance free protection in excess of 100 years.

This is a phenomenal achievement by our workforce and highlights growing optimism in our sector.

From its purpose-built facility in Telford, it operates a number of galvanizing baths that give it the opportunity to process in excess of 50,000 tonnes every year and the ability to double dip material up to a length of 14 metres.

Product is then loaded on to the company’s fleet of 13 vehicles that make up to 5000 different journeys every year, with the latest investment meaning that the oldest lorry is less than five-years-old.

Sophie, who recently oversaw the appointment of new managers for Sales and Marketing, Procurement and Operations, concluded: “2020 hasn’t been the year we were expecting to celebrate our big birthday, but what it has done is given us time to look at how move forward for the next 160 years.

“This means we are now a more efficient operation and we have been looking at new ways in which we can grow the business. One big plan is currently in the final stages of negotiations and, if it comes off, could change the way the galvanizing sector operates forever.”

For further information, please visit www.wcorbett.co.uk or follow @wcorbetts on twitter.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

LATEST NEWS FROM MAN GROUP MAN GROUP

£2m boost as MAN Group looks to recover from Covid-19 disruption A unique Midlands-based industrial collective is fighting back from Covid-19 disruption by winning more than £2m of new contracts.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), which comprises nine subcontract manufacturers and a specialist engineering design agency, has been able to use its expertise in tube manipulation, precision stampings and contract manufacturing to secure new clients in agriculture, horticulture, healthcare and furniture production.

Member company PP Control & Automation is leading the charge with over £1m of business, with the majority of that work focused on specialist controls and automation for companies supplying into the NHS. Birmingham-based Brandauer has enjoyed similar success, securing a £500,000 extension to an existing deal with a Middle Eastern disposable razor

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PECM Issue 48

distancing and the Government asking us to close,” explained Tony Hague, CEO of PP Control & Automation (PP C&A).

Design and the ability to solve problems will always be a unique selling point. manufacturer. This was won against world class competition, beating a design and distribution model to produce new tooling and then delivering stainless steel razor blade substrates in volumes.

“Covid-19 has sent shockwaves throughout the global economy and many of our group have had to react quickly to adjust our operations to cope with sudden drops in volume, social

“It is certainly on a par with the world-wide crash of 2009, if not a little bit tougher.

However, like our sector has done on countless other occasions, we have pivoted and collectively attacked the challenges with tenacity and a desire to win different business using our core expertise.

“Four of the members have brought in over £2m of new contracts and others in our group have worked tirelessly to bring volumes back up to between 60 and 70% of pre-Covid activity.”

He continued: “There is also a concerted attempt to explore reshoring opportunities, especially with Brexit looming large on the horizon. We believe there is a massive appetite for ‘localised’ supply and this could play into UK manufacturers hands if we’re prepared to collaborate and invest in the latest technology.”

James Lister and Sons Limited’s tube manipulation business continued trading throughout the lockdown, supporting existing customers and winning many new clients as a result of competitive pricing and rapid response.

KimberMills International, Muller Holdings, PP Control & Automation and Ricor, with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) providing academic expertise, knowledge transfer and access to state-of-the-art technology.

£100,000 investment in a state-of-the-art left hand/right hand CNC bending machine late last year has been pivotal and directly led to £150,000 of orders with firms involved in heat exchangers, structural design, rail, fitness products and furniture.

Together, the collective offers a singlesource solution to supply chain issues, providing access to castings, contract

electronics, design, electrical assembly, forging, hydraulics, injection moulding, machining, PCB manufacture, pneumatics, high volume pressings/stampings and tube manipulation.

It employs over 2000 people across 21 factories, boasting nearly £150m of annual sales and export orders to more than 35 countries.

Austin Owens, founder of Grove Design, picked up the story: “When the crisis struck, we diverted a lot of our design expertise into supporting the development of the manKind visor and other products for the NHS. “We then started to receive a significant number of opportunities from innovators and OEMs, with two of these resulting in over £200,000 of contracts to support the creation of new products for the agriculture and horticulture sectors.

“Design and the ability to solve problems will always be a unique selling point and something we are working with other MAN members to help support their recovery efforts.”

The MAN Group is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, For further information, please visit www.man-group.co.uk or follow @mangroupuk on twitter.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE 3DPRINTUK

9 years of experience dedicated to 3D printing polymer parts with industrial PBF processes 2020 was not an easy year for anyone, but here at 3DPRINTUK we were proud of the contribution we were able to make in supporting our customers within their supply chains and the progress we have made as a company. We work with many companies of all sorts of different shapes and sizes across various supply chain tiers for a range of industrial manufacturing sectors.

In general, supply chains work best when they are both robust AND agile, and that’s where we can support companies in a variety of ways. Industrial 3D printing services have always been a good option for providing an alternative to traditional manufacturing methods that require long lead times and expensive tooling for a number of industrial applications. However, whether in normal times or periods of disruption, a resilient and responsive approach to support our customers within their supply chains is the core of everything we do at 3DPRINTUK. When you place an order with 3DPRINTUK you are buying more than plastic parts, you are also getting our experience and expertise built in, which guarantees you get real value for money. Add to that our professional team, who will work for you as if they were part of your company.

Using 3D printing via a trusted and reliable supplier, such as 3DPRINTUK, can be the key to successful outcomes for companies that are not able or not ready to bring industrial 3D printing capabilities in-house.

We pride ourselves on the trust our clients place in us and the reliable service that we can provide. This is because 3DPRINTUK carries out all its own work, in-house, on our own machines that are maintained and run by our highly trained staff. We are not an anonymous print quote farm and we do not sub-contract any jobs.

With 9 years of experience dedicated to 3D printing polymer parts with industrial PBF processes, at 3DPRINTUK we understand precisely how the process

works, where it works best and how to generate the most robust and accurate parts consistently and reliably for batch production applications. This means we can accommodate production runs of up to tens of thousands of parts, on demand.

All of the printing itself is supported by custom built software for that provides full digital inventory. Every 3DPRINTUK client has a part catalog, which they can manage to make the process of ordering parts on demand as simple and efficient as possible.

When you order from us, we strive to ensure that you get the best possible prices via our pricing structure, which can accommodate fast turnaround times with our Express service or the same high quality parts at a more economical price, with a longer lead time. The added value comes from knowing that when you hold an accurate, well-made part printed by 3DPRINTUK it has years of experience built into it.

orientation and part nesting — ensuring a consistent density that does not affect the print run but is highly efficient. Powder handling is also key to the printing process and the parts that come out the machine. We always mix our own powders to exacting standards to achieve consistent results every time. And while system manufacturers recommend annual calibration of the machines – we do it every few weeks to ensure the most consistent, repeatable and high quality parts.

Now that 2021 is upon us, we will continue as we always have, delivering the best possible parts, at the best possible price.

But don’t take our word for it, here’s what one of our customers had to say:

The experience really matters, because although we work with some of the very best PBF 3D printing systems on the market, understanding them to their very core is what ensures we get the best parts out of them every time we run them.

Consistency is at the heart of everything we do.

“A key advantage of working with 3DPRINTUK is their online quoting and ordering portal, which allows us to put pieces up there and get an instant price and instant feedback that is really useful, especially when you are doing a quote for somebody or working out how much a project is going to cost — it is brilliant.

In addition, the service and quality has always been amazing, they are really on it so that is definitely a plus. The prices have always been pretty good and have got even better now that they offer MJF as well as SLS.” Graham England, Rogue Product.

We know how to maximize their capacity without overloading them, both in terms of

Call us today, or upload your files now to test us on our promises!

For further information, please visit www.3dprint-uk.co.uk/

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3D 3D PRINTING PRINTING SERVICE SERVICE SPECIALIZING SPECIALIZING IN IN LOW LOW VOLUME VOLUME MANUFACTURE MANUFACTURE AND AND PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPES T. T. 0208 0208 692 692 5208 5208 hello@3dprint-uk.co.uk hello@3dprint-uk.co.uk www.3dprint-uk.co.uk www.3dprint-uk.co.uk Upload Upload your your .stl .stl file file on on our our website website for for an an immediate immediate quote. quote.

Price Price breaks breaks for for higher higher volume volume orders. orders.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

SIMPLIFYING SUSTAINABILITY NOVOTEK

Making production processes more sustainable In 2015, government leaders from around the world reached the Paris Agreement, pledging to keep global temperature increases to below two degrees Celsius.

Achieving this goal requires a significant shift in energy globally, both in terms of generation and use in energy-intense markets such as the industrial sector.

Here, George Walker, managing director of Novotek UK and Ireland, explores how industrial business leaders can simplify the process of managing energy usage and improving sustainability.

According to PwC’s 23rd Annual Global CEO Survey, almost one-in-four (24 per cent) of global CEOs surveyed in late 2019 were extremely concerned about climate change, marking a 25 per cent increase compared to the year prior. This reflects the ongoing drive by industry, public and policy alike to reduce global carbon emissions and turn the tide on manmade climate change.

Even for CEOs and business leaders that are not personally concerned by the issue of climate change directly, sustainability remains a key focus. PwC’s survey also found that 25 per cent of respondents saw commercial opportunities due to climate

change initiatives. Similarly, increasingly strict regulation and standards will make effective energy management, reduced power usage and more sustainable operations more financially appealing, particularly for the traditionally powerintense manufacturing sector.

In the UK, the industrial sector encompasses just shy of one-third of the country’s annual energy demand, with approximately 117,149 gigawatt hours needed to maintain operations each year.

Most manufacturers have started taking steps to reduce this energy demand by investing in energy efficient technologies and metering systems. However, these technologies are only as useful as they are monitored and managed, which can be more difficult for larger industrial businesses.

Yet sustainable business practices do not stop at energy usage. Industrial plant managers aiming to improve operational sustainability will also need to consider factors such as water usage. This is more challenging, and therefore arguably more important, in process industries such as food manufacturing or chemical engineering.

Plant managers can, however, make sustainability more manageable by integrating it into industrial management systems alongside other key process performance data. In doing this, it not only becomes easier to visualise and monitor, but it also allows for a more comprehensive and practical strategy.

For example, a plant might have a fleet of 30 water meters and 100 smart energy meters. The data from these meters could be integrated into an industrial software platform to show plant managers clearly that usage is high. This might flag the issue, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of insights.

But if this data is viewed alongside the data from washdown schedules, pump pressure or motor speed, plant managers have a glimpse into the underlying issue. It could be that adjusting the pressure of a pump or the speed of several motors could positively affect resource use.

Across an entire production facility, there could be hundreds or thousands of minor adjustments that can reduce energy usage and support more sustainable operation.

The bigger an industrial business is, the more difficult this may be to see all these opportunities for improvement.

That’s why at Novotek, we recommend larger industrial businesses consider operations management software that can present insights into collected data in different ways, including running calculations on field data that can scale it up to form a clear picture of everything from energy consumption to overall equipment effectiveness.

Improving sustainability as an industrial business is no easy task, and it’s one that differs substantially from one company to the next. Although globally we have a general agreement that action is needed to minimise global temperature rises, there can be no consensus on what specific actions need to be taken to do this. That’s why the best path forward is one where energy demand and resource consumption is managed closely by plant managers — and that’s a step most businesses can take.

For further information, please visit www.novotek.com/uk

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PECM Issue 48

Hygienic furniture & equipment

our mission:

quality products great value incredible service

Washtroughs – Hygienic sloping top – Dirt traps removed – Hands-free design – Sloped bowl with minimal splashback

THAT’S FORWARD THINKING! For more information get in touch today W: teknomek.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1603 788 833

EDITOR’S CHOICE

LATEST NEWS FROM EGS WILLIAM WHITELEY & SONS

Investment gives one of Sheffield’s oldest manufacturers a new cutting-edge A Sheffield-based scissor manufacturer who supplies Royalty, Formula 1, golf greens and bulletproof jacket specialists has invested in three new machines to help it meet an unprecedented rise in retail sales.

William Whiteley & Sons, which has been trading for more than 260 years, has spent in excess of £80,000 in upgrading its production capability to include state-ofthe-art vibratory finishing technology.

Boosted by a capital grant from the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), the latest addition brings automation to the company for the first time, helping it redeploy crucial labour to more value added work and providing a 30% boost in capacity.

It comes at a perfect time for the 12th generation family-owned business, as it

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PECM Issue 48

The vibratory finishing machine gives us repeatable quality and the option to manufacture through the night. looks to make the most of a five-fold boost in online sales, a welcome blessing with Covid-19 disrupting its industrial activity.

“When it comes to producing scissors and shears, we have some of the best craftsmen and women in the world,” explained Jeremy Ward, Director at William Whiteley & Sons.

“What we needed to do was to protect those skills by investing in new technology that would automate a labour intensive, low skilled process and that’s why we pressed the button on the capital spend.”

He continued: “The vibratory finishing machine gives us repeatable quality and the option to manufacture through the night. It also gives us the smoothest and aesthetically pleasing finish possible, which is what customers for our retail scissors and shears demand.

“Sales in this arena now account for 30% of our turnover and our beautifully crafted products are being used by tailors on Saville Row, by major fashion labels and by the army of people who are turning to crafts during Covid-19.”

William Whiteley & Sons, which employs 15 people and boasts a £1.1m turnover, has been working with the Manufacturing Growth Programme to identify and overcome production bottlenecks.

MGP’s Marcus Pearson concluded: “William Whiteley & Sons is a fantastic Sheffield business, steeped in history and boasting scissors and shears that are in demand all over the world.

A new machine was identified as one of the solutions, but spending a significant amount of money during a pandemic was causing concern amongst the management team.

“The management team has a clear vision of what it needs to do to continue to improve its performance and the move

towards bringing more elements of its manufacturing process in-house will assist it in this.

“Carefully targeted support and access to financial grants that give our manufacturers a competitive advantage is what the Manufacturing Growth Programme is all about.”

“This is where MGP and our Manufacturing Growth Manager Marcus Pearson came into his own, identifying a grant we could apply for that would cover 43% of the cost of the vibratory finishing machines,” added Jeremy, who runs the business with his wife and Co-Director Sally.

“It is very difficult to know what assistance is available when you’re a small company, so professional advice and guidance to maximise financial and other benefits is invaluable, leaving us free to concentrate on what we do best.

“The grant definitely made the difference to us making the latest purchase and now all attention is focused on increasing our sales to fill up the additional capacity.”

For further information, please visit www.whiteley.co.uk or www.manufacturinggrowthprogramme.co.uk Issue 48 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

FAST FASTENING TFC

Improving speed without increasing costs The Quick Connector has been a huge success in the automotive and power generation markets — you’ll probably find them if you look under your car bonnet. However, industrial manufacturers in household appliances, heating and ventilation and air conditioning are yet to reap the rewards.

To ensure they can meet deadlines and deliver products in line with customers’ high expectations, UK manufacturers are looking for ways to increase assembly speed. There are many ways to speed up industrial assembly, such as investing in automation and robotics, but few options can increase manufacturing speed without capital investment. In these cases, perhaps it is the components and not the equipment that needs changing. Here Justin Lawrence, applications engineer at fastening and supply chain expert TFC, explains how to reliably speed up fluid transfer, a common assembly process in UK manufacturing.

Specialist connectors are found in all types of automotive and heavy vehicle connection systems such as fuel lines, cooling circuits, selective catalytic reduction urea lines, battery cooling, air conditioning, power steering and brake fluid circuits. The most important factor when choosing a connector is that they are matched to the operating conditions, including temperature, pressure, fluid and the environment, but they must also be lightweight and corrosion resistant.

But these factors alone will not determine whether the connection is high quality. It must, of course, be correctly assembled, which means the operator needs to be certain it is secure. With most connectors, like jubilee clips or worm clamps, there is no obvious indicator that the connection is secure. This means there is a risk of quality problems arising later on, such

AVOIDING STOCK OUTS As well as looking at the components themselves, there may be supply chain issues slowing down an assembly process. Sticking with our earlier example, a Quick Connector could be a great way to speed things up — but only if the part is in stock.

as fluid lines leaking. In addition, attaching the two parts together requires tooling, and importantly, time.

Thankfully, there is a simple solution.

Opting for a Quick Connector, a component that the operator simply pushes into place and it locks itself, can speed the process up significantly. It also offers a visual or audio confirmation of the connection, which removes the risk of the fluid line not being correctly assembled.

For manufacturers looking for ways to ensure a steady supply of the fastening components they need, vendor managed inventory (VMI) means parts delivered on time and direct to line. With VMI, all ordering is done through one partner, which can reduce costs when procuring components, as well as remove the risk of running out of stock and facing long lead times. It is important to note that whilst speed is important, it should not come at the sacrifice of the quality or safety of the application. Checking your supplier’s quality credentials, experience and processes can help ensure that you get the best of both worlds.

TFC stocks ARaymond Quick Connectors in a wide range of configurations.

Whatever geometry, O-ring material, locking mechanism, assembly check options, end piece types, diameters or functions you need, we can assist. All components can be supplied as part of a bespoke VMI solution, so you always have the parts you need at your fingertips.

For more information visit https://www.tfc.eu.com/.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

MINIATURE MOTORS PORTESCAP

Top motor trends in the continuing evolution of robots Robots depend on miniature motors for their motion, so evolution within robotics relies on technological advances in motor design. Dave Beckstoffer of Portescap highlights the key trends in miniature motor development for robots.

The use of robots proliferates in applications which span from surgical suites to the battlefield. While robots become more specialised, a commonality is the corresponding development of miniature motors on which robots depend for their motion. Advances in the development of robots therefore must be matched by advances in the motors which drive them, so let’s look at the key trends in miniature motor technology.

gearboxes, achieve this combination and can be integrated into typical robot formats to suit the footprint constraint.

Key capabilities of robots involved in tasks such as manufacturing automation are speed and precision. In a pick and place robotic application, coreless DC motors and disc magnet stepper motors are well suited as a result of their extremely low inertia, enabling repeated and rapid changes in acceleration and deceleration.

Similarly, applications requiring dynamic yet smooth control, such as camera systems, benefit from the elimination of cogging or detent torque, making slotless BLDC an excellent motor choice.

MOBILITY AND FOOTPRINT Robot design, particularly for cobots, has to enable mobility and compactness.

To effectively match the capability of a human hand, the motors that power them require high power density in a small, lightweight package. A higher power density in a smaller and lighter motor details the advantage of brushless DC motors (BLDC) compared to conventional DC designs. Slotless BLDC motors, combined with efficient planetary

Robots used in surgical applications demand close coordination so multiple axis control is required.

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PECM Issue 48

The mobility of many robotic applications depends on battery power, which makes energy efficiency a critical factor.

The mobility of many robotic applications depends on battery power, which makes energy efficiency a critical factor. Ironless brush DC motors can achieve up to 90% efficiency and are selected where long robotic running time is required. For high torque-low speed applications, it is also key to ensure that the gearbox is efficient and matched to the motor.

ROBUSTNESS AND EXTENDED LIFE A significant advantage of robots is that they can be used in environments and under conditions which humans cannot, or ideally would not, sustain. Surveillance and patrol of industrial pipelines, high voltage electrical networks or even theatres of war mean that robots are put into motion by miniature motors protected against the most arduous conditions to ensure ongoing operation.

Protection against extremes of temperature and pressure are required for robotic applications such as surgical robots undergoing autoclave sterilisation.

The robot’s motor depends on a high degree of resilience; setting components within a thermoset epoxy maximises robustness and extends its lifecycle.

Coreless DC motors and disc magnet stepper motors are well suited for robots performing pick and place tasks in manufacturing automation due to their extremely low inertia.

SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY When it comes to robots, safety and productivity are inextricably linked.

Inaccurate control can cause physical harm, whether in a surgical setting or on the factory floor, while machine stoppage as a result of a safety breach can mean damage to product and downtime.

Robots will therefore continue to rely on high accuracy feedback devices to ensure their protection and that of the environment around them.

High-resolution encoders enable accurate and fast motor control in applications which demand combinations of control and high speed. On a robotic welding system, high resolution feedback achieved within a robust package is crucial to ensure precise robotic motion.

AUTONOMY AND MULTI-AXIS CONTROL A key aspect of robotic development is autonomy and machine learning. An example of this is found in autonomous vehicles and surveillance robotics. LiDAR (light imaging, detection, and ranging) technology captures 3D imagery of the environment for self-guided navigation, scanning at very high refresh rates and with high-resolution feedback for speed and precision of control. LiDAR based mirror systems are increasingly driven by brushless slotless mini motors which

Customisation of miniature motors in robotic control is a growing trend. Tailored designs ensure specific demands on accuracy, efficiency and footprint are met. combine lower heat dissipation with high efficiency.

Complex robotic applications can require multiple axis control, such as surgical robots, which demand close coordination.

To achieve this, sensors equipped with serial interface communication can provide absolute position information with a typical resolution of 14 bits and accuracy in the range of one mechanical degree.

An important consideration of multi-axis applications is to minimise footprint. The inherent compactness of miniature motors can be combined with serial interface communication protocols which allow daisy chain encoder connections to reduce wiring.

CUSTOMISATION Customisation of miniature motors in robotic control is a growing trend. Tailored designs ensure specific demands on accuracy, efficiency and footprint are met. Miniature motor manufacturers will be increasingly tasked with assessing the load points of a design to develop highly compact, lightweight motors which balance torque and speed performances perfectly to the application’s needs.

Portescap continues to specialise in the development of miniature motors for robotic applications, along with matched gearbox and encoder technologies for low power, small footprint specifications.

For further information, please visit www.portescap.com Issue 48 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

THE BENEFITS OF METROLOGY SEMPRE GROUP

Taking better care of medical manufacturers Ireland is one of the largest exporters of medical products in Europe, with annual exports of 12.6 billion euros. Medical device manufacturers in Ireland are constantly looking for new ways to enhance competitiveness, improve productivity and generate new growth in the area — could metrology make a real difference? Here Jason McGlynn, commercial manager for Ireland at industrial metrology specialist, The Sempre Group explores three factors to consider when searching for a metrology supplier and equipment for medical applications.

The goal of medical device manufacturing is to produce exactly what the patient needs.

As such, manufacturers should consider how they will validate the process to ensure this is the case.

However, metrology is often an afterthought in the product’s lifecycle and is simply used to validate products and detect defects at the end of production. With regulatory requirements becoming increasingly stringent, there is added emphasis on proving safety and quality throughout every step of the product’s lifecycle. For metrology specifically, ISO 13485 lays out how to maintain an effective quality management system specific to the medical device industry, covering every stage of product lifecycle from design to disposal.

ACCURACY

Precision is key when manufacturing any medical device to ensure the best outcome for the patient. Take an insulin pen as an example — if any dimensions are slightly incorrect it could lead to false deployment, overdosing or underdosing — putting the user at risk.

Manufacturers can invest in nano and micro precision measurement equipment to validate a variety of parameters, from dimensions to surface characterisation.

This equipment can effectively validate the accuracy of devices, so long as it is calibrated correctly. So, when looking for a metrology supplier, medical manufacturers should check that a supplier’s equipment and services meet relevant standards.

ISO 17025 accreditation and certification from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) demonstrates competence and performance capabilities of organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.

The Sempre Group is also one of the very few companies that is able to offer UKAS calibration for Optical or Vision CMMs, such as Micro-Vu systems, ensuring their reliability.

TRACEABILITY

When applying to regulatory bodies for approval, medical device manufacturers need evidence to prove that the device safely and effectively meets its intended use.

Proving compliance requires manufacturers to document every stage of the process – so improving traceability should be a priority.

Investing in automated, real-time data collection software, such as the Prolink SPC Data Collection Software, will help manufacturers spot any changes that occur during production and identify where they happen and why. It extracts result data from any device or machine and enables full analysis and reporting, providing total visibility and control across the entire process and reduces the risk of human error that comes with paper documentation. When choosing a software, medical manufacturers should also ensure it is 21 CFR Part 11 compliant, as it assures that any electronic documents generated are authentic.

THE FULL PACKAGE

The earlier that manufacturers involve metrology specialists in a project, the more successful it will be. Finding a supplier early in the process means that the metrology company can provide everything manufacturers need to improve quality at every stage of the product’s lifecycle, ensuring ISO 13485 compliance.

Smaller businesses can also benefit from involving metrology specialists early on so that they can build a solution that grows at the same rate as the project. The supplier can build bespoke systems to meet the needs of the application and upscale the solution as the medical manufacturer scales up production, ensuring that the solution will always meet production requirements.

UK and Irish medical device manufacturers know that metrology is needed to ensure a device operates to design intent and safety requirements. By considering metrology as a higher priority and investing in a fully integrated approach to quality, medical manufacturers can gain the competitive edge required in such a large industry.

Do you want The Sempre Group to be your one stop shop for metrology? To find out more about the equipment, software and services that The Sempre Group offers to support you throughout the entire product lifecycle, visit www.thesempregroup.com or call +44 (0)1452 632 712.

For further information, please visit www.thesempregroup.com

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PECM Issue 48

EDITOR’S CHOICE

QUALITY HINGES TALK TO THE EXPERTS.

01827 63391 sales@goldwassallhinges.co.uk Whatever your hinge requirements, we offer a solution.

Bespoke/Stock - UK maunfactured - Expert advice

Corrotherm International are pleased to announce the further expansion of their stock range in Nickel Alloys ,now able to supply a full range of seamless pipe from ½” NB – 8” NB in INCONEL® alloy C-276, INCONEL® alloy 625,INCOLOY® alloy 825, MONEL® alloy 400,Nickel 200/201, INCONEL® alloy 600 and Alloy 20.

The company is also growing its European operation with the doubling of the Netherlands warehouse facilities in addition

Shielded and sealed panel mount connectors support high speed Cat 6a Ethernet Rugged connector and component manufacturer Bulgin annnounced their PX0833 and PX0893 series of shielded panel mounting Ethernet connectors, extending their comprehensive range of standard Buccaneer connectors. The new connectors feature support for Cat 6a wiring installations allowing for reduced crosstalk and system noise.

Cat 6a doubles the system bandwidth to 500MHz and

is capable of speeds up to 10Gbit/s over distances of 100 metres, thereby supporting the high levels of data throughput required in modern systems.

Moreover, as Bulgin’s Cat 6a connectors are shielded and sealed against dust and moisture, they are ideal for use in harsh industrial environments.

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 941430 Email: luke.hulley@bulgin.com www.bulgin.com

to its sites in India , UAE , Saudi Arabia and Australia and headquarters in UK. The company has 30 years experience in supply critical high grade alloys globally across a range of sectors including petrochemical , oil , gas, desalination, waste to energy and desalination. Corrotherm are a critical supply chain partner as industrial processes devleop. www.corrotherm.co.uk

Glasdon is ‘in its Element’ with GRP Housing Element™ GRP Housing has an IP54 rating and incorporates modular panels to aid with flexibility and growth. Customers can choose from 10 standard sizes. Further customisation of the Element building is available with a choice of optional fittings.

A vent or gland plate extends Element’s usage opportunities, and a wide range of locking systems provides extra security and peace of mind for housing sensitive equipment. Element’s corrosion, vandal and weather

resistant GRP panels feature a semi-gloss, light grey outer laminate, which is easy to maintain throughout its long service life. The inner laminate layer provides flame retardancy.

Delivered fully assembled and ready for anchoring into position with self-tapping masonry bolts, Element offers optimum flexibility for your application.

E-mail: bh@glasdon-uk.co.uk Website: www.glasdon.com

Issue 48 PECM

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BOILERS & MAINTENANCE

New Lanemark process gas burner installations bring clear gains to dumper truck manufacturing arrangements while the absence of mechanical linkages between the gas and combustion air control valve and dampers means the need for adjustment or the risk of sticking are avoided.

The latest process gas burner technology from Lanemark Combustion Engineering Ltd. is now helping one of the country’s leading manufacturers of construction equipment to benefit from optimised energy usage and minimised emissions. Warwickshire-based Thwaites Ltd., who provide a wide range of dumper truck designs particularly to the construction industry, have replaced two wellproven existing Lanemark FD5EP-3 burner installations with the company’s latest forcedraught gas and air FD5GAP-3 models. The result is a combination of excellent heat control and an anticipated, significant saving in gas usage.

“The two new burners have been fixed to two separate drying ovens, both of which receive products via an overhead conveyor – one for an epoxy primer preheat facility and the other for a polyurethane top coat drying installation,” says Jeff Foster, Lanemark’s Sale Director who says up to 60 different components for 1 - 10 tonne machines are handled each day.

“In both cases the burners, which here operate with a Propane gas source, fire through the wall of the oven into a combustion chamber with a recirculating fan then distributing the heat evenly around the oven chamber,” he adds.

The replacement of the two existing Lanemark burners – both hi/lo units which have delivered reliable performance since 1998 – have allowed Thwaites to gain from the latest designs and technology.

Lanemark’s FDGA burners utilise the latest ‘air pressure lead’ mono-bloc gas valve technology which is central to ensuring safe and efficient gas/air ratios are always maintained even under variable plant operating conditions.

These offer significant benefits compared with alternative fixed gas/air valve linkage control

Thwaites decision to install the two new Lanemark burners was partly based on the company’s long term association with the burner manufacturer. Apart from the burners that were replaced meeting operational requirements for more than 20 years, Thwaites had also, more recently, benefited from a further FDGA unit installed on a new standalone oven. “The performance here meant we had no hesitation in opting for the two additional Lanemark burners for the paint drying facility,” adds the Paintshop Supervisor.

With the ongoing support of the Lanemark BurnerCare service package – which offers a range of benefits from installation, commissioning and service plans to spare parts supply and rapid engineer call-out, if needed – the new installations at Thwaites are set to deliver reliable, long term process heating efficiency for many years to come. Central to such an important element of the production process, this translates into significant, ongoing peace of mind for the dumper truck manufacturer.

www.lanemark.com

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 – 1550 kW

• • • • FD-C high turndown oven/

FD-E low cost high turndown

dryer air heating burners.

oven/dryer air heating burners.

FD-GA modulating gas + air process air heating burners.

TX 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") – 1150 kW (8")

• • • •

Midco HMA 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 Lanemark DB or FDB 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

• • •

Midco HMA high efficiency,

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

TX high efficiency small diameter 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

X4620 Lanemark Ad SDAW.indd 1

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PECM Issue 48

•

COMBUSTION ENGINEERING

31/08/2016 09:04

BOILERS & MAINTENANCE

PROCESS CARTRIDGE HEATERS to Your Exact Specification in just days Lojer Components Heaters are typically but not solely used in sealing, melting and moulding applications. These cartridges are precision made (Machining Code H7) for a better fit, which allows for an improved heat transfer, reliability and a much longer life.

There is a very wide range of cable and mounting options available, including many standard flanges and screw plug variants.

These can rapidly be combined to meet the exact specification of the cartridge required, including any diameter required (upto 32 mm) and the specified length, in just a matter of days using the express production service.

the cartridge and Teflon coated wire within a flexible silicon sleeve covering where regular cleaning is required • Any Voltage or Wattage can be supplied, subject to a maximum Watts/Sq.cm • A variety of wire insulations include silicon, Teflon and Fiber Glass upto 1000C with sleeves of silicon tube, twisted mesh and armoured stainless steel

OPTIONAL EXTRAS include: • For Precise Control Internal Temperature Sensors

Full technical support on our heater is available for your application, please contact: Lojer Products Ltd 01635865882 sales@lojerproducts.co.uk

• Active & Inactive (Cold) Zones placed in specific sections of the cartridge, for example to allow a protrusion outside the tool for ease of maintenance • The Heating Coil wire can be specially wound to distribute a higher wattage at the ends of the cartridge i.e. to compensate for the cooler exposed ends of a bar where heat loss occurs • An IP65 Water Resistance can be achieved with an internal Teflon disc to seal within

www.cartridge-heaters.co.uk

PRECISION MADE CARTRIDGES GUARANTEED WITH ISO9001 QUALITY ASSURANCE! We make three Categories of Cartridge Heaters.

Our Standard Range cartridge heaters enabling us to give a very fast service at the lowest possible cost

Internal Temperature Sensor Watt Distribution

• The Bespoke Made-to-order Range or using our wide range of standard or customised parts meet your exact specification, with a lead time to meet your needs. With more than half dozen termination choices (Some shown above) and lead wire insulation materials (up to 1000C) ; with sleeves of silicon tubing to stainless steel armour.

Tell us what threads, ceramic blocks or angled exits you need, and we will match these.

• The Expanding Split Sheath Cartridge, especially made for problem and longer holes, to prevent Cartridge Seizures in the Bore, Ease Extraction and to significantly increase Heat Transfer.

www.cartridge-heaters.co.uk

Square Heaters Issue 48 PECM

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

SETTING THE BENCHMARK MK PROFILE SYSTEMS LIMITED

mk Conveyor Quick Designer with Additional Functions mk is expanding its service range and enhancing its QuickDesigner conveyor configurator. The available options now also include adjustable side rails and new stand systems.

The wide range of conveyor system variants is almost endless so mk offer conveyor technology online for fast and easy configuration of an individual belt conveyor.

The configurator can be found online at www.quickdesigner.com and generates a 3D model and quotation. There is an automatic plausibility check, detailed help and live preview. Customers can view all configurations in ‘My Account’ which can be then be saved, retrieved and edited at a later date.

Three top selling models for different weight and requirement classes are available as a basis for the configuration. These can be adapted intuitively and with ease to meet individual requirements And now mk is setting the benchmark again.

Two new options have been added to the QuickDesigner. Therefore mk can now respond to the customers’ requirements in even greater detail and provide an even larger variety of variants.

One new addition is the adjustable side rails SF01 & SF03, which is now available alongside the range of fixed side rails. This side rail is a particularly effective solution for positioning products on the conveyor belt. The usable width is quick and easy to change and the height can also be adjusted.

The large selection of different side guide rails ensures the optimum adjustment to the contour of the product being conveyed.

In addition, the heavy-duty stand 31 based on the profiles mk 2031 and mk 2000 has been added to the range of stands.

This stand is a more robust version of the height-adjustable, medium weight stand 53.2 based on the mk 2001 profile. This H-design system can be used in practically every conveyor system and is available in standard heights of 325 mm to 2000 mm with adjustable ranges of +/-25 to +/-200 mm.

“We are constantly improving our QuickDesigner range to ensure that we meet the needs of our customers” states Darren Whiteside, Director at mk Profile Systems.

Configure your individual belt conveyor quickly and easily, now! www.quickdesigner.com

To find out more visit www.mkprofiles.co.uk, call (01949) 823751 or email info@mkprofiles.co.uk

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PECM Issue 48

Small Belt Conveyor GUF-P MINI for small products with low volume and weight

Low installation height for easy integration into complex systems Belt recirculation integrated into the conveyor frame Small tail diameters keep gaps at product transfer points narrow

www.mkprofiles.co.uk

mk Profile Systems Limited a company of the mk Technology Group

CONTROL & AUTOMATION

LATEST NEWS FROM PTC PTC

GLORY selects PTC’s ThingWorx for development of its next-generation remote monitoring solution

GLORY, a global leader in cash automation solutions for the financial, retail and gaming industries, has selected PTC’s ThingWorx® Industrial IoT platform and Microsoft Azure to develop and run its new cloud-based remote management solution UbiqularTM Bridge, which enables real-time insights into the performance of its devices.

The company’s solutions are deployed by banks and retailers in more than 100 countries around the world to optimise the cost of managing cash and enhance the customer experience - central to this value proposition is maximum uptime of the devices.

ThingWorx is designed to accelerate Industrial IoT deployments across the enterprise value chain. The awardwinning platform contains a broad set of features, including multiple connectivity options, application development tools and analytics. It also enables businesses like GLORY to create scalable and secure solutions that provide high levels of return on investment.

“GLORY has a rich tradition of placing our customers at the centre of our business

The award-winning platform contains a broad set of features, including multiple connectivity options, application development tools and analytics. strategy and this focus has uncovered an increasing need for advanced remote management capabilities,” said Sion Roberts, EVP of Global Digital Services at GLORY. “To satisfy this demand, we needed the best IoT platform for the job, which led us to replace our legacy IoT platform, Axeda ®, with ThingWorx running on Microsoft Azure.”

“Understanding operational efficiency is the key for our customers,” continued Roberts.

“With ThingWorx, we enhanced our cloudbased remote management application, UbiqularTM Bridge, to deliver real-time performance data, allowing key executive insights into the effectiveness of operations.

“By driving efficiencies through monitoring, collecting, and analysing data delivered to the GLORY Service Centre, we will be able to better identify and develop service improvements for our connected devices and support new customers who come onboard. Additionally, the transition from Axeda to ThingWorx was managed smoothly and successfully by the service professionals in the PTC Customer Success Team.”

“ThingWorx and Microsoft Azure have enabled Glory to rapidly develop and deploy a tailored, scalable, and secure application suite that can provide its customers with real-time operational intelligence,” said Joe Biron, Divisional General Manager, IoT Segment at PTC. “We are pleased Glory selected our technology to ensure its customer-centric strategies succeed and look forward to new projects with this world-class company.”

For more information, please visit www.ptc.com or follow @ptc on twitter.

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PECM Issue 48

CONTROL & AUTOMATION

Incremental and Absolute Encoder Solutions!

When you call BEPC, you talk to engineers and encoder experts who can help you find and spec the right encoder for your application. From compact to heavy-duty stainless steel, thru-bore or shaft, incremental or absolute, we’ve got the encoder you need for motion feedback.

Thru-Bore Encoders – From the compact Model 15T/H, 5T/H, too the the low-profi low-profile Model 26satile Model 25T/H, we’ll help you find the right solution. olution.

Tru-Trac Encoders– An Encoder and Wheel solutionn integrated integrat ated ed into int ntoo one one compact comp co mppac actt unit, unititt, un al for countless coun untltles esss applications. appl ap plicicat atio at ions io ns. ns simplifying system design and reducing cost making it ideal

Programmable Encoders – Not sure of the exactct config configguration u attio ur ion you y u need? yo neeed? ed? No ed No pproblem. robl ro bllem m. der and new neew thru-bore tthhhru ru-bbor ru ore ore BEPC’s highly-configurable Model 25SP Size 25 shaft encoder Model 58T to program the electrical specifications on-site.

Absolute Encoders – Mechanically and electronically ally versatile, versat atililile,e, BEPC’s at BEP EPC’ PC’s C’s selection C’ selelelect se c io ion of of absolute abs bsol sol olut lut ute encoders enco en c ders co ders de

is your solution when you need position information after power-off power offff scenarios. scen sc e ar a io ios And Anndd our u NEW NEW W A58E A58 58EE series seerires e of encoders are EtherCAT and Profinet ready!

BEPC’s standard lead time is just 4 - 5 days

Call us today, and we’ll help you find your motion feedback solution.

Web: www.encoder.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1978 262100

Despite the pandemic SP has reached and exceeded its order intake targets. With companies looking to safeguard their future, and optimise production, many are accelerating their automation projects.

SP Automation and Robotics design develop, and finally install their bespoke designed automation solutions into a myriad of industries, the spread this year has been across medical device/pharma, food, and the semiconductor industry.

Although all completely different

markets, the solutions have one thing in common, improving quality and reducing costs for clients. Just like the variation in project types, the project values also varied, ranging from £250,000 to £1,500,000.

Alongside the full SP Automation systems, SP Elements provide collaborative robot solutions to help our customers deploy automation quickly to cater for repetitive tasks.

For more information visit us at www.sp-automation.co.uk

Issue 48 PECM

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

UNIVERSAL AUTOMATION SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

An industrial necessity for post-Brexit Britain?

By Mark Yeeles, VP of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric

digital technologies, will challenge the status quo.

The tumult of 2020 has underscored the importance of contingency planning. With Covid-19, countries have revealed their unpreparedness when managing novel scenarios.

The double-edged sword of Brexit means UK manufacturers will have more visibility – and more competition – on the global stage. For our industry to succeed, agility, sustainability, productivity and profitability must be the standard. In 2021, the reality of Brexit’s effect on the cost of business operations, the optimum locations for plants and factories, as well as the retention of staff and resources will be revealed.

With the reality of Brexit now upon us, UK industry, particularly manufacturers, need to act fast to minimise long term impact.

Early 2021 will see British manufacturers begin to action specific strategies. It will be the first opportunity to assess the true impact of Brexit on production and supply chains. In the wake of a pandemic, and in the face of political uncertainty, how can the industry adapt, survive and thrive?

HOW THE INDUSTRY WILL BE IMPACTED 2021 will see a levelling of the playing field.

Even established manufacturers, historically immune to market fluctuations and supply chain disruptions, will suffer the impact of uncertainty. New global dynamics and fully digital newcomers, poised to embrace

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As Britain’s trade deal with the EU takes a different direction, our success will actually be more reliant on an extended ecosystem of partners. 2021 will see workforce management become critical to operations. There will now be a pressing need for businesses to find alternative ways of performing tasks for which they have a shortage of either staff or resources, to guarantee that their business continues to thrive. This is where automation comes in.

After January 1st, businesses will have a clearer understanding of which operations need automation, the level of automation required, and which technologies should be prioritised for success.

Introducing and adopting next-generation industrial automation will make this possible, ensuring interoperability and breaking free from the propriety locked-in model currently in place. Manufacturers will need to welcome a new era of universal automation with open arms, moving the industry from a hardware-centric to software-centric model to succeed in these turbulent times.

LOOKING AHEAD Reshaping post-Brexit Britain will deliver huge benefits if it’s coupled with greater ambition from industry. While manufacturers may find this challenging, it’s the perfect environment for universal automation to come to the fore and prove critical for those willing to adopt it.

Universal automation describes the adoption of a common standard for all automation systems, making them easy to pick up, implement and share. It removes the dependence that many manufacturers currently have on a one vendor system, OEMs and integrators, enabling end users to build the architecture they need with the best ‘plug and produce’ solutions from multiple providers.

To fully realise the next generation industries alongside the new challenges that Brexit will bring, manufacturers need to fundamentally change their technology model. The adoption of universal automation will enable manufacturers to create a step-change in operational improvements capable of keeping up with the speed of doing business and remaining competitive in the global market.

automation systems will increase. New business models will be enabled, new customers reached, and new markets served, reshaping post-Brexit, postpandemic Britain for the better. This approach will bring changes across the entire operational lifecycle of industrial enterprises and will ultimately leverage digitalisation to fully realize the potential of Industry 4.0.

With manufacturers facing ongoing changes as a result of political uncertainties and constantly shifting consumer needs in the wake of Brexit and the 2020 pandemic, the adoption of universal automation will provide safety and certainty to the sector. Industry siloes and vendor lock-in must be eliminated, with equipment interoperability and data-driven insight boosting the industry’s agility, profitability and resilience. At a time when the manufacturing industry is in desperate need of future proofing, resilience building technologies, industrial automation offers a much-needed solution.

READINESS THROUGH INNOVATION After the year we’ve had, many of us are eager to see the back of 2020

and welcome 2021. However, with the uncertainties that the next year brings, it could be a daunting time for industry.

We have little control over the implications of Brexit and other crises, nor can we predict what the next challenge may be.

However, the opportunity to prepare and build resilience is very much in our control and has the power to make or break us.

By moving the industry from a hardwarecentric to software-centric model, universal automation will usher in a new dawn for industrial automation. With challenge comes innovation and with innovation comes new opportunity.

Over the course of 2021, as we see more businesses move from a proprietary world to universal automation, the benefits will be far reaching. It won’t just be end users who reap the rewards of an automated approach - it will give an edge to all who are willing to transform and embrace the value of software innovation. As automation systems become more flexible and capable of providing end user value, we will see the beginnings of a virtual circle where investment in For further information, please visit www.se.com/uk/en Issue 48 PECM

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OVER 40 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE TF AUTOMATION

Providing automation solutions to improve productivity TF Automation have over 40 years’ experience in the design, engineering and manufacturing of process automation solutions, supporting a wide range of manufacturing industries and have just completed another successful year.

It has been an interesting and challenging year for all and at TF Automation, we are no exception. We remained fully open during lockdown to support our varied customer base working in critical industries, both with bespoke machine build projects and the supply of pneumatics and industrial components.

Our testing and manual workstation projects have continued at a pace this year, supporting our Tier 1 and 2 suppliers to the automotive industry. We have also engineered machines for clients in the textile, aerospace, motor sport and industrial sectors, with laser marking, pickand-place, product testing, hot air welding and plasma treatment machines.

Plasma treatment is new technology for TF Automation and we were commissioned by Kostal, with whom we have a very long-standing partnership, to design and build two plasma treat machines to address the increase in demand for cleaning new automotive switch products.

The company has also made some significant investment this year taking delivery of a new 3- Axis CNC Milling Machine to add additional capacity to production and enable the 3-dimensional machining increasingly required by its customer base. The new machine ensures that our machining capabilities are more innovative, versatile and flexible, enabling us to support customers with their ongoing requirements.

TF Automation plays a vital role in supporting its local student community in Bradford and took part in Bradford Manufacturing Weeks again this year.

This innovative initiative was set up by the Chamber of Commerce to engage local schools with local manufacturers

to showcase both manufacturing and engineering as valid careers. We are also working closely with The University of Bradford supporting MSc Marketing Communication students for the second year with a live project to create a marketing campaign.

We were delighted to receive the “Highly Commended” Award for Outstanding Business Contribution in the Careers and Technical Education (CTE) Partnership Awards 2020, having been nominated by Hanson School, Bradford.

CTE is a pioneering way in which young people can gain skills and experiences planned around the requirements of local employers.

The need to improve process and productivity is a constant challenge for all our customers and our focus is on providing solutions to reduce the risk of human error in tasks that are constant, predictable and repetitive.

To find out more or to discuss your next automation project with our design team,

contact us on 01274 308005 or info@tfautomation.co.uk or visit our website www.tfautomation.co.uk.

For further information, please visit www.tfautomation.co.uk.

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PECM Issue 48

DESIGN | ENGINEER | MANUFACTURE | DESIGN | ENGINEER | MANUFACTURE

Specialists in the engineering and manufacture of process automation solutions to improve efficiencies, output and support continuous improvement programs.

SPECIAL PURPOSE MACHINE MANUFACTURER SERVICES • • • •

In-house design In-house manufacture Testing & commissioning Programming

EXPERTISE • • • • •

Assembly & testing Process automation Robotics & product handling Product identification Manual workstations

FOOD & BEVERAGE

AUTOMOTIVE

AEROSPACE

PRINTING

PACKAGING

MEDICAL

TEXTILES

DEFENCE

HEATING

to discuss your next automation project, please get In touch with our design team

T: 01274 308005 E: info@tfautomation.co.uk Hillam Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 1QN

CONTROL & AUTOMATION

UNLOCKING VALUE ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

Rockwell Automation Improves Productivity, Drives Profitability and Reduces Risk Across Plant Operations with the Release of PlantPAx 5.0 Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) today released the PlantPAx® 5.0 distributed control system (DCS). This latest DCS version from Rockwell Automation helps industrial producers positively impact the lifecycle of their plant operations with plantwide and scalable systems to drive digital transformation and operational excellence.

New system capabilities help digitally transform operations by introducing process functionality native to the controller, improving the availability of system assets driving compliance in regulated industries, while enabling the adoption of analytics at all levels of the enterprise. Intuitive workflows and the use of industry-leading cybersecurity standards will help teams design, deploy, and support a DCS infrastructure which reduces time-to-market and helps plants realize profit at a faster rate.

“We’re excited to bring PlantPAx DCS 5.0 to our customers,” said Jim Winter, Global Process Director, Rockwell Automation. “New

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PECM Issue 48

system features are step changes in helping our customers lower the overall costs to design and commission. The functionality improves the overall effort to integrate the process control layer to the enterprise. By reducing the lifecycle cost of the system and lowering operational risks, we are continuing to find innovative ways to bring more value to end users.”

Process end users desire a system that offers the benefits of a modern experience without the burdens that come with a traditional DCS. The new 5.0 release innovates the modern DCS in the following areas:

REDUCED FOOTPRINT This release introduces new process controllers and extends the Logix family with cutting-edge processing power and capacity to reduce the complexity of PlantPAx architectures. This footprint reduction reduces total cost of ownership of the system throughout the lifecycle.

PROJECT CONSISTENCY With native process instructions embedded in the controller firmware, project teams can adopt approaches to control strategies that drive consistency for individual projects or multi-site deployments. Consistency simplifies the lifecycle management of deployed systems as teams modernize their automation infrastructure. Consistency lowers total cost of ownership (TCO).

STREAMLINED WORKFLOWS PlantPAx 5.0 provides improved design and operational user experiences.

Development teams will realize savings in the configuration of instrumentation, alarms and diagnostic system elements.

Operators will have the extended ability to view underlying control logic in a safe and secured manner. Maintenance will have controlled view access for troubleshooting.

TĂœV -CERTIFIED FOR CYBERSECURITY To operate at peak performance and minimize cybersecurity threats, PlantPAx 5.0 system architectures are TĂœV certified to the international standard ISA-99/IEC 62443-3-3 which provides guidance on the implementation of an electronically secured system.

ANALYTICS ENABLED

applications such as soft sensors, anomaly detection, or model predictive control.

The functionality improves the overall effort to integrate the process control layer to the enterprise.

As producers continue their digital transformation journey, the advances from this system release will help them unlock value and reduce overall costs at all phases of the plant lifecycle. For more information about PlantPAx DCS 5.0, please visit rok.auto/plantpax.

Process end users recognize the value of analytics as an essential strategy to realize profit in their process operations.

The PlantPAx 5.0 release has purpose-built frameworks that easily connect live and historical data from the DCS into reporting and analytical tools.

Enables extended experiences, such as Augmented Reality, using workflows aligned with process strategies controlling plant operations.

Allows extensible scalable analytic packages leveraging predictive and prescriptive models for process Issue 48 PECM

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

RETHINKING AUTOMATION NOVOTEK

Using automation obsolescence as an opportunity for innovation The global demand for pharmaceutical products has grown consistently since the turn of the century. Despite the growth in demand and market value, pharmaceutical manufacturing has by and large neglected many of the productivity and efficiency benefits presented by automation systems.

Here, George Walker, managing director of pharmaceutical automation specialist Novotek UK and Ireland, explains how pharmaceutical manufacturers can find greater value in their automation layer.

Even prior to 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak and global pandemic, the pharmaceutical industry was one with climbing demand.

According to Statista, the global revenues for pharmaceutical companies totalled $1.25 trillion in 2019 — an increase of $46 billion from 2018. Although specific demand figures are difficult to gauge, it’s reasonable to surmise that they would be increasing in line with revenue.

Although revenue has increased threefold since 2001, many of the automated processes and approaches implemented by pharmaceutical manufacturers have remained the same.

In 2001, the US Food and Drink Administration (FDA) and the EU worked closely together to develop the 2001/83/EC Directive for good manufacturing practice (GMP) and good automated manufacturing practice (GAMP) in the production of pharmaceutical products. A core part of this directive was to ensure safety in drugs by outlining a need for extensive validation and documentation of manufacturing processes and setpoints.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is a careful and complex series of processes. Once an initial formulation for a product is proven, proportions of biological agents or chemicals must then be correct at scale to preserve the efficacy of the drug as designed, without risks such as adulteration. This involves meticulous control of variables such as ambient temperatures, characteristics of incoming raw materials and dosing levels, as well as conducting routine temperature checks

and providing staff with effective protective equipment.

To follow GAMP and comply with the EU Directive, pharmaceutical manufacturers are required to not only validate their processes, but also extensively document the rules around setpoints — such as sensor data, ambient conditions and programmable logic controller (PLC) settings — and evidence that checks are routinely undertaken. If any changes are made to processes or systems that can affect product quality, manufacturers must go through the costly process of re-validating and re-documenting their production.

For many automation engineers, it seems intuitive that these requirements readily lend themselves to digitisation using automation systems such as manufacturing execution systems (MESs) to monitor and control processes. However, many manufacturers misinterpreted the need for repeat validation and documentation as extending to all changes in the control system, not just the ones directly related to production quality.

This means even component or equipment health indicators, such as motor speed or temperature, would not be controlled; effectively meaning that automation systems were not used to their fullest.

This was further compounded by misinterpretation around electronic batch record (EBR) guidelines. As part of the EU guidelines, auto-generated data from automation software systems can be

used in EBRs, but only if pharmaceutical manufacturers can demonstrate that the data management system is being managed safely and securely.

Effective management can include ensuring that the system is tamper-proof to avoid manipulation of sensor data, locking the server to all but authorised personnel and introducing extensive change control practices that cover all underlying automation systems.

The reality is this is an overcomplication of the EU guidelines that led to many pharmaceutical businesses introducing paper on glass MESs. These systems are effectively MESs without the execution functionality; they are simply a way of digitally recording precisely what was formerly handwritten. Yet because of the expense incurred in introducing these systems, combined with the perceived cost of re-documentation, they are still commonplace.

Today, the EU Directive is better understood and pharmaceutical manufacturers have a clearer idea of what can be done within the guidelines.

And due to the amount of years that have elapsed since the introduction of the guidelines, many of the systems are likely to be nearing obsolescence in the coming years. As such, now is the ideal time for manufacturers to look at how they can not only replace their systems, but also improve their capabilities.

For further information, please visit www.novotek.com/uk

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ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

Introducing the New and Improved Range of AS Modular Floor Standing Cabinets with more sizes and accessories to suit your needs...

+44 (0)1925 811 290 sales@tempapano.co.uk www.tempapano.com

PanelPilotACE Do you need to find a way to fast-track the development of touchscreen interfaces for critical equipment projects?

What if you discovered there was no need for you and your team to grapple with hardware selection, driver integration or interface layout design? What if you didn’t even need to write any code at all?

PanelPilotACE, nominated by the British Engineering Excellence Awards 2020 for Electronic Product of the Year, is an integrated

hardware solution that, combined with our unique and free Design Studio software, lets you create full colour HMIs in a fraction of the normal time. Powerful features for process control include a logic builder, maths functions, PWM output and many more.

The PanelPilotACE is a game-changer for busy development engineers! https://www.lascarelectronics.com/ applications/plc-hmi-data-acquisition

New website LAUNCHING JANUARY 2021 With new and refined features designed to help you find the perfect component

Audio

Useful engineering calculators

Customised components available

www.rhopointcomponents.com

Automotive

Medical

Aerospace

Military

New function to filter by various attributes

Motion Control

Follow us for more information

Issue 48 PECM

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Power Control

Scient Instrumen

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

THE F-TECH RANGE WILKINSON STAR

More new fume extraction systems meeting latest HSE welding requirements New from Wilkinson Star, one the of the UK’s largest independent distributors of Welding and Industrial Equipment, is the F-Tech Fume technology product range of high vacuum fume extraction systems and welding torches.

Welders and operatives can be exposed to welding fumes, grinding dust and oil mist in the working environment. It is therefore obligatory for employers to create safe and healthy working conditions for operatives by reducing these health risks.

The F-Tech Armur is a high vacuum dust extraction system offering a mobile solution to extract dust from manual welding and grinding processes. The Armur unit features a high performance German motor and a choice of 3 mtr suction Armoflex or Armotech

cantilever arm and a user friendly digital panel with hour meter, clogged filter alarm.

This unit offers E12 99.5% filter efficiency and comes with a 5 year warranty on both 110V and 230 V models.

The F-Tech Pocket is a portable extraction unit designed to extract and filter fumes from welding processes, micro dust, vapours and odours. At only 20kg, it is a robust unit with a practical long handle perfect for site work and those difficult to reach areas. This unit has a 2mtr hose fitted with a plastic extraction nozzle.

The Pocket also has a filter efficiency of E12 99.5% and comes with a 2 year warranty.

Additional features include a hourmeter and it is available in 110 and 230 Volt.

The F-Tech Fox is a high vacuum dust extraction system offering a portable solution to extract dust from manual welding and grinding processes.

Offering a 5 year warranty the Fox unit offers automatic cleaning of the filters which are manufactured in Europe and offer a long service life. The robust tandem motors offer pure efficiency in providing a vacuum over 20,000 Pa to extract and filter harmful welding and grinding dust. An auto start/ stop unit is also available to reduce noise levels and energy consumption when the unit is not running. The Fox will also run two welding torches simultaneously.

The F-Tech range of fume extraction MIG welding torches are of Swiss manufacture.

They offer the user more extraction efficiency at the welding source. Available in 300, 400 and 500A air/water cooled versions in 3, 4 and 5 mtr euro fittings.

Also added to the range are the Down and Draught extraction benches, the heavy duty Armur-Force for manual plasma cutting and grinding dusts. Also new is the F-TECH ICAP; a wall mounted welding fume extraction system with self supporting HD cantilevered 3 mtr arm.

The F-Tech range is available through Wilkinson Star’s extensive distributor network. For further details please contact Wilkinson Star on 0161 728 7900 or visit wilkinsonstar247.com.

For further information, please visit www.wilkinsonstar247.com

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PECM Issue 48

NEW

Welding is all about harnessing the power of electric arc. When it comes to pulse welding, we understand the importance of generating consistent and precise arc for achieving optimal results. The key lies in merging inverter welding technology with advance MCU circuitry. With this in mind, we give you the JASIC MIG300P and MIG500P. The duo comes with high-precision waveform management, delivering high-quality pulse and consistent droplet formation.

With the addition of CANbus and expert synergic welding, these 2 models give you full control for your welding tasks.

0161 793 8127 wilkinsonstar247.com jasic.co.uk Find Us On

@wilkinsonstaruk

Issue 48 PECM

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ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

STEGO’S NEW IIOT PLATFORM STEGO

Cloud service for IO-Link-based Industry 4.0 applications STEGO CONNECT is the latest contribution to the Industry 4.0 technology. The new Software-as-a-Service provides userfriendly access to network and control sensors and actuators based on the IOLink protocol. Data storage and software functionality are centrally organised in the STEGO CONNECT cloud. Freely configurable dashboards, alerts and workflows give users full control of their digitalisation projects.

At the end of 2020, (scheduled launch date: 24 November 2020) STEGO is launching its new IIoT platform: STEGO CONNECT. The cloud service is a springboard into Industry 4.0 for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The IIoT-based solution lowers the barrier to entry for individual digitalisation projects, particularly for SMEs. STEGO, based in Schwaebisch Hall/ Germany, enhances IO-Link technology with its STEGO CONNECT software layer to achieve this.

DIGITALISATION-AS-A-SERVICE When it comes to IT infrastructure, even companies open to digitalisation face challenges. STEGO CONNECT is positioned as a solution ready for immediate use.

Users pay a monthly “rental” subscription to access the STEGO CONNECT cloud and get started with their own Industry 4.0 project with a fully-established IIoT platform.

There is no need for any time-consuming, expensive set-up. Users can focus entirely on their projects.

EASY SET-UP AND NETWORKING STEGO CONNECT makes initial set-up easy for users. Plug & Connect is the motto for the effortless integration of any IO-Link device into the STEGO CONNECT IIoT platform. Connected devices are automatically detected, without any user intervention, and included in the central device management module.

and processed in real time on the edge computer in the STEGO CONNECT system platform. Users receive an immediate virtual image of their actual application as a decision-making tool for automations and alerts. Thus, data is used as a basis for fault detection, fault correction and optimisation.

Condition monitoring and remote access are achievable objectives, which are easy to accomplish using the STEGO CONNECT control functions.

ACTUATOR CONTROL FROM THE CLOUD A unique feature of STEGO CONNECT is its ability to not only gather IO-Link data, but to also use it to specifically and automatically control IO-Link actuators. All parameters for this can be configured at edge computing level from the cloud.

WORKFLOWS VIA DRAG & DROP

KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION FROM DATA A continuous stream of data is collected

It is easy to create workflows with STEGO CONNECT using the intuitive drag & drop

editor. Even users without any programming knowledge can set up complex processes that trigger control commands and alerts based on sensor data or processed data.

The combination of resources in STEGO CONNECT is unlimited. Every connected sensor and actuator is automatable from the cloud with full flexibility. And in addition, manual override of the hardware is also possible from inside the cloud.

INTUITIVE, CROSSMANUFACTURER IIOT ECOSYSTEM In summary, STEGO CONNECT is a new, smart ecosystem in the form of an IIoT platform solution. The crucial advantage lies in it being independent from any manufacturer. IO-Link sensors and actuators from any manufacturer are reliably integrated by STEGO CONNECT into an intuitive automation system. STEGO is offering a subscription package for its cloud service to mark the launch of its IIoT platform solution. The business model is priced at a monthly fee of € 99 for each edge box installed in the system.

For further information, please visit www.stego-connect.com/en

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PECM Issue 48

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Why leasing makes sense when cashflow is tight How do you invest in the equipment your business needs during uncertain times? With affordable fixed monthly payments and no deposit, finance leasing allows any business to improve cashflow, complete projects with immediate effect and provide high-quality modern equipment for your staff. Leasing is an effective way to spread costs over a period of up to five years to ease the financial burden and drive your business forward. Plus, leasing payments are tax deductible, so it saves your business money no matter your financial circumstances.AJ Products offers leasing for all your workplace furniture and equipment requirements. From pallet racking and materials handling solutions to office furniture and breakout spaces, AJ Products has the solutions to help your business improve workplace productivity and employee wellbeing. info@ajproducts.co.uk 01252 359760 ajproducts.co.uk

NEW ProxATEX™ Digital Temperature Controller for Hazardous Areas This brand-new temperature and power controller brings a host of ‘world-firsts’ to the table, for design-in use as a digital controller fully adjustable within potentially explosive atmospheres.

Built for worldwide “Ex” use with ATEX/IECEx and UL/CSA standard certifications, its high current 25A design is the perfect match for our legendary THERMOSAFE® induction drum heater, but is also ideal for control of “Ex” rated industrial ovens and process plant trace heating projects. Secure NFC programming cards add a new dimension to application security, with up to 15 parameter settings.

Zones 1, 2, 21 & 22. T3 155°C / T4 135°C Rugged and reliable with IP66 all-weather protection for use in demanding environments UK, European, USA worldwide patents. lmkthermosafe.co.uk

CE and UCKA Marking Now that the UK has left the EU single market, the UKCA mark is being phased in from 1st January 2021 to replace the CE mark within the UK. Conformance has led the field in CE marking for over 20 years and is perfectly positioned to guide you through the CE marking and UKCA process.

Our sister company Authorised Representative Service is also available to help you place your products on the EU market if you do not have a physical presence within the EU. With our Dublin office, we can support manufacturers to place their products legally on the market by becoming the responsible economic operator.

Learn more here: https://www.conformance.co.uk/ourservices/authorised-representative-services

Energy harvesting sensors provide immediate benefits Sensors are a key component to overseeing facilities. However, many sensing options generate installation and maintenance challenges that weigh against their benefits.

DCO Systems offer affordable, simple to use energy harvesting sensors that provide immediate benefits and solve many issues faced on sites today.

During lockdowns, facilities managers without remote monitoring found it more difficult to detect failures or diagnose faults. Scheduling an electrical engineer to wire in sensors also became much more difficult. At the same, those with battery-powered sensors found them constrained by infrequent updates, giving them only snapshots and partial sets the data they needed.

To solve these issues, DCO Systems have created energy harvesting sensors. They are easy to install, ready for immediate use and provide an always-on, real-time connection of equipment and assets. Furthermore, self-powered sensors are ideal for remote monitoring in hard to access locations and sites with limited existing infrastructure. With continuous monitoring, energy harvesting sensors provide facility managers with a high-definition picture of their equipment and operations.

DCO Systems’ sensors for specific applications are already available with extensive customisation through options to fit different processes and needs. Equally important is that all sensors can easily be installed by the customer. To simplify, DCO have included coordinated connectors, adapters and fittings for many different requirements, with

installation videos that lend additional support.

The ease of installation and use means that these energy harvesting sensors can be up and running immediately.

To read the full article on DCO’s energy harvesting sensors, go to https://dcosystems. co.uk/mailing/pecm-jan21/.

For energy harvesting solutions, go to dcosystems.co.uk Issue 48 PECM

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THE SHIFT TO REMOTE SUPPORT GLOBAL HEAT TRANSFER

Is it time thermal fluid systems joined the fourth industrial revolution?

The first company to provide remote consultations with doctors launched in 2013. Fast forward to 2020, and the pandemic has meant the entire NHS has switched to remote consultations. In industry, advances in sensor technology and manufacturing software have seen remote monitoring become more prominent. But will maintenance professionals, like doctors, be able diagnose problems online? Here, Clive Jones managing director of thermal fluid supplier Global Heat Transfer, discusses whether the pandemic could kickstart the digital revolution of thermal fluid monitoring.

Because thermal fluids degrade over time, regular thermal fluid analysis is a vital part of maintenance in facilities that use heat transfer systems. Traditionally, carrying out sampling, analysis and maintenance requires on-site support from a thermal fluid expert, who is usually a third-party. As manufacturing facilities implement new procedures to meet social distancing recommendations, it could become more difficult for external engineers to regularly visit sites.

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PECM Issue 48

Pandemic or not, thermal fluid analysis is not something that can be put off — it helps ensure compliance with The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) of 2002 and the Explosive Atmosphere Directive (ATEX 137). These regulations set the minimum requirements for protection against risk of fire, explosions and similar events that can occur when there are dangerous substances in the workplace.

In addition, failing to sample fluid regularly could lead to extensive downtime if issues go undetected — it is a matter of safety, productivity and profitability.

Over time, operating thermal fluids at the high temperatures required for process applications can lead to the build-up of contaminants, such as carbon, in the system. Carbon is a natural insulator so can cause a lack of flow that will lead to uneven heat transfer and a system that cannot reach and maintain required temperatures.

This will begin to negatively impact product quality and increase energy costs, and

could result in costly maintenance and downtime.

DISTANCED DIAGNOSIS The new guidelines for businesses returning to work will change how manufacturers interact with suppliers and other third parties. For some outsourced maintenance activities, audio or video calls will allow the engineer to understand the situation and offer support without visiting the site.

However, effective thermal fluid management and maintenance requires external specialists to visit a site to collect a sample and perform maintenance on system components. A thermal fluid expert must take a closed sample while the system is hot and circulating, to gain an accurate representation of fluid condition.

Though visiting the facility is therefore still essential, good communication can help to reduce time on site.

For example, manufacturers can send external maintenance engineers previous reports or any relevant production information ahead of a visit for sampling.

If the company experiences a drop in heat transfer efficiency or an unexplained increase in energy costs, it could help the engineer to get a clearer picture of why this is occurring, and where the problem is.

After the sample has been taken, the engineer will send it to a laboratory for testing and analysis to determine fluid condition. To further limit unnecessary visits to site, engineers can deliver the analysis report virtually, explaining the status of the fluid and offering recommendations on how to maintain or extend the lifespan of the heat transfer fluid. If required, facilities managers and external engineers can also plan any maintenance accordingly so that they can maintain social distancing and hygiene measures.

CONTINUOUS MONITORING Embracing digital technologies is one of the ways that businesses are improving productivity with fewer people in a facility.

The heat transfer market has been slow to reap the benefits of digitalisation, but the pandemic could be the catalyst for change.

Regular thermal fluid analysis is a vital part of maintenance in facilities that use heat transfer systems.

Condition monitoring technology could revolutionise how businesses complete accurate thermal fluid management in the future, by both bringing it into the digital age, and by reducing time on site.

Until recently, there has been no way of knowing thermal fluid condition without an engineer visiting a site and taking a sample.

However, the introduction of ThermocareÂŽ 24/7 Live Condition Monitoring cloudbased remote monitoring system changes everything. While facilities should continue regular sampling using traditional methods, a monitoring system can detect potential issues earlier, reducing the risk of costly downtime in the future. The system continually monitors fluid condition, sharing

real-time data with the cloud that engineers can access from any location. The platform can determine the presence of degradation factors and warn maintenance personnel with an alert to smart devices if it detects an anomaly.

Installing a remote condition monitoring system allows engineers to monitor and access accurate data about fluid condition without affecting the flow of the liquid.

Investing in this equipment as part of a proactive maintenance programme for thermal fluid management will help to keep heat transfer systems running efficiently.

It can also reduce the need for external engineers to visit the site regularly, because they can react to alerts on the remote condition monitoring system and assist when required.

While sampling will still be an important part of maintenance, bringing thermal fluid management into the fourth industrial revolution can greatly benefit productivity, particularly as remote working and virtual communication becomes the norm. The ability to access real-time information about fluid condition from any location will reduce unplanned site visits while still effectively sustaining thermal fluid and system life span.

To discuss the benefits of a remote preventative maintenance plan with a thermal fluid expert, visit www.globalhtf.com Issue 48 PECM

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

A ONE STOP SHOP THE PREPARATION GROUP

The Preparation Group celebrates being granted Made in Britain membership The Preparation Group led by Founder & Managing Director Tracey Glew, is committed to provide environmentally friendly, clean, easy to use and low maintenance equipment with professional guidance and training for efficient sustainable results in surface preparation.

Their contracting division PPC (UK) Ltd prepares thousands of square metres of concrete every month in readiness for final applications to be laid.

Preparing subfloors and screeds, for epoxy resins, coatings and many other resilient floor finishes we provide 24hr support for our contractors and our operatives ensuring all eventualities are covered. We carry out 98% dust free operations in hundreds of different types of situations. We provide services for the removal of laitance, adhesives and bitumen using different equipment as necessary, alongside having the ability to clean, refurbish and renovate many different types of resilient flooring.

Our teams are all trained to NVQ level for preparing and profiling substrates and have continual professional development provided in our own training school.

Trading since 1991, celebrating our 30th Anniversary in 2021, we continue to invest in R&D and training to deliver our customers the honest cost effective solutions.

Our focus is to provide a One Stop Shop for environmentally friendly solutions for all types of surface preparation.

Preparing, Polishing & Cleaning

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PECM Issue 48

Sales & Hire of Equipment Training Accessories Repairs & Maintenance

+44 (0)1522 561460 sales@ppcgroup.co.uk www.thepreparationgroup.com

Warranty

shop

For All Your Cleaning Tasks

(on non wearable parts)

We supply Shotblasters, Grinders, Planers, CALL FOR A QUOTE Scrapers, Burnishers, commercial Vaccums and Tools which can be purchased, leased or hired or our Skilled Contracting teams will specify, provide plant and do the job for you anywhere in the UK or Europe.

+44 (0)1522 561460

Manufacturing machines and equipment in our workshop for our contracting division gives us the confidence to recommend the correct machines and processes required for all your flooring solutions and dust collection needs. We carry large stocks of a huge range of diamond tooling and other surface preparation consumables, alongside spares and component parts for man makes of equipment, all available for next day delivery.

The Preparation Group has recently been accredited as a member of Made in Britain. The Preparation Group‘s adoption of the official, protected mark will help buyers recognise its products as good quality, great value and British-made.

We are extremely proud to be able to Fly the Flag and contribute to the re-growth of the UK economy and encourage buyers to get behind the country and buy British wherever possible.

For further information on all our products and services please contact us on 01522 561460.

For further information, please visit www.ppcgroup.co.uk

S LE NT SO GE A

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Issue 48 PECM

49

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

INDUSTRIAL DOOR SOLUTIONS ASSA ABLOY ENTRANCE SYSTEMS

ASSA ABLOY Industrial doors boost productivity and safety in the workplace pharmaceutical, chemical, electronics and micro-mechanics industries.

High speed doors for the food industry meet the highest hygiene requirements High speed doors for the food industry are designed for where high hygiene standards must be observed. These doors are easy to clean and disinfect and are resistant to aggressive cleaning agents.

The combination of high speed and perfect sealing protects against drafts and moisture, keeping dirt particles out of production.

Our high speed doors are HACCP certified, rendering them suitable for food processing applications.

Roller Shutters Gain an advantage in manufacturing with ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems. Our automated door systems offer efficient and dependable solutions for your facility.

Utilising Assa Abloy’s proven solutions considerably increases efficiency, moving people, goods and equipment seamlessly, creating separate clean environments, maintaining required temperatures, and increasing usable floor space whilst boosting production output.

At the pinnacle for safety, security and convenience we design, build, install and service every door we make to ensure they’re a perfect fit.

Heavy-duty doors for intelligent manufacturing Assa Abloy machine protection doors are ideal for material processing, separating robots, machines and employees within seconds, offering safety, speed and reliability. The doors allow short cycle times and significantly reduce the footprint of the work station area, replacing guards which require greater distance between machine and operator.

High speed entrances for controlled manufacturing of pharmaceuticals Fast opening and closing speed helps control air exchange and reduce contaminants. A break away system ensures maximum safety for personnel and equipment.

Assa Abloy cleanroom high speed doors feature an almost airtight seal minimising pressure drop and protecting against drafts, humidity, dust and dirt. Fully compliant with international cleanroom standards and certified by the Fraunhofer Institute.

Ideal for cleanroom applications in

Machine protection doors are ideal for material processing, separating robots, machines and employees within seconds

Assa Abloy offer a complete portfolio of high quality roller shutters for industrial and commercial applications designed and manufactured in our state of the art facility in the UK to EN 13241-1 & EN 12604 safety regulations. Our range includes thermally insulated shutters, electric or manual fire shutters fully tested and certified to the latest BS EN 1634-1:2014 + A1:2018 fire regulations.

The service you deserve Maintenance of automated entrances is essential in maximising lifespan, efficiency & operational reliability.

Assa Abloy Entrance Systems have the UK’s largest network of highly trained Industrial Door Technicians on call 24/7, 365 days of the year, spanning the whole of the UK and are proud to serve many of the UK’s largest manufacturing and distribution companies.

Service and maintenance programmes devised by ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems cover all maintenance requirements for ours and competitors industrial doors, roller shutters, dock levellers, shelters, high speed doors and fabric hangar doors.

For further information, please visit www.assaabloyentrance.co.uk

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PECM Issue 48

Industrial and High Speed Doors for every application: • Machine Protection

• Material Handling

• Process, Printing & Packaging

• Waste & Recycling

• Cleanrooms

• Warehousing

• Food & Beverage

• Distribution & Logistics

• Service and Maintenance

• Automotive Manufacturing

assaabloyentrance.co.uk

Experience a safer and more open world

FLUID HANDLING

MAK CHEM International The MAK CHEM brand is a range of premium performance maintenance chemicals for cleaning & maintenance including degreasers, NSF Registered & specialised solutions – part of A&S International Ltd. With over 40 years experience in maintenance chemicals and lubricants we deliver products and services that provide game-changing solutions for UK maintenance teams.

Our talented & reliable team help our clients & distributors to achieve, and in many cases even exceed, all their key goal requirements…

• Expensive machine downtime minimised • Prolonged service life of critical components • Reduced maintenance costs • Approved performance in food processing equipment

Palamatic Vacuum Tube Lifters solve manual handling of door cores, for Leading Fire Door Manufacturer

Thermal Fluid Solutions – pioneers in thermal fluid management

We are actively looking to appoint a network of UK resellers to market & sell our quality maintenance chemicals. Contact us to find out more about this profitable opportunity.

Palamatic are the leading supplier of Vacuum Tube Lifting Systems for handling products up to 350kg to to all manufacturing industries.

With 35 years’ experience, thousands of our solutions are in use on a daily basis. Our long standing customer, Ahmarra Door solutions has over 10 Palamatic vacuum lifters on site for handling boards and doors up to 120kg.

They are one of the UK’s leading fire door manufacturers and have been manufacturing door sets for over 25 years. Vicky Boulton Marketing and Compliance Manager, explained how the Palamatic lifting equipment assists their operators. ‘‘The vacuum lifters make moving heavy door cores easier and quicker.

It’s also beneficial from a health and safety perspective, as it helps prevent our staff from the risks of repetitive strain and back injuries’’.

For more than 20 years, we’ve been finding ways to ensure thermal fluids can be safely used for longer, helping manufacturing and process businesses cut operational costs, improve workplace safety and reduce their impact on the environment.

We’ve used our expertise and experience to develop safe, efficient, cost-effective ways to recondition thermal oils instead of changing them, which means our customers benefit from: • Fluid life extended by 10 times or more • Reduced system downtime • Reduced operating costs • Reduced risk of fire and explosion • Reduced environmental impact • Increased productivity • Increased system efficiency • Legislative compliance • Senior service technicians available worldwide

0118 930 4321 www.mak-chem.org

T: 01246 452054 | E: sales@palamatic.com www.palamatic.com

For further details, please visit www.thermalfluidsolutions.com

Fluid Carrying

... always an intelligent solution

Flexibility Articulated Torsion Pipework In Hoses Rotating Cylinders

Swivel Joints

COMPRESSION FITTINGS ORIGINAL RANGE Sizes 15 -100mm

Swivel joints allow pipework to pressure 1/4” to 40” and beyond.

Vacuum to over 20,000psi.

Stock and bespoke production.

Unique bearing/seal design for longer life.

ISO 9001 CE marked where applicable.

QUICK RANGE Sizes 15 -50mm

LEAK SEALING CLAMP Sizes 10 -100mm

Malleable

Tel:

Bingswood Trading Estate Whaley Bridge | High Peak | SK23 7LY | UK

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PECM Issue 48

+44(0)1663 735003

E-mail:

DZR Brass

TAPPING CLAMP

Malleable

DZR Brass

For detailed information contact our sales department: C. A. Baldwin & Co. Ltd., Valan House, 146-154 Wells Way, Camberwell, London SE5 7SY Telephone: 020 7703 2138 Fax: 020 7701 8436 info@cabaldwin.com www.cabaldwin.com

PECM Quarter page, CABCO.indd 1

10/03/2016 10:38

HOW PROPER LEVEL INSTRUMENTATION CAN ALLEVIATE FOAM HEADACHES

Despite causing difficulties for many common technologies, the potential impact of foam is often ignored when choosing a level technology. Eclipse GWR transmitters have the highest SNR in the market, making it easier to measure and detect liquid levels through the foam or the actual foam layer itself.

Access our FOAM IN THE FIELD white paper and learn how proper level instrumentation can alleviate foam headaches.

Magnetrol International, Inc.

Connect with the level measurement experts at magnetrol.com

FASTENERS & FIXINGS

THE HUCK® MAGNA-GRIP® STAR FASTENERS

Permanent Mechanical LockBolt therefore offers a more secure fastening solution and eliminates the requirement of re-checking.

Like all Huck engineered fasteners, Magna-Grip offers a high level of vibration resistance to deal with the effects of fastening dynamic loads and is used in many harsh environments such as agricultural equipment, specialist structures, commercial vehicles and trailers, in fact wherever there is a need for a fastening solution as an alternative to welding.

In applications where a wide grip range is required and a flush pin break to the collar is beneficial, Huck Magna-Grip is the ideal fastener for the job. Magna-Grip can replace up to four traditional LockBolts.

During installation the collar is swaged onto the Magna-Grip ‘pin’ and forms a permanent connection which consistently provides high, uniform installed values.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING A HUCK MAGNA-GRIP FASTENER? • Unmatched installation speed – fastener than standard structural bolting assemblies and no re-torque is required.

• Low overall installed cost.

• Vibration resistance - forms a permanent, vibration-proof connection that promotes increased customer satisfaction and reduced warranty claims.

• Wide grip range: reduces inventory requirements and accommodates variations in joint thickness, 14.3/23.9mm.

• One pin and one collar cover a wide variety of applications: reducing the risk of incorrect fastener selection.

• Eliminates need for secondary operations and hole preparation isn’t critical.

• Built-in system values yield high consistent clamp loads and gap removal.

• No special training or skills required for operators.

• Flush pin-break: no catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Available Sizes: 3/16”, 1/4”, 5/16”, 3/8” Materials: Steel, Aluminium

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PECM Issue 48

For over 30 years, the Huck brand has set the standard for joining technology with a range of vibration-resistant, maintenance-free fastener options.

The Magna-Grip is a permanent Lockbolt and is therefore an ideal fastening solution for tough engineering environments and areas where security is a requirement. One such environment is the conveyor industry.

Screw conveyors, feeders and dischargers based on Archimedean screw principles are an essential part of many storage and processing systems dealing with a wide variety of products including powdered, granular and even wet materials. They are used in a diverse range of industries from grain processing, feeds and foods to oilseeds, biomass, waste and minerals. In this high vibration and abrasive environment nuts and bolts might come loose and contaminate the product, this fastening method also needs ongoing maintenance and checks. The Magna-Grip is swaged and

For over 30 years, the Huck brand has set the standard for joining technology with a range of vibration-resistant, maintenancefree fastener options. The Magna-Grip is commonly used in the commercial vehicle bodybuilding industry and is installed in wide variety of applications such as roof supports to roof rails, sider-raves to cross-bearer’s and then cross-bearers to chassis cleats. In these examples it has replaced the need for welding and nuts and bolts. For trailers, Huck fasteners offers a broad range of fasteners including HuckBolts and both structural and non-structural blind fasteners for the assembly of subframes, kick rails, various panels, roof assemblies, and floors. Each of these fasteners delivers an impressive combination of clamp, tensile strength, and zero-maintenance performance. Huck fasteners provide the industry’s most advanced fastening solutions, they are 100% maintenance-free. No re-checking.

No re-torquing. No re-tightening. So, a truck or trailer that is assembled using Huck fasteners represents a better value; delivers better life cycle value through, reduced warranty claims, and longer life.

Specialists in the supply of Huck Fasteners, Star Fasteners are proud to be the UK’s largest Huck fastener distributor. Working with a diverse range of end users and distributors from across a number of industries including general engineering, rail, solar, wind power automotive, marine and all of the structural construction markets. In fact, they are widely used in any industry where a quality, strong and dependable fastener is a required… application possibilities are endless!

Star Fasteners are also an accredited Huck tool service and repair centre; expert technical knowledge and a large tool hire fleet complements the service.

For more information about Star Fasteners unique value-added services have a look on starfasteners.co.uk or contact us on the following: Tel: +44 (0)115 9324939 email: sales@starfasteners.co.uk www.starfasteners.co.uk

Huck Magna-Grip Installation Sequence Truss Head MGPT Button Head MGPB Installation Huck Magna-Grip Installation Sequence Huck Magna-Grip Sequence

1.

4.

3.

2.

Collar

1.

Insert fastener though a prepared hole. The precision collar is placed over the other end.

Broad Collar

4.

3.

2.

The Huck installation tool is applied and engages the pin. When the tool is activated, it pulls the pin in a straight line while pushing down on the collar.

Truss Head MGP30

Collar

The tool moves forward over the collar, molding the collar material into the grooves of the pin. This process called swaging, causes a precise stretching out the pin and collar, developing the fasteners clamping force.

When swaging is complete the pintail is automatically tensioned off, flush with the end of the collar. The result is a permanent, mechanically locked fastener.

90째 Flush Head MGP90

Magna-Grip Pin Head S

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Magna-Grip Pin Headforce.

Styles developing the fasteners clamping force.

Truss Head MGPT MGPT

Button Button Head Head MGPB MHPB

Truss Head MGPT

Button Head MGPB

Magna-Grip Collar Styles Broad Truss Head Broad Truss Head MGP30 MGP30

StainlessEncapsulated Encapsulated Stainless HeadMGPTC MGPTC Head

900 Flush Head MGP30 90째 Flush Head MGP90

Stainless Encapsulated Head MGPTC

RivetHead HeadMGP98T MGP8T Rivet

Magna-Grip Collar Styles

Rivet Head MGP98T Magna-Grip Pin Head Styles 90째 Flush Head MGP90 Magna-Grip Colar Styles Magna-Grip Pin Head Styles Standard Flange Collar

Medium Flange Collar

MGC Broad Truss Head MGP30MGCS

Standard Flange Collar Standard Flange Collar Magna-Grip MGC Collar MGC

Wide Flange Collar MGCW

Medium Flange Collar

Styles Medium Flange Collar MGCS MGCS

Wide Flange Collar MGCW

Magna-Grip two-piece Wide Flange Collar Pin and Collar fastener MGCW Magna-Grip two-piece Pin and Collar fastener

further information, Magna-Grip For Collar Stylesplease visit www.starfasteners.co.uk Standard Flange Collar MGC

Medium Flange Collar MGCS

Wide Flange Collar MGCW

Issue 48 PECM

55

GEARS, DRIVES & MOTORS

Graphalloy_Extremes_88mmx132mm.qxp_Layout 1 10/21/20 1:06 PM Page

GRAPHALLOY® Bearings...

We Go to Extremes

Handle High Temperatures and Harsh Operating Conditions with Ease.

• Survives when others fail • Run hot, cold, wet or dry • Corrosion resistant • Self-lubricating • Low maintenance • -400˚F to 1000˚F (-240˚C to 535˚C) Yonkers, NY USA • Ovens, furnaces, conveyors, mixers, dampers

Yonkers, NY USA

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•

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Cross+Morse Power Transmission Manufacturing Specialists

Since 1984

◊ Manufacturing up to 1450mm diameter ◊ Turning - CNC lathes, Vertical Machining Centre ◊ Gear Cutting - Hobbing, Planing, Shaping Gears ◊ Bevel Gears, Helical, External & Internal cut Gears ◊ Rack Shaping, Broaching, Keywaying ◊ Vertical Boring, Centreless & Rotary Grinding ◊ Bore Honing ◊ Induction Hardening

◊ Drilling & Tapping ◊ Large stocks of Transmission Drive components ◊ CAD - CAM Design & Development ◊ ISO 9001 : 2015

Yes we can make it.

Cross + Morse. Shady Lane, Great Barr. Birmingham. B44 9EU sales@crossmorse.com Tel: +44 (0)121 360 0155 Fax: +44 (0)121 325 1079 www.CrossMorse.com

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PECM Issue 48

GEARS, DRIVES & MOTORS

LABINOX bespoke stainless steel vessel, filter and furniture manufacture LABTEX, the Huddersfield based laboratory and scale up chemistry equipment specialist, has introduced LABINOX as sub-brand offering off the shelf & bespoke fabrications in metals.

Stainless Steel Laboratory Furniture

Sourced in the UK, the EU and the USA LABINOX offers plain and jacketed vessels and filters and furniture to customer specifications.

Our work ranges from simple fabrications and machining to high specification bespoke projects for the pharmaceutical, food processing, water, paper and chemical industries.

Working in conjunction with skilled fabricators and finishers, LABINOX ensures that work is completed to the highest standard and is in accordance with relevant EU directives. In particular the pressure equipment, ATEX and machinery directives.

LABINOX will project manage manufacture and installation of assemblies, ensuring that not only stainless steel equipment but also associated equipment is procured and scheduled to meet your requirements.

Services include: Draughting, Design, Quotation and Feasibility Studies, Fabrication Supply and Project Management.

01484 600200”

Labtex.co.uk

forteq UK located in Huddersfield produce high volume injection moulded technical plastic components. They are a wellestablished supplier into the automotive and Industrial product sectors. Applications such as door latch housings, engine mount assemblies, air suspension, geared-actuators, timing tensioners, seating, filtration, HVAC

and fluid delivery bowls are some automotive components produced. Forteq are also specialists at industrial product plastics such as gas and water meter housings, valves and internal functional components, including twin shot moulding. During 2020 forteq have been busy engineering suites of tools for car seating mechanisms, air suspension pistons

and truck filtration assemblies that commence production in 2021. forteq UK have capacity to engineer new projects, please get in touch with Steve Roberts on 01484 483516 – steve. roberts@forteq-group.com to discuss any upcoming projects. www.forteq-group.com

Issue 48 PECM

57

HEALTH & SAFETY

THE HEAT IS ON EMS

How infrared technology brings safety in multiple applications Infrared temperature guns have become a commonplace safety precaution, with 37 degrees Celsius acting as the entrance pass to many offices, shops and airports. This is just one application where infrared technology provides important safety information. Here Dave Walsha, commercial development officer at precision drive system supplier, Electromechanical Systems (EMS), looks at the applications of infrared technology and the motor technologies advancing them.

Temperature guns are one method used to detect if someone is exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms. The guns quickly determine if someone has an elevated skin temperature and should therefore isolate and receive a test. This promptly separates the potentially infected individual from others. However, fever temperature screening is not the only application where infrared technology helps bring safety.

Infrared detection systems, such as temperature guns, use sensors to pick up radiation in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Although infrared cameras use this same technology, they are much more complex.

They convert the thermal energy being detected into an electrical signal, which can then be processed to produce an image. The image varies in colour, such as red for hot and blue for cold, depending on the amount of infrared radiation being detected.

FROM LOST TO FOUND Infrared cameras provide critical information in the emergency services.

Someone is reported missing in the UK every 90 seconds, so search and rescue services must act quickly to ensure the highest possibility of finding the missing person safe and well.

However, manually searching dense areas with little visibility, such as forests and rural areas, can be labour intensive. When time is precious, infrared devices can help searchers quickly scan over large areas.

Search and rescue service teams typically comprise of searchers on the ground and

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PECM Issue 48

in the skies. From an arial view, searchers in helicopters can use an attached infrared camera to quickly scan the large area.

A missing person will have a much stronger infrared signal than their cool surroundings, so will show up as an easily distinguishable colour on the screen. The coordinates of the missing person can then be reported to the ground team, who can quickly access the area on foot.

The ability to identify the location of an individual using infrared technology is not only used for missing and endangered people. Infrared cameras are also used in the police force to track down suspects.

If suspects of a crime recognise that the police are tracking them, they may hide in unusual places, such as on a roof or inside a container. Infrared cameras, along with sniffer dogs, can be used to track down suspects before they escape.

RESOLVING EQUIPMENT FAILURE The emergency services use infrared technology to keep citizens safe, but it can also be applied in industrial settings to safeguard equipment. Industrial equipment must carry out intensive processes, such as cutting and lifting, for a long period of time ― particularly with the increased adoption of continuous automation.

Uninterrupted production can cause unwelcomed machine faults to arise and industrial equipment to overheat.

Overheating can lead to electrical faults or even fire, risking the safety of both the production line and nearby workers. To ensure overheating equipment remains intact, it must be shutdown and the problem rectified. This can involve painstakingly taking apart the machine and conducting several tests until the problem is located.

Instead, an infrared camera can identify the component that’s causing the machine to overheat, which can then be fixed or replaced quickly. This ensures the production line is back up and running as quickly as possible to minimise lost time and maximise productivity.

GETTING THE RIGHT GEAR Cameras viewing objects at varying distances need precision zoom and focus

functions that are controlled by lenses, which can be precisely adjusted by motors.

Motors also control the camera aperture, which is an opening in the lens that controls how much light passes through and falls on the image sensor.

Infrared cameras also require motors for calibration in non-uniformity correction. This is a process where a black shutter is moved across the lens and the camera takes an image. From this image the camera can measure the heat it is producing itself, and so process its own thermal signature out of future photos, as to not interfere with the thermal image of the subject.

TICKING THE BOXES Motors used in infrared cameras must meet certain performance requirements. In applications where the camera is handheld, the motor must be lightweight so that the device can be easily carried by the user.

In critical applications, such as search and rescue, it is vital that the motors used are reliable and repeatable, as a breakdown could have fatal consequences. Similarly, the motor must be efficient with a low power consumption, to ensure the camera can be used for a long period of time without running out of power.

EMS is the sole UK supplier of FAULHABER

The emergency services use infrared technology to keep citizens safe, but it can also be applied in industrial settings to safeguard equipment. motors, which are renowned for a superior power density and high performance.

FAULHABER motors are made in a high precision manufacturing process, with accuracy that makes them highly reliable and repeatable. In particular, FAULHABER’s flat 1512 DC gearmotor series delivers continuous torque up to 30 millinewton meters (mNm) while having a diameter of just 15 millimetres (mm).

Temperature guns have become a common safety procedure to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but there are many other applications where infrared technology is important. From finding the lost to identifying equipment faults, infrared cameras bring us valuable information that goes beyond the human eye.

For further information, please visit https://www.ems-limited.co.uk/ Issue 48 PECM

59

HEALTH & SAFETY

REMBE IQ SAFETY COCKPIT REMBE

Smart home for factories Visualisation of safety-relevant faults in the control room is only half the battle. In order to appropriately react to such faults, pre-defined counter measures have to be initiated – what sounds simple is a true challenge for plant operators in practice.

Given the risk of human error, the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit was developed and launched: Similar to a process control system, the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit offers an overview of all relevant protective and equipment system status, which can also be monitored in real time from any location remotely via smart phone. However, in addition to the PLC, detailed and automatic and semiautomatic action plans can be linked and initiated: In case of an event in a certain area, sending an email or an SMS to a predefined distribution group can be automated to bring the incident to their attention. Such a scenario could for example be, that in the event of an explosion the responsible safety officer might be informed by text message via his service phone, the surveillance cameras in the affected area could be activated or set to a different mode and the management would receive an email.

Nevertheless, more importantly, the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit guides the logged in user through the pre-defined plan of action.

Forced guidance thereby would ensure that all desired and necessary process steps are followed in the event of a disruption. Those applications and process scenarios of the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit can be individually configured for each plant; both analog and digital signals can be processed. In addition to the REMBE autonomous protective systems, GreCon spark extinguishing systems, camera systems or even fire detectors and other plant components can be combined and connected to the REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit.

Learnings from incidents and systematic root cause analysis are subject to be implemented in improved safety concepts.

REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit supports as all data recorded during the emergency plan are compiled and archived in a comprehensive log. This data can be practically expended or adjusted via the various end devices. When the location of the accident is inspected, photos can be conveniently taken and loaded into the log (via app) for subsequent evaluation.

In the end, this means, that all conventional autonomous protective systems from REMBE have become smarter without sacrificing their actual strength, the fast and reliable function.

In the age of digitisation, it is just as important to ensure a fast response time and the resulting high availability. The REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit also enables optimal integration of other interfaces through the individually coordinated visualization of each process. Faults or, in the worst case, explosions not only require a regulated emergency plan, but also a predictive maintenance that is not only possible through the pure workforce of the employee on site. By detecting the operationally relevant components such as explosion vents, quench valves for explosion protection or pyrolysis gas and fire detectors or grounding systems for explosion prevention, all these can be registered and connected to a material management system.

In a nutshell: REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit is nothing else than a smart home control or driver assistance system in the automotive industry. Those are used to improve the efficiency and safety of driving a car and enable, in the right mix of auxiliary sensors and smart detectors, autonomous driving.

Staying in that picture, simply spoken, REMBE iQ Safety Cockpit, such as an driver assistance system for plants will allow autonomous operation and push safety and efficiency to the highest possible level in the industry 4.0.

Fig. 1: Example of individually configured application and process scenarios.

For further information, please visit www.rembe.de

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T +49 2961 7405-0 info@rembe.de

Made in Germany

Your Specialist for

PRESSURE RELIEF and

EXPLOSION SAFETY

© REMBE® | All rights reserved

Consulting. Engineering. Products. Service.

Gallbergweg 21 | 59929 Brilon, Germany F +49 2961 50714 | www.rembe.de

HEALTH & SAFETY

The eSUPPRESSOR™

New Sharklet Germ Control film

Short Cuts May Cut A Life Short!

The eSUPPRESSOR™ from IEP Technologies is the most technologically advanced explosion protection suppressor in the industry today.

Effective and reliable protection is provided by the eSUPPRESSOR™ with the following features: • Monitoring of all safety functions • SIL2 compliant design and pending 3rd Party Certification • Integrated Lock out/Tag Out • No Pyrotechnic Actuator

Sharklet’s micropattern is the world’s first technology to control microbes through surface texture alone.

Safety Signs Manufacturer and Safety Products Supplier Spectrum Industrial have launched a guide to help industries implement a LOTOTO process within their facilities.

IEP Technologies is the worldwide leader in providing explosion protection systems and services. For over 60 years we have offered protection solutions that can suppress, isolate and vent combustible dust or vapor explosions in process industries.

+1-855-793-8407 • info.IEPTechnologies.com IEPTechnologies.com

Lightning Warning System Global Partners and Systems Integrators wanted Biral invites interested technical resellers and systems integrators to join its team of distribution partners. The BTD-200 is an innovative lightning detection and warning system, developed from professional aviation grade lightning detection systems. Its proven technology reliably detects all forms of lightning out to a range of 35km (22 miles) from the sensor. It is a modular system, designed to operate out-of-the-box, but is also expandable as requirements change.

The system comprises of a lightning detector placed outside, either on its tripod mount or permanently installed and a PC indoors running the supplied Lightning Works software.

The system includes a power supply and (optionally) cabling to connect to the power and host PC. +44 (0)1275 847 787 info@lightningearlywarning.com www.lightningearlywarning.com

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Sharklet departs from traditional antimicrobial technologies by not using any additives to kill microorganisms, but instead creates a non-toxic topography that decreases surface energy. Chemical additions can contribute to resistant strains of germs and may be hazardous in applications such as hospitals, children, and the elderly.

The new Sharklet Germ Control Film includes Sharklet micropattern that is comprised of millions of microscopic features arranged in a repeating diamond pattern. Sharklet is engineered to produce an anti-fouling effect through enhancing the surface energy of common materials, similar to how it works on actual sharks. Effective against many viruses and bacteria.

Film is available at shop.sharklet.com.

The NEW FlexiWork Neon Jackets and Fleeces While Fabric, Functionality and Fit are hallmarks of Snickers Workwear, it’s the innovation and fabric technology in the design of the new FlexiWork Neon Fleece Hoodie, Jacket and Gilet that really set these new garments apart.

They’re great for working outdoors in the colder months. Delivering superior flexibility and comfort, these lightweight 4-way stretch garments come in a body-mapping design and are made from an Elastane/Polyester fabric with a water-and wind-repellent finish for comfort and durability when you need it most.

As well as being street-smart and visibly striking with Neon panels and reflective details for enhanced visibility they’re designed for the fast-paced professional who’s always on the go and delivering top class work on site.

For professionals who rely on their gear in demanding environments, they’re a must for those who want to be visibly ahead of the rest on site this winter. www.snickersworkwear.co.uk

Lockout Tagout Try Out (LOTOTO) is the correct method for isolating machinery to ensure that when repairs, maintenance, cleaning or inspections of equipment is undertaken, it is done so safely.

Spectrum Industrial have built this guide to raise awareness, promote best practice and to help increase safety across high risk establishments where harm can be caused from machinery. The guide will show you the step by step procedures that should be followed to complete a successful isolation and will help you to create your own LOTOTO process.

You can download a copy of the guide or for more information or to view Spectrum’s product range visit www.spectrum-industrial.co.uk

MasterCheck app provides the paperless solution to mandatory forklift inspections The new MasterCheck app automates the inspection process and provides the supervisor with important operational analytics and management tools on the web-based Supervisor Dashboard.

Operators complete forklift inspections, repair reports, accident reports and near-miss reports including photos, quickly on a mobile device or tablet and simply click “send” to have the inspection sent to their supervisor and saved in the cloud. No more looking for lost paper reports – everything is automated!

MasterCheck is currently being used by companies throughout the world, and at $19.99USD per year versus as much as $120.00USD per year with traditional paper booklets, the decision to go automate and go paperless is an easy one. www.mastercheckapp.com

NO LIGHT. TWILIGHT. DAYLIGHT. SUNLIGHT. Buckz Viz hi-viz styles bring crucial see and be seen safety to the workplace round the clock and in all weathers. They’re waterproof too for the odd time it rains.

Call 01382 82 82 00 or email info@buckbootz.com

HEALTH & SAFETY

DAILY-DISPOSABLE LENSES DAYSOFT

Process technology inspired by Mother Nature … for a greener world … half the price … half the plastic

You would not be surprised to be told that your banana was ‘made’ entirely in its skin!

Mother-nature is a very efficient process engineer and would not consider growing a banana, then a skin, then placing the banana in the skin and then ‘zipping’ it up.

producers the world over do; they form a lens between two precision optical moulds, remove it from this assembly, discard the optical-moulds before carefully transferring the lens into a third moulding then filling this with saline and shipping it to customers.

But that’s what we human engineers do … we make a product then decide how to wrap it up wasting time and materials doing that.

To be more precise, that’s what contact lens

Mother Nature was not impressed.

“Three plastic moulds to make one wee contact lens … you must be joking!”

The challenge was massive because modern soft contact lenses are extremely fragile, being more than 50% water. The centre thickness is less than a human hair.

The diameter is 140 times this thickness.

The contour shape has to provide precise power-correction within tight limits and it has to be strong enough to support its weight in air even when fully hydrated with water. It has to be crystal clear, without imperfections so as to sit comfortably on the human eye.

But the Daysoft Engineering Team got to work and invented a completely new process they named INPAC®. This eliminates making millions of mouldings each month

then lifting wet fragile lenses into these.

Now the lens is formed, hydrated, sealed and sterilized-in its originating mould.

INPAC® process technology already has patent protections in US, Canada, Europe (UK, Ireland, Germany, France), Hong Kong, China, Japan. Manufacturing site capacity has been increased to over 100 million lenses per year.

Mother Nature was consulted.

“Supplying the lens in the mould you made it in … now that’s impressive.”

For further information, please visit www.daysoft.com

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Half the price, half the plastic Mother Nature CEng – Inpac® Process approved

£5.99

32 Lenses per Box minimum purchase 2 boxes, £0.70/Box post and packing Today orders are taken from around the world, picked and packed within 8 hours and posted direct to wearer homes or office right from the end of the new INPAC® production lines.

Over 650,000,000 sold direct world-wide Daysoft® process engineering: • Half the plastic, half the process transfers • Half the shipping stages • Half the price • Designed and made in the UK.

DAYSOFT.COM DAILY-DISPOSABLE CONTACT LENSES FOR A GREENER WORLD

DAYSOFT.COM

HEALTH & SAFETY

Forerunner Yesterday. Today.

Tomorrow.

The Sensor People have been setting technological standards in industrial automation for more than 50 years. In the field of safety at work, we convince right from the start with trend-setting inventions, such as the development of the first protective sensor ever, to our latest safety innovation, “Smart Process Gating” – the space-saving solution for access guarding on conveyor lines. This is how we ensure the success of our customers in an industry that is ever evolving.

www.leuze.co.uk

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MACHINING & MACHINERY

Automations role in the race to develop the COVID-19 vaccine In addition to supplying high quality components, Versatile Controls Limited’s automation department design and manufacture electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic control systems to the highest quality.

The company has maintained a full workforce throughout the Covid-19 pandemic supplying the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with bespoke automation systems to assist in the race to develop the Covid-19 vaccine. William Slim, Director explains, ‘A particularly challenging aspect

to developing such critical systems during the pandemic is the extremely tight deadlines involved.

We are proud to have delivered several critical projects on time and to specification’.

The company primarily serves pharmaceutical, medical, automotive and petrochemical industries. Extensive experience in electrical circuit design and software development means Versatile can offer a complete automation package.

www.versatilecontrols.co.uk

CNC ROUTERS & LASER CUTTERS Introducing the NEW Fibre Laser Marker

Features • High-speed galvanometer • Compact and light weight • Low power consumption, less than 500W • Air-cooled • The machine can increase production and reduce costs Typical Applications Industry: Gold and silver jewellery, sanitary ware, food and beverage packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, medical devices, eyeglasses, clocks, automotive parts and electronic hardware.

Materials: Gold, silver, stainless steel, ceramic, plastic, glass, stone, leather, fabric, wood etc.

Introducing the NEW CNC Laser Cutters The NEW ATACAM range of Laser Cutters includes models for both metalic and non-metalic materials. They are equiped with co2 laser tubes, which can be used for cutting metalsheet such as carbon steel, stainless steel and non-metalic materials such as acrylic, MDF, plywood, etc.

Model AL1390 (pictured) for Non Metalic cutting and Model ALM1390 for Metalic and Non Metalic cutting.

Call for more information or a demonstration, or visit www.atacam.co.uk ATA Engineering Processes Ltd ATA House, Unit B, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7SS t: 01442 264411 e: sales@ataeng.com www.ataeng.com

Issue 48 PECM

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MACHINING & MACHINERY

SPECIALISTS IN TOOLS & GAUGES WISEMAN THREADING TOOLS LTD

WISEMAN THREADING TOOLS LTD Specialists in Tools & Gauges for Screw Threads We have been supplying threading tools and gauges since 1987.

Together with supplying plain plug and ring gauges this is all that we do, we therefore consider ourselves to be specialists in this field.

We supply worldwide.

We hold extensive ready stocks that include all of the standard stuff that others offer, but also includes taps, dies, die nuts, die head chasers, thread rolls and gauging for threads not normally available 'off the shelf '.

Our real time stocks can be checked and purchased online at www.threadtools. com Just enter the thread details into the search box on the home page.

You will be directed to the item, if stocked, or to our specials, (custom manufacture), sales team. who will quote to supply at competitive rates, in good time.

As an account holder you can also order online from our listed in stock items, at your normal terms. We realise that you need the right item at the right price and quality, and in a reasonable time frame.

We are geared to provide that.

We can ship stocked items same day.

Our experienced sales staff can assist and advise you on any technical issues.

We welcome enquiries from resellers and can offer terms to suit.

WISEMAN THREADING TOOLS LTD 11 Padgets Lane South Moons Moat Redditch B98 0RA UK 0044(1527)520580 sales@threadtools.com www.threadtools.com

For further information, please visit www.threadtools.com

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PECM Issue 48

Threading Tool Specialists

HSS DIES & DIE NUTS Large shelf stocks for all Standard and many Special Threads. Check our stocks online.

THREAD CUTTING AND ROLLING HEADS and parts and repair service

THREAD ROLLS FOR ALCO & FETTE HEADS. READY STOCKS CUSTOM MANUFACTURURE

HSS TAPS Huge Stocks for all Standard threads CUSTOM MADE taps our SPECIALITY! We stock taps for many non standard (SPECIAL) threads All types; Spiral flute and point, Fluteless, Left Hand, etc, etc.

Wiseman Threading Tools Ltd 11 Padgets Lane, South Moons Moat. Redditch B98 0RA Worcs UK 004(0)1527520580 sales@threadtools.com www.threadtools.com

THREAD GAUGES all types. Large stocks for standard and SPECIAL threads. Any non stocked can be quoted for custom manufacture.

CHASERS FOR COVENTRY & LANDIS TYPE DIE HEADS Ready stocks for most size heads most standard and some special threads Geometry available for most materials.

Custom manufacture our speciality!

MACHINING & MACHINERY

TOTAL SUPPLY PACKAGE JOHN KING GROUP

Material processing solutions since 1926 John King is a family-owned manufacturing company founded in 1926.

The fifth generation of the family are now working in the business; both qualified and committed to take it forward and achieve greater success.

The enterprise began by producing plain pedestal bearings for coal mining pit tubs. Expansion came with the rapid mechanisation of the collieries and an increasing demand for chain conveying equipment. In the early days it was supply to one industry in one region of the United Kingdom.

The Company has enjoyed unrivalled success and expansion in the last decade.

Today exporting mechanical handling equipment to over 60 countries. This achievement was recognised in 2020 when the Company won the Queens Awards for Enterprise –International Trade

PRESENT DAY FOCUS

The business is now focused on provision of a total supply package for materials handling; comprising chains and sprockets to conveyor systems and their eventual installation and maintenance.

John King Laser was established in 2007 primarily to service the mechanical handling division. It was well understood that the available capacity surpassed that of in-house requirements and the business model from the outset was to sell laser cut and fabricated parts to customers producing a wide range of machinery and equipment.

More recently the division has been able to support John King’s site service division

John King main factory in Yorkshire with an original pit tub in the foreground. Above left, Installation of new laser – to be commissioned in January 2021 where bespoke fabrications have been required .A good recent example would be the survey, technical drawing, production and installation of major fabricated structures within an EFW plant (Energy from waste).

The laser division has remained autonomous from the start in having to achieve individual levels of sales and profitability whilst critically benefitting as part of a Group structure in investing in new technology to give the division a distinct advantage in efficiency and quality of products produced. The current installation of the newest and probably best laser capacity in the country is testament to that particularly in considering the present challenges within the economy as a result of the pandemic .It is our strong opinion that in 2021 John King Laser will be perfectly prepared to deliver as the economy emerges from a challenging period.

MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES

The 2020s business is a lean and profitable enterprise working from a modern manufacturing facility employing best production techniques Fibre laser technology , plasma for thicker material sections , CNC machining and Robotics. Group structure

provides the internal resource to implement production management systems that ensures highest quality, consistent and competitive products produced in a safe environment. All manufacturing is conducted within the dictates of ISO9000 to the latest 2015 standard to ensure quality objectives are monitored and maintained.

OUR PEOPLE

Our people are at the heart of the Kingdom, constantly driving the business forward whilst showing unrivalled commitment to make us the success we are. Together we search for continuous improvement and product innovation.

As a family enterprise we are proud of what we have achieved .To be working and succeeding in manufacturing is a privilege.

To operate in a process led sector where we turn raw material into a wide variety of products by using machinery and manpower is challenging and eminently rewarding.

As a result of unceasing advances in technology and machinery Engineering is one of the fastest developing sectors internationally. The UK engineering sector generates more than 27% of the UK’s GDP and it is clear that the industry is driving productivity whilst having a positive impact on other areas of the UK economy. For every new job in engineering, two more are created outside of the sector. The UKs Engineering sector is the real wealth creator and it is my hope that post Brexit the Government will realise the opportunity we have to put UK Engineering at the forefront.

David Wadsworth Managing Director

For further information, please visit www.johnkingchains.com

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Laser Cutting, Plasma Cutting & Flame Cutting

The undisputed Kings of Laser profiling and fabrication

To add to our existing armoury of cutting equipment we are pleased to announce the installation of the newest and best laser technology available Nationwide.

Trulaser 3040 Fibre 4000×2000 bed with integrated lift master and plate storage tower for unrivalled efficiency in parts production.

• Group strength to support ongoing investment in best manufacturing, • Maximum cutting availability with automated plate storage and handling, • Dramatic increase in available processing capacity, • Full range of supplementary manufacturing processes, • Bespoke manufacturing service – design, manufacture, install, • Quality management in accordance with Company MQS ISO 9001:2015 the latest standard.

Press braking – 200 tons 4000 mm

Robot welding

Design capability

In house material Analysis

Machining

Powder coating

All Enquires please contact Email: sales@johnkinglaser.co.uk

or Call Us by Phone

+44 1977 686 570

John King Laser Limited New Climax Works, Lancaster Business Park, Sherburn-in-Elmet LS25 6NS UK www.johnkinglaser.co.uk

MACHINING & MACHINERY

LATEST NEWS FROM BRANDAUER BRANDAUER

It’s all about the micron as Brandauer set to play key role in £500,000 new electric machine project The ability to deliver motor laminations thinner than a piece of paper has helped a Birmingham manufacturer become part of an exciting new £500,000 project designed to prove the feasibility of a new electric machine.

Brandauer, which currently employs 45 people at its factory in Newtown, has taken its place in the UK-ALUMOTOR consortium, led by multi-industry engineering consultancy Ricardo and partners Aspire Engineering, Global Technologies Racing, Phoenix Scientific Industries and the University of Warwick.

The specialist in pressings and stampings will bring critical capability to the development of the stator and rotor used in the electric motor, using its micron capable toolroom, wire electric discharge machines (WEDM) and design and engineering consultancy facilities.

Fifteen engineers will be working on the project - which is backed by the Driving Electric Revolution Challenge Fund through UK Research and Innovation - and will be involved in developing low volume parts that will be used to fine tune processes, technologies and achieve the high volume UK manufacture of a next generation electric machine design.

“Our ability to manufacture to microns is proving a very attractive commodity to some of the major OEMs and technology partners looking to establish an electrification supply chain in the UK,” explained Mark Parsons, the recently appointed Innovation Project Manager at Brandauer.

“This project is all about working towards an electric machine that can be built in high volumes and our role will be to produce laminations that deliver the magnetic field to power the motor.

“Our growing reputation for delivering precision tooling solutions that can be adapted to high volume stamping of 0.1

mm thick materials sets us apart from other European press workers.”

He continued: “We are focussing on the ‘design for manufacture’ and expect to produce multiple iterations of the components until we arrive at a rotor and stator combination that delivers the demanded motor performance while still being scalable to series volumes.”

Richard Gordon, Head of Research and Development at Ricardo, said: “We have long been known for industry-leading innovation, R&D and manufacturing excellence, which is helping global transport manufacturers drive cost out of electrification.

“This award of funding from the Driving Electric Revolution Challenge fund is significant. It will enable our consortium to continue to support the mass adoption of electrification by making it more affordable, contributing to the green bounce back with an environmentally sustainable design and establishing the UK at the forefront of the global electric revolution.”

The latest project with Ricardo is the third funded collaboration Brandauer has secured in recent months, following on from innovative projects with Jaguar Land Rover and Saietta to deliver an e-machine stack line and Axial Flux Traction motor respectively.

The company, which received a Queen’s Award for International Trade last year, will aim to make the most of the £1m funding boost to cement its position in the electrification supply chain both domestically and in key international markets.

Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer, concluded: “There is a real opportunity for UK SMEs to stake their claim to be part of the electrification movement, but we have to be bold, invest in the right technology and be prepared to collaborate.

“This appears to be a winning formula for our business, and we are confident it will lead to high volume work in an international electric motor market that is expected to be worth £28.5bn by 2025.”

For further information, please visit www.brandauer.co.uk or follow @cbrandauer on twitter

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PECM Issue 48

MEASUREMENT & MONITORING PORTAFLOW PF333/PF222 NEW SIMPLE CLAMP ON, NON INVASIVE FLOW & ENERGY MEASUREMENT FROM MICRONICS

PF333 now available as energy meter

Labfacility 50th Anniversary Celebration Labfacility are proud to announce that in 2021 we will be celebrating our 50th birthday.

We want to say a big thank you to everyone who has made this 50th year anniversary possible.

Labfacility are the UK’s leading manufacturer of Temperature Sensors, Thermocouple Connectors and associated Temperature Instrumentation and stockists of Thermocouple Cables. The Company has been trading since 1971 and is ISO

9001 accredited.

Quality and Service are key elements in the continued growth of Labfacility; technical support for both sensing and instrumentation is always freely available from our experienced technical sales teams.

Digital Controlled Power Digital Interfacing allows end users to remotely manipulate, control and read all of a power

• Reynolds number correction • Easy to install • Simple to follow set-up menu • Clamp-on flow and temperature sensors

For all sales enquiries please contact us as follows: Email: sales@labfacility.com Tel: +44 (0) 1243 871280

www.labfacility.com

Free white paper on Industry 4.0 The fourth era of revolution (industry 4.0) is all about connectivity trends, advanced material, processing technology, service orientation, and collaboration in advanced manufacturing networks. Display Technology Ltd specialise in Industrial Monitors, Embedded Solutions and Digital Controlled Power for Industry 4.0. To download the White Paper – please click here.

• Ultrasonic, cross-correlation flow measurement

supplies key parameters (not just voltage, current and temperature) which provides integrators with more flexibility than ever for different load types. Digital controlled PSU’s generally have multiple outputs so you only need the one PSU to power several applications, the iHP from Artesyn has up to 8 outputs saving you time and money with the new intelligent modular system. To see our range on Digital Controlled Power – please click here www.displaytechnology.co.uk

The NEW Portaflow PF333/PF222 range brings simplicity to the noninvasive measurement of liquid flow and is now available with an energy meter function for the PF333.

Results can be achieved within minutes of opening the case.

Compact, rugged and reliable, designed to provide sustained performance in: Process fluid monitoring and Energy Management including Water, Glycol, DI, Diesel and Fuel Oils.

For System audits, Pump verification, Boiler testing, Leak detection and many more...

For fur ther information call us on

+ 44 ( 0 )1628 810456 or email sales@micronicsltd.co.uk w w w.micronicsflowmeters.com

Issue 48 PECM 75 09/12/2020 19:22

1381-Micronics PF333+222 Ad 88 x 267mm Dec 2020 v2.indd 1

MEASUREMENT & MONITORING

SUPERIOR SAFETY & SIMPLICITY T&D

T&D unveils new generation wireless data logging systems Japanese data-logging market leader T&D has unveiled its latest wireless system, combining improved safety and greater convenience. Designed to record and measure data such as temperature and humidity, the new generation RTR500B series includes data loggers and a range of base stations to ensure the safe, wireless collection of recorded data.

The new system uses T&D’s proven shortrange wireless communication for logger to base transmission, and the RTR-500B series is also compatible with HTTPS – an encrypted communication feature that ensures superior security. Furthermore, users can register devices and adjust settings not only from a PC, but also a smartphone or via the cloud for greater flexibility and convenience.

The wireless communication range between base and remote units, if unobstructed and direct, is about 150 metres (500ft). However, repeaters can be easily added for an even greater range across a variety of environments. And when used in conjunction with RTR-500BC repeaters, the base unit will automatically select the best route for stable, wireless communication.

By adding the base unit to the free cloudbased T&D WebStorage facility, recorded data can be automatically uploaded, managed and accessed anytime, anywhere.

Automated data collection is carried out using a robust wireless communications protocol.

The devices in the new RTR500B Series are compatible with the earlier RTR-500 series, but also have additional Bluetooth function. This means mobile devices can be used for data logger and base station registration, and to adjust settings.

(April 2021), for transferring data via 4G mobile connectivity. This impressive new line-up of RTR-505 data loggers meets multifunctional measurement needs including temperature, voltage, 4-20mA and pulse.

The base units in the new series comprise: RTR500BW, for transferring data to the cloud or server via a wireless and wired LAN connection, RTR500BC, for downloading data to a PC connected with a USB cable, and also with repeater functionality, and the upcoming RTR500BM

T&D’s RTR-500 series offers the RTR-574 for monitoring illuminance, UV Intensity, temperature and humidity. The RTR-576 can even measure CO2 concentration and the RTR-500DC as a wireless portable data collector can be used as line up with RTR500B series continuously.

Finally, recorded data can be effectively managed and analysed using free T&D Graph - high performance software that can also be used in conjunction with the T&D WebStorage cloud service.

T&D’s new and innovative data logger series will be officially launched on January 13, 2021.

RTR500B Series | Data Logger Products | T&D Corporation (tandd.com) Email: europe.office@tandd.de

For further information, please visit www.tandd.com

SEN - 8

SEN - 3

01623 427701 info.uk@kobold.com

www.kobold.com

For our extended pressure instrument range and all other Kobold instrumentation products visit:

SEN Series Pressure Sensors with AUF-1000S Plug-on Display

SEN - 9

Special Offers NOW for Combined SEN/AUF-1000S Sets

Quality Engineered Instruments

MEASUREMENT & MONITORING

WHERE TO MAKE SAVINGS CPA LTD

Measure, analyse, report, solve According to the Carbon Trust, cash savings of up to 20 per cent can be achieved through energy efficiency measures such as installing variable-speed drives (VSD) for fans, pumps, and other motor driven systems. But, a one size fits all approach to energy savings just won’t do. Here, John Mitchell, global sales & marketing director at supply, installation and repair specialist CP Automation, explains how plants should measure their energy usage to find the best energy saving opportunities.

The ISO 50001 standard requires organisations to establish, implement, maintain and improve an energy management system. To make energy savings, a plant manager must first understand their facility’s energy usage. It sounds obvious, but in reality, achieving energy control and crucial ongoing energy savings requires a strategized approach.

The first step is to measure your energy usage.

Many modern distribution and energy management systems already incorporate energy monitoring and logging facilities.

However, they may only have a limited amount of memory and are unable to store results over an extended period. In addition, many integrated monitors only store summarised data that do not provide the level of detail needed for effective energy optimisation.

Portable power and energy loggers (PELs) provide a convenient and cost-effective alternative, with far superior capabilities.

These PELs, from Chauvin Arnoux for example, can be installed in several different locations, with data from different processes or equipment available on a single screen. A real benefit of these modern devices is that equipment doesn’t need to be turned off and isolated during the installation process.

The next step is carrying out an energy audit. The data from the PEL will show where the most energy is being used in your plant and consequently where the most potential for energy savings can be found. The results from this report

It’s one thing implementing energy savings, but it’s also important to continually monitor your system to ensure you’re getting ongoing energy improvements. will inform the type of improvements to implement and crucially where they should be implemented.

Energy saving opportunities can fall into two broad categories, those that relate to the workplace environment and technical aspects of the electricity supply.

For example, a plant could improve the efficiency of the workplace environment by cutting down on unnecessary out-of-hours usage by switching to LED lighting with occupancy sensors. On the other hand, an energy audit may find that a motor is consuming a high amount of wattless or

useless power. In this instance, power factor correction would need to be installed to reduce this wastage, without compromising the performance of the equipment.

It’s one thing implementing energy savings, but it’s also important to continually monitor your system to ensure you’re getting ongoing energy improvements. Plants should also formulate a metering plan to measure and analyse energy usage over an extended period of time. This will assess whether the chosen energy efficiency measures have been effective or whether further improvements can be made.

Plants may choose to implement energy efficiency schemes for a range of reasons.

While there are several universal energy saving fixes, it’s important that facilities use a targeted approach, which accurately monitors their systems to achieve the most effective energy and cost saving potential.

CP Automation offer a range of products and services to monitor power quality problems and energy usage. Visit www. cpaltd.net for further information about Chauvin Arnoux’s industry leading PEL kits which are available for purchase or hire.

Alternatively contact sales@cpaltd.net to take advantage of the full data analysis, reporting and solution implementation service.

For further information, please visit www.cpaltd.net

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Compact Surface Mount Loop Powered Intelligent Display Model ALP

Quality and Simplicity, out of the box.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Sealed loop powered instrument module No additional power supply required CNC machined stainless steel housing Surface mount fixing (3-holes) Intelligent 6-Digit LCD display Single pole change over relay – NO/NC User set display messaging 5000 Point Logger with USB Interface M12x1 lead connections – pre-wired Easy fit and connect Ideal for local indication and monitoring of process values from obscure sensor locations • Ideal for upgrading blind analogue process instruments

Versatility

Pressure

Temperature

Flow

Level

Analytical

Contact us today to discuss your application

01623 427701 www.kobold.com info.uk@kobold.com Issue 48 PECM

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NEWS & EVENTS

CONTINUALLY EVOLVING EEMUA

Rapidly advancing technology is making good design and management of industrial alarm systems more important than ever

Using red for alarm and valve/pump status can confuse operators

Using red for alarms only is immediately obvious

© EEMUA 2020

© EEMUA 2020

ALARM SYSTEMS: KEY TO SAFE PROCESS PLANT OPERATION In 1994, an explosion at a refinery in Milford Haven, UK, caused widespread injuries and a repair bill of close to £50m. Operators were deluged by alarms, facing 275 of them in the 11 minutes before the blast.

Interpreting the situation was exacerbated by the screen graphics in use.

become, they ultimately rely on people.

The human brain is still on Release 1.0, with its preference to process about five things at a time. Compare that with quantum computing’s promised huge increase in processing power. Industrial alarm Systems lie at the border between these two worlds.

ADDRESSING COMMON ALARM ISSUES

EEMUA Publication 191 (‘Alarm systems: a guide to design, management and procurement’) sets out guidance to help avoid such incidents – recognising that local alarm systems must help, not hinder, plant operators. Rather than prescribe blueprints, it focuses on broad approaches and principles. Now in its third edition, it is regularly updated to reflect good practice, experience, and international standards.

EEMUA’s 191 guidance deals with everything from defining an alarm system, to its detailed design and KPIs. It also offers practical guidance, on common alarm issues... Too many nuisance alarms?

Operator overload. Make definitions clearer.

Develop KPIs that reflect their true capacity.

TECHNOLOGY: MARVELLOUS POSSIBILITIES… MORE CHALLENGES

EEMUA Publication 201 (Control rooms: a guide to their specification, design, commissioning, and operation) complements alarm good practice by looking at the specific factors that make control rooms and operators more effective.

Lighting can affect both alertness and well-being; temperatures need to be even; and screen layout should be considered against criteria like visibility and eyestrain.

The rise of technologies like artificial intelligence and the internet of things offer marvellous possibilities but bring challenges for industrial safety and regulation. They also bring far more data and more to go wrong. However advanced these

The guidance also covers screen graphics design principles, such as only showing items with control functions, avoiding too much red, and keeping information coverage to 50% of screen area.

Travelling further on the road to good practice EEMUA Publications 191 and 201 are complemented by awareness level e-learning modules, and freely downloadable alarms and control rooms checklists. Find out more at ask@eemua.org.

HOW CONTROL ROOM DESIGN CAN HELP

For further information, please visit www.eemua.org

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What makes a good alarm? (© EEMUA 2020) Relevant: Not spurious / low operational value Unique: Doesn’t duplicate another alarm Timely: Not too long before the response is needed; or after it Prioritised: Importance is clear to operators Understandable: Message is understandable Diagnostic: Shows the problem clearly Advisory: Indicates the action needed Focusing: Draws attention to the important

NEWS & EVENTS

EEMUA CONFERENCE 2021 4 FEBRUARY | LIVE ONLINE

Resilience & Asset Integrity managing our industrial infrastructure today and tomorrow Engage with the industry to progress multiple aspects of resilience and asset integrity: • Innovation – contemporary practices and technology • Education – considerations for companies building intelligent customer mindsets • Environment – technologies and markets facilitating net zero • Legal – employees’ awareness of their legal responsibilities

Go to www.eemua.org for details and to register

Issue 48 PECM

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NEWS & EVENTS

Peak

Performance for your filtration system

New Website for DMR Seals DMR Seals, a leading manufacturer of bespoke sealing solutions has launched a brand new website – www. dmrseals.co.uk. The website is aimed at OEMs across many industries, including Oil & Gas, Chemical Processing, Food, Pharmaceutical, Hydraulics and Pneumatics.

The website brings together the wealth of experience and knowledge that DMR has in their position as a leading manufacturer of bespoke sealing solutions. The aim of the new

site is to provide a user-friendly browsing experience for visitors so they can easily navigate through the information about the company, products, services and the industries supplied.

The website contains extensive technical information about product types manufactured, individual product profiles and material data, creating a library of sealing information for site visitors.

To find out more about DMR Seals, visit www.dmrseals.co.uk.

metafilter servicing, spares and on-site training for optimum reliability and long operational life

023 8027 9969

| www.stella-meta.com

restoring the clarity to your filtration system

Rotational mould specialist gains from latest Lanemark process gas burner technology Romold, manufacturers of plastic spill containment products, is now benefiting from the latest process gas heating technology from Lanemark Combustion Engineering – the rotational moulding operations now undertaken by the Livingstonbased company feature a Lanemark FDGA forced draught burner system.

A Lanemark FD30GAN-3 burner, rated at 1,320 kW, and a combustion air fan inlet filter, control system and associated pipework upgrade are all now operational at the site.

Replacing and older non-Lanemark burner, the improvement in efficiency was immediately evident, according to the company’s Production Planning Manager, Michael Adams – “Our old burner would take some 45 minutes to reach the target temperature of 260°C, which has now been reduced to just five minutes,” he says. “Heat distribution is also very even throughout the chamber which has a direct operational input on the quality of

the product that is at the heart of our reputation.”

The Lanemark burner fires through the wall of a Rotospeed machine where a multi-directional arm, that supports the mould, moves as part of the rotational moulding process.

The Lanemark installation at Romold has been supplied complete with the burner manufacturer’s BurnerCare support package which delivers ongoing operational confidence via a combination of factors that include service agreements, spares supply and engineer support.

“This facility is a vital part of the production process for a company that plays a major role in its industry in the UK and worldwide,” concludes Lanemark Sales Director Jeff Foster. “We are very happy to have enhanced our involvement with Romold with this new installation and believe that it will meet the customer’s process heating objectives for many years to come.”

www.lanemark.com

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NEWS & EVENTS

UK Engineering Still Supporting Global Trade Despite the global impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, there are certain sectors that remain as important as ever - engineering and manufacturing being just two of them.

These two sectors alone are fundamental to the backbone of the global economy. Despite the virus, we still need to produce food, fuel, consumer products and the like, all whilst abiding by the new workplace rules that have come in to play.

Although as a sector our workload has slowed somewhat during lockdown, at Rotaflow we have still been producing swivel joints for a diverse range of industries across the globe.

In 2020 alone we have sent swivel joints to the following: Abu Dhabi, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, China, Germany, Ireland, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Thailand, USA and all of the UK. This list shows you exactly how important engineering is to the global economy and support structure. Despite the virtual shutdown of the world, at our engineers and manufacturing staff have been busy designing and manufacturing the world-leading swivel joints our customers have come to expect from us.

CHANGING WORKING PRACTICES The pandemic has forced a change in our working practices temporarily, but even despite that we have continued to operate as efficiently as possible.

We have had to employ social distancing at our manufacturing plant, we’ve moved meetings online and have managed personnel coming in and out of the building. Where possible though, we’ve tried to ensure critical processes remain untouched but within the rules.

We have still designed, manufactured and tested our swivel joints quickly and with the highest quality. They’ve been dispatched all over the globe despite these unprecedented times and there has been limited delays in business.

chains leading to shortages of a variety of products, it may have forced the hand of many to start looking closer to home for production of goods. In the longer term, this can only be a good thing.

At Rotaflow we provide integral parts to machinery across a wide range of engineering and manufacturing sectors, so we are optimistic about the future of the sector in this country. With almost 40 years of expertise and production knowledge on our side, we are perfectly-placed to help support domestic engineering and manufacturing.

OPTIMISM REMAINS

What we have learned during the pandemic is that UK engineering remains a key sector and will continue to thrive.

At the time of writing there is optimism about the progression of a vaccine and advances in the treatment of Coronavirus, so hopefully in 2021 we can return to a version of normality and allow our sector to flourish as the wider global economy returns to its pre-virus levels.

We also hope that more production of goods will return to UK shores now we’ve realised the difficulties with relying on overseas production for so many of the products we use daily.

In our inter-connected world the outsourcing of manufacturing to other countries has arguably left us exposed and over-reliant on others. With the disruption in global supply

In the UK we can boast some of the highest quality design and engineering. It’s about time we started to utilise this and promote quality and service over price.

BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR UK ENGINEERING

www.rotaflow.com

New Board Appointment at Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd On the 1st of November 2020, the Board of Directors of Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd were delighted to announce that Mr James Winn, the great grandson of the founder of the company has been appointed to the Board.

James Winn has worked for the company for over 25 years and he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the management team.

Dawson Shanahan invests over £500k in precision engineering machines to meet demand

The well-known brand of Denso™ offers cost-effective and long-term solutions to corrosion on submerged or exposed steel or concrete, pipes, tanks and structures.

Dawson Shanahan, the specialist precision engineering firm, looks set to exceed its investment targets this year to meet increasing demand from the power distribution, e-mobility and medical sectors, which is expected to increase further in 2021. As part of an ongoing strategy of investing in manufacturing assets for maximum long-term benefit, so far in 2020, we have committed over £500,000 on new machinery.

www.denso.net

Les Reeves, Joint Managing

Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd has specialised in the manufacture and supply of corrosion prevention and sealing products for over 90 years.

Director at Dawson Shanahan explains: “Despite the phenomenal challenges this year, continual investment in new machinery is a cornerstone of the Dawson Shanahan philosophy. The new machines will boost our capacity to satisfy the increase in demand from different sectors, ensuring quicker turnaround and deliveries.”

For more information visit the company’s website at www.dawson-shanahan.co.uk.

Issue 48 PECM

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NEWS & EVENTS

LATEST NEWS FROM DERITEND DERITEND

Deritend eyes £1m revenue boost after signing IESA partnership A leading engineering solutions provider has been announced as a preferred supplier to IESA in a deal that could be worth up to £1m per year.

of a specialist team to respond to enquiries within 24 hours and provide immediate technical support and access to industryleading equipment and solutions.

Deritend Group, which recently completed a major relocation project to larger facilities in West Bromwich, has completed the quality assurance exercise required to be listed in the Motor and Gearbox category.

Richard Hale, CEO of Deritend Group, commented: “This is a big moment for our business and one that will hopefully lead to lots of new opportunities for us across multiple sectors.

This means the firm will now be part of the global outsourcing specialist’s central list of suppliers that companies like Astra Zeneca, Bentley, 2 Sisters Food Group, Michelin and Molson Coors use for their maintenance, repair and operational (MRO) requirements.

“It’s a really good fit as IESA is looking to offer move than just products and want suppliers who can deliver solutions, something we are experts in. Our experience in motors, gearboxes and pumps is second to none and we have a team of engineers ready to meet emergency repair requirements and provide advice on getting the most out of these vital pieces of equipment.”

It is the result of a year-long discussion, a number of assessments and the creation

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He continued: “We estimate that it will be worth £1m in our first year and comes on the back of a very busy period for us, with the relocation of our Midlands operation to West Bromwich underway and a number of new framework contracts secured.”

Deritend is firmly established as one of the UK’s leading providers of engineering solutions, including the repair or replacement of electric motors pumps, gearboxes, electronic controls and induction equipment.

The company stocks industry-leading brands, including David Brown, Radicon, Siemens, TEC and WEG and also provides services ranging from condition monitoring and asset management to machine shop and fabrication.

From left, Phil McNally, Richard Hale and Dave Booth

This is a big moment for our business and one that will hopefully lead to lots of new opportunities for us across multiple sectors.

critical role in ensuring we have clean water in our homes, production lines meet just-intime requirements and society has a regular supply of food.

A fully equipped fabrication operation in Middlesbrough and a skilled team of engineers located strategically across the UK continue to support customers ranging from Severn Trent/Thames Water and JCB to British Steel and Mondelez International, who own Cadbury.

The ongoing relocation to West Bromwich takes its annual investment to over £1m, with new equipment installed and an upskilling programme implemented for the majority of its 120-strong workforce.

For further information, please visit www. deritend.co.uk or follow @deritend on twitter. More details on IESA can be found at www.iesa.co.uk

Neil Jackson, Supplier Relationship Manager at IESA, added his support: “Our customers span a wide variety of industries and we need suppliers who have experience in all of these areas.

“Deritend meets this requirement and, importantly, can help us add value to our clients by providing technical advice that could overcome a production issue, achieve greater efficiencies and save costs.

“It also has superb logistical coverage through its centres of excellence in the Midlands, the North and the South.”

Deritend, which was acquired by Richard and his management team in 2001, plays a For further information, please visit visit www.deritend.co.uk Issue 48 PECM

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PACKAGING

THE SYNTAC® RANGE TRELLEBORG APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES

A New Generation of Thermoforming Plug Assist Materials for Food Packaging Applications Manufacturers of food and beverage packaging need to ensure materials, machinery and processes support the creation of packaging that is both effective and meets required design aesthetics.

Following feedback from customers, Trelleborg’s applied technologies operation has developed three new thermoforming plug assist materials to enable manufacturers to increase their productivity, reduce downtime and maintain the high product quality needed for food packaging.

Over a six-month period, Trelleborg collaborated with several key manufactures of food packaging across Europe to develop new material formulations. With two PHD Chemists leading the development project, Trelleborg’s R&D team looked at the existing thermoforming plug assist technology, with the aim of enhancing the materials and their properties to meet customer requirements.

Zaki Akhtar, Product Development Manager, Trelleborg’s applied technologies operation in Rochdale, England, says: “Our customers need a range of materials, each of which is designed for a specific plug assist application; versatile materials that run at elevated temperatures, high strength materials that can easily produce deep draw end products, or materials that are tough and durable for multiple production runs. Customer feedback on our new range is excellent and we are really pleased to have achieved our original aim.”

Designed for general forming and costsensitive applications, Syntac® CIS (Core Industrial Solutions) is suitable for use up to +180 OC. With the option of additional pre-fitted customer specific inserts, the material can be polished to achieve an extremely smooth surface finish, making it perfect for everyday tooling applications.

In high-heat, high strength tooling applications, Syntac® HTS (High Temperature Solutions) provides excellent material uniformity, whilst maintaining product quality. Suitable for use up to

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Customer feedback on our new range is excellent and we are really pleased to have achieved our original aim. +220 OC, the material offers excellent uniformity, maintaining hardness even at maximum temperature, to produce high clarity packaging.

Allowing for super-fine detailing with reduced breakage, Syntac® STS (Strong Tough Solutions) is wear and abrasion resistant, providing high levels of repeatability whilst maintaining product quality. Suitable for use up to +180 OC,

Syntac® STS is strong, tough, and durable with consistent performance, making it suitable for food packaging requiring a deeper draw (mold) and high clarity finish.

Trelleborg’s Syntac® CIS and Syntac® HTS materials are made from high-grade epoxy resin and hollow glass microspheres (HGMS), while Syntac® STS uses a novel thermoset polymer matrix. Each of the new Syntac® materials are available in sheet, bar and cast versions. Syntac® is easy to machine and finish, offering a costeffective alternative to traditional aluminum materials.

The latest materials in the Syntac® range are available as a castable system. By casting the plugs instead of machining, customers can reduce the amount of wasted material and save time by removing the need for CNC machining or outsourcing for those customers without access to in-house CNC-machining.

Cast plugs can be used instantly or quickly finished, reducing delays, and providing a fast hot-swappable solution. As part of the casting process, Trelleborg can add in customer specific aluminum inserts to support the easy attachment of the plugs to either the ceiling or bed plate of manufacturing equipment.

Kerry Lyons, Business Development Manager, Trelleborg’s applied technologies operation in Rochdale, England, says: “Our Syntac® range of materials are specifically developed to meet the changing needs of our customers and are engineered to be lightweight, durable and tough, offering a cost-effective alternative solution to wood, nylon and aluminum.”

attractive appearance of goods, such as confectionary, requires a high clarity finish.

Poor plug assist material selection can result in clouding to the end product, or an uneven, inconsistent finish. Syntac® HTS and Syntac® STS produce a high clarity end product across a range of temperatures, meeting the requirement for application specific materials.

Kerry Lyons, continues: “Our Syntac® range of materials are available off the shelf with shorter lead-times than previously offered, with manufacturing taking place in our UK facility. Downtime is a real issue for manufacturers, by helping customers to select the right material, they can increase efficiency, improving productivity and uptime.”

For packaging applications that require a deeper plug, Syntac® STS provides a hard wearing, abrasion resistant solution. Suitable for use up to +180 OC, Syntac STS is durable, and supporting high levels of repeatability, ensures consistent, high quality performance.

Packaging manufactured using Syntac® STS can have super-fine detailing with reduced breakages, improving production efficiencies.

Packaging for fresh produce or designed to highlight the bright colors and For more information on our Syntac® range please contact us at appliedtechnologies@trelleborg.com Issue 48 PECM

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PACKAGING

VIABLE AUUTOMATION SOLUTION BRILLOPAK

Brillopak meats industry challenges with UniPAKer Brillopak is launching its award-winning UniPAKer robotic crate packer into the meat, fish & poultry sector following design enhancements that make the system both affordable and efficient in tray-sealed meat applications. The development of a new generation end-effector that offers increased suction and control when handling trays and skin packs coupled with a new dual-pick configuration have made the UniPAKer a viable automation solution for this sector for the first time.

Availability of labour has steadily declined since the Brexit vote in 2016 and now with COVID, staff can no longer work in close contact with each other. Both of these factors have conspired to challenge meat, fish & poultry packers, who rely heavily on overseas workers and do not have the

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space to accommodate social distancing, whilst maintaining production levels.

Automation presents an obvious solution to this situation.

However, as Brillopak director David Jahn explains, it is not as straightforward as replacing two or three people with a robot. “Automating the secondary packaging operation is a logical solution, but it is not as simple as it might seem. Any robotic system has to be extremely compact to fit into very tight spaces and must offer complete flexibility in terms of packing different pack formats and crate sizes. The solution must be able to pick and place consistently and accurately at high speed, without dropping any packs. Hygienic design is a given.�

Brillopak has risen to the challenge,

optimising the design of its UniPAKer robot to meet the specific demands of meat, fish & poultry producers and packers. This trailblazing robot has already revolutionised the packing of bagged fresh produce such as apples, sprouts and potatoes into crates and now looks set to be a game-changer in the meat, fish & poultry industry.

By optimising the cycle speed and developing a new range of end effectors, a single robot with a dual-pick head, Brillopak has shaved 25% off the cost of a typical robotic crate packing system. In this configuration, the robot performs two picks, then places the packs in the crate, two at a time. becomes a cost-effective and spaceefficient machine capable of packing tray sealed meat packs in excess of 70 packs per minute.

A redesign of the vacuum end-effector has been key to pushing the boundaries of performance on meat, fish & poultry packs.

The redesign has improved the head’s vacuum capabilities through a combination of more consistent, faster airflow and larger independent vacuum generators. A stronger, more uniform vacuum means the robot holds the packs squarely and tightly so it can be controlled from the conveyor to the crate at a faster speed, in a controlled manner.

Brillopak’s engineers are further developing the UniPAKer concept to pick an entire row at a time on the same compact footprint, which will dramatically bring down the capital cost. A pioneer in vacuum handling packing system design, Brillopak has devised a flexible solution based on a single, universal vacuum head with independently operating vacuum cups for precision control. Individual valves can be turned on and off to allow different pack combinations to be picked.

“With this solution we are dramatically increasing throughput, while keeping the footprint of the machine really small, which is a very attractive proposition for meat, fish & poultry operators,” says David.

With this solution we are dramatically increasing throughput, while keeping the footprint of the machine really small, which is a very attractive proposition for meat, fish & poultry operators One of the idiosyncrasies of MAP meat, fish & poultry products is that there can be minute variations in pack height depending on the volume of gas in the pack. These variations, which can be 4-5mm either way, can hinder the robot’s ability to draw a vacuum, causing it to drop the pack (if the pack is lower than usual) or crush the pack (if the pack is higher than usual). This variability can also arise when there is a subtle temperature change that causes the pack contents to expand or contract.

Rather than stop the line and call engineering to adjust the system, Brillopak has come to the rescue with a feature that allows the operator to manually adjust the position at which the vacuum is turned on by the few millimeters necessary, Accurate feeding into the robot cell is key to an efficient crate packing operation, and in meat, fish & poultry applications, different tray orientations can cause a problem. Whilst some trays will exit the tray sealer narrow-edge leading, others will be long-edge leading, depending on the tooling format. A robot can pick packs in either orientation, but to maximise picking efficiency, all packs should normally be presented in the same orientation. Brillopak has addressed this potential issue with the design of a servo turner that will reposition trays after they leave the tray sealer.

The UniPAKer can be programmed to pack any combination of product into any crate size. Whilst supermarket customers often require half (300 x 400mm) crates for higher value meat SKUs, high volume lines such as minced beef will usually be supplied in full (600 x 400mm) crates. The UniPAKer can switch between both crate size at the touch of a button.

For further information, please visit www.brillopak.co.uk Issue 48 PECM

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NEW FOR 2021

® ®

Stage Stage 1.

1. Manufacture Manufacture

Stage Stage 2.

2. Sale Sale

Introduce Introduce an an additive additive to to the the plastic plastic to to make make Biojet® Biojet®

Packaging Packaging on on the the shelf shelf

Stage Stage 3.

3. End End of of life life Microbes Microbes like like Biojet® Biojet® and and start start breaking breaking down down the the packaging packaging

Biojet®® packaging has been created to deliver biodegradable transparent tubes, boxes and clampacks.

Stage Stage 4.

4. Biodegradation Biodegradation Microbes Microbes break break down down Biojet® Biojet® in in a a much much shorter shorter period period of of time time

Stage Stage 5.

5. Gone Gone Microbes Microbes consume consume the the whole whole pack pack and and leave leave organic organic matter matter CO2 CO2 & & CH4 CH4

will only happen in the correct environment where microbes exist.

As people seek better environmental packaging solutions, Bell Packaging is delighted to announce the introduction of this exciting new product which means we can now offer a complete environmental range for new packaging projects in 2021.

VIRGIN – REUSABLE – RECYCLABLE – RECYCLED – BIODEGRADABLE Traditionally biodegradable / compostable products are very expensive. In some cases the cost has been two or three times more than virgin products which often makes the packaging cost prohibitive and is therefore not widely used. There has also been concerns expressed about the viability of biodegradable products questioning what remains after the degradable process has been completed. ® ®

Biojet answers both of these challenges. It is a much lower cost solution and has many exciting environmental credentials.

Traditionally plastic products use crude oil to create polymer which is then converted into plastic which we use to make PET boxes, tubes and clampacks. Our challenge has been to make these designs biodegradable but not affect the performance of the packaging whilst it is in use. ® ® To make Biojet we introduce an additive which attracts microbes that uses plastic as their source of food and energy. These microbes can be found in landfill, the ocean floor, rivers and swamps where bacteria and microbes thrive. When the microbes meet the plastic, the biodegradation process is accelerated as the plastic is consumed. This process

www.bellpackaging.com

What used to take thousands of years to break down plastic now takes much less time as the microbes consume the entire product. After the process has been completed, the microbes leave behind the same bi-products as decaying organic matter – humus (soil), CO2 and CH4 both of which can be captured to produce clean energy. ® ® Biojet packaging is 100% recyclable through the normal PET recycling centres.

This additive has been independently tested and complies with the Intertek Greenleaf Biodegradability Standard. ® ®

The additive used in Biojet is 100% organic and is comprised of non toxic raw materials which are independently approved for direct contact with food.

The additive also complies with other domestic and international requirements for the absence of toxic or other potentially harmful substances.

The additive is FDA Title 21 Part 177 compliant for food contact and fully compliant with EU REACH Regulation No 1907/2006. ® ® Testing to date shows that Biojet packaging made with this additive performs in the same way as standard recycled plastic. The shelf life, appearance, clarity and strength of the packaging all remain constant with the same characteristics as packaging made using virgin or recycled polymers. ® ®

Biojet is a Registered Name owned by Biojet®® Bell Packaging Limited. Biojet® has an EU & UK patent pending and is Designed only available for supply to to keep our Bell Packaging clients. oceans

www.faceguards.co.uk

+44 (0) 1582 459292

cleaner

®

NEW FOR 2021

Biojet® packaging has been created to deliver biodegradable plastic tubes, boxes and clampacks.

Traditionally biodegradable / compostable products are very expensive.

In some cases the cost has been two, three or even four times more than virgin products and therefore not widely used….Biojet® is a much lower cost solution that has many exciting environmental benefits.

Biojet®

Designed to keep our oceans cleaner

DESIGNED & MANUFACTURED

IN GREAT BRITAIN

www.bellpackaging.com

www.faceguards.co.uk

+44 (0) 1582 459292

PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES

New Blood to Build on Bowman Success 2021 heralds exciting times for Bowman Stor and its SEPURA™ brand of oil/water separation units. The leading global filtration specialist has welcomed Nikolas Luketic as its new Business Development Manager.

A multi-lingual sales and marketing professional, Nikolas has a wealth of experience in sales and business generation roles for major national and international organisations.

With a demonstrable track record of business growth in the UK , Europe, the Middle East and African regions, his expertise has helped develop key accounts in many sectors including the industrial pump and air compressor market. His long list of achievements includes introducing new products into the power generation market, increasing the presence of international brands and securing prestigious contracts in a range of industries. He has worked with some of the world’s leading brands in the fields of engineering equipment, water treatment and air compressors to name but a few.

Nikolas is looking forward to helping Bowman in their next stage of development and will be striving to build upon the success of their unique SEPURA series.

Bowman Stor’s owner and Managing Director, Richard Potts said: “We’re delighted that Nikolas has joined the team - he has a vast knowledge of the air compressor industry and will play a key part in our ongoing growth strategy”.

Alongside this, Bowman has recently achieved DIBt approval status for its key range of SEPURA™ oil-water separator products (SEP60 through to SEP2500). The globally-recognised stamp of approval gives users even greater confidence that SEPURA separators are fit for purpose and reach the exacting demands required by building control personnel.

To place an order or for further information on SEPURA’s unique range of filtration products contact:

Multi Factor Europe Ltd., t: 01978 855995 e: sales@mfeuk.co.uk or visit our website: sepura-technologies.com

Sepura Blue Genes Half Page Ad 132x180L.qxp_Layout 1 04/12/2020 16:48 Page 1 www.sepura-technologies.com

Only SEPURA™ separators contain the superior SILEXA™ filtration media.

Blue Genes Having trouble locating discontinued or limited stock 60 cfm units to fit your set up?

Many of the most popular 60 cfm separator products can be traced back to the SEPURA™ SEP 60 ST which means that our unit will work perfectly with your existing set up.

Same size, same fittings, same performance.

Supporting our customers is in our DNA so, if you need more information or replacement units fast, contact your local stockist or visit our website for details.

SEPURA™ is part of the Bowman Group

www.sepura-technologies.com

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t:

+44 (0)1543 379212

e: sales@sepura-technologies.com

PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES

Hygienic engineering, design, development & fabrication Genuine expertise in the application of Hygienic and Pharmaceutical Industry Standards, from design, materials, and manufacturing, to surface finish options, traceability and documentation takes years of practical experience and specialist knowledge. Axium’s highly qualified engineers have been delivering a complete in-house engineering service for decades offering, process development solutions, custom fabrications, skilled metal polishing, and super-precision machining.

Fully Integrated In-House Support • Engineering Design to ASME BPE & EHEDG standards • Product and Process Development • TIG, Spot and Orbital welding • CNC Equipped Machine Shop • Bead-blast, Mechanical and Electropolishing • Full Traceability and Certification • 100% Inspection

www.axiumprocess.com

New Quantum Cascade Lasers from 10µm to 17µm for Monitoring BTX, CH3I and HCN FLC offers innovative off-the-shelf Industrial Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) and QCLbased spectrometer modules for Industrial & Defence applications. For the first time, single frequency DFB lasers, based on an InAs-technology, commercially available in the wavelength range from 10-17µm and output power of 5 - 10mW. They open the way for high resolution spectroscopy applications to detect and monitor substances as the aromatics Benzene (~14.9µm), Toluene (~16µm) and Xylene Propane (~14µm) as well as Methyl Iodide (CH3I) (~11.3µm) and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) (~15.9µm). Detection and monitoring of the substances is most important in the Oil & Gas, Chemical and Nuclear Industry. An early detection of the radioactive CH3I in a nuclear power plant for can reduce the risk of a serious accident, preventing a shut-down of the plant and might save many lives. https://frlaserco.com

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Vaisala to expand its premium Indigo product range

Turbine Controls Ltd

The HMP1 complements the Indigo product family, which is a premium solution for multi-parameter measurements with flexible connectivity. The modular product family consists of interchangeable smart probes, transmitters, and Vaisala Insight PC Software, which together create a strong chain of data to ensure energy efficiency, safety, and endproduct quality.

Turbine Controls Ltd is one of the leading suppliers of control equipment and specialist engineering services for rotating equipment and industrial plant. Founded in 1985, TCL has worked with major oil companies, power generators and contractors worldwide, winning contracts for retrofit control equipment, commissioning, fault finding, routine maintenance, reliability engineering and consultancy. We provide the following equipment and services: • Control and monitoring systems for: • Rotating equipment.

• Power plant auxiliaries.

• CHP and CCGT power plant.

• Petrochemical plant.

• Site services, maintenance and overhaul.

• Engineering consultancy.

• Workshop overhaul and repair.

• Engine overhaul and repair.

• ISTEC vibration monitoring and overspeed protection distributor.

www.vaisala.com/indigo

Tel: +44 (0) 116 271 7248 Web: tcluk.net

Vaisala, a global leader in weather, environmental, and industrial measurements, introduces a new HUMICAP® Humidity and Temperature Probe HMP1. With its top-of-theline accuracy and sensor purge functionality that ensures excellent stability over time, the HMP1 is an ideal choice for demanding humidity measurements in environments such as pharmaceutical facilities, data centers, cleanrooms, or any other environments that require strict humidity monitoring and control.

PUMPS

Wanner announces new Hydra-Cell heavy duty, high pressure, multi-diaphragm seal-less pump Wanner has launched the Hydra-Cell® T200 Series Medium Pressure, multi-diaphragm pump range, which in terms of flow rate and pressure are the highest performing pumps in the Hydra-Cell range and the biggest pumps ever produced by the Company. They feature a seal-less design that eliminates leaks, hazards and the expense associated with seals and packing; lowering the cost of ownership and giving a longer service life than competitive pumping technologies.

There are two models, currently, in the T200 Series, rated at 207 bar (3000 psi) and 241 bar (3500 psi) with maximum flows of 387 l/min (102.2 US gpm) and 349 l/ min (92.4 US gpm) respectively.

The new pumps are ideal for oil and gas production, mining operations, boiler feed and high-pressure cleaning, along with chemical and petrochemical process and transfer applications.

Hydra-Cell pumps have no dynamic seals, cups or packing to leak, wear or replace, eliminating seal maintenance costs while hazardous materials and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are fully contained.

The seal-less design, combined with robust check valves, also enable the pump to handle abrasive particles up to 800 microns in size and with less wear than gear, screw or plunger pumps. The Hydra-Cell T200 can operate with a closed or blocked suction line and can run dry indefinitely without damage, eliminating downtime and repair costs.

With energy costs becoming an ever-increasing element in overall operational cost the T200’s low energy consumption, in relation to performance, will contribute significantly to its claim of having the lowest cost of ownership.

www.hydra-cell.eu

Mobile Hygienic Pump Kit For High Temperature Viscous Sauces A traditional bakery established for over 50 years was looking to improve the way fruit Jams, Toffee Sauce, Fruit Curds and Whipped Cream were transferred into process at temperatures up to 110°C. The current procedure was to transfer sauces via totes or buckets, however the customer wanted to improve their process and automate food transfer, reduce the likelihood of burns or accidents and eliminate manual lifting and tipping of containers. We worked with the bakery to customise a hygienic mobile pump kit with control panel enabling an operator to easily start, stop, control flow & reverse sauce transfer with very little training. Furthermore the pump kit was designed with built-in alarm, and controls to prevent accidental damage being performed to the pump. The unit also featured a control panel and motor shroud cover in Stainless Steel, improving the ease and speed at which the unit could be cleaned.

For more info on this case study click here. www.northridgepumps.com

The Game Changing Single-Use Diaphragm Valve As the world’s first single use diaphragm valve, GEMÜ SUMONDO is a major step forward in SingleUse applications. The diaphragm valve body can be easily connected / disconnected from the actuator, it requires significantly less time to replace compared to normal cleaning and sterilization processes (CIP/SIP) in conventional plant.

For more information, please click here.

This reduces not only the investment costs, but also eliminates the time-consuming cleaning validation of the piping

Pump Vibration Monitoring Pumps are crucial components of many processes across most industrial applications.

Vibration monitoring is a cost-effective way to maintain pump and overall machine health, minimize downtime and reduce operating costs. Key indicators of pump health are, Balance, Alignment, Cavitation, Vane pass frequency, Bearing health.

Our range of 4-20mA loop powered sensors provide an economical means, when connected to a monitoring system such as a plant PLC, DCS or SCADA system, to continuously monitor your pumps. Trending this vibration data over a period of time will give you an early indication of the pumps health which can then be investigated further.

KDP Electronic Systems 01767 651058 www.kdpes.co.uk

system/components which is no longer required. SingleUse processes are safer due to the reduced risk of cross contamination.

CMOs can also benefit from using a Single-Use plant as it allows them to produce smaller batches of product that are often required in pilot production systems and facilitate shorter lead times. GEMÜ SUMONDO has a panel mount actuator with an optional positioner for flow control and ability to send feedback to the plant control system.

Increased levels of automation mean that the systems are less susceptible to faults.

Tel: 01925 824044 Email: enquiries@gemu.co.uk Web: www.gemu.co.uk

Hydra-Cell® Pulse-less MT8 Metering Pump has ATEX Certification The Hydra-Cell MT8 low-flow, high-pressure metering and dosing pump is now available with ATEX Zone 2 certification.

Conforming to ATEX Group ll, Category 3, Zone 2, gas group (IIC) and temperature class (T5 or T4 depending on process liquid temperature), the MT8 is classified for use within explosive atmospheres consisting of a mixture of air and flammable substance in the form of gas, vapour or mist that is not likely to occur in normal operation, but if it does occur will persist for a short time only.

For Category 3, Zone 2, a protective system isn’t always required. In this case, an oil level sight bowl is fitted to the drive side of the Hydra-Cell pump that enables easy monitoring by the end user.

For more information, visit www.hydra-cell.co.uk Issue 48 PECM

95

SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS

Barcode tracking for growth Less people manage more orders with barcode tracking systems. These prevent mistakes, ensure compliance and facilitate delivery on time. Label printers, barcode scanners and mobile computers automate identification and data capture. We supply them to eliminate time and error using forms, keyboards and spreadsheets. Accurate realtime data helps you plan work, operate supply chains and quote profitable prices for new business. We offer Codetrack applications for specific operations and BellHawk modular manufacturing and warehousing systems for immediate use out of the box. BellHawk uses artifical intelligence to get the data it needs to schedule orders, record movements of materials and products, track processes, comply with regulations and ship everything.

It handles multiple sites, automates data exchange with other systems and provides traceability with mock recalls. Customisations are available.

Action guide for European environmental regulations The web-based FBDi Environmental and Compliance Compass (‘FBDi Compass’) offers valuable support for companies in all industries along the supply chain in handling EU regulations. It can be applied to all products, regardless of whether they are electrical or electronic products.

Handling is easy, with flowcharts guiding through the handling of the regulations and clearly show the steps to be observed. Thanks to the systematic approach the principle can be applied in the same way for each product.

This makes the guide a valuable navigation aid for device manufacturers, suppliers and customers in all industries.

Time-Domain NMR Spectrometer for Process Measurement & Control Designed by a British company active in the NMR field for decades, this highly compact Mk3 time-domain NMR relaxation spectrometer provides physical information on liquid and solid samples in the lab and in the field.

NMR Relaxation is an extremely useful quantitative technique for material science, particularly for studying polymers and porous materials. The measurement of NMR relaxation amplitudes and decay times enables the measurement of both the mass and qualities which are variously described as mobility, dynamics, stiffness, viscosity or rigidity.

The Graphical User Interface has extensive software for on- and off-line analysis of material and sample data, and built-in modules for process on-line monitoring and control. The signal-to noise is excellent, and digital R.F processing on a Field-Programmable-GateArray gives high long-term stability.

01206 756777 | identify@codeway.com codeway.biz/ls/bt

Access is now made possible by a license model with graduated fees, for details see: www.fbdi.de/fbdi-compass.html

Access Database Development

Smart and fast 3D analysis

Calibrations made simply logical!

We have helped a myriad of manufacturing and related businesses add more functionality to their management systems and to grow and evolve as their business needs change. Pulling together various spreadsheets and standalone databases that your business uses into one centralised database system provides quick wins: • reduced staff time entering and accessing information • everyone seeing the same up-to-date information • real-time management / financial reporting • task automation and faster system operation • improved data security • increased robustness and scalability

With the 3D sensor from EVT it is now possible to realize 3D analysis without PC. Simply attach the pre-calibrated sensor, select the task from the ready-to-use inspection tools and then measure an angle, distance or gap with a measuring frequency of up to 3000 measurements per second. The result can be taken directly from the sensor as a good or bad signal. Optionally, the data can be sent to the PLC via Profinet or Modbus to correct a production process immediately and automatically.

The latest release of Beamex LOGiCAL, a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) calibration platform, streamlines the calibration process with account and user management, the ability to add plant structures and instruments for calibration, convenient reference management, and the safe storage of calibration results.

Beyond that we provide expert help for: • integration with other systems • web-based portal for your customers or suppliers • remote access for home-workers / site staff • upgrading to larger databases e.g. MySQL, SQL Server etc www.AccessDatabaseDevelopment.co.uk

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The sensor is only connected to a computer (Windows/Linux) for a short time for configuration. The inspection is configured with the ready-to-use inspection tool and can be used immediately. The sensor can also be used for more complex tasks than the ready-to-use inspection tools allow. In this case more detailed tools can be used in the remote configuration system of the EyeVision software.

Tel: +49 721 668 004 230 | info@evt-web.com www.evt-web.com

www.Lab-Tools.com

LOGiCAL supports mobile calibration online or off using Beamex documenting calibrators or the bMobile tablet or smartphone app.

Calibrations can also be configured and performed using any internet-connected device with a web browser. Subscription plans to LOGiCAL are available for a low monthly fee with a pay-per-use structure that allows calibration costs to be scaled according to need.

Beamex has been developing calibration equipment for more than 40 years and calibration software for over 20. www.beamex.com

OEM Design and Manufacturing Service

Embedded Computer Design, Integration and Manufacturing Services

"A successful product not only requires a competent functional design...... ....it also needs to be designed for manufacture."

BVM have many years of experience in providing off the shelf and bespoke industrial PC systems. Whatever your application, talking your ideas through with our experienced engineering team might just provide that different angle you’ve been searching for to see your project over the line.

Concept multiple cameras

Design Ethernet and 4g wireless connection

Manufacture

Why not call us today....

Call: 01489 780144 Web: www.bvm.co.uk Email: info@bvmltd.co.uk

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THINK lowest cost per cut KASTO is the world’s leading manufacturer of high productivity sawing machines - manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic.

Horizontal and vertical bandsaws including block and tube saws, circular saws and hack saws are included in our range.

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PECM Issue 48

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They effectively exhaust fumes, ventilate confined spaces, and increase the flow of fresh air.

The Miniveyor Air range are tough! The rugged VAF ventilators easily withstand blows without denting, giving less downtime and greater productivity and come with an industry leading 10 year warranty on the body.

The vane axial fans work on positive and negative airflow and are at home either extracting dust and fumes or blowing clean air into a confined workspace. In fact whatever the industry you work in, from marine, construction, mining, telecoms, fabrication or maintenance services, our VAF series fans will take whatever is thrown at them.

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