Process Industry Informer Magazine Jun/Jul 2013 Edition

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER.

JUN / JUL 2013 Volume 9 No. 4

THE UK’S BIGGEST PUBLICATION SERVING THE PROCESS INDUSTRIES

In this issue...

• 8 Features • News & Applications • Product Introductions • Solids Handling & Processing / SHAPA Supplement

Check on vibration, be innovative with sensors, save energy in the boiler house and consider your product life cycle, make sure that your big bags are topped up, be alert to your conveying and make sure that your systems or equipment are worth the engineering value.

In print | Online | Mobile - The UK’s No.1 Media for the Manufacturing Process Industries

NO COMPROMISE BETWEEN FREE PASSAGE AND HYDRAULIC EFFICIENCY

The SE and SL ranges offer the highest total efficiency yet in a wastewater pump Highest wire-to-water efficiency: The best yet, reducing your total costs and making life easier Best hydraulic efficiency: No compromise on free passage, meaning better solids handling and greater non-clogging capabilities Continual operation: Unprecedented reliability from superior mechanical design and advanced, intelligent control

The SE and SL ranges of wastewater pumps provide the highest total efficiency currently available. Innovative technologies from Grundfos bring together intelligence, motors, hydraulics and functionality to meet the challenges of modern wastewater, maximising the hydraulic, electrical and mechanical efficiency of your pumps.

See more at http://uk.grundfos.com/no-compromise.html

Contents News & Events 4-5

Calibration 21

Applications 6-7

Health & Safety 24

Instrumentation 9-12

Heat Transfer & Energy 25

Network Communications 13

Maintenance 25

Intelligent Sensors 13

Tank Cleaning 25

Noise Level Control 15

Analysers 26

editorial features Vibration Monitoring 8 Making more of process and materials with sensors innovation 10/11 Saving Waste in the Boiler House 14 Product Lifecycle Management 22/23

solids handling & processing Supplement - Starts on page 27 (1SP)

Bulk Bag Filling 8SP/9SP Enclosures 15

Process Control 26

New Sieve Technology 10SP Low Pressure Continuous Dense

Filtration & Separation 15

SOLIDS HANDLING & PROCESSING - Shapa News Supplement 27-43

Phase Conveying 12SP/13SP System Selection 14SP

Fluids & Liquids Handling inc. Pumps & Valves 16-20

Editor Phil Black philblack@piimag.com Publisher/Advertising Manager Peter Ullmann peterullmann@piimag.com Digital Marketing Manager Guy Ullmann guyullmann@piimag.com Supplements Manager James Green jamesgreen@piimag.com Office Manager Diane Lawrence dianelawrence@piimag.com

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All product announcements published in Process Industry Informer are paid for. All copy submitted for publication in Process Industry Informer must be legal and must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice and is accepted for publication, or not, at the publishers’ absolute discretion. When deemed necessary all copy may be edited and classified at the publishers’ discretion.

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News & Events

Sponsored by

AXION’S PIONEERING MAGNETROL and ELV RECYCLING PLANT APM announce a WINS RESOURCE strategic partnership REVOLUTION AWARD Magnetrol International Axion Polymers has won the Technology Trailblazer Materials Recovery category of the Resource Revolution Awards 2013 for its pioneering work in recycling materials from end-oflife vehicles for re-use in new and closedloop applications, such as automotive components.

Designed, built and now operated by Axion’s in-house engineering team, the multi-million pound Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant (SWAPP) at Trafford Park, Manchester is at the forefront of this type of recycling.

Opened in 2011, the facility is one of the most advanced of its type in Europe for separating useful materials from ASR (Auto Shredder Residue) and is already capable of delivering over 95% recycling and recovery of materials from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), ahead of the 2015 EU ELV recycling and recovery target.

Axion Director Keith Freegard, who received the award from TV presenter and eco-designer Oliver Heath at a ceremony in central London last week, said: “We are delighted and very proud that our skills in innovative resource recovery processes and developing new technologies have been recognised in this way.

“To be labelled as Trailblazers further underlines what we do and highlights our technical expertise and the consultancy advice we can pass onto others who can also benefit from our breakthroughs. Winning this award gives us added confidence in new investment plans for the facility during 2013,” added Keith.

For more information, contact Axion Polymers, Salford, Manchester Tel: 0161 426 7731 E-mail: sales@axionpolymers.com Web: www.axionpolymers.com.

and APM Automation Solutions Ltd. (Tel Aviv, Israel) have completed a marketchanging agreement designating Magnetrol as a global private label distributor of APM’s groundbreaking bulk solids measurement technology.

The non-contact, dust penetrating bulk solids measurement technology will now be distributed around the globe through Magnetrol’s numerous international offices and distribution network, a partnership that will allow both companies to significantly advance the solids measurement market.

APM’s revolutionary technology accurately measures volume of stored solid contents, by mapping multiple measurement points on the material surface and generating an accurate reading of the content, thus helping companies and factories to improve inventory management and optimize the process flow of their operations using true and reliable measurement.

Magnetrol’s CONTOURTM product works with almost every solid and bulk powder material, such as coal, cement, sand, aggregates, fly ash, chemicals, fertilizers, food, grain and plastic pellets. In addition to bins and silos, the systems allow measuring in previously difficult-to-measure vessels or containers, such as bunkers, hoppers, pits, open bins, bulk storage rooms and warehouses.

For more information contact Magnetrol Intl. Inc., Zele, Belgium Tel: +32 (0) 52 45 11 11 Fax: +32 (0) 52 45 09 93 E-mail: kgeerinckx@ mgnetrol.be or visit www.contour.magnetrol.com

DEMAG KBK LIGHT CRANE SYSTEM STANDS THE TEST OF TIME When the Junior System was first introduced in 1963, the foundation was laid for the worldwide success story of the Demag KBK crane construction kit. In the last fifty years more than 10,000 kilometers of KBK profile have been brought into the market brought onto the market.

Over the same period, the crane construction kit has undergone continuous development.

In the 1960s, The KBK system was adopted by many automotive operators, as a flexible handling solution for efficient car production and today it is used in many different industries.

The Demag KBK system is a modular construction kit for overhead transport solutions in a number of different load ranges up to 3,200 kg. KBK may be used as a stand alone solution or as linear transport up to areas serving crane systems. The KBK light crane system offers many possibilities for transporting loads quickly, safely, reliably and efficiently above the production level.

For more information contact Demag Cranes & Components Ltd, Banbury, Oxfordshire Tel: 01295 676100 Fax: 01295 271408 E-mail: help@demagcranes.com Web: www.demagcranes.co.uk

Yokogawa releases enhanced version of CENTUM® VP integrated production control system Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces the release of CENTUM® VP R5.03, an enhanced version of the company’s flagship integrated production control system.

Yokogawa has been continuously developing and enhancing CENTUM VP as a cornerstone of its Industrial Automation business’s VigilantPlant® vision for operational excellence. In accordance with the strategies set out in the company’s Evolution 2015 midterm business plan, CENTUM VP has been enhanced with a variety of new functions.

New features in CENTUM® VP R5.03 include a wide area communication (WAC) router for control via public communications networks, enhanced batch functions, easy integration with intelligent electric devices (IEDs), and an eight-loop operation keyboard.

Yokogawa has developed a WAC router that enables a CENTUM VP system to remotely monitor and control equipment over a wide area network (WAN) established using public communication lines, satellite links, and the like. The WAC router provides the same high reliability and security as the Vnet/IP control network that is used with Yokogawa production control systems. It compensates for limited bandwidth and transmission delays by prioritising communications based on data type and target. For added reliability, the router has dual redundant communication modules. Each of these

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modules can be linked with the WAN by up to two communications lines. When two lines are employed, they may be of the same type or of different types, e.g. satellite link and fibre-optic cable. The router enables reliable and inexpensive monitoring and control of widely distributed facilities such as the offshore platforms used in oil and gas exploration and production.

The CENTUM VP R5.03 batch package is based on ISA-88 and has enhanced functions that allow greater flexibility when accommodating changes in production procedures. The number of operating procedures has been increased, and the recipe procedure has been provided with additional levels of granularity, simplifying the process of making recipe changes. CENTUM VP R5.03 is thus ideal for companies that employ complex batch production processes and are engaged in such industries as foods, pharmaceuticals, and speciality chemicals.

CENTUM VP R5.03 supports the IEC 61850 communication protocol, which has been widely adopted in the electric power industry and other industries that operate extensive electrical facilities. This latest version of CENTUM VP can integrate data from intelligent electric devices and can be used to monitor the operations at power plants whose electrical facilities have been designed based on the IEC 61850 standard. This allows better integration with power plant operations, and also enables the monitoring

of electrical facilities at many other types of plants.

A new keyboard has been released with sets of dedicated function keys that can be used to simultaneously adjust eight control loops. For graphic, alarm, and trending operations, there are also dedicated control keys, operation confirmation keys, window call-up keys, a total of 64 special function keys, and keys for alarm acknowledgment and key locking.

This keyboard has been designed to make it easier for plant operators to perform their tasks.

Major Target Markets Process control and monitoring applications in industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, electric power, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, foods and beverages, iron and steel, and water supply and wastewater treatment.

For more information contact Yokogawa Europe BV, Amersfoort, The Netherlands.

Tel: +31 88 464 1191 Fax: +31 88 464 1107 E-mail: info@nl.yokogawa.com Web: www.yokogawa.com/eu

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

News & Events

Sponsored by

Crowcon showing latest gas safety technology at Offshore Europe Crowcon is showing the latest gas safety technology at the Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition in September. On the Crowcon stand (#4B110) visitors can see the new Gas-Pro portable gas detector, bump/calibration testing equipment and state-of-the-art data management software. You can also learn about the I-Test and Q-Test gas test and calibration systems, with supporting software, which provides extensive reporting capabilities.

Also on show will be the Gasmaster control panel which is now available in one, two, three or four-module formats; the new flameproof, compact Vortex control panel; and new network capabilities for the Detective Plus, which is used for wide area gas monitoring.

If you need to know about gas detection or if you’re considering purchasing gas detection equipment, come and talk to the experts at Crowcon. They will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

For more information contact Crowcon Detection Instruments Ltd, Abingdon, Oxon. Tel: +44 (0)1235 557700 Fax: +44 (0)1235 557718 E-mail: sales@crowcon.com Web: www.crowcon.com

applications

AB WORLD FOODS WILL SAVE 708 TONNES OF CO2 WITH SPIRAX SARCO STEAM TRAP MANAGEMENT A Spirax Sarco steam trap management contract is projected to save AB World Foods 236 tonnes of CO2 a year, for the next three years.

Under the new contract the site’s steam trap population will be surveyed and maintained by Spirax Sarco specialists every six months, to ensure it is running at peak efficiency. The investment will pay for itself in only eight months.

“As gas prices increase, it’s vital that we handle our steam use as efficiently as possible,” says Tony Marsh, AB World Foods Engineering Manager. “Previously, steam trap maintenance was only carried out if a trap interfered with the process, so we may have missed the odd failed trap. Now we can be sure that our system is running to its best.

“We have used Spirax Sarco to carry out steam trap surveys before,” continues Marsh. “Their steam knowledge and products are invaluable, plus we know they work with other large manufacturers. We wouldn’t have anybody else.”

For more information on Spirax Sarco’s steam trap management services please visit www.spiraxsarco.com/uk or call 01242 521361.

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

Quick Guide to Updated CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme Major changes to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme affecting many manufacturing and engineering businesses - are explained in a free Quick Guide’ published by energy management advisers CMR Consultants .

The ‘Quick Guide to the Updated CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme’ is intended to help organisations take prompt action to achieve compliance and to reduce the cost and impact of the energy legislation.

CRC affects all public and private sector organisations consuming more than 6,000 MWh/year through their half-hourly electricity meters. This equates to approximately £500,000 plus energy spend per year. Between them, these organisations are said to be responsible for 10% of all UK carbon emissions.

Recent changes to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme include the abolition of the CRC Performance League Table and revised emissions reporting requirements. Going forward, further changes are predicted, particularly with the introduction of Phase 2.

Other simplifications include reducing the number of fuels participants must report on from 29 to 2 (electricity and gas, the latter for for heating) and removing the 90% rule, which required organisations to account for at least 90% of their carbon footprint.

“The government has simplified the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, but the legislation can still impose a significant cost and resource burden on organisations”, said Dr Cedric Rodrigues, Managing Director of CMR Consultants. “There are two key areas that organisations must consider urgently, which are qualifying and registering for Phase 2 and developing a carbon reduction strategy ahead of Phase 2.”

Charging for carbon allowances under the CRC began in 2012 and the tax will remain at £12/tCO2 until Phase 2 begins in April 2014. Participants are required to submit an annual report of emissions by the end of July each year.

The ‘Quick Guide to the Updated CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme’ is available free to download from: www.cmrgroup.co.uk

PUMPING

Thick, viscous liquids?

CSF Air-operated piston pumps are perfect for transferring thick, high viscosity liquids from tanks, drums and IBC’s.

● Pump creams, pastes,

gels and syrups ● Quick-strip versions are easy

to dismantle for cleaning ● Ideal for food, brewing and

pharmaceutical applications ● Choose from a range

including models for flow rates up to 100 lit/min and pressures up to 150 bar

Pick the perfect pump – From Pump Engineering

PUMP ENGINEERING Tel: 01903 730900 sales@pumpeng.co.uk

www.pumpeng.co.uk

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applications

A polished performance by Spiroflow!

Bag massagers and bag tensioners Spiroflow has supplied a mobile ensure total bag emptying into the Bulk Bag Discharger with an integral integral flexible spiral conveyor from Flexible Screw Conveyor to Metaref to which aluminium oxide is fed direct deliver materials to a mixer. During to the mixer. Thus the equipment 2012 Metaref, a division of Walther supplied by Spiroflow provides a Trowal, approached three companies, fully automatic powder unloading, including Spiroflow, to review the proportioning and transfer system. It is materials handling aspects of their all mounted on a robust mobile frame ceramic chips manufacturing process. to facilitate the loading of a stand-by These chips are available in various mixer that provides additional capacity shapes and sizes and are used in the when required. de-burring, fettling and polishing of Adrian Martin, Managing Director metal and ceramic castings. of Metaref, confirms, “Our main For 75 years, Walther Trowal has requirements were dust control, specialised in all aspects of the materials T2 Mobile Bulk Bag simplifying our handling issues through finishing and polishing industry. This Discharger material management and efficiency includes the manufacturing of the improvements. The Spiroflow unit ceramic and plastic finishing media, the has addressed all my concerns and fettling and polishing equipment itself although not the cheapest solution, and, also, the associated waste water it was by far the best and Spiroflow treatment for wet finishing processes. backed it up with successful tests on They are a market leader and supply to our product.”

Blue Chip customers worldwide within The Spiroflow unit was installed by the aerospace, automotive, engineering Metaref’s engineers and commissioned and water treatment industries. by an engineer from Spiroflow, who Previously, in Walther Trowal’s upon completion trained Metaref’s manufacturing process, bulk bags of operatives and engineers on the correct aluminium oxide were raised by forklift usage, preventative maintenance and over a rigid intermediate bulk container procedures to ensure and maintain (IBC). The bulk bag was then cut open optimum performance. by hand allowing the powder to flow Adrian Martin, went on to say, into the IBC. Aluminium oxide was “After the commissioning we started loaded into a mixer by raising and T2 Mobile Bulk Bag production first thing the following tipping the IBC. This was a very dusty Discharger with 146 morning and we haven’t looked back process contaminating the air, creating Flexible Screw Conveyor since. I am 100% pleased we made the waste and was also time consuming delivering Additives correct decision.” hence the need for an effective Bulk to a mixer For more information about Walther Bag Discharger system.

After witnessing successful tests at Spiroflow, the Trowal and Metaref, their history, their products and only one of the three companies to offer Walther their environmental commitments, go to www.waltherTrowal tests on their product, it was clear a T2 Mobile trowal.com Bulk Bag Discharger with an integral Flexible Screw Conveyor was the ideal solution.

To learn more about ‘Spiroflow’ Bulk Bag The Spiroflow T2 Mobile Bulk Bag Discharger Dischargers and Flexible Screw Conveyors plus their features, full dust control through the use of a dust ranges of Aero-Mechanical Conveyors, Tubular Drag containment cabinet, in which the bag is opened; neck Conveyors and Vacuum Conveyors and also about clamp, which eliminates any leak path between the their Bulk Bag Fillers too, contact Spiroflow Ltd, bag and the discharger, and pinch bars which allow Clitheroe, Lancs. Tel: +44 (0)1200 422525 Fax: the automatic opening and closing of the bag with the +44 (0)1200 429165 E-mail: sales@spiroflow.com doors of the dust containment cabinet closed.

Web: www.spiroflow.com

Grundfos - the science behind fire protection Fisher Scientific is a leading supplier of laboratory chemicals and equipment who operate from a large site in Loughborough and employ 450 people. As a business they supply 170,000 specialist scientific products - many of which are highly flammable.

Due to a catastrophic site fire pump failure, the company had an urgent requirement for a more robust system with better remote monitoring facilities.

So Fisher Scientific elected to contact the specialist fire team within Grundfos Pumps to seek their input to design an improved solution.

Following consultation, Grundfos specified and supplied 2 FM fire pumps and a Grundfos Remote Monitoring (GRM) system that included wireless systems. The new GRM system now means that any situation that may arise will be captured and communicated via a range of communication options including SMS, email and via telephone. This assurance is backed-up by Grundfos Service being connected within the GRM link. Additionally this Grundfos GRM system also offers a range of continuous monitoring surveillance options specific to this sites requirement.

We all know the devastating consequences of fire but being able to install a bespoke system that not only has the ability to keep fire under control but that can also act as an intelligent fire communication hub, means that these Grundfos GRM systems have taken prevention to a whole new level.

For more information or literature request contact Grundfos Pumps Ltd, Leighton Buzzard, Beds.

Tel: 01525 850000 E-mail: grundfos@grundfos.com Web: www.grundfos.co.uk

ASCO NUMATICS HIGH FLOW FILTER REGULATORS ENABLE ASCENDANT TECHNOLOGIES TO OFFER MORE RESPONSIVE VALVE SOLUTIONS Series 342 stainless steel filter regulators reduce closing time of valves Ascendant Technologies, a specialist valve automation company serving the UK oil and gas sector, has selected filter regulators from ASCO Numatics to help improve the response speed of its valve solutions.

By deploying the ASCO Numatics 342 Series of filter regulators, which have a large flow rate, Ascendant Technologies is able to meet the needs of its customers by offering a solution with a significantly reduced valve closure time.

Filter regulator flow rates are critical in determining the time required to close a valve. ASCO Numatics 1 /2” stainless steel filter regulators incorporate moulded

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reinforced diaphragms, which enable a flow rate up to 4430 l/min. Following performance tests, Ascendant Technologies concluded that the ASCO regulator reduced the valve closure time from 11.7 to 7 seconds.

“To meet end user requirements, we needed to improve the response speed of our valve solution,” said Andy McDuff, General Manager, Ascendant Technologies.

“We tested a number of filter regulators from different suppliers and the ASCO device outperformed its rivals, helping to significantly reduce the valve closing time.”

For Emergency Shut-Down (ESD) applications the response time of the valve can be critical. If the filter regulator is unable to pass enough air to enable the actuator to close the valve in the specified time, then a

booster may need to be fitted. This adds to the overall cost and increases the number of potential leak points.

The Series 342 is suitable for ambient temperatures from -40°C up to +80°C (-50°C for arctic conditions is available on request) and for compressed air and gases.

It can therefore be installed across many industries, including chemical, petrochemical, oil & gas, refinery, power generation, pulp & paper and process plants.

For more information contact ASCO Numatics Ltd, Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

Tel: 01695 713600 E-mail: enquiries.asconumatics.uk@emerson.com Web: www.asconumatics.co.uk

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

applications

TOILET PAPER MANUFACTURER INSTALLS SIX QDOS 30 METERING PUMPS � Qdos overcomes aeration problems encountered with solenoid pumps � Easy flow rate adjustment suits different chemical dosing applications � Maintenance intervals up to 4000 hours help minimise downtime The recently launched Qdos 30 metering pumps from Watson-Marlow Pumps Group are delivering significant process improvements at a Brazilian toilet paper manufacturing plant, where no less than six of these innovative ‘no valve’ dosing units have now been installed. What’s more, further Qdos orders could now result from the planned installation of a further new product line.

Crafting success São Paulo-based Manikraft Guaianazes Pulp and Paper Industry Ltd was founded as a family business in 1961.

The company is today a 700-employee concern operating out of two production facilities in the city. Over the years Manikraft has brought a number of well-known toilet paper brands to the marketplace, such as the Mascot, Mirafiori and Primavera brands. In fact, the latter is now an established market leader that is exported throughout Latin America.

Until recently, Manikraft used solenoid-style diaphragm pumps to dose chemicals such as additives, release agents and resins into the pulp. However, the company encountered problems with incrustation and air bubbles that compromised final product quality.

Determined to improve their process, Manikraft investigated peristaltic pumping solutions. With no valves in the fluid path to clog, corrode, or vapour lock, peristaltic pumping sounded to be the perfect solution.

Manikraft now needed to choose which peristaltic pump

was the best fit to economically retrofit into their system and deliver consistent quality for the long term.

Key decision The answer arrived in the form of Watson Marlow’s Qdos metering pumps, which are designed specifically for chemical dosing in industrial markets. The main benefit for Manikraft is that these high performance pumps accurately meter chemicals without the need for any valves or ancillary equipment, keeping costs to an absolute minimum - in fact, the total cost of ownership is less than that of a typical solenoid or stepper-driven diaphragm pump.

Matching requirements Qdos was considered a perfect match for Manikraft for a number of reasons, such as accuracy, repeatability, quick maintenance, and budget. In fact, maintenance intervals are up to an impressive 4000 hours at typical usage, reducing the impact of downtime. This is crucial to a company which operates its pumps 24 hours a day.

Manikraft varies the flow depending on the application and needed a pump with ease of accurate, repeatable dose adjustment. For instance 90-130 ml/min is preferred for resin dosing; 5-20 ml/min for release agents; and 20-70 ml/min for additives. Qdos fits the need, offering 5,000:1 flow range and 1% accuracy which can be achieved either through the user-friendly HMI or through plug-andplay auto control inputs.

As with any retrofit application, matching quality to a tight budget was important. Manikraft was familiar with lower cost peristaltic pumps, including pumps that used separate inverter controls. Though within budget, inverter driven pumps did not offer the speed range, accuracy, compact footprint, or simple operator interface that Manikraft needed.

Offering an all-in-one pump solution, the right functionality

for the job, and competitively priced with solenoid diaphragm pumps, Manikraft considered Qdos the perfect solution for them. Qdos pumps also feature the innovative ReNu pumphead technology. Quick and easy pumphead removal and replacement minimises process downtime and requires no specialist tools, training or technicians.

Successive orders Upon seeing Qdos for the first time, Manikraft immediately installed a pump in their process. That first pump delivered such impressive results that a number of further Qdos pump orders followed.

In the meantime, Manikraft has worked with WatsonMarlow to use peristaltic pumping elsewhere in the plant, installing the company’s new Bredel Apex high flow hose pumps for transfer of polymers and peroxide dosing.

For more information contact Watson-Marlow Pumps Group, Falmouth, Cornwall Tel: 01326 370370 E-mail: heatherbeale@watson-marlow.co.uk Web: www.wmpg.co.uk

Vacuum pumps help to save water and energy at the University of Reading The University of Reading is starting to achieve water and energy savings at its Bio Food Hall in the Food & Nutritional Sciences Department following the installation of two Busch RA oil lubricated rotary vane pumps for the vacuum circuit. According to the University’s Energy Manager Dan Fernbank, since the two pumps were installed by AxFlow earlier this year, water savings of between 20 and 30m3 per day are being attained, this being the equivalent of between 7,000m3 and 11,000m3 annually.

The University’s Food & Nutritional Sciences Department is the only UK university facility with a fully equipped food processing hall and has access to many specialist analytical research tools. The vacuum circuit is a fundamental requirement for all the laboratories and the piped system runs around the building enabling the various labs to pull off moisture at specific points.

“The two Busch pumps which we supplied replaced two vacuum pumps which had been operating since

the building was opened in 1985,” reports Andy Woods, Sales Engineer, AxFlow. “The original pumps had water running through them at a rate of 12 litres per minute for the purpose of cooling, but because it could not be re-circulated, the water was allowed to drain away. By calculating the volume of water being wasted and its cost to the University, a decision was taken to remedy the situation. It was shortly after this that AxFlow Windsor was called in to make a recommendation on replacement pumps.”

The replacement Busch oil lubricated pumps do not require water cooling, thereby eliminating any need for water. A further attraction of this pump type is that it is more energy efficient. “We offered the University two options, a liquid ring vacuum pump with partial seal water recirculation and the oil lubricated rotary vane pump,” continues Andy Woods. “Although the second option will require regular servicing, the efficiency savings meant that this option was selected and we went ahead and removed the old pumps and installed the new ones in March.”

In terms of water saved, Dan Fernbank reports that this will account for the equivalent of 3% to 4% of the university’s total annual water consumption. “In financial terms, this equates to between £12,000 and £18,000 annually and being a more efficient pump, it is also saving around £1,000 in electricity,” comments

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

Dan. “It is therefore a major step in our drive to cut our water consumption by 10% and carbon emissions by 35%.”

AxFlow offers a comprehensive range of engineering resources to facilities management, environmental and process industries. The Windsor Service Centre operates teams of mobile service engineers for on-site maintenance across the southern half of England, supported by workshop personnel and design engineering resources. “Our Windsor operation is very much geared up to providing support in the building services sector and we offer a wide range of capabilities,” says Bob Jervis, Sales Manager. For instance the repair and servicing of air-handling equipment can involve the replacement of bearings, motors, pulleys and belts, as well as the re-balancing of the fan impeller assembly.

We can also carry out the repair or replacement of cooling and heating coils within the AHU’s.

In addition there are extensive sales, repair, service and systems engineering operations for all types of fluids handling equipment in Ealing, Huddersfield, Durham and Aberdeen.

For more information contact: AxFlow Ltd, Ealing, London. Tel: 0208 579 2111 E-mail: info@axflow.co.uk Web: www.axflow.co.uk

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Tower of strength Cooling towers face a range of challenges, from contamination in the environment to the stresses caused within the machinery itself, but vibration monitoring has proved to be an extremely cost-effective and reliable way to support and protect the system. Chris Hansford, Managing Director, Hansford Sensors, explains why vibration monitoring is the driving force behind a strong predictive and preventative maintenance programme.

Whatever the medium, our appetite for energy remains unquenched but the race is on among power generation companies to provide the most efficient, economical and safe renewable supplies. The desire for clean energy has led to a rise in nuclear power capacity, with over 435 nuclear power reactors now in operation and many more under construction, such as Hinkley point C in the UK. The huge upfront costs of building power stations require the most efficient possible systems to support the investment and meet our demands for energy in the most economical way possible. Our climate change targets are no longer just ideals, they are legally-binding and without robust power stations they will be much more expensive to meet.

Like traditional hydrocarbon processing plants, nuclear power stations rely on cooling towers to maintain safe and efficient power generation. With the world’s demand for energy resources still rising year on year, coupled with ever-increasing demands for industry to produce cleaner, more efficient energy, the pressure to maximise efficiency in cooling towers has never been higher.

The challenge for providers is to maintain safety while focussing is on low-cost running of the plants. This is where reliable condition monitoring and predictive maintenance can have significant benefits, both in terms of saving money and in ensuring that plant is safe and stable at all times. The common problem of vibration threatens to inflate energy consumption in all engineering industries but in power stations excessive vibration can lead to catastrophic failure.

Vibration monitoring identifies such urgent issues as a component wearing to the point of failure, enabling engineers to predict the impending failure, schedule repairs and tackle issues in advance before the spectre of downtime damages profitability. This technology is especially critical within power station cooling towers, because they must remain operational at all times to maximise generation capacity and meet climate change targets.

Within each cooling tower is a large fan system, providing forced air to the heat exchangers. The fans within are typically several metres wide and, along with the drive motors, gearboxes and associated linkages and control mechanisms, all of these are prone to vibration if alignment is not performed correctly.

In cooling towers, there are many issues for the vibration analyst to consider but, increasingly, many solutions to the challenges posed. Motor access is typically not an issue, since these devices are normally out in the open; however, the problem is more likely to occur in the gearbox, where access is more problematic. The gearbox in a cooling tower is often located above a

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large basin and below a large rotating fan. Clearly, any system that minimises the need to access such a hazardous point will enhance safety, uptime and overall plant efficiency and this is why so many cooling tower operators are now installing the most reliable and robust vibration sensors.

Terms & Conditions...

Another issue that adds complications in cooling towers is contamination. Fans, motors and gearboxes are all subject to extreme conditions. For example, because cooling towers are often sited in exposed locations, high wind speeds and downdrafts can affect fan operation.

Proximity to the sea will bring a concentration of salt in the atmosphere, while any nearby plant will cause dust and particulates to enter the system. All of these conditions will cause corrosion and damage to motor and fan units.

Similarly, the position of the gearboxes beneath the fan units means that they are continuously exposed to the flow of water as it is blown down each cell. This means that vibration monitoring equipment must not only be supplied but correctly specified to resist corrosion. For example it has been known for downtime to occur because poorly specified vibration switches have been supplied failed to function due to ingress of moisture. Today, however, suppliers such as Hansford Sensors can prescribe and supply exceptionally robust industrial accelerometers with high IP (ingress protection) ratings to minimise such failure. With knowledge of the best sensor and detection technologies available today and how these can best be used, maintenance engineers can not only prevent failure but also significantly maximise machine uptime.

A typical vibration monitoring solution is to monitor the motor at the drive end (DE) and non-drive end (NDE), with the sensors mounted radially to examine motor bearing condition. Sensors on the gearbox input and output shafts are also mounted radially to monitor bearing condition and fan imbalance (velocity), while the addition of an axial accelerometer on the input shaft gives a good indication of the thrust on the shaft.

Vibration monitoring technology helps engineers to conveniently manage systems and exercise long term cost control across power generation plants. The level of vibration in rotary or reciprocating motion machinery can be swiftly ascertained at the point of use, while measurements

in excess of safe limits can trigger alert or danger alarms to indicate potential bearing damage. Today’s hand-held data collection devices have simplified the gathering, analysis, use and sharing of machine condition data, either in conjunction with powerful predictive maintenance software systems or as standalone units with the capability to provide on-the-spot advice.

“On or Off” - that is the question?

One of the key decisions to make during the specification stage is between online or offline monitoring. Online vibration monitoring, in which the outputs are connected to protection/monitoring or PLC systems, is the preferred solution but if budgets are tight it is also possible to maintain an effective vibration monitoring programme using offline monitoring techniques. In an online system, the vibration sensor is connected to a local junction enclosure and then connected to the PLC via multicore (screened twisted pair) cable. If more detailed analysis is required, vibration modules can be installed with specific filters to suit the characteristics of the cooling towers. For offline monitoring, the local junction enclosure described above is routed not to a PLC but to a switch/connection enclosure.

The engineer then conducts monitoring by connecting a data collector to the switch enclosure.

Despite the challenges of environment and the stresses caused within machinery during operations, the use of vibration monitoring has proved to be an extremely costeffective and reliable solution for cooling tower operators as the driving force behind a predictive and preventative maintenance programme. From the siting of the sensors to precise product specification, expert advice should be taken on how to maximise cooling tower availability through effective vibration monitoring.

Hansford Sensors Ltd, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Can be contacted on: Tel: +44 (0) 845 680 1957 E-mail: sales@hansfordsensors.com Web: hansfordsensors.com

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

instrumentation

ABB launches new EMERSON ANNOUNCES THE WORLD’S license-free HART FIRST TRUE WIRELESS GUIDED WAVE RADAR LEVEL TRANSMITTER handheld configurator ABB’s new DHH805 lightweight handheld configurator significantly reduces the cost and complexity of configuring HART instruments in the field.

The DHH805 allows easy parameterization of any manufacturer’s HART device provided its EDD (Electronic Device Description) is released from the HART foundation. There are no expensive license renewals as the EDDs necessary for the update can be downloaded directly from the HART foundation or a manufacturer’s website.

Device configurations can be created off-line, stored in the DHH805’s memory and uploaded to the device at another time.

Featuring ABB’s common HMI platform, the configurator can be powered up in less than 10 seconds. Its powerful battery provides 80 hours of continuous use before recharging.

The DHH805 is delivered with a Windows compatible PC-Tool that will notify users of firmware and software updates, which can be downloaded free of charge. With the DHH805 PC-Tool, users can activate and register their device; carry out EDD listing and uploading; and adjust configuration settings.

The device is fully certified for hazardous areas. Its 2 GB SD memory card can store up to 1000 HART EDDs, together with 200 separate device configuration files.

For more information on ABB’s DHH805 handheld configurator please E-mail: moreinstrumentation@gb.abb.com or call 0870 600 6122 ref: ‘DHH805’.

New IEC 62591 (WirelessHART™) Guided Wave Radar transmitter extends continuous level monitoring to difficult to reach locations Emerson Process Management announces the industry’s first true wireless Guided Wave Radar (GWR) transmitter for continuous level and interface monitoring. The Rosemount® 3308 wireless GWR transmitter has been introduced to meet the need for accurate level monitoring in remote or difficult to reach locations where installing new cabling would be costly or impractical.

GWR transmitters are widely used for a broad range of measurement and control applications. These include process level measurement in vessels and storage tanks in refineries, oil fields, offshore platforms, chemical and industrial plants. For example, in well production applications, GWR transmitters are used to measure the level in tanks used for the storage of production, and the delivery water and injection chemicals. Accurate and reliable level instrumentation helps avoid the risk of oil spills that impact the environment and require expensive labour and equipment to clean up.

Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology significantly reduces installation and configuration time. Since there is no need for cabling, trenching, conduit runs and cable trays, costs are typically reduced by 30 per cent or more compared with a wired solution. Once a wireless network has been established, any WirelessHART™ enabled device can join the network and take advantage of the benefits of an existing Smart Wireless infrastructure. This makes it easy to make changes or move devices around to meet specific requests.

The Rosemount 3308 Wireless GWR transmitter features enhanced configuration and diagnostics.

It provides an easy and cost effective way to add visibility across a wide range of industries and applications, ensuring plant and operator safety and improving process efficiency. The transfer of unique and proven solutions from the wired Rosemount 3300 and 5300 Series GWRs has made long battery life possible without compromising measurement reliability. Device Dashboards help to reduce errors by providing a step-by-step configuration process.

Contact addresses: InfoCentral@EmersonProcess.com Web: www.Rosemount.com/Level

INDUSTRIAL, INTRINSICALLY SAFE AND FLAMEPROOF PRESSURE TRANSMITTERS High accuracy pressure and differential pressure transmitters for the realtime monitoring of operations in a range of arduous environments Pressure & Differential Pressure Transmitters Exd & Exia certified hazardous areas Industrial & Weatherproof applications Various ranges from -1 to 1000 Bar

T: +44 (0)1752 339866 W: www.pyropress.com

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

Stainless Steel construction 9

Making more of pro with s Manufacturers are tapping into the benefits more capable sensors and instrumentation can provide, writes Sherborne Sensors’ Jesse Bonfeld

More capable sensors enable manufacturers to drive significant improvements in process and plant efficiency, product quality and safety. But while an increasing number of organisations are recognising the need to implement more sensors, or more capable sensors within their processes and facilities, deployment often proves challenging.

There are several potential challenges to increased sensor deployment. Most facilities have an existing process and physical layout, where modifications to add additional sensor capabilities could have significant impacts to safety, time and cost - all of which can negatively affect both production and the projected return on investment from the sensor programme.

It is often difficult to deploy sensors without shutting down an existing process. Practical considerations include availability of power to operate the sensor, and how to transmit the signal from the sensor back to a local or plant wide monitoring system. Installing new power supply points and signal cabling to support sensor implementation can also be a significant and costly undertaking.

The wireless connection Wireless sensors - and wireless sensor networks in particular - are seeing rapid uptake in manufacturing and industrial facilities. According to analysts at MarketsandMarkets, the global industrial wireless sensor networks market will grow by almost 16 per cent annually to reach $3.8 billion by 2017, with WirelessHART, ISA100.11a, and 6LoWPAN being the major technologies employed, as well as IEEE 802.11, ZigBee, Bluetooth, and cellular (GPRS, GSM, and CDMA).

A wireless sensor network consists of ‘nodes’, which can range from a few to several hundreds or even thousands, with each node connected to one or several sensors.

This model provides a practical solution for bridging information systems and the physical world. One of the major potential benefits is that often a large number of individual wireless sensors can be monitored using a single display device, or with a wide variety of fixed base stations and hand-held readers that are already available.

Wireless solutions are shown to reduce installation costs and sensor installation times dramatically. They also increase safety levels because they can often be configured remotely or prior to installation, and swapped out easily for calibration, cleaning and maintenance.

Conversely, the more permanent a sensor installation, the more costly the maintenance requirement tends to be.

Since a variety of wireless solutions using different communications protocols are now available, it is worth nothing that mixed installations can be more difficult to manage, where these different standards are employed. A solution based on an open format, licence-free wavelength is preferred, to ensure that it does not compromise other

10

systems using wireless standards such as WiFi and Zigbee.

These standards are often found within manufacturing and industrial facilities, and are employed to reduce the challenges and costs of implementing proprietary solutions. Moreover, a solution that combines both wireless data transmission and battery operation with low power consumption is preferable, as this eliminates many of the potentially disruptive aspects of sensor installation and operation commonly associated with wired solutions.

One example is the wireless radio telemetry inclinometer, which is seeing growing adoption in the manufacturing sector as it is ideal for permanent angle measurement installations. It is also well suited for troubleshooting or checking the accuracy of angle measurements and alignments occurring across the production environment. Several applications for this technology are now employed, including the use of such a system by a leading manufacturer of heavy over-the-road trucks in the US for accurate caster measurement of the rear drive wheels. The implementation of a wireless inclinometer in this facility improved first pass yields by over 34 per cent.

the problem is identified. Here, the mounting scheme for the sensor is a consideration, since a temporary mounting scheme (where the sensor can be used and then removed easily) ensures a fast, efficient and robust install.

Continuous improvement One of the most vital roles for sensor technology is in providing the data necessary to enable manufacturers to realise a new level of production capability. Data acquisition and analysis has become central to enabling the culture of continuous improvement and lean manufacturing to which the majority of companies now aspire. Continuous improvement not only allows them to enhance productivity and free up capacity, but also serves as a foundation for driving innovation and growth.

The aircraft industry for example, is continually looking to develop new composite materials offering viable alternatives to aluminium, titanium and steel. This requires raw material production methods and manufacturing processes at different conditions to those used traditionally, which is driving adoption of more capable sensors and instrumentation throughout the production process - and also in areas where they were not employed previously.

Similarly, wireless sensors measuring flow, pressure, or temperature are proving ideal for process trouble shooting, in scenarios where manufacturers wish to monitor performance of a process in a specific area for a short period of time and then move on to another location until

In another example, metal processing, particularly the steel industry, is becoming more capitalintensive, driven by concerns regarding energy consumption, emissions, and new standards and regulation. Increased use of sensors allows a manufacturer to better control and analyse emissions, improve operational efficiency, and adhere to best practices, standards and regulations.

Analysts at Frost & Sullivan valued the market for sensors in the metals industry at $600-650 million in 2011, and noted that the market was growing rapidly, with advancements in sensing and instrumentation and the agility with which

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

ocess and materials sensors innovation steel makers adopt and implement these improvements expected to have a significant positive impact on their operations.

In addition to these examples there are of course numerous other applications that can benefit from todays sensor market development for instance: • monitoring of conveyors/material transport systems - in many cases angle can be used to ensure proper location of a material transport ingress or egress point to/from a storage container, process container, etc • safety monitoring (thinking mostly chemicals here) - ability to monitor large structures that may show some level of allowable movement as processing occurs, but be able to proactively shut down a process in the event the movement occurs outside of a preset limit (think of a vertical structure where for some reason the contents are accumulating unevenly) • process material end product/feed stock loading and unloading...barges, trucks, rail...monitoring of this process to ensure even loading and unloading, again a safety monitoring system • gravity fed systems - process steps where material is moved via gravity from point A to point B and the speed and volume moved are variable, and therefore subject to the angle of tilt of the system itself • mixing processes that involve the movement of a vessel or structure itself, rather than an internal mixing device

Even sensor manufacturers themselves can benefit from advances in sensor technology to improve their processes and realise new levels of production capability. Sherborne Sensors, for example, has a highly capable calibration system that has been in commercial operation for many years. It was upgraded recently using several types of sensors in order to deliver new levels of precision required by increasingly demanding customer applications.

Enhancing old and new Acquiring data about processes and equipment is relatively straightforward using a well implemented programme of sensors. Programmes of continuous improvement and initiatives to reduce power and carbon footprints are key drivers for sensor adoption. The opportunity to consider extending the commercial life of fully depreciated plant and machinery by retro-fitting them with sensors can be significantly less costly than building a new facility, which may not even be viable commercially in today’s restrictive regulatory environment.

Manufacturers might also be able to lower operating costs through sensor implementation and upgrade. For example, by closely monitoring the performance of plant equipment and product specifications, manufacturers can implement predictive maintenance activities that ensure these costly procedures are conducted only when necessary. They may also be able to identify and address potential issues before they occur. Such an approach helps to avoid costly unscheduled downtime, as well as excessively proactive maintenance schedules.

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

Similarly, for a relatively modest investment in equipment and retrofit of more capable sensing devices, manufacturers are able to make more efficient use of raw materials to increase production volume, reduce lead times, improve product quality, or expand the range of products they are able to produce.

The implementation of more capable sensors and wireless solutions can also be of benefit at green-field sites. The initial capital outlay for the sensors would be offset by lowered future operational and maintenance costs, while the plant operator would have greater production flexibility as the plant ages and production requirements change.

The use of wireless sensors almost always enhances the benefits of an expanded sensor programme, due to the reduced costs associated with the installation and ongoing maintenance of the sensors themselves.

As more capable sensors are deployed, the opportunity exists for manufacturers to find even more efficient and effective ways to acquire data, analyse the vast volumes being stored, identify areas for improvement and most importantly, act on the intelligence they provide.

Sherborne Sensors UK, Basingstoke, Hampshire Can be contacted on: Tel: +44 (0) 870 444 0728 Fax: +44 (0) 870 444 0729 E-mail: sales@sherbornesensors.com Web: www.sherbornesensors.com

11

instrumentation Enhance production efficiency without compromising safety

ANALYSERS AND FLOWMETERS HELP TO MAXIMISE THE AD PROCESS Accurate and reliable online gas composition analysis and flow rate measurements are among the essential requirements for AD (Anaerobic Digestion) plant operators to ensure optimum performance and efficiency. Furthermore, in the current economic climate, it’s important for operators to fully maximise the sustainability benefits of their process plant which means each part of the biogas, AD process is under close scrutiny.

To meet this need control and instrumentation specialists, ALLISON ENGINEERING, offer a comprehensive range of Biogas analysers and ATEX certified flowmeters. The range includes the AwiEco, a low cost, compact discontinuous analyser which provides 50 CH4 and CO2 measurements per day, with 4-20mA output and USB connection.

For more sophisticated monitoring and analysis requirements the Awi-Flex provides continuous measurement for CH4, CO2, H2S, O2 and H2. This system provides up to 5 measuring points; Ethernet, Profibus, Modbus and USB connection. Most importantly, it can also be used to take flow, temperature and pressure inputs and undertake automated desulphurisation control.

All Awite analysers utilise a rugged, touch screen industrial interface which allows easy access to recorded data, sensor parameters and system diagnostics. This ensures that all information is instantly available, remotely.

Measurement of dirty, saturated gas at low flow / low pressures makes Biogas a difficult application, so the need for effective and reliable measurement is important.

For these applications, Allison Engineering offers it range of FCI ST ATEX certified ‘no-moving’ parts flowmeters which utilise thermal dispersion technology, so they are particularly suited to the challenges of Biogas applications. Ease of installation, negligible pressure drop and mass flow output has proved the ST51 to be an ideal alternative to conventional DP cells and turbine meters. In addition, the sensor can be removed ‘live’ with the optional 1” BSP ball valve.

From refining through to petrochemical production, ABB’s measurement products can help you achieve safe, efficient process performance. Certified to leading international standards, ABB’s measurement products can deliver improvements in all aspects of oil, gas, refining and petrochemical plant operation.

See how by scanning the QR code below or email moreinstrumentation@gb.abb.com ref. ‘Oil & Gas’.

See us at Offshore Europe Stand 3D160, 3-6 September Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre

Further details on Awite Bio-Gas Process Analysers and FCI ST Series flow meters are available from: Allison Engineering, Basildon, Essex Tel: 01268 526161 Fax: 01268 533144 E-mail: generalsales@allison.co.uk Web: www.allison.co.uk

Endress+Hauser Introduces Liquipoint FTW33 Level Switch for Liquids Conductivity sensor can be used in storage, mixing and process vessels with or without an agitator, and it meets all international hygiene requirements.

Endress+Hauser releases the Liquipoint FTW33 point level switch for liquids. Designed for hygienic processes, the FTW33 meets FDA requirements as well as 3A Sanitary Standard Number 74. It can be used in pipes; and in storage, mixing and process vessels, with or without an agitator.

The Liquipoint FTW33 conductivity sensor is built for tough applications in the food and beverage market. The Liquipoint FTW33 measures the presence of conductive liquids with an electrical conductivity greater than 1 µS/cm. It also has an optional build-up compensation feature that allows it to switch reliably in heavy buildup and viscous products like tomato paste, honey, molasses, and peanut butter.

The sensor can also be used for detecting the foam that commonly occurs in the food industry.

Materials in contact with the process are made of 316L stainless steel with PEEK insulation, making the FTW33 suitable for use in processes that require cleaning and sterilization. The sensor can be used in process pressures from -14.5 to +362.5 PSI, and temperatures up to 212 °F (100 °C). It can also be used in cleaning and sterilization processes to 302 °F (150 °C) for up to 60 minutes, and is resistant to typical cleaning agents. The sensor has a DC-PNP 3V switching output when it can be used for point level. These signals are typically used for overfill and high level detection, or for low level detection to prevent a pump from running dry.

For more detailed technical information on the Liquipoint FTW33 point level switch, please visit the product page at: http://www.us.endress.com/liquipoint-ftw33

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Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

network & communications RFID READER IS VERSATILE AND COST-EFFECTIVE FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS WITH READ RANGES UP TO 2 M office use, and a basic PCB module without housing for integration into machines or other products.

Key features of the RF-R200 reader include 500 mW of transmitter power, support for automatic transmission of the acquired transponder information to a computer, and support for an external antenna as well as the internal antenna with a read range up to approximately 20 cm. The unit is sealed to IP 30 requirements, and occupies a minimum footprint when installed on a “top hat” rail in a switch cabinet.

The Ha-VIS RF-R200 is the latest RFID reader in HARTING’S extensive range of auto-ID solutions. This new RFID device is a mid-range unit optimised for read ranges up to 2 m, and offers superior performance characteristics combined with versatility and cost-effectiveness.

The RF-R200 reader is available in a number of different versions to suit the requirements of diverse applications. These include a model with an RJ45 interface and PoE (Power over Ethernet) capability, a unit with a USB interface designed for

Typical applications include tool identification, tracking of manufactured goods on production lines, logistics, and the description of transponders in office or production environments.

For more information contact Harting Ltd, Northampton Tel: +44 (0) 1604 827500 Fax: +44 (0) 1604 706777 E-mail: gb@harting.com Web: www.harting.co.uk

Low Flow Coriolis Mass Flow Meters/Controllers for Food and Pharma Industry

intelligent sensors

Simplify compliance with SOPs for intelligent sensors

PRECISE control of valuable constituents

Pharmaceutical production is one of the world’s most regulated activities. Creating and maintaining documentation in a quality control system to satisfy regulatory requirements is a considerable task for pharma companies.

METTLER TOLEDO’s latest white paper - “Simplified Compliance - SOPs for Intelligent Sensors” - discusses how the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) workload for in-line sensors can be reduced with Intelligent Sensor Management.

• Automatic sensor recognition • Calibration in the lab • Sensor lifetime indicator / SIP/CIP cycles and operating hours • Real-time diagnostics for continuous information on sensor condition Download the white paper at: www.mt.com/uk-sop-wp For more information contact Mettler-Toledo Ltd, Beaumont Leys, Leics.

Tel: 0116 235 7070 E-mail: enquire. mtuk@mt.com Web: www.mt.com

COMPACT footprint for optimal location COMPLETE measuring, controlling or dosing solution

Innovation – Experience – Excellence

1 Kings Court, Willie Snaith Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7TG T 01223 833222 - E sales@bronkhorst.co.uk - I www.bronkhorst.co.uk

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

13

SAVING WASTE IN THE BOILER HOUSE

By NIGEL EGGINTON - EBE ENGINEERING

Energy costs today are the highest in recent history. Today’s economic and environmental demands dictate that we get the greatest practical efficiencies from our plants. To do this we must have a basic understanding of what those efficiencies are and how we may implement them. The boiler house is the engine of the modern steam system, so it is important to make sure yours is in good working order by ensuring that vital maintenance and testing is carried out regularly.

Steam plant optimisation is the overall improvement of the plant’s operation. The most common strategies used to accomplish this task include and generally focus on, the improvement of primar y equipment operating efficiency, i.e. fuel and energy savings. In heavy commercial and industrial boiler applications these efficiencies are normally found in the application of waste heat recovery equipment, systems and process automation as well as improved operating practices.

VIABILITY OF EXISTING BOILER VESSELS The departure point for any improvements concerning the boilers, with regard to adding economisers or improvements in burners, has to be the physical condition of the boiler vessels themselves. Some of the available Boiler Inspection Techniques that can be utilised are: Ultrasonic Thickness Surveys - Typically these use software and experience to gather large amounts of thickness data and transform it into a colourised report to detect wear patterns or localised loss in tube wall thickness.

Radiography - Conventional and Computed Radiography can be used for information purposes such as StressAssisted Corrosion Investigation or code compliance for new installations Visual Inspection (VT) - Visual examination is often used to detect mechanical damage or wear due to harsh service conditions experienced by certain boiler types.

BURNER EFFICIENCY

Older Burners had a series of cams and levers that were calibrated to provide specific amounts of air for a particular rate of firing. Being mechanical items, these wore and sometimes required calibration. They, therefore, had to be regularly serviced and calibrated.

Generally, new burners use frequency controlled motors and cams to open air vents and run fans at optimum speeds that can improve performance by up to 3%.

Improvements in burner design have also shown that burners older than five years are typically 1-2% less efficient than new burners. It should be noted that any air leaks in the boiler combustion chamber will have an adverse effect on the accurate control of combustion.

Values in kW

The most common economisers are non-condensing economisers. They are heat exchanger coils‚ usually finned‚ that are located in the flue gas ducting at the exit of the boiler, through which feedwater is pumped.

The feedwater is fed into the boiler at a higher temperature than would be the case if no economiser were fitted. Less energy is then required to produce steam. Alternatively, if the same quantity of energy is supplied, then more steam can be produced. This results in a higher efficiency. In broad terms a 10°C increase in feedwater temperature will give an efficiency improvement of 2%.

Flue Gas Temperature Leaving Condensing Economizer

24°C

Sensible Heat

1892 1684

1473 1262

Latent Heat

2786 2051

588

Total available

4678 3735

They are designed and operate to maintain the flue gas temperature above the flue gas condensing temperature to prevent corrosion of the flue gas ducting.

The feedwater temperature The pressure at which steam is produced The steam flow rate Boilers that have no flue gas economisers, as general rule of thumb, are typically only 88% efficient in burning fuel. A large element of the burner’s efficiency is concerned with the control of air mixing and combustion.

The latest burners re-circulate flue gases to ensure optimum combustion, with minimum excess air. They are also fitted with sophisticated electronic control systems that monitor all the components of the flue gas, and make adjustments to fuel and air flows to maintain conditions within specified parameters. These greatly improved turndown ratios (the ratio between maximum and minimum firing rates), which enable efficiency and emission parameters to be satisfied over a greater range of operation.

Burner technology has improved greatly in recent years.

14

37°C

51°C

65°C

0

2061 1262

Based upon 45 tonne / hr boiler When gas is combusted, heat energy in the form of evaporated water vapour is released up the boiler stack.

This latent heat represents approximately 9% of the initial fuel energy content. The bulk of this latent heat can be recovered by cooling the exhaust gas below its dew point using a direct contact or indirect condensing economizer. It is possible to heat water to about 90°C with an indirect economiser or 60°C with a direct contact economizer. The volume of hot water produced is dependant upon the volume of steam produced and the amount of gas required to produce this steam.

The fully condensing economiser requires more additional construction than a non-condensing economizer however as virtually all of the gas energy is recovered paybacks are also similar to the non-condensing economiser and are typically 2 years according to manufacturers.

The burner efficiency is related to the Boiler efficiency, simply compares energy output to energy input, usually in percentage terms:

The heat required to produce steam is calculated (using steam tables) from knowledge of:

The condensing economiser improves waste heat recovery by cooling the flue gas below its dew point, which is about 60°C for products of combustion of natural gas. The condensing economiser reclaims both sensible heat from the flue gas and latent heat by condensing flue gas water vapour (example see Table 1 below).

Table 1

NON-CONDENSING FLUE GAS ECONOMISERS

Burner efficiency is based upon the combustion efficiency of the burner and is an indication of the burner’s ability to burn fuel. The amounts of unburned fuel and excess air in the exhaust are used to assess a burner’s combustion efficiency. Burners are considered efficient that have low levels of unburned fuel while operating at low excess air levels.

Boiler efficiency (%) = Heat to produce steam x 100 Heat provided by fuel 1

flue gas to the boiler feedwater. For natural gas-fired boilers, the lowest temperature to which flue gas can be cooled is about 120°C to prevent condensation and possible stack or stack liner corrosion.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The above graph shows the approximate fuel savings by reducing the flue gas temperature exhausted through the stack.

As an approximate guide a non-condensing economiser for a 5.5 tonne boiler producing steam at 7.5 bar would cost between £24,000 to £25,000. The manufacturers claim that payback for this type of economiser is less than two years.

CONDENSING FLUE GAS ECONOMISERS The application difference between a non-condensing economiser and a condensing economiser is that noncondensing economisers are primarily used to heat a smaller volume of water to a high temperature for boiler feed water, and condensing economiser heat a larger volume of water to a lower temperature. Condensing economisers can be more efficient because they can have a lower outlet exhaust temperature and take advantage of the energy in condensed flue gasses (the Latent Heat of Vaporisation).

A conventional feedwater economiser reduces steam boiler fuel requirements by transferring heat from the

1. Evaluate your boiler capacity, average steam generation, combustion efficiency, flue gas temperature, annual hours of operation and annual fuel consumption 2. Determine where heated water may be used, for example: boiler makeup water heating, reheating, or domestic hot water or process water heating requirements.

3. Estimate the thermal requirements that can be serviced through installation of a condensing or noncondensing economiser. Calculate annual fuel energy and cost savings.

4. Obtain an installed cost quotation and determine the cost-effectiveness of: a. A non-condensing economiser. b. A condensing economiser.

5. Review boiler condensate return system ensuring correct installation of all piping.

EBE Engineering Ltd, Newbury, Berkshire Can be contacted on; Tel: 01635 600424 E-mail: eurosales@ebe-eng.com Web: www.ebe-eng.com

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

noise level control THE NEW WHISPERBOOTH FROM HOSOKAWA MICRON THAT EVERYONE IS SHOUTING ABOUT Hosokawa Micron Ltd announces the development of the new design, low noise Whisper-Booth.

This compact Downflow Booth achieves noise levels of approximately 60dba, which is less than a normal conversation, making it one of the quietest downflow booths on the market today.

Capable of delivering OELs of <1µg/m3 this new Downflow Booth is ideal for applications where it needs to be positioned within ‘quiet zones’ or within multi-processing areas where acoustic interference would be a problem and when ‘silent running’ is more preferable.

Always at the forefront of containment technology design, Hosokawa Micron engineers have worked closely with customers in the development of the Hosokawa Whisper-Booth to ensure it meets both containment level requirements and low noise levels, to satisfaction.

‘In using a combination of high efficiency, low vibration and quieter running motors, low noise fans and high density sound attenuating insulation we have been able to create a unique Downflow Booth that operates at whisper sound levels,’ explains Carl Emsley, Hosokawa Micron Ltd. For more information contact Hosokawa Micron Ltd, Runcorn, Cheshire.

Tel: (01928) 755100 Fax: (01928) 714325 E-mail: info@hmluk.hosokawa.com Web: www.hosokawa.co.uk

filtration & separation

Are your Filters

charged up?

Dry powdered material passing through chutes or pneumatic conveyors can produce electrostatic energy that has to be drained away by grounding.

In an environment prone to static electricity the recommendation is to use materials with a resistance to earth in a range of 104  to 108 .

When textile chutes or connectors from conductive material are required it is important that you find a supplier who can reliably manufacture certified textile filters that conform to this standard.

DRM can offer a wide range of conductive materials and vast amounts of experience in the manufacture of conductive textile filters. DRM offers their customers an in-house testing facility to measure the resistance level of the finished filter.

Thanks to over 40 years of experience in the Filtration Industry our expert team produces high quality and reliable textile filters from Conductive and FDA Certified Materials.

Consistent and Reliable Quality since 1970 Manufactured in the UK

enclosures

Rittal’s new free-standing SE 8 enclosure Rittal’s new free-standing enclosure the SE 8 is a standardised system with features that can be assembled efficiently. Keeping the costs of engineering and handling in check, free-standing enclosures are used in many areas of industry and in building services management. Typical fields of application are compact machinery and equipment, whose power distribution and automation components can be accommodated in one single enclosure.

Unlike baying suites with frames and removable side panels, the body of Rittal’s SE 8 consists of two side panels and a roof made from one piece of sheet steel. For the user, this means that both handling and installation of separate side panels are eliminated.

Depending on size, SE 8 enclosures are available as one or two-door models. One particular advantage is that due to the absence of a centre bar, doors can overlap and the 1,800 mm wide, two-door system enclosures offer unimpeded access to complete mounting plates and switch panels. Rittal’s SE 8 offers major potential savings, especially in the larger widths. One single enclosure can thus be used instead of two or three bayed ones.

Thanks to the TS 8 sections on the side panels, which Rittal produce in a unique manufacturing process, the user can now easily and quickly install the complete range of accessories familiar from the baying system in the SE 8. System accessories include virtually all the products needed in enclosure configuration. Accessories range from enclosure lights through to climate control solutions. Overall, the user also benefits from the improved interior installation capabilities. Flexibility and additional space are provided by expanding on two mounting levels.

For more information contact Rittal Ltd, Rotherham, S. Yorks.

Tel: 01709 704000 E-mail: information@rittal.co.uk Web: www.rittal.co.uk

Purity through innovation Global sieving and filtration specialists

The Russell Liquid Solid SeparatorTM ...

• Small footprint achieving up to 100,000 l/hr • Removes soft fibrous oversize from liquids • Reduces the cost of disposing of effluent streams

What makes us specialists..?

Customized solutions - Applying innovation to meet your requirements Comprehensive customer service - Technical support & global stocking Specialized testing facilities - Trial your products for total peace of mind

For more information contact DRM Industrial Fabrics Ltd. Tel: +44 161 763 1776 E-mail: info@drm.co.uk Web: www.drm.co.uk/filtration

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

Call us on: +44 (0) 20 8818 2000 15

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING inc. pumps & valves

Grundfos MAGNA3 plus MAGNA1 = the right answer Many changes have taken place within the circulator market in recent years. New generation pumps offer a range of benefits not least of all as they save significant amounts of energy. Grundfos have been at the forefront of these innovations.

Today Grundfos can offer both new and refurbishment projects an extended range of commercial circulators via the Grundfos MAGNA3, first introduced in 2012 and now the new MAGNA1.

The family is designed for circulating liquids in a wide range of light commercial and commercial applications including heating systems, domestic water systems, air conditioning and cooling systems.

The MAGNA3 range delivers medium and large circulator pumps that come complete with electronically controlled motors based on permanent magnet (PM) and compact stator technology. They are now joined by the MAGNA1 circulator range that also delivers high energy efficiency, but with a reduced set of features. This makes them the ideal solution in a refurbishment situation or where you need to either replace a Grundfos UPS product or one of the smaller models from the original Magna family.

MAGNA3 and MAGNA1 pumps offer new products that have set the pace in the circulator pump industry by already meeting the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) level set for 2015. You can trust Grundfos to give you an answer that will add up.

For more information or literature request contact Grundfos Pumps Ltd, Leighton Buzzard, Beds.

Tel: 01525 850000 E-mail: grundfos@grundfos.com Web: www.grundfos.co.uk

See Us At:

Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition 3-6 Sep 2013

Stand: 4 C161

Robust diagnostics help processing facilities comply with fugitive emissions regulations Badger Meter (NYSE-BMI) have announced the introduction of the Research Control® SRD series of smart valve positioners, which deliver robust, actionable diagnostic information about valve performance and help process industry facilities comply with recent fugitive emissions regulations. Badger Meter also released the Research Control SRI series of analog valve positioners.

The SRD 960 (explosion-proof) and SRD 991 (intrinsically safe) digital valve positioners provide economical and user-friendly solutions for industries such as chemical, petrochemical, water and wastewater, oil and gas, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical. An optional base model, the SRI 990, provides analog valve control with fast control behavior. The positioner’s control boards can be swapped out to upgrade from an SRI to an SRD. The SRD/SRI positioners are compatible with Research Control valves and most other pneumatically-actuated valves. The positioners are ideal for both new valve installations and retrofitting existing valves. The SRD/SRI can be used to reduce the adverse effects of on-line valve friction, enabling higher thrust and shorter positioning time. Optional limit switches can also be added to stroke or rotary actuators to serve as end positions.

A key feature of the SRD is its comprehensive valve diagnostics tool, which continuously monitors for fugitive emissions due to leaks and other unintended or irregular releases of gases, to help process plants meet the ANSI/ FCI 91-1 standard and comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions guidelines. By early detection of fugitive emissions via SRD’s leak monitoring, process plants can immediately schedule maintenance to minimize potential air pollution from their facilities and avoid fines.

The SRD provides real-time performance statistics and facilitates both proactive and reactive process management. The positioner supports methods for evaluation of valve health, operation and configuration.

These capabilities, in turn, allow for predictive maintenance, intelligent alarm management, self-surveillance in accordance with NAMUR NE107 recommendations, and service management.

The SRD valve diagnostic software is available as Device Type Manager (DTM) for integration into control systems based on Field Device Tool (FDT) technology.

The SRD is available with different communication protocols, including analog setpoint (4 to 20 mA) without communication and with superimposed HART® signal, and digital with FOUNDATION™ fieldbus H1 or Profibus® PA communications to provide connectivity to supervisory control and data acquisition systems Mutual (FM) approval for use in EEx flameproof and intrinsically safe environments.

The SRD positioner features auto-start with selfcalibration and can be operated from the local display, control systems, controllers, or PC-based configuration and operation tools. A multi-lingual, full text, graphical LCD display, in conjunction with push buttons, allows comfortable and easy local configuration and operation.

The LCD display presents data in simple readable text and requires no external device or software to view alarms.

For more information about the Research Control SRD/ SRI smart and analog valve positioners, please visit http://www.badgermeter.com/Industrial/Valve-Products/ Valve-Positioners.htm.

ARI-250x185-zetrix.indd 1

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25/04/2013 17:00

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING inc. pumps & valves BIFOLD, OFFICIAL PARTNER OF THE MARUSSIA F1â&#x201E;˘ TEAM HAVE DEVELOPED SOPHISTICATED CONFIGURATORS TO MAKE VALVE SELECTION EFFORTLESS configure bespoke manifold systems and products, create and print bespoke data sheets and view configured systems and products to scale in augmented reality.

For more information contact Bifold Fluidpower Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 161 345 4777 Fax: +44 (0) 161 345 4780 E-mail: gbancroft@bifold.co.uk Web: www.bifold.co.uk

Unique Valve and Manifold Configurators With Bifold, you can use our unique online drag and drop Modular Manifold Configurator to design highly bespoke manifold systems effortlessly.

The manifold can be designed from the circuit sequence down to the orientation of individual modules to your exact specification. Once designed an interactive 3D rendered model is immediately viewable online and an installation drawing, bill of materials and 3D CAD model are automatically emailed upon design verification from Bifold.

You can use our Valve Model Configurator to create the valve you require and download a bespoke configured datasheet with a single click. The 3D CAD model is then automatically emailed. The datasheet contains a tracking image which enables you to view the rendered image in real time, in augmented reality and to scale using the Bifold Model Viewer, available on the App Store for iPad and iPhone; and Google Play for android devices Effortless Selection Process 1. Configure your product 2. View interactive 3D model online 3. Print bespoke data sheet or save to your system 4. Receive 3D CAD model by email 5. Contact sales department with your order Download the free Bifold Model Viewer from the App Store or Google Play and view our products at the show. Go to apps.bifold.co.uk for more details.

Visit us at Offshore Europe 3rd - 6th September 2013, stand number 3B60, where there will be an augmented reality wall featuring a window to the Bifold product range viewed live and interactively. You will be able to

Available on iPhone and Android devices

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

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If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a reliable, energy efficient, quiet running sanitary centrifugal pump designed for CIP and SIP, look no further.

AxFlow is introducing a brand new series of Waukesha Universal Centrifugal pumps. This range offers as many as 17 models with pressure and flow capacities to 15 bar and to 800m3/hr, and a number of optional features to customize the pump design to any pumping job. All pump models are 3A and EHEDG certified and offer easy and cost effective maintenance.

Extended outlets to prevent turbulence and product build-up

Unique spiral volute Advanced high efficiency impeller

ÂŽ fluidity.nonstop is a registered trademark of the AxFlow Group

Special seal shaft design for hygienic applications

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Heavy walled pump casing for operational efficiency at high pressure

See our complete portfolio of centrifugal pumps

AxFlow Ltd., Tel: 0208 579 2111, Fax: 0208 5797326, e-mail:info@axflow.co.uk www.axflow.co.uk

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING inc. pumps & valves

ARI-ZETRIX TRIPLE OFFSET VALVE FOR CHALLENGING APPLICATIONS

Compact, rugged, easy-to-use valve positioner

The ZETRIX design was developed and tested using the very latest generation of tools and advanced German engineering technology, resulting in a premium product triple offset valve that is permanently leakproof, durable and versatile for guaranteed isolation and control in even the harshest environments.

Zetrix unites the benefits of a metal-seated process valve with all the advantages of a butterfly design. With its compact dimensions and light weight, this cuttingedge valve is very easy to handle. The triple offset principle guarantees a permanently tight seal, conforming to leakage rate A in accordance with DIN EN 12266-1. It can also be used as an isolation and control valve making it extremely versatile.

Available in cast or stainless steel, Zetrix is suitable for liquids, gases and vapours in a wide range of industries and applications. It features a double-flanged connection and can be used with manual, pneumatic, electric or hydraulic actuator.

“Following extensive R&D investment, ARI has developed a triple offset valve that will outlast and outperform other valves on the market,” said Nick Davies, UK sales Director at ARI-Armaturen, Tewkesbury. “The new Zetrix valve has been stringently tested and approved to firesafe ISO 10497, German clean air regulations (TA-Luft) and SIL, and is designed to meet the high performance demands of applications where long life and positive shutt-off under arduous conditions is essential it is rated for operation at temperatures from -29°C to +427°C and is available in several nominal diameters from DN 150 to DN 600 with nominal pressures from PN 10 to PN 40.”

The high specification, yet competitively priced Type 3725 Positioner available from control valve specialists SAMSON CONTROLS is a logical development of Samson’s proven range of Series 373x units and provides a compact and rugged, easy-to-use device.

In many of today’s process control applications the preference is for ‘smart’, multi-function, digital positioners and it’s often the case that the features in these devices remain redundant in use. In fact, a simple, self-calibrating positioner is ideal for less sophisticated control requirements and the 3725 unit has been developed for these situations. It is ideally suited for precise and reliable control of small or large flows occurring in food processing, pulp and paper or bottling plants.

The Type 3725 unit features the best of the proven Samson 3730-1 / 3760 positioners by combining the ‘smart’ features and LCD with an attractive, yet rugged black, UV-resistant polyphthalamide housing and transparent blue polycarbonate cover.

Data input and start-up is a simple process thanks to auto-tuning, while position sensing is contactless, performed using an AMR sensor. This method allows greater flexibility and enables the device to remain insensitive to vibrations, such as those generated by steam hammer.

The new 3725 positioner is designed to be used with Samson’s family of diaphragm operated valves, and can also be Namur rib mounted for travels up to 50mm as well as fitted to rotary actuators with VDI / VDE 3845 mounting. The 3725 positioner represents a smart, easy-to-use compact unit offering exceptional reliability at the most competitive price.

For more information contact ARI-Armaturen UK Ltd, Tewkesbury, Glos.

Tel: 01684 275752 E-mail: ndavies@ari-armaturen.com or visit Web: www.ari-armaturen.com

Further details and product literature is available from: Samson Controls Ltd, Redhill, Surrey Tel: 01737 766391 Fax: 01737 765472 E-mail: Sales@samsoncontrols.co.uk Web: www.samsoncontrols.co.uk

ASCO Numatics, controlling utilities in top hotels and critical applications on process plants. Whose valves do you rely on?

ASCO Numatics has a reputation for producing a broad range of highly reliable valves. That is why the world’s largest process plants and the world’s top hotels rely on us. With the broadest choice of solenoid and pilot valve technologies, an extensive range of options and a huge array of certification, ASCO Numatics is able to offer the right solenoid valve for the application, whether controlling washing machines or process valves.

For more information call 01695 713600, e-mail enquiries.asconumatics.uk@emerson.com or visit our process site at www.asconumatics.eu/process Martin King, Plant Manager

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. The ASCO logo is a registered trademark of ASCO Valve Inc. © 2013 ASCO. All rights reserved.

Find out what’s flowing where with the rugged new addition to the portable range of clamp-on flow meters from

MICRONICS

The Portaflow range brings simplicity to the non-invasive measurement of liquid flow.

PF440IP offers the user quick and accurate flow measurement with its easy to follow menu and simple set up. Results can be achieved within minutes of opening the case!

Compact, rugged and reliable with an IP67 case and IP68 rated transducers, the PF440IP has been designed to provide sustained performance in hostile industrial environments including demanding external flow and submerged transducer applications for sustained periods of up to 4 months with 1 hour interval logging.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

DSP measurement technique Reynolds number correction Easy to install Simple to follow programming menu Clamp-on IP68 rated sensors Suitable for external applications

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING

MORE POWER AND INFINITE CONTROL FOR DRUM EMPTYING PUMPS The Finish Thompson range of drum emptying pumps is now available with the option of a new high performance, variable speed electric motor which provides 650 watts of continuous power combined with infinitely variable speed control.

The M5V motor is 40% more powerful than comparable units and this helps to eliminate problems associated with heat build-up resulting from overloading or voltage fluctuations.

Available from pump specialists MICHAEL SMITH ENGINEERS the new M5V motors are designed for use with the popular PF, TB and TBF series drum pumps. These new motors incorporate an improved bearing retaining system which eliminates any chance of movement and have larger threads on the motor shaft coupling to help compensate for increased torque.

The new speed control system features a robust circuit board mounted potentiometer which uses spade connections to make replacement easier and a resistor circuit which prevents premature failure due to arcing. Also, although usually never required, the carbon brushes can now be replaced. The infinitely variable electronic speed control means fluid flow can be precisely controlled, while the double wall motor housing minimises noise and vibration and a downdraft cooling system helps contributes to extended motor life.

These new motor options further extend the capabilities of the established range of Finish Thompson drum pumps which are ideal for transferring many liquids, including corrosives, solvents and viscous fluids. Models are available to handle capacities up to 150 lit/min and viscosities up to 100,000 centipoise.

Further details are available from: Michael Smith Engineers Ltd, Woking, Surrey, Tel: FREEPHONE 0800 316 7891 Fax: 01483 723110 E-mail: Info@michael-smith-engineers.co.uk Web: www.michael-smith-engineers.co.uk

Axflow introduces Universal Centrifugal Pumps from Waukesha Cherry-Burrell

www.micronicsflowmeters.com or call

01628 810456

AxFlow, distributors of the world renowned and original Waukesha external circumferential piston pump have added the new range of Waukesha Universal Centrifugal pumps to their product portfolio. With seventeen models available, giving capacities of up to 800m3/h and differential pressures of 15 bar, these high quality centrifugal pumps have been developed for sanitary applications within the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.

The unique hydraulic design with spiral volute positioned in the back plat, advanced impeller design, extended outlets and heavy wall thickness pump casing ensure maximum efficiency with low noise and vibration. The specially design shaft seal where, for example, the stationary spring seal is located outside the product content area, makes these pumps ideally suited to handling a wide variety of food, beverage and pharmaceutical products. The sanitary design features fully CIP and SIP capabilities with 3A and EHEDG certification.

AxFlow say that the Waukesha Universal Centrifugal series follows the tradition of quality, reliability and ease of maintenance associated with Waukesha positive displacement pumps and fills a distinct niche in the sanitary, high efficient centrifugal pump sector.

All fluid handling equipment from AxFlow is made available with a range of support services extending from presales consultancy and systems design, through installation, commissioning, servicing, repairs and training.

MADE IN BRITAIN

0776_Micronics PF440IP Half Page Ad 115x315mm v1.indd 1

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For more information contact AxFlow Ltd, Ealing, London Tel: 0208 579 2111 Fax: 0208 579 7326 E-mail: info@axflow.co.uk Web: www.axflow.com

03/06/2013 08:08

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

calibration Minimizing system integration risks with the Beamex Business Bridge Beamex minimizes system integration risks by introducing the Business Bridge - a standardized, but configurable software solution for connecting Beamex CMX calibration management system to an ERP/CMMS system.

Integration of various independent IT systems is a requirement in almost any business these days, but many times system integration projects are considered costly and risky, as staying within the original project budget and timetable can be a challenge, specifications and scope of work keep changing constantly during the project and system maintenance of a finished, highly customized integration solution turns out to be difficult and expensive. Beamex minimizes these system integration risks by introducing the Business Bridge - a standardized, but configurable software solution for connecting Beamex CMX calibration management system to an ERP/CMMS system.

Mr. Pekka Videnoja, Product Owner of the Beamex Business Bridge solution explains “Many of the common system integration risks relate to the fact that system integration typically requires software development, customization or configuration on both ends of the integrated system, the calibration software and the ERP/CMMS system. We are aiming to minimize these system integration risks by offering a solution where the integration part related to the calibration software is based on a standardized, but still configurable solution”. Having a standardized integration solution brings many benefits.

Due to a standardized solution, a system integration project requires less customer-specific software development wmb-611_Layout 1 30/01/2013 11:36 Page 1 work. This means quicker and more reliable delivery. A

standardized solution also means availability of long-term software maintenance contracts with regular software updates for software evolution and helpdesk services.

Availability of long-term support contracts also decreases IT system lifecycle risks. The Business Bridge is therefore a safe, less risky and future-proof solution for integrating calibration system with an ERP/CMMS system and the integration project can implemented more quickly and accurately. Jan-Henrik Svensson, VP Sales & Marketing of Beamex explains, “Having a safe and less risky system integration solution with long-term maintenance capability is appreciated in many of our regulated customer industries, such as the pharmaceutical, energy as well as food and beverage industries”.

The main purpose of the Business Bridge software solution is to provide a transfer channel for sharing instrument, work order and basic calibration data between the calibration management and ERP/ CMMS systems. System integration itself is beneficial in several ways.

Firstly, productivity may increase significantly due to system integration, as data needs to be entered and kept up to date in one place only, instead of manually re-keying the data into two or more separate systems.

Secondly, because data needs to be entered only once, human typing errors Beamex Business Bridge

Beamex Field Calibration and delays related to manual re-keying of data are minimized. The Business Bridge solution is available for integrating Beamex CMX calibration software with several of the leading ERP/CMMS systems used in the processing industry.

As a software vendor, Beamex is able to offer all key elements of a system supply project, including calibration software licenses, services required for supplying an integrated system (such as consulting, project planning and management, software configuration, installation and training) as well as system support and maintenance programs.

For more information contact Beamex Limited, Newtown Unthank, Leicestershire.

Tel: 01455 821 920 Fax: 01455 821 923 E-mail: beamex.ltd@beamex.com Web: www.beamex.com

Powerful, no shear food pumps Our MasoSine pumps combine virtually no shear with high suction lift and are ideal for food processing applications.

• Hygienic and pulse-free flows to 90,000 litres/hour • One shaft, one seal and one rotor – very low maintenance, easily cleaned and fully CIPable • Unique sine pump design provides minimal product damage and higher yields

wmpg.co.uk 01326 370370 wm-611

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

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A New Defining Mo Product Lifec In a world of sound-bites and slogans, PLM’s flexibility defies the quick sell especially now cloud computing has made possible a new affordable, easy-touse version. However could this be its strength, rather than its weakness? Colin Watson, corporate director of Symetri, believes the solution’s value lies in its flexibility and those implementing the solution will be the ones to define it - in their own terms.

Is the Time Now Right?

The early promise product lifecycle management (PLM) held when introduced to the manufacturing market 30 years ago has not been realised. Old-style PLM never filtered through to smaller manufacturers. Solutions were difficult to customise and were usually expensive and complex.

Recently, the software developer and vendor, Autodesk identified that using cloud technology, PLM could become a more flexible, useable and affordable version of its old self and introduced Autodesk PLM 360. For manufacturers across both the batch and continuous process industries, the benefits of the approach in terms of streamlined product development, higher project and process visibility and reduced costs are perhaps particularly compelling but the solution can brings benefits and advantages to all types of businesses.

Symetri was the first Autodesk partner to be named a PLM 360 specialist. However, this article explores the issues surrounding PLM adoption rather than discoursing on why manufacturers should buy a particular solution.

To help provide a broad, accurate market view, Symetri recently set up a roundtable discussion on these issues with a small group of clients. Most were manufacturers

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but the group also included an architect interested in using PLM in the world of construction where the increasing use of off-site fabrication is strengthening ties between architects and suppliers. Attendees had much in common; they had all been relatively early adopters of 3D digital design software and were willing to evolve their businesses to match changing conditions. They all represented small businesses with a turnover of less than £30 million - and as such had never previously been in a position to consider investing in traditional PLM. Symetri wanted to encourage them to talk freely so agreed not to name them here. However, all the quotes throughout the article come from them, unless attributed otherwise.

What’s This Got To Do With PLM? Manufacturers, and particularly those in the process industries where the focus is always on optimising continuous or batch processes have been searching for ways to become leaner for decades. The supply chain revolution of the 1990s onwards helped trim away any slack and most believe they have little left to give. Many dinosaurs of business have already become extinct, but smaller organisations can be more flexible and adapt more rapidly to change. All Symetri’s roundtable guests had demonstrated foresight by adopting new

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

oment for cycle Management technologies and processes such as digital prototyping and design data management. Yet they are wondering where they can go next to become even leaner and more competitive. Meanwhile, there is one further development fundamental to the use of a new kind of PLM to address all these challenges - the cloud.

The Outlook is Cloudy In the design world, the impact of cloud computing could be profound. Designers need increasing computer power to visualise, simulate and analyse complex data-rich 3D models - yet, investing in high performance computers can in the short term cancel out some of the economic gains of digital prototyping.

Taking tasks to the cloud eliminates the need for this capital investment. Instead cloud space can be paid for on an ‘as-needed’ basis out of an operational budget. If the cloud can make design tasks, lighter, easier, faster and better, it holds great potential for applications such as PLM.

What Manufacturers Need Now “I know what I want, but I can’t do it yet.”

PLM in some form may be able to help - but what exactly do today’s manufacturers want from it?

All businesses at the roundtable said they felt the pressure to respond to these global trends. “If we stand still we will go out of business,” was a typical comment. They agreed digital prototyping and design data management had delivered significant cost and productivity savings. But they were still facing three main further challenges: • Re-use of data: All those present design and manufacture bespoke products as part of their portfolio, so the ability to re-use and adapt existing data is paramount to making this customisation efficient and viable. When designers hit on a product people want to buy, they want to recreate it - or at least the core of the product that can then be modified to fit individual customer needs. Problems arise when they need to find the original bill of materials and the part numbers that first helped create that magic. They need an organised way to collect information and piece it together, instead of starting from scratch every time.

• Sharing knowledge: There was a consensus that, while a good design data management system is useful for bringing together all the engineering and production elements, it still leaves out the marketing, innovation and creative side of the business model. There is still a big divide between creative and the engineering minds. There was also an overriding view that PLM should be able to capture not just data but the knowledge surrounding it. This would help maintain the integrity of the design and avoid diluting the ‘magic’ that made it a success in the first place.

• Anywhere, anytime information: Workforces are increasingly disparate, with teams working in multiple global locations. Without a single, integrated source of totally current, accurate information, errors are almost inevitable. Even a small mistake can

create a major crisis when perpetuated unchecked throughout an entire project. Likewise, managers need fast access to correct figures to make the best possible decisions.

How Do We See PLM Now? There still seems to be uncertainty as to whether PLM is just a database, a process, a business model or a business enabler. It was agreed that in its physical form, PLM is basically a relational database, but its power comes into force when it has been designed to fit an individual business with data and knowledge entered. PLM’s flexibility and all-encompassing nature makes it more difficult to sell quickly. However, in reality this is its key benefit. Its basic function is always the same, but when it comes to the rest, the potential for customisation is part of its value.

Next-Generation PLM While Autodesk’s cloud-based PLM 360 is different from traditional PLM, it delivers all the benefits, without the downside. For a start, because it is paid for as a service - and then only when needed - there is no need for substantial capital expenditure and all the decision-making meetings this involves.

It can be switched on instantly via the internet and off again if no longer needed, so can be used for specific projects only if required. Maintenance is carried out by the vendor and upgrades are automatic. This simplicity and affordability means SMBs are no longer excluded from the advantages of PLM. But do these benefits address the issues raised by those at the roundtable?

Autodesk PLM 360 is made up of a range of building blocks or apps which can be used according to a user’s demands. These cover all product-related functions from project management and engineering to sales and marketing, and can be easily customised and integrated with existing business systems.

Integrated and centralised data and knowledge can be accessed from any location and on any device. So for example, if engineers in a company’s Mumbai office

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

need to design an original piece of machinery quickly, they can re-use designs of components previously created in Manchester. If knowledge has been captured as well as data, when they need to modify any of these, they can learn why a valve or pump was put in a certain position in the first place to avoid an expensive error.

Conclusion Unlike old-style PLM today’s PLM is affordable and light, yet has the potential to transform, especially when it fits seamlessly into a company’s workflow and integrates with other enterprise systems. The benefits for manufacturers across the process industries where it offers the potential to radically transform previously fixed or static processes, are likely to seem particularly compelling but in a few years’ time it may well be unthinkable for a manufacturer not to have PLM. But will it still be so difficult to define? If so, this could be a sign of success, demonstrating that businesses are taking the technology and moulding it to suit their own demands and challenges.

Symetri Limited, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear Can be contacted on: Tel: 01912 135555 Fax: 01912 0208397 E-mail: info@symetri.co.uk Web: www.symetri.co.uk

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health & safetY

Fortress’ mGard interlock range receives tüv süd safety approval Fortress’ mGard range of safety interlocks has achieved approval from TÜV SÜD*, the leading international Notified Body for the certification of safety components.

Fortress is the only trapped key manufacturer to carry independent third party approval on its trapped key range of interlocks, for use up to SIL3/PLe, reinforcing its position as market leader.

TÜV SÜD has certified that the mGard range meets the interlocking requirements of the latest European safety standards, so customers can install mGard with peace of mind.

Trapped key interlocking is an ideal method of safeguarding machinery or potentially dangerous areas. The mGard range has a fail-safe design, undergoing an extensive FMEA (Failure Modes Effects Analysis) during its design stage, with over 100 different, rigorous safety tests.

Fortress’ mGard range of robust mechanical trapped key products is a completely modular system where individual modules can simply be added or removed depending on the application. The mGard range is ideal for a wide range of industries, such as food and drink manufacturing, for wash-down or explosion proof applications, resulting in an extremely cost-effective and flexible safeguarding solution for a wide industrial audience. Fortress’ mGard range of products is suitable for use in high risk applications.

For more information contact Fortress Interlocks Ltd, Wolverhampton Tel: +44 (0)1902 349 000 Fax: +44 (0)1902 349 090 E-mail: sales@fortressinterlocks.com Web: www.fortressinterlocks.com.

Process Safebook 1: Functional Safety in the Process Industry A new publication from Rockwell Automation looks at the principles and standards relating to safety in process applications and discusses how to implement effective solutions.

Process Safebook 1 - Functional Safety in the Process Industry’ has been published by Rockwell Automation to provide its customers with an overview to functional safety and guidance in the application of IEC61511, the process industry specific implementation of IEC61508.

IEC61508 has already been hugely influential and will continue to be the basis of modern safety standards and legal frameworks, so it is essential that personnel with responsibilities at any stage of the life of a safetyrelated system should make the effort to understand it.

It covers the safety management of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic systems throughout their lives, from concept to decommissioning and brings safety principles to the management of systems, and safety engineering to their development.

At its core is the principle that, in safety planning, safety goals based on risk assessment should be set, and then that the rigour of management and processes should be appropriate to meeting them. This makes the standard goal-based rather than prescriptive, and means that compliance with the standard does not exonerate users of any blame in the event of a safety problem.

According to Keith J Kirkcaldy, author of ‘Process Safebook 1’: “The book was originally aimed at sales engineers and designers within Rockwell Automation, to help them understand some of the basic concepts that customers typically ask for; the objective being the provision of cost-effective solutions to their requirements.”

The publication evolved from a local, internal publication to one that spread throughout the global organisation.

It has now become available as a published book to customers and System Integrators. “It has been written in such a way that it clarifies the terminology and jargon and uses simple language illustrated with examples taken from our own experience,” Kirkcaldy explains. “It shows that compliance with the standards is not just about calculation and analysis and meeting quantitative targets, but also stresses and shows the importance of

competent management and implementation. It shows compliance is not a paperwork exercise with the objective of producing documents but, instead, it is about making sure that adequate information is available.”

The book gives an overview of many facets of process safety including, but not limited to: • Safety Lifecycle • Hazards and Hazard Identification • Risk and Risk Reduction • Determining SIL Targets • Allocation of Safety Functions • Reliability Techniques • SIL Verification • Functional Safety, Assessment and Auditing ‘Process Safebook 1’ is just part of the total safety offering from Rockwell Automation, which also includes a comprehensive portfolio of process safety solutions and services. The company also offers similar guidance, products, solutions and services for machine safety.

‘Safebook 4 - Principles of Machine Safety: Legislation, Theory and Practice’ is another book available to order or download. It covers the principles, legislation, standards and application of machine safety.

Recognising the impact that safety has across many industries, as well as the challenges and opportunities its customers face, Rockwell Automation has put significant budget and resources behind a strategy aimed at assisting companies to address safety legislation. From white papers and videos through technical publications to machine-level software and library files, Rockwell Automation is your one-stop choice for all things relating to safety - especially if you want it to work for you rather than against you.

For more information contact Rockwell Automation Ltd, UK Marketing Communications Specialist, Milton Keynes, Bucks Tel: 0870 242 5004 Fax: 01908 839696 E-mail: ukmarketing@ra.rockwell.com Web: ra.rockwell.com

OhmGuard® Hose Continuity Tester CERTIFIED FIRE-PROOF MULTI

New tester ensures hoses do not pose an electrostatic ignition risk in potentially combustible atmospheres.

The OhmGuard® Hose Continuity Tester, manufactured

by Newson Gale, is a device designed to ensure that a string of assembled hoses have good electrical continuity with a grounded truck ensuring electrostatic charges cannot accumulate on the metal components of the hoses being used in the transfer operation.

The OhmGuard® is an easy to use device that operates on the principal of a “PASS or FAIL” test procedure and carries cCSAus, ATEX and IECEx approvals for operation in the highest combustible gas, vapour and dust atmospheres.

For more information contact Newson Gale Ltd, Colwick, Notts.

Tel: +44 115 940 7500 Web: www.newson-gale.co.uk

24

ROTATION HANDWHEEL INTERLOCK The MRL Multi Rotation Lock from Netherlocks has been thoroughly tested and awarded the Fire Test Certificate according to ANSI/API and ISO standards. This means that customers can be assured that even in the event of a fire it will continue to function safely as intended, and will not cause additional disruption to the normal procedure of operation afterwards.

The interlock was subjected to temperatures of nearly 1000°C for around 20 minutes, and after cooling back down functioned correctly to safely lock and unlock the handwheel valve according to specification.

The test, performed by Yarmouth Research and Technology, LLC, found the MRL to be compliant with ANSI/API Standard 607 Sixth Edition - 2010 and ISO 10497:2010. During the test the lock was burned with one key in the lock; after cooldown the lock remained securely locked unless both keys were inserted, whereby it unlocked and operated smoothly as intended.

Netherlocks’ MRL is an interlock for multi rotation handwheel -operated valves. Following the interlocking principle, it only allows the handwheel to be turned when two keys are inserted into the lock, ensuring that it can only be operated when it is safe to do so. For example, key 1 might only be released when a relief valve has been opened, thus making it safe to close the main process valve. Once closed, it will release key 2, which can then be used to unlock the next stage of the operation, ensuring compliance with safe procedures.

For more information contact Netherlocks BV, J. Keplerweg 14 2408 Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0)172 471 339 Fax: +31 (0)172 491 342 E-mail: sales@netherlocks.com Web: www.netherlocks.com

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

heat transfer & energy

QUICK, SIMPLE AND ACCURATE CALCULATION OF CLIMATE CONTROL REQUIREMENTS Available now, Rittal’s latest RiTherm 6.2 software is an updated version that allows climate control requirements to be quickly and easily calculated.

RiTherm 6.2 includes generic component heat loss data and a heat loss calculator for busbars; an option to divide the required cooling output between several devices; a detailed breakdown of bayed enclosure suites; a saved project library that can be sorted and allows individual projects to be copied and an integrated chiller configurator.

Enclosures can be selected from Rittal ranges or alternatively, the dimensions of bespoke cabinets can be entered manually. The heat dissipated by installed equipment can be input directly, calculated using actual measured enclosure internal and ambient temperatures or selected from a database of standard components.

A user-friendly interface guides you to the most suitable, correctly dimensioned climate control solution. All evaluations are based on the requirements of IEC/ TR3 60890 890 AMD 1 and DIN 3168 for enclosure cooling units and, therefore, this useful tool offers considerable peace of mind when selecting climate control components.

At the end of the calculation information is presented in the form of a detailed summary containing calculated enclosure surface area; radiant power emitted to the environment or absorbed from outside; resultant required cooling output; enclosure internal temperature excluding cooling measures and the proposed solution.

Two versions of RiTherm 6.2 are available, an update to Therm 6.0 or later, or a 30-day trial, both of which may be downloaded from the Rittal website. The 30-day trial version can be upgraded to the full package.

For more information contact Rittal Ltd, Rotherham, S.Yorks.

Tel: 01709 704000 E-mail: information@rittal.co.uk Web: www.rittal.co.uk

MAINTENANCE

TANK CLEANING

Power of ptfe enhances tank cleaning The HydroWhirl Poseidon range of PTFE tank cleaners available from BETE Ltd has recently been enhanced with addition of new models and flow rates as well as improvements in the overall design.

The PTFE material of construction ensures that the design is not only hygienic but also highly resistant to corrosive chemicals, so it can handle powerful caustics or the cleaning of acidic environments.

However, the biggest advantage of the reengineered PTFE design is the slower rotation speed. As the head turns more slowly than metal equivalents the dwell time for the cleaning spray is higher and results in a concentrated spray action against internal surfaces of tanks and vessels for effective removal of scum rings and tougher residues. This also means that the Poseidon delivers more cleaning power per litre of fluid than 316 stainless equivalents making it the ultimate tank cleaner for mid-sized, hygienic tanks.

The HydroWhirl PTFE nozzle provides complete 360º omni-directional coverage and is also designed for quick and easy disassembly, inspection and reassembly using basic hand tools, so downtime is minimised.

These new flow rates and slower rotation speeds means the HydroWhirl Poseidon range is particularly effective for cleaning tanks between 0.5 and 7 meters in diameter.

It is ideal for food & beverage applications as well as for corrosive chemical processing tanks.

Further details are available from: BETE Ltd, Lewes, East Sussex Tel: +44 (0) 1273 400 092 Fax: +44 (0) 1273 401 220 E-mail: Ivan@bete.co.uk Web: www.bete.co.uk

AFTERMARKET PARTS that fit AIR OPERATED DIAPHRAGM PUMPS

YOUR AVERAGE

SAVINGS

25%

RITTAL BUSBAR COVER SECTIONS Safety is a major priority for the electrical engineer when looking at the design or maintenance of a power panels. Exposed busbars are a hazard to personnel and require insulating or protecting from in-direct contact.

Rittal’s busbar cover sections, with four sizes, offers full contact hazard protection for busbars ranging from 12 x 5 to 60 x 10 mm. Cover sections are made from thermally modified hard PVC with protection corresponding to UL 94-V0.

www.thinqk.com

For more ionfomration contact Rittal Limited, Rotherham, S. Yorks.

Tel: 01709 704000 E-mail: information@rittal.co.uk Web: www.rittal.co.uk

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

25

pROCESS CONTROL

ANALYSERS

New on-line PV calculator from Status

NEW WHITE PAPER DISCUSSES O2 ANALYSIS IN COMBUSTION PROCESSES

Status Instruments has launched a simple calculator available on its website to enable process engineers to easily calculate the conversion to and from electrical input and the output Process Value (PV) of a control system.

By entering the input value in mA or volts the calculator will tell the user the Process Variable (Deg C, Bar etc) for the defined configuration. It can also be used to obtain the input value in mA or volts by entering the output Process Variable (Deg C, Bar etc).

“With any signal conditioning unit or transmitter, knowing the relationship between the electrical input (4 to 20) mA or similar and the process value (PV) °C, bar, L/min etc. can be essential in establishing the correct operation of a control system but it can be a laborious task to manually make the calculation. Our new calculator, available on-line, will cut the time and effort normally needed to make this essential calculation,” explains Status Instruments’ Managing Director, Ian Pullin.

Status has also added the calculator to its free product configuration software.

The new PV calculator can be found at http://www.status.co.uk/calculator.aspx

Once almost the exclusive domain of zirconium oxide analysers, tunable diode lasers (TDLs) are quickly becoming established as the best technique for O2 analysis in combustion processes.

Traditional techniques can suffer from variable performance and short sensor lifetime making the reliability, performance and speed of TDLs an attractive alternative.

Download the latest METTLER TOLEDO white paper “Don’t get Burned in Combustion” and find out more about: • Combustion efficiency, conditions and control • Early measurement techniques • Traditional sensor technology and its drawbacks • Catalytic combustion sensors and their limitations • Latest generation, probe style TDLs Download the white paper at: www.mt.com/uk-combustion-wp For more information contact Mettler-Toledo Ltd, Beaumont Leys, Leics.

Tel: 0116 234 5095 E-mail: enquire.mtuk@mt.com Web: www.mt.com

HONEYWELL INTRODUCES ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF PLANT CONTROL ROOMS Improved Cyber Security, Collaboration and Wireless Among New Technology Demonstrations at HUG Americas 2013 Honeywell (NYSE: HON) recently introduced several new technologies that will transform control rooms of the future, including an advanced dashboard to help industrial plants better manage control-system cyber security. The Cyber Security Dashboard is among several advancements being demonstrated for customers at the recent 2013 Honeywell Users Group (HUG) Americas Symposium in Phoenix.

Other new control-room technologies highlighted at the event include the Experion® Collaboration Station with expanded capability, the recently announced Premium Platform for Experion Virtualization Solutions, and the newest version of Honeywell’s OneWireless™ Network.

Additionally, the company previewed a futuristic console for its Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) Orion platform that reduces operator fatigue with an improved, ergonomic design featuring a larger display and new alarm lighting. Honeywell expects to launch the Experion Orion Console - which was designed based on input from operators - with the platform’s next release in 2014 to provide better mobility for operators while improving situational awareness.

“In many ways, the control room of the future won’t be limited to the control room at all, and that concept is perfectly illustrated through technologies like OneWireless, because it extends the control room to the field,” said Jason Urso, chief technology officer, Honeywell Process Solutions. “At the same time, because we expect increasing connectivity, we’ll see a greater need for cyber security management systems like the Cyber Security Dashboard, and collaboration solutions like Experion Collaboration Station. These solutions complement each other to improve overall plant safety, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.”

The common link between all of these solutions is the ability to help make control-room personnel

26

more quickly aware of what’s happening in their facilities, including: • Cyber Security Dashboard - In industrial environments that are increasingly comprised of open systems, the Cyber Security Dashboard helps simplify the task of keeping automation systems up-to-date with cyber security requirements. The dashboard consolidates all data onto a single view for better visibility, and it allows users to easily drill down and access more-detailed content such as graphics, trends, documents and applications. Its advanced analytics allow the creation of customized alerts that advise personnel to take actions such as updating anti-virus protection, managing patches, and other ongoing cyber and network security-related tasks. Honeywell is previewing the Cyber Security Dashboard with customers in Phoenix and expects to roll out the tool globally in early 2014.

• Experion Collaboration Station - Experion Collaboration Station enables faster responses to both routine and emergency situations by displaying a common view of how distributed assets at multiple locations are functioning. This allows plants to rapidly establish communication among centralized operations, field operations and operational specialists in separate locations. This tool is especially wellsuited for production sites with distributed assets such as offshore oil and gas operations, pipelines, and large refineries with centralized control rooms.

• OneWireless Network R220 - OneWireless Network is a universal wireless network that can simultaneously accommodate thousands of field devices to form everything from a simple field instrument network, to a completely integrated plant-wide, multi-application network. The new OneWireless Network Software

R220 introduces a new interface for the Honeywell Enraf SmartRadar Flexline, which enables the device to communicate with the Honeywell Enraf Entis Pro tank gauging system, as well as the Experion Process Knowledge System platform. This allows storage terminal operators to cost-effectively improve their operations with reliable inventory data available in the control room. Operators can also generate recurring yearly productivity gains of 10 percent or more through loss-control and storage-capacity optimization, and improve workforce efficiency with smart mobile applications. Other enhancements include a redundancy feature that allows facilities to reliably use wireless for applications that require measures to prevent single points from causing a system-wide failure.

• Premium Platform for Experion Virtualization Solutions - Leveraging blade server technology, Honeywell’s new solution is customized to the specific control applications needed by the customer, making it a turnkey virtualization solution. Premium Platform reduces setup time by up to 90 percent, generates up to 40 percent more energy savings and has 22 percent greater density than alternative virtualized server platforms. In addition, the platform has a longer lifecycle, reduced facility footprint and remote management capabilities in a package that is preconfigured, saving time to deploy.

For more information about new technologies and services being showcased at Honeywell Users Group Americas Symposium, please visit www.hugnewsroom.com or www.honeywellprocess.com.

Process Industry Informer June-July 2013

SOLIDS HANDLING PROCESSING

AND

including SHAPA News

JUN/JUL 2013

Diverse expertise our industries is SHAPA. A glance at the product finder in the newly configured SHAPA website www.shapa.co.uk will immediately indicate the extent of equipment and services available from a diverse range of companies. The fact that membership has survived all recessional and other pressures over the years is testament to this. Membership has consistently exceeded one hundred companies and organisations for many years. Very many companies have enjoyed SHAPA benefits for several years and there are still founder members extant.

Changes and achievement...

Like any company, club or association, SHAPA is a company of committed people, who give their time voluntarily and enthusiastically to run the General Council and the two sub-committees looking after the marketing and technical activities and driving progress to enable all member companies to be equipped to compete. This year we have welcomed a new Chairman in the person of Peter Guttridge, well known and respected within our industries for many years. Following the retirement of our General Secretary John Whitehead after more than a dozen years of splendid service, we are very fortunate to welcome his successor David Green, whose engineering and marketing presence will also be well known to many of you. We once again thank John for his work with SHAPA and wish him good fortune for the future and look for ward to working now with David. SHAPA also recognised Ian Blackmore with an inaugural

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

WESTINGHOUSE

Lifetime Achievement award. Ian was a key figure in the inauguration of the Association and has been generously active ever since.

Work & play...

This introduction to the PII SHAPA Supplement is headed Diverse Expertise. This may be quite clear to see already, but this whole process starts with encouraging the next generation of industry leaders to fully engage and realise that our industry, whilst solid and reliable, is also exciting, with wide scope for innovation - it is also vital for the existence of almost all British (and overseas) industry, from food to pharmaceutical, mineral extraction to electronics. SHAPA holds events for up and coming engineers combining education with engineering based fun, the next includes kart racing for participants in September. Fun for all members also comes in the form of a day at the Races - this year at Uttoxeter on November 1st - and a competitive (very!) golf day at the end of August to be held at Olton in the midlands.

SHAPA offers its members free access to a major consultancy for legal and commercial advice and in-depth market surveys to enable focused planning. Digital marketing, vitally important these days, is covered by what has now become by popular demand an annual teaching seminar led by industry professionals.

The association has also taken a “pavilion” at the forthcoming RWM exhibition at the NEC in September, to enable members to have a low cost presence to test interest in their offerings, ideally with a view to exhibiting on a larger scale in future years. So, there is a great deal of activity within SHAPA to promote members’ interests.

Many member companies are suppliers to or customers of other member companies, so the regular easily accessible centrally located meetings act as networking opportunities as well as being attractive in their own right with quality speakers invited to update members on topical subjects. We are sure that the following pages will serve to reinforce the value of beginning and ending your search with SHAPA for well informed, well established suppliers and installers of solids handling and processing equipment. Visit www.shapa.co.uk or email info@shapa. co.uk for further information and help.

ss e c o r p r u o y d e Fe

Hygienic Rotary Valves

Hygienic Diverter Valves

• Drop through and Blow through versions available • All product contact parts  Stainless Steel and  grit polish versions available • Clean in place (CIP) suitable • Explosion containment up to  bar • Standard Easy Detachable rotor, MZC rail system option available • Enlarged inlet option available • RID (Rotor Interference Detection) option available

• • • • •

All product contact parts  Stainless Steel and  grit polish Tube diverters from  to  ports Clean in place (CIP) suitable plug diverter Ability to diverge or converge product Explosion shock resistant DMN UK Ltd. T +�� ���� ��� ��� dmn@dmnuk.com

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The Solids Handling & Processing Association has now begun its fourth decade of continuous progress - hearty congratulations to all concerned and doesn’t time fly! Well, it is very easy to become self congratulatory, but unfortunately at the risk of losing sight of the main purpose of our existence.

Perhaps SHAPA exists solely for the benefit and development of its members - this would be an overstatement and missing a crucial point. So, what is the real purpose of SHAPA and how has it survived recession and successive wind changes imposed by successive governments over the years?

There is clearly something driving this success and that is, or more correctly, they are the end user customers who rely on the expertise and practical competence of their manufacturing and contracting suppliers. Plant owners and operators may well benefit from choosing suppliers who are members of SHAPA. We are generally all in agreement that the application of science serves more reliably and predictably than “black art”, but from the distant past there has been an element of the “black art” in powder and granular material handling and processing. Fortunately, collective education, technical knowledge and experience have ushered in a soundly based scientific approach to these disciplines. Of course, it would be very difficult to achieve all of this in isolation, however large a company may be.

So, by sharing practical and theoretical engineering knowledge amongst like minded companies, quicker progress is possible, guesswork may be eliminated and “industry standard” solutions may be developed, upon which individual companies may build their particular advantages and inject cutting edge ingenuity.

Larger installations may be overseen by engineering managers or consultants who require a cohesive set of equipment that performs many tasks, which of necessity will be procured from several companies with individual expertise, to deliver a truly “turn-key” solution to the end user. Compatability of equipment from intake chutes, batch storage containers through to dust-free bagging and out-loading requires co-operation throughout the process. This means implicit (and explicit) trust amongst the manufacturers and suppliers, knowledge of the machine functions upstream of and downstream from any piece of process equipment supplied and in particular how one element will interact with the next. Controls and safety protocols must recognise and take account the operating conditions of surrounding equipment - and so on until all the finest detail is complete.

All of this is clearly desirable and indeed essential to maintain end users in a competitive position in their own market place. Furthermore, there should remain scope for later improvements as new techniques and better production equipment are developed and become available. Now, all of this may be more readily achieved if the specialist companies involved can work together successfully, even better if they actually know each other and have worked together previously. The success of technically demanding, or indeed any high volume plant contracts may be enhanced yet further if the engineering managers or consultants employed by the end user know that their selected manufacturers and suppliers can demonstrate that they have access to all the best relevant technical, commercial and legal knowledge. With so many end user industries making use of bulk storage, handling and processing machinery, to cope with a myriad of powder and granular material species, exhibiting truly diverse properties at all stages of storage and processing, this is a big ask indeed. This, however, is the real reason that such companies join a technically based trade association and the only major UK based trade association serving the whole range of

By Gus Bishop - Solids Handling & Processing Association

www.dmn-shop.co.uk

www.dmnwestinghouse.co.uk

1 SP

Guttridge unveils new website that delivers expert information on bulk materials handling 25 June 2013: Spalding, UK: Clear and intuitive with a strong focus on the needs of specific industries, the new Guttridge Ltd website showcases the extensive range of equipment and services that the company offers for all aspects of bulk materials handling. The new site also features the latest company news, customer testimonials and all the company brochures in an easily accessible format for download. To visit the site, please follow: www.guttridge.co.uk Guttridge recognises that every industry has ver y different needs for materials handling. The company offers a broad range of stainless and mild steel conveyors, elevators and ancillaries to meet individual requirements, and has the expertise and experience necessar y to ensure a wellengineered successful handling solution for every application. The new website delivers easily accessible information, categorised by product and market sector. Significantly enhanced industry-specific pages highlight Guttridge capabilities that address the critical Guttridge Ltd unveil new website issues facing key sectors.

A refreshed case study knowledge base and with a strong focus on the needs of customer testimonials section demonstrate specific industries the breadth of applications that Guttridge has successfully tackled and highlight the benefits delivered to specific customers.

Testimonials from delighted customers include feedback from: a leading UK coffee roasting and packaging company; a pet food manufacturer ; and a stainless steel fabrication company that has worked in partnership with Guttridge to deliver on a number of successful projects.

To find out how Guttridge can meet your bulk handling requirements visit: www.guttridge.co.uk

Protecting Your Plant Before Things Start To Go Wrong

Motion Sensors for Every Industry SSE Ultra Heavy Duty

Standard Units

End of shaft mounted

Belt driven

Vibration Speed Relay

Bespoke Units

Speed

Rotation

Safety Interlocking

Tailored to suit individual requirements

Rotech End of shaft or belt driven units are used for monitoring of: •Distance/Direction •Stop/Slip •Rotation Control •Underspeed/Overspeed •Belt Weighers •Interlocking/Sequencing

Protects:

• Conveyors • Crushers • Valves & Pumps • Bucket Elevators •And many more!

Proven track history of Simply Choose Reliable and extremely high R TECH FOR RELIABILITY! Quality products with hundreds of Why Accept Anything Less?

Applications worldwide

Web: rotechsystems.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)151 356 2322

2 SP

3D, NON-CONTACT LEVEL SCANNER FOR BULK SOLIDS Accurate and reliable level measurement of bulk solid silos, especially where extremely dusty environments create unique challenges for traditional level measuring devices are well documented. However, the introduction of a new and extremely competitively priced 3D scanner brings an affordable solution specifically for bulksolid silos.

The APM RL 2000 is the latest offering from level and flow instrumentation specialists ALLISON ENGINEERING and provides real level measurement based on multiple level readings. The ATEX certified RL 2000 provides accurate and reliable non-contact, dust penetrating level measurement for the most demanding environments, including flour, cement and biomass materials. It is particularly effective on tall, narrow silos where conventional level technologies fail.

The RL 2000 utilises 3-headed, low frequency (2.7 kHz) transducers which scan the stored product profile to provide operators with a 3D map of the silo. This level of accurate information helps operators to identify both the total inventory and also the product profile which ultimately contributes towards production improved efficiencies and cost savings in stock control.

In summary the RL 2000 represents a level control instrument which is extremely competitive with other high specification (and higher cost) radar-based devices and which Allison Engineering is offering on a free-trial basis.

More details are available at Allison Engineering, Basildon, Essex Tel: 01268 526161 E-mail: generalsales@allison.co.uk Web: www.allison.co.uk

Accurate Feeding and Discharging The GYRO EX Bin Activating Feeder/ Discharger is a bin discharger and an accurate feeder, with up to a 100 to 1 turn down ratio, all in one piece of equipment. It produces a controlled gyratory motion to positively withdraw granular materials from bins, storage silos and hoppers.

The GYRO EX bin activating feeder/ discharger uses a radial force to create a uniform circular motion on both the upper activation cone and the lower discharge cone. The stored material load is completely supported by the upper bin activation cone, which has a discharge angle less than the discharge cone.

This means all material feeds faster from the lower discharge cone than from the upper bin activation cone, preventing the head load from compacting material in the lower cone as sometimes seen in traditional vibrating bin dischargers. http://www.krausvibratory.com/products/gyroex.html For more information contact Dynamic Air Ltd, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1908 622344 E-mail: sales@dynamicair.co.uk Web: www.dynamicair.com

Eclipse Magnetics - Protect your Brand with High Performance Separation Eclipse Magnetics manufacture a wide range of contamination detection and removal systems for processing lines.

Eclipse are experts in primary and secondar y separation systems for removing ferrous contamination from processing lines in industries such as food ingredients, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Many of the products feature high intensity 11,000 Gauss magnets thereby ensuring that even the smallest ferrous particles are removed from the process.

The Eclipse range includes systems for removing contaminants from Powders, Pastes, Granules, Pellets and Liquids. Magnetic grids, pneumatically fed separators and automated cleaning units are featured in the portfolio. Many of the products have full ATEX approval for use in potentially explosive environments.

Eclipse also offers a range of vibratory sieves, and metal detectors.

To assist customers in complying with customer and independent audits Eclipse also have a dedicated site inspection service to provide documentation for external audits.

To arrange a consultation visit www.eclipsemagnetics.com or contact info@eclipsemagnetics.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

ON-LINE INFORMATION ADVANTAGE FOR INCREASING PROCESSING COMPETITIVENESS Solutions service, offers engineers and plant operators a wealth of practical, step by step solutions to plant optimisation, a free downloadable diagnostic app and case study evidence and information for those A new website www.IntelliMill.com, in support of Hosokawa Micron’s Performance Improvement seeking more from their existing plant. Browse the website by mobile phone, tablet or PC for information at a glance.

The site demystifies the jargon of process optimisation and its role in meeting Lean manufacturing targets and achieving 6 Sigma performance and reveals how Hosokawa’s established Performance Improvement Solutions service can help processors operate their existing plant at full potential to exploit production opportunities and achieve rapid return on investment.

With three simple stages, UNDERSTAND, MONITOR, CONTROL, Hosokawa Micron’s phased approach to performance improvement and plant optimisation offers engineers clear indicators and defined actions for continuous strategic performance improvement.

Hosokawa Micron’s Per formance Improvement Solutions combines the strength of Hosokawa Micron’s technical and practical processing expertise with the latest plant performance monitoring equipment and analysis software from technology leaders XpertRule Software Ltd to achieve benefits including increased production yield, improved product quality, increased plant availability and reduced emissions across a range of industries.

For further information/reader enquiries, please contact: Hosokawa Micron Ltd, Rivington Road, Whitehouse Industrial Estate, Runcorn, Cheshire.

Tel: (01928) 755100 Fax: (01928) 714325 E-mail: info@hmluk.hosokawa.com Web: www.hosokawa.co.uk

LET’S CRUSH IT WITH THE JC5000 A robust and dependable high capacity jaw crusher which is suitable for large laboratory and plant applications.

The JC5000 finds general application in a variety of operating environments. It readily accepts soft to very hard ore, rock and large industrial particulate up to 85% of its 300mm x 500mm jaw opening.

This is a heavy duty machine suitable for use in a continuous or large batch operating environment.

Typical applications will include primary crushing of large lump ore in sampling stations and pilot plants, the pre-crushing of materials being prepared for analytical or metallurgical laborator y use and in industrial production facilities.

Benefits: • Reduced capital cost: flexibility of use allows for continuous or batch use in laboratory and plant applications.

• Primary crushing application: 500mm x 300mm jaw opening accepts large input feed size up to 250mm.

• Increased productivity: high reduction ratio, with 30mm product size, results in faster and more efficient crushing with reduced process stages.

• High throughput: fast and powerful crushing at 15 tonnes per hour throughput.

• Increased availability: designed with a mechanically simple single toggle that is reliable and easy to maintain and repair.

• Improved quality: easy and fast jaw gap adjustment provides good control of product sizing while minimising downtime and labour service requirements.

Other Features • Multi-purpose use: installation flexibility allows for use in multiple applications and operating environments.

• Reduced operating/spares cost: extended wear part life with reversible and interchangeable jaw plates.

• Decreased downtime and maintenance costs: long life

roller bearings exhibit reliability at high load capacity.

• Improved safety: full drive guarding enhances personal safety and complies with client OH&S standards.

• High level motor protection: IP65 rated electric motor is totally protected against dust ingress and against low pressure water jets from any direction.

Technical data: Jaw Inlet

500mm x 300mm

Maximum Feed Size

250 mm (85% of jaw inlet)

Usual Product Size

30 mm

Maximum Product Size

75 mm

Throughput at Usual Product Size 15,000 Kg/h Motor Power

22 kW, 3 phase

Toggle Speed

325 strokes per minute

Dynamic Loading - Vertical

+/- 8.34 kN

Dynamic Loading - Horizontal

+/- 1.87 kN

Dynamic Frequency

5.42 Hz

Dust Extraction Points

Zero

Dust Extraction Flow

n/a

Mass

3,500 kg

Dimensions (LxWxH)

1.190mm x 765 mm x 1.370 mm

For more information, please click here (please link to - http://www.glencreston.com/products/essamachines/jaw-crusher.aspx).

For further details on Glen Creston products please contact: E-mail: enquiries@glencreston.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 545 9140 Web: www.glencreston.com

Can’t find what you are

looking for?

Log onto www.piimag.com and click PROCESS 118 DIRECTORY or go to SEARCH

Prevention Venting Isolation Suppression

EXPLOSION HAZARDS LTD

37

YEARS

FOR ALL YOUR EXPLOSION SAFETY NEEDS www.explosionhazards.com +44 (0)1925 755153

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

3 SP

RAPID RIBBON MIXING FOR TATE AND LYLE FROM JOHN R BOONE LTD John R Boone have supplied a new, high-specification, easy-clean Helical Blade mixer to Tate and Lyle’s food ingredients factory in Mold, North Wales. The new 250Kg capacity mixer has been constructed to meet the factory’s stringent hygiene and safety standards in stainless steel, with ‘u-trough’ adaptations for rapid discharge, lager batch sizes and full-width top doors for easy cleaning that include special safety interlocks.

Tate and Lyle manufacture highpurity food additives and ingredients in hundreds of different types, including some made to the highest Kosher and Halal standards. Therefore when they were looking at replacing an old mixer their key objectives included improving the ease of cleaning and speed of changeover.

John R Boone have a great international track record with Tate and Lyle, with Delta Blade high shear mixers already in place in Mold, Lubeck in Germany and Brisbane Australia.

Along with other manufacturers, JR Boone were invited to tender for the project, JR Boone proposing one of their well-proven horizontal helical blade mixers (HHBM).

HHBM mixers are available from as little as a 50L capacity all the way up to 10,000L. For this application, a relatively small 500L unit was recommended.

The HHBM mixer has four mixing elements forming an interrupted spiral, with very precisely calculated geometry and a short length compared to its width; that gives the mixer substantial advantages over conventional ribbon or spiral mixers.

The slow-moving mixer arms gently lift and fold the blend end-to-end, in an action that is so efficient that ‘trace’ components can be added directly to the mix with no need to pre-mix.

JR Boone made a strong commercial case, which was followed up with trials performed at JR Boone’s pilot scale plant at their Congleton factory. As Brian Jones, Tate & Lyle’s Engineering Manager, put it; “I have known JR Boone for many years, and they have proved their ability to support us technically, both here and in our factories overseas. We ran supervised trials, with the mixed products then going through our full QC test procedure, which they passed successfully”.

As mentioned above, the factory has very strict requirements for clean-down between mixes. The JR Boone mixer was fitted with two full-width doors to make it easy to clean every inch of the mixer interior, so much so that cleaning only requires around ten minutes. To make it easier and safer, the doors are counterbalanced and fitted with quick-release catches. JR Boone also met the Tate & Lyle safety system requirements with the addition of a captive key system, a system that interlocks the lids of the mixer with the mixer drive, so the mixer can’t start with the lid open.

The HHBM is designed to discharge quickly with the two outer spirals sweeping the entire shell with every revolution, so there is only a very minimal amount of material remaining in the mixer after the batch. An added advantage is the ‘U’ shaped mixer trough provides additional mixing capacity than standard omega shell, giving a 600L batch size to accommodate lower density ingredients.

The mixer was commissioned in December 2012, and has been in full production since.

For more information contact John R Boone Ltd, Congleton, Cheshire Tel: 01260 272894 Fax: 01260 281128 E-mail: sales@jrboone.com Web: www.jrboone.com

DUSTINESS TESTER Solids And Bulk Handling 1-2 page:Layout 1 09/01/2013 15:05 Page 1

– whatever your bulk materials handling requirements, we have the solution n n n n n n n n n n

Bucket elevators Chain conveyors Belt conveyors Screw conveyors Centreless screw conveyors Dischargers Feeders Bulk bag systems Valves Machines custom-built to suit your application

Food Processing

Waste & Recycling

Biomass

Cement/Aggregates

Mining & Mineral

Power generation

Sand & Gravel

Cereals

Tel +44 (0)1775 765 300 Email info@guttridge.co.uk www.guttridge.co.uk

Bulk Materials Handling

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For many industries the introduction of new materials into processes can bring challenges that not only relate to handling properties, but in some cases are linked to levels of fugitive particle emission during handling operations (i.e. dustiness).

Handling a new material without having characterised its propensity to release fines in to the atmosphere can cause implications linked to serious problems such as incorrect sizing/operation of dust extraction and dust handling equipment through to changes in the ATEX rating for a given plant area or the health of workers exposed to dust.

Tests to evaluate the dustiness of bulk materials are relatively straightforward- but often overlooked when planning changes in plant operation. Such tests can be undertaken

by The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling technology in its extensively equipped laboratories at Chatham, Kent.

For more details contact Richard Farnish at wolfson-enquiries@gre.ac.uk or ring +44 (0)20 8331 8646 Web: www.bulksolids.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

piFLOW®p - taking powder transport to the next dimension

Piab, a leading supplier of industrial vacuum technology, introduces piFLOW®p. It is the next generation of premium conveyor line from Piab. piFLOW®p meets the high demand from the food and pharmaceutical industries.

With its proven design for robustness and clean ability, Piab conveyors are regarded as the leading option for vacuum conveying worldwide.

Features • COAX® patented technology • ASTM 316L • Easy to install • Easy to use • ATEX Dust certified • Antistatic filter and seals available • Automatic filter cleaning • All material in contact with the conveyed product fulfil the requirements of FDA The conveyor is designed according to USDA guidelines Typical applications • Powder and granules transfer • Form-fill-seal • Big Bag loading and unloading • Drum/bag filling and emptying • Mill/Sieve/Mixer/Blender filling • Tablet/Fragile products transfer • Applications in explosive atmosphere • Hygienic applications • Compact applications For more information contact PIAB Limited, East Leake, Nottinghamshire.

Tel: 01509 857010 Fax: 01509 857011 E-mail: info-uk@piab.com Web: www.piab.co.uk

AFTERMARKET SERVICES AT SCHENCK PROCESS IN NEW OFFICE LOCATION Since March this year all of the Aftermarket service and sales personnel for Schenck Process UK have been based at new premises in Thorne, near Doncaster. The re-location of the offices to the new facility is part of a £1.5m expansion programme the Company is carrying out to move the factory and test centre to the 5000 sq metre building.

Schenck Process UK incorporates the Clyde Process, Redler and Schenck Process products and technologies and also supports the supply of spare parts and replacement machines for a wide number of other brands such as Vac-U-Max, Simon Macawber, Stock and Clyde Materials Handling.

The new offices and factor y provides an opportunity to centralise the customer contact point for the Aftermarket operation with a low-cost 0845 telephone number and a comprehensive outof-hours support team. Stocks of spare parts will also be centralised to give improved lead times to our UK and international customers.

Can’t find what you are

looking for?

Log onto www.piimag.com and click PROCESS 118 DIRECTORY or go to SEARCH

Tim Carter, the Director of Aftermarket services, is enthusiastic about the move to the new offices. “Having all customer support staff in one location has increased the level of services that we can offer, give greater efficiencies and one point of contact which we know our customers do value” he said.

The Aftermarket department has a total of 38 UK based staff including 18 service and commissioning engineers and 12 proposal and customer support staff. All personnel have undergone intensive training on the full range of the Company’s products and technologies to identify and resolve issues that occur during the working life of the equipment.

The company offers a full aftercare programme called PASS which stands for Process Advanced Service System. The programme covers product installation, routine inspections, maintenance programmes, on-site spare stock monitoring and the repair, upgrade and replacement of parts. All of these services will be co-ordinated by the new central office which can be reached on 0845 201 4564 or by e-mail at spares@schenckprocess.co.uk Further information contact: Schenck Process UK, Doncaster. Tel: 01302 321 313 E-mail: dbogovac@schenckprocess.co.uk Web: www.schenckprocess.co.uk

Kek-Gardner have introduced two new sifters to their range The new products offer all of the usual benefits associated with their standard range of sifters.

Vibration free and high containment operation, coupled with state of the art cantilevered shaft design for easy access, cleaning and inspection makes this machine invaluable for many applications.

The Kek-Gardner VS range of Vertical Screens offer a simple, compact and easy solution to ensure product quality is maintained at all stages of the bmanufacturing process.

This machine is presently available in three sizes and offers a wide range of capabilities ranging from processing a few kilos through to 50 tonnes per hour.

For more information contact Kek-Gardner, Macclesfield, Cheshire.

Tel: 01625 665999 E-mail: sales@kekgardner.com Web: www.kekgardner.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

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UWT - the experts in level control - is chosen as Solution Partner by Siemens: UWT expands its product range with the Siemens Radar SITRANS LR560 From its head office in Germany, UWT has been confirmed by Siemens as the first Solution Partner for process instrumentation specifically designed for level control.

UWT has built a solid reputation as the leading expert and supplier of ingeniously simple level control systems. During its 35 year career in the bulk solids business, the company has delivered custom-specific solutions to clients around the world and built a solid reputation based on the easy handling, reliability and longevity of its products.

The UWT product portfolio includes paddle switches (Rotonivo), vibration forks (Vibranivo), capacitive sensors (Capanivo), Lot measuring sytems (Nivobob), ultrasound sensors (Nivowave) as well as visualisation systems (Nivotec).

Now, in addition to these long established and reliable products, the UWT product range is expanded to include the Siemens Radar SITRANS LR560.

Siemens is the worldwide market leader when it comes to innovative products, technologies and solutions and has once again set new standards with its Radar SITRANS LR560. The unit was specially designed for the continuous and contact free level control of bulk solids material in silos. The SITRANS LR560 2-wire, 78 GHz FMCW radar level transmitter with its small beam angle of 4° and its very short wavelength allows optimum reflection of the bulk solids material even when confronted with a large material mound and can be used for continuous monitoring of solids in silos up to 100 m. The SITRANS LR560’s “plug and play” performance is ideal for most solids applications, including those with extreme dust and high temperatures to +200°C. The unique design allows safe and simple programming using the graphic display with control keys on the unit or via an infrared handheld programmer or alternatively via Hard-, Profibus PA and Foundation Fieldbus communication.

The robust stainless steel construction makes the LR560 extremely suitable for all kinds of industrial applications. The unit operates at a high frequency of 78 GHz thus achieving a very small beam angle which eliminates any signal interference at the flange but allows optimum reflection of the bulk solids material. The flange can be adjusted to ensure a perfect positioning of the LR560, ie the angle of the beam can be set to a specific point, for example the outlet of the silo. The lens antenna is highly resistant to material deposits and offers a self-clean function for extremely sticky solids using an air flush connection. The Local display interface (LDI) allows programming and diagnostics on-site making the installation and operation of the unit as easy as child’s play.

Advantages of Using Radar SITRANS LR560: � 4° beam angle � Measuring range up to 100m � High measurement precision � Easy installation and setup � Process Temperature up to 200°C � Compact version � Lens antenna Technical Detail Radar SITRANS LR560 � Housing: Stainless steel IP68 � Measuring range / tolerance: 100m / ±0,25% � Pressure range: 3 bar g

(40 psi g) max. � Supply voltage: 24 V DC

(max. DC 30 V) � Process connection: DN100 PN16 � Process temperature range: -40°C up to +200°C � Signal output: 4...20mA, 2-wire � Communication: HART-, Profibus and Foundation Fieldbus-communication � Sensitivity (DK-value): > 2,0 Key Applications Radar SITRANS LR560: � Cement powder � Plastic powder/pellets � Grain � Coal � Wood powder � Fly ash For further information and full technical specifications, please contact the UWT UK Sales Office on 0845 4810463 E-mail: sales@uwtuk.com Web: www.uwtuk.com

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SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

BFM dust tight flexible connectors making a big difference in powder handling

BFM® flexible connecting sleeves are dramatically improving hygiene and efficiency in factories handling powders and granular materials. This innovative product solves dust leakage and a host of other problems which occur when transferring raw materials through traditional flexible connectors.

Whilst process equipment has become ever more sophisticated, the humble connecting sleeve has changed little over the years. BFM® has brought the design up to date by developing connectors which snapin place, inside their mounting spigots, for a self-sealing perfect fit every time. Internal sealing is guaranteed dust tight and simply seals tighter under pressure.

No-tool snap-fit means no more jubilee clips and changeover in less than a minute! Durable urethane connectors offer reliable long life performance and are transparent for full product flow visibility, ideal for sieves and sifters.

Upgrade to BFM® for a clean, safe working environment, less waste, less downtime and efficient lean manufacturing. Available from sole UK distributor ProSpare.

For more information contact ProSpare, Pinxton, Nottinghamshire.

Tel: 01773 814008 E-mail: sales@prospare.co.uk Web: www.prospare.co.uk

Endecotts ‘Certified Accuracy’ Endecotts test sieves can be supplied to a variety of different inspection levels depending on the information requirements specified.

• Compliance Certificate - Each test sieve is appropriately inspected individually numbered to provide full traceability and supplied with a Certificate of Conformity to ISO 3310, ASTM -E-11 or other international specifications.

• Inspection Certificate - Each sieve is supplied with an Inspection Certificate stating separately the values for the average aperture in both the warp and weft directions of the wire cloth.

• Mid - Point Inspection Certificate - Test Sieves with the sieving medium specification tolerances reduced by 30%. Each sieve is supplied with a Calibration Certificate giving the range of tolerances and measurements taken.

• Calibration Certificate - Each sieve is supplied with a calibration certificate recording the number of aperture and wire diameters measured, the average aperture size and standard deviation separately for the warp and weft direction. The type of weave will also be stated.

For more information about Endecotts products, please contact: Tel: +44 (0) 208 542 8121 E-mail: sales@endecotts.com Web: www.endecotts.com

Combining products and systems to provide cost saving Solutions

A great range of Silo add-ons Genesis Process Solutions, suppliers of Krauss flexible silos to the UK and Ireland, are able to provide a range of products which can be added to a silo, either at the point of sale or retrospectively.

Available are Load Cells, Level Probes, Cleanout Doors, Reverse Jet Filters, Conveying Systems and Dischargers for poor flowing products - all of which can make the storage and transportation of powdered and granular products that important bit easier.

Krauss flexible silos are available in sizes from 1 tonne to 50 tonnes and are manufacturedfrom heavy duty woven polyester.

For more information contact Genesis Process Solutions, Sandbach Cheshire.

Tel: 01270 766300 Fax: 01270 766302 E-mail: phil@genesisps.co.uk Web: www.genesisps.co.uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

Schenck Process are leaders in providing process solutions utilising their expertise in weighing, feeding, mechanical and pneumatic conveying and air filtration. This combination of process experience and a broad range of product and system technologies provide clients with the effective process solutions they require.

Products such as the MoveMaster Vacuum modular conveying system, Proflex loss-in-weight feeders, SacMaster for bulk bag discharging and the Multidos L weigh feeders all use world-class designs that are incorporated into factory systems to save costs, reduce energy consumption and improve productivity.

Schenck Process UK, based in Doncaster, incorporate the brands and technologies of Redler and Clyde Process. For more information on how we can improve your process efficiencies contact: Schenck Process UK Limited Carolina Court, Lakeside Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN4 5RA Tel: +44 (0) 1302 321313 Fax: +44 (0) 1302 554400 enquires@schenckprocess.co.uk www.schenckprocess.co.uk

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Bulk Bag (F

By Keith Simpson - Spiroflow Limited

Because of the industry-wide and worldwide success that Bulk Bags, alternatively known as Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (or FIBCs), have enjoyed, there has been a major opportunity for designers and manufacturers in the bulk materials handling industry to produce equipment to fill them. Every manufacturer promotes the specific benefits of their Bulk Bag Fillers to win a slice of the market. Accordingly,

Incorrectly filled bulk bags are at best unpleasing to the eye. A point not to be missed by marketeers who would not want their products delivered to customers in bags that resemble ‘Nora Batty’s Stockings’! At worst, incorrectly filled bulk bags are dangerous. Typically, most bulk bags will contain around 1,000kg of material and a bag that falls over could potentially kill someone especially if it is stacked on top of another or it falls from high up in a racking system.

Upright and stable bags are essential if the bags are to be stacked, transported by road or loaded into shipping containers. Using today’s Bulk Bag Fillers, perfectly upright and stable bulk bags can usually be filled to the required volume or weight in less than one minute. That’s also about the time it takes to rig a new bag into position and to remove a filled bag at the end of the cycle. This typically equates to a filling rate of around 20 bags an hour. Continuing the ‘health and safety’ theme: this should all happen dust-free and without spillage. Filling machines are available that can achieve filling rates of up to a hundred 1,000 kg bags an hour and more but, they are very dependent upon so many variables that, in most cases, 50 to 60 bags an hour is more realistic. When selecting a Bulk Bag Filler, the number of bags to be filled an hour is the starting point.

it is essential that those suppliers chosen to submit offers can offer references or demonstrate the

For customers wanting ‘Weights and Measures’ (OIML) approval, reputable suppliers of Bulk Bag Fillers will offer an automatic ‘gain-in-weight’ weighing system probably with programmable one-touch controls. Using such, the operator can control Bulk Bag Filling operations, accurate to +/- 1%, as well as controlling the upstream material feed devices too. The Bulk Bag Filler feed system, whether a conveyor or storage silo above, will be instrumental in enabling the Filler to achieve the bag filling rate required. So, it is best to work with a supplier who can handle those aspects of the system too - and, including all the controls!

veracity of their claims.

Any supplier worth his salt will have a Test Centre for the purposes of the latter.

Next is to know whether the bags are to be filled by weight or by volume. Sometimes the decision is easy!

For example, if the end product is to be sold by weight then the Bulk Bag Filler will need ‘Weights and Measures’ (OIML) approval. However, there are some consumer and industrial products that are sold by volume such as soil, soil improvers and packaging materials.

Other times, it may be necessary for production control to know what is in bulk bags within the factory. Bulk bags are often used to store and/or move intermediate materials in/around the factory between production processes. If such material is to be measured subsequently by way of some other means (such as a receiving hopper on

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load cells, a metering feeder or a container on a weigh scale) then knowing the weight of the contents in bulk bags used for this purpose may not be relevant. That is, unless it is important for the accountants to know for their monthly reports/annual stock-takes. In which case knowing their contents by weight could be crucial.

However, knowing the weight for production or inventory purposes usually means that ‘Weights and Measures’ approval is not required for any Bulk Bag Filler used to fill such bags.

The majority of users will want filled bags mounted on pallets pallet and to remove them by forklift truck. However, there are still some of the heavier industries that prefer to shift bags via their loops.

Accordingly, bag removal by pallet or by their loops is another deciding factor in the type of Bulk Bag Filler required.

Given today’s robotics, it is now possible to have a fully automated Bulk Bag Filling System. Hitherto, most automated systems have, in truth, only been semi-automatic - still requ-

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

FIBC) Filling iring the bulk bag to be rigged onto the Bulk Bag Filler manually. Now robots can be used to achieve this too - meaning the whole process from placing a pallet, to rigging the bag, filling the bag to removing the filled bag can be completely automated. Clearly, such automation comes at a price which can usually only be justified in the highest of volume packing applications that operate 24/7.

Some of the key elements to consider for Bulk Bag Fillers, whether manually or automatically operated, include: Bag inflation device: inflates the bulk bag (and its liner - if it’s a lined bag) with ambient air and creates slight positive pressure to remove wrinkles and properly form the bag. This assures maximum material capacity and removes folds and creases that could cause problems on discharge. This facility also enables the bag to be inflated with nitrogen or other inert gases when packing materials that oxidise during storage.

detachment of the bulk bag loops to/from the Bulk Bag Filler. This operation is especially beneficial when using a powered roller conveyor as it ensures the bag loops are released before the roller conveyor operates.

Movable Filling Head: bringing the filling head to the front of the filler is another aid for easier, safer and faster bag hanging which reduces operator fatigue and eliminates the need for the operator to step onto the filler - which must be avoided at all costs with a roller conveyor base.

Roller Bed: the roller bed system, either manual or powered, enables filled bags to be removed from the filler onto a queuing conveyor and an empty bag to be rigged even went a forklift truck is not immediately available making for increased productivity.

Electric or pneumatic vibrators: during the filling process, vibrators improve material densification in the Bulk Bag. This increases productivity, maximises the use of space and ensures that filled bags are safe for further handling, storage or transportation and that they are aesthetically pleasing too.

‘Rise and Fall’ Bulk Bag Fillers Where delicate products are to be filled into bulk bags, some Bulk Bag Filler manufactures such as Spiroflow for example have developed fillers which raise the bottom of the bulk bag close to the filling head and they lower the bag as the bag fills. This has proven to be a very successful way of eliminating the damage that can be caused by delicate products dropping great heights.

Ten Top Tips for Bulk Bag Fillers: 1. Match Bulk Bag and Filling Equipment There’s no such thing as a ‘standard’ bulk bag. Bulk bags should be designed specifically to meet your requirements just like the bulk bag filling system. If they are not customised to work together, you’re not maximizing productivity, profit and potentially safety. Bulk bag filling requires systems thinking and customisation to optimize results.

Filling Head with inflatable mechanical seal: this option speeds up bag rigging and ensures a dust tight seal between the Bulk Bag Filler and the bulk bag for hygienic, dust-free operation. A properly designed filling head will also facilitate escape of the displaced air/gas as the bag is filled. Vented air from a product containing dust must be filtered through an appropriate dust extraction system. This is usually the factory’s central system but, where such is not available, most Bulk Bag Filler suppliers can offer integral filtration systems.

Powered Height Adjustment: this option enables the operator to quickly adjust the filling head height between filling cycles to accommodate differing size bulk bags.

Rear Bag Loops that move forward: for easier bag hanging.

Automatic opening of bag hooks: this simultaneously opens/closes all bag hooks to allow for faster attachment/

2. Improve Bulk Bag Stability A recent survey proved that almost 50% of bulk bag filling operations report problems with bulk bags slumping or falling over. This is a safety hazard and compromises productivity and profitability. It also causes inefficient use of warehouse space. Plus, better-densified product requires a shorter bag for a given weight thereby reducing packaging costs. Significant improvements can be achieved by solving densification problems.

3. Optimise Upstream Equipment If the upstream process and related equipment providing product to the bulk bag filler is not optimised you can be suffering from inconsistent weighing, low productivity and anaemic profitability. A customised approach must be taken to integrating bulk bag filling with your production processes to ensure maximum productivity and profitability.

4. Improve Weighing Accuracy If you sell your product by weight and each bulk bag is overfilled by more than 0.5 - 1kg, you are giving away product for free. A bulk bag filling system that weighs precisely and consistently will instantly generate incremental revenue and profit.

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

5. Automate Typically, 1,000kg bulk bags can be filled on a single station machine at rates of 20 - 25 bags per hour with consistent weighing accuracy of ± 0.5 - 1kg and even up to 50 to 60+ bags per hour if pre-weighing is used on a triple station filler. Significant productivity increases can be achieved by automating your bulk bagging operation while improving bag stability and weighing accuracy.

6. Improve Warehouse Utilization 70% of those surveyed indicated that stacking bulk bags was important to them. Can you stack your filled bulk bags 2 or 3 high? If not, you may be passing up an opportunity to significantly increase your warehouse utilisation... and your customer’s.

7. Increase Filling Operation Productivity Is bulk bag filling a bottleneck? Do you have to increase production and your filler can’t keep up? Do you have to manually top-up each bag to its target weight? Could you generate more profit if you could fill bulk bags faster?

Does your filling system require more than one operator?

Poor productivity is a critical concern of unsuccessful bulk bag filling operations and a key area for improvement.

8. Reduce Packaging Cost Do your filled bulk bags have empty space at the top when you fill them or after they sit in the warehouse? Do your bulk bags have internal baffles to try and improve their stability? If so, you are paying too much for your bulk bags and the combination of the right equipment, application engineering and bulk bag design can solve your problem.

9. Improve Application Engineering Does your bulk bag filling system do what you need?

Has it ever? If not, your bagging operation is likely unproductive, less profitable than it could be and possibly even a safety hazard. A customized Optimization Analysis can determine how you can make overall improvements to your bulk bag handling operation.

10. Improve Ergonomics Do your operators struggle with your filling equipment?

Do they have to walk into the machine to rig a bag or walk on roller conveyors to attach the bag lifting loops? Does your bulk bag filling equipment require too long a reach to attach the fill spout? Bad ergonomics pose a safety concern and if the filling equipment isn’t easy to use your operators will be unmotivated and unproductive.

Spiroflow Limited, Clitheroe, Lancashire Can be contacted on: Tel: +44 (0) 1200 422525 Fax: +44 (0) 1200 429165 E-mail: sales@spiroflow.com Web: www.spiroflow.com

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New Sieve Technology provides faster Product Changeover at Deloro Stellite Plant Switch to modern sieves cuts product changeover downtime by 300% and achieves ROI in months at coatings operation in Indiana In the quest for greater margins, no processor can afford excess downtime at product changeovers. Nor can they afford excess labor to clean and maintain cumbersome, outdated machines. Yet to avoid cross contamination, especially in bulk powder applications, no corners can be skipped. That’s why streamlining the production process from input to final product screening can be critical.

When a coatings processor avoided a production bottleneck by upgrading to a new sieve technology, it saw product changeover accelerate, with rapid payback adding to the bottom line.

“We cut downtime from product changeover in third and enhanced product quality by switching to the Russell Finex Compact Sieves,” says Bob Minton, maintenance manager at Deloro Stellite’s coatings operations in Goshen, Indiana. “By expediting cleaning, preventing cross contamination and aiding product quality, we achieved ROI on the Compact Sieves in a few months.”

A Need for Speed Deloro Stellite is a global provider of solutions to industrial wear problems, where heat, corrosion and abrasion can limit component life. It produces proprietary metal alloys from cobalt and nickel, which have metallurgical and physical properties suited to industrial wear challenges.

At its coatings operations, sieving was a critical process since the size of powdered metals controls its flowability into customers’ weld points in a range of applications.

To streamline production and enhance quality, the company planned to add a new sieving process for all initial powder inputs and final powder products at its Goshen, Indiana plant.

While the company used traditional sieves for lower volume powder classifying, Minton felt traditional sieves were too slow and complex for Deloro Stellite’s current needs.

“With 5,000 product variations, we’d have to take apart each sieve, clean it and put it back together 10 to 12 times a day,” explains Minton. “We needed a sieving technology that was easier to use than the same old type that’s been on the market for 40 years.”

The traditional sieves were cumbersome to work on, take apart, clean and put back together. And if the seals weren’t aligned properly, they could leak, potentially ruining a product batch.

“Band clamps wore out, bent, broke or cracked, and the seal had to line up all the way around the flange,” says Minton. “It took two people to work the seal around large diameter units, with no alignment pins or guides.”

Fine powder sometimes worked its way into the clamp bolt threads on these traditional sieves too.

When this happened, the sieve operators would call maintenance to have the bolt cut off and replaced with a new one. Maintenance was also called whenever sieve vibration adjustments were needed. All this added to production downtime.

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At a bulk powder processing show, a traditional sieve supplier promised to show him an assembly “shortcut” but was unable to put the unit back together.

Minton decided he’d had enough of traditional sieves, so began a search for low maintenance units in an effort to streamline the production process and simultaneously reduce man-hours.

Speed Delivered In search of a solution, Minton turned to a state-of-the-art Compact Sieve” from Russell Finex. The unit’s design and ease of use impressed Minton, who felt it would expedite product changeover and improve bulk powder processing. A trial proved him right, and now there are four Compact Sieves at the Goshen plant.

“One operator can take apart and put together a Compact Sieve in less than a minute with no tools,” says Minton. “Just undo four latches by hand, lift the top off, and then lift the screen out. To assemble it, reverse the process. It seals perfectly.

Because the screen drops into a recess, there’s no chance of misalignment; and cleaning is easy with a vacuum line.”

“Everything’s right there, easily accessible,” says Minton.

“Pop a cap off the end of the motor and there’s your vibration adjustments. It’s so easy to do adjustments that one of our junior process engineers re-aligned it.

We showed him once, and he was comfortable enough to make the adjustments himself.”

Minton estimates the new sieve technology saves about an hour a day in production downtime, compared to the cumbersome product changeover process required by traditional sieves. Product output and quality are also improved by the new Russell sieves.

Traditional designs incorporate a spring-mounted base and a custom motor with a pair of eccentric weights at the end of the motor shaft. However, this design lacks accuracy in controlling the force of vibration imparted to the mesh screen, and is typically limited to a speed of 1200 rpm.

In contrast, the Compact Sieves” from Russell Finex omit the need for springs and instead uses a patented rubber suspension system. Combining this with its high speed 1800 rpm vibratory motor and easily adjustable weight system allows much higher forces to be transferred through the mesh screen itself. This creates a more finely-tuned and vigorous action, significantly raising sieving efficiency.

“The adjustable weight system makes it easy to set the machines up,” says Minton. “It helps us get the right time on the screens to get every bit of powder possible, while minimizing product loss to oversize.”

The design of these sieves can go a step further to increase throughput by using the Russell Vibrasonic” deblinding system in conjunction with the screen.

By energizing the wires of the screen mesh with an ultrasonic vibration, the friction between the product and the screen is effectively removed. In the case of the Russell Finex machines, mesh “blinding” is eliminated, helping to move material through the screens faster.

Since the Compact Sieves are crevice-free and entirely constructed from polished stainless steel including their stands, all surfaces are easily cleanable.

“The Compact Sieves make it easy for our operators to quickly and cleanly complete product changeovers without tools,” says Minton. “They help with output, product purity, and product loss. Saving even one product batch from possible cross contamination could pay for the cost of the sieves.”

“With the new sieves, our customers get a better quality product and better deliverability in the long run,” concludes Minton.

For more information contact Russell Finex Ltd, Feltham, Middlesex.

Tel: +44 (0) 208 818 2000 Fax: +44 (0) 208 818 2060 E-mail: enquiries@russellfinex.com Web: www.russellfinex.com

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VORTEX IMPROVES SANITARY GRAVITY SLIDE GATE Vortex Valves has improved its sanitary gravity valve, the Quick Clean Orifice Gate, with improved sealing performance, higher durability, easier maintenance, and fewer replacement parts. The Vortex Quick Clean Gate is designed to handle dry bulk ingredients in the food, dairy, pharmaceutical, chemical and other industries that require frequent or daily sanitation of equipment.

The blade and seal design of the Quick Clean Orifice Gate allows the valve to “self-clean” on the opening stroke, even on a flowing column of material, preventing material from packing on the valve’s internal seals. The gate has been redesigned to have no dead pockets or hidden areas that could lead to material spoilage or cross contamination.

The seals are critical to maintain cleanliness and inhibit material dust and fine powders to leak across the valve or into the atmosphere. The valve also includes hard polymer seals that compensate for wear over time. These seals also are protected from the material stream providing long service life and durability.

The upgraded latch assemble improves adjustability and enhances sealing. The clamp nut has been redesigned for easier and quicker rotation to loosen or clamp the nut. Its fully adjustable press lock latches allow for quick disassembly and reassembly without the use of tools.

The improved sanitary gate has fewer parts for easier maintenance. The Quick Clean Slide Gate now

has 13 parts compared to the original that had 24.

The design improvements make the gate easier to clean and the flange-toflange height takes up less room in a stack up within the facilities.

The valve, made of FDA approved materials, is USDA Dair y Standard Accepted and is also compliant with EU directives and standards.

Adapting the Quick Clean Orifice Gate to a system is made easy with a wide selection of actuators, flanges and tube stubs. Several intermediate position options are available allowing for precise weighing and batching. A wide variety of surface finishes are also available. Modifications can be added to accommodate a range of temperatures and corrosive, humid, or hazardous environments.

For more information on Vortex’s improved Quick Clean Gate contact Vortex UK Tel: +44 (0) 870 770 9861 E-mail: vortex.eu@vortexvalves.com Web: www.vortexvalveseurope.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

TUBULAR CABLE CONVEYOR MOVES FRAGILE BULK PRODUCTS Flexicon’s all-new FLEXIDISC™ Tubular Cable Conveyor transfers friable food and non-food products gently, quietly and dustfree. The conveyor moves material using high-strength polymer discs--affixed to a stainless steel or galvanised cable--that slide within smooth stainless steel tubing routed horizontally, vertically or at any angle, through small holes in walls or ceilings.

The system can have single or multiple inlets and outlets, and convey over short distances or hundreds of metres. Fragile food products conveyed include: cereals, coffees, teas, dried fruits, frozen vegetables, grains, nuts, peas, pet foods, seeds, snack foods and spices. Typical nonfood applications include bulk chemicals, minerals, chopped fibreglass, microspheres, regrind, pellets, tobacco and other friable materials. Industrial and sanitary models offered with accessories for wet or dry cleaning, including CIP sanitising. Offered as a stand-alone system or fully integrated with new or existing upstream and downstream equipment manufactured by Flexicon and others.

For more information contact Flexicon Europe Ltd, Whitstable, Kent. Tel: +44 (0)1227 374710 E-mail: sales@flexicon.co.uk Web: www.flexicon.co.uk

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Low Pressure Phase Convey Written by Schenck Process UK The pet food industry has long searched for a method to convey finished product from process to storage and packaging in a reliable, inexpensive, maintenance-free system that yields little or no breakage.

In the past the industry has relied heavily on mechanical methods. There are many advantages and disadvantages to conveying with mechanical and pneumatic systems.

Mechanical Handling is fairly inexpensive if conveying a short distance or transferring between process operations. However, the equipment - bucket elevators, conveyor belts, chain conveyors, and screw conveyors - have many moving parts. In addition to being high maintenance, they also provoke serious cross-contamination concerns, produce high amounts of breakage and occupy large amounts of space within the plant. In addition, the ability to change from horizontal to vertical with a mechanical system poses design layout problems.

Pneumatic conveying methods are fairly well known but typically misunderstood and disregarded due to the perceptions of breakage. Advances in system design and control makes low pressure continuous dense phase (LPCDP) a simple way to pneumatically convey dry pet foods with minimum product breakage and cleanliness unmatched by mechanical conveying methods.

Pneumatic system options

Pneumatic systems include both dilute phase and dense phase systems. Dilute phase systems convey at air velocities high enough to keep the particles suspended in the air stream. The high velocities required to convey in this manner often generate high amounts of breakage. Dense phase systems convey particles below the minimum velocity for suspension flow characteristically in a slug or moving bed. Low velocities are gentler on all kinds of product and therefore produce less overall breakage. The air requirements for dense phase systems are significantly less than dilute phase.

Dense phase systems can be further categorized into batch dense phase and continuous dense phase. Batch dense phase is the classic method of conveying at low velocity.

The material is dropped into a pressure vessel and then the material is forced into the convey line using relatively small volumes of compressed air. Although this method can result in reduced product breakage, it is a batch process, it can have greater headroom requirements and is not so flexible for varying rates and products. Continuous dense phase employs a precision machined airlock to continuously introduce material into the convey line, requires a relatively low amount of headroom and is still able to gently convey at low velocities. A disadvantage of using an airlock is that leakage of air through the airlock can generally result in unstable systems. However, stable dense phase systems are attainable when using an airlock, if the leakage air is accounted for in the air supply controls.

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SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

e Continuous Dense ying of Dry Pet Foods Slug formation in a dense phase system is the key to minimizing product degradation.

Slugs of material that gently form and move through the system are stable and are less likely to break products such as kibble. A system that constantly forms and breaks plugs in a convey line is said to lack stability and can damage the product as much or more than mechanical methods.

Maintaining consistent product feed Stable dense phase systems are a result of consistent product and air supplies that are fed to the convey line. Consistent product feed is managed by way of an airlock rotating at a constant speed. Maintaining consistent convey air supply (QS) is difficult because the leakage through the airlock (QL) is constantly changing as a result of the pressure below the airlock. For a constant QS, where QL is constantly changing, then the convey air (QC) will be constantly changing as well. However, a system that varies QS according to the pressure below the airlock to account for the varying QL can deliver a constant supply of air to the convey line. (See Figure 1) This can however be accomplished by linking pressure transducers at the material feeder (airlock)to a variable air flow valve downstream of the blower unit. The air flow valve â&#x20AC;&#x153;Macturiâ&#x20AC;? automatically adjusts to pressure fluctuations at the Figure 1 feed point, and therefore instantaneously expands and retracts the supply air to account for fluctuating airlock leakage. Consistent material and air feed at proper material-to-air ratios produce proper slugging and therefore a stable dense phase conveying system.

The characteristic of a LPCDP system that designates it as low pressure is the friction associated with moving a slug of material through the system. By minimizing the friction generated by the slug, the differential pressure needed to move the slug down the convey line is minimized. This in turn ensures a minimal convey pressure considering the convey pressure is essentially the sum of the individual differential pressures of the slugs. Much of the friction minimization is material intensive. Products such as pet foods have porous surfaces and low densities. Together these characteristics indicate the product will naturally generate very little friction. Further measures are taken to reduce the friction in these systems including: polished stainless steel piping, seamless pipe joints and long radius elbows.

Receiving area for raw materials A concern when debating the use of a low pressure dense phase system can be the compressed air source. High pressure plant air is generally required as the motive force, as opposed to a Roots type blower due to the pressures involved. Low Pressure Continuous Dense Phase (LPCDP), however, characteristically conveys under 1 barg. The air source is then optional depending on the individual plant needs. A plant that is running low on

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

high pressure air can opt to employ a Roots type blower. Conversely, a plant that has an ample supply of high pressure compressed air can reduce their capital expense by using their existing air so long as the compressed air quality is acceptable.

With many of the misconceptions and mysteries of LPCDP addressed, one can then look at the pure advantages this system possesses as compared to its mechanical counterparts. With many pet food plants functioning more as a human food plant, housekeeping becomes a significant issue. While most mechanical methods are hardly dust free and often uncovered, pneumatic lines are completely enclosed and filter out dust at the destination. This feature results in great leaps in cleanliness and sanitation.

Maintenance is a huge issue when comparing pneumatic systems to mechanical methods. Very few moving parts means less parts that can wear, break or come off track. Rather than thousands of bearings, rollers and belts, the moving parts on an LPCDP system include only an airlock, variable orifice and an automatic valve. Properly designed and operated systems can eliminate plugging issues. Changing product in the convey line is accomplished by a simple purge with nearly zero cross contamination.

Thousands of man-hours can be saved on this point alone.

Reduced pet food breakage LPCDP systems convey pet food products gently and with consistently less breakage or fines generation than either dilute phase systems or mechanical methods. The reduced amount of product degradation that occurs in the LPCDP system benefits the overall process. Reduced amounts of fines that are screened off the product equate to less reworked material. Less reworked material equates to a more efficient process and higher quality product. Likewise, packaging lines also benefit when less fines are generated, because fewer fines are actually packaged. This is perceived as the most substantial advantage.

The final step to assessing the viability of incorporating an LPCDP system is analysing the ease of system integration. The inlet of the system requires only a minimal headroom. This is often ideal for feeding off other pieces of equipment such as dryers, or conveying from storage such as bins or silos. The convey line can then run to any destination desired, through nearly any path required. Pneumatic convey lines run horizontally, vertically, through walls, through floors and across ceilings as needed.

Prototypical PLC configurations and equipment are used to control LPCDP systems.

Thus, controls are easily integrated to work with other processes and the states and alarms of other systems. Lastly, the capacity and flexibility of LPCDP systems are superior to other convey methods. Altering rates is often as simple as altering the speed of the airlock and changing the air supply to match. Conveying a product with very different characteristics is usually as simple as changing a few constants in the PLC configuration. This can be done automatically for systems that routinely convey various products through the same convey line.

All things considered, LPCDP is more versatile, gentler to the product and requires less maintenance than dilute phase conveying or any of the several mechanical conveying methods. With the recent swing the pet food industry is making toward improving efficiency, cleanliness and sanitation of their plants, LPCDP is a sound investment. The Schenck Process E-finity LPCDP system has been installed in many Pet Food factories providing the full range of benefits outlined in this report.

Schenck Process UK, Doncaster, South Yorkshire Can be contacted on: Tel: +44 (0) 1302 321313 Fax: +44 (0) 1320 554400 E-mail: enquiries@schenckprocess.co.uk Web: www.schenck.co.uk

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System Selection - can a Level Playing Field Exist?

Introduction When purchasing plant or equipment the desire to get the best value is often driven by an over emphasis on the price quoted in tender documents and the relationship between this and the (invariably) strongly constrained capital budget used to deliver the project. This article will consider the implications of ‘value engineering’ on system (or equipment) design and functionality.

The main issues The main problem that can present itself to project managers / engineers is often related to the meaningful evaluation of tender responses. It is by no means unknown for five equipment suppliers to submit significantly different designs - all of which would have been based on a common supplied specification. This can present major issues for the evaluation of the systems. Often the fact that each supplier will have provided a process guarantee will be perceived as a minimisation of risk by the end user and can in some cases drive the final selection down the route of who can provided the combination of low cost and quickest delivery time on site. In principle, this premise for selection does not seem unreasonable and certainly falls in with project management practices across many sectors of industry. However, what appears to a rational approach to selection can ‘back fire’ badly if the technical risk of what is being offered is not correctly assessed or even identified in the first instance. A failure to fully address technical risk can lead to the installation of inappropriate equipment, extended commissioning and possibly a long term failure to attain projected production rates.

Where can it all go wrong?

One of the main reasons why such variations in tender responses can be generated is often due to vaguely written specifications that lack sufficient technical rigour upon which to base a fully informed design. A balance should be made between allowing sufficient latitude for suppliers to implement their specialist knowledge with the specification framework and ensuring the inclusion of key technical points to steer their collective responses in a concerted way. This may sound like common sense for the initiation of a tendering process for any industry - but it is all the more critical for the process industries that work with powder or granular materials. The storage and handling characteristics of bulk materials make them very sensitive to the finer points equipment or system designs - which is one reason why so many plants experience problems with processing these types of material.

An example of the dilemma that can develop relates to the seemingly simple task of procuring a storage silo. Often the main guidance in the specification will focus upon spatial constraints and vessel volume requirements. Reference to the materials to be handled is likely to range from sparse (i.e. its name) to un-useful from a design perspective (angle of repose, tapped bulk density, median particle size). Consideration as to how the material is likely to behave when passed through the equipment is usually limited to “....discharge reliably...” - again, not very helpful in a practical sense. The questions that should be asked at the time of writing the specification ought to consider: does the material ‘cake’ if stored for too long, is it prone to segregation, does it gain strength with time such that flow initiation may be an issue, how accurate will the feeder discharge requirements be (the vessel must be designed with these in mind if high accuracy is required). Too often these questions are not posed or insufficient information is available to form a meaningful view.This leads to ambiguity in the requirements the most fundamental of which is whether core flow or mass flow is 1) Arching

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a process requirement. These are basic items which are often omitted. Whether a supplier will seek clarification of what is actually needed is unlikely if the specification is seen as being a definitive document.

In such instances a failure to make clear reference to how the process is intended to work (or how the equipment is intended to integrate with existing plant) can be taken as an indication that no special considerations for design exist.

This, in effect, can give suppliers a relatively free hand to fall back on previous experience and standard equipment ranges to evolve their response. Thus a specification can generate quite diverse options between suppliers.

2) Rat-holing

Failure to apply a knowledge of powder flow behaviour can lead to equipment problems; 1) Arching 2) Rat-holing 3) Hammer-rash

3) Hammer-rash Perhaps one of the more potentially damaging aspects of the progress towards a final installation (following initial acceptance) is the implementation of ‘value engineering’ to a design that is quite likely already in quite a (technically) stripped down form in order to bring the costs down to a level that make it competitive. In such instances it is not unknown for aspects of equipment considered to extraneous to the main function to removed altogether. Again, commercial pressures can be seen to increase the risk to the efficiency of the final plant, but the real danger lies in the failure to correctly identify the risks that are being increased. It is unfortunate that the widespread lack of reference materials combined with minimal opportunities for engineers to familiarise themselves with the technology of powder/granular materials characteristics and handling, makes this type of exercise potentially a high risk activity in its own right!

Conclusion In answer to the consideration as to whether an ‘even playing field’ can exist to assess tenders? - possibly not as long as the technical aspects of tender documents are subsumed purely by commercial consideration. If suppliers are presented with technically sound and rigorous specifications that fully consider the requirements of the bulk materials being handled, a more meaningful comparison has a more chance of occurring.

However, the underlying message for end users and suppliers is that an awareness of bulk solids handling and the nuances of the products to be processed must form one of the underpinning elements in any of the procurement steps discussed in this (brief) article.

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

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As expert of filtration and drying equipment, PSL developed a unique contained filtration system, the FilterBox. This optimum contained filtration and drying solution is designed for handling highly potent APIs and other highly active or cytotoxic compounds. The FilterBox is pioneering powder handling technology that provides fully contained filtration, drying, charging, sampling, discharging, base-opening and cleaning, as well as filter mesh inspection and changing.

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