Process Engineering Control & Manufacturing - Issue 52 2021

Process

MANUFACTURING

Control &

Engineering

PECM

Global Success Through Innovation Issue 52 2021 £3.95 www.pecm.co.uk

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CHEMUK -22

TSN is the next evolutionary stage for industrial Ethernet communications

Visitor registration has now opened for CHEMUK 2021, the UK chemical industries national expo.

SUBCON - 86 Subcon returns to support in-person networking as UK manufacturing sector prepares for a post-pandemic future

Out of the Box Such is our confidence in this technology we offer an unparalleled 5 year full warranty on all models

Exclusive UK Importer /jasicuk

@jasicuk

Find out more www.jasic.co.uk

0161 793 8127

Process

MANUFACTURING

Inside...

Sections Editors Choice Automotive & Engineering Boilers & Maintenance Control & Automation Electrical & Electronics Facilities Management Food Processing Gears, Drives & Motors Health & Safety Hydraulics & Pneumatics Machining & Machinery Measurement & Monitoring News & Events Packaging PPMA Show Preview Process Technologies Pumps Software & Systems Storage, Handling & Distribution Switches & Sensors Tools Valve & Flow control

Control &

Engineering Inside Issue 52 6 44 46 47 62 68 70 74 77 83 89 100 109 116 124 127 132 136 141 148 152 156

CLPA

FINNING

DIPERK

SPARC SYSTEMS

TSN is the next evolutionary stage for industrial Ethernet communications Achieving the right skills balance

CHEMUK

Short and long term rental: what’s the difference?

Plucky poultry company trims seasoning weight waste

Visitor registration has now opened for CHEMUK 2021, the UK chemical industries national expo, being held on 15th & 16th September at the NEC in Birmingham.

SUBCON

ADVANCED ENGINEERING

The event for 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing Intelligence

What can you expect from this year’s Advanced Engineering show?

ŠKODA

ŠKODA AUTO has produced eight million MQ200 manual gearboxes at the Mladá Boleslav site

RARUK AUTOMATION

Factory of the future opts for mobile robots from raruk Automation

Subcon returns to support in-person networking as UK manufacturing sector prepares for a post-pandemic future

TCT 3SIXTY

RENISHAW

Renishaw apprentices secure second place in Engineering without Borders awards

PPMA

Countdown begins to first UK live event for the processing and packaging industry

Issue 52 PECM

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3 & 4 November 2021, NEC Birmingham The UK’s leading annual gathering of engineering supply chain professionals

REGISTER FREE ONLINE I found the event a great networking opportunity to meet industrial professionals from different backgrounds with different products.

Kat Clarke, Wing Manufacturing Engineer, Airbus

10,000+ engineering professionals in attendance

500+

200+

exhibitors showcasing their products/services

hours of free-to-attend industry content

Benefit from co-location with: AERO ENGINEERING

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

PERFORMANCE METALS ENGINEERING

COMPOSITES ENGINEERING

CONNECTED MANUFACTURING

MEDICAL DEVICE ENGINEERING NEW

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REGISTER FREE ONLINE USING THIS CODE: 7234

www.advancedengineeringuk.com +44 (0)20 3196 4358 | aeuk@easyfairs.com

Process

The leading source for innovators in Technology, Manufacturing and Maintenance within the Engineering & Processing industry worldwide.

Published bimonthly, a subscription to PECM magazine is essential for Process Engineers, Chemical Engineers, Instrumentation Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Plant Engineers, Precision Engineers, Environmental Engineers & General Engineers, Companies and Organizations in the Food, Dairy, Beverage, Brewing, Semiconductor, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Chemical, Oil & Gas, as well as all UK's major manufacturing units.

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 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

TIME-SENSITIVE NETWORKING CLPA

TSN is the next evolutionary stage for industrial Ethernet communications Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is paving the way for industrial Ethernet to support the industrial communications needs of the future by providing innovative, highly beneficial functionalities. Companies are well aware of this potential, with multiple key developments happening to fully realize TSN-driven digital manufacturing strategies.

Arno Stock, Business Development Manager at CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) member Renesas Electronics,

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PECM Issue 52

looks at what TSN can offer and the latest achievements that are shaping the future of industrial Ethernet.

TSN is an extremely promising technology that will allow industrial Ethernet to reach new levels. Operating at Layer 2 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, it enhances standard Ethernet as we know it by making it deterministic by design. This characteristic, in turn, will benefit end users in a variety of industries by offering the

ability to merge different types of data traffic, leading to more flexible and collaborative environments. At the same time, this creates simplified, more economical network architectures as well as unified hardware and software systems.

Therefore, the crucial role of TSN in futureproof, digital manufacturing is clear.

This technology is the precondition needed to support key Industry 4.0 applications and trends, such as Edge and Cloud computing.

A SMOOTH TRANSITION In addition to these most obvious advantages, an instrumental feature of TSN is its continuity with existing network technology. In effect, while it offers unprecedented capabilities, it does so by evolving conventional Ethernet rather than by substantially disrupting the status quo.

As a result, businesses can seamlessly transition towards TSN-compatible industrial Ethernet systems.

This also means that TSN is compatible with legacy standards. Furthermore, it can be combined with additional solutions that are already available for conventional industrial Ethernet, such as gigabit bandwidth, which is key to support ever-increasing data throughput. In addition, it can accommodate the higher number of network devices and nodes resulting from converged architectures.

Additional advantages of mixing TSN and gigabit Ethernet include the ability to shorten cycle times, increase the accuracy and precision of control loops as well as strengthening the ability of a network to

TSN is an extremely promising technology that will allow industrial Ethernet to reach new levels. transfer various types of data, such as video. Such a solution can also reduce the complexity of distributed control systems, as it is possible to reliably move more functions to a single controller, also making the intended applications more robust as well as easier to set up and maintain.

END USERS ARE READY FOR TSN The multiple benefits of TSN are evident to machine builders and end users. In particular, Renesas is noticing a high level of interest from its customers, who are aware the technology will be a must in the years to come. A key aspect that is extremely appealing to most of them is the standardization/simplification of protocols, enabling the connection of all parts within an enterprise.

In order to successfully implement TSN, it is necessary to use a network technology with higher-level protocols, as these are needed to complete the OSI reference model and support TSN applications. An example is the open industrial Ethernet CC-Link IE TSN. In addition, companies require suitable hardware that can utilize this Layer 2 technology, such as Renesas’ R-IN32M4-CL3 large scale integration (LSI) that leverages CC-Link IE TSN. Driverlevel support is also important, as realtime TSN-compatible systems require a close interaction between low-level driver software and hardware equipment.

To address these aspects with leading solutions, automation vendors need to team up to deliver devices with TSN capabilities that meet customers’ expectations and needs. Being part of an extensive partnership network, such as the CLPA, is thus extremely beneficial, as it offers a forum where solution providers come together to drive the development and consolidation of key automation products.

A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS A number of major milestones have been reached to support the use of TSN. In particular, the IEEE 802.1 standards defining the technology are now complete and

Arno Stock, Business Development Manager at CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) member Renesas Electronics, looks at what TSN can offer and the latest achievements that are shaping the future of industrial Ethernet. accessible. Also, the first network solutions have been released to the market, namely CC-Link IE TSN – the first open Ethernet that combines gigabit bandwidth and TSN capabilities.

Finally, the first prototypes and complete products have already appeared, with actual devices available and ready for use now. More testbeds are also ongoing or planned to take place in the short term.

These contribute to making the technology more mature and support its large-scale implementation.

The sector is working towards the finalization of IEEE profiles, particularly for industrial automation as well as the development of new applications for wider use, not confined solely to industrial settings. To support the global adoption of TSN, it will soon be essential to set up unified conformance testing to make sure that different solutions are interoperable, hence truly leveraging the full potential of TSN. Open technologies, such as CC-Link IE TSN, are therefore likely to be favored.

The transition towards TSN will be particularly exciting, as it is a natural evolution of Ethernet that will support its continuous improvement. Ultimately, we will be able to benefit from more and more building blocks that will open up new functions and higher performance while supporting existing, still functioning systems.

For further information, please visit www.cc-link.org/en/ Issue 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

LATEST NEWS FROM AWI AWI

Testing boost for AWI following £100,000 investment One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of ‘High Performance’ alloys has completed a £100,000 investment in a new testing room at its West Midlands factory.

Alloy Wire International (AWI), which celebrates 75 years in business in 2021, has designed and equipped the facility to include two tensile testers, a Micro-Vickers Hardness tester and four lab furnaces to support heat treatment.

It has also acquired macro and micro imaging technology and a custom-built metallographic lab to help with the preparation of materials.

This project means a lot of the subcontract testing can now be done inhouse, shortening lead times for its global customer base and giving it the opportunity to test new processes and materials quickly.

It took over six months to complete the fit-out, but the firm is already reaping the benefits with several new customers agreed in the last month, all keen to take advantage of the rapid turnaround provided

by AWI. “We were increasingly asked for more testing as our customers strive for exacting performance from the materials they purchase,” explained Andrew Du Plessis, Technical Director at AWI. “The decision was taken as part of an overall commitment to improve our service and the range of testing we can deliver in-house, and this is reflected in the level of investment and extent of capability we can now offer.

“What this means to our clients is that we will have far greater control over testing and, I have no doubt, this will reduce lead times for them.

He went on to add: “We’ve also improved our image analysis capability through the purchase of new micro and macro imaging systems, allowing micro-graphic examination up to 1000x magnification. This will significantly boost our R&D activity, so

global client base, spanning automotive, aerospace, medical, nuclear and oil and gas.

What this means to our clients is that we will have far greater control over testing and, I have no doubt, this will reduce lead times for them. we can continue to bring new materials and services to market.”

Alloy Wire International, which manufactures round, flat and profile wire for more than 5000 customers, was founded in 1946 by John Stockdale in an old ambulance station in Old Hill in the Black Country.

The company’s founding principles of ‘manufacturing quality, delivering reliability’ has stood the test of time and remains a crucial part of how it deals with its

Today, the firm is employee-owned with most of the staff owning shares in the business, a decision made by existing Chairman Bill Graham and the current Senior Management Team.

This inclusive culture has been crucial in helping AWI more than double turnover from £5m to £11m in the last thirteen years.

Andrew concluded: “75 years is a fantastic achievement for the business, but we can’t rest on our laurels and need to continue to invest in leading the world when it comes to supplying more than 60 exotic alloys.

“To mark the big anniversary, we have launched our ‘Wired for Good’ campaign, which will see us commit to becoming carbon neutral and to support a number of local charities. It also means listening to our 5000+customers and making investments that will deliver a competitive edge to them.”

For further information, please visit www.alloywire.com or follow Alloy Wire International on LinkedIn.

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PECM Issue 52

EDITOR’S CHOICE

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT MOULDING TOOLING BEYOND THE MOULD

Your UK supplier of choice for bespoke plastic injection moulding and tool manufacture Whether you are looking to move your existing Plastic Injection Moulding production or sourcing a supplier for a new product, Pentagon will support you at every stage of the process. Delivering a full turnkey solution from one site of UK Manufacture.

www.pentagonplastics.co.uk | websales@pentagonplastics.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1403 264 397 |

SFL helps create the world’s first stainless steel coolant distribution unit for high performance cooling The challenge A major manufacturer of data centre cooling units needed help to design a coolant distribution unit (CDU) with stainless steel pipework instead of the traditional brass or copper.

The solution They turned to Stainless Fittings Limited (SFL), given our extensive manufacturing knowledge of, and experience in, stainless steel pipework.

The process We assisted our client in the design, manufacture and assembly of the world’s first stainless steel coolant distribution unit.

The results • Stainless steel pipework in CDUs means improved performance, as the coolant fluid flows more efficiently through stainless steel pipes, compared to brass or copper.

• Lower maintenance costs means the coolant fluid doesn’t need to be filtered or changed as frequently.

• Stainless steel is resistant to both corrosion and leaks.

To find out how SFL can help you with stainless steel fabrications contact Nicola on 0121 557 1188 or email n.whittingham@ dpluk.co.uk

www.sfluk.co.uk

Issue 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

THE NEW MVQ201 VALVE SENSOR IFM

ifm provides all-in-one control and monitoring for quarter-turn valves Featuring compact construction and easy mounting, the new MVQ201 valve sensor from ifm electronic not only monitors and reports valve position to the nearest degree, but also has an integral M12 connector that can be used for connecting the valve. With this option, the valve is controlled via the same IO-Link connection used to monitor the sensor, which eliminates the need for separate valve wiring, thereby reducing both installation complexity and cost.

In use, the MVQ201 sensor continually monitors the valve position and makes the position data available to the control system via an IO-Link interface. The sensor can also be programmed to detect changes, such as increased opening and closing times, which might indicate valve faults or blockages, and to report these changes via IO-Link. This makes it an ideal choice for use in condition-based maintenance applications.

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A range of accessory mounting adaptors is available to further simplify installation.

Conventional valve-open and valve-closed switching outputs are provided and can be set for normally open or normally closed operation. The valve positions corresponding to the open and closed states can be readily programmed with a convenient one-click auto-teach function.

MVQ201 sensors also incorporate a clearly visible status LED that shows the valve position at a glance.

Suitable for use with valves having shafts up to 38 mm in diameter, MVQ201 valve position sensors have an IP65/ IP67 protection rating and an operating temperature range of -25 to +70 ºC. A range of accessory mounting adaptors is available to further simplify installation.

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

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PECM Issue 52

W

The smart valve sensor with a direct link to your valve

Simplified, more convenience: direct connection to the control valve

RANTY AR

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on

s

years if m p r o d

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he MVQ201 puts an end to complex cabling and long cable runs : Via a separate M12 connection, the valve sensor has a direct connection to the actuator.

The result: Quick and simple installation and reduced position data failure. Thanks to IO-Link technology, the valve can be controlled easily and directly.

Another advantage: Via IO-Link, the MVQ constantly transmits position and diagnostic information from the valve. This allows condition-based maintenance planning.

Unplanned and costly downtimes can be prevented efficiently. ifm – close to you!

Go ifmonline ifm.com / uk Issue 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

CABLE INNOVATION HEATSENSE CABLES

Specialist High-Performance thermocouple and signal cable manufacturer continues to expand during lockdown CAPABILITIES

Heatsense Cables is the UK’s leading specialist high performance thermocouple and signal cable manufacturer. The company is highly customer focussed and offers a bespoke technical design and manufacturing service, rapid response times, short lead times, low MOQ’s and competitive pricing. 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 operate in extreme environments; cables resistant to flame, oils & 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 fibre and other specialist yarns and various metals.

PRODUCTS

The company manufactures a broad range of cables including; thermocouple cables, RTD cables & PRT wires, sensor wires & cables, cryogenic cables, glass, quartz, ceramic fibre and pure nickel cables, the INTEMP® Range (250°C - 1250°C), radiation resistant cables, equipment wires & cables, high voltage cables, multicore cables, micro wires & cables, micro-coaxial cables, high-flex braided cables and PTFE yarns & threads. To support these activities Heatsense has its own specialist thermocouple calibration facilities and cable testing laboratory.

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.

EXPANSION

Heatsense remained extremely active during the COVID lockdown period. Over the course of the last twelve months Heatsense acquired plant & equipment, including 16 additional high speed yarn braiders, a PTFE Paste Extrusion Line, a horizontal twin headed taping line, an additional corona etcher and refurbished and upgraded a number of manufacturing lines. The company also upgraded its internal manufacturing systems and ‘went live’ on a new fully integrated ERP system.

The company continually strives to broaden its manufacturing capabilities

and improve efficiencies. The company continues to develop its digital strategy encompassing shopfloor data capture, ERP, CRM and machine automation.

Heatsense is ISO9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015 Accredited and has F4N Status (Fit for Nuclear), awarded by the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. The company is in the process of working towards AS9100D:2016 Accreditation and expects to be accredited by the end of this year.

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 52

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, quartz, ceramic fibres and other specialist yarns.

MARKET SPECIALISTS

Automotive

Aerospace

Nuclear

Medical

Industrial

Research

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: www.heatsensecables.co.uk or call: (+44) 01706 767070

EDITOR’S CHOICE

SPECIALIST EXPERTISE DIPERK

Achieving the right skills balance The heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill had one full time coach, Antonio Minichiello, for combined events throughout her career.

However, when looking to improve her javelin, she received specialist coaching from World Championship bronze medallist Mick Hill. Like heptathletes, generator servicing companies are expected to perform a wide range of activities, yet there are still some tasks that require a specialist’s help. Here, Pete Trueman, Service Delivery Manager at DiPerk Power Solutions, exclusive supplier of Perkins® engines and parts in the UK and Ireland, shares a case study of how companies can gain this specialist expertise.

In the UK, there is concern from Government, firms and academic bodies about a shortage in engineering skills and what this means for future generations.

There is also some debate in the industry about what specific skills are required as technology continues to evolve.

“Skills have been top of the priority list for a number of years, and as we move into the world of Industry 4.0, those skills challenges are changing. The need for data and digital skills is increasing and we’re seeing a huge upskilling challenge,” explained Ann Watson, CEO at engineering skills body Enginuity. “…it’s also becoming increasingly difficult for employers to second-guess what skills they’re likely to need in the future,” added Watson. “What they’re telling us is that in five years’ time we don’t know what an engineer’s going to look like but what we need is someone that’s got a broad range of skills that can be applied to different situations and technologies.”

A HEPTATHLON OF SERVICING EVENTS Many generator servicing companies operate across the full spectrum of engine manufacturers and carry out routine maintenance like oil, coolant and filter changes. The variety of tasks they must perform demonstrates how important it is to have a broad range of skills, as Watson said. However, this approach can come unstuck when customers enquire about non-routine works. For example, reprofiling

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PECM Issue 52

Skills have been top of the priority list for a number of years, and as we move into the world of Industry 4.0, those skills challenges are changing. the exhaust system and synchronising standalone units are time-consuming and complex tasks that require skills beyond an engineer’s basic toolkit.

When carrying out major repairs on engines, unfamiliarity with a particular issue may cause delays and extend servicing timescales. This can be challenging when a business is paid based on generator uptime and its ability to supply required loads.

However, lacking in-house specialised maintenance skills is no reason to turn customers away.

One solution is forming a mutualistic relationship with the engine manufacturer.

This involves producing a clear contract that clarifies when the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will step in, and to what

extent it can contact the customer. Once the company’s in-house engineers establish that they require external assistance, they can outsource it to the OEM — who has both knowledge and experience of the particular model.

A CASE IN POINT In August 2020, DiPerk began working with a generator installation and maintenance company based in Leeds. The company owns various store and firm frequency response (FFR) sites, which provide short term operating reserve (STOR) for the local grid. The company also builds and maintains these sites for energy companies and private investors. It has a large inhouse team of engineers that carry out maintenance, such as fitting emissions reduction equipment to ensure that the generator engines comply with the medium combustion plant directive (MCPD).

The company has fleets of diesel and gas-powered generator sets that deliver supplementary power when the grid is taking an additional load. It has a number of sites across the UK and every site has multiple generator sets. Every generator on each of these sites is containerised to protect them from weather and other external damage.

The company’s engineers noticed that oil leaks were starting to appear from the main engine sump on some of the generators.

The sump covers the bottom of the engine block and holds oil that is not circulating around the engine. There were also leaks coming from the rear flywheel housing, which is bolted onto the engine early during production and so is difficult to access once the engine is put into the containerised genset.

The FFR sites use generators produced by various OEMs. This means that the company would need to invest in various software licenses, training, cabling kits and other equipment to confidently service every type of machine. Together, these costs could add up to tens of thousands of pounds. Recruiting engineers that specialise in a particular model of engine would have been another false economy because of the wide range of engines that the service team are required to work with.

Many of the company’s generators are stored on remote sites that are not regularly monitored — if the leaks were left unattended, they could cause ground contamination at the facility. The engines would shut themselves down due to low oil pressure and the customer could lose money because the machines are unable to provide supplementary loads. Tariffs are also stringent and the client or energy company could be penalised if the FFR sites were unable to deliver the necessary power.

The company first approached Perkins, the engine manufacturer, who sent an engineer to the site. Perkins liaised with the generator OEM and both concluded that the repairs would be difficult while the genset was containerised. Eventually, the OEM contacted DiPerk because of its knowledge of Perkins engines and experience in generator maintenance.

DiPerk began working on the repairs in late August 2020 and the project is still ongoing.

A PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS Space was the main barrier — there were only a couple of inches under each engine, where the sump is located. To overcome this limitation, DiPerk unmounted the engines and used a pair of air jacks to lift them up. After securing the engines on taller mounts, its engineers could change the sub gaskets while the machine was still inside the container. It has since repaired six engines on one site and three from another.

Both the OEM and the generator installation and maintenance company wanted to avoid removing the gensets from their containers, because this would require hiring expensive cranes, transporters and low loaders.

Transportation would also be difficult — roads would need to be closed if the generators had to be removed and

delivered to a specialist facility. By using air jacks, DiPerk could fix the leaks inside the container, causing minimal disruption.

EVERYONE’S A WINNER Because DiPerk is carrying out the sump repairs, the generator company can instead focus on routine maintenance, including daily checks, oil and filter changes.

Therefore, it has more time and its in-house engineers can play to their strengths, while continuing to deliver the best possible service for customers.

Because generator servicing companies work with various OEM machines, every project is different. DiPerk is a Perkins specialist and will partner with the company to diagnose and fix complex issues that engineers may not have encountered before. This means it can supplement the skills of in-house teams, who can benefit from having this specialist knowledge onboard.

Like a heptathlete, many engineers have a broad skill set. When the need arises, be it for a javelin coach or a Perkins engine repair, sometimes, nothing can beat a specialist’s eye.

Looking to work directly with a Perkins specialist? DiPerk can act as a generator servicing partner and will work closely with you to maintain your Perkins engines.

For further information, please visit /www.diperk.com/ Issue 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

A new approach to an old problem Sealing pipes where they pass through walls or ceilings has been a source of aggravation and repeated maintenance costs for many years.

And with all processing plants being required to control their processing environment to avoid contamination from moisture, pests and airborne particles, unsealed gaps in walls, floors and ceilings are a prime source for these issues. By sealing penetrations, facilities eliminate one such potential hazard, avoiding risks to health and ensuring a safe product.

We have a simple, hygienic, and inexpensive solution… Pipetite® is a flexible, self-sealing, sanitary wall boot that seals around tubing or pipe penetrations. It’s unique design eliminates the need for sealants and is easily adapted to fit most pipe or tube diameters, it also comes with pre-drilled holes for quick and easy installation, so no messy clean-ups – and it makes unsightly gaps look neat and tidy!

As the ONLY UK distributor of Pipetite® products, Industrial Trading Solution Ltd can supply Pipetite® from stock, to anywhere in the UK and fast.

Climate chamber with unsurpassed homogeneity of temperature and humidty This Memmert climate chamber HCP offers you the full range of comfort, reliability, and safety.

It has active humidity control set from 20 % to 95 % rh and an unsurpassed homogeneity of temperature and humidity over the entire interior. It is suited for environmental testing, environmental simulation, accelerated service life tests, and 85/85 tests. The active humidity control ensures an ideal homogeneity of temperature, humidity as well as short recovery times after opening the door. It is practically a maintenance-free climate chamber.

In combination with the heating on all six sides, including a heated inner glass door, it also minimises vaporisation in the interior and, thus, the risk of condensed water dripping onto the test object. An aluminium thermal conductive layer supports optimum temperature distribution and serves as a heat accumulator in case of a temporary power failure.

www.industrialtradingsolutions.com

www.memmert.com/home

Stride out in the All-NEW Work Trousers from Snickers Workwear

Efficient solutions to cleaning tasks of any kind

Snickers Workwear is continuing to make great strides in Work Trousers design and functionality while still increasing its commitment to environmental responsibility.

Whether it is precision cleaning for parts with particulate cleanliness specifications in the nanometer range and highest thinfilm cleanliness levels, complex deburring and cleaning requirements, or applicationspecific degreasing and cleaning – Ecoclean provides the technically and economically optimal solution for every task. The portfolio also includes innovative developments for automating and digitizing the cleaning process as well as services tailored to customer requirements. Ecoclean UK has recently moved to the brand-new business premises at Alcester Employment Park. On 2000 sq ft the new location houses a test center, service department and spare part store facilities. Trials can be carried out in different wet-chemical cleaning technologies at no cost, using authentic contaminated parts off the customer’s production line, at the test center.

Sustainable fabrics, body-mapping designs and improved performance are key features in the all-New Work trousers for men and women.

Wherever they’re working, whenever they’re on task and whatever the weather, there’s a pair of trousers to suit.

There’s new designs for both men and women with unrivalled functionality in the AllroundWork and FlexiWork ranges. The 4-Way Stretch features ensure maximum working mobility while the loose or slim fit designs deliver maximum working comfort all day, every day.

Check out all the Work Trousers at snickersworkwear.co.uk for the optimal choice for craftsmen and women who need to get every job done comfortably and efficiently on site.

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PECM Issue 52

Contact: Ecoclean UK, Matt Cooper, phone +44 (0)7799 346611, info.uk@ecoclean-group.net, www.ecoclean-group.net

Reducing maintenance costs with the next generation of German engineered sugar dissolving fluid LUBCON’s newly developed and H1 approved lubricant TURMOSOLV CLEAN is best in class when it comes to the combination of sugar dissolving properties and the protection of humans and machines. Our research and development team was able to formulate a unique product, which is effectively dissolving sugar residues while protecting the equipment from corrosion and reducing the risk of bacterial growth at the same time.

The specifically low pH value of TURMOSOLV CLEAN does not irritate the human skin and helps to avoid microbial decay, leading to increased product safety and a prolonged machine life time.

Contact us for more information or visit our website: Email: sales@lubcon.co.uk Phone: 01323 561030 | www.lubcon.com

Environmental Technology Argent Energy is one of the leading Biodiesel manufactures in Europe and the UK. Over the last 4 years they have been working together with Wehrle to develop and improve their carbon and water footprints. This has resulted in the installation of a Wehrle MBR and RO water Recycling Plant at their site in Stanlow (UK).

The plant treats the effluent streams produced from the biodiesel manufacturing process and the recycled water now offsets their towns water usage, resulting in savings of half a million (GBP) per year. This success now defines Argent’s long term road map for becoming an even more sustainable producer.

Should you require any information on the application of Wehrle Technologies for the recycling of your wastewater, visit Wehrle at www.wehrle-werk.de/en/environmentaltechnology

EDITOR’S CHOICE

AN EASY TO MIANTAIN SOLUTION NORTH RIDGE PUMPS

ATEX Peristaltic Pump for Solvent Slurry Adhesive Coating ADHESIVE HANDLING ISSUES

As solvent can attack cast iron the unit was coated in Halar. Halar is a type of plastic coating highly resistant to temperature fluctuations, chemicals and corrosion, protecting the pump in case of spillage or liquid escapement should the hose fail.

Solvent based glues are a mixture of polymer based ingredients mixed with solvent.

Once the glue is applied and the solvent is exposed to air, it begins to evaporate until cured when the bond is at its strongest.

The ATEX (UKCA EX) Peristaltic pump was supplied with a motor suitable for operation via external variable frequency drive. The customer had existing 1¼ inch NPT fittings which we had fitted to the pump to enable plug and play operation.

Adhesives are available in various forms often utilising either Solvent or Water as a component to aid curing. Whilst water-based adhesives can be handled with a wide variety of materials, solvent based glues require handling differently.

The bond is more of an industrial bond and once applied is difficult to break unless a chemical such as acetone is used.

These types of glues are very unforgiving, flammable and also more harmful to both personnel and the environment and so care must be taken during handling.

PUMP ISSUES

A customer contacted us who was experiencing issues with their vane pump handling a new blend of adhesive consisting of 3 parts -Solvent, Resin and Ceramic. They were experiencing high levels of wear with their vane pump with the mechanical seal repeatedly failing, allowing air ingress into the pump, hazardous flammable liquid would leak from the casing, and end product would fail to meet quality standards.

At each breakdown not only did wearing parts have to be replaced, but the casing and any small parts would require a full clean using hazardous chemicals to remove any product set. When the seal leaked, product would ingress into the bearings, quickly rendering them useless. Maintenance required at least two people, and the downtime that the factory was experiencing was annualised at over £200,000 of lost product output per year.

The Vane pump was feeding a batching line which would batch fill containers on an assembly line before bottles were packaged, and dispatched for delivery. Having to repeatedly disassemble the vane pump, change the seal, bearings and vanes meant repeated stoppages which the plant could no longer accept.

The customer received the pump within 3 weeks of order and is set to save over £200,000 in lost output with a payback period of less than 1 month.

The capacity of the existing unit was between 5-15L/min with a discharge pressure of 4 bar. The glue had a viscosity similar to Ketchup (1000cps) but Various pump technologies were studied before finalising our specification for an ATEX (UKCA EX) roller Peristaltic pump controllable via Variable Frequency Drive. This design of pump which contains a single wearing part – a hose eliminates any chance of mechanical seal failure, and more importantly air ingress contaminating product.

The main difference in output flow from the Peristaltic to the vane pump is that vane pumps do not have a pulsating flow.

To ensure accuracy within their liquid filling packaging machinery we supplied the pump complete with an inline pulsation dampener which eliminates up to 98% of pulsations during operation, meaning the customer receives a smooth linear flow important for flowmeter accuracy during dispensing, and that containers are not over or underfilled as an unintended consequence.

PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, PAYBACK PERIOD, & OUTCOME The customer received the pump within 3 weeks of order and is set to save over £200,000 in lost output with a payback period of less than 1 month.

OUR LOW MAINTENANCE SOLUTION

Maintenance is far simpler requiring only one person with the pump kept in situ whilst work is undertaken. As there is only one wearing part – the hose, when this approaches the end of its useful life, it is removed from service, sent for disposal and replaced without any cleaning of parts using hazardous chemicals and added risk to personnel.

Hose pumps are of non clog design meaning there was no chance of blockages forming within the pump. They are of positive displacement design meaning the pressure will be constant, and flow rate proportionate to speed. This meant that the speed of dispensing and bottling could be altered according to line speed.

Furthermore as the plant had experienced some restructuring with team members who had expertise in pump overhaul and maintenance leaving the business, having such a simple to maintain solution accelerated training and meant outside expertise was not required.

For further information, please visit www.northridgepumps.com Issue 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

MCS Corporate Strategies Ltd For all R&D Tax Claims / Land Remediation / Patents / General Cost Recovery

MCS Corporate Strategies Ltd For all R&D Tax Claims/Land Remediation/ Patents/General Cost Recovery

www.mcs-corporate.com

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PECM Issue 52

01926 512475

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

Precision Rotary Atomizer Technology

On-Cloud CAD & PLM Desktop Engineering (DTE) is the leading supplier of Dassault Systèmes On-Cloud CATIA® and SOLIDWORKS® software.

For Effective Industrial Spraying and Misting Precise droplet size- adjustable electronically Very low energy use Long life, low maintenance Brushless motor technology Micron Sprayers Ltd, Bromyard, Herefordshire, England UK

Tel: +44 1885 482397 email: sales@micron.co.uk

The On- Cloud solution means you can use the software anytime or anywhere with a web connection.

With many other applications such as FEA, CFD and CAM apps you have a complete design and manufacturing PLM solution. Installation costs are zero and all upgrades are included in your annual subscription or rentals.

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The LHS 210 / 410 Air Heater Series Leister’s new series of compact and powerful LHS 210 / 410 air heaters are suitable for installation in industrial plants where space is limited or tubular air systems such as furnaces for heat curing processes, due to their compact design and ease of integration. With a choice of eight air heaters with single (SF) or dual flanges (DF), the innovative design allows for easy electrical connection, with connection housing separated from the airstream, which allows unhindered air flows through the air heater with minimal loss in pressure. The connection housing is also protected against overheating, making it possible to work with an air inlet temperature up to 350 degrees Celsius.

The SF-R and DF-R air heaters are equipped with an extension on the housing connection.

The ceramic inside this extension ensures that the electrical connection on the tubular air heaters is sealed off and protected from high temperatures or backflowing hot air.

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PECM Issue 52

NEW AIR HEATER SERIES

LHS 210 / 410 COMPACT & POWERFUL The series SF-R and DF-R (“recirculation”) are designed for many industrial processes where hot air recycling is required.

The recirculation abilities of these models’ lower energy consumption which reduces CO2 emissions and saves money. Welwyn supply the full range of Leister plastic welding and industrial process heat equipment and offers highly competent technical support by their team of dedicated engineers.

For further information and technical advice for equipment in this field, please contact Welwyn Tool Group on 0800 856 0057, email them on info@welwyntoolgroup.com, or visit their website

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15th & 16th Sept 2021 The NEC, Birmingham, UK PRE-REGISTER FOR FREE ENTRY!

CHEMUK2021 The Supply Chain Expo & Speaker Programme for the UK’s Chemical Industry

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15TH & 16TH SEPT 2021 REGISTER FREE AT WWW.CHEMICALUKEXPO.COM

EVENTS & SHOWS

CHEMUK 2021 PREVIEW CHEMUK SHOW PREVIEW

Visitor registration has now opened for CHEMUK 2021, the UK chemical industries national expo, being held on 15th & 16th September at the NEC in Birmingham Presenting over 350 exhibitors and 150+ expert speakers, CHEMUK 2021 is the only large-scale trade show that brings together the UK’s chemicals, chemical processing, and chemical product formulation & chemical-using industries, providing an intensive 2-day supply chain sourcing, business networking, intelligence gathering, innovation showcasing, best-practice and strategy development experience.

Following the show’s successful launch in Harrogate in 2019, event organiser, UK Industry Events, took the decision to move the show to the largest industrial event space in the UK, the NEC, to facilitate the huge industry demand.

Founder and Managing Director Ian Stone said: “CHEMUK has doubled in size in terms of the number of exhibitors and stands. We had 170 in 2019 and this year we’ve got 350 plus. What you can draw from that is a massive appetite among suppliers and partners in the chemical industry to be part of ChemUK.”

350+ CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAIN EXHIBITORS CHEMUK 2021 will provide visitor groups with a diverse and impressive showcase of 350+ specialist exhibitors showcasing latest plant, equipment, technologies, materials and services supporting the chemicals industries, driving product innovation, plant & process performance, future-proofing, supply-chain fulfilment, safety, compliance and more.

Just some of the major names across the CHEMUK 2021 show floor include: ABB, Anton Paar, Atlas Copco, Brenntag UK, BTC UK, Busch (UK) Ltd, Calgavin, Dachser, DEKRA UK, Edwards Vacuum, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, George Fischer Sales, GRUNDFOS Pumps Ltd, HRS Heat Exchangers Ltd, IMCD, Labtex, Monarch Chemicals, Siemens Plc, Tradebe Chemicals, VEGA Controls, Univar Solutions, Siemens ... to name a few.

CHEMUK 2021 SPEAKER PROGRAMME The CHEMUK 2021 speaker programme

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CHEMUK has doubled in size in terms of the number of exhibitors and stands. We had 170 in 2019 and this year we’ve got 350 plus benefits from some 150+ contributing speakers and panellists, providing over 40 hours of ‘free to attend’ expert intelligence, case studies, best practice and tech-insight ‘snapshots’, to inspire and assist next level investment, as well as guide technical and operational strategies for attending industry groups across the UK chemicals & chemical product sectors.

Packed this year with specialist highly topical contributions from 25+ separate trade, technical or professional bodies, four government departments & agencies, trade, sector & professional bodies, multiple

centres of research/tech transfer, together with an exciting cross-section of leading chemical suppliers, technology partners, specialist service & consultancy groups, CHEMUK 2021 brings together an unrivalled blend of topical content & industry personalities.

BIG PICTURE INTELLIGENCE: Reflecting the sector’s current BREXIT transition status, as well as wider global trends & pressures, CHEMUK 2021 gives a platform for key national chemical association heads to address the most pertinent and current issues, challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s chemical and chemical-user industries.

Confirmed sector keynotes include Chemical Business Association Chief Executive Officer, Tim Doggett, and Membership Manager, Dr Karen Harvey; Chemical Industries Association Chief Executive, Stephen Elliott; Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) Chief Executive Officer, Philip Aldridge; and CATCH CEO, David Talbot, to name a few.

CHEMUK will present a host of industry heads over the two days including Thomas

Birk, MD of BASF UK & Ireland, and Russell Argo and Richard Ward, who are both Presidents at Brenntag Essentials.

At government level, sector policy and strategy will be in focus with Dr Jo Bray, Deputy Director for Chemicals & Plastics at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Dr Rachel Mumba, Deputy Director for Chemicals, Pesticides & Hazardous Waste (CPHW) & Environmental Quality Directorate at Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) both keynoting on Stage 1.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) will be returning to discuss their work through the DIT global network in helping businesses to find new export markets and capitalise on trade opportunities in markets such as China and India. Additionality Dr Richard Daniels, Director of Chemicals Regulation Division, Health & Safety Executive (HSE) provides a Day 2 keynote on ‘Challenges and opportunities for a Chemicals Regulator – Life after BREXIT.

FOCUSING IN BY SECTOR: The CHEMUK speaker programme, as well as the wider show floor, includes a wealth of downstream chemical user ‘sector-specific’ focus with association and federation keynotes confirmed from the likes of Solvents Industry Association (SIA), British Pest Control Association (BPCA), Paint Research Association (PRA), UK Lubrications Association (UKLA), British Coating Federation (BCF), British Adhesives & Sealants Association (BASA), Cosmetics Cluster UK, Oil & Colour Chemists’ Association (OCCA), Paper Industry Technical Association (PITA) ) and others.

REGISTRATION: Attendees can register for their free badge via the website providing access to all presentations and exhibition floor. The speedy team registration is also available through the site.

Venue: Birmingham NEC Opening Hours: Day 1 Wednesday 15th September: 09:00 – 17:00 Day 2 Thursday 16th September: 09:00 – 16:00

For full and current speaker listing and full exhibitor information, please visit www.chemicalukexpo.com Issue 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

CHALLENGE EFFICIENCY SWEP INTERNATIONAL

The dawn of automation secures SWEP’s heat transfer advancement Industry 4.0 and automation is changing the production landscape for SWEP, world-leading supplier of brazed plate heat exchangers and prefabricated energy transfer stations.

What started with two Swedish entrepreneurs in a garage more than 30 years ago is now an international corporation, still driven by the same spirit and conviction: to challenge efficiency and make a difference with Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers (BPHEs) that are part of a sustainable future.

A WILLINGNESS TO EXPLORE

SWEP has always been willing to test new technologies, and the manufacturing process is not an exception. Early in the company history SWEP choose their own way for the production equipment. One example is pressing steel plates together with the copper foil, something that a large competitor knew would never work. SWEP ignored that and made it work. Another example was the home-made stacking box that was an early automation equipment for press lines solving the straightening, turning, and stacking operations integrated with the press line with huge capacity and productivity increase to follow.

Even if there have been automated functions linked to individual machines, like press lines and test equipment’s it is only in the last 5 years that the real automation journey has taken off, and

with quite some pace. Over 20 industrial robots built into automatic assembly lines with vision systems, advanced grippers, sensors, and conveyor systems have been commissioned and more is in the pipeline for the near future and the coming years.

A FOCUS ON AUTOMATION

The strategy behind this automation journey is a clear vision on the whole picture without losing focus on the individual parts.

Try out in smaller scale, learn from mistakes, and use the experience in new projects to build up internal competence but continue to work with external partners in parallel.

To design and own key components and all source code and build the robot cells in modules that can be scaled up and down is important for SWEP to be able to standardize, copy and implement to any of SWEP’s five plants around the world.

DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING A PROJECT

A typical automation project usually starts with internal brainstorming in a small technical group with resources from earlier automation projects and the future owner of the cell. The outcome are early visualizations and simulations models for discussion and comparison. Then external partners get involved with idea input and solution suggestions followed by defined work interfaces and formalized project team. Usually SWEP do the robot programming, design and manufacture key components like grippers, use external

consultants for PLC/safety program and external partners for most of the hardware.

The philosophy is to build deep and wide internal competence but still utilize external partners that built and seen so many more installations in different industries. External partners also help keeping up the high pace and low prices on robots, for instance, as they source many more than SWEP.

LEARNING IS A CONSTANT BATTLE

Another learning in the automation journey is the importance of the planning, logistics and the whole picture. Only machines and automation cells forming islands in production will not give the expected productivity increase and this is where Industry 4.0 come into play, connecting the dots. Here new visualization and simulation tools or digital twins will play an important role. How to plan and balancing the flows, dimensioning the equipment correct, monitor, and communicate between the machines, robot cells and business systems.

Building a model of a production flow as it is today can help optimize production output through machine utilization, changed order sequence and bottle neck analyses.

Completely new scenarios of the future vision can be built up and analyzed to make the correct investment decisions, choosing the right technologies and dimensioning machines, robot cells, stock, buffers, and carrier capacity. This will be very valuable when entering the world of automated guided vehicles, AGV, which will be the next big automation step for SWEP.

For further information, please visit www.swep.net

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PECM Issue 52

EDITOR’S CHOICE

INNOVATIVE DESIGN 3DPRINTUK

The Value of 3D Printing for SMEs 3DPRINTUK is an experienced 3D printing service provider using polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) processes for prototyping and manufacturing applications. Over its ten years in business, the company has worked with countless companies as they use 3D printing to innovate and create cutting-edge products and components.

via 3D printing. Caparrelli commented on how 3D printing enabled him to move forward with his idea and commercialize the SportReTiNA kit: “Without access to 3D printing, this idea would probably have stayed just that — an idea. The bespoke nature of some of the parts that were required to make the SportReTiNA kit fully functional and easy to use meant that any other manufacturing option would have been cost-prohibitive. I explored a number of different manufacturing options for every component of the kit, and 3D printing was the only way I could move forward with the customized elements.”

3DPRINTUK is now established as a leader when it comes to polymer PBF, with extensive experience using the selective laser sintering (SLS) and MultiJet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing technologies. The company has generated a wealth of experience and expertise that is focused on meeting and exceeding customer demand.

By running both SLS and MJF systems 3DPRINTUK is in a position to deliver the very best polymer parts specific to clients’ individual application(s). Customers can either specify their chosen production systems or, utilising the expertise of 3DPRINTUK, make use of the company’s quoting system that will funnel priority requirements to ensure the best possible outcome in terms of the quality and functionality of the parts, together with value for money and delivery times.

Perhaps some of the most rewarding work 3DPRINTUK undertakes is on behalf of smaller enterprises, and new starts, and it is especially satisfying seeing how the use of 3D printing and an alliance with 3DPRINTUK has in some instances been of vital importance in establishing new companies and new innovative products.

For a whole host of start-up companies, 3D printing is an enabling tool. As a technology, it is a fast and efficient way of proving a concept: a good idea is one thing, translating it into a functional — and successful — product is entirely another. New products also take time to get to market, and investment in tooling for high volumes of a product that has not secured considerable market share is often cost-prohibitive. Again, this is where 3D printing can support a costeffective business plan.

A great example of such a start-up company that 3DPRINTUK has worked with

“It is because of this that I believe that 3D printing really does enable innovation to flow from start-up companies such as mine.

Having access to industrial 3D printing processes, through service providers such as 3DPRINTUK, has allowed me to pursue this venture and reach commercialisation.” recently is Uropanet, based in Sheffield, UK. The company’s founder and owner is Fabio Caparrelli, an ex-academic with a background in electronic engineering, who is also a passionate tennis player and a lawn tennis association (LTA) qualified coach.

Caparrelli identified a gap in the market for portable and affordable sport video analysis equipment which could be used in place of expensive full installations and data capture equipment, and which reduced the reliance on often shaky and difficult to retrieve mobile phone videos. He developed the SportReTiNA (Sport REal TIme aNAlysis) — a portable video recording toolkit that combines innovative hardware and software for synchronized, multiple view video capture and analysis of on-court performance in real time or for later review.

At its core was an innovative design of a bespoke camera system, the optimal design configuration of which was achieved through the creation of a number of different prototype iterations via 3D printing.

The required geometries of the camera system once finalised also meant that the only practical way to produce it was also

The customised attachments are not the only parts where 3D printing ended up being the most cost-effective manufacturing method. Other value-added components of the kit that were also produced via 3D printing by 3DPRINTUK include a small computer enclosure and a wearable device that holds a small PCB to wirelessly control the entire system. The size and nature of these parts hit the sweet spot for being ideal applications for low volume production with the process.

To get the look and feel of the parts that he required, Caparrelli utilised the MJF process to produce the parts in Nylon and dye them black. Once attached to the camera housing, Caparrelli was delighted that “it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between the injection moulded housing and the 3D printed attachment that allows for the adaptability and functionality of SporReTiNA.” As would be expected, small volume production is the norm for a micro start-up, but the ability to use a batch production service as orders come in is ideal, and 3DPRINTUK has been able to facilitate this, producing high quality parts in the volumes Caparrelli requires quickly and reliably.

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

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PECM Issue 52

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

HOW TO CHOOSE A MIXER INTERTRONICS

Achieving a fast, repeatable mixing process without air bubbles Choosing the correct mixer with the right capabilities will often depend on the materials you need to mix — how prone are they to retain air (perhaps due to high viscosity), how much air is already trapped in them, how much air is brought into the mix from the powders you are adding, etc. Planetary centrifugal mixers typically have three types of function or capability to help you mix your liquids, pastes and powders, with complete uniformity and without air bubbles. Here Steve Yeomans, Marketing Executive at adhesives specialist Intertronics, explains how to choose a mixer.

A simple blend of low viscosity liquids may very well mix easily with no visible air bubbles. More complex mixes involving differing viscosities and/or powders will be more difficult to achieve an airfree mix without extra help. For critical applications, where even micro-bubbles are unacceptable, then mixing under vacuum may be required.

THE MIXING PRINCIPLE The fundamental and common technology of all the THINKY range is “planetary centrifugal mixing”. This mixing action does not use blades, paddles or other invasive tools. The technique involves rotating containers around their central axis, at a 45° angle, whilst at the same time revolving them around a central point; similar to the

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PECM Issue 52

fact, the shear forces finely disperse any entrapped air, and there is a tendency for it to be removed (“squeezed out” to the surface).

PLANETARY MIXING Planetary mixers, including the THINKY ARM-310, offer significant productivity improvements over typical hand mixing techniques. Able to homogeneously disperse engineering compounds such as adhesives, sealants, lubricants, cosmetics, or pharmaceuticals in seconds to minutes, they provide consistent mixing results every time. Mixing takes place in removeable containers, meaning there is no mess to clean up after a mixing process, thereby saving valuable time and avoiding cross contamination.

DEGASSING way the earth moves around the sun, giving us both days and seasons. In the THINKY, these rotations and revolutions are very fast; ~1,000’s of RPM. This generates mixing forces of about 400G, giving powerful material movement in the container. The ratio of revolution to rotation is critical to providing the optimal mixing forces.

The technology results in a fast, fully homogenous mix and, unlike machines that rely on the insertion of paddles or impellers into the material, no air is introduced; in

While the mixing revolution and rotation action will not add any air to your materials during mixing, and in fact is likely to remove them, it is possible for entrapped air to remain after a normal mixing step. Models such as the THINKY ARE-250 have an additional “defoaming” or “degassing” mode, where the ratio of revolution to rotation is altered to favour the revolution component, generating high centrifugal forces on the materials — up to 510G. The lowest density contents, air bubbles, rise to the surface of the liquid and are destroyed by shearing forces of the slower rotation.

The fundamental and common technology of all the THINKY range is “planetary centrifugal mixing”.

Typically, this process removes most visible bubbles — only bubbles less than several hundred microns in size are left behind, hardly visible to the human eye. After this degassing step, a further standard mixing process is often carried out to recombine the materials evenly.

MIXING UNDER VACUUM In some circumstances, mixing under vacuum is needed to get the required air-free result. Examples include higher viscosity materials that are reluctant to give up their bubbles, or when added powders keep air trapped, or for nanoparticles, or

for some critical applications where even micro-bubbles cannot be tolerated (perhaps an optical product).

In these cases, the planetary mixing is done under a vacuum, in mixers which have integral vacuum pumps — the THINKY ARV-310P is a popular example. The mixing container undergoes the revolution and rotation process in a vacuum chamber.

The vacuum causes bubbles to expand and move towards the surface, move from higher pressure to lower pressure, and causes air in solution to come out, improving the mixers’ ability to extract them from the material. Mixing and degassing are achieved simultaneously, in a hands-free fully automated and repeatable process.

There is a very high degree of deaeration, materials are left devoid of micro-bubbles, homogeneously mixed and ready for the next step in manufacture.

TO SUIT YOUR REQUIREMENTS With their ability to quickly transform multiple parts of liquids, pastes and powders into homogenous, ready to use materials, planetary mixers form an integral part of a repeatable mixing process.

Numerous sizes and configurations are available, allowing mixers to be selected with attributes which best suit a processes requirement To help with specifying a mixer, our product specialists would be happy to discuss your application to determine which might be most suitable. For more information on THINKY Mixers, visit https://www.intertronics.co.uk/ product-category/metering-mixing/thinkymixing-and-degassing-machines/?utm_ source=StoneJunction&utm_ medium=PR&utm_campaign=INT177 or call 01865 842842.

For further information, please visit www.intertronics.co.uk Issue 52 PECM

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

WHAT IS AN AGV? OEM AUTOMATIC

A look into some of the components and highly recommended brands that go together AGV is short for Automated Guided Vehicle.

AGVs are automated and computercontrolled transportation robots that can be used for a range of tasks. Common types of AVGs include Automated Guided Forklifts and Automated Guided picking robots.

You typically see AGVs in manufacturing and warehousing but can also be used for inspection, transportation, military and exploration applications.

Let’s look into some of the components and some of the highly recommended brands that go together.

VISION CAMERAS For your AGV to see, you must give it eyes.

Cameras can be used to capture objects and scenes in 3 dimensions and are highly useful in logistics and AGVs. This means that you can get 2D and 3D images in high resolution within a small compact system, which can generate depth data and measure distance.

Click here to read key facts

BARCODE READERS Traceability improvements lead to performance improvement, transforming all capabilities in logistics and increasing productivity. You would typically see 1D and 2D barcode scanners in a warehouse and on an AGV. These help to track information and data, helping you keep track of what is happening.

Traceability is the biggest advantage of using a barcode scanner on an AGV, achieving higher productivity. Some are faster than ever and have great visual quality. Not forgetting they can be extremely configurable.

Click here to read key facts

SENSING AND DETECTING Being able to sense and detect is one of the most practical, time-saving and efficient purposes of an AGV, which eliminates the use of labour.

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PECM Issue 52

SAFETY LASER SCANNER – A SAFETY DEVICE Safety laser scanners can be mounted onto AGVs, and warning zones can be programmed to automatically change the vehicle’s position, speed, and direction.

Additionally, there are versions with encoder inputs to allow safe measuring of the speed of the vehicle. The purpose is to ensure staff safety, whilst improving efficiency and is what makes the AGV so special and innovative.

LIDAR GUIDANCE SCANNER LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses laser-based time-of-flight (ToF) technology to

construct a 360-degree view for the guidance of AGVs. This guidance scanner is used purely for guidance and navigation of AGVs and can also measure distance, making them super important in terms of manoeuvring the robot in the right direction.

completely reliable stop device. Safety is of utmost importance, and this is a simple but essential device that can be pulled/turned or key-controlled depending on the product.

CONTROL PANEL COMPONENTS

An emergency stop solution consists of a mushroom head designed to ‘push’ with the action of a sufficient force to open the contact and triggers an irreversible locking of the opening. Then, an emergency stop signal gets cancelled only by deliberate manual resetting of the mushroom head.

EMERGENCY STOP SOLUTION

SIGNALLING BEACON

Click here to read key facts

Safety is a priority! Emergency stops must be a part of any AGV, and you must have a

A beacon should be visible on an AGV to show signals. A regular beacon would be suitable for this and is designed for maximum signalling effect, and it is also very easy to mount. There is also an option for a beacon and sounder combo for maximum effectiveness.

CABLE GLANDS Cable glands suitable for use on AGVs provide EMC shielding that achieves an effective contact to the cable screen.

MOTORS MOTORS AND GEAR MOTORS A simple DC powered gear motor may be used for applications such as internal flaps, doors, or movable dividers that present a low power requirement, up to fully networked high power brushless traction drive motors. Depending on the type of AGV you have, it is best to work with us to find the right components that you need.

LINEAR ACTUATORS Linear actuators can be used for many operations on and within AGVs. We can provide 35mm long miniature linear actuators to operate an internal door or camera lens cover, up to a large capacity unit for lifting components or replacing hydraulic lifts – all depending on the type of AGV you have.

SOLENOIDS AND ELECTROMAGNETS Solenoids and electromagnets are used to lock compartments and security bolts. You’d use these for interlocks, holding doors/ panels/dividers and cage locks.

Click here to read key facts A mere insight into a few of the components that make an AGV what it is today. Logistics, manufacturing and distribution are becoming unimaginable without Automated Guided Vehicles. Say bye to inefficiency, human error and time-consuming processes!

Email information@oem.co.uk if you would like more information about AGVs and the components required.

Email information@oem.co.uk if you would like more information about AGVs and the components required.

Issue 52 PECM

31

EDITOR’S CHOICE

HRS Heat Exchangers acquired by Exchanger Industries Limited Exchanger Industries Limited (EIL), the Canadian market leader and designer and manufacturer of heat transfer products for the energy, petrochemical, industrial and clean power generation sectors, has acquired HRS Heat Exchangers Ltd (HRS). Financial terms have not been disclosed.

The acquisition creates new opportunities by combining HRS’s capabilities and market sectors with EIL’s accelerating expansion into power generation, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), renewable energy, power storage and biofuels applications. It provides EIL immediate access to a global footprint with scalable hubs in both India and Spain, and a combined portfolio of anti- fouling technologies. The HRS management team will be retained, playing a critical role in executing plans for international expansion.

Mark el Baroudi, CEO of EIL, stated: “The acquisition of HRS Heat Exchangers provides EIL an extraordinary opportunity to expand our exposure to an impressive international customer base across the U.S., UK, Spain, Mexico, India, the Middle East, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.” As evidence of this, HRS was ranked 161st in the Sunday Times HSBC international league table that

Mark el Baroudi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alberta, Canada-based Exchanger Industries Limited

Steven Pither, Founder & CEO of HRS Heat Exchangers

tracks the international growth of UK-based companies.

already differentiated market position, creating better outcomes for everyone we serve.”

“Our combined manufacturing capability and leading-edge product technologies will strengthen our value proposition and increase market penetration internationally,” continued el Baroudi. “This acquisition combines the capabilities of both parties to enhance an

www.exchangerindustries.com

Noise reduction strategies for your plant and facility When your plant was originally built, it was likely relatively isolated, but with continued development of land close to industrial sites, there may be an issue of noise pollution. There are several options available to reduce the noise emitted.

Change noisy fans Old fans and pumps are noisy; they are prone to collecting debris that means they grow noisier with age. Consequently, the first step to noise reduction is to replace loud fans and pumps throughout your plant.

Creating enclosures Enclosures are made from acoustically treated metal and have multiple applications. They

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PECM Issue 52

can house plant in a single unit, providing a means of controlling sound waves and protecting the plant from the external environment.

Acoustic lining Bespoke silencers, acoustically lining of cowls and acoustically treating surfaces are all methods of noise reduction available.

Transcool Systems Ltd can design, manufacture and install bespoke noise reduction strategies for your plant and facility.

01903 733911 info@transcoolsystems.co.uk

www.transcoolsystems.co.uk

Steven Pither, founder and CEO of HRS, added: “We’re thrilled to join the EIL family and continue our journey to building a highly respected global supplier of heat transfer products.”

EDITOR’S CHOICE

WHAT’S IN A NAME? STAR FASTENERS

Huck® structural fasteners from Star Fasteners Every detail of a products design is heavily influenced by industrial designers and engineers. They influence how a product looks and functions, material innovations, product ergonomics, end-user benefits and end of life considerations, that’s a lot to think about! Now add into the mix copy or ‘look-a-like’ fasteners and their job can become even more confusing.

This is where Star Fasteners can help, we have years of quality product knowledge and supply, as well as an understanding of customers’ applications. We can work closely with engineers and designers to suggest products that meet the applications constraints and customers’ budgets.

We are often asked for advice on blind structural fasteners and to explain the differences between copy and imported products that essentially look the same as the quality Huck® product range that we stock. We are all very much aware that there are significant variations in the manufacturing process, materials and wire stocks, dimensions as well as quality control. These variations make the ‘same’ product made by different manufacturers very different from one another.

The reliability of structural blind fasteners depends on many factors including, the type and thickness of materials to be fastened, a properly prepared and sized hole and the application itself – where the fastener is going to be used. A well optimised fastener selection can offer many tangible benefits both to manufacturer and end-user and can really make a significant difference in both manufacturing and recall costs.

Huck structural blind fasteners have been installed in many critical joint applications

Many sleeves contain undercut filets, a notch that allows for correct seating of the fastener even in the presence of burrs

for decades, including widespread usage in automotive, commercial vehicle truck and trailers, aerospace, and agricultural equipment, proving their reliability. The availability of steel, aluminium, and stainless steel (A2 and A4) variations make Huck structural blind fasteners a viable option for joining a multitude of materials, including dissimilar materials such as aluminium to steel, or aluminium to carbon fibre.

Furthermore, installation of structural blind fasteners does not require the extensive training required of other joining technologies such as welding.

WHAT ADVANTAGES DO HUCK FASTENERS GIVE? Huck structural blind fasteners such as HuckLok® and Magna-Lok® offer a distinct advantage over our competitors and copy products. They retain their mandrel after installation. The retention is made possible by the interaction of the mandrel and mandrel sleeve during the installation process, creating a solid circular lock.

Their ‘captive’ subcomponents eliminate the ‘rattle’ caused by other types of nonstructural or copy fasteners, some of which rely solely on the presence of a special nose tip to be installed correctly.

The presence of the locked-in mandrel increases the structural Huck fasteners load-carrying ability and overall increased Mandrel retention lends structural strength throughout the joint

The visible side of installed fastener allows for visual inspection of flush pin break

Cutaway of an installed structural Huck blind fastener showing both a retained mandrel and a flush break

PECM Issue 52

The ‘locking’ mechanism built internally into each fastener can be installed with any tool strong enough to pull it. Other products with similar profiles need special nose tips.

Huck Structural blind fasteners install quickly (often in under one second), by a single operator from one side of the material. The visual inspection of structural blind fasteners is based solely on the position of the mandrel break location relative to the sleeve.

Creation of solid circle lock formed during installation

34

level of strength (high shear & tensile strengths available).

Many attributes make structural blind fasteners an ideal fastening solutuion. The Huck blind fastener range also includes Magna-Bulb®, Auto-Bulb®, PentaLok, FloorTight® and BOM®. These fasteners are available in a variety of materials, diameters, head styles, coatings, and structural strengths. They join material through either hole-fill or surface bearing. Hole-filling blind fasteners ensure holes remain correctly aligned after installation, preventing “sheet creep,” while surface bearing blind fasteners may be used with thin or brittle material, or where high tear-out loads are required.

Installed structural blind fasteners remain tight up to their minimum mechanical values, creating vibration-resistant joints that are less susceptible to failing. These versatile fasteners can also be used in conjunction with adhesives to ensure that a joint remains tight until the adhesives cures while also contributing additional supportive strength to the joint.

The Huck®®blind Structural Fastener Magna-Lok Product RangeWide grip range:

BOM®

Accommodates large variations in joint thickness Structural fastener: High shear & tensile strength Excellent gap closure capability Outstanding hole filling on the blind side: Excellent Magna-Lok® joint tightness and very resistant to water ingress Flush pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Wide grip range: Quick and easy visual inspection Accommodates large variations in joint thickness Internal pin locking mechanism: Secure within the rivet except 4.8mm Structural fastener: High shear & tensile strength body and protected from corrosion Diameters (mm) Excellent gap closure capability Headstyles: Protruding, truss, countersunk Outstanding hole filling on the blind side: Excellent 4.8 6.4 9.5 12.7 Materials: Steel, stainless steel, aluminium joint tightness and very resistant to water ingress Flush pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Magna-Bulb® Quick and easy visual inspection Internal pin locking mechanism: Secure within the rivet except 4.8mm Extra blind from corrosion body andlarge protected Diameters (mm) side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or thin sheet Headstyles: Protruding, truss, countersunk 4.8 6.4 9.5 12.7 joint materials Materials: Steel, stainless steel, aluminium Structural fastener: Very high shear strength and high tensile strength Magna-Bulb® Flush pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Quick and easy visual inspection Extra large blind Internal pin locking mechanism: Secure within the side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or thin sheet rivet body and protected from corrosion Diameters (mm) joint materials Headstyles: Protruding Structural fastener: Very high shear strength and high 4.8 6.4 7.9 Materials: Steel tensile strength Flush pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods. ™ Quick and easy visual inspection HuckLok Internal pin locking mechanism: Secure within the Widebody gripand range: rivet protected from corrosion Diameters (mm) Accommodates large variations in joint thickness Headstyles: Protruding 4.8 6.4 7.9 Structural fastener: High shear & tensile strength Materials: Steel Large blind side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or thin sheet joint materials HuckLok™ Flush pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Quick and easy visual inspection Wide grip range: Internal pin locking mechanism: Secure within the rivet Accommodates large variations in joint thickness body and protected from corrosion, plus additional blind Structural fastener: High shear & tensile strength side pin locking for increased fatigue life Diameters (mm) Large blind side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or Headstyles: Protruding thin sheet joint materials 4.8 6.4 Materials: Steel Flush pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Quick and easy visual inspection Internal pin locking mechanism: Secure within the rivet body and protected from corrosion, plus additional blind Auto-Bulb™ side pin locking for increased fatigue life Diameters (mm) Purpose design blind Headstyles: Protruding side shape for easy hole location: Ideal for 4.8 6.4 Materials: Steel automated assembly Large blind side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or thin sheet joint materials Auto-Bulb™ Good blind side clearance: Less space required on the blind side prior to installation Purpose design blind High pin retention: Prevents possibility of noise or side shape for easy hole location: Ideal for vibration in dynamic assemblies automated assembly Recessed pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or Large blind side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or Diameters (mm) goods thin sheet joint materials Headstyles: Protruding, Oval Countersunk Good blind side clearance: Less space required on 6.4 Materials: Steel, Stainless Steel the blind side prior to installation High pin retention: Prevents possibility of noise or vibration in dynamic assemblies * Individual fastener benefits will vary depending on the application they are used in.

Recessed pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or Diameters (mm) goods Headstyles: Protruding, Oval Countersunk 6.4 Materials: Steel, Stainless Steel

Very high strength/diameter ratio: Can be used in demanding structural applications as an alternative to threaded fasteners or welding Very high joint tightness when compared to conventional blind fasteners

BOM®

Diameters (mm) 4.8

6.4

7.9

12.7

15.9

19.1

9.5

®

4.8

6.4

7.9

12.7

15.9

19.1

9.5

Headstyles: Protruding Self countersinking head: Materials: Steel Ideal for use on timber flooring and phenolic faced plywood Superior strength to conventional flooring screws:

Reduces the number of fasteners required and number of FloorTight - The flooring specialist fastener ®

drilled holes

Diameters (mm) 7.9

3 Clamp strengths available to suit your joint. No Self countersinking crushing or pulling head: through the board Ideal for use on timber flooring and phenolic faced plywood Recessed pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods Superior strength to conventional flooring screws: Headstyles: Standard flange and wide flange Reduces the number of fasteners required and number of Materials: drilled holes Steel

Star Fasteners offer a wide selection of installation tools including the Makitadesigned Huck Range Force™ batterypowered tool which has an electronically adjustable pull force and long stroke to enable installation of structural and nonstructural rivets, and up to 1/4” two-piece HuckBolt® fasteners.

Huck Range Force™ Battery tool

3 Clamp strengths available to suit your joint. No crushing or pulling through the board Recessed pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods

Diameters (mm)™ - Specifically Designed Penta-Lok Headstyles: Standard flange and wide flange 7.9 for the Composite Panel Market Materials: Steel

Specifically for joining load restrain profiles to lightweight panel Penta-Lok “claws” unfurl and install inside the actual

Penta-Lok™ - Specifically panel not on Designed the blind side/back of panel forHigh thepull Composite out strength:Panel Due theMarket load spread of the “claws”

Diameters (mm) 6.4

inside the lightweight panel of approximately 16mm.

Specifically for joining load restrain profiles to No through hole required in the lightweight panel: lightweight panel Penta-Lok only needs a minimum 8mm of depth in the Penta-Lok andblind install actual lightweight“claws” panel to unfurl insert the sideinside of thethe fastener panel not on the blind side/back of panel Headstyles: Protruding High pull out strength: Due the load spread of the “claws” Materials: Steel inside the lightweight panel of approximately 16mm.

No through hole required in the lightweight panel: Penta-Lok only needs a minimum 8mm of depth in the

lightweight panel to insert the blind side of the fastener Magna-Tite™ - The roofing specialist fastener Diameters (mm) 6.4

Magna-Tite™ -

Diameters (mm) 4.8

6.4

Diameters (mm) 4.8

6.4

Headstyles: Protruding Polymer watertight seal: Materials: Steel Ideal for roofing or similar applications Extra large blind side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or thin sheet joint materials Low roofing clamp load:specialist Perfect for use in thin sheet material, The fastener composites and plastics Polymer watertight Flush pinbreak: No seal: catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Ideal forand roofing similar applications Quick easy or visual inspection Extra large blind side footprint: IdealShaveable, for lower100° strength Headstyles: Protruding, Low Profile, Oval orMaterials: thin sheetAluminium joint materials Low clamp load: Perfect for use in thin sheet material, composites and plastics Flush pinbreak: No catching on clothes, skin or goods.

Quick and easy visual inspection Headstyles: Protruding, Low Profile, Shaveable, 100° Oval Materials: Aluminium

The Huck line of pneudraulic tools, such as the Huck 2025LB, 254 and 256 have been designed for use in production applications and repair work, they can effectively pull fasteners ranging from 3/16” blind rivets to 3/8” HuckBolts.

Huck Powerigs offer advanced design and quality manufacturing to deliver both bestin-class performance and long product life.

Whether for mobile or factory use, there is a Huck Powerig hydraulic power source for the job, from portable electric, gasoline and diesel units to larger rigs that operate up to three individual tools.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT IT’S A GENUINE HUCK FASTENER? Huck fasteners have a lazy ‘H’ head marking.

The head marking ensures that Huck fasteners are easily identified both during the installation process and once installed.

We recognise that choosing a fastener installation tool can be fairly complicated; our service includes demonstrating the latest models and advising on tooling options best suited to both the application and the environment.

Excellent gap closure capability Large blind side footprint: Ideal for lower strength or thin

Diameters (mm) FloorTight - The specialist fastener sheetflooring joint materials

* Individual fastener benefits will vary depending on the application they are used in.

Finally, the installed cost of structural blind fasteners tends to be lower than that of other joining options, with savings on time, labour, and complicated inspection processes resulting in overall savings and higher output.

Very resistant to tampering, extremely hard to remove Very high strength/diameter ratio: Can be used in Excellent gap closure capability demanding structural applications as an alternative to Large blind side footprint: threaded fasteners or welding Ideal for lower strength or thin sheet joint materials Very high joint tightness when compared to Headstyles: Protruding conventional blind fasteners Materials: Steel Very resistant to tampering, extremely hard to remove

procedures to help prolong the production life of tooling systems are all part of the service.

LAZY ‘H’

STAR FASTENERS IN-HOUSE TOOL REPAIR, SERVICE AND HIRE

personal and reliable service, incorporating nationwide collection and return.

Star Fasteners accredited Huck tool repair and service department offers expert technical knowledge. We have a dedicated team of experienced engineers, fully trained to the relevant manufacturers’ recommendations. Star Fasteners has developed a reputation for providing a

Every production environment, workshop and tool benefits from a regular maintenance program and Star Fasteners can help out with that too. We have a large selection of short or long-term hire tools to ensure that production isn’t held up.

Advising customers on simple maintenance

Specialists in the supply and distribution of Huck Fasteners, Star Fasteners are proud to be the UK’s largest Huck stockists. Working globally with a diverse range of end users and distributors from across a number of industries, offering technical application knowledge and customer support.

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

For further information, please visit www.starfasteners.co.uk Issue 52 PECM

35

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Noise Controlling Metals Manufacturing Quiet

“sds – performs like metal, sounds like rubber…”

OEM design retro-fit noise control kits materials components Conventional metals are efficient loudspeakers, radiating noise. sds manufactures highly damped quiet metals that don’t radiate noise. Simply swap your noisy metal for quiet metal and reap the rewards. galvanised, stainless, aluminium, combinations…

Effective, rugged, hygienic and low cost Noise + vibration control made simple sound damped steel

+44 191 2590700 sales@sounddampedsteel.com Les Thompson +44 7513 908060

www.sounddampedsteel.com/

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PECM Issue 52

Award-winning noise and vibration damping technology Sound Damped Steel (SDS) is a multi-award-winning noise control company which was established by Les Thompson in 2003 with the main aim being to develop, manufacture and supply materials for industrial noise and vibration control applications.

“The company make steel which absorbs vibration making it sound like rubber.

It is supplied to OEM manufacturers to make chutes, hoppers and machine guards quieter, we also supply kits to retro-fit on existing noisy machinery which is a much more cost effective way of dealing with noise issues for a lot of businesses.” Added Les Thompson, Managing Director.

SDS draws upon over 30 years of experience in developing new and practical applications across an extensive range of projects to help both end users and

leading noise and vibration control consultants in solving their problems.

A speciality is pipelines. Gas, oil and other pipelines with their associated equipment such as valves are renowned for generating high levels of noise that require a solution. The current noise control measure is acoustic cladding. However, this contains a multitude of drawbacks such as the need to be removed frequently for inspection and additional associated problems such as condensation and corrosion. To tackle this SDS in conjunction with the INVC developed the Quiet Pipe Technology system which negates all the problems associated with current technology. Quiet Pipe works by interlocking acoustic close shields that effectively convert the pipe itself into a silencer element to diminish noise.

www.sounddapmedsteel.com

Visit us on stand H30 28-30 September

EDITOR’S CHOICE

End-to-end engineering solutions Portsmouth Aviation Ltd are a family business specialising in end-to-end engineering solutions from design to manufacture. Our products are robust, reliable and are qualified to stringent regulatory specifications for both defence and civil applications. 180 employees spanning engineering disciplines including highly experienced SME’s within our design and FEA teams, commercial and supply chain specialists, quality, inspection, airworthiness, and safety management professionals. Our operational business uses the very latest in technology and automation delivering products which meet and exceed customer expectations. We guarantee flexibility, agility, and total quality commitment at a truly competitive cost. Our site spans over 6.5 acres, with all services and capabilities under one roof. A proven pedigree through working with companies such as Raytheon, BAE Systems and MBDA. Accreditations include AS9100 Rev D, SC21 Silver, DAOS, NADCAP (Chemical Processing), Cyber Essentials Plus www.portav.com

Climate Control Baselayers – For the Summer and Autumn Months Upgraded, Innovative and Sustainable Snickers Workwear ‘Climate Control’ clothing delivers exceptional comfort and performance.

There’s a range of garments that use socially and environmentally responsible fibre technology such as 100% recycled polyester, as well as others available in high-tech breathable fabrics. For consistent comfort, the seamless designs are also available in 37.5® ventilating technology for efficient body moisture transport as well as odour-reducing merino wool to suit different types of work, whatever the weather conditions. These cutting-edge AllroundWork, FLEXIWork and LITEwork designs and fabrics will keep you cool, warm and dry when you need to be. All the garments are made from quick drying, lightweight fabrics that come with special ventilation features to control and regulate the heat from your body. All in all, Snickers Workwear Baselayer clothing will give you the kind of fresh working comfort you wouldn’t have thought possible. www.snickersworkwear.co.uk

New date set for PROFINET, PROFIBUS and IO-Link Birmingham seminar

17th November at the National Conference Centre.

This free-to-attend seminar addresses the key practical issues arising from the use of digital communications technologies in automated manufacturing and process industry applications, with particular attention being paid to Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Covering key application areas such as control systems and energy management, pulp & paper, chemical, utilities, pharmaceutical, packaging and printing, mechanical handling and logistics, robotics, automotive engineering, electrical and electronics assembly, it focuses on the practical aspects of using PROFINET, PROFIBUS, and IOLink, from system design and safety & security considerations through to fault-finding and maintenance. www.profibusgroup.com/2021/02/17/newdate-set-for-profinet-profibus-and-io-linkbirmingham-seminar/

QUALITY HINGES TALK TO THE EXPERTS.

Global PCB Solutions Understanding the requirements and applying the ‘right fit’ technology and ‘supply chain solution’ is essential in your selection of a PCB vendor.

Exception PCB Ltd is a European leader in time critical and technology driven printed circuit board manufacture.

Specialists in quick-turn, high density interconnection (HDI) solutions for a wide range of market sectors. Our technical and production skills and experience combined with fast turnaround capability, has made Exception PCB the ideal partner of choice for customers requiring prototype, new product introduction (NPI) and low to medium volumes.

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PECM Issue 52

Services and Capabilities Offered: • QTA / NPI • Low to Medium Volume • Technical support • Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR’s) • Flexibility of supply.

Consignment Technologies Supported • Std multilayers • ½ stack multilayers • HDI Sequential • Flexi - Rigids • Pure flexibles • PTH

T: +44 (0) 1684 292448 E: info@exceptionpcb.com W. exceptionpcb.com

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

Bespoke/Stock - UK maunfactured - Expert advice

EDITOR’S CHOICE

we make ideas come to life

RMIG is the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of perforated metal and its related products.

We know our customers’ requirements for price and quality and meet their demands with uncompromising service.

Not only do we offer standard and bespoke perforated metal sheets, we are able to offer you a range of secondary operations as detailed below.

Complete solutions With a continued investment in the latest equipment and a network of professional partners we are able to produce prime quality products and solutions – from a simple perforated sheet to the fully formed and coated custom made part.

Cutting We can cut and shape perforated sheet to meet the needs of your final application.

Levelling For some applications a high degree of flatness is required, we have processes in place to ensure our perforated coils and sheets meet with your most demanding requirements.

Rolling and forming We can roll, bend and form perforated sheets to match your design.

Aesthetic finishes and protective coating We can offer powder coating and hot dip galvanizing solutions to meet your specifications.

For more information please contact us tel: 01925 839610 | email: info.uk@rmig.com | www.rmig.com

Articulated arm designed and built for Amarinth Ltd Rotaflow is a global leader in swivel joint design and manufacture. We engage with clients all over the globe to produce swivel joints for a wide range of industrial uses, from food and drink production, pharmaceutical, process & plant to subsea oil and gas extraction.

We solve engineering problems where fluids need to be transferred across rotating interfaces, without leakage. Our designs are often bespoke.

Through design and in-house manufacture our swivel joints can allow one or more different flows through a single unit, enabling the pipework to rotate 360 degrees whilst carrying fluids (including hydraulic and pneumatic) of different pressures without cross-contamination or leakage.

One such custom design was for Amarinth Ltd the global pump manufacturer. They had approached us with a problem that was going to require a custom solution.

Fluid Carrying

Flexibility They asked us to design and build an articulated arm that will serve as a part of their pump testing equipment. The arm is designed to enable efficient connection to variously sized pumps. Our design ensures that the pump testing process is smooth and effective, saving a lot of wasted time for Amarinth and their customers.

The articulated arm we designed and built is an example of the kind of work we do across a wide range of industries in every corner of the globe.

Tel: +44(0)1663 735003 sales@rotaflow.com

www.rotaflow.com

Articulated Torsion Pipework In Hoses Rotating Cylinders

Swivel Joints 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.

Tel:

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

+44(0)1663 735003

E-mail:

Issue 52 PECM

39

EDITOR’S CHOICE

EC TECHNOLOGY AXAIR FANS UK LIMITED

Reducing Fan Energy Consumption in Fume Extraction Systems The already impressive range of corrosive fume fans from Axair Fans has now been extended to include an energy efficient range featuring B34 type IE5 EC motors located outside of the airstream. As the market demands more energy efficient systems, the introduction of the EC range of fans allows fume cupboard manufacturers to reduce their fan energy consumption by up to 20% without affecting performance, ultimately enhancing the energy efficiency of the entire fume extraction system.

System designers are now keen to look at all options to reduce energy consumption with laboratories and considering reducing the amount of energy used by the extraction fan itself is a good starting point.

Complementing the existing range of chemical fans, including the ATEX plastic extract range, from Axair, the IP55 polypropylene collection of EC fans and motors are available in variety of sizes in both single and three phase variants covering airflows from 20-9000m3/hr and pressures to 1500Pa. Single phase EC motors come equipped with integrated drive and IP55 protection against dust and ingress. An outdoor weatherproof cowl can be supplied for additional ingress protection if required.

Three phase EC IP55 motors are supplied with a supporting IP66 inverter drive for accurate speed control of the fan motor to match the exact ventilation needs of the application. Controlling the speed of the motor further allows for energy saving by limiting the amount of energy needed to power it. As an example, slowing a fan motor by 20% saves nearly 50% in energy consumption.

The introduction of an energy efficient range of corrosion resistant fans is of huge benefit to end users making a conscious effort to reduce their building energy consumption. Laboratories are one of the largest energy consuming sectors in the UK, consuming between four to six times more energy per square metre than standard offices or commercial buildings, predominantly due to the energy intensive

cupboards is a significantly simple step towards making this change.

The introduction of an energy efficient range of corrosion resistant fans is of huge benefit to end users making a conscious effort to reduce their building energy consumption ventilation systems necessary to ensure correct airflow and temperature. Energy efficiency in laboratory settings can make an enormous difference when it comes to reducing costs and carbon footprints.

The integration of EC Fans within fume

With over 25 years of experience, Axair supports a large network of UK fume cupboard manufacturers and those within the environmental corrosive fume market with their range of industrial fans. Corrosion resistant fans are supplied on either metal or outdoor polypropylene pedestals and are specified to match the exact requirements of the applications operating and performance duty.

Axair welcome enquiries from new and existing customers or end users for EC, low pressure, high pressure or ATEX single or three phase fans in any market or application.

To view datasheets and more product information or to start a live chat with one of our fume fans experts visit our website, alternatively call 01782 349 430 to discuss your requirements.

For further information, please visit www.axair-fans.co.uk/products/ec-corrosion-resistant-polypropylene-fans/

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PECM Issue 52

REDUCE FAN ENERGY

CONSUMPTION Now offering an impressive range of energy efficient corrosion resistant fans with EC motors to reduce fan energy consumption in fume extraction systems.

FANS WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT

IE5 EC MOTORS Axair Fans UK Limited www.axair-fans.co.uk 01782 349 430

SHOWS & EVENTS

BACK WITH A BANG IN 2021 ADVANCED ENGINEERING SHOW PREVIEW

What can you expect from this year’s Advanced Engineering show?

The UK’s largest annual gathering of engineering professionals, Advanced Engineering, will return to the NEC, Birmingham on November 3 and 4, 2021. Here, the UK’s talented and vast engineering industry can meet again for the first time in almost two years to do business, make new connections and discover innovation.

This year, there will be seven show zones — aerospace, composites, automotive, performance metals, connected manufacturing, medical devices and, new for 2021, space and satellite. Also, for the first time, Advanced Engineering UK’s sister show, Lab Innovations, will take place in the same hall. Advanced Engineering UK hopes that having so many sectors under one roof will enable cross-industry collaboration and the formation of new business relationships after 18 months of limited interactions.

There will be four forums held during the two-day show, featuring some of the leading voices from engineering and manufacturing. A huge topic at the aerospace forum this year is decarbonising aviation. During the show, there will be presentations on electrification, zerocarbon aviation and hydrogen propulsion from the Aerospace Technology Institute,

Rolls-Royce, Ampaire, ZeroAvia and ID TechEx. Supply chain management is a concern for many companies this year, so Advanced Engineering UK will welcome talks from Airbus UK and ADS on supplier expectations and supply chain excellence.

On day two, the forum will have a whole morning dedicated to space and satellite engineering, with talks from the UK Space Agency, Skyrora, D-Orbit UK and the Space Applications Catapult.

At the automotive forum, electrification and sustainability will also feature as major themes, with talks from JCB, Ford, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Jaguar Land Rover and many more.

On the composites stage, visitors can find out more about what digitalisation means for composite manufacturing, the 3D printing of composite parts and how composites are enabling the UK’s move towards its net-zero carbon emissions targets. Composites UK CEO, David Bailey will return along with the National Composites Centre’s Head of Digital Engineering, Marc Funnell. BAE Systems and Transport for London will also take to the stage.

During the connected manufacturing forum, Ian Gardner, Industry 4.0 and Oracle Specialist at IBM and Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, will deliver keynote speeches. They’ll be supported by speakers from the Connected Places Catapult, Brunel University London and IoT North, to name a few.

As well as its impressive speaker programme, Advanced Engineering UK will be supported by some of the world’s key industry associations, such as The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Composites UK, Make UK, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, GAMBICA, BARA and the Department for International Trade, all of whom now feature as trade body partners.

Advanced Engineering UK is the go-to show for anyone wanting to meet the world’s leading engineering companies, plus the UK’s most innovative start-ups, thanks to the return of the show’s Enabling Innovation zone, supported by Innovate UK. Here, ten chosen start-ups will have the opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking product or technology, before presenting it to a panel of esteemed judges for the chance of winning a stand at next year’s show.

The show already has several exciting features confirmed, including an original prototype of the ExoMars rover, created

by Airbus Defence and Space. The rover, commonly known as Bruno, is semi-autonomous and equipped with all the same technology as the final rover, including the sensors, actuators and cameras that allow the rover to see in 3D while navigating Mars. Advanced Engineering UK’s new show zone dedicated entirely to space and satellite innovation will be Bruno’s landing site for the show, and can be found in the existing Aero Engineering floor.

Also on display will be RS Electric Boat’s Pulse 63. The boat’s power source is a battery pack derived from the automotive industry, which harnesses a RIM drive unit rather than a traditional propeller, increasing the boat’s efficiency and offering a lightweight power solution. The boat is zero emission and the most sustainable

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laminate of any RIB in the industry. More features will be announced in the coming weeks.

Advanced Engineering offers a great opportunity to meet suppliers, partners and generate business leads for the first time in over a year. Already, the show’s exhibitor space is 90 per cent sold out – a sign that our industry is eager to come together again. In 2019, over 10,000 professionals from the manufacturing sector attended Advanced Engineering.

70 per cent of visitors reported that they planned to place orders as a result of the relationships formed and an impressive 93 per cent of exhibitors reported that they achieved their objectives at the show.

Advanced Engineering offers a great opportunity to meet suppliers, partners and generate business leads for the first time in over a year.

“Advanced Engineering UK marks the return to face-to-face business, which the UK has been craving since March 2020,” explained Alison Willis, Director at Easyfairs, the organizer of Advanced Engineering.

“The show offers the UK’s engineering industry the chance to get together again, do business and discover the innovative technologies and products that have been created in the past year.”

Are you ready to meet some of the UK’s top innovators in engineering? Register to attend Advanced Engineering 2021 on November 3–4 via the exhibition’s website, www.advancedengineeringuk.com/.

This year, Advanced Engineering UK is also relaunching AE Connect, a digital platform that is used to schedule meetings ahead of the show. In 2019, the platform was used to schedule 588 meetings, which generated an average order value of £200,000 per meeting held. After 18 months of limited in-person meetings, it’s understandable that businesses might not have as many connections as they usually would by this time of year. AE Connect allows both exhibitors and visitors to make the most of their time at the show by filling their diaries with valuable meetings beforehand.

For further information, please visit www.advancedengineeringuk.com Issue 52 PECM

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AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

GEARBOX MILESTONE ŠKODA AUTO

ŠKODA AUTO has produced eight million MQ200 manual gearboxes at the Mladá Boleslav site

ŠKODA AUTO has today produced its eight millionth MQ200 manual gearbox since production started at the Mladá Boleslav site in 2000. The manual five-or six-speed transmission is used in various ŠKODA AUTO models as well as in vehicles produced by the Volkswagen, Audi and Seat Group brands. Around 1,900 units are produced every day. The car manufacturer also produces the MQ100 transmission at its headquarters.

Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics emphasises: “I congratulate the entire team on achieving this production milestone. This is a great achievement

and attests to our technical expertise; the MQ200 manual transmission exemplifies high quality and durability. The production of this gearbox is a clear sign of the importance of component production at the Group level.”

383,000 units of the manual five-or sixspeed transmission ran off the production line in Mladá Boleslav last year alone, and the daily production volume is currently around 1,900 units. The MQ200 is installed in vehicles with petrol engines with a torque of up to 200 Nm and a displacement of 1.0 to 1.6 litres. It is used in ŠKODA, Volkswagen, Audi and Seat models.

In addition to assembling the MQ100 and the MQ200 in Mladá Boleslav, the Czech car manufacturer also produces the DQ200 automatic 7-speed direct transmission at its Vrchlabí plant. In total, the company employs around 1,700 people in transmission production at the two sites. ŠKODA also produces high-voltage traction batteries for the plug-in hybrid ŠKODA SUPERB iV and ŠKODA OCTAVIA iV models adjacent to transmission production in the same factory hall in Mladá Boleslav. In addition, production of MEB battery systems for the ŠKODA ENYAQ iV will start at the same location in early 2022.

For further information, please visit www.skoda-auto.com

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HENKEL INNOVATIONS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

ZERO-EMISSIONS MOBILITY OF THE FUTURE Henkel has been a partner of the automotive industry for many years. Our high-tech solutions are now supporting the transition to electric mobility: Battery cooling with thermal gap fillers in battery packs Functional coatings, for instance to electrically insulate the cooling plate High-performance adhesives, optionally combined with heat-conducting properties to bond cells Flame-retardant materials to prevent thermal chain reactions within the battery

www.henkel-adhesives.com/emobility

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Three major accreditations confirm Lanemark Combustion Engineering’s quality, environmental and manufacturing performance Process gas heating specialists Lanemark Combustion Engineering Ltd. are delighted to announce the achievement of three major industrial international accreditations which, simultaneously, define the company’s management, environmental and health and safety commitment.

“By being able to hold ISO 14001 Environmental Accreditation, ISO 45001 Health and Safety Accreditation and ISO 9001 Quality Accreditation at the same time reflects well on both our organisation and, of course, the people within it,” says Alan Thompson, Lanemark’s Operations Director.

“Increasingly, our customers are looking to their suppliers to deliver fully in these key areas so, apart from helping to ensure that we are meeting clearly structured goals, these certifications underpin our sales efforts and ongoing work with customers across all markets,” adds Jeff Foster, Sales Director.

Having been heavily involved in the approval processes, Lanemark’s Joanne Topp, Integrated Management System (IMS) Administration Officer, and Lee Carroll, Health & Safety/IMS Training Coordinator, are now responsible for the ongoing implementation of the three standards – each of which will be subject to periodic assessment and audit in the future to ensure the high standards defined are being fully maintained.

“As a specialist manufacturing organisation, with customers ranging

from brewing and surface finishing to petrochemical processing, and working in the highly controlled field of gas engineering, we have long been aware of our own and our customers’ requirements. Now, being able to hold all three certifications concurrently demonstrates the performance and gains that can be achieved by our approach – to the benefit of all concerned,” concludes Jeff Foster.

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

TRUE COLLABORATION MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC

Five reasons why you should get into cobotics There are plenty of scenarios where robotics can be deployed to increase productivity and precision while removing people from the drudgery of repetitive tasks. Cobots take this a step further by being able to work alongside human operators in a truly collaborative way.

Barry Weller, Robot Product Manager at Mitsubishi Electric, looks at five reasons why businesses should consider installing cobots.

When looking at the adoption of future technology, it is acknowledged that robots will play an ever-increasing role. Industrial, cooperative and collaborative robots can be gamechangers for businesses in the manufacturing, processing and assembly sectors, where they can boost productivity and flexibility. The technology has never stood still and robots are now more versatile than ever.

The latest innovation in the sector is the collaborative robot, otherwise known as the cobot. This means that robots can now operate alongside people, utilising the same workspace, opening up many applications that have not been possible before.

However, this is not the only reason to use a collaborative robot:

1. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY When new technology becomes available it can either have a disruptive influence on the established way of thinking, or it can reignite interest in an area that had maybe slipped from people’s attention, the latter is definitely true with cobots.

Key elements fuelling this interest include visual programming, direct teaching, collision detection, integrated vision and extended safety functions, which means that cobots can be used in applications without the need for physical guards. These allow collaborative machines to match the level of sophistication of industrial robots while increasing productivity on the factory floor as well as backing data-driven, smart operations, where the information generated by cobots can provide actionable insights to maintain peak performance.

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Add to this the fact that they look good, with a sleek design that has no pinch points or sharp corners, then they make for an attractive option for any application.

2. EASE OF USE As the robot technology has advanced, so has its ease of use and how it integrates with peripheral devices. What was the preserve of the “expert” is now expected to be available to everyone and this is actually one of the biggest advantages of using cobots.

The technology behind cobots means their programming can be graphically based, featuring icons for functions and flow charts for the sequencing of the process. This reduces programming complexity as well as development and engineering time.

The configuration of the cobot arms can be completed manually by guiding the cobot arm to the desired positions.

The configuration of the robot ‘hands’ is achieved using graphical parameters.

If vision systems are needed, a solution such as Mitsubishi Electric’s Assista offers users the ability to set up cameras by using an intuitive software wizard which guides the user through each step of the process. It is also able to automatically perform other key functions, such as the calibration of a coordinate system using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Ultimately, businesses that install cobots on their production lines do not initially require the same level of robotic or programming expertise as for standard industrial robots.

Quick setup can dramatically cut the time required to get the system up and running while also enabling fast changes going forward.

3. EXPANDABILITY It is not just the cobots that are easy to use.

Auxiliary equipment, such as vision systems and end effectors, is being designed to meet the same level of user-friendliness.

More precisely, many components offer ‘plug and play’ functionalities, so they can be easily interconnected with the robotic arms.

No wiring needs to be carried out and no adaptors need to be designed and manufactured, further simplifying the overall automation infrastructure while also supporting flexibility. In effect, users can easily exchange components to support a variety of different applications.

4. FLEXIBILITY The benefits discussed above, particularly how easy it is to program, install, use and equip cobots, also leads to extremely flexible production cells and machines.

Businesses can change the way collaborative robots function and behave in just a few intuitive steps. In addition to this, their end effectors can be exchanged very quickly.

The configuration of the cobot arms can be completed manually by guiding the cobot arm to the desired positions.

CONCLUSIONS With all the benefits that a cobot can bring the question must be asked, does this mean that there is now no longer a need for a traditional industrial robot?

Of course, the answer is no, where speed is important then the industrial robot is still the best choice. Cobot technology is however influencing industrial robot development, for example, many of the safety functions that were first seen on the collaborative robots are now standard features on

industrial versions. Collaborative robots are often found on the same production lines as industrial robots so it is very important to choose an equipment supplier that can offer both, such as Mitsubishi Electric.

The right choice of cobot should provide all the simplicity of programming already described but should also come with more sophisticated features such as an advanced scripting language, so that as the knowledge of the user grows, the applications tackled by the cobot can get more sophisticated and demanding.

It is clear that robot technology is advancing at great pace and the adoption by industry will also follow suit. The question is not collaborative robots versus industrial robots but the marrying of the two and matching the correct technology for the right application. If this is achieved successfully, then the further adoption of robots in manufacturing is inevitable and will allow humans either to interact with them as part of the task or be redeployed on less mundane tasks elsewhere in the process.

These capabilities are extremely beneficial, allowing cobots to be swiftly repurposed from one task to another. As a result, it is possible to benefit from highly flexible and agile systems that can help automate mixed product assemblies and small batch runs.

Furthermore, by enabling users to adjust and optimise the cobots’ programs over time, these solutions make it particularly easy to constantly increase productivity, helping to realise continuous improvement strategies.

5. THE BUSINESS CASE When it comes to getting a project approved, it can be challenging to make it stand out from all the other budget requests. This is not the case for cobots, as they can unlock several new opportunities for businesses of any size, while offering a quick return on investment (ROI), typically in less than a year.

Furthermore, the use of collaborative machines can help users grow their confidence and skills in factory automation.

As a result, companies can develop in house expertise, supporting the use of more complex, faster or heavy-duty payload industrial robots on their production lines.

Ultimately, businesses can evolve over time to use different types of robots to perform key activities and processes as the applications require.

For further information, please visit gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com Issue 52 PECM

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

THE TKU 2040 MK PROFILE SYSTEMS LTD

mk Expands its range of Pallet Systems to include an Indexing Chain Conveyor System The TKU 2040 indexing chain conveyor system expands mk’s portfolio of pallet systems. It makes cycled supply and interlinking possible, for example in the machine tool and plastics industry as well as in the automotive industry.

In addition to modules such as fixed and adjustable conveyor bodies, pallets, adjustment units, drives, tails and different types of frames, protective device guards, a drip pan and an automatic lubrication station are also available.

The TKU 2040 is especially well suited for defined, position-oriented supply and removal as well as for interlinking machining centres. The system’s timing can be individually configured to a fixed cycle.

• Key features of the TKU 2040 include:

The TKU 2040 is based on the mk profile system and is modularly constructed, compact, flexible and extremely robust. It is constructed from a timing chain conveyor with 2 roller chains, which permits a total load of up to 700 kg. The conveyor body consists of two profile sections with gliding assemblies for the chain and the workpiece fixtures. It is available in designs with a predefined width or with an adjustable

• Load capacity of up to 700 kg width. The adjustable width makes it possible to use with workpieces of different sizes.

According to the specific requirements, the workpiece fixtures can be prisms made out of either polyoxymethylene (POM) or brass, which are optimal for holding round work pieces. Alternatively, profile pallets can be individually equipped with customersupplied workpiece fixtures.

• Permits loads of 6/10 kg (prism) and up to 20 kg (profile pallet) per workpiece • Compact construction • Flexible modular design • Widths between 195 mm and 1500 mm on adjustable models • Direct drive reduces maintenance and wear • Conveyor speed up to 18 m/min • Repeatability of +/- 1 mm possible

To find out more about this and the full range of conveyors visit www.mkprofiles.co.uk or call (01949) 823751.

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Indexing Chain Conveyor System Interlink machining stations cost efficiently Sturdy system, total load capacity of up to 700 kg Flexible modular designs, variable lengths & widths possible

www.mkprofiles.co.uk

mk Profile Systems Limited a company of the mk Technology Group

CONTROL & AUTOMATION

INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY TF AUTOMATION

TF Automation automates process for face mask manufacturer TF Automation were recently commissioned to design and manufacture a machine to automate the production of straps for face masks for a new customer - Air Filtration Solutions (AFS). AFS manufacture high performance respiratory filters, face masks, respiratory masks and domestic appliance filters and filter casings.

The company required a bespoke machine to automatically cut and weld the straps for face masks to accommodate ongoing increases in demand. The previously manual process involved cutting the elastic to length and then hand-welding to form the loop.

Our project engineers designed a machine that feeds the elastic strap material from an attached reel, drawing out at a known pre-determined length. The elastic is then cut and welded using ultrasonics to form a loop. The automation provides consistent

length measurement and a reliable consistent weld which was not the case whilst hand welding. Each loop had to be stretched to test its strength & then cut & rewelded in the case of a poor weld.

These straps are the then used for AFS generic range of disposable face masks which are in high demand. The assembly process has been simplified with rejects and rework now being minimal, with the company seeing a 30% output increase with only occasional operator intervention to change the medial roll.

Tony Hubbert, MD at TF Automation, comments, “This is one of the first machines we have designed for AFS and we are delighted with the outcome in helping them increase productivity and ensure standardisation and consistency.

There are already new projects in the pipeline for further machines focussing on process automation.”

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

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DESIGN | ENGINEER | MANUFACTURE | DESIGN | ENGINEER | MANUFACTURE

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

SPECIFYING A LINEAR ACTUATOR MATARA UK LTD

By Japh Humphries, UK Sales & Commercial Manager, Matara UK Ltd Linear motion systems are business critical across an extensive range of industries, from food processing plants, to semiconductor manufacturers and packaging producers to name but a few; in fact, virtually anywhere that requires loads to be cost-effectively moved in a straight line, safely, securely and precisely. These systems have improved automation whilst simultaneously lowering production costs, making them invaluable.

Linear ball screw actuators are usually designed at around 1000mm stroke length, although smaller and larger lengths can be accommodated by, for example, using different diameter balls. However, we would never recommend a ball screw actuator for stroke lengths over 54000mm.

For longer stroke lengths, belt driven actuators are a better option. At Matara, we are able to manufacture linear actuators from 100mm to 6700mm stroke lengths.

Linear actuators are at the heart of a linear motion system, combining linear guides and power-transmission components in a single unit. Whilst machine builders can opt to design and produce these elements in-house, the majority opt for off the shelf, ‘ready-made’ linear actuators as it reduces overall machine design and fabrication costs and, as they feature application-tested and optimised construction, are highly reliable, accurate and provide repeatability; all of which are core to production machine and automation systems.

One of the most important considerations when looking at stroke length, and one that all too frequently gets overlooked, is the safety stroke. The safety stroke is an allowance that provides room for the actuator to coast to a stop if an emergency stop of the system is necessary. This prevents the bearing table (and the load) from hitting the ends of the actuator, which can cause damage. Even if emergency stops are rare in your particular process, it’s still good practice to factor in a safety stroke as linear actuators aren’t designed to constantly be run into a hard stop as this can cause wear and tear to the inner workings of the actuator over time.

Whilst it’s important to consider all components of a linear motion system separately and as a whole, choosing the right linear actuator – belt driven, ball screw driven or electric rod type actuator - is fundamental. There are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration, but three stand heads and shoulders above the rest and will ‘make or break’ a system.

KEY FACTOR 1: SPEED The speed of the process at hand will impact the actuator’s longevity and efficiency.

A ball screw linear actuator will usually perform at around 0.35 to 1.5m/s at stroke

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lengths under one metre, although higher speeds and longer lengths can be achieved by adding supports to the assembly.

However, this will only take you so far as a ball screw actuator may be susceptible to ‘screw whip’ at high speeds, where the screw vibrates and bows as it turns.

Over time this can negatively impact the performance of the actuator, leading to premature wear and shortening its lifespan.

Whilst there isn’t a universal cut off point at which a ball screw linear actuator is no longer an option – it’s very much dependent on a range of factors including the dimensions and material of the screw and the actuators’ use and environment – if you want to achieve higher speeds, up to 3m/s, then a belt actuator should be considered. Belt actuators perform better at higher velocities and also in applications that require a long stroke. Which brings us to our next key factor.

KEY FACTOR 3: LOAD

KEY FACTOR 2: STROKE LENGTH

Stroke length impacts on speed and vice versa, but load has a direct effect on both.

Stroke length refers to the distance the linear rail actuator is required to move a load in one direction.

To calculate the safety stroke, for belt driven actuators specify a distance equal to two turns of the motor on each end of the actuator (or four turns in total). For ball screw actuators, base it on twice the pitch of the ball screw. Other factors may have to be taken into consideration, but this calculation is a good starting point.

Anyone involved in an engineering capacity will appreciate the importance of load

Linear actuators are at the heart of a linear motion system, combining linear guides and powertransmission components in a single unit.

capacity on a structure and linear motion systems are no different in this respect.

Miscalculate the load and at best there will be a loss of precision, but at worst you may be looking at catastrophic failure with damage to the actuator assembly and the product, and a potential serious health and safety risk.

Where linear motion systems differ from many other load capacity calculations is the need to base it on the dynamic load capacity. Unlike the static load, which is the load on the actuator when it is in a fixed position, a dynamic load is that which the actuator handles when in operation and in motion. In other words, how much work can the machine actually do; how much can be pushed or pulled.

You need to base the calculation on both the radial and axial load capacity, as well as the moment capacity of the support carriage. Position of the load in terms of its size (including any overhang) as well as the orientation in which the load is being moved should also be considered.

Ball screw driven actuators can generally move higher loads and are widely used on applications that require movement on a vertical axis, such as gantry robots. A belt actuator should mostly be avoided for

vertical axis movement as it is at risk of the belt snapping due to tension.

However, belt driven actuators can be ‘beefed up’ to achieve higher dynamic load ratings by using linear rail and carriages as external guides. Linear rails have two parallel tracks that contain rollers to support a moving load, providing guidance and support for a load carried by an actuator between two points. Linear rails are used in a whole range of applications and can carry loads that vary from extremely light electronic components, through to large loads weighing thousands of kilograms in heavy industry.

Ultimately, the choice of linear actuator will be impacted by all three factors and which factor takes priority for the machine being designed and the process for which it is intended. There will also be other factors to consider, including the direction in which

your actuator is mounted, accuracy and repeatability, maintenance requirements and the operational environment. But without getting the big three right - speed, stroke length, load capacity – none of the others will matter!

Matara designs and manufactures a range of pneumatic and linear automation products, including linear rail actuators.

Products are available from stock or can be custom built to order. sales@matarauk.co.uk 01684 850000.

For further information, please visit /www.matara.com/products/actuator-systems/linear-actuators/ Issue 52 PECM

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

Autopack offer stand-alone machines through to full packing lines Capping Machinery

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sales@churchill-controls.co.uk www.churchill-controls.co.uk

AZM150 SOLENOID INTERLOCK: SLIMLINE DESIGN WITH 360 ROTATING HEAD AND 1400 NEWTON CLAMPING FORCE O

The AZM150 solenoid interlock can be combined with three different actuators for different installation situations: a straight actuator for sliding doors, an angled actuator for large revolving doors and a movable actuator for smaller revolving doors. One of the plus points of the interlock is the rotating actuator head which can be locked simply by putting the lid on rather than a screw fitting. The rotating actuator head has two feeder slots to enable a range of installation positions and approach options. This makes the interlock really flexible to use.

The AZM150 is an electromechanical design which can be combined with high safety standards. The interlock comes with a low coding level as standard but is also available with an optional high coding level. The benefit for users: In accordance with ISO 14119, a higher coding requires fewer measures to prevent the bypassing of locking mechanisms, such as fitting out of range or in a concealed position. Schmersal is the only manufacturer which can offer electromechanical safety switches and solenoid interlocks with high coding levels.

Scan the QR code to see the AZM150 in action or visit our website for more information.

SCHMERSAL | Enigma Business Park Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 1GL

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CONTROL & AUTOMATION

GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGY RARUK AUTOMATION

Factory of the future opts for mobile robots from RARUK Automation A new first-of-its-kind fully connected factory is applying game-changing technologies – including MiR Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) supplied by RARUK Automation – to help advance the manufacture of the UK’s next-generation combat aircraft system, Tempest. Located at the Warton facility of BAE Systems, the ‘Factory of the Future’ has been designed in such a way that it can flex to manufacture different products within the same area, leveraging the advantages provided by the MiRs and intelligent systems to accommodate changes quickly.

Designed specifically to provide a connected intelligent factory for military aircraft technologies, the ‘Factory of the Future’ showcases manufacturing in a digital age. The facility serves as an experimental hub equipped with state-ofthe-art technology to enable the brightest and boldest engineers to research, invest and test new technologies, build new capabilities and harness transformative ways of working.

“Notably, the ‘Factory of the Future’ demonstrates how BAE Systems remains competitive within the aerospace industry and addresses the challenges we are facing around cost/time reduction for future aircraft programmes,” explains Ismail Master, Manufacturing Development Engineer - Manufacturing Technology, at BAE Systems - Air. Serving as the central logistics function within the new facility are a number of MiR autonomous mobile robots supplied by RARUK Automation.

“The MiRs enable a fully autonomous logistics solution for material flow within the facility,” explains Mr Master. “We are developing this capability and exploring how it integrates into existing and new production facilities. The robots will work collaboratively alongside operators, distributing material line-side to assembly stations on a just-in-time basis.”

The MiR robots are part of a wider logistics solution with a dedicated cell comprising a pick and place robot, vertical storage carousel and intelligent safety systems.

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“This cell is dedicated to storing and maintaining assets from goods delivery into the facility as and when they are required,” says Mr Master. “Full system integration facilitates the autonomous collection and distribution of assets to the wider factory and, conversely, doing the opposite in collecting and depositing assets back into the storage system. We are also assessing the capability to connect with other machines and systems as part of our vision to create a fully connected factory.”

BAE Systems’ selection of the MiR robots

followed an in-depth trade study and technical analysis of available products.

“The purchase decision was based on the maturity of the product and its potential development/integration into our manufacturing environment,” states Mr Master. “We had a trial of a MiR100 in which we tested and analysed the system to understand the potential for the product to conduct intralogistics operations. RARUK Automation provided MiR training in terms of the robot, the fleet management system and the REST API it uses.

We found the MiRs very user friendly and simple to program/update thanks to the embedding of all functions within the user interface.”

RARUK Automation has also provided BAE Systems with complementary products for the mobile robots that include the ROEQ top module, C300 cart and docking station. Together, these products enable a fully autonomous trolley docking/ undocking process, removing elements of manual operator intervention. In addition, the ‘Factory of the Future’ uses a WISE I/O module for the MiRs so they can communicate directly with cell safety systems. As a result, the mobile robots can autonomously ingress/egress into and out of cells without tripping the safety system, again removing any need for operator involvement.

The purchase decision was based on the maturity of the product and its potential development/integration into our manufacturing environment,

“The main advantage of the MiRs is that operators can focus on high-value tasks, instead of non-value activities like manually distributing assets to the build locations via trolleys,” says Mr Master.

Having the MiRs satisfy this requirement improves the efficiency of the manufacturing environment. In short, it is possible to schedule the delivery of assets so they arrive just-in-time, reducing space

requirements for storing assets in working areas and enabling optimised inventory and improved asset management capabilities.

“The robots are very reliable in their operation for logistics activities, but we are seeking exceptionally high levels of accuracy and reliability in our ‘Factory of the Future’ operations,” explains Mr Master.

“We are pushing the boundaries of mobile robot operation, which differs from typical usage and so we expect that a level of adjustment will be necessary. RARUK Automation responds quickly to our needs and provides the necessary technology training and knowledge to help address these challenges.”

Currently, the MiRs integrate with different cell systems to enable autonomous delivery directly from the working areas.

However, the plan is to integrate the mobile robots to an overarching IOT platform for connectivity, data visualisation and mission orchestration.

“This will handshake directly with an MES to enable scheduling of asset delivery/ collection based on the build operations,” concludes Mr Master. “A future goal is to link the MES to a dynamic scheduling capability that will enable advanced, flexible scheduling of material flow based on the current state of the environment, mitigating any process disruptions via realtime decision making.”

For further information, please visit www.rarukautomation.com Issue 52 PECM

59

CONTROL & AUTOMATION

Autopack at PPMA 2021 show At the PPMA 2021 show, Autopack will display a range of container / bottle handling, filling and capping equipment including the Ayrtac F4 washdown 4 head depositor and the MC50 vacuum capping machine. The Traktech rotary Rinser offers a compact solution for rinsing a wide range of containers using ionised air. A Tedelta 3 head capper will be running a popular flip top style screw cap designed specifically for the personal care and homecare market.

On the flexible side of the stand the equipment running live will be the Postpack automatic pouch machine, duplex sachet machine, our range of Heat sealers and Linear Weighers along with the AV31 budget VFFS bagger designed with all around access for cleaning and easy operation.

www.autopack.com

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PECM Issue 52

Spiroflow achieves carbon neutral status from emissions reduction action Leading bulk materials handling specialist, Spiroflow, has become one of the small percentage of UK manufacturing businesses to achieve carbon neutrality - a status achieved by calculating a carbon footprint and reducing it to zero through a combination of in-house efficiency measures and supporting external emission reduction projects. The company’s latest activity was a tree planting event held at Lancaster University’s Forrest Hills.

Spiroflow was participating in Lancaster University’s ‘Forest of the Future’ initiative, an annual tree planting project held on universityowned land that provides the university and local SMEs with the opportunity to completely offset their carbon emissions for the year by planting a quantity of trees - the number depending on their carbon footprint. www.spiroflow.com

CryptoAuthentication™

Datakey’s new CryptoAuthentication™ tokens are ideal for embedded systems that: • Require ‘cyber robust’ removable memory devices for applications that include the transfer of passwords (or other data needed for user authentication purposes).

• Need physical transfer of security keys, certificates, sensitive data or system configuration files.

At the heart of all devices in the CryptoAuthentication™ line of memory tokens is a Microchip CryptoAuthentication™ high-security hardware IC. Its features include: • A unique and non-changeable 72-bit serial number (set by Microchip) • A 512bit one-time programmable (OTP) zone • A random number generator • A SHA-256 hash algorithm for data encryption.

To understand how it could improve the security in your embedded system, we’re giving you a chance to win a CryptoAuthentication™ Development Kit! www.nexusindustrialmemory.com/land/ cryptoauthentication-devkit/

CONTROL & AUTOMATION / ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

PECM magazine advert ONE.pdf 1 16/08/2021 13:57:42

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Issue 52 PECM

61

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

Reduce risk of lightning hazards at work with a lightning warning system Lightning strikes the ground in the UK around 300,000 times a year, putting at risk those who are often outdoors in exposed, unsheltered locations.

Although there’s no full-proof protection from lightning, measures can be taken to reduce the risk of getting struck.

Meteorological equipment specialist Biral is offering its BTD200 self-contained, standalone lightning warning system so employers can take precautions to prevent exposure to lightning and ensure workers’ safety.

The BTD-200 is a modular system, designed to operate out-of-the-box and is expandable as requirements grow or change. The system comprises of a lightning detector which is placed outside, whilst a PC located indoors runs the supplied Lightning Works software. Users view the lightning in real-time on a map whilst displaying the urgent lightning alarm levels.

For more information call Biral on +44 (0)1275 847 787, email info@ lightningearlywarning. com, or visit www. lightningearlywarning.com

Visit www.radics.tech for more information

RADICS - BASED I&C SOLUTIONS: ADDING VALUES FOR NPP SAFETY AND PROFITABILITY

FISCHER FREEDOM™ SERIES EASY MAT A ING EASY CLEANING EASY INTEGRAT A ION No key code for 360° mating and optimised cable management Fully cleanable, IP68 sealing Easy to integrate into devices OR garments

fischerconnectors.com

62

PECM Issue 52

RadICS platform, approved by U.S. NRC on july 31.2019, provides state-of-the-art safety functions and possesses the following cost benefit features: • High Reliability with Fault Tolerant Features that are based on IEC 61508 SIL 3 certification.

• Simpler Maintenance and Repair due to the advanced diagnostic and monitoring features.

• Surveillance Testing Optimization due to extensive self-diagnostic testing features to reduce burdens on plant personnel.

• Lower regulatory risks because it has the newest and most complete NRC-approved Topical Report.

• Unique diversity strategy approved by NRC. No need for a Diverse Actuation System.

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

Electric Vehicle Charger: Power We are truly at the beginning of the electric car age. With countries around the world introducing mandates to cut the number of diesel and petrol cars. Public car chargers are going to be scheduled as part of the strategy.

The first hurdle system designers will have to overcome when developing and deploying public EV chargers is the huge power requirement.

There are three main types of EV charging stations: AC Level 1, AC Level 2 and DC fast charging. AC Level 1 chargers

provide 120V charging to deliver up to 1.9kW of output power. AC Level 2 chargers provide 240V charging to deliver anywhere from 3kW to 19kW. Colloquially known as a sort of “level 3” of charging stations, Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) are designed to fill an EV battery to 90% in as low as 20 minutes.

www.componentsbureau. com/market-sectors/ transportation/electricvehicle-ev-chargingstations

Mobile tablet boom enables business practices There has been an increase of 63% of UK companies looking to mobile-enable business practices according to ComputerWeekly.com. IT Pro reported that the second quarter of 2020 saw global tablet shipments increase by more than a quarter, from 29,7 million to 37.5 million.

This is largely due to the rise in remote working and the heightened demand for virtual office components, and tablets that “tick so many boxes for remote work and education use”, according to Canalys analyst Ishan Dutt.

Andrew Cahill, managing director of MobileWorxs, specialists in rugged tablets for enterprises in the UK and EMEA, said that tablets are experiencing a revival due to their affordability combined with added functionality compared to cell phone and laptops. “The new generation tablets are designed for rugged and robust usage for example, in the field,

in-premise in factories and warehouses, in healthcare facilities, or by government utilities.

“There are a wide range of tablets, from Microsoft Surface to the more rugged tablets from global companies like MobileDemand, that offer a wide range of accessories, such as rugged cases, cameras, forklift mounts, barcode scanners, full communication options etc, which means that these devices can now be used effectively in rugged environment by the workforce, and also link to a company’s backend software system.

For more information about the use of tablets in the workplace, contact MobileWorxs on +44 (0)1905 799555 or visit: www.mobileworxs. com/flex/rugged-tabletthat-does-not-bust-yourbudget/

Issue 52 PECM

63

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

GENSET OPTIONS FINNING

Short and long term rental: what’s the difference?

Buying a generator set outright is only feasible if a business has the funds to afford the initial investment and is working on a long-term project that requires stable off-grid power. Because in most businesses this is not the case, rental is a compelling option. But not all rental options were made equal. Here Dean Harris, Sales Engineer at Energyst UK & Ireland, explains the difference between short and long-term genset rental.

i W02h/02/

Renting a genset allows businesses to avoid paying out a large initial sum. One example is a recycling plant, which recently took out a five-year contract because it does not have access to a mains power supply for the foreseeable future. The customer did not want to spend three quarters of a million pounds on the three gensets that it required, so opted for rental to bridge the power gap.

Rental also gives businesses the opportunity to have a genset on site in a matter of days, rather than waiting 16 to 20 weeks for a purchased system to be custom built and installed. Rental customers can also pass the maintenance costs and challenges that come with purchasing onto their supplier.

If a business decides to rent, there are two main options — short-term and long-term rental. Short-term rental can be from a few days to just under a month and long-term rental typically is anywhere up to two years, but some businesses opt for even longer periods of up to ten years.

SHORT-TERM RENTAL Businesses can quickly get their project’s power requirements met by opting for a short-term rental. A rental genset can be quickly introduced to prevent downtime when an existing embedded generator is faulty and needs maintenance work or for projects that only last a few days or weeks.

Consider this example. A company performs five major services each year to check its systems can run up to 2000 kVA, during which the gensets powering the operation must be taken offline. The business could not justify spending half a million pounds

well as negotiate a cheaper price per litre when buying in bulk.

Businesses can quickly get their project’s power requirements met by opting for a short-term rental. on a supplementary genset, only to use it for five or six weeks of the year. Instead, it chose to rent a genset during testing, saving footprint space, the large initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs.

LONG-TERM RENTAL In addition to the financial benefits of renting a genset, customers can also pass on the operational costs to the rental supplier when renting long-term. The rental supplier can monitor the performance, load and operating hours to see when the genset needs maintenance work, rather than the business carrying this out themselves, providing peace of mind. The renter can also hand over fuel management to the supplier, as

Long-term rental can be suitable for standby applications for critical facilities, such as hospitals, airports or data centres. Critical facilities have stringent testing requirements to ensure the equipment kicks in when needed, so leaving this in the hands of experts can save time, money and hassle.

In addition, long-term rental provides flexibility to businesses during times of changing demand. If a manufacturing business wants to extend its production line and increase the power supplied, it can easily swap out the current rental genset for a bigger one or rent an additional system, without investing large sums of money for the expansion.

Ultimately, the value of the rental agreement depends on the project length and the specific requirements of each business.

Renting for a longer period will reduce the daily rental rate, but short-term rentals provide more flexibility for businesses who may want a genset for a week. Fully understanding the power requirements of each project before renting a genset will help businesses make an informed decision.

Visit the Energyst website to learn more about our genset rental options www.finning.com/Energyst.

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PECM Issue 52

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

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BAC

The repair, rewinding and replacement of Motors of any size

Apex Dynamics bogus products warning

Bowers Electricals are one of the UK’s largest suppliers of new electrical equipment, our involvement and knowledge in Motors and Rewinding equipment dates to 1947. As a leading distributor and approved repair centre for Brook Crompton Motors, we carry extensive stock of all motor types, but also repair and overhaul them.

APEX Dynamics, a leading supplier of highprecision gearboxes to the food, packaging and automation sectors, is urging customers to be on their guard against a wave of counterfeit products that have infiltrated the UK market in the last 12 months. One of the unfortunate consequences of building a successful premium brand is the appearance of fake goods and, despite determined efforts to combat this problem, APEX Dynamics has continued to see bogus products bearing its branding being sold online at knockdown prices. APEX Dynamics’ products are specially designed with patented features around the bearings and seals of the gearbox, making them ideal for use in a food or pharma environment and the company has warned of the consequences of customers purchasing counterfeit products which does not meet its quality or warranty standards.

APEX Dynamics can be contacted at sales@apexdynamicsuk.com.

When electric motors are intended for use in a hazardous area it must be ATEX certified.

Our EX trained specialist engineers allow us to give quality service and be fully compliant to IEC 60079-19 standards that are used for the overhaul of explosion protected motors, pumps, and other equipment.

With over 70 years of experience, Bowers Electricals can support the repair, rewinding and replacement of Motors of any size.

Tel: 01773 531531 Email: enquiries@bowerselec.co.uk www.bowerselec.co.uk/recommends/ homepage/

Find out more at: www.apexdynauk.com

Make Rapid your first choice for components, consumables and parts With over 120,000 products across 1,000s of brands, Rapid helps to keep engineering and manufacturing supplied with essential electronic components, products and spares.

Customers benefit from fair pricing and fast delivery times for in-stock orders, and access to value-added services. For example, our long term stock agreements offer guaranteed stock and fixed pricing for major projects.

Rapid also offer a sample service, fast turnaround on quotes and dedicated customer support. If you can’t find what you are looking for, we have access to a wider range of products; just tell us what you need. Plus, look out for our exclusive new own brand R-TECH, offering tried and trusted technology at an affordable price.

Email: sales@rapidonline.com Web: www.rapidonline.com Issue 52 PECM

65

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

A TRUE WARRANTY WILKINSON STAR

JASIC 5 Year Warranty Charter on all models There is no compromise on the quality of JASIC equipment..such is our confidence in this technology we can offer an unparalleled 5 year ‘true’ warranty on all models. Jasic’s manufacturing site is over 80,000m2 and is arguably the largest and most modern inverter manufacturing base in China.

team of technicians in our JASIC Technology Centre.

• We have the facility to test products extensively on load banks and can validate machines to certification requirements.

How do Wilkinson Star provide such an industry leading product guarantee?

EQUIPMENT QUALITY WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT PRODUCT QUALITY. SOUND PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM JASIC PRODUCTS • The manufacturer has invested millions of dollars into cutting edge integrated test laboratories on site – JASIC undergoes 42 individual tests to meet high quality standard.

• If required, Wilkinson Star will arrange at its expense to collect and return your JASIC product to carry out service or repair in our workshops

• Jasic’s 4 centre strong R & D facilities has been ranked as the most progressive facility along with being the first welding laboratory awarded UA certification by China from TUV Rhineland.

BE VIGILANT WHEN PURCHASING EQUIPMENT WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY

UNPARALLELED AFTER SALES SUPPORT

JASIC’s warranty is a true 5 years; this means a problem at 6 months, 3 years or 4 years 11 months is treated with the same level of care.

NO OTHER DISTRIBUTOR CAN MATCH US ON THE LEVEL OF SERVICE FACILITY INVESTMENT MADE IN THE UK • Wilkinson have 50 years’ experience in servicing welding equipment. Our state of the art service workshop facility and our 16 strong after sales service team offer the most recognised technical support in the welding industry.

All equipment is fully supported by Wilkinson Star trained technicians.

• No other UK wholesaler can repair inverter boards to component level. At Wilkinson Star we have a dedicated

WITH JASIC 5 MEANS 5

CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE CARE IS OUR BYWORD AND YOUR PRODUCTIVITY IS OUR PRIORITY • We provide a dedicated technical support line which you can call for any technical support queries

No extensions. No additional costs…… just 60 rolling months of product peace of mind ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS REGISTER YOUR PURCHASE AT JASIC.CO.UK FOR 5 YEARS PEACE OF MIND – IT’S REALLY THAT SIMPLE

• If on site support is needed we provide this through our highly trained technicians who cover the country • We can also interchange power sources to keep you up and running

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

66

PECM Issue 52

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

LOCAL VS GLOBAL TFC

What is the best approach to supply chain management?

Britain is the main source of imports for Ireland, making up more than 20 per cent in 2018 and 2019, despite uncertainty around the UK’s departure from the EU, according to the Central Statistics Office. A tumultuous year in 2020 that continues into 2021 means many Irish manufacturers are looking for ways to secure their supply chains by removing risk from their component supply.

Here Andrew Barnes, area sales manager for Ireland at TFC, compares working with a local vs global supplier.

Ireland is a manufacturing powerhouse, with more than 32 per cent of its GDP accounted for by manufacturing, compared with the European average of 15 per cent, according to IDA Ireland. However, 2021 has already presented many challenges to Irish manufacturers’ supply chains.

Shortages on supermarket shelves, factories waiting on materials and holdups at borders have put pressure on businesses to reconsider their approach to supply chain management. Naturally, worries about the supply chain are at the forefront of business leader’s minds — supply chain hurdles must be overcome for recovery to be successful.

COVID-19 highlighted the importance of the domestic supply chain, particularly for essential medical products like ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Considering that Ireland is one of the largest exporters of medical products in Europe, with annual exports exceeding €12.6 billion, its importance cannot be downplayed — global health depends on Ireland’s access to technical components.

CONSIDERING YOUR OPTIONS One key question to consider when turning to a new supplier is whether to look locally, or globally. There are clear advantages to working with a local supplier with feet on the ground, including local knowledge and the ability to form a close working relationship. On the other hand, you may miss out on the latest technology and the local supplier may not be able to negotiate a bulk-buying discount or meet the minimum order level in the way a global company could. Access to a global market

Members of the TFC team at its Portadown facility can also help support rapid growth and drive continuous improvement.

When choosing a new partner for supply chain management, what it really comes down to is trust. The stakes are extremely high — stock availability can make or break a manufacturing business, because without a reliable supply of the required components, manufacturers face reputational damage and downtime. On the flipside, overstocking components due to a lack of confidence in their availability brings problems with cash flow and storage.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS To reap the rewards of both approaches, it might seem plausible to work with a local supplier for some components and a global one for others. However, working with multiple vendors introduces more paperwork — more invoicing, more admin and more work for procurement teams.

These soft costs add up, creating a more time consuming, as well as more expensive approach.

One solution is vendor managed inventory (VMI), where a single supplier takes

responsibility for the procurement and delivery of a broad range of components.

VMI also means there is not always a need to choose between the two approaches; some supply chain businesses can think locally but act globally. TFC, for example, has a global network of suppliers that means it can procure and supply highquality parts. The components are then supplied from domestic depots, minimising the risk of disruption.

Due to growth in demand, we launched a facility in Portadown in 2020 to support customers across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Our experienced, onthe-ground team have detailed knowledge of the Irish markets and are backed by implementation teams from different disciplines, who work together to achieve the best result. Importantly, we provide you with a single account manager, who will really get to understand your business and your expectations.

At TFC, we know there is no one size fits all approach to VMI. Our team takes the time to get to know you individually, looking at your unique requirements in terms of material flow, the type and number of parts needed, and building a solution accordingly.

TFC has been a leading supplier of engineering products to Ireland for many years, supporting with design development, high quality components and tailored inventory solutions. For more information, get in touch with Andrew Barnes on abarnes@tfc.eu.com or call our Portadown office on 028 3881 8301.

For further information, please visit www.tfc.eu.com Issue 52 PECM

67

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Hands Free Access Control and Time & Attendance solutions in the Covid 19 era While absolutely necessary to protect employees, PPE create major problems for some biometric devices used to authenticate people’s identity in line with the guidelines, when they enter restricted, dangerous or sensitive areas. Gloves for example, interfere with fingerprint readers and make it difficult to present access cards. In today’s COVID-19 era, no one wants to remove gloves and place their hands on a reader or key-pad previously used by scores if not hundreds of other people.

There’s no need for employers to make a choice between their employees’ well-being and facility security and compliance.

Learn more about our many solutions and how they are used for everything from access control to time and attendance and many other applications. www.aditech.co.uk

Energy Saving Technology Suresense Technologies specialises in providing the food and industrial sectors with a complete LED solution, we manufacture our intelligent Eluma LEDs in the UK which are built to last, we provide a 10-year warrantee which allows maintenance free operation for over a decade. All our Eluma LED fittings come with our own Atmos sensor, that is also designed and manufactured by us. Our Atmos sensors form the intelligence behind making sure every LUX per Watt delivered is optimized.

Suresense is also a world leader in fixed speed variable load energy saving, the Integra unit works on Granulators, Conveyors, Injection molding, Crushers, Mixers and Hydraulics to name a few.

We also provide a full financial support document with every Survey, please contact us for a free Survey. sales@suresense.co.uk suresense.co.uk

A new sales brochure presents the Cistermiser infrared urinal control valve EcoCooling provides an effective large space cooling alternative to refrigeration, at just 10% of the operating costs and 60% of the capital spend. The eco-friendly direct evaporative cooling and ventilation solutions enable you to maintain internal temperatures below 25°C all year round.

Whether you’re looking for blanket cooling or spot cooling for workstations and production lines, EcoCooling’s systems are versatile and can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. With over 3000 installations worldwide, EcoCooling is an experienced UK manufacturer with solutions for a range of applications including warehouses, factories, gyms and large retail units.

EcoCooling Ltd 01284 810 586 sales@ecocooling.co.uk www.ecocooling.co.uk

Mobile tablet boom enables business practices

STG450 One machine, does it all Strips, smooths, grinds, polishes & cleans all surfaces Use dry or add water Simple controls & maintenance free

+44 (0)1522 561460 www.ppcgroup.co.uk

68

PECM Issue 52

2 Year Warranty

There has been an increase of 63% of UK companies looking to mobile-enable business practices according to ComputerWeekly.com. IT Pro reported that the second quarter of 2020 saw global tablet shipments increase by more than a quarter, from 29,7 million to 37.5 million.

This is largely due to the rise in remote working and the heightened demand for virtual office components, and tablets that “tick so many boxes for remote work and education use”, according to Canalys analyst Ishan Dutt.

Andrew Cahill, managing director of MobileWorxs, specialists in rugged tablets for enterprises in the UK and EMEA, said that tablets are experiencing a revival due to their affordability combined with added functionality compared to cell phone and laptops. “The new generation tablets are designed for rugged and robust usage for example, in the field,

in-premise in factories and warehouses, in healthcare facilities, or by government utilities.

“There are a wide range of tablets, from Microsoft Surface to the more rugged tablets from global companies like MobileDemand, that offer a wide range of accessories, such as rugged cases, cameras, forklift mounts, barcode scanners, full communication options etc, which means that these devices can now be used effectively in rugged environment by the workforce, and also link to a company’s backend software system.

For more information about the use of tablets in the workplace, contact MobileWorxs on +44 (0)1905 799555 or visit: www.mobileworxs. com/flex/rugged-tabletthat-does-not-bust-yourbudget/

Shining a light on innovative solutions to energy-efficency Suresense Technologies Ltd has been offering uniquely innovative energysaving solutions to the industrial sector for the last decade. Being a UK manufacturer, Suresense owns all its intellectual

The ‘Integra’

property thus the products on offer

unit offers a soft

cannot be acquired anywhere else.

start which has mechanical and electrical

Suresense produces all its own highly

benefits and energy-saving

intelligent LED high bay, low level lighting

when the motor is up to speed,

and is the world leader in fixed speed

particularly useful on granulators or

variable load energy saving motor

shredders which are usually left on for

controllers. Fixed speed energy saving

long periods of time without actually

being the key words here, most

being used. The Integra unit also has the

companies do not realise that there is

option built in to automatically switch

another option other than a variable speed

motors off when not in use. Typically in

drive to save energy on electric motors.

these cases, the end user enjoys a massive 70% – 80% saving.

The ‘Eluma’ LED lighting comes with a

Suresense products for that matter) have uncharacteristically, a huge amount of

very attractive 10 year warrantee and is

The ‘Atmos’ sensor which can be used as

practical experience. This results in the

designed to optimise every LUX per watt

a standalone sensor is built into every

products being designed around real-life

delivered. In simple terms this means

‘Eluma’ unit and is the brain behind

scenarios.

massive savings, typically in the region of

achieving huge energy savings. The Atmos

85% - 90%. The operational benefits also

works on RF (Radio Frequency), the main

Although Suresense produces its own

cannot be overlooked, in a production

benefit of this is data transfer, lights can

products, it is more about providing a

environment where down time is money,

be set individually or as a group. The

solution to a problem – in this case,

not having to worry about your lighting for

advantage of setting lights in groups is

energy. Suresense offers its customers a

the next decade or more, is a huge benefit.

uniformity – all lights react to

free survey to establish what can be

Usually, there is always a relationship

environmental changes without

achieved and also delivers a report which

between maintenance and energy-saving,

interfering with one another. The

is targeted at ‘decision makers’, giving

here customers get a double-whammy.

Suresense R&D engineers that have

them all the information they need to

Statistically purchasing cheap LED’s will

developed the Atmos sensor (and all the

make an informed decision to implement

always end in time and money being

the technologies. All Suresense products

wasted, and unnecessary problems

are designed to deliver a return on money

created by failures. One failure can

invested in any given project.

cost up to £500 to correct.

Suresense sees its projects through to the end and its practical approach to lighting designs are always appreciated by its customers. It prides itself on the ‘personal touch’.

To understand more about what Suresense can offer, please email: info@suresense.co.uk www.suresense.co.uk

FOOD PROCESSING

A COST-EFFECTIVE OPTION SEEPEX UK

Hard-to-handle fruit, veg & poultry waste proves easy pickings for SEEPEX BTM pumps

A sophisticated chopping, pumping and waste removal solution from progressive cavity (PC) pump specialist SEEPEX UK is making light work of previously challenging by-products from whole chickens, potatoes and cabbages to peelings and fruit stones. The BTM range is not only cutting food producers costs, it’s also improving their standards of hygiene and health & safety.

Waste is an unavoidable part of the production process at fruit, vegetable and poultry processing facilities. Whether in the form of trimmings, wash residue and by-products, or as a result of offspecification batches, overproduction or expired goods, it must be handled within strict sanitary guidelines and quickly removed from production areas. Not only does this free capacity so that primary processing operations can continue, but waste and by-products can also create an additional revenue stream as animal feed or compost, or to generate renewable energy. This makes their efficient removal and swift onward transfer even more important to manufacturers’ bottom lines.

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However, some waste products are notoriously difficult to handle. Large, highly viscous or non-flowable foodstuffs can prove particularly challenging: for example, whole chickens; chicken frames, heads, feet and necks; whole cabbages or potatoes; and fruit stones, seeds and peels from vegetables and fruit.

As a result, some operators still rely on traditional methods to remove them from the production area. It is not uncommon to find conveyor belts, compressed air systems, vacuums, water flumes, and manual handling via waste containers such as tote bins being used even at large food production factories. These methods can be inefficient, unsanitary and expensive.

at many fruit, vegetable and poultry processing factories throughout the UK and Europe. Thanks to an integrated cutting unit that reduces particle size, the BTM effectively chops and pumps in a single operation, reducing the solids volume by up to 60%.

This creates a pumpable consistency, without requiring the addition of water, enabling whole vegetables and even entire birds such as DOA or off-specification chickens to be hygienically and efficiently removed off-site.

AUTOMATED, ALL-IN-ONE ALTERNATIVE Fortunately, there are sophisticated, hygienic and cost-effective alternatives on the market. Seepex BTM pump range is one such option. The patented chopping and pumping solution, featuring an enclosed pipework system, is already being used in waste handling applications

SEEPEX BTM pumps chop and pump in a single operation

HYGIENIC WASTE REMOVAL The benefits to food manufacturers of switching from conventional waste removal methods to an enclosed, automated solution like the BTM are three-fold. Firstly, it is more hygienic. Transferring waste products through a closed pipe system eliminates, for example, the need for dedicated cleaning of tote bins prior to re-entering high-care areas which prevents potential cross contamination.

IMPROVED HEALTH & SAFETY Secondly, it is safer. Manual handling or conveying systems often result in waste product falling or being dropped onto the floor, presenting an immediate health and safety risk to operatives, who are in danger of slipping on it. Furthermore, this fully automated solution requires only one staff member to load product into the hopper.

This leads to improved health and safety on the factory floor due to a reduction in traffic and hazards in high-risk areas – fewer forklift trucks, fewer operatives and fewer tote bins.

SEEPEX bespoke waste pumping solutions

COST-SAVING SOLUTION Finally, the BTM pump range is more efficient, generating significant cost savings. By chopping, pumping and transferring all-in-one as the BTM is able to create a pumpable consistency without requiring any additional water, resulting in savings from water usage. This has the additional benefit of reducing the volume of waste by up to 60%, making it easier to transport and thereby cutting transport costs. The operating and energy costs of the BTM are considerably lower than vacuum or compressed air systems, generating savings there. And by removing a manual element from the process and automating it, food producers are saving on labour costs, too, freeing employees for more lucrative, primary production roles.

Where high care production areas are chilled, removing waste via a simple pipeline rather than manually through doorways, will also assist in reducing energy costs as well as minimising potential contamination from external sources.

CHALLENGING WASTE STREAMS

The BTM pump range is more efficient, generating significant cost savings.

Where more challenging by-products need to be transported, customised solutions are available. ‘Bridging’ can be an issue with certain wastes, so the BTM pump range includes augers with a large pitch that enables the product to be conveyed into the cutting elements to ensure continuous pumping.

Horizontal and vertical grinders can also be integrated, as can stone and knife traps to prevent pump damage, while dewatering devices can help to reduce waste volume even further. Finally, all BTM pump systems can be fitted with Smart Conveying Technology (SCT); an innovation from Seepex that enables rapid dismantling and cleaning, increasing pump stator life by up to 200% and reducing maintenance time by up to 85%. Pumps fitted with SCT are also suitable for Clean-Out-of-Place (COP) or CIP.

BESPOKE OPTIONS FOR MOST

For further information, please visit www.seepex.com Issue 52 PECM

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FOOD PROCESSING

CONTROLLED DISPENSING SPARC SYSTEMS

Plucky poultry company trims seasoning weight waste When one of the leading British chicken, turkey and duck suppliers discovered it was wasting over half of the dry seasonings manually scattered on its oven-ready birds, it needed an automated solution fast. In stepped Sparc Systems, introducing the poultry company to Hera, the checkweighing specialist’s flagship loss-in-weight depositer.

Perfectly seasoning more than 250,000 poultry birds a week - 50 a minute - the supermarket and restaurant supplier now maintains a consistent and even one-gram herb and spice dispensing rate. Starting with just one Hera system in 2018, the company was so impressed by the presentation improvements and waste reductions, it has since introduced three more machines.

Including several on its ready meal production lines dispensing individually quick frozen (IQF) vegetables, herbs and grated cheese into dishes.

Providing layers of taste and texture to a variety of products, Hera scatters and weighs dry inclusions with accuracy and precision. From a consumer perspective, Hera ensures the best products, featuring exciting flavours and textures, are consistently presented to shoppers and restaurateurs.

Guaranteed to deliver an accurate spread, as each conveyorised product passes in front of the Hera sensor, the depositor feeder tray vibrates gently scattering the dry ingredients, for instance parsley or peri-peri spices, along the entire width of the product.

Rather than a continuous stream, the dispensing slows and stops until a new product tray passes in front of the Hera sensor. This prevents high waste levels and addresses the issue of powder accumulating in and around the machinery and conveyor system.

Engineering manager at the Northamptonshire production site comments: “We’ve seen some really good consistency in our product delivery, especially really even sprinkle coverage across each bird.”

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OPTIMAL WASTE MANAGEMENT This controlled dispensing is very important, as Sparc’s European Sales Manager Charlie Graham explains: “We have regularly observed that sieving inclusions onto products manually or even the waterfall technique results in the majority ending up on the floor or conveyor. It’s especially prevalent with fine powders like spices and dried herbs, which also becomes a health & safety issue for co-workers. Naturally, this wasted product cannot be reworked due to cross contamination and hygiene practices.”

For many years, the poultry specialist performed the task manually. Seasoning 250,000 birds each week required a lot of labour. An issue further compounded by shortages in seasonal workers.

Looking back, Charlie recalls that every chicken used approximately 11 grams of herbs. Yet only around five-grams actually ended up on the chicken. Introducing Hera onto the company’s poultry line instantly reduced the weight of herbs scattered on each chicken to 0.9 grams. Roughly equating to a saving of 225 kilos in spices and herbs every week. Improving product

throughput and optimising quality control using state of the art technology was also a key driver.

Eliminating labour intensive manual tasks like this plays a big role in workforce satisfaction continues Charlie: “The consistency of presentation with Hera means that fewer product trays are spoiled and each line is more productive. An additional benefit of automating processes like this is it opens up more opportunities for skilled roles too.”

The consistency of presentation with Hera means that fewer product trays are spoiled and each line is more productive.

SATIATING DEMANDS FOR NEW FLAVOURS AND FUSIONS As consumers seek more adventurous flavours, the food industry is increasingly turning towards inclusions to add new tastes and textures to products. Forecast to be worth USD 14.73 billion by 2026i Sparc’s Hera loss-in-weight depositor streamlines the process and controls the concentration when adding dry ingredients to prepared foods.

Capable of programming and storing up to 500 different product codes, Hera calculates the weight dispensed to the exact milligram. Digital data of the

volumetric deposits is captured and stored by the management control system.

Charlie concludes: “Many of our customers are keen to streamline processes and cut down on unnecessary waste which can arise at all stages of the production process. As is often the case, waste and giveaway can easily be avoided if a more diligent approach to prevention planning and checkweighing is taken. Intelligent automated systems like Hera tackle this drain on resources and profitability and transforms efficiency.”

For further information, please visit sparc-systems.com Issue 52 PECM

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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

Labtex.co.uk 01484 600200

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 ◊ Blacking Drilling & Tapping ◊ Marking 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 www.CrossMorse.com

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PECM Issue 52

GEARS, DRIVES & MOTORS

Introducing QualCoil H Preformed Windings are very pleased to announce the launch of ‘QualCoil H’, the first resin rich diamond coils suitable for class H motors and generators. QualCoil H has successfully passed 1,000 hours on VE test.

Preformed Windings are a high-quality supplier of high voltage diamond with customers including ABB, Siemens and GE who say: “Preformed Windings have supplied many sets of high voltage coils to GE Renewables over the years. The quality of product and service is exceptional, and they are a trusted partner in our supply chain. We enjoy collaborative and cutting-edge research and development with Preformed Windings, which positions both organisations as thought leaders in the hydro industry. Their products offer significant benefits such as very low partial discharge and a long service life”

coilshop@preformedwindings.com www.preformedwindings.com

A UNIQUE PACKAGE WHICH NO OTHER SERVO GEARBOX SUPPLIER CAN MATCH PATENTED DESIGNS

It starts with design and we have Patented Designs for high performance.

UNIQUE 5 YEAR WARRANTY

On our complete range of servo gearboxes and rack and pinion products.

UNMATCHED 2-3 WEEK LEAD TIME

On our standard range of planetary and spiral bevel gearboxes and rack and pinion solutions.

ON-TIME DELIVERY OR IT’S FREE!

Guaranteed delivery - another industry first for Apex Dynamics. FREE PRODUCT if we are late on what we acknowledged as the delivery date.

ATEX AS STANDARD Implementing customers’ ideas for the future forteq UK located in Huddersfield produce high volume injection moulded plastic components. They are a well-established supplier into the Automotive and Industrial product sectors.

Plastic gear applications is a focus area for forteq Group, they have world class development facilities in Switzerland that support the manufacturing plants globally. Technical expertise and knowhow allow forteq to develop and produce very precise gears of all types using engineering and advanced polymers.

At forteq UK, applications such as door latch plastic gears and worm mechanisms,

gears for valve actuators, power steering worm-wheels, over-moulded gear shafts with magnet for wiper motors are some automotive components produced. forteq are also specialists at plastics used in Industrial applications such as gas and water meter components, valve mechanisms and internal functional components, including 2K moulding.

forteq UK have capacity for new projects, please get in touch with Steve Roberts on 01484 483516 – steve.roberts@forteqgroup.com to discuss upcoming projects.

Apex has achieved Category II 2 GD c T6 classification on our standard gearbox ranges, to the latest ATEX DIRECTIVE 2014/34/EU .

Patented Designs Call NOW for a 5 Year Warranty quote on 2-3 Week Lead Time 0121 227 5340 Guaranteed Delivery or email ATEX as Standard sales@apexdynauk.com

Apex Dynamics Heath House, Cheadle Road Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 7BY T: 0121 227 5340 | M: 07305 014551 E: sales@apexdynauk.com W: http://www.apexdynauk.com

Issue 52 PECM

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GEARS, DRIVES & MOTORS

Productiv’s rapid response brings Cyclopic centreless wheel drive system to Advanced Engineering 2019 A novel centreless wheel drive system with multiple potential applications was showcased at the Advanced Engineering event in Birmingham 30-31 October, assisted by Coventry-based venture engineering specialist Productiv.

Productiv has created a working prototype of Cyclopic’s revolutionary patented Wheal system, which combines drive, steering, braking and operating height adjustment in a single unit.

The ground-breaking prototype was showcased at the entrance of the National Exhibition Centre and was well received by thousands of visitors the show attracted.

Each Wheal is fitted with its own separate drive system, giving complete 360-degree manoeuvrability – allowing for easy parallel parking, and so creating a ready solution for urban zone parking. In combination with road reading technology, the Wheal also delivers a unique vehicle levelling capability with no need for additional fluid power systems for levelling.

In just 13 weeks, Productiv created a complete working aluminium prototype for the show, from the Cyclopic team’s own prototype, as well as

optimising the electronics and control software.

Alan Rallings, Director of Cyclopic, commented: “Uniquely combining operating vehicle height, drive, steering and braking in a single unit, the Wheal has multiple applications, not least in electric vehicles and other mobility solutions. The Productiv team did an exceptional job in creating a completely operational model with full control system, in such a short period, once we knew we were given the opportunity to showcase the Wheal at the Advanced Engineering event. We anticipate strong interest from many sectors given the flexibility and capability of the Wheal.”

Matt Hardwick of Productiv added: “This was a genuine challenge which showcases the unique capabilities of Productiv in having design, prototyping and systems engineering all under one roof. The Wheal is a highly novel design which is versatile enough to be used in both on-road applications, such as delivery vehicles, and other applications such as caravans/trailers.”

Cyclopic Ltd would welcome any interest from any company or individual that would like to invest / sponsor the next stage of prototyping the Wheal

For more information on Productiv, visit www.productiv.co.uk. Further details on the Wheal can be found at www.cyclopic.co.uk.

A global leader in coil manufacturing for over 50 years Providing superior quality, high voltage coils with the lowest Partial Discharge levels and best Tan Delta Results in the industry.

As an independent coil manufacturer we are a trusted partner to the largest OEM’s and rewind shops around the world.

E: coils@preformedwindings.com | T: +44 (0) 114 248 4391 www.preformedwindings.com

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HEALTH & SAFETY

INTRODUCING GRECON GRECON LTD

How GreCon can help you return towards a new normal GreCon makes people and places safer and enables the ‘smart factory’ as the leading provider of innovative industrial fire prevention and process measurement solutions.

GreCon Limited is located just outside of Newcastle upon Tyne and is a member of the Fagus-GreCon Group. With a wealth of experience as a global market leader, GreCon demonstrates a strong understanding of customer needs and provides turnkey solutions for a wide variety of industries including wood manufacturing, recycling, biomass, pharmaceutical, food, hygiene and more.

FIRE PREVENTION TO ENABLE UNINTERRUPTED PRODUCTION GreCon’s fire prevention technology protects industrial premises, process and people, detecting and extinguishing ignition sources in mechanical and pneumatic conveying systems, filters, dryers, silos and other production areas, making workplaces safer and enabling uninterrupted production.

ALWAYS AN EYE ON YOUR SAFETY PREPARING A RETURN Spark detectorFOR Grecon DLD 1/9 TOWARDS A NEW for the best detection NORMAL performance in any environment

GreCon has helped businesses across multiple industries as many return towards a new normal. The pandemic has meant that companies have taken advantage of GreCon Limited shut-down periods to optimise production Blaydon on Tyne NE21 4SQ processes, and GreCon has been on Phone:to 0191 414 7200 hand deal with enquiries and make Fax: 0191 414 7300 improvements.

Managing Director Jonathan Email: sales@grecon.co.uk Hamill commented, “We’re available for www.grecon.co.uk exploratory discussions and happy to conduct no-obligation surveys. Utilising our know-how, we believe we can play a vital role in helping industry tackle the current challenge, to emerge stronger and more resilient.”

FIRE PREVENTION OR FIRE PROTECTION? The adage, ‘prevention is better than cure’ rings true. GreCon believes that early detection of ignition sources is critically important. Once a fire starts, the results can be catastrophic. When companies are not aware of GreCon’s technologies, they rely on more conventional fire protection systems, which do not always provide the best defence.

Customers are particularly interested in the recently introduced DLD 1/9, which is a highly sensitive spark, ember and hot particle detector for protection against fire and explosion in industrial processes.

Intelligent Detection Technology IDT® provides optimal detection performance for all ignition sources in any environment and enables the detector to distinguish between dangerous sparks and harmless ambient light.

ENABLING THE SMART FACTORY A comprehensive range of industrial process measurement solutions equips the ‘smart factory’, helping customers to improve product quality in their production processes, using proven German engineering to reduce raw material and energy costs, ultimately maximising operational efficiency.

CALL GRECON TODAY Today customers all over the world rely on GreCon. Please contact us and discuss how we can help: Email: sales@grecon.co.uk T: 0191 414 7200

For further information, please visit www.grecon.co.uk Issue 52 PECM

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HEALTH & SAFETY

GSMX-P REMBE

Early and central fire gas detection Fig. 1: Phases if fire development

The handling of bulk solids poses many challenges. One of these challenges is the enormous amount of dust that is created by conveying and processing the different products. In order not to unnecessarily strain the process and employees on site and to expose them to risks, these enormous amounts of dust get extracted.

This is the first step in the direction of fire and explosion protection, because dust clouds of flammable powders in the right mixture ratio to oxygen always represent a great danger.

Despite accurate dedusting of the machines, there is still a high fire risk with corresponding bulk goods. So how can this risk be contained?

Filter systems represent a central point in most industrial systems because the air extracted from the various machines is usually bundled and guided through a pipe / exhaust duct after the filter elements. Precise monitoring of fire gases within this pipeline enables fire incidents to be detected at an early stage not only in the filter but in all connected machines and system parts.

WHEN DO WHICH FIRE GASES ARISE? Depending on the bulk material, certain fire gases arise earlier, later or only to a limited extent. In order to cover exactly this point, REMBE relies not only on the measurement of carbon monoxide (CO) but also on hydrogen (H2), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (Nox). In this way, monitoring can be set flexibly and precisely to process and material.

Fig. 2: GSMX-P design

ADVANTAGE OF A GSMX-P FIRE GAS MONITORING SYSTEM: Fire gases arise at a very early stage of a fire. This means that the GSMX-P does not have to wait for heavy smoke to develop but alerts as soon as the gas concentrations in the exhaust air exceed the conventional range.

HOW DOES THE GSMX-P WORK? The GSMX-P fire gas detector monitors the entire cross-section of the clean gas / ventilation line. For this purpose, it is attached to the line in a separate housing.

Two pipes protruding into the clean gas / ventilation line generate continuous air extraction over the entire crosssection using the Venturi principle. The design not only enables representative and reproducible monitoring, but also dispenses with further electrical aids such as pumps or fans.

WHERE IS SUCH SYSTEM USED? Almost every process in every industry can be monitored with a GSMX-P in a filter. Because it is a complex system for monitoring multiple gas components, factors such as the following are considered: • Air flow rate m³ / h • Flow velocity and pipe diameter • The amount of dust in the air • Bulk goods (fire and explosion parameters) The sensor is installed in the process and gets used to the process and the conditions in the first step. This makes it possible to create an exact picture of the conventional gas concentrations to then find the optimal limit value for each application.

This is usually just above the conventional concentrations in order to detect even the smallest deviations and to prevent a fire.

For further information, please visit www.rembe.de

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T +49 2961 7405-0 hello@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

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Staying in sight on site Andrew Duncan, Managing Director at Buckbootz, explains how hi-vis safety footwear can save life as well as limb and boost your PPE sales.

Much Much has has already already been been written written about about the the worrying worrying record record of of injuries injuries and and fatalities fatalities in in the the construction construction industry, industry, so so let’s let’s firstly firstly focus focus on on aa breakthrough breakthrough in in personal personal safety safety which which merchants merchants are are best best placed placed to to deliver deliver and and that that is is hi–vis hi–vis safety safety footwear. footwear.

Another Another product product which which does does find find its its way way on on to to construction construction sites sites but but has has inaccurately inaccurately been been cast cast in in aa villain’s villain’s role role is is the the rigger rigger style style boot. boot. Much Much misinformation misinformation circulates circulates about about riggers, riggers, so so to to be be clear, clear, there there is is absolutely absolutely no no EN EN or or UKCA UKCA directive directive that that outlaws outlaws riggers. riggers.

We We launched launched the the first first ever ever range range of of high high visibility visibility and and reflective reflective leather leather and and Cordura® Cordura® safety safety boots boots called called Buckz Buckz Viz Viz in in 2018, 2018, followed followed by by our our neoprene/ neoprene/ rubber rubber hi–vis hi–vis and and reflective reflective BBZ BBZ 8000 8000 in in December December 2020 2020 to to bring bring totally totally new new dimensions dimensions of of personal personal safety safety along along with with 360° 360° reflectivity reflectivity to to the the workplace. workplace.

What What appears appears to to have have been been directives directives released released by by various various organisations organisations banning banning riggers riggers found found wings. wings. Contemporary Contemporary rigger rigger styles styles like like Buckbootz Buckbootz B B 701 701 and and BSH BSH 010 010 come come fitted fitted with with ankle ankle protection protection and and support support which which has has the the extra extra benefit benefit of of providing providing aa snug snug and and comfortable comfortable fit fit with with the the near near elimination elimination of of the the heel heel drop drop effect effect in in wear. wear.

Many Many of of the the fatalities, fatalities, injuries injuries and and close close calls calls at at construction construction locations locations and and merchants’ merchants’ yards yards involve involve reversing reversing vehicles vehicles and and machinery machinery movement. movement. You You tend tend to to think think about about hi–vis hi–vis clothing clothing in in these these circumstances circumstances but but in in many many cases cases the the first first thing thing you you see see in in mirrors mirrors when when reversing reversing is is feet. feet.

Buckz Buckz Viz Viz and and BBZ BBZ 8000 8000 have have literally literally made made end end users users and and the the merchant merchant sector sector take take notice notice and and there there is is one one very very important important point point to to remember remember and and that that is is that that reflective reflective on on its its own own is is not not sufficient. sufficient. Hi–vis Hi–vis is is effective effective in in all all light, light, in in all all conditions, conditions, round round the the clock clock and and all all year year round. round.

Construction Construction site site activity activity gets gets into into full full swing swing in in the the spring spring and and summer summer months. months. Vehicle Vehicle and and personnel personnel movements movements increase increase and and so so does does danger danger to to life life and and limb. limb.

The The Buckz Buckz Viz Viz range range comes comes with with full full EN/UKCA EN/UKCA S3 S3 standards standards certification. certification. They They are are waterproof waterproof and and non-metallic non-metallic and and the the hi– hi– vis vis Cordura® Cordura® material material is is easily easily and and quickly quickly cleaned cleaned when when required required with with some some warm warm water water and and aa soft soft brush. brush.

S3 S3 (and (and S1P: S1P: S3 S3 standard standard brings brings additional additional water water resistance) resistance) standard standard certification certification provides provides your your customer customer with with comprehensive comprehensive safety safety toecap toecap and and “nail “nail stop” stop” anti anti penetration penetration midsole midsole and and antistatic antistatic protection protection and, and, in in the the vast vast majority majority of of cases, cases, all all the the on-site on-site protection protection required. required.

Codes on labels If If you you and and your your staff staff familiarise familiarise yourselves yourselves with with these these codes codes on on the the labels labels which which are are permanently permanently attached attached to to the the products products and and shown shown on on the the packaging, packaging, you you will will be be on on the the right right side side with with the the guidance guidance you you dispense. dispense. Other Other codes codes like like HRO HRO and and SRC SRC relate relate to to outsole outsole performance. performance. HRO HRO relates relates to to heat heat resistance resistance (300°C/60 (300°C/60 seconds) seconds) and and SRA, SRA, SRB SRB or or SRC SRC categorises categorises the the soles’ soles’ degree degree of of anti–slip anti–slip capability. capability. SRC SRC is is the the current current maximum maximum standard. standard.

However, However, be be on on guard. guard. There There are are safety safety footwear footwear products products with with high high market market profiles profiles which which only only have have safety safety toecap toecap protection. protection.

These These carry carry the the EN/ EN/ UKCA UKCA code code “SB”.

“SB”.

If If “P” “P” is is not not also also shown shown in in the the code, code, then then the the footwear footwear does does not not provide provide nail nail stop stop protection protection and and should should not not be be worn worn on on construction construction sites. sites. Apart Apart from from this this basic basic specification specification enabling enabling lower lower price price points, points, it’s it’s difficult difficult to to know know why why they they find find their their way way on on to to the the feet feet of of anyone anyone employed employed in in the the construction construction sector. sector.

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PECM Issue 52

For For those those who who prefer prefer their their waterproof waterproof high high leg leg boots boots to to be be leather, leather, then then today’s today’s high high spec spec riggers riggers are are excellent excellent products. products.

Safety wellies With With the the sun sun shining shining and and construction construction workers workers in in shorts, shorts, you you would would imagine imagine that that safety safety wellies wellies would would be be the the last last item item of of PPE PPE on on their their and and merchants’ merchants’ minds. minds. Not Not any any more. more.

Nowadays Nowadays most most trades trades people people have have their their wellies wellies in in their their vehicles vehicles at at all all times. times. Safety Safety wellington wellington boots boots come come with with the the same same requirement requirement to to conform conform to to safety safety directives directives as as all all other other safety safety footwear footwear but but instead instead of of EN/UKCA EN/UKCA S3 S3 look look out out for for EN/UKCA EN/UKCA S5 S5 which which is is the the equivalent equivalent to to S3 S3 in in boots boots of of this this type. type.

Bucktooth Bucktooth BBZ BBZ 8000 8000 and and 6000 6000 also also come come with with aa host host of of other other certified certified standards standards but but the the recently recently launched launched BBZ BBZ 8000 8000 is is believed believed to to be be the the first first ever ever boot boot in in neoprene/ neoprene/ rubber rubber construction construction and and of of this this type type to to feature feature EN/UKCA EN/UKCA certified certified ankle ankle impact impact protection protection (AN (AN standard). standard).

The The structure structure of of this this type type of of boot boot also also enables enables the the anti-impact anti-impact material material to to straddle straddle the the Achilles Achilles area area and and provide provide even even more more wearer wearer protection. protection.

Much Much is is written written about about the the shift shift of of merchant merchant activity activity to to on–line on–line and and as as aa sales sales channel channel it it is is very very much much part part of of the the overall overall PPE PPE supply supply network. network. However, However, the the majority majority of of safety safety footwear footwear sales sales are are still still conducted conducted in in merchants’ merchants’ premises premises and and that that is is where where aa big big opportunity opportunity lies lies in in terms terms of of getting getting the the safety safety message message over over to to end end users. users.

Dialogue Dialogue and and Q&A Q&A are are key key to to ensuring ensuring that that the the correct correct footwear footwear is is recommended recommended and and self-employed self-employed and and employed employed personnel personnel look look to to their their merchant merchant for for the the correct correct advice advice to to ensure ensure that that they they stay stay on on the the right right side side of of the the regulations regulations and and get get the the best best footwear footwear for for purpose. purpose. If If these these factors factors are are enhanced enhanced by by footwear footwear which which looks looks good good too too then then the the deal deal is is sealed. sealed.

Buckbootz Buckbootz has has championed championed personal personal safety safety in in the the construction construction industry industry since since 1998 1998 and and is is using using this this unwavering unwavering commitment commitment to to create create new new and and exciting exciting products products to to help help drive drive home home the the absolute absolute necessity necessity of of properly properly protecting protecting all all personnel personnel as as they they go go about about their their daily daily business, business, indoors, indoors, outdoors outdoors and and in in all all weathers. weathers.

Merchants Merchants are are key key players players and and partners partners in in this this mission. mission.

PPE Insight Insight 2021/22 2021/22 PPE

SAFETY BOOTS WITH BELLS, WHISTLES AND LIGHTS Go to www.buckbootz.com.

For more product and stocking information call 01382 82 82 00 or email info@buckbootz.com

HEALTH & SAFETY

The new bar code reader.

Perfect performance on the conveyor line.

Our new BCL 200i bar code reader is specialized for guided container and tray identification. Its especially compact design is optimally tailored for stationary use in confined spaces. Integrated industrial interfaces and simple configuration offer you perfect performance at the best price.

www.leuze.com/bcl200i

210312_LEU20025_Anzeige_BCL 200i_148x210x3_EN.indd 1

Short Cuts May Cut A Life Short!

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

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

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New antimicrobial-coated access control devices kill 99.9 per cent of prevalent bacteria

50 Year old product makes dramatic comeback to help beat the virus!

Contamination of clean environments could soon become a thing of the past, as Remsdaq launches its EntroPad range of access control readers, keypads and request to exit buttons with antimicrobial protection built in.

Third party testing to ISO 22196:2011 proves the integral antimicrobial protection on the new EntroPad devices kills up to 99.99% of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria over a 24-hour period. This makes the EntroPad range ideal for use in access-controlled areas in hospitals, laboratories, surgeries, food manufacturing & preparation companies.

The current necessity for virus protection is why the Melaphone® Speech Unit is enjoying renewed success. Its unique design eliminates the muffled sound of speech through a screen.

Completely air-sealed, certified to ISO 14644-1 Class 5. Class 5, it is specified by architects and designers for hospitals, laboratories and cleanrooms. This simple but ingenious invention requires no servicing, no electricity and is very easy to keep clean.

The Melaphone® is built into our Defender Virus Screens which the company has supplied to hundreds of UK doctors’ surgeries, medical centres, and pharmacies.

Screens are made to the highest quality, providing hygienic, sleek and permanent protection in any environment.

Robin Koffler, sales and marketing director at Remsdaq says: “Without antimicrobial protection, access control devices can become a breeding ground for a wide range of highly infectious bacteria.

Further information at: www.remsdaq.com

All ‘MADE IN THE UK’ - by us in London and used in the Astra-Zeneca factory as seen on BBC. www.melaphone.co.uk

HydroSym - saves you hours of design time.

The only software you need for perfect hydraulic schematics every time.

Click and add components from the Paro Library of over 40,000 of hydraulic components and symbols.

Quick, Easy and Intuitive.

paro.nl

Focus more on your schematics, and less on the administrative side of the design process. How? The many smart features that work for you such as custom headers, automatic generation of Bill of Materials (BOM), easy sharing with your clients and many more. Download your free one-month trial on our website and start drawing your schematic in the next 15 minutes.

HydroSym is an enrichment in our working life. lt is incredibly supportive when the result is not only perfect but also makes the work itself enjoyable and fun.”

I thoroughly enjoy HydroSym. lt is the best schematic software I have ever used. lt is user friendly, easy to make new symbols and the support from you guys is just excellent.”

Your Partner for Fluid Power High Stock Levels & Same Day Dispatch Exclusive & Market Leading Brands 35,000+ High Quality Catalogue Products Technical Support Team Hose Assembly & Test Facility Trade Counters at Preston & Basingstoke

Connecting the UK Since 1972 & Our History

Next year 2022 will be a very special year for us as we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary. We are immensely proud to remain a family run business and of earning and maintaining our place as one of the leading fluid power distribution companies in the UK.

Our People

Many of our team have been with the company and working in this industry for a long period of time. Our Internal Technical Support Team and External Area Sales Managers have extensive experience and training, which enables them to provide advice when needed.

Our Exclusive & Market Leading Brands

Our focus has always been on supplying innovative, high quality, competitively priced product ranges. We now offer more than 80 brands and application solutions that span the whole fluid power market.

Our Northern & Southern Locations

With our HQ situated in the North West of England (Preston, Lancashire) and our second branch located in the South (Basingstoke, Hampshire), we can ensure a quick and reliable supply network to the entire UK.

Our Trade Counters, Hose Assembly & Testing Facilities

Both premises have stocked retail units, engineers and on-site workshops where we can design, certify and test pneumatic hose assemblies up to 500 psi, hydraulic hose assemblies up to 30,000 psi.

Carefully Selected Products

Produced biennially, our new catalogue will launch in January 2022. Core and market leading brands include Aignep, Cejn, CPC (Colder Products Company), CDC Pneumatics, Master Pneumatic, E.MC, John Guest, Festo, Fitok, Sicomat and Camozzi.

Our Stock Levels, Same Day Dispatch & Flexible Delivery

Our highly stocked warehouses enable us to provide a variety of delivery options (complete with tracking details) which include next day delivery before 9 am on stock items, Saturday morning delivery and no minimum order charge.

Our Customers’ Come First

We regularly review our systems, product offering and services to ensure we keep evolving and are where we plan to be in the future. Our entire team are committed to providing a first class service to all our valued customers.

Our Supporting Credentials

Proud to be members of the BFPDA; we are also independently assessed by the BSI and accredited to BS EN ISO 9001:2015. Close relationships with our suppliers also mean that we can solve the most challenging of problems.

Call today to see how we can help.

Buy Online

35,000+ Products Next Day Delivery

Tom Parker Ltd 01772 255109 sales@tom-parker.co.uk tom-parker.co.uk

Ultra Reliable Fluid Connections Quick disconnect couplings for air & fluid handling medical applications Whether your application calls for non-valved, valved or non-spill, low or high flow, reusable or disposable, CPC has custom engineered components to meet your every specification. Every liquid cooling fluid connector CPC design is tested, re-tested and tested again.

When you use a CPC liquid cooling fluid connector, you can be sure of:

STAND C10

Flexible designs that minimise flow restriction Dry disconnect capabilities that reduce spillage to near zero The highest flow capacity on the market for an 1/8” connector

MEDTECH

INNOVATION EXPO 2021

Ergonomic, aesthetic connectors designed for ease of use & long term reliability

Your Partner for Process & Control High Stock Levels & Same Day Despatch Exclusive & Market Leading Brands 35,000+ High Quality Catalogue Products Impartial Technical Support Team Hose Assembly & Test Facility Trade Counters at Preston & Basingstoke

Tom Parker Ltd & 01772 255109 sales@tom-parker.co.uk tom-parker.co.uk

SHOWS & EVENTS

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE SUBCON SHOW PREVIEW

Subcon returns to support in-person networking as UK manufacturing sector prepares for a post-pandemic future

This September (14-16), Subcon returns to the NEC for the 44th time, heralding a much welcome return to business events and reinforcing the value of meeting face to face for the UK’s manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Subcon is the UK’s leading subcontract manufacturing supply chain show and its return as an in-person event comes at a pivotal time as UK manufacturing businesses of all sizes recover from the impacts of COVID-19, adjust to operating outside the EU and face a myriad of challenges and opportunities.

Appetite to get back to doing business in person couldn’t be stronger: the show’s headline sponsors are IAMP and SCS Concept Group and over 150 companies are expected to exhibit, including Hoffman Group UK, Wilson Process Systems, Oldham Engineering.

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THREE SHOWS IN ONE Subcon is free to attend for anyone working in UK manufacturing and engineering, and visitors also gain free access to two further co-located events: The Engineer Expo and - new for 2021 – the popular Manufacturing Management Show (MMS). The Engineer Expo provides UK engineering professionals with the latest in-house manufacturing and design solutions alongside cutting-edge developments in advanced engineering technologies.

Created by the publishers of Manufacturing Management magazine, MMS delivers attendees with everything they need to know about running a successful manufacturing site under one roof. From maintenance to materials handling, continuous improvement and skills, IT to health and safety, MMS showcases a multitude of topics, curated specifically for senior manufacturing leaders from across the UK.

Together, Subcon, The Engineer Expo and MMS will deliver a unique and relevant event for the UK’s manufacturing and engineering industry, bringing the best suppliers, the latest innovations and practical advice to help build new partnerships and optimise business strategies.

FORWARD-LOOKING CONFERENCE CONTENT In addition to discovering new suppliers and solutions at the exhibition, Subcon features a high-end, three-day conference with forward-looking content curated by Manufacturing Management, including panel discussions, and keynote addresses from Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson, Made in Britain CEO John Pearce, Manufacturing Excellence MD Paul Bell, NMITE associate professor Nadia Kourra, and many more.

Collectively, they will discuss everything from the UK’s role in low carbon motoring and green mobility, how to master the post-pandemic recovery, addressing mental health in the workplace, and how attracting more young people to the industry can have a positive impact on the sector’s health, wealth and productivity.

FOCUS ON INNOVATION Visitors to the Subcon Conference Theatre will also be lucky enough to see the Subcon Launchpad Award presentations. After a powerful launch in 2019, The Launchpad and Launchpad Awards return for a second outing at Subcon 2021 to provide start-ups and entrepreneurs throughout the sector with a valuable platform for sharing innovation and earning muchneeded recognition and brand awareness among thousands of engineering and manufacturing professionals.

Up to eight businesses under three years old will be given a free stand in the Launchpad area, offered expert advice and marketing support and automatically

Together, Subcon, The Engineer Expo and MMS will deliver a unique and relevant event for the UK’s manufacturing and engineering industry. entered into the 2021 Launchpad Awards where they’ll be allocated a five-minute slot to present their innovation to a panel of expert judges including Subcon event director Gordon Kirk and chair Jon Excell.

Judging panel chair Jon Excell said: “We’re very excited about the return of the Launchpad competition. Its debut in 2019 uncovered some truly inspirational and potentially game-changing UK engineering

innovators and disruptors spanning a range of sectors, so we’re really looking forward to welcome it back and seeing this year’s crop of entries.”

For visitors attending September’s Subcon, the Launchpad is a unique opportunity to view leading-edge innovation which can drive up productivity and boost competitiveness.

Subcon event director Gordon Kirk added: “Young businesses have faced extraordinary challenges as they have sought to bring ingenuity to market over the past year.

It’s important that Subcon continues to provide a platform that focuses on the next generation of innovators and showcases their contribution to the future of industry and the UK’s global competitiveness.

A STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY “Subcon is a strategic opportunity for companies throughout the manufacturing supply chain to meet face-to-face, reconnect and secure business growth and a timely and unique platform for any UK manufacturers looking to source or develop a robust and localised network of UK supply chain partners,” added Kirk.

“The past 18-months has been unprecedented and Subcon will shine a light on the untold challenges and opportunities this industry is facing, including the supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic and how that has served to highlight the true value of a reliable, local supply chain offering short lead time and better quality.”

Subcon, The Engineer Expo and Manufacturing Management Show will be run in accordance with Government guidance on COVID-19, ensuring a safe and comfortable environment.

Visitor registration is open now at www.subconshow.co.uk.

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14-16 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEC, BIRMINGHAM

15

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25

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REGISTER NOW FOR THE UK'S LARGEST SUBCONTRACT MANUFACTURING SUPPLY CHAIN SHOW 70

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CO-LOCATED WITH NEW FOR 2021

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WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?

1

This year the Manufacturing Management Show conference joins Subcon and The Engineer Expo!

Hear panel discussions and keynote addresses from key names in manufacturing including Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson, Made in Britain CEO John Pearce and many more!

Over 200 exhibitors will be at this year’s show.

This a must-attend event for UK manufacturers looking to meet and source new solutions from the very best of British manufacturing and world-class suppliers.

3

The Launchpad is back giving engineering startups a free platform to showcase their innovations and be in with the chance of winning a free stand at our 2022 show! Find out more on the show’s website (including how to enter).

WWW.SUBCONSHOW.CO.UK JOIN THE CONVERSATION SPONSORS

@SubconShow #SubconShow MEDIA PARTNERS

REGISTER FREE NOW

MACHINING & MACHINERY

Still changing dies or are you crimping already?

Reach your goal faster with the UNIFLEX SL 3-16 M A new hose crimper for low-pressure hoses that does not require changing the crimping dies is now available. The SL 3-16 M from UNIFLEX has two integrated sets of crimping dies.

There is no need to change the crimping dies when you change from, e.g., DN 3 to DN 16 and vice versa. It’s only a matter of reinserting the handle. This saves you a considerable amount of time, your hands stay clean, and, above all, you don’t lose any crimping dies.

With the integrated handle, you can easily take the crimper anywhere. As always, you get The Best Return on Investment, and a 2-year manufacturer`s warranty.

Watch the product video at www.uniflex-hydraulics.com/products/ workshop-crimpers/sl-3-16-m/

A world-first engineering solution Coborn’s latest-generation CNC planetary grinding machine, the PG6, is an ultra-high precision grinding machine for processing natural or synthetic single crystal diamond (SCD) tools. A world-first engineering solution for the precision manufacture of controlled waviness and complex geometry tools.

The PG6 features a new closed loop nano-stop for more accurate finishing of the radius form, acoustic tracing of the grinding process, an improved vision system and the output power of the lap spindle is more than doubled to enable higher grinding loads.

The optional, enhanced software packages for the PG6 include; Curve Block – To enable the processing of elliptical, hyperbolic, parabolic and cubic forms.

Profile Block - To generate a concave form with multiple blended radii.

Contour Block - To generate a concave form with a single radius.

Please email enquiries to: sales@coborn.com www.coborn.com

DRILL SERVICE (HORLEY) LTD WWW.DRILL-SERVICE.CO.UK

Hand Tools

CNC deburring and polishing

P09 XEBEC BrushTM Surface End Type

P07 XEBEC BrushTM Surface

P10 XEBEC BrushTM Wheel Type

Investing for your Future Requirements Accurate Laser Cutting (SJS) Ltd of Rotherham, has made a significant investment in new equipment, to enable then to offer the very best service and quality to their clients.

A total investment of £1.2 million will be made on two new pieces of equipment and supporting software. The equipment will comprise of a brand-new laser cutting machine and a press-brake, the very latest technology and spec in the region.

The laser cutter will be a powerful 12kW model, on a 4m x 2m bed. with a 320 ton, 4.1m press-brake to match. Both machines will be operated in conjunction with cutting edge, top level 3D and bending software and will be installed and fully operational by January 2020.

This is another great example of the company’s commitment to continued investment in the very latest technology to provide their customers with the very best products and service. www.accurate-laser.co.uk

The future is...

3D Printing

ATA Engineering is proud to offer systems from both Nexa3D and Sintratec.

Nexa3D Systems The fastest 3D printers in the world.

Cutter mark removal and flat surface polishing.

Deburring after face-milling, end-milling and drilling. Cutter mark removal and surface polishing.

Deburring after end-milling, threading, and drilling. Polishing side surface and inner diameter.

P18 XEBEC StoneTM Flexible Shaft

P11 XEBEC BrushTM Crosshole

P15 XEBEC Back Burr Cutter and PathTM

NXE 400 Photoplastic 3D Printer With an unprecedented 16L build volume measuring 10.8 in x 6.3 in x 15.7 in (27.5 cm x 16 cm x 40 cm), intelligent optimization, and Nexa3D’s revolutionary patented LSPc technology, the NXE 400 photoplastic 3D printer is perfect for any application.

Sintratec Systems

Hole deburring.

Deburring after drilling. Cutter mark removal and inner diameter polishing.

Deburring after drilling.

FOR YOUR DEBURRING AND SURFACE FINISHING SOLUTION Xebec deburring tools give an unrivalled performance versus traditional abrasive products, resulting in increased productivity, improved quality and reduced costs.

The UK’s most comprehensive stockist of these innovative tools.

TEL: 01293 774911 EMAIL: SALES@DRILL-SERVICE.CO.UK Same day dispatch for all stock orders received before 3.45pm

Sintratec S2 Starter Cell The compact and expandable SLS system. With the Sintratec S2, the new scalable compact system, you can turn your ideas into reality within a short period of time, layer by layer, at high speed. The modular SLS production system can be expanded as needed, and adapts perfectly to your needs. Harness previously unimagined potential in professional prototyping and optimize your applications.

Visit ataeng.com or call us now for more information or a demonstration.

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 52 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 +44(0)1527 520 580 sales@threadtools.com www.threadtools.com

For further information, please visit www.threadtools.com

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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 +44(0)1527 520 580 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!

PRECISION ENGINEERING 3D ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING REVERSE ENGINEERING TOOLMAKING

Precision Engineering at Agemaspark Agemaspark Ltd is a precision engineering company, founded in Doncaster in 2002, that serves industries including the aerospace sector for civil and military aircraft engines and power generation turbine engines, the Oil & Gas industry providing bespoke tooling aids, plastic mould tools for medical components, building products and caps and closure tooling for food industries along with many more sectors that require mould tools. We assist many businesses to solve their engineering problems to produce many individual components for a wide range of sectors.

OUR FACILITIES:

OUR SECTORS:

‣ CNC spark and wire erosion ‣ Small fast-hole drillers ‣ CNC milling - 4th and 5th axis ‣ CNC turning

‣ Aerospace

‣ Cylindrical and flat grinding machines ‣ Assembly and finishing ‣ CAD design ‣ CAM programming software

‣ Food manufacturing ‣ Defence ‣ Oil & Gas ‣ Automotive ‣ Plastic mould tooling ‣ Pharmaceutical ‣ Space

‣ 3D additive manufacturing With With the the introduction introduction of of aa brand-new brand-new EOS EOS 290 290 additive additive manufacturing manufacturing 3D 3D metal metal printing printing machine. machine. The The EOS EOS 290 290 now now allows allows Agemaspark Agemaspark to to create create aa variety variety of of new new parts parts and and products products ideal ideal for for injection injection mould mould tool tool inserts, inserts, functional functional engineering engineering prototypes prototypes and and low low volume volume part part manufacture. manufacture. This This new new machine machine complements complements their their existing existing downstream downstream capabilities capabilities to to create create and and supply supply complete complete tools. tools. The The possibilities possibilities and and scope scope for for 3D 3D printing printing are are limitless limitless and and the the installation installation of of this this machine machine opens opens up up countless countless opportunities opportunities for for Agemaspark Agemaspark to to support support businesses businesses across across aa variety variety of of industries, industries, from from aerospace aerospace to to pharmaceuticals pharmaceuticals and and all all aspects aspects of of plastic plastic injection injection mould mould tooling, tooling, by by providing providing cost-effective, cost-effective, accurately accurately manufactured manufactured solutions. solutions.

This This new new EOS EOS 290 290 machine machine gives gives Agemaspark Agemaspark the the ability ability to to manufacture manufacture parts parts up up to to 250 250 xx 250 250 xx 290mm 290mm in in size size in in Maraging Maraging (MS1) (MS1) steel, steel, and and with with the the in-house in-house heat heat treatment treatment inserts inserts can can be be hardened hardened to to 54Hrc. 54Hrc. Within Within 12 12 hours hours of of being being sintered. sintered.

Examples Examples of of the the possibilities possibilities for for conformal conformal cooling cooling are are shown shown above above this this is is aa core core 6.5 6.5 mm mm XX 22mm 22mm xx 90mm 90mm high high with with aa conformal conformal cooling cooling channel channel giving giving an an even even cooling cooling area area in in place place of of conventional conventional drilled drilled hole, hole, pictures pictures left left show show aa full full stack stack with with cooling cooling channels. channels.

The The ability ability to to offer offer endless endless ways ways to to help help reduce reduce not not only only the the cycle cycle times times of of moulding moulding but but reduce reduce the the impact impact on on the the environmental environmental concerns concerns of of plastic plastic products products by by reducing reducing the the size size of of tooling tooling and and the the energy energy required required to to produce produce parts. parts.

Conformal cooling in mould tools is reducing both quality errors and cooling time Conventional mould tool making has limitations, meaning the moulds are being designed larger and larger so they can take more impressions to increase numbers of components and keep up with demand. As a result, the moulding machines are being supplied as large operational units taking up significant factory space and requiring high energy for operation.

Laser sintering has been demonstrated to be a more effective manufacturing process for mould tool making. However, there remain barriers to its application for mould tooling in the plastic caps and closures industry due to concerns around the mould cooling technology and the need to provide enduring wear resistance. The current cooling channels are straight drilled and cause lengthy and uneven cooling, which often results in the formation of hot spots and high scrap rates.

Agemaspark seeks to overcome these barriers by developing a highly efficient advanced manufacturing process for the production of laser sintered mould tools with a novel ceramic

AGEMASPARK.COM

In December 2020, we purchased an EOS 290 which is already demonstrating examples of how we can produce conformal cool in Maraging Steel with a hardness of 54 Rc, and if required, apply a ceramic coat to give increased tool life and a friction free release (pictured below right).

20% reduction in cycle time

Conformal cooling works by creating a suitable cooling channel at a well-defined distance from the cavity—which is impossible using a conventional drilled cooling mechanism—thereby reaching areas where it is difficult to do so using conventional methods. The temperature sensors embedded on each cavity will enable effective control of the cooling.

Agemaspark Ltd Units 1 & 2, Croft Court, Sandall Carr Road Kirk Sandall Industrial Estate, Doncaster South Yorkshire, DN3 1QL United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1302 882666 Email: admin@agemaspark.com

coating. The mould tools will make use of the breakthrough process utilising conformal cooling channels embedded with temperature control sensors enabling localised temperature control. This will overcome inherent deficiencies in the current plastic caps and closures mould tooling technology (pictured below left).

Results show that it is possible to reduce cycle times by up to 20% and at the same time increase the continued quality of the moulding.

The environmental advantage from using this method is to increase the impression on the same envelope or reduce the size of the tools and therefore the size of the mould press, reducing energy consumption.

The cooling water requirements reduced from tens of thousands of litres used in any 24 hours to just 10-20 litres because the heat transfer is just local to the moulding and is contained in a closed loop system (pictured below centre).

Agemaspark has also used this approach on existing tooling by removing the tops and re-sintering with conformal cooling channels replacing the moulding area.

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MACHINING & MACHINERY

GUNDRILLS UNISIG

UNISIG Drills Down to the Smallest Diameters

By Eric Krueger and Ryan Funk, Engineering Team, UNISIG The modern gundrill is an engineering marvel, a well-designed piece of equipment that does one thing exceptionally well. A new gundrill will produce round, straight holes with enhanced cylindricity even at its deepest points. And it does all this while simultaneously providing a fine I.D. finish and excellent tool life.

Like all tools, gundrills wear out, typically after drilling around 1,000″. While a talented operator can still drill a hole with a worn gundrill, it will more often result in a loss of hole tolerance and finish at best. As gundrills wear, they require more thrust and torque while producing more run-out and experiencing greater drift. A dull cutting edge will produce irregular chips, which in turn cause spikes in coolant pressure – sure signs that failure is imminent.

Unlike some tools, gundrills are excellent candidates for resharpening. When performed correctly, the same gundrill can be resharpened to perform as well as a new drill as many as 8 to 10 times.

The only significant difference between a resharpened gundrill and a freshly produced tool from the OEM is a slight back taper, an issue only for shops that require tolerances far beyond most manufacturers’ needs – all other shops can simply account for the everso-slightly reduced tool diameter. Otherwise, the only visible difference will be seen in the length of solid carbide on the gundrill’s tip.

Even coated drills can be sharpened.

Naturally, this will reveal the raw carbide on the face, but this does not impact performance. The coating will remain on the wear pads and continue to improve the gundrill’s size control and ability to leave behind a finished surface. Tool life will be impacted, but the only other option is having it fully resharpened and re-coated by the OEM, which will likely be less cost effective.

Manufacturers have several options for resharpening their gundrills. For specialized gundrills, such as twin-flute tools and those intended for ultra-high-

leaves behind a gradual transition between elements of the tip’s geometry, while facet grinding creates distinct geometry. UNISIG typically recommends facet grinding, because the slight increase in tip strength produced by a versatility sweep grind is outweighed Increase your mold manufacturing by the repeatability and greater ease of using the power of gundrilling with theby facet grinds. inspection offered

leaders in deep hole drilling, UNISIG. Offering The final piece of advanced gundrill grinding complete solutions for everything from systems involves a digital inspection camera feed applications with chipbreakers below capable of viewing and storing magnified a coating, resharpening is something mold components, UNISIG simple to complex images. Ideally, this will allow the user to that only a gundrill’s OEM can do. A local perform measurements and identify flaws machines help moldmakers improve sharpening service will likely have the without taking the tool out of the fixture. proper equipment, but this requires having and precision with efficiency, throughput In addition to allowing for highly precise redundant tooling and factoring in lead time grinding, this inspection is vital for process outstanding and transportation costs. part-processing versatility at an optimization. exceptional value.

However, both of these methods result in Process optimization capability is the real a loss of process intelligence. The grinding added value conferred by performing process can offer valuable information gundrill resharpening in-house. Frequent manufacturers use to optimize their TAKEcan YOUR MOLDMAKING OPERATIONS inspection allows for the maximization of gundrilling applications. As a result, more tool life. Shops become familiar with the FURTHER WITH UNISIG TODAY. manufacturers that use gundrills are wear patterns created by a given application choosing to resharpen their tools in-house. and may find they are replacing gundrills too often. If a gundrill tip has even wear The main risk of performing resharpening across its entire cutting edge, it could easily operations in-house is poorly sharpened have many hundreds of inches of life left, Find out more at www.UNISIG.com gundrills. Without the correct tip geometry, something that will only become apparent gundrills do everything worse: size control, with repeated inspections. roundness, cylindricity, finish, chip control, straightness and depth all negatively In-house gundrill resharpening also ensures impact workpiece quality and result in that shops can obtain the best tip geometry significantly diminished tool life. This will for their given applications. Whether it is cause operators to reduce feedrates or uneven or unexpected wear, or the sudden change out tools more frequently to achieve appearance of chips in the cutting edge, the necessary tolerances and out of fear of once a shop identifies an irregularity, catastrophic tool failure. they can then adjust speeds and feeds to optimize the process. The inspection Modern gundrill grinding systems make equipment even makes working with tooling it easy to avoid these consequences.

OEMs easier, since shops can send them a For the greatest advantage, one needs measurement set and picture of a tool when the full system. That means a grinder, the asking for advice on how to improve the appropriate gundrill fixture and equipment geometry. for calibrating and inspecting the drill tip.

Further information on all machines and A basic, high-precision manual tool grinder the complete UNISIG machine program is is used as a platform for these systems, available at: www.unisig.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter (@UNISIG). though the length of some gundrills necessitates a reinforced table for sufficient accuracy. Choosing a fixture can be more You will also meet us at the EMO 2021 complicated, as gundrills can be ground show in Milan, Italy in Hall 2, E38 from 4.–9. in two different ways. Sweep grinding October.

For further information, please visit www.unisig.com

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UNISIG.COM

UNISIG TAKES YOUR GUNDRILLING PRODUCTION FURTHER

Gundrilling and BTA deep hole drilling for highly productive shops.

Whether your shop needs on-center or off-center holes, specialized job shop work or fully automated production, UNISIG has a deep hole drilling solution with the accuracy and performance you need.

Take your shop’s production further - learn more at UNISIG.COM.

4 - 9 October • Hall 2 - E38

MACHINING & MACHINERY

Remote monitoring stations for power cables in Hong Kong

Changing attitudes toward manufacturing in the UK As industry begins its recovery from lockdown, it has become evident that both Brexit and Covid are positively changing attitudes toward manufacturing in the UK. At Drallim Industries, we have seen areas of interest and growth in both domestic and overseas opportunities where sustainability has become more prevalent. This has shown the positive side to leaving Europe which in turn has really emphasised the wide range of engineering capabilities that we have to offer.

We specialise in the design and manufacture of custom engineering solutions and are complimented by a wide UK supply base that helps us deliver lifting and handling equipment as well as a host of complex customer specified assemblies and niche products.

We are always searching for new UK sources, one example being that we had a requirement for a specialised steel needed for an obsolete project, we were able to work with one of our

machining partners to source the billets to the obsolete specification right here in the UK. We work in (and with) many critical industries and have managed to successfully remain fully operational throughout the pandemic with appropriate measures in place. We even found time and energy to build our brand-new facility, placing ourselves in an exceptionally strong position to grow out of these troubled times and ride on a new wave of British manufacturing.

www.drallim.com

Electric Vehicle Charger: Power We are truly at the beginning of the electric car age. With countries around the world introducing mandates to cut the number of diesel and petrol cars. Public car chargers are going to be scheduled as part of the strategy.

The first hurdle system designers will have to overcome when developing and deploying public EV chargers is the huge power requirement.

There are three main types of EV charging stations: AC Level 1, AC Level 2 and DC fast charging. AC Level 1 chargers

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provide 120V charging to deliver up to 1.9kW of output power. AC Level 2 chargers provide 240V charging to deliver anywhere from 3kW to 19kW. Colloquially known as a sort of “level 3” of charging stations, Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) are designed to fill an EV battery to 90% in as low as 20 minutes.

www.componentsbureau. com/market-sectors/ transportation/electricvehicle-ev-chargingstations

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

ELECTRONIC MANIPULATORS PNEUMATIC MANIPULATORS INDUSTRIAL MANIPULATORS PNEUMATIC BALANCERS VACUUM TUBE LIFTERS BESPOKE HANDLING SOLUTIONS AUTOMATED HANDLING SYSTEMS MOBILE LIFTING EQUIPMENT CONVEYOR SYSTEMS LIFT TABLES PICK AND PLACE SYSTEMS

• • • • • • • •

SPECIAL PURPOSE MACHINERY

OVERHEAD CRANES MONORAIL CRANES LIGHTWEIGHT CRANES JIB CRANES A FRAMES LOLER EXAMINATIONS SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE LOAD TESTING TRAINING BESPOKE ATTACHMENTS VACUUM LIFTING ATTACHMENTS

BESPOKE TURNKEY PROJECTS JIG / FIXTURE DESIGN & MANUFACTURE PALLET DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE STEELWORK MANUFACTURE WORK PLATFORMS / MEZZANINES PRECISION MACHINING FABRICATION SERVICES

LET US TAKE THE LOAD...CONTACT US AT: YAPLEX LIMITED DERBY ROAD BUSINESS PARK CLAY CROSS CHESTERFIELD DERBYSHIRE S45 9AG

TEL: 01246 860114 EMAIL: SALES@YAPLEX.CO.UK Issue 52 PECM

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SHOWS & EVENTS

TCT 3SIXTY TCT 3SIXTY SHOW PREVIEW

The event for 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing Intelligence As a leading authority in additive manufacturing, 3D printing, design and engineering technology for the last 30 years, The TCT Group are excited to lead the way with their re-imagined event, TCT 3Sixty.

On 28-30 September at the NEC Birmingham, TCT 3Sixty will deliver business critical intelligence with a comprehensive conference programme delivering world-class content across multiple stages, each offering innovative and interactive 360-degree insights into how to get the best from existing additive technology or how to invest and choose the most appropriate new 3D printing technology.

The event will connect and reunite the additive community in-person, with a rich mix of interactive features, pavilions and networking events including a meetings programme and learning seminars that will provide tangible value to an attendee, providing a return on investment immediately.

By focusing on cutting edge applications, expert analysis and commentary, TCT 3Sixty will help designers, engineers and buyers evaluate, adopt and optimise their additive requirements.

The TCT Group mission goes beyond simply raising awareness; it is focused on developing a 360-degree understanding of the potential of additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology to increase utilisation at all stages of design, engineering and manufacturing.

Duncan Wood, Chief Executive at Rapid News Group, organisers of TCT 3Sixty comments, “We cannot wait to re-open the doors and welcome everyone back!

Thousands of visitors have registered to join us in September, showing that the additive manufacturing community has missed the opportunity to interact in a live environment.”

TCT 3Sixty will be co-located alongside

Thousands of visitors have registered to join us in September, showing that the additive manufacturing community has missed the opportunity to interact in a live environment.”

Rapid News Group’s Interplas, the UK’s no.1 plastics show and Med-Tech Innovation Expo, the UK’s leading medical design and manufacturing technology event, as well as the PPMA Show, the leading UK event for processing and packaging machinery, robotics and automation.

For further information, please visit Find out more at tct3sixty.com

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3D PRINTING & ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENCE

28 29 30 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEC, Birmingham, UK

Evaluate, Adopt, Optimise…

Analyse the opportunity Discover your application Learn from user success stories Understand capabilities and limitations Choose the right solution Optimise existing technology Consider enterprise adoption Ensure return on investment

With more than 80 speakers and 150 exhibitors, discover your additive strategy at TCT 3Sixty.

Register Now!

www.tct3sixty.com

Co-located Co-located Shows Shows

MEASUREMENT & MONITORING

An innovative architecture for coordinating low-level measurements from DC to 100 kHz The MeasureReady™ M81-SSM (Synchronous Source and Measure) system provides a confident and straightforward approach for advanced measurement applications. The M81 eliminates the complexity of multiple functionspecific instrumentation setups, combining the convenience of DC and AC sourcing with DC and AC measurement, including a lock‑in’s sensitivity and measurement performance.

View the M81 here Features • Unique real-time sampling architecture for synchronous sourcing and measuring • Designed for scientific-grade low-level measurement applications • The absolute precision of DC plus the detection sensitivity performance of AC instrumentation • Unique, flexible instrument/distributed module architecture Visit www.qd-uki.co.uk to find out more

On-line, Real-time Process Elemental Analysis for Liquid Stream Applications Featuring advanced flow cell designs in combination with energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technology, the NEX OL from Applied Rigaku Technologies represents the next evolution of process elemental analysis for liquid stream applications. Nondestructively analyze aluminum (Al) to uranium (U), from parts per million (ppm) levels to weight percent (wt%) concentrations.

The NEX OL multi-element process analyzer serves a broad range of process control applications spanning from heavy industrial to food-grade process gauging solutions.

NEX OL is configurable for use in classified and non-classified areas, features an intuitive industrial touchscreen user interface, easy calibration and routine operation, standard communications protocols, and a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty. www.rigakuedxrf.com/nex-ol.php

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Kistler launch a new, compact version of its NCFT joining module Kistler has developed a new version of its well proven NCFT joining module with the stroke length increased from 100mm to 250 mm whilst reducing the overall length of the unit from 548mm to 482mm. This has been achieved by moving the drive motor from the end of the module to the side. In all other regards, the new compact version retains all of the capability of the original, straight version.

The compact mechanism, integral piezoelectric force monitoring in the spindle and two predefined measuring ranges from 0.05 kN to 1.5 kN make both the straight and angular modules ideal for use in assembly and joining processes monitored by forcevs-displacement. Both types have a robust housing with an integral piezoelectric tension/ compression force sensor and an absolute encoder. www.kistler.com/en | sales.uk@kistler.com

The Doepke smart RCM RCMs are used in situations where the unexpected tripping of an RCD would create a hazard e.g. Process & Manufacturing industry, Hospitals, Public venues.

The Doepke smart RCM communicates via a PoE connection, providing remote programming, monitoring, alarm status emailing and reporting via the DCTR Manager software.

Constant monitoring of earth leakage / residual currents enables the early identification of developing faults, reducing the risk of unplanned and dangerous stoppages.

For further information see Techpub-26 available on the link below. www.doepke.co.uk/Downloads-technicalpublications.php or email sales@Doepke.co.uk

Titan Bridges Troubled Waters For Flow Meter Installation Titan Enterprises have released video tutorials illustrating correct wiring of their pulse precision flow measurement devices to support customers with the installation of flow meters into their applications. “Although all Titan flow measurement devices are supported with written data and instruction sheets, a large percentage of flow meter installation issues result from mis-wiring.” states Jeremy Thorne, Production Manager with Titan Enterprises. “For customers who are new to our flow meters, visual demonstrations for wiring the flow measurement devices will help to reduce simple installation errors that cost customers time and money,” says Neil Hannay, Titan’s Senior R&D Engineer. “YouTube is a very accessible platform and is a great delivery method for Titan flow meter instructional videos.”

For further information please contact Titan Enterprises on +44 (0)1935 812790 or sales@ flowmeters.co.uk. For Titan’s video tutorials, visit www.flowmeters.co.uk/flow-meterinstallation-tutorials/

Platinum Resistance Pt100 Silicone Patch Sensor Platinum Resistance Pt100 Silicone Patch Sensor Element Encapsulated in A Silicone Rubber Patch with Self-Adhesive Aluminium Foil Backing. This platinum resistance thermometer provides accurate and reliable temperature measurement for a wide range of applications.

• PTFE insulated twisted leads • Class B Accuracy •-50°C to +150°C Temperature range 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.

Email: sales@labfacility.com Tel: +44 (0) 1243 871280 www.labfacility.com

RADAR IS THE BETTER

ULTRASONIC

Compact 80 GHz level sensor with in-head display

£646 VEGAPULS 31

All advantages of the radar technology:

www.vega.com/vegapuls

MANUFACTURERS OF HIGH QUALITY HIGH PERFORMANCE INDUSTRIAL INSTRUMENTS

Exhibitors at CHEM UK, WWEM & HANNOVER MESSE Rearranged exhibition dates will be advised, when confirmed.

Calibration and On-site Commissioning

Light instrument system panel builds, including: Data Loggers & HMI’s

For your FREE Product Summary Brochure

01623 427701 www.kobold.com info.uk@kobold.com

Precise - multifunctional - reliable - proven

FLOW – LEVEL – PRESSURE – TEMPERATURE – ANALYTICAL - CALIBRATION

NEW PRODUCT RELEASE

Introducing the MAN-SC/LC New Innovative Digital Pressure Gauge from KOBOLD Class Leading Features & Performance • 5-digit, 14 segment alpha numeric LCD display with16mm digit height for clear indication • Capacitive touchpads • Peak memory • Analogue output, frequency output, switched output (MAN-LC) • IO-Link function (MAN-LC) battery operated, or 24Vdc

• Up to 2 relays possible (MAN-LC) • Selectable measuring units • Force value calculation • Tara function • Stainless steel process connection • Rubber protection sleeve for tough operating conditions • Assembly with various diaphragm seals possible • MAN-SC: power supply via 9 V block battery Battery life: up to 2 ½ years • MAN-LC: external power supply via 24 VDC (M12x1 plug)

variety of diaphragm seal options

Contact us today to discuss your application

01623 427701 www.kobold.com info.uk@kobold.com Measure – Control – Analyse – Calibration – Systems – Commissioning

MEASUREMENT & MONITORING

Experts in thermal control and measurement LAUDA continues to provide an expanding range of featurerich, future proof solutions with energy efficiency and connectivity front of mind, serving a diverse range of industries including chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, oil and gas, composites, automotive, aerospace food & beverage, brewing, digital printing, laser and beyond.

LAUDA’s new range of water chillers has been designed not only to comply with the new Eco-design directive, but to surpass it through the innovative use of variable speed modules that automatically reduce their duty cycle in line with the cooling demand hence reducing energy consumption and running costs, giving a tangible return on investment for the user, whilst ensuring full compliance with the latest regulations on refrigerant (fluorinated) gases.

Further portfolio expansion delivers the new LAUDA ‘Versafreeze’ ultra-low freezers, (deep-freeze storage down to

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Time-Domain NMR Spectrometer for Materials Studies & Process Measurement & Control -85°), and higher power ‘Integral’ process circulators, (process control from -90 to 320°C with >25kW of cooling @20°C), with pressure overlay options to increase the working range of water/glycol up to 140°C. LAUDA is here to assist with your technical requirements from the first stage of the application discussion, all the way through the process to the final commissioning, and aftercare services throughout the lifetime of the equipment.

www.lauda-technology.co.uk

Time-domain NMR Relaxation is an extremely useful quantitative technique for material science and process measurement & control. This time-domain NMR spectrometer can be used to study solids such as polymers and porous materials. This gives information on qualities which are variously described as mobility, dynamics, stiffness, viscosity or rigidity.

This highly compact Mk3 low-field time-domain NMR relaxation spectrometer provides physical information on liquid and solid samples in the lab and in the field, at a size, cost and complexity

typically 1/10th to 1/100th of that of typical high field chemical analysis NMR systems.

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.

This spectrometer is robust, and compact enough for use in the field. It has a 3D printed solid metal case, gold flashed, and weighs just under 1kg.

+44 (0)7805 437241 nmrspectrometer.lab-tools.com www.Lab-Tools.com

Optimum for metal surfaces and low temperatures The CT 4M measures within the spectral range of 2.2 µm to 6.0 µm, making it ideal for low-temperature measurements on metals, metal oxides, ceramics or for materials with an unknown or changing emissivity.

Here, low temperature means the measurement range which spans 0 °C to 500 °C. The sensor head of the new pyrometer is very compact; with a diameter of 14 mm and a length of 28 mm, it can easily be installed even where space is at a premium, for example directly within a machine. Instead of a PC, the pyrometer can also be connected to an Android mobile device which has the free IRmobile app installed.

Optris GmbH Ferdinand-Buisson-Str. 14 13127 Berlin, Germany info@optris.global

Pyrometers. IR Cameras. Accessories.

Software. We measure temperature non-contact from –50 °C to +3000 °C. Visit: www.optris.co.uk

New

With very fast processes, requirements for the pyrometers used for temperature measurement are especially onerous. Typical examples are plastics processing machinery, such as those used for blowmolding PET bottles, which work on very short cycle times. Another application is the monitoring of rail vehicles, where the temperature of the wheelset bearings are measured as the train wheels pass the pyrometer, to be able to detect components running hot in good time.

Optris now offers the new high-speed pyrometer CT 4M for these types of challenging tasks. With a detection time of just 90 µs, it is the fastest pyrometer within the product range at Optris.

Our new high-speed pyrometer CT 4M with ultra-fast exposure time of 90 μs is ideally suited for fast high-volume production and packaging processes.

New high-speed pyrometer CT 4M from Optris

Ultra-fast.

MEASUREMENT & MONITORING

Innovative Infrared Technology

when temperature matters

www.optris.global Issue 52 PECM

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STRENGTH & FLEXIBILITY LABFACILITY

Exposed Junction thermocouple with Moulded on Miniature Plug

A PFA Teflon® twin twisted exposed junction, terminating with a moulded on type K IEC miniature thermocouple plug. A moulded plug gives a robust construction as well as providing a waterproof termination.

These are available in 1, 2 or 3 metre lengths, have a tolerance of Class 1 for optimum accuracy and an Insulation rating of -75°C to 260°C. These offer Good mechanical strength and flexibility, resistant to oils, acids and other adverse fluids, gasses, steam etc.

These are available to buy direct from www.labfacility.com Sales@labfacility.com | +44 1243 871280 | www.labfacility.com

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NEWS & EVENTS

SOLVING SANITATION PROBLEMS RENISHAW

Renishaw apprentices secure second place in Engineering without Borders awards Five degree apprentices from Gloucestershire-based global engineering company, Renishaw, have been awarded second place for their entry in the UK’s Engineering without Borders competition.

As part of the Engineering for People Design Challenge the apprentices were challenged to create an engineering brief based on real-world problems that would improve the lives of the people living in two towns in northern Peru.

The Renishaw engineers, who are studying for their degrees at the University of the West of England, Bristol, developed a solution for Lobitos and Piedritas, two towns that experience serious sanitation problems. The apprentices’ solution consisted of a combination of biodigesters and oxidation ponds, that plumbs sewage through the system, creating a sanitary sewage system and turns waste into usable by-products. The system breaks sewage into clear effluent that can be processed and used for drinking water and sludge that can be used for fertiliser, providing a healthier area to live.

The team - Ella Brisland, Marcus Evans, Charlie Lodge, Ezra Price and Oliver Tutton - are currently in year one of a five-year Level 6 apprenticeship at Renishaw, in disciplines such as mechanical engineering, application support and design and development. The team was able to draw on experiences from their previous Level 3 apprenticeships during the challenge, such as confidence presenting their ideas to senior members of the company, working as part of a team to achieve a set objective and problem solving complex issues.

“The team was shortlisted from a total of 1,339 teams across the UK and Ireland, so being awarded second place is a brilliant representation of all the hard work they’ve put into the project, in addition to studying and holding down a job,” explained Julia Russell, Apprentice Lead at Renishaw.

“The apprentices also competed against 75 teams to represent the University of the West of England, many of which were

Their success has elevated their standing and promoted the amazing work our apprentices are carrying out across the business. undergraduate teams with more time to devote to the project, so this in itself was a great achievement.”

“Their success has elevated their standing and promoted the amazing work our apprentices are carrying out across the business,” continued Russell. “The team has been invited to give their presentation in a senior management meeting and news of their success was sent to the Board and all worldwide staff, so the whole company is celebrating with them.”

“Seeing how far our design made it in the competition was a real eye opener to what can be done with a good idea and the drive to make it the best it can be,” commented Marcus Evans, Design/ Development Technician Apprentice at Renishaw. “The understanding we have gained from this competition will help us apply our socio-economic and environmental knowledge to the future engineering work we carry out in an effective and considerate way.”

This summer, Renishaw opened applications for 60 apprenticeships across its Gloucestershire and South Wales sites, including; engineering, software and embedded electronic design and development. Other Renishaw apprentices who have received recent recognition for their achievements, include Ryan Harris, who was a finalist in the Tomorrow’s Talent category of the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021, and Matthew Hunter who won an IMECHE Frederic Barnes Waldron ‘Best Student’ award.

To find out more about Renishaw’s apprenticeship scheme, visit Renishaw’s website www.renishaw.com/en/apprenticeships.

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NEWS & EVENTS

LATEST NEWS FROM MGP MGP

£950,000 manufacturing support boost for SMEs in the South East Manufacturing SMEs in the South East can access their share of more than £950,000 of dedicated support it was revealed today.

Business Leaders are now being urged to take advantage of support being delivered by the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), which will help them complete projects that boost productivity and capacity, introduce new products, innovate existing services and manage change following the pandemic.

Delivered by Oxford Innovation Services and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the programme uses a network of 19 experienced growth managers to work with companies to identify barriers to growth, before putting in place an action plan to overcome them.

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This could involve bringing in a specialist to deliver expert knowledge and guidance on issues/opportunities that will help them increase sales, become more efficient and hopefully create new employment.

The programme has already assisted 335 firms across the region, creating and safeguarding hundreds of jobs.

Dean Barnes, Regional Director at the Manufacturing Growth Programme, said: “Manufacturers appear to be emerging from the pandemic a lot quicker than we expected and we want to make sure we give them access to all the support and tools they need to complete the bounce back.

“Our assistance is all about supporting SMEs and we have a proven track record of

making a real difference to their short and long-term objectives. This starts with our industry-trained advisers, who use the latest online business diagnostic tools to underpin on-the-ground coaching and advice.”

He continued: “We can help companies overcome production bottlenecks, develop new products and even achieve ISO qualifications that can help when tendering for work.”

Confidence amongst SME manufacturers in the South East is at its highest level for two years according to a recent Manufacturing Barometer carried out by the Manufacturing Growth Programme.

Nearly three fifths of firms are expecting to increase sales between now and October, with 57% indicating that they are planning to

Manufacturers appear to be emerging from the pandemic a lot quicker than we expected. boost investment over the next six months as they look to the future. Out of those questioned, 54% highlighted an increased need to recruit staff over the coming months.

Whilst the Chancellor heralded his ‘business-friendly’ budget earlier this year, less than a fifth (18%) feel that the measures introduced will aid recovery.

“There is a sense of excitement about the future, but what is also clear is that SME manufacturers still need the right, targeted support to turn the vision into reality,” added Dean.

“This is where MGP can make a real difference. In fact, since we’ve been operational, we have referred many businesses to other specialist programmes - showing how a joined-up business support network can deliver real value and growth.

“Going forward, the message is simple. We have over £950,000 of grants available… it’s up to SME manufacturers to come forward and take their share of the support boost.”

The Manufacturing Growth Programme is open to companies in East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton.

For further information, please visit www.manufacturinggrowthprogramme.co.uk or follow @mfggrowthp Issue 52 PECM

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MEASUREMENT & MONITORING

Good Practice Guidance for Electrical, Control and Cyber Security in Industrial Engineering • Practical guidance for everyday and irregular situations and tasks

• Readily accessible for all in the industry – wherever they are, whatever time they have

• Verified and developed from contributions by the industry, for the industry

• FREE task and procedure checklists • E-learning for professional development

Management of ageing electrical assets Publication 227 Edition 1

®

To purchase or for more information, please visit www.eemua.org

More for Engineering from EEMUA… People in engineering work to make businesses, the environment, and everyone’s future prosperous and safe – EEMUA’s publications, training and other resources help people in engineering to get that work done.

EEMUA shares engineering task know how contributed ‘by industry, for industry’ as practical aids for engineers in their work – wherever they are, whatever time they have.

Available to all in industry…

All publications and many other resources are downloadable from EEMUA’s Shop – where you can also register to take part in EEMUA events and training.

Members help yourselves…

Many EEMUA resources are free or discounted for members, so please log in and help yourself to guidance notes, training, e-learning, checklists, live webinars, seminars, recordings, and much more.

Join in…

New Corporate Members are always welcome to share EEMUA’s knowledge and influence.

Call on EEMUA…

www.eemua.org membership@eemua.org +44 (0)20 7488 0801

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NEWS & EVENTS

SHAPING THE FUTURE OPTIMAL

Optimal to show how PAT is helping to realize Pharma 4.0 at IFPAC Summit Leading Process Analytical Technology (PAT) specialist Optimal Industrial Technologies will sponsor this year’s virtual IFPAC Summit. From 1st-2nd September, the company will invite attendees to join technical presentations and visit its virtual stand to learn how data-driven PAT strategies are shaping the future of the manufacturing and processing industries.

The Annual IFPAC Summit provides a forum for pharmaceutical and biotechnology specialists from industry, academia and government bodies to discuss the latest developments in PAT and forward-looking manufacturing practices. Key topics during the 18th edition of the event, which will take place online, include continuous processing and advanced data analytics.

A renowned expert in these fields, Optimal will contribute to the discussion by showcasing how PAT enables businesses to gain a unique, in-depth and holistic data-driven process understanding to drive improvements in manufacturing.

During the presentation “Taking PAT Enabled Continuous Processes into GMP Manufacture”, Martin Gadsby, Director at Optimal Industrial Technologies, will look at the benefits of leveraging a PAT knowledge management platform, such as synTQ. This combines all available

IFPAC is a key event for us and we are excited to show how synTQ can deliver considerable gains to pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers.

Optimal Industrial Technologies is sponsoring, presenting and exhibiting at the 18th Annual IFPAC Summit, taking place online from 1st-2nd September 2021.

PAT knowledge by supporting the fusion and processing of key data as well as visualization and storage. All this while meeting regulatory compliance. synTQ is used by over 60% of global pharmaceutical majors to deliver highquality products by enhancing and optimizing manufacturing processes.

Thanks to its advanced features, businesses have been able to increase product quality and consistency while tripling throughput from existing infrastructures – without increasing their manufacturing footprint. The software also supports the transition from batch to continuous processing strategies, boosting the resulting benefits.

Throughout the event, IFPAC attendees will also be able to visit Optimal’s digital profile, which will feature the company’s interactive virtual exhibition stand containing informative literature and videos. Visitors are also able to

set up individual discussions with Optimal’s experts in IFPAC Summit lounges. By doing so, participants will be able to discuss their specific applications and learn how synTQ can be successfully applied to improve R&D and manufacturing activities.

Martin Gadsby comments: “IFPAC is a key event for us and we are excited to show how synTQ can deliver considerable gains to pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers. We regularly update the software to incorporate the latest advances in data science, supporting futureproof smart manufacturing strategies in both batch and continuous processes. By expanding synTQ’s Cloud computing, Big Data analytics and predictive control capabilities, among others, the latest version is a gateway to building the factory of the future. We invite anyone interested in learning more about PAT and synTQ to get in touch with us during the digital event.”

Join Optimal at IFPAC Virtual Summit on 1st-2nd September 2021 by registering at: www.ifpacsummit.org Issue 52 PECM

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NEWS & EVENTS

EMO MILANO 2021 FANUC

FANUC to reveal new factory automation, robotics and machine tool solutions at EMO

FANUC will show a number of new technologies on its 1250 m² stand E02 in Hall 7 that turn the vision of an automated future into present-day reality.

Six key areas of the stand will host innovative physical and virtual exhibits.

The focus is on ‘ONE FANUC’, a unique technology for complete automation that adds value for machine manufacturers, plant builders and operators from a single source: FANUC.

FOCUS ON ‘GREEN MOBILITY’ Within the ONE FANUC area visitors will see CNC machine tools, various robots and software solutions working in unison, showing that integration has never been easier. In addition, these cell-based

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solutions will connect with Industrial IoT applications running on FANUC’s FIELD system platform.

Part of the ONE FANUC area will concentrate on ‘green mobility’ solutions for EV battery handling featuring multiple robot applications. Also, FANUC vision technology like the 3DV-1600 sensor gives an additional advantage in such applications.

Apart from themes such as green mobility, FANUC’s EMO stand will focus on medical technology, optics, metal cutting and the robotisation of all manufacturing processes.

DIGITAL TWIN AND NEW PRODUCTS The visual centrepiece of the stand will be

the FANUC factory automation (FA) gallery.

Of stunning aesthetic design, the tunnel-like gallery will showcase a wide spectrum of FANUC FA solutions, including digital twin technology.

The efficient automation of machines is an important topic of the show. FANUC as the leading industrial robot producer in the world will display most of its latest models at EMO. Alongside the robots, FANUC will present an ROI (Return on Investment) calculator for robotisation. This web app features a dashboard that sets out the potential savings available in an easy-to-understand manner.

FANUC’s ROBOCUT α-CiC wire EDM machine series impresses with many new developments. For instance, the company has further enhanced machine rigidity by strengthening the mechanical structure, providing the basis for more precise machining and even higher repeatability.

The new ROBOCUT α-C400iC and C600iC will be on display at EMO, the smaller of which will join forces with a FANUC CRX collaborative robot (cobot).

Notably, a FANUC ROBOCUT α-CiC produced the injection mould inserts for use on the third new ROBOMACHINE on show at EMO: the ROBOSHOT α-SiB injection moulding machine.

ADVANCED INJECTION MOULDING FANUC’s new ROBOSHOT α-SiB series is capable of metal injection moulding (MIM) as a production method for medical devices and surgical instruments.

At the exhibition, the ROBOSHOT α-SiB will incorporate a FANUC handling cell based on the company’s QSSR (Quick and Simple Start-up of Robotization) concept with a FANUC LR Mate robot.

THE ROAD TO DIGITALISATION

UPGRADED ROBOMACHINES Regarding ROBOMACHINES there will be a trio of European premieres at the exhibition.

In fact, FANUC is this time renewing all three models (ROBODRILL, ROBOCUT and ROBOSHOT) in its ROBOMACHINE line up.

The ROBODRILL α-DiB-Plus series of vertical machining centres will be available from the beginning of 2022. Innovations such as revised spindle variations, new control options, servo drives and mechanical improvements have made the latest ROBODRILL even more effective, reliable, fast and easy to use.

FANUC’s new ROBOSHOT α-SiB series is capable of metal injection moulding (MIM) as a production method for medical devices and surgical instruments.

FANUC’s Industrial IoT area at EMO will demonstrate scalable IoT solutions that aim to increase manufacturing efficiency, in particular to increase the productivity, quality and uptime of production processes.

The company’s EMO stand will feature several partner companies that have prepared Industrial IoT applications running on FANUC’s FIELD system platform.

FANUC’s service offering will also have its own area on the stand with the FAR (FANUC Assisted Reality) software tool for remote service on display. Last but not least, FANUC will present its service performance of 25 hours MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) and 99.97% service parts availability – both of which are being achieved throughout Europe.

UK SHOWCASE For those unable to make the trip to EMO due to the current situation, FANUC UK is hosting an Open House later this year at its HQ in Antsy Park, Coventry between Monday 1st – Friday 5th November. There will be a full line-up of speakers as well as a demonstration programme spanning three distinct themes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, which is bookended by two open days for exploration of its facility on the Monday and Friday.

For more information and to sign up, please visit: https://bit.ly/2Ue3chx For more information on FANUC, or to see its current product range, please visit: www.fanuc.eu/uk/en.

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PACKAGING

FOAMplus® perfect protective packaging solution from Storopack As a leading global protective packaging supplier Storopack recognizes the importance of ensuring goods are protected during transit and arrive in perfect condition.

Damaged goods not only incur costs for replacement orders but also affect businesses’ reputations. So while costs need to be kept to a minimum it is vital to choose the correct protective packaging type.

Usually a void fill packaging medium will suffice. However when the product is more sensitive to shock and vibration, such as engineering, electronics, aeronautical, and many other expensive products then more consideration has to be given to using the right type of in-the-box protective packaging.

Storopack’s FOAMplus® range is a perfect solution for companies that manufacture or ship products that require this highest degree of protection eliminating transit and handling damage.

The success of FOAMplus® polyurethane foam is based upon its huge versatility as a packaging medium. The foam can either be dispensed directly into the carton where the expanding foam will mould itself to the contours of the product shape or can be made into pre-moulded cushions to enhance presentation. The product will satisfy the most rigorous cushioning demands for high value, fragile and awkward shaped products. The light weight foam packaging also ensures that shipping costs are kept to a minimum whilst providing customers with total product protection.

As a space saving solution FOAMplus®, polyurethane foam packaging is ‘on demand’ and mixes two components together which then expands up to 200 times its liquid volume negating the necessity for large storage areas required for pre-fabricated packaging.

The benefits for customers are numerous. As well as an ideal solution for protecting awkward and valuable products, customers with product

design changes and new product line additions are able to quickly adapt the packaging without the need to carry a large range of bespoke cartons or fabricated packaging.

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PACKAGING

LATEST NEWS FROM LESTERS LESTERS

S Lester packages up major investment and record sales with a name change and new brand Demand for moving goods around the country and a boom in home shopping has seen a Burntwood manufacturer report a 150% increase in sales during the pandemic.

S Lester Packing Materials, which employs 45 people at its two sites in Staffordshire and Nuneaton, has used its expertise in corrugated boxes, large format, heavyduty cases and bespoke packaging to help clients in the automotive, aerospace, bike manufacturing, mail order and thirdparty logistics space.

The company is now planning to build on this successful period and a £4.5m investment in infrastructure and new technology by taking the opportunity to

reposition itself for the future with the business now known simply as Lesters.

A new corporate identity and brand strategy will reflect its reputation as the large packaging specialist, a move away from simply ‘Big Boxes’.

“We’ve been in business for nearly 40 years, and during that time we’ve never stood still. However, the last 2 years has seen us really push forward with our growth plans, investing heavily in our site, technology, and people to create improved capability, capacity, and efficiency,” explained Billy Hutchinson, Director of Lesters.

“All of these changes mean we are

Steve Hutchinson, Billy Hutchinson and Scott Hutchinson

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now seen as a trusted supplier and an alternative for larger customers in a world where size and capability really matters.

The name and brand change reflect this and brings our innovative design and prototyping facilities to the fore.”

He continued: “We don’t just sell boxes… we offer complete, bespoke packaging solutions and are helping to disrupt a marketplace that traditionally has been dominated by two or three big players.”

The last eighteen-months have been a whirlwind period for Lesters, with fifteen staff taken on across production and in admin/support, whilst a second shift has been introduced to keep up with demand.

This has helped to support the design and manufacture of a growing range of products, including octabins, pallet boxes, heavy duty packaging, bespoke die cut units, corrugated cartons and retail ready packaging.

A key driver in recent growth has been the decision to invest £3m in a new TCY Jumbo Casemaker, the first of its type to be operational in the UK. Since coming on-line, the technology has significantly increased both the quality and efficiency of its large format and heavy-duty case work, enhancing Lesters’ position in the UK market as the large packaging specialists.

We’ve been in business for nearly 40 years, and during that time we’ve never stood still.

Lesters, which recently purchased a transport and warehousing company to fit within the group, is now setting its sights on further investment in an additional casemaker line and the appointment of an Account Manager to cover the North of the country.

There are also plans to make additional acquisitions further up the packaging supply chain to increase the number of sites and capacity it offers.

Scott Hutchinson, Operations Manager, picked up the story: “The ability to create a clear group structure, with common goals across the businesses, is essential as we continue to grow.

“However, it was also important to make sure we don’t lose the essence of what has made us successful, so we’ve made sure that we’ve carried through all the best parts of what we do into the new brand – and we never forget that the customer is at the heart of it all.”

For further information, please visit www.lesterspackaging.co.uk Issue 52 PECM

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PPMA SHOW PREVIEW

READY FOR BUSINESS PPMA SHOW 2021

Countdown begins to first UK live event for the processing and packaging industry In a few weeks’ time, PPMA Show 2021 will return to the NEC Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, from September 28th- 30th.

As the first major PPMA live event since September 2019, following the postponement of all live events in 2020 and early 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, exhibitors and visitors are getting ready to do face-to-face business.

With a focus on supporting the processing and packaging communities with sustained business recovery following the challenges of the last year, PPMA Show 2021 will bring together over 250 exhibiting companies, offering businesses a long-overdue opportunity to see emerging technologies and explore the latest trends in the industry.

Recent research conducted among PPMA’

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audiences reveals a strong appetite for the live event, with 70% of respondents seeing trade shows as an essential platform for reviewing and making future product purchases.

Leading exhibitors at the show include: Winkworth, Ulma, AVE, Evolution Bottling and Packaging, Mettler-Toledo, Ilpra, Holmach, Stellar-Technik, Endoline and Brillopak.

Richard Little, Show Director of PPMA Show 2021 comments: “Although online platforms help people to gather information about products, our research shows that visitors want to move on from virtual product launches and events to get closer to the technology- hands-on and to speak face-toface with product and application experts.

The appetite for investment is definitely there, as well as the enthusiasm to resume

business as usual. We’re setting out to support our community’s business recovery.”

Renowned by the industry as a platform for launching new products, the 2021 show will be no exception, with multiple exhibitors announcing plans ahead of the show: AVE UK (Stand B40) will showcase two innovative solutions for the food and beverage sector with the launch of the OMNIA B cross flow filtration system for brewers and a mozzarella ball processing line for processing and dairy visitors. The OMNIA B system delivers beer clarification, product recovery and microbiological stability. With the mozzarella ball processing line due for delivery to London-based mozzarella manufacturers, Fratelli Amodio, this will be the only opportunity to see the line.

giving visitors the opportunity to see its stretch hooder.

Fortress Technology (Europe) Ltd (Stand BO1) will debut its new zero-contaminant pandemic-recovery Raptor Series including X-Ray first.

Carlo Gavazzi (Stand G80), a leading manufacturer in industrial automation and energy management will be on hand to discuss the latest technological innovations and advantages in IO- Link Sensors, solid state relays, motor soft starters and energy management.

Responding to manufacturers’ end-ofline labour challenges including staff shortages, social distancing measures and self-isolation, OMRON UK (Stand B34) will show the RB1200 cobot palletiser.

Developed in partnership with OMRON’s automation partner Reeco, the systems offer a 50% cost saving, rapid delivery within weeks, as well as modular plug-andplay system architecture. The RB1200 has a maximum payload of 10kg and a cycle time of 12 picks per minute. It requires no system integration and has a 60% smaller footprint than conventional robot palletisers.

Recent research conducted among PPMA’ audiences reveals a strong appetite for the live event, with 70% of respondents seeing trade shows as an essential platform for reviewing and making future product purchases.

Rollon (Stand J36) has expanded its seventh axis range with an offering aimed at the light and collaborative robotics market, as well as an enhancement of the range intended for larger robots. The new range of axes - 3 single-axis and 2 double-axis – introduces the belt drive with zero-backlash pulleys, simplified handling and overall efficiencies by positioning the motor on board the machine, reducing the overall weight and avoiding the need to manage cable handling.

Yamato Scale Dataweigh (Stand B14), a global manufacturer of product inspection equipment is excited to unveil its new Epsilon range of Multihead weigher, dubbed the new ‘Stick’ machine, as well as its x-ray inspection machine, the TSDN-3. On show will also be a new range of hygienic checkweighers.

Digital coding innovator Clearmark (Stand D72) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the launch of the ICE Vector Pallet Labelling System. The system includes unique engineering differentiators such as a climate-controlled cabin to ensure consistent print quality, a robust longreach cartesian-style arm, guaranteeing GS1 specification label placement in all pallet configurations and a dual operator interface and intelligent I/O system.

Dustcontrol UK (Stand E30) will be showcasing its upgraded GFF (Good For Food) range of food and pharma grade dust extraction equipment. The range is designed to offer efficient dust extraction and cleaning of food contact areas while opening up new recycling possibilities.

Olympus Technologies (Stand A94) is launching an upgraded Universal Robot Palletising System.

Launched in 2020, Ehcolo (Stand F102) is Issue 52 PECM

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Participants can rely on all the necessary health and safety precautions relating to COVID. Secondary packaging company, TrakRap (Stand B26) believes it has solved one of the biggest barriers to fully recyclable secondary packaging for the food and drink sector with the launch of the Trakcoder, a low carbon alternative to ITF labels.

Brillopak (Stand H26) will showcase its new UniPAKer robotic crate packing platform, its most compact and energy-efficient system to date.

Showcasing its entry level, ‘Plug & Play’ robotic palletising system, Endoline Robotics (Stand D 50) is set to demonstrate the benefits of automation, and the quick return on investment which can be achieved.

hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology to detect contamination in the seal of trays with a much higher contrast than standard vision cameras.

Travtec (Stand J40) is introducing new additions to their conveyor accessories range Piab (Stand G12) are thrilled to present a wide selection of new products developed to complement their existing range of solutions.

Ishida Europe Ltd (Stand D40) has introduced a holistic complete product offering across its entire X-ray portfolio that provides customers with peace of mind and delivers a guaranteed Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of less than 3% per annum over a 5-year period.

COVID PRECAUTIONS Participants can rely on all the necessary health and safety precautions relating to COVID and, to reassure visitors with regards

to cleanliness and safety, the NEC has introduced advanced cleaning measures and hand sanitising stations are located at all entrances of the NEC and at numerous locations around the venue. Physical touchpoints will be reduced throughout the show and there is also ample outdoor space at the NEC for visitors wanting to get some fresh air and to take a break from the exhibition floor during their visit.

There will, of course, be differences in the way the 2021 event runs compared to previous years. For example, on-site catering provisions have been modified and we’re also advising visitors travelling to the show to limit what they bring. Preregistration will be compulsory for all visitors this year register and visitors should follow the latest local guidance at the time of the show with regards to face masks, isolating and symptoms to ensure the safety of themselves and others in attendance.

Registration for the PPMA Show 2021 is now open.

Lifting equipment specialist Lift Safe (Stand F74) is showcasing one of its new ranges of mobile access platforms. The self-propelled MA50 is designed for use by one person, providing a maximum working height of five metres UK barcode labelling automation manufacturer, Cobalt Systems (Stand B64) will showcase its industrial automation solutions.

Engilico™ (Stand H52), a pioneer in nondestructive in-line seal inspection for flexible packaging, presents a new tray inspection solution. The inspection solution uses To register for your FREE visitor badge, visit the PPMA Show website at: www.ppmashow.co.uk

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SCAN TO REGISTER

28 - 30 SEPT 2021 NEC, BIRMINGHAM

WHERE PRODUCTIVITY MATTERS

See the latest processing equipment, packaging machinery, robotics and machine vision in action Gain a competitive advantage through the latest innovations and knowledge sharing

ppmashow.co.uk

PPMA SHOW PREVIEW

RB1200

OMRON

OMRON halves cost to cobot palletise solving current workforce challenges Responding to manufacturers’ end-ofline labour challenges including staff shortages, social distancing measures and self-isolation, OMRON UK will debut its game changing cobot palletiser, the RB1200, at PPMA Show 2021. Thanks to OMRON’s renowned iAutomation proprietary technology, the cobot system boasts a 50% cost saving, rapid delivery within weeks and plug-and-play system architecture to help businesses of all budgets and sizes immediately de-risk their line against today’s unprecedented labour challenges.

The introduction of the RB1200 could not be timelier. Companies are navigating social distancing guidelines amid high vacancy rates compounded by Brexit and the long-term skills shortage, putting pressure on existing staff and affecting productivity – October 2020-April 2021 saw the lowest level of employment in the manufacturing sector since 19961. Adding to manufacturers’ anxiety is the risk of production being halted entirely due to an on-site Covid outbreak or high numbers of staff self-isolating; events which are outside of their control.

The RB1200 was developed in partnership with OMRON’s automation partner Reeco.

Together, the two companies have designed a cobot palletiser that makes manufacturers resilient to the detrimental

effects of both labour shortages and the possibility of immediate workforce interruptions. Using OMRON’s 3i concept of intelligent, integrated and interactive engineering methods has dramatically shortened system design and delivery time resulting in a 50% cost reduction compared to same spec cobot palletisers.

RB1200 has a maximum payload of 10kg and a cycle time of 12 picks per minute. It requires no system integration and boasts a 60% smaller footprint than conventional robot palletisers. Tts inherent flexibility also means it can easily switch between lines and handle rapid changes in demand, maximising users’ investment.

A modular, plug-and-play solution, the

In addition to its automated palletising solution, OMRON will also showcase the Quattro; the world’s fastest and most flexible Delta pick-and-place robot. With a pick rate of 300 per minute and the only Delta robot to be USDA-certified, the Quattro’s fourth arm allows it to reach up to 30% further than traditional designs, facilitating a larger operational area. The powerful combination of speed, manipulation, reach and a 15kg payload make it ideal for any general packaging application.

For a full demonstration of the RB1200 cobot palletiser or the Quattro pick-andplace robot, visit stand B34 at PPMA Show 2021.

For further information, please visit www.industrial.omron.co.uk/en/home

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PPMA SHOW PREVIEW

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS AVE UK

AVE to showcase unmissable mozzarella line and one-step beer filtration system Stand B40, PPMA Show 2021, 28-30 September, NEC, Birmingham AVE UK will showcase TWO innovative solutions for the food & beverage sector at PPMA Show 2021 with the launch of their OMNIA B cross flow filtration system for brewers PLUS an unmissable mozzarella ball processing line for processing and dairy visitors.

Designed to recreate the high-spec taste, presentation and texture of traditional Italian mozzarella within a modern UK setting, the mozzarella line comprises six individual systems including an automatic coagulation vat, drainage trolley, whey recovery system, cradle coagulation vat, ricotta trolleys and salting cheese vats. This will be the ONLY opportunity to see the line in its entirety before it is delivered to London-based Italian mozzarella manufacturers, Fratelli Amodio, straight after the show.

“Innovation doesn’t have to mean creating a new technique – for this project, it was essential that our solution respects and reproduces the traditional methods of mozzarella making to replicate the true

flavours of Italy right here in the UK, while also incorporating the safety, efficiency and reliability requested by today’s market. It’s about cutting cost and waste, not taste and quality,” says Steve Bradley, AVE UK’s Sales Director.

Also on display will be AVE’s revolutionary OMNIA B cross flow filtration system which delivers beer clarification, product recovery and microbiological stability in one single

solution. Incorporating ceramic membrane technology with a five-year guarantee, this compact automated filter enables beer producers of all sizes to increase their yield by maximising product recovery from lees, as well as significantly limiting the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of brewery effluent.

Steve adds: “As part of the Della Toffola Group, AVE combines 60 years’ experience in the dairy & brewing sectors with the latest smart technology to deliver ultra-hygienic, cutting-edge processing solutions to food & beverage businesses of all sizes. We look forward to showcasing our unique solutions to visitors to our stand.”

For further information, please visit www.aveuk.net/en/home Issue 52 PECM

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PPMA SHOW PREVIEW

LOGISTICS LABELLING CLEARMARK

ICE Vector establishes Clearmark’s foray into pallet labelling At this year’s PPMA Show, digital coding innovator Clearmark will celebrate its 20th anniversary by making its foray into the logistics labelling space with the launch of the innovative ICE Vector Pallet Labelling System. The ICE Vector brings to the marketplace a new high performance, low maintenance tertiary option that is exceptionally easy to integrate with line and warehouse management systems.

ICE Vector completes Clearmark’s coding portfolio, enabling customers to benefit from joined-up coding solutions across their primary, secondary and tertiary operations paving the way for the factory of the future.

Unique engineering differentiators makes the ICE Vector a high-performance system including: climate controlled cabin to ensure consistent print quality; robust longreach cartesian-style arm guarantees GS1 specification label placement on all pallet configurations; a dual operator interface for continual working during ribbon/label reel changes; intelligent I/O system to seamlessly communicate with today’s highly automated warehouses.

The launch of ICE Vector on Stand D72 is timely with warehouses accelerating their investment in intelligent automation, mitigating supply chain issues (exacerbated

by Brexit and the pandemic). As more products flow through supply chains at speed, warehouses call for smarter, faster, self-reliant systems to meet demand.

The ICE Vector Pallet Labelling System promises to deliver an attractive ROI for any high-throughput operation looking to automate its pallet labelling process, from food, beverage and pharmaceutical factories, to supply chain and logistics operations. Powerful, reliable performance and seamless integration with factory warehouse management systems (WMS) are the bedrock of the ICE Vector advantage. The ICE Vector is powered by the ICE Vulcan print engine – the fastest in its class. With a compact footprint of just 1125mm x 875mm and operational speeds of up to 100 pallets an hour, it can perform up to four label applications per pallet,

with two adjacent sides to conform to GS1 specifications for SSCC pallet labelling or three sides for customer specific applications.

The ICE Vector is designed as a robust, fully enclosed system, thanks to a pneumatic guard protecting the print engine from dust and environmental conditions. Optimum conditions within the enclosure are maintained via a thermostatically controlled heater (as standard) with the doors only opening at the point when the ICE Vector is ready to label.

With a label arm reach of 650mm out of the enclosure via a sturdy 2 axis cartesian guided motion control system, label placement is accurate and repeatable on a wide range of pallet configurations.

For more information about the Vector, visit www.clearmark.uk/vector

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Stand: D72

PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES

Quality is in our DNA There is no doubt that the world is currently going through a period of seismic change and the compressed air industry is no exception.

As the leading global equipment suppliers streamline their product ranges, some users are concerned that they may not be able to obtain equivalent units as well as the same level of quality and service to which they have become accustomed.

But end users may not realise that a good percentage of the most common 60 cfm oil/water separator units can be traced back to the original SEPURA™ SEP 60 ST which was developed by parent company Bowman Stor in its own UK-based research and development facilities.

This means that customers can still purchase filtration units that will be a perfect match for their existing equipment - the same size, same fittings, and offering the same superb level of performance that they have enjoyed previously. All they need to do is contact their SEPURA distributor.

Having developed an enviable global reputation, the SEPURA brand continues to go from strength to strength. And their exceptional product standards have recently been given an additional stamp of approval with the achievement of the prestigious DIBt approval status for the key range of SEPURA™ oil-water separator units (SEP 60 through to SEP 2500).

So it’s good to know that while the SEPURA range continues to expand and evolve, the same ideals of product excellence, reliability and conformance remain at the heart of everything they do.

Customers who want the superior condensate filtration associated with genuine SEPURA separators and filters can ONLY obtain them through SEPURA’s designated distributors.

Above, Economic design is the secret to the SEP 60’s impressive performance. Left, the compact SEP 60 ST and its SILEXA™ contents.

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.ukor visit our website: sepura-technologies.com

www.sepura-technologies.com Sepura Blue Genes Half Page Ad 132x180L.qxp_Layout 1 04/12/2020 16:48 Page 1

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.

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Issue 52 PECM

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PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES

INNOVATION FROM TITUS TITUS

Adding value to the RTA furniture industry through improved products and processes The Titus Group develops, manufactures and sells innovative precision components and solutions that enhance the competitive position of its customers across a wide range of industries. Through innovative product design, expertise in high volume manufacturing and efficient service, the Group helps business partners to improve their productivity and quality while reducing the cost of assembly, manufacturing and allied processes. The precision engineering competence gained in the field of furniture hardware manufacture, which is the Group’s core activity, has now been applied to other areas. These include multipurpose damping technology, tooling and ultrasound fastening techniques, die casting, and

automated assembly systems, with applications in diverse industries, such as furniture, home appliances and automotive, as well as medical devices and hardware.

To address the problem of thousands of people who consider ready-to-assemble furniture as being time-consuming and complicated to put together, with a lot of opportunities to make mistakes in the course of the assembly process, Titus engineers delivered innovative, out-of-box solution offering a simple approach for tackling furniture assembling.

THE CHALLENGE AND ITS SOLUTION PRODUCT INNOVATION The Titus innovation is intended for use in a large segment of the furniture industry – RTA (Ready to Assemble). This is a furniture industry that provides packaged pre-prepared furniture panels equipped with all furniture fittings (included in the bag) and installation instructions. The end user assembles RTA furniture at home.

The furniture industry in the RTA category has been facing three major challenges over the past ten years: lack of wood mass, simplicity or guaranteeing user assembly friendliness, and flexibility of production processes.

The lack of wood mass is becoming an increasing problem with the growth of the population (market growth). Traditional materials used by the industry such as MFC chipboard, MDF and solid wood will be adjusted in the future. The recycled chipboard is already of great importance for the furniture industry. The result of the recycled chipboard is the quality of the MFC panels themselves. Metal and plastic inserts, poorly prepared chipboard structure (larger particles) and reduced use of adhesives cause a significant reduction in the load capacity of such panels. In addition to the challenges mentioned above, the density of the furniture panels decreases.

Usually, connection fittings in such panels do not allow the expected load capacity.

Innovative expansion dowel with metal expansion sleeves in new materials is adapted and allows comparable load capacities with dowel connections.

Titus FastFit Machine

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Titus Quickfit TL5 Dowel

Easy furniture assembly is an important aspect for the end user of the furniture.

An easy and quick assembly significantly improves the user experience in furniture assembly and thus the satisfaction of the end user. In the Internet age, this aspect is becoming extremely important for RTA furniture manufacturers. End users of furniture can make a review of product satisfaction on the manufacturer’s website.

Poor reviews have, of course, a negative impact on the decision of potential customers. This means that increasing ease of assembly is a key ambition for virtually every furniture manufacturer. But what’s the best way to transform this admirable ambition into reality?

Titus Steel Quickfit expansion dowel brings two key novelties to the field of userfriendliness and quick assembly. First, the number of assembly operations is reduced from a few dozen (classic expansion dowels) to only 3 to 4 operations. Secondly, with its design and expansion technology, the dowel allows the installation into the furniture panels already in the furniture factory. Titus offers a complete solution in the form of a prefabricated FastFit insertion machine for Quickfit TL5. The final customer receives furniture panels with built-in fittings, which significantly reduces the time of furniture assembly.

High productivity in the RTA furniture industry brings limited flexibility in manufacturing processes. Any replacement or modification of the type of drilling of furniture panels means a serious barrier for the industry, which in most cases is not acceptable. Using Steel Quickfit expansion dowels does not require drilling changes.

The product is useful in panels designed

for use with conventional expansion dowels with thread.

PROCESS INNOVATION The RTA furniture industry faces the challenges of increasing competitiveness.

One way to increase competitiveness is to offer additional functionality. The most important of these is a simpler and faster assembly. To achieve this, the RTA furniture industry uses the most advanced connections and other fittings and preprepared furniture panels. The latter allow very fast assembly of elements, significantly reduced possibility of errors and complaints, reduce the assembly time and increase satisfaction as well increase the chance of a positive online review.

using wooden dowels. Its expanded steel body ensures reliable span in holes for 5 mm dowels, which makes it possible to use Quickfit expansion dowel inserting technology without tools (screwing) in a wide range of applications. Its structure allows high tolerance to drilling errors ±1mm from the centre to the hole, which still provides for the establishment of a reliable and high load capacity connection.

The Titus Quickfit TL expansion dowel family allows for manual insertion into the furniture panel, which provides for a unique solution for intuitive and quick assembly of the cabinet right at home. For maximum efficiency, it is possible to automate the process of insertion of connecting eccentric cams and expansion dowels TL using its own Fast fit insertion machine for Quickfit TL5.

Pre-prepared panels have an exceptional competitive advantage that, despite the high cost of labour force in the EU and America, forces manufacturers of RTA furniture to pre-prepare panels by hand.

Most often, 3-5 workers per shift are needed to pre-prepare one panel, which means production of 1100 panels/shift. Each cabinet has two panels with inserted fittings.

Such organized production can produce up to 400,000 cabinets per year. With the use of Titus FastFit insertion machine for Quickfit TL5, the capacity rises up to 1,200,000 cabinets.

The second innovation is about improved process. The advantage of the FastFit machine for automatic inserting of expansion dowels, connecting eccentric cams and wooden dowels into furniture panels is in the extremely short inserting time of these semi-finished products into the chipboard panel, the quality of the finished product and, consequently, the reduced working force. The insertion time of the semi-finished products is thus approximately 3 seconds for smaller panels and up to 7 seconds for larger multiinserting panels. The final time of panel assembly is reduced by approx. 85%.

WHAT IS TITUS INNOVATION ABOUT?

THE RESULT?

The first innovation concerns the much improved product characteristics and performance. The high-performance Quickfit TL5 ‘Full Metal Jacket’ has exceptional pull-out load capacity and provides optimum strength and performance in MDF, chipboards and solid wood – even without

Titus was able to achieve thousands of satisfied customers since the implementation of the solution into their processes lowering the manufacturing costs, time and customers’ claims resulting into improved quality of life for many people.

For more information about the Vector, visit www.titusplus.com/int/en Issue 52 PECM

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PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES

Ansomatic Ansomatic is an AR based process control software designed to guide operators successfully through a manufacturing process.

It prevents human errors and provides on the job learning by digitizing all work instructions, projecting the right information straight onto the workstation and tracking the correct execution of tasks.

Not only does it increase the operator’s productivity, but it improves the production quality and process predictability.

The picture shows the projections in which sequence the operator needs to tighten the nuts on a booster (the heart of an aircraft engine).

Ansomatic is easy self-configurable so no specific training or programming skills are needed to set it up and is compatible with any combination of intelligent tools (torque-, rivet-,…) or programs (ERP, MES,…) info@ansomat.co.uk www.ansomatic.com

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Axium Process’ Universal SS Filter Housing enables Pick & Mix Filter Solutions Axium’s pick and mix filter solution can result in significant costs savings for manufacturers with variable filtration requirements as only one filter body needs to be purchased and installed.

They can then choose any filter screen option from Axium’s comprehensive range.

This Universal Filter Housing remains fixed-inplace but permits rapid switching of the screen or change in level of filtration.

Benefits include: • Consistent product quality • Dependable, high specification • Minimal downtime • Filtration levels from 5µm – 6,000 µm • Simple and easy to clean – no specialist cleaning • Can be custom manufactured to meet end users requirements • Certification and traceability dossier on request www.axiumprocess.com

New lightweight filling material with high damping properties Numerous machines are impaired in their performance by vibrations. To counteract this, the German durcrete GmbH has developed the lightweight and highly damping filler material durcrete®cell. durcrete®cell is a mineral filler to reduce vibrations in metallic structures. Damping is increased by over 300% and vibration amplitudes are reliably reduced. The damping material eliminates harmonics caused by sheet metal vibrations and reduces noise radiation.

With its balanced weight-to-rigidity ratio, the lightweight material is ideal for moving components and for filling hollow steel and aluminum sections. While natural frequencies are changed only minimally, guiding rails and motors can be designed economically and the machine retains its dynamics. The material is optimally used as a filling material in machine tools, in automatic placement machines and in measuring technology. www.durcrete.de

PUMPS

PUMP ENGINEERING EXPERTISE SULZER

Helping water utilities meet the global rise in demand for potable water and reduce costs

Making clean, safe drinking water widely available is one of human society’s greatest priorities. 90% of the world’s population currently has access to at least a basic source of potable water, and 71% of people enjoy a managed supply of clean water to their homes1. With the aim to further increase availability while controlling costs, utilities are continually investing to expand, upgrade and improve their networks, operations and maintenance processes.

Antonio De La Torre, Business Development Manager Clean Water at Sulzer, looks at how innovative technology can be used to improve water supplies Reliable water supplies are often taken for granted. This is highlighted by significant disruptions of more than a few hours being noteworthy enough to receive widespread media coverage. Anyone connected to the industry is well aware, however, that reliable, high quality potable water supplies

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require plenty of effort behind the scenes.

In the coming decades, the tasks of upgrading networks and improving supplies are likely to become even more challenging. Overall water demand has been rising at around 1% a year since the 1980s, driven by population growth and increasing standards of living.

That trend is expected to continue, resulting in a 30% rise in demand by the middle of this century2. Increasing urbanization, meanwhile, will lead to much higher needs in fast-growing cities and towns. Meeting that demand is placing greater pressure on the supply side, stretching the capacity of water treatment and storage infrastructure while driving regions to identify new water sources.

COST, QUALITY AND RELIABILITY In addition to the supply/demand challenge, water companies also know that they have

an important role to play in the long-term protection of the environment. That requires steps to minimize the consumption of energy and materials, as well as reducing the impact of chemicals and waste streams.

The move to globally aligned water quality standards is sharpening the focus on treatment effectiveness and strong process control. Companies also need to achieve all these things while maintaining strict financial discipline, with the aim of making potable water as inexpensive as possible for consumers.

Meeting these complex, and sometimes conflicting, requirements is a significant technical and business challenge.

It requires water industry players to continually explore innovative new approaches, refine proven technologies and work collaboratively with contractors as well as equipment providers to develop robust, cost-effective and flexible solutions.

Along the years, Sulzer has been committed to working with its customers to deliver the most efficient and reliable solutions. The company was pioneering in its support of the Pressure Center Concept plants, supplying larger high-pressure pumps that had never been used at that time for such applications. This continued with the introduction of highly efficient and cost-effective end suction pumps for larger capacities, as well as the configured, product lubricated, ring section multistage high-pressure pumps. More recently, Sulzer brought the pressure center concept one step further with even larger high-pressure pumps that delivered never before seen efficiency ratings.

ENGINEERING ENHANCEMENT Sulzer has been involved in the clean water infrastructure sector for decades.

Water companies use its water pumping and treatment solutions as well as its engineering expertise on projects of all kinds, from local refurbishment and upgrades to the largest and most innovative new infrastructure investments.

In Brazil, the company has delivered five of the largest pumps to be installed in the country as part of a new water supply system that delivers up to 6’400 liters of drinking water per second to residents.

Water is pumped from a reservoir to the treatment plant 83 km away and 365 meters higher in elevation. Sulzer’s pumps use a 970 mm diameter, high-efficiency two-stage impeller to deliver the large volumes of water, which will be sufficient to meet the projected demand for the next 10 years.

In contrast, Sulzer has also been involved in unique projects that demand specialist design and manufacturing skills. In New Orleans, the company needed to supply three custom pumps capable of operating on the local 25 Hz electrical supply. At the

same time, equipment dimensions were required to be small enough to fit in the existing historical building’s main entrance door.

DESALINATION INNOVATION One area of particularly active development in regions facing high levels of water stress is the construction of large-scale desalination plants using reverse osmosis (RO) technology. This has transformed the economics of desalination over recent years, halving the cost of producing clean, potable water from seawater.

The move to globally aligned water quality standards is sharpening the focus on treatment effectiveness and strong process control.

While advances in membrane performance and energy recovery have been central to these improvements, the efficiency of modern RO plants is highly dependent on their pumps. Capital Expenditure in pumps represents about 3% to 5% of total RO plant investment. However, the energy consumed by them accounts for 60% to 70% of the Operational Expenditure of the water produced by such a plant. Thus, taking into account the pump operational parameters as well as its design when creating the complete plant is crucial to achieving the lowest possible cost of the water.

Examples of these can be seen recently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Sulzer pumps have been selected for the SWCC West Coast project, which involves the construction of eight new mid-size RO facilities across the region and for the larger SWPC Shuqaiq 3 plant.

Today, Sulzer is proud that its installed base is supporting the efficient production of more than 20 million of cubic meters per day of desalinated water.

NEW CHALLENGES Today, society is not only facing water scarcity, which can be alleviated by desalination, but also the challenge of improving water reuse. This is elevated by new regulations for health and sanitation as well as the introduction of drinking water certification. Modern, industrialized societies are introducing new pollutants, such as chemical and pharmaceutical components as well as micro plastics, which require innovative treatment processes to remove them.

The recent addition of Nordic Water to the Sulzer family has provided significant additional expertise in the design and manufacture of filtration, sedimentation and other process systems. In particular, the company’s renowned water treatment products like continuous sand filters, lamella plate settlers and scrapers. These provide compelling offerings for customers seeking to improve the sustainability of their water treatment infrastructure, by using more biological processes, minimizing chemical consumption, increasing capacity and reducing the footprint of equipment.

The world’s water industry is pursuing an extraordinary range of approaches to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Sulzer’s equipment, technology and engineering expertise is playing a key part in the industry’s continual evolution.

For further information, please visit www.sulzer.com Issue 52 PECM

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OPTIMISED DIGESTION SEEPEX UK

Sludge Cake to Liquid in Minutes Yorkshire Water Knostrop is a large wastewater treatment plant servicing a growing population of 800,000 people. The decision was taken to rebuild the works with standard digestion and a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant. The contract was given to build a facility to process indigenous sludge and imported dewatered sludge cake.

SEEPEX had previously installed 12 large progressive cavity pumps on site, pumping sludges to an incinerator which had come to the end of its asset life. Over many years these pumps had proven to be reliable, and SEEPEX had built a well-established relationship with both the end user and their logistics hub.

RELIABLE OPERATION UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS Knostrop is a sludge treatment centre that not only produces indigenous sludge but also receives five daily loads of dewatered sludge by truck five days a week from satellite sites in West and North Yorkshire.

Each load had to be processed in under an hour to prevent vehicle backup.

The application required a pump to receive imported dewatered sludge from a large reception belt facility and process 28 tonnes of 30% DS cake with high grit and rag content into a 6% DS homogenous mixture.

The resultant total volume after mixing was 150m3/h which was then fed to the digesters.

The pump had to run up to eight hours

The processed sludge is pumped without interruption. And there has been no reported failure or performance drop. a day, achieve a constant dry solids mix and operate reliably under these extreme conditions.

PERFECTLY MIXED FOR OPTIMISED DIGESTION SEEPEX calculated the total pumped volume of sludge cake plus dilution liquid, using a combination of application experience, pump selection software and algorithms.

Choosing the correct amount of dilution/side stream liquid to thin the cake is important to achieve the 6% DS required to optimise digestion.

Two large TVE open hopper pumps with an auger feed screw were selected, these were fed from the imported sludge reception facility. Each pump was designed to handle a capacity of 150m3/h of back mixed sludge and pump 30% DS dewatered sludge cake in the absence of dilution liquid.

A homogenous mix was achieved within

the pump hopper by the auger feed screw and appropriately positioned dilution connections. A reliable 6% DS mixture was delivered by monitoring the pump’s speed and discharge pressure by controlling the amount of dilution liquid being added to the pump hopper.

To assist with maintenance, the pump was fitted with rotor joint access (RJA) enabling the pump’s compression zone to be moved over the stator. This allows access to the rotor universal joint and gives the ability to remove debris without involving extensive maintenance work, e.g. removing pipework and the pump’s stator.

RELIABLE OPERATION AND GOOD SERVICE LIFE Since their installation in June 2018, the pumps have performed as per the predicted KPIs related to parameters such as flow, pressure, speed, kW and amps.

The processed sludge is pumped without interruption. And there has been no reported failure or performance drop. The removable compression zone significantly reduces downtime as blockages caused by large debris can be removed and the pump put back in operation within hours without dismantling the pump and extensive downtime.

The solution delivered by SEEPEX is a more cost-effective alternative to the traditional multi-step back mixing approach which would involve further tank storage, additional pumps and blending.

SEEPEX maintenance-in-place technology enables the removal of blockages and simplifies maintenance.

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SEEPEX pumps back mix 30% DS dewatered sludge into 150m3/h 6% DS homogenous mixture in under 1 hour.

For further information, please visit www.seepex.com Issue 52 PECM

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SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS

INNOVATIVE DIGITISATION SAB BROCKSKES

High Flexible Industrial Ethernet Cables Flexibility, efficiency and digitisation. This is industry 4.0 – the current subject of German manufacturing industry. Due to the complete linking and communication on all levels of the production process considerable amelioration with regard to productivity and flexibility may result.

Today it is not quite clear how industry 4.0 in fully automated production will look like. Nevertheless, it is sure that a reliable transmission of increasing data volumes due to the steadily growing linking and communication of machine parts even under the most difficult conditions have to be ensured. As a consequence cables especially for machine construction, robotics or railway techniques are subject to extreme torsional stress and very high temperatures. These cables get in contact with different chemicals, oils or detergents.

Also the subject of longevity with respect to industry 4.0 in industrial sectors are of basic importance.

70 years after its foundation, SAB Bröckskes presents itself highly innovative as answer to the mega trends of digitisation and industry 4.0 . The company presents a range of new industrial Ethernet cables 6, 6A, 7 and 7A that are not only extremely robust but also ensure a quick and efficient data transmission.

SAB is not only a cable manufacturer but also offers support in automation technique for example in the range of new communication systems for drive technology. Herewith, the individual requirements of the customer and the longterm experience of SAB as manufacturer of highly flexible cables are combined in new products . The quick and flexible production of sample lengths is no problem at all.

The cable manufacturer focus on two Industrial Gigabit Ethernet cables that have been especially developed for the increasing data transfer in automation technique. Besides the world innovation CATLine CAT 7A RT, a CAT 7 A cable for robot application, SAB Bröckskes is also going to present a cable chain cable with UL/ CSA approval – the CATLine CAT 7 A S.

INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET CABLES AND WIRES CATEGORY 6A AND 7A: CATLINE CAT 7 A RT – for robot application Gigabit Ethernet cable with UL/ CSA The cable CATLine CT 7 A RT for robot application is suitable for rough industrial conditions in automation technique for example at high temperatures, pollution by oil and aggressive chemicals.

CATLINE CAT 7A S – FOR CABLE CHAIN APPLICATION GIGABIT ETHERNET CABLE WITH UL/ CSA

The cable chain cable CATLine CAT 7A S is suitable for rough industrial conditions in cable chains for example at high temperatures, pollution by oil and aggressive chemicals.

CATLINE CAT 6A HT – TEMPERATURE RESISTANT The temperature resistant cable CATLine CAT 6A HT is suitable for rough industrial conditions at temperatures up to fixed: -90°C/+ 180°C flexible: -55°C/ + 180°C.

CATLINE CAT 7A DR REELING CAT 7A GIGABIT ETHERNET CABLE

Our reeling CATLine CAT 7A cables have been developed for different applications whenever a considerable data volume must be transferred safely. They are for example used in stage technique of theaters, signal transmission and mobile trash rake cleaning or in high rack storage technique.

CATLINE CAT 7A R - RAIL CAT 7A

CATLine CAT 7A R acc. to DIN EN 45545-2, is especially appropriate for rail applications. The cable fulfills the requirements on no flame propagation of DIN EN 60332-3-25 + DIN EN 50305 section 9.1.1 + 9.1.2 and is flame retardant and self-extinguishing acc. to DIN EN 60332-1-2

SPECIAL SOLUTIONS FOR SPECIAL APPLICATIONS The production possibilities of SAB range from basic types and standard dimensions to special cables according to the individual requirements of our customers.

New productions are already possible for small quantities – especially interesting for small and pilot productions.

Cable manufacturer – SAB Bröckskes is a worldwide leading manufacturer of cables and wires, cable harnessing and temperature measuring technique. More than 60 years of experience in cable manufacturing as well as in temperature measuring technique have made out of a one man business a company with almost 500 staff members.

The strength of SAB Bröckskes is not only the manufacturing of standard cables but also the construction of special items.

Every year SAB manufactures more than 1500 special cables on customer´s request.

For further information, please visit www.sab-cable.com

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At its core Sapman v12 is a sophisticated Manufacturing, Warehousing and Stock Control solution. This modular product provides extensive facilities for Stock Control, Sales and Purchase Order Processing, Warehouse Management, Bill of Materials, Works Order Processing, Engineering Control, MRP and CRP. With the Microsoft SQL database engine at its core this product provides a leading edge business management solution.

Our highly skilled team has 20 years of experience resolving our customers’ Assembly, Manufacturing Control and ERP requirements, their Stock Control and Warehouse Management needs using our advanced, effective and efficient software solution.

Sapman v12 fully integrates with Sage’s Accounting solutions: Sage 50 and Sage 200. It also provides an upgrade path from Sage 100.

disposable BBQs our customers rely on Sapman v12 to run their businesses.

Sapman v12 is highly customisable to operate with virtually any business model. With successful installations in a huge range of industry types from manufacturers of medical products to

Sponsored development of specific functionality is possible where customers require some modification to allow the software to exactly map their business’s operational model.

SAPMAN V12 AND SAGE 50 IT ALL STARTS WITH A SALES ENQUIRY! SELL IT

BOM V12 produces the BoM : tree-view with collapsible/expandable nodes

Quotations: Quote ( including price breaks)& Drawings & Pricing : v12 can attach drawings to the Quote

SFDC Shop Floor Data Capture : using barcodes v12 manages the job though the shop floor

SoP : The Sales Order Processing gets underway

WiP With Shop Floor Data Capture SFDC v12 knows :

MAKE IT

What Material/Subcomponents have been used, Who has worked on the job and on what machine - Get Material, Labour & Machine Variances & produce management reports -

Stock : Stock Enquiry : Check material Needs : Make to Order or Ex Stock?

If not it may generate a Purchase Order for more Stock

Every stock issue is linked to an original GRN - ensuring full Serial Number and Batch Traceability

If the Sale item is Make To Order (MTO) then the Works Order Processing routine kicks in

Stock Finished item is booked into Stock

v12 is suitable for Batch Manufacturing, Make to Stock, make to Order, Kanban & service works

v12 knows where it is; it covers multiple sock locations and stock with Sub Contractors

Stock values from v12 update Sage50 Nominal Ledger

Stock values per client defined categories can be up dated to Sage50 Nominal at client defined times

PoP Purchase Order Raised Purchase Invoice received & Sage 50 updated for Nominal Codes, Purchase Ledger and VAT WoP The confirmed order has to be manufactured & v12 produces the works order

SEND IT Stock Stock records updated, Despatch note raised; Certificates of conformity produced

Sales Invoice raised & Sage 50 updated for

WHAT THEY SAY “We really like the Shop Floor Data Capture system which enables us to see the current status of any Works Order live and onscreen.”

Alan Saitch, Managing Director, Lada Engineering Services Ltd

“V12 offers us greater productivity, improved communications with third parties and the interconnectivity between the various menus and our Sage Accounting software makes operating our company infinitely easier.”

Colin Mallard, Finance Director, Lakeland Laboratories Limited

“V12 was a complete transformation for our business back in 2014, with the added bespoke service and repair package designed by the SMS team the customer input and traceability became seamless.”

Mike Perkins, Managing Director, Encoders UK Ltd

Nominal Codes, Sales Ledger & VAT

For more information on Sapman v12 please visit our website at Sapmanv12.co.uk.

Email us on info@sapmanv12.co.uk or please telephone us on: 0333 456 12 12.

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SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS

COMPREHENSIVE ERP SYSTEM SAPMAN V12

If you make stuff we’ll help you make it If you have a warehouse we’ll help you manage it If you hold stock we’ll help you control it Buying an ERP system used to be a major capital expense, potentially running to tens of thousands of pounds for an up and running system. The cost of the software purchase and associated consultancy made it a hugely considered financial outlay.

For manufacturers looking for a rapid Return On Investment – this was a major obstacle for many businesses : together with the desire to spend their CapEx budgets on modern machinery and increased manufacturing capacity rather than software!

For companies that want the software “out of the tin” - and do not require any bespoke programming – a system install and set-up, including training and data conversion would be around £2,950.

Our licencing is £95-£20 per month (depending on user numbers) with no minimum contract obligation. Additional users can be added as required and, indeed, reduced.

and Sage200, and we still have some clients on Sage Line 100 yet to upgrade.

A key market for us is Sage users.

Sapphire Manufacturing Systems Ltd. The developer of Sapman v12 has been an Authorised Sage Developer for over 20 years. So most of our users run on Sage50

We can demo the software remotely via Team Viewer or organise a visit to your premises or you can visit our Bristol Demo Suite: call us on 0333 456 12 12 to have a chat.

One of the great advantages of Sapman v12 for Sage users is that users can benefit from multi depot stock and full Serial Number and Batch Traceability without the need to upgrade their accounting engine from Sage50 to Sage200. This is an additional cost saving benefit

STOP PRESS Problem Sage announce Sage50 Manufacturing is End Of Life Solution Sapmanv12 More Features – Less Cost – Sage Developer Fully Supported – Continuous Development Sapmanv12.co.uk COME AND VISIT IS AT SUBCON : 14 - 16 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEC BIRMINGHAM - STAND A69 Issue 52 PECM

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SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS

High Flexible Industrial Ethernet Cables 70 years after its foundation, SAB Bröckskes presents itself highly innovative as answer to the mega trends of digitisation and industry 4.0 . The company presents a range of new industrial Ethernet cables 6, 6A, 7 and 7A that are not only extremely robust but also ensure a quick and efficient data transmission.

SAB is not only a cable manufacturer but also offers support in automation technique for example in the range of new communication systems for drive technology.

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Herewith, the individual requirements of the customer and the long-term experience of SAB as manufacturer of highly flexible cables are combined in new products.

The quick and flexible production of sample lengths is no problem at all.

The cable manufacturer focus on two Industrial Gigabit Ethernet cables that have been especially developed for the increasing data transfer in automation technique.

www.sab-cable.com

STORAGE, HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTION

ADDING GENUINE VALUE CROCODILE

Designing bespoke packaging solutions to perfectly fulfil clients’ needs Crocodile began as a family company back in 1991 in response to a growing demand for innovative and versatile industrial packaging solutions. To this day Crocodile remains entirely family owned and run and the goal of providing high quality sophisticated packaging solutions that add genuine value to clients has not changed.

Crocodile has a truly global outreach, with manufacturing partners in China, Germany and the USA. But the key to Crocodile’s success is it’s commitment to quality, which is why all aspects of the business from design to manufacturing, right through to delivery of the product is managed under the same roof in Swindon. By controlling every aspect of the business Crocodile ensures that only the best product and customer service is delivered.

SPECIFIC TO CUSTOMERS NEEDS Crocodile does not sell from a catalogue, but custom designs bespoke packaging solutions to perfectly fulfil clients’ needs.

We visit prospective customers and listen to them in order to ascertain as much information as we can about exactly what they want and need from their packaging. Our team of CAD Engineers will then design a packaging solution based around these needs, which we will then present to clients for approval or feedback.

CLIP TOGETHER SYSTEM Crocodile’s unique clip system means that packaging can be flat packed and reused, which dramatically cuts customers’ total costs and provides a sustainable, environmentally friendly way to ship goods.

COST EFFECTIVE Our aim is to win customers by delivering a first class but cost effective solution and performance. We then passionately wish from then onwards to continue supplying the customer every time they need

packaging. This only happens if service is of the highest quality. We aim to provide this as a minimum requirement, every time and to never lose a customer. This can only happen if a company is made up of

individuals that share this goal. Crocodile is very proud to have such staff.

01793821555 ISPM 15 COMPLIANT

For further information, please visit www.crocodile.uk.com Issue 52 PECM

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STORAGE, HANDLING & DISTRIBUTION

KASTO SOLUTIONS KASTO

All storage areas at a glance with a single click Manage and operate automatic and manual storage areas with a single system – at SchwarzwaldEisen, located in Lahr, Baden, this is reality. Two KASTO solutions make this possible: The warehouse management system, KASTOlogic, and the intelligent app, KASTOlogic mobile.

These two solutions allow the steel distributor to simplify and accelerate its processes, minimise the error rate and track all batches seamlessly.

“We love steel”: With this motto, Schwarzwald-Eisenhandel GmbH & Co.KG – abbreviated as SchwarzwaldEisen – has evolved into the leading steel distributor in Baden, Germany. The roots of the fourth-generation family-operated company date back to 1870. Since 1966, the headquarters is located in Lahr; SchwarzwaldEisen has other facilities in Freiburg in Breisgau, Bad Säckingen and Karlsruhe. With subsidiaries in BadenWürttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and

Switzerland, the specialist is active at a cross-regional level and continues to expand with new locations. The group turns over approx. 120,000 tonnes of material per year.

interfaces while keeping them at a minimum,” continues Auer.

“We focus firmly on organic growth and a decentralised organisation,” explains Dr Steffen Marco Auer, who manages the activities of SchwarzwaldEisen together with his brother Ingo Auer and Alexander Hatt as the Managing Directors.

“Instead of operating one major facility, we have several regionally active sites that are close to the customer, enabling fast and flexible deliveries.” Efficient communication between the individual regional locations and well-organised logistics are essential requirements for the operation of such a network. “That is why we try to structure all subsidiaries according to a similar principle to utilise proven processes, to use technologies across all sites, and to standardise

This approach is also evident in the storage technology. SchwarzwaldEisen puts its trust in KASTO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG as the preferred partner in this area. For about eight years at the headquarters in Lahr, an automatic bar stock storage system from the UNICOMPACT 3.0 series provides quick and efficient storage and removal of sections, tubes and solid materials, which are up to six metres in length.

SchwarzwaldEisen offers its customers a range of goods consisting of around 10,000 products, mainly construction steel, stainless steel, and aluminium.

“Approx. 70 to 80 per cent of the orders for sectional steel are semi-processed” reported Managing Director, Auer.

PREFERRED PARTNER FOR STORAGE TECHNOLOGY

Well-organised logistics is an essential requirement for the steel distributor, SchwarzwaldEisen located in Baden, Germany.

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The shelves are equipped with QR and barcodes. For instance, when the users scan them with the mobile device, they can confirm the removal or trigger a follow-up order.

Above, The KASTO system supplies the product needed using an operating gantry crane (OGC) with short access times based on the principle “materials to operator” at one of two removal stations. Below, Dr Steffen Marco Auer, one of the two Managing Directors at SchwarzwaldEisen:

Thanks to KASTOlogic mobile, the warehouse employees have access to the order and product data at any time.

It is prepared according to the customer specifications using in-house machinery in Freiburg and then dispatched. For bar stock with a length of up to 6 metres, the KASTO system supplies the product needed using an operating gantry crane (OGC) with short access times based on the principle “materials to operator” at one of two removal stations. However, the company stores metal sheets in a separate, manually operated storage area.

Steffen Auer outlines the challenges by stating, “Our customers expect us to provide fast, error-free and trackable deliveries”. “To ensure this, we depend on a simple, clear and reliable control system for our entire material flow.”

SchwarzwaldEisen relies on the goods management system (GMS), eNVenta used across all of its sites. The storage system in Lahr is linked to it via an interface created specifically for this purpose – the same as two other automatic KASTO storage systems in the sites at Karlsruhe and Westerwald. “This ensures a standardised order management and a high level of inventory transparency,” explains Auer.

The GMS transfers the respective order data electronically to the warehouse management system, KASTOlogic, which then triggers the removal of the

required products at the respective site.

All processes can be tracked seamlessly, operational and assignment errors can be virtually eliminated.

MANUAL STORAGE WAS PRONE TO ERRORS In the past, the manually and papermanaged metal sheet warehouses looked quite different recalls Auer: “Due to the

broad product range, mix-ups occurred, for example, employees removed the wrong sheets or incorrect quantities – and in the end, the customer did not always receive what was ordered.” It was not always easy to locate the required goods in the long rows of shelves. Therefore, those responsible at SchwarzwaldEisen searched for a possibility to integrate these storage areas into the intelligent electronic control system.

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SchwarzwaldEisen stores metal sheets in a separate, manually operated storage area.

“To achieve this goal, we compared two competitors, and quickly selected KASTO,” stated Auer. This decision was not based solely on the proximity to the specialists for sawing and storage technology with headquarters located just a few kilometres away from Achern. “Of course, it is an advantage to collaborate with partners in the region, who can be onsite quickly if needed,” the Managing Director emphasised. “However, KASTO’s extensive technical competence and willingness to provide a solution tailored to our particular situation was equally important to us.”

Together with the steel distributor, the KASTO experts thoroughly assessed the conditions onsite and in the entire company and developed a solution to display all storage areas in a standardised and consistent control system. One of the tools used was KASTOlogic mobile, a platform-independent and mobile version of KASTOlogic. The software makes it possible to use the essential functions of the warehouse management system on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones – independent from permanently installed operator panels which are available in the automatic storage system, UNICOMPACT. “For instance, with this system, we can flexibly manage the bar stock storage system regardless of the location,” Steffen Auer explains. “But more importantly: We are now able to manage our manually operated metal sheet storage with KASTOlogic.”

ORDER AND PRODUCT DATA ALWAYS WITHIN REACH Thanks to KASTOlogic mobile, the warehouse employees have access to the order and product data at any time.

When removing the sheets, the system directs the user to the respective storage location and specifies the required quantity. The shelves are equipped with QR and barcodes. For instance, when the users scan them with the mobile device, they can confirm the removal or trigger a follow-up order if the inventory is getting low. All information is available both in the warehouse management and the goods management system – customised interfaces make this possible. Auer summarises by saying, “The result is a standardised, controllable, and seamless, transparent material flow.” “We have fewer errors when picking the orders, we can work faster and more efficiently, and individual batches can be followed up and tracked seamlessly.”

With the new warehouse management concept, KASTO proved itself to be both a machine supplier and a solutions provider.

“KASTO provided us a customised, software-based system that works completely independently from the existing storage systems and can be scaled for other sites as needed – a remarkable achievement,” Auer stated. The concept is impressive in every aspect – so impressive that SchwarzwaldEisen wants

to implement it at its other sites as well.

“As stated, we try wherever possible, to simplify and standardise processes and avoid unnecessary interfaces,” Auer says.

“It helps us to become even more efficient and transparent across all sites.” If an ordered product is not in stock at a specific facility, it is found in the system quickly and can be delivered to another site when necessary. “Ultimately, we are not the only ones who benefit from this organisation; above all, our customers profit from it – that is the main thing for us,” exclaims the Managing Director.

THE SERVICE IS ALSO IMPRESSIVE Another benefit of the KASTO system for those responsible at SchwarzwaldEisen is the high degree of availability. “Both the storage system and the control system can be serviced remotely. If needed, KASTO can access the software and clear malfunctions quickly and easily at any time.” Thanks to the proximity, the service experts can be onsite at short notice – “an additional bonus that not every manufacturer can provide,” Auer finds. In addition to the impressive technology and the attractive price-performance ratio, the excellent partnership with KASTO was a pivotal factor to continue along the path embarked on together. “We are extremely satisfied with the collaboration and certain that both companies will reap long-lasting benefits.”

For further information, please visit www.kasto.com/en/home.html

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STORAGE, HANDLING & DISTRIBUTION

Expert heavy equipment movers At Flegg, we are experienced heavy equipment movers and installation experts, providing unbeatable logistics services to our customers. Moving industrial machinery and sensitive medical equipment requires careful planning and execution to ensure the safety of the equipment.

single machines, large factory moves, delivery and installation, on-site lifting and assembly, machinery removals, and much more.

Whatever your machinery moving needs, our expert team has the experience and knowledge necessary to meet them.

Our three specialised medical, project and transport divisions integrate to create a service that can meet the needs of any business.

0845 4584958 info@fleggprojects.co.uk

www.fleggprojects.co.uk

We offer specialist transport and storage solutions for

Scaglia Indeva Liftronic® Mobile

Fuel Storage Solutions

A 360 solution service

To help speed up logistics operations and processes, warehouse operators need mobile lifting equipment that can offer optimum agility and flexibility in a fast moving environment.

APIA or A Pipe in A Pipe is an innovative and patented bunded system from Fuel Storage Solution. Utilising the Geberit, 316 stainless steel Mapress pipe, suitable for the safe movement of over 3000 liquids and gasses, FSS fabricate an integrally bunded pipe that will retain 100% of the product in the event of an inner line leak.

Twinplast uniquely provide a 360 solution service to a wide range of markets with flat sheet & packaging.

This allows them to react quickly and efficiently when a new lifting and handling task is required, even if that is on the other side of a facility to the manipulator’s current position.

To meet these demands, the Liftronic® Mobile allows for easy movement of components and goods to wherever they are needed.

• Gross load capacity: 50kg with a mechanical gripper.

• Arm length: 2530mm.

• Vertical stroke up to 1900mm • Choice of grippers such as pantograph, magnet, and vacuum.

The configured parts are returned to Geberit for rigorous inspection and testing which allows the retention of their 10-year manufacturer warranty on to the new system.

The versatility of the pipe allows it to be rapidly installed without the need for hot works and it can be configured with 24/7-line leak detection and an automatic closure device to give customers added piece of mind.

Indeva offers a comprehensive range of industrial manipulators to meet a wide variety of lifting requirements in manufacturing and logistics.

Call 01274 813 003 Fax 01274 882 915 sales@fuelstoragesolutions.co.uk

info@uk-indevagroup.co.uk

www.fuelstoragesolutions.co.uk

The applications for our Design to Prototype to client solutions are as diverse as our client markets and requirements, i.e. pallet toppers, courier van liners, trays for Covid Vaccine Vials, trays for meat, fish, fruit and veg, tote & pick bins, nest stack trays and temporary floor, worktop, sanitary and staircase protection for the construction industry.

Our 100% recyclable polypropylene is, very light, incredibly strong, washable, printable, bespoke/standard, coloured/plain, fire resistant, sterilisable, multiple-trip and durable.

So whether you need high performance cost effective packaging, a non-toxic Fire certificated board or a totally bespoke solution, please get in touch: Contact Don Parr Sales & Marketing Director dparr@twinplast.co.uk Issue 52 PECM

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STORAGE HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTION

JMG MC-160

JOSEPH MERRITT GROUP PLC

Merritts invest £250k in new versatile 16te capacity pick and carry crane

East Midlands based, heavy machinery moving company, Joseph Merritt Group Plc has taken delivery of a new fully electric JMG MC-160 pick and carry cabin cruiser crane.

This £250,000 investment will further develop the companies service offering, enabling them to meet the unique demands of machinery manufacturers, agents, distributors, and manufacturing companies, and will secure their place as the UK’s leading machinery moving specialists.

Commenting on their investment, Richard Merritt, Director, said “Over recent months, we have experienced a significant increase in demand for heavy machinery moving services in ‘clean’ industries such as food and pharmaceutical manufacturing

The crane’s unique componentry enables it to perform tasks which would otherwise require larger and more expensive lifting equipment. where hygiene and cleanliness are of paramount importance. We also expect demand to be high for long term hire in key sectors such as plastics and rubber, automotive, and machine tool.”

He added, “JMG electric pick & carry cranes are state of the art. The crane’s unique componentry enables it to perform tasks which would otherwise require larger and more expensive lifting equipment, and its compact dimensions allow access to congested factory sites with ease.”

The new crane purchase is part of a continuous programme of investment to ensure the company has a modern fleet of vehicles and equipment to safely carry out machinery movement and installation projects for their customers.

Earlier in 2021, Merritts invested £400K on the JMG MC-580, a bigger version of the MC-160 pick and carry cabin cruiser.

For further information, please visit www.merritts.uk.com

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STORAGE HANDLING & DISTRIBUTION

LATEST NEWS FROM PROTOLABS PROTOLABS

Protolabs launches new CNC Flexible Lead Time option to boost supply chain capacity Protolabs is looking to boost supply chain capacity in the UK and help customers manage costs with the launch of a new CNC Flexible Lead Time option.

The service will give clients in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical and prototyping markets the opportunity to choose a manufacturing solution for the shipping of parts from 6 to 12 days after an order when using its e-commerce platform.

This latest introduction is in addition to its standard delivery of just 3 days and as little as 1-day for expedited projects.

David Ewing, Product Manager for Protolabs’ CNC machining service, said: “We are known in the market for rapid delivery of prototypes and finished parts.

While our competitors measure delivery of CNC machined parts in weeks, we take just days, and this is ideal for those needing rapid prototyping or have an urgent deadline to meet.

tooling capability combines lathe and mill capabilities to produce parts with cylindrical features from metal rod stock.

“However, not every order requires such a rapid response, so our new CNC Flexible Lead Time option allows customers using our e-commerce platform to upload their CAD files and see how changing their delivery date alters the price.

“It means we have given them even more control over production and greater flexibility at a time when the supply chain is stretched. They now have more freedom to achieve the balance between meeting their own budgets and client deadlines by working to turnaround times that are best for their project.”

The software platform, which forms the basis of the customer quoting and ordering experience, also provides a free design for manufacturability analysis to check the CAD before production. It highlights features that are impossible to machine, but also areas where a redesign or change could save the customer money.

Customers upload their CAD onto the company’s e-commerce platform where they can easily add threaded features, including key and coil inserts within their interactive quote. When the quote is returned, a 3D display will show which thread types are possible for each feature.

Ewing continued: “Our new lower-cost machining option still has a faster shipping time than most competitors can achieve, but our high quality remains completely unaffected by this speed - the only variable is the delivery time, and that delivery time is guaranteed.”

Protolabs uses both 3-axis milling and 5-axis indexed milling for rapid prototyping and low-volume production of end use plastic and metal components, whilst live

The Telford-based digital manufacturer stocks more than 30 engineering grade plastic and metal materials that are suitable for various applications and industries, including plastics like ABS, polycarbonate nylon and PEEK and metals such as aluminium, stainless steel, magnesium and copper.

It also provides extensive services in 3D printing (for both plastic and metal parts) and injection moulding, featuring plastic injection moulding, liquid silicone rubber moulding, overmoulding and insert moulding.

To find out more, please visit https://www.protolabs.co.uk/services/cnc-machining/ Issue 52 PECM

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SWITCHES & SENSORS

LIQUID DETECTION SWITCHES SST SENSING

Detecting the presence or absence of a liquid Knowing if you have a liquid at a point in your process or system can be critical to preventing expensive damage to components and ensuring optimal conditions for process performance.

Checking for liquids where there shouldn’t be any or maintaining a fluid between set levels keeps cost of repair and maintenance down, ensures efficient running of systems and by consequence, lower cost of ownership for the customer.

SST Sensing, a Process Sensing Technologies company, has been the leading manufacturer of low-cost optical liquid detection switches for over 18 years.

Designed to detect the presence or absence of any water or oil-based liquid, SST’s range of miniature and high-pressure level switches are designed into many fluid control applications.

From protecting expensive control cabinets from damage by water ingress to maintaining hydraulic and additive fluid levels in production equipment SST’s optical liquid detection switches have been the choice of system designers where reliable and lowcost switching is needed.

Working in partnership with design teams has allowed SST to develop solutions for level and leak detection sensing in some of the trickiest applications where traditional float switches have been unreliable or require too much liquid to switch, or in viscous or continuously moving liquids humid environments.

Solid state sensors with no moving parts to stick and designed in various fluid compatible plastics or stainless steel for the more aggressive and high-pressure environments SST’s optical liquid detection sensors only require 1mm of liquid to switch from dry to wet or wet to dry.

In continuous use protecting run dry in tanks and pumps and overflow protection in industrial processes, optical liquid detection sensors have also replaced float switches in food and pharmaceutical reactors due to

their low profile, insensitivity to bubbles or foam and allowing stirrers and agitators to operate without hindrance.

SST Sensing, a Process Sensing Technologies company, has been the leading manufacturer of low-cost optical liquid detection switches for over 18 years.

SST’s in-house design and production teams work with customers to provide samples and test fluid compatibility and application specific details, offering standard or customised solutions that include cable and connector changes, hydrophobic coatings, food and pharmaceutical grade components and high vibration resistant switching.

Choose liquid detection switches from SST Sensing. The leader in low-cost optical liquid control solutions.

For further information, please visit processsensing.com/level

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SWITCHES & SENSORS

EAO EXTENDS SWITCH RANGE EAO

New Series 84 IO-Link Touch touch-operated devices are capacitive rugged, bright and configurable

The trend towards digitisation of Human Machine Interfaces in the industrial sector is leading OEMs to adopt radically new approaches to machinery design and manufacture. At the same time, digitisation is creating an even more intensive working environment for operators of the equipment Mindful of these requirements HMI specialist EAO Ltd has introduced a new family of capacitive switches that enable new generations of digital machine systems to be intelligently connected via an IO link controller to higher level bus systems or a programmable logic controller (PLC).

Targeting new and emerging factory automation applications the new Series 84 IO-Link Touch touch-operated switches are freely configurable, bright and uniquely, jetwash sealed to IP69K. According to Robert Davies, Marketing Manager with EAO Ltd., machine manufacturers must overcome demanding challenges in order to fully digitise their designs, not least in terms of system

complexity and the enormous investment required: “Thanks to the globally established IO-Link communication interface and programmable connection options, our new Series 84 IO-Link Touch touchoperated switches can be networked via an integrated M12 5-pin screw connection, rendering the equipment Industry 4.0 compliant”, Davies said. “Series 84 IO-Link Touch switches require a mounting depth of just 25.8 mm”.

Application-specific yet highly configurable EAO offers the new Series 84 IO-Link Touch switches in three HMI variants – standard, stainless steel and hygiene – together with a range of application specific actuators and indicators, rendering the new family of switches ideal for a wide range of mechanical engineering applications.

“The many potential uses for Series 84 IO-Link Touch switches centre around their freely selectable configuration capability, which can be precisely aligned to the respective application – from illumination, to

symbols, to the switching function”, Davies continued. “For example, the illumination can switch on with a deliberate delay when actuated, and HMI operational readiness can be signalled by green illumination, which changes to yellow when actuated and then to red a few seconds later. The configuration remains stored on the HMI even with no power supplied”.

Innovative RGB LED illumination. Four lateral illuminated windows integrated into the front frame of Series 84 IO-Link Touch switches ensure excellent visibility of the entire status display. The static or flashing RGB LED illumination is particularly bright and thanks to the integrated ambient light level sensor, is always illuminates at the right intensity for a particular lighting condition.

This feature also optimises the HMI’s power consumption as well as LED lifetime. High contrast, optionally illuminated standard or custom symbols combined with their attractive design means the new IO-Link Touch switches are able to visually integrate into any modern application setting.

For further information, please visit www.eao.com

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SWITCHES & SENSORS Sensors and more

Sensors and more

Sensors and more www.sensorcentre.com Sensors and more

info@sensorcentre.com Sensors and more

Sensors and more

Sensors and more

Tel: 01844 201607

BAR CODE READERS Colour and Measurement Sensors Colour and Measurement Sensors

BAR CODE READERS

Detect, Measure, Identify, Protect

Electronica 2016 Advert_Print.pdf 1 10/6/2016 11:10:40 AM

www.sensorcentre.com

www.sensorcentre.com www.sensorcentre.com

www.sensorcentre.com

www.sensorcentre.com

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Tel: 44 (0) 1255 862236

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TOOLS

A 21ST CENTURY SOLUTION DK HOLDINGS

DK Holdings is getting ready to exhibit at Advanced Engineering in Birmingham!

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of diamond tooling, DK Holdings are looking forward to exhibit their range for the Aero, Composites, Automotive and Engineering industries later this year. Our dedicated Sales team will be welcoming existing and new customers to stand L52 in hall 3/3A. With over 60 years of manufacturing experience and with a new production facility, DK Holdings offers a 21st Century solution to the majority of your diamond tool requirements.

DK Holdings can design and manufacture bespoke tooling to your specification using the latest technology and can also offer

next-day delivery from their large range held in stock.

Since 1959, DK Holdings have been dedicated to the design, manufacture, and supply of quality diamond tooling, servicing its worldwide customer base with its vast product offering and bespoke engineering capabilities. The company’s extensive technical knowledge has been driven by addressing the varied needs of its clients across a broad range of industries. Our tooling provides solutions to the most challenging of situations, expertise matched by our ability to design and manufacture bespoke engineered products to suit the majority of customers’ requirements, setting us apart from those manufacturers limited

to the supply of stock items. We are able to involve our customers from inception, through the design process, concluding with the finished product. Our active Research and Development Team can test and advise on the best tooling for special materials.

The DK Holdings name is synonymous with quality diamond tooling. We welcome enquiries of any nature – a tooling solution for your organisation could be closer than you think.

DK Holdings Limited Station Approach Staplehurst TN12 0QN Telephone: 01580 891662 Email: info@dk-holdings.co.uk Twitter: @DK_Holdings

For further information, please visit www.dk-holdings.co.uk

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Worldwide Diamond Tooling Solutions Manufacturing Resin bond and Electroplated wheels in the U.K for over 60 years

TOOLS

The LHS 210 / 410 Air Heater Series Leister’s new series of compact and powerful LHS 210 / 410 air heaters are suitable for installation in industrial plants where space is limited or tubular air systems such as furnaces for heat curing processes, due to their compact design and ease of integration. With a choice of eight air heaters with single (SF) or dual flanges (DF), the innovative design allows for easy electrical connection, with connection housing separated from the airstream, which allows unhindered air flows through the air heater with minimal loss in pressure. The connection housing is also protected against overheating, making it possible to work with an air inlet temperature up to 350 degrees Celsius.

The SF-R and DF-R air heaters are equipped with an extension on the housing connection.

The ceramic inside this extension ensures that the electrical connection on the tubular air heaters is sealed off and protected from high temperatures or backflowing hot air.

NEW AIR HEATER SERIES

LHS 210 / 410 COMPACT & POWERFUL The series SF-R and DF-R (“recirculation”) are designed for many industrial processes where hot air recycling is required.

The recirculation abilities of these models’ lower energy consumption which reduces CO2 emissions and saves money. Welwyn supply the full range of Leister plastic welding and industrial process heat equipment and offers highly competent technical support by their team of dedicated engineers.

For further information and technical advice for equipment in this field, please contact Welwyn Tool Group on 0800 856 0057, email them on info@welwyntoolgroup.com, or visit their website

www.welwyntoolgroup.com

EASY CONNECTION

COMPATIBLE NOZZLES

HOT AIR RECYCLING

HIGH AIR VOLUME OVERHEATING PROTECTION

$ ECONOMICAL

Tel: +44 (0)1707 331111 info@welwyntoolgroup.co.uk | www.welwyntoolgroup.com

Safe, secure worksites are our business

Has ergonomics of blue-collar industrial workers been forgotten?

Our purpose at Secure Engineering is to make your business operations, process control and worksites safe and reliably secure.

High performing, quality, integrated security and surveillance systems.

Whether your requirement is complex encompassing hundreds of cameras and security devices, spread across many sites, or more simple standalone systems our installations are completely bespoke.

Good system design is vital to meeting the challenges in protecting your company. Secure Engineering is NSI NACOSS Gold accredited for design, Installation & maintenance of Electronic Security Systems including CCTV, Access Control & Intruder Detection.

Be confident in the security of your business operations.

www.secureeng.co.uk 01622 844244 info@secureeng.co.uk ISO 9001 & ISO 14001.

Construction Line, CHAS, Achilles Accreditations

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Ergonomics at work is a hot topic at the moment. Office workers around the world have switched to working at home instead of company offices.

Sales of electric desks and home office furniture has spiked in many countries with the aim of improving home office ergonomics. But how is the ergonomics of industrial blue collar workers?

Treston, a global leader in manufacturing ergonomic industrial furniture and workstations, has put together an information package concentrating especially on the ergonomics of mobile industrial work in order to raise awareness of the importance of good workstation ergonomics, both

for the employer and for the employee. Why concentrate on mobile industrial work? Manual handling of loads is generally considered an occupational risk factor for lower back and shoulder complaints (1) and it is in fact the most common cause of occupational fatigue, lower back pain and lower back injuries (2, 3).

This information package offers practical information and advice for employers on how to improve ergonomics of mobile industrial and work. We also explain why companies should invest in ergonomics.

Download the information package here

TOOLS

HARNESSING PROCESSES DESOUTTER

Are customers paying the price for your process inadequacies?

Process creation can be dull. It’s one of the most time consuming, yet critical, parts of a business. However, by getting bulky systems and arcane methodologies out of the way, you can focus directly on analysing and developing processes, offering a unique opportunity to improve quality and efficiency.

It’s time to get a better grip of your data and see what an improved process control strategy can do for you, and more importantly, for your customers.

Read on to learn more about the process control & data collection system from the experts at Desoutter. It’s easy to implement, ‘drag and drop’ configurable, and has the versatility to tackle any process, large or small.

WHAT IS PROCESS CONTROL?

is particularly pertinent as all too commonly, process non-compliance occurs in the gaps between systems.

We can consider the following constituent parts: 1. Triggering of the process (Order received etc) 2. Gathering of required resources (Stock/Materials/Equipment) 3. Integration/Interlocking with process specific equipment 4. No faults forward completion of the process 5. Real-time recording of data Any process control system has to be able to handle these aspects in as efficient and reliable a manner as possible, but there’s more to it than that…

Process control takes many forms, and since its inception around the time of the first industrial revolution (and arguably even further back than that) it continues to evolve faster than ever. However, with so many methodologies and systems coming and going hitherto, the phrase can feel somewhat diluted.

WHEN CONTROL ISN’T ENOUGH.

In order to properly nail down a definition we need to step back from talk of Industry 4.0, big data, and dark factories, and instead we need to think in terms of what processes are, and how they should be properly managed.

More broadly, we might define process control as “Activities involved in ensuring a process is predictable, stable, and consistent, operating at the target level of performance with only normal variation.” Which has a broad enough scope to encompass all manner of activities with a specified process. From controlling the assembly of goods in a factory, to managing the delivery of a script in a call centre, even the process of making a cup of tea! Processes, all easily encompassed within our aforementioned definition.

Industry 4.0 is the overarching term, and is characterised (by global management consultancy McKinsey) as a culmination of rising data volumes and computational power, the emergence of analytics and business-intelligence capabilities, new forms of human machine interaction (Augmented Reality, for example), and improvements in transferring digital instructions to the physical world.

Any sufficiently valuable process within an organisation has to be controlled within this framework, and where systems need to be implemented to ensure compliance, it pays to have a sufficiently flexible unitary solution to avoid a comparative patchwork quilt of mismatching equipment/methodologies. This

Industry 4.0, The Internet of Things, Big Data, Predictive Maintenance, and Dark Factories.

These are all buzz-words & phrases one might encounter while trying to identify solutions in the process control sector, but what do they all mean, and what do they have in common?

The characterisation above is accurate and reflects the changes in industry, but the particular point it contains which binds all of those other buzz-words we mentioned earlier, is data. Without this massive shift towards data driven solutions, none of the other changes we see would be possible.

It’s this data, coupled with 100 years of manufacturing expertise, which Desoutter is harnessing to benefit its customers and partners, allowing them flexibility, repeatability of process, reduced down-time, and with all those things combined, reduced cost!

UNRIVALLED VERSATILITY

Pivotware is the holistic process control and worker guidance solution from Desoutter.

With Pivotware, you can easily master the wealth process complexity and process variation within your organisation, and help empower your employees to get the best from them. Long training periods, human error, and lack of traceability, are now things of the past!

COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE

You can easily configure your own production processes according to process variants using an intuitive drag & drop configurator. Making you independent, guaranteeing speed & agility, and saving the unnecessary expense of specialist programmers.

ISLAND-BASED ARCHITECTURE

All processes and work results are stored locally and provided globally. This unique island architecture is your bulwark to secure production against disruptions and network failures.

Without reliance on a master PLC or server, Pivotware can be deployed in mobile applications where constant network signal can’t be guaranteed.

DEMANDORIENTED EXPANSION

With Pivotware being an entirely ‘off the shelf’ product, it’s easy to expand and enable new features at any time, without the expense and wasted time of bespoke version changes.

Without the need for an expensive master/slave system, it’s easy and cost effective to start with one Pivotware station and expand as required.

Visit us online to find out more: www.pivotware.com | www.desouttertools.com Issue 52 PECM

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Bespoke Lifting and Handling Equipment

Rotor-craft Steering Arms

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Nose Cone Cover

Bespoke DMRT Lashing for the QEC Wheel Dipping Frame

Drallim Industries Limited Aircraft Door Barrier (Safety Nets)

Aircraft Wheel Trolley

Watchkeeper Stowage Trolley

ACCREDITATIONS: BS EN ISO 9001:2015 | BS EN ISO 14001:2015 | BS EN ISO 45001:2018 | AS9100D: 2016

Control

Isolation

Safety

Steam trapping

Actuator

Systems

ARI-Armaturen UK Ltd

Reliability Under Pressure

ARI-Armaturen UK Ltd. is a subsidiary of a large German engineering company, reputed to have the largest valve stock in Europe.

We specialise in pipeline equipment for the steam and condensate loop, hot water, thermal oil and products, including an extensive range of valves, controls and steam trapping equipment in cast iron, SG iron, cast and forged steel and stainless steel. These include: • Control Valves • Isolation Valves • Safety Valves • Steam trapping • Heat Exchange Systems

Following an urgent request from a distributor in the Middle East, Oliver’s were able to secure and fulfill an order of 280 Double Block Bleed valves for a tight shutdown.

These products are produced to exacting German, European, ANSI other internationally recognised standards, and covered by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance DIN EN ISO 9001.

We have completed many successful projects including for the NHS, Food and Beverage and EfW sectors, as well as smaller process and building services projects.

Vicki Chatfield, Marketing & Sales Development Victoria.Chatfield@ari-armaturen.co.uk Tel: 01684 275752

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The end user wanted to change tack from a traditional, inefficient, multiple hook-up Double Block and Bleed solution to the Oliver Single Forged piece DBB Solution in order to save space, weight and increase safety through the reduction of leak paths. The challenge was set with a 5-week delivery period, but Oliver’s rose to the challenge!

True DBB single piece construction, guaranteed delivery with quality and accuracy Oliver Valves Ltd!!

Contact us at sales@valves.co.uk or our website: www.valves.co.uk”

Millwood House, Drury Lane, Ponswood Industrial Estate, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN38 9BA Tel: 01424 205140 | Sales@drallim.com

www.drallim.com

Gas Pressure Reducing Stations built with Gascat Regulators FT Pipeline Systems commissions and builds gas pressure reducing stations utilising the highly regarded Gascat range of pressure regulators. A choice of regulators is available for small industrial low pressure systems through to high pressure and low pressure distribution, biogas or CNG / LNG systems.

Based in Brazil, Gascat’s commitment to R&D over the last 20 years has ensured continuous innovation and improvement to their products.

FT Pipeline Systems is the sole distributor for Gascat Ltd in the UK and Ireland.

Other products available include integrated slam shuts, relief valves, filters, flow meters and other peripheral instruments, varying according to the complexity of the final application. Our stations are mounted on custom fabricated skids, facilitating their transportation by land, sea and air with minimum installation time. www.ftpipelinesystems.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1543 416024 enquiries@ftpipelinesystems.co.uk

VALVES & FLOW CONTROL

Cloud-based Intelligent Asset Management system from Rotork Rotork’s Intelligent Asset Management is a cloud-based system for intelligent actuators and the flow control equipment they operate.

The system of advanced analytics improves the reliability and availability of key assets (such as valves) for industries that use flow control processes. Failure of key equipment on any plant can result in unplanned

downtime, poor performance, reduced output yields and reputational damage.

Intelligent Asset Management uses the information downloaded from the data logs recorded within intelligent actuators. The robust, safe and secure online platform has a simple user interface that can run on all

operating systems. Summary views and colour coded maps simplify complex analytics into easy to understand visuals. The key areas of information that are taken from data loggers and uploaded to the system are torque, temperature, vibration and event log information.

www.rotork.com/en

The Right Connection for your Hygienic Process • Hose Assemblies • Ball & Butterfly Valves • Actuated Valves • Bespoke Fabrication • Fittings & Accessories • Pumps • Filters & Strainers • Asset Management +44 (0)1772 323529 | dixoneurope.co.uk

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STEAMING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL INDUSTRIES Steam traps

Pressure regulators

Control valves

Pipeline ancillaries

Special equipment

adca@valsteam.pt www.valsteam.com +351 236 959 060 PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED IN PORTUGAL Zona Ind. da Guia, Pav. 14 - Brejo 3105-467 Guia PBL PORTUGAL AV 001 IN E 01.20

VALVES & FLOW CONTROL

Steam System Optimization Program Steam System Optimization Program (SSOP®) is TLV’s flagship assessment service, a sustainable asset management program that continuously optimizes the performance of the entire steam system through visualization.

In this program, TLV’s consulting | Engineering | Services (CES) specialists assess and provide visualizations of the performance of clients’ steam systems, optimise these steam systems with innovative solutions, and implement longterm management programs to ensure that the system remains sustainable.

The goals of SSOP® are to improve safety, reliability and profitability by minimizing condensate problems and steam loss, thereby reducing plant energy use and CO2 emissions. Through SSOP, TLV is helping plants build a low-carbon society.

STEAM IS AN ASSET To ensure that your plant makes the most of this valuable resource, it is of upmost importance that you optimize your entire steam system. The key concepts of steam system optimization are:

VISUALISATION By expressing the performance of the steam system through visual aids, CES specialists expose problems and make clear how the system can be improved.

SYSTEMATISATION By designing and implementing a clear system of appraisal, management, and inspection, CES specialists ensure that the steam system remains consistently and continuously optimized and sustainable.

• Phase 1 - Optimize all condensate discharge locations.

• Phase 2 - Optimize all steam applications such as steam-using equipment, tracing.

• Phase 3 - Optimize the entire steam system.

PECM Issue 52

SSOP® CAN HELP YOUR PLANT… Reduce CO2 Emissions • Stop steam loss • Improve energy efficiency Improve Safety, Reliability • Eliminate problems caused by condensate

POTENTIAL STEAM SAVINGS Oil Refineries & Petrochemical Plants: 4.6% (Steam generation: approx. 640 t/h *)

• Eliminate water hammer • Prevent unexpected equipment failures • Improve equipment longevity

General Industrial Plants: 12% (Steam generation: approx. 4-40 t/h *)

Increase Profitability

* Average potential steam savings identified through surveys

• Reduce operating expenditure

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• Increase production efficiency • Mitigate production bottlenecks

VALVES & FLOW CONTROL

MULTI-PORT VALVE BLOCKS GEMÜ

Dosing Installations for Detergent in Industrial Laundries: Extendable GEMÜ Plastic Multi-port Valve Blocks In a successful industrial laundry applications, the GEMÜ plastic multi-port valve blocks are used to produce a wide variety of detergents and automated systems for dosing these detergents.

The compact GEMÜ plastic M-Blocks are the key element in these systems as they make the corresponding dosing, distribution and flushing functions possible.

OPERATION OF DETERGENT DOSING INSTALLATIONS Automated detergent dosing installations provide industrial laundries with flexibility, allowing them to adjust the required detergent composition individually to each specific cleaning programs. Depending on the hardness of the water and the type and level of soiling, the cleaning agents, special additives and care products can be dosed to match the type of textile being washed.

In the case of conventional dosing installation designs, a separate dosing pump is required for each washing machine and medium. The resulting large number of pumps, hoses, unions and distribution components makes extensive maintenance and calibration work necessary.

COMPACT DESIGN IMPROVES PLANT RELIABILITY The use of GEMÜ multi-port valve blocks allows the number of pumps, hoses and fittings to be kept to a minimum on modern dosing installations. Only one pump is required per medium and multiple washing machines can be supplied with

Extendable multiport valve block

Dosing cabinet one dosing installation. A smaller number of connection points improves plant reliability as it reduces both potential leakage points and deadleg. Less connections mean less time required to assemble the customized units. All these benefits make a significant contribution to cost optimization of the plant.

MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS IN ONE MULTIPORT VALVE BLOCK In order to achieve a more compact design, all dosing, distribution and flushing functions are combined in one multi-port valve block. The dosing pump for each medium is connected to a variable area flowmeter each of which is connected directly to the multi-port valve block.

The valve block consists of 3 rows of pneumatically actuated diaphragm valves.

The first valve row at the bottom is used to dose the medium. Depending on the requirements, quantities of 10 – 200 ml are metered out. The valves in the second row control which washing machine the medium is sent to and the upper, third row of the valve block is used to flush the unit with water after every dosing process.

Multi-port valve block with flowmeter for detergent dosing and distribution

EXPANDABILITY OF EXISTING PLANTS The multi-port valve blocks are also able to be extended. If an industrial laundry adds washing machines to its plant, the existing dosing unit can be extended by the required number of valves with just a few simple modifications without the need for additional piping, solvent cemented joints or welds.

Tel: 01925 824044 | Email: enquiries@gemu.co.uk | Web: www.gemu.co.uk

3D PRINTING

A VIRTUAL INVENTORY NEXA 3D

Creating your own digital warehouse The traditional warehouse model of mass-producing parts, storing them centrally and shipping them to an end destination to be catalogued and stored again, is plagued with inefficiencies. 3D printing means producing parts on demand, only when — and where — needed. But, to produce virtual inventory at scale requires a strategy, a roadmap and the right tools.

Here Avi Reichental, CEO and chairman of Nexa3D, explains.

suggestions.

food and drink, oil and gas and more.

WHERE DO I START?

Modern design software can simulate both the printing and the costing of each part, to ensure it can be done quickly and with confidence. Finite element analysis (FEA), generative design and testing is also built into some software, to help you produce an optimal geometry that performs well and provides longevity in its final environment.

3D printing makes the virtual warehouse possible. In this model, design files are stored virtually, removing the need for tools or molds, reducing lead times and providing a mechanism to prevent to supply chain disruptions. With production closer to the point of use, manufacturers benefit from more control over their supply chain, a lower risk of stockouts and reduced inventory costs. The environmental benefits to producing parts locally are compelling too, around 30 per cent of US energy usage in 2017 was from transporting goods and people.

For many companies, a logical place to start is aftermarket parts. Tailhousing for brake lights on vehicles that are a few years old, for example, can be difficult to source and, if you do have them in stock, they commonly sit on the shelf for long periods of time.

Though the utopia of a virtual warehouse is often discussed, there is very little information available on where to start. It’s time to close the gap between aspiration and execution.

Once the tool has identified a list of possible options, you begin evaluating which parts make the most sense for your business. This could be low volume parts that typically sit in the warehouse for long periods, or obsolete and difficult-to-source components. While there are obvious advantages to 3D printing low volume parts, the virtual warehouse is not limited to them — the NXE400 can produce half a million parts a year.

Many medical and dental parts are also suitable for 3D printing, such as custom dental restorations, aligners or hip replacements, which can be produced for individual patients, rather than made in a set of standard sizes. Aerospace and defence companies are also taking advantage of 3D printing — the fully digital process is easy to certify and aircraft have very long lives that make sourcing spares challenging. The opportunities are endless, branching into

TESTING THE WATER A good place to start is using a smart software tool to identify which parts are suitable for 3D printing. A decision support software that includes artificial intelligence (AI) can sift through thousands of parts to determine which are suitable for turning into digital inventory and which must stay as physical. Complex geometries make a great project, but components containing PCBs are likely to be a challenge to tackle further down the line.

The software can take all this into account, evaluating your bill of materials (BOM), looking at prototypes, service parts and minimum order quantities, before making For further information, please visit nexa3d.com

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For example, can you combine multiple components into one, simplifying procurement further? Can you incorporate lattice or honeycomb structures to lightweight the part and reduce material use? How can you color match the original part with a new material?

Simulation tools mean you can test and prototype virtually before you go too far down the road, ensuring it is a viable option technically and commercially. Once you have built experience with some initial parts you can build the organizational muscle, before building a digital threat and scaling up into a virtual warehouse model.

To find out more about Nexa3D, its product range and how you can start your digital journey, visit https://nexa3d.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Portable Confined Space Ventilators & Air Blowers Fume & Dust Extractors Where fumes, smells or dust occur, the Miniveyor Air VAF fans can move contaminated air out of a confined space or building.

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.

VAF-200 (8”)

VAF-400 (16”)

VAF Air Ltd Tetbury Ind. Estate Tetbury, United Kingdom sales@vaf-air.com +44 (0)330 016 0002 or visit -

VAF-300 (12”) Pneumatic

www.vaf-air.com

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