Process industry informer July 2014

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER.

JUN/JUL 2014 Volume 10 No. 4

THE UK’S LEADING PUBLICATION SERVING THE PROCESS INDUSTRIES

Find out about them on the back cover In this issue...

• 12 Generic Editorial Articles • News & Events • Case Studies • Product Introductions • Solids Handling & Processing Supplement/SHAPA News

Subjects cover - controlling heat transfer costs to multi-touch systems, plant efficiency & safety, smart solutions for integrated industry & continuous integrity monitoring. In the supplement - check your flow properties, why dust is an issue, weigh the benefits of scale systems, valves for solids processing and efficiency for conveyors.

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

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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. Š 2014 ASCO. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS News & Events 4-5

EDITORIAL FEATURES Multi-touch Technology: Intuitive Functionality Advances Automation 10/11

Instrumentation 18

Keep heat transfer costs under control 12

Applications 6-9

Health & Safety 19

Overlay Welding Alternative 13

Dust Prevention for Interlocks 19

Smart solutions for integrated industry 16/17 Optimising Plant Efficiency 20/21 Continuous integrity monitoring 22

Heat Transfer & Energy 13

Fluids & Liquids Handling inc. Pumps & Valves 23-28

Industrial Amplifiers 14

Maintenance 29

Temperature Humidity Chambers 14

Wastewater Systems 30

Infrared Thermometers 14-15

Compressors & Compressed Air 30

Analysers 15

SHAPA News - Solids Handling & Processing Supplement 31-51 (1 SP-17 SP)

Reliability: The Safe Option 24

SHAPA NEWS - SOLIDS HANDLING & PROCESSING SUPPLEMENT Starts on page 31 (1 SP) SHAPA Update 1 SP Know your flow properties 4 SP Dust – why it’s an issue and what the processing industries should be doing about it 6 SP Weighing up the benefits of an electronic scale system 10 SP Spherical Disc Valves For Solids Processing Applications 12 SP – 13 SP Enhancing efficiency in conveyors 18 SP

Editor Phil Black philblack@piimag.com Publisher/Advertising Manager Peter Ullmann peterullmann@piimag.com Digital Marketing Manager Guy Ullmann guyullmann@piimag.com Supplements Manager David Harling davidharling@piimag.com Office Manager Diane Ullmann dianeullmann@piimag.com

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NEWS & EVENTS

Sponsored by

Yokogawa Reaches Agreement with GasSecure on Distribution of GasSecure’s Wireless Gas Detectors through Yokogawa’s Global Sales Network -A wider field wireless product lineup for improved safety managementAt their Users Conference held in Berlin over 3 – 5th July Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced the signing of an agreement with Norway based GasSecure AS on the distribution of GasSecure’s ISA100 Wireless* based gas detectors through Yokogawa’s global sales network. With this agreement, Yokogawa gains access to GasSecure’s wireless gas detectors and thereby strengthens its lineup of plant field wireless solutions and enhances its support of health, safety, security, and environment (HSSE) management applications. This agreement will also allow GasSecure to gain access to Yokogawa’s global sales and service network and thereby boost the sales of its wireless gas detectors.

Overview

With a field wireless system, the field devices at a plant are able to communicate wirelessly with host systems that perform functions such as monitoring and control.

Wireless communications offer many advantages, including the ability to install field devices in difficult-to-wire locations and reduced cabling costs.

Yokogawa has been developing a wide variety of ISA100 Wireless compliant technologies and devices such as wireless adapters that allow conventional wired devices to access wireless networks. GasSecure specializes in the development, manufacture, and sale of low power, high reliability wireless gas detectors that are used to monitor for hydrocarbon leaks at offshore platforms, tank farms, industrial plants, and the like. GasSecure’s clients include major oil companies and their products are in wide use around the globe.

Under this agreement, Yokogawa will distribute GasSecure’s ISA100 Wireless gas detectors through its global sales and service network. The growing need to improve plant safety by installing more gas detectors and replacing out of date detection systems is driving the demand for wireless gas detectors, which have the added advantage of eliminating the need for wiring and thus are easier to install and cost less. As such, Yokogawa will be better able to satisfy its customers’ needs by incorporating wireless gas detectors in its field wireless system solutions. At the same time, GasSecure will be able to utilize Yokogawa’s global sales and service network to expand its wireless gas detector business.

Also, under the terms of a separate sales agreement that was reached in February of this year, GasSecure will sell Yokogawa’s field wireless system devices together with its own gas detection systems.

Features of GasSecure’s Wireless Gas Detectors

GasSecure’s wireless gas detectors detect leaks of hydrocarbon gas that can cause explosions. Utilizing ultra-low power infrared sensors, they perform measurements and send that information wirelessly to the host monitoring system. The key features of these detectors are as follows: 1. High reliability As gas leaks are a frequent cause of major plant accidents, it is very important to have a highly reliable gas detection system that keeps plant personnel constantly up to date on any changes in gas concentration levels. With a five-second response time, GasSecure’s wireless gas detectors are able to perform highly specific and reliable infrared measurements of gas concentrations and wirelessly update a host monitoring system. With their ISA100 Wireless mesh network capability and their reliance on dual redundant communication paths between the detector and the host monitoring system, they are at least the equivalent of any wired alternative with respect to reliability.

2. High availability With heated optical surfaces for removing condensation, GasSecure’s wireless gas detectors are suitable for use in highly humid environments and have excellent availability under a wide range of conditions, from tropical to arctic. The GasSecure detectors also utilize a stable triple wavelength infrared technology that eliminates the need for calibration for the entire lifetime of the product, something that is not possible with conventional instruments.

3. Low power consumption The power consumed by these gas detectors averages just 5 mW thanks to the use of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology.

4

Compared to other battery-powered gas detectors, GasSecure’s products have a much longer battery life, and are also more reliable.

Major Target Markets - The oil & gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries Commenting on this agreement, Masatoshi Nakahara, director and senior vice president of Yokogawa’s Industrial Automation Platform Business Headquarters, said, “We selected GasSecure, a leading supplier of gas detectors, and believe that their best-in-class ISA100 Wireless solution will allow us to broaden the use of our field wireless systems.”

GasSecure’s CEO, Knut Sandven, also commented, “GasSecure selected Yokogawa for their reliable and highquality wireless infrastructure. We are Shaking hands on the Yokogawa/GasSecure very excited about entering into this agreement are (left) Masatoshi Nakahara, agreement as it will give us access to director and senior vice president of Yokogawa’s extensive global sales and Yokogawa’s Industrial Automation Platform Business Headquarters, and (right) Knut service network.”

Sandven, CEO of GasSecure * ISA100 Wireless, or ISA100.11a, is an industrial wireless networking technology standard developed by the International Society of Automation (ISA). ISA100 Wireless features high reliability, diverse applications, network extendibility, and high compatibility with wired communications standards such as FOUNDATION™ fieldbus, HART®, and PROFIBUS. This standard is currently being discussed as IEC62734 by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

The names of the companies, organizations, and brands in this text are the trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies and organizations.

For more information contact GasSecure’s website: www.gassecure.com For further information please contact: European Industrial Automation,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

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

NEWS & EVENTS

Sponsored by

RECOVINYL CONTINUES TO INCREASE PVC RECYCLING Conference Programme ACROSS EUROPE

WWEM 2014 announced

The organisers of WWEM 2014, the international Water, Wastewater and Environmental Monitoring conference and exhibition, have announced the details of the Conferences that will take place at the Telford International Centre in the UK, 5-6th November. The first day’s Conference will focus on the monitoring aspects of industrial and municipal monitoring, whereas the second day will address some of the key issues relating to sampling and laboratory analysis.

WWEM 2014 (www.wwem.uk.com), the 6th in a series of highly successful environmental monitoring events, will provide delegates with the latest information on the techniques, technologies, methods, standards and regulatory requirements that relate to the monitoring which takes place both on-site and in the laboratory, covering sampling, field analysis, gas detection and continuous water and wastewater monitoring applications.

The first day of the Conference will include presentations by senior individuals from the Environment Agency, CSA-Sira, WRc and Siris Environmental, addressing key environmental monitoring issues such as Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA), CEN standards for water quality and flow monitoring equipment, MCERTS, independent instrument approval, and examples will be given of ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of flow monitoring.

Addressing a laboratory analysis theme, Day 2 of the Conference has been organised by British Measurement and Testing Association.

The speakers represent the national accreditation body, UKAS, large water companies and commercial laboratory-based organisations, presentations addressing issues such as proficiency testing, the UKAS document TPS 47, the lowering of detection limits, good sampling protocols, mobile data capture and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). Intriguingly, Professor Clive Thompson from ALcontrol will deliver a presentation entitled: ‘Sampling and analysis in relation to Priority Substances Directive 2012/39/EU’ for which he says he will provide “a devil’s advocate response.”

In addition to the main Conferences, delegates will also be provided with access to over 80 Workshops, a Flow Demonstration area, Forums on Flow and SMART Water, and an exhibition featuring over 130 stands representing more than 250 of the world’s leading providers of test and monitoring equipment and related services.

CPD points will be awarded to Conference delegates and the cost to attend will be £55 per day. However, registration for the event is free of charge and pre-registered visitors are provided with free access to the exhibition and to the workshops, in addition to free on-site parking, and complimentary lunch and refreshments.

For more information please visit www.wwem.uk.com Exhibition Opening Hours 9.30am – 5.00pm Wednesday 5th November – 2014 9.30am – 4.30pm Thursday 6th November 2014

PVC recycling continues to grow across Europe, with the UK contributing more than 20% - or 88,648 tonnes – to the total recycled through Recovinyl, the PVC industry’s recycling scheme, in 2013. A total of 435,083 tonnes of waste PVC was recycled through Recovinyl last year across its 16 European member countries. To date, the Recovinyl recycling network comprises 141 companies.

Recovinyl is the operational arm of VinylPlus, the ten-year Voluntary Commitment of the European PVC industry, which is tackling the sustainability challenges for PVC and delivery of current recycling targets to 2020.

Waste PVC-U profiles comprised 50,421 tonnes of the UK’s recycling effort in 2013, with pipes, rigid and flexible PVC films and cables making up the rest.

This profile fraction is equivalent to the replacement of 3 million individual frames, or more than 300,000 homes based on an average of ten windows per house. The assumption is based on the weight of an average PVC-U window frame.

“These latest figures show that PVC recycling is maintaining its upward trend, with demand continuing to grow for good quality recycled material that can be reused in a variety of new products, from windows to flooring and advertising banners,” comments Project Manager Jane Gardner of Axion Consulting, Recovinyl’s UK agents.

“Once again, the UK has made a significant contribution to the success of PVC recycling, thanks to ongoing commitment from the sector and sustained investment in recycling infrastructure across the country,” continues Jane For further information, contact Axion Consulting, Bramhall, SK7 2DG Tel: 0161 426 7731 E-mail: info@axionconsulting.co.uk or visit: www.axionconsulting.co.uk and www.recovinyl.com.

CSF centrifugal pumps are quick-strip, easy-clean and reliable…perfect for food, brewing, pharmaceutical and other ‘sensitive’ applications. ● Can handle capacities from 1 to 550 m3/hour at heads up to 155 metres ● AISI 316L stainless steel for all wetted parts ● Quick strip, easy-to-clean and designed for CIP(clean-in-place)

Pick the perfect pump – from Pump Engineering

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

AB13-613

TEL: 01903 730900 sales@pumpeng.co.uk www.pumpeng.co.uk

5

APPLICATIONS

MEASURING SUCCESS FOR HOSOKAWA MICRON LTD & XOPTIX LTD

Water Treatment Plant Replaces Diaphragm Metering Pump with Peristaltic Pump

Having recently reached a milestone of over 100 operational in-process measuring units, manufacturer Xoptix Ltd is celebrating the difference that in-process monitoring technology is now making outside the laboratory and in everyday operations. Differences that deliver material quality consistency, energy efficiency, reduced waste and higher profitability.

The Challenge

With a range of applications typically in the production of calcium carbonate, powder coatings and petrochemical catalysts, these in-process measuring units are being used extensively by powder processing experts Hosokawa Micron Ltd, in partnership with Xoptix Ltd. Unusual power processing applications also include toner and fire retardant manufacturing, and this technology can even be used in the production of gold.

‘Utilising laser diffraction technology, the Xoptix in-process measuring units offer a cost effective measuring option that is robust enough for use in even the most arduous powder processing fields.

This means they are ideal for many of our customers seeking real time sampling and measurement of materials in production. Presenting fast, reliable and easy to understand particle size distribution data that is automatically fed to the plant control system, these flexible units are a key part of delivering optimised processes for a number of our customers,’ explains Iain Crosley, MD, Hosokawa Micron Ltd who applauded Xoptix Ltd’s 100+ achievement.

Stuart Barton, MD, Xoptix says, ‘Customers receive a superior product for less money, compared to older established in-process measuring technologies.

And with the automated cell clean function there is no need to strip the unit down to clean – it can just keep running 24/7 with no deterioration in readings, efficiency, operational capability which is essential in many of the critical processes with which we and Hosokawa Micron are involved. Our initial design objectives were to build an in process particle size measurement unit with usability, flexibility, reliability and functionality, and customers agree that the system delivers on all points.’

For more information about Xoptix particle sizer technology and Hosokawa Micron, contact Xoptix Ltd, Malvern. Worcs Tel: +44 1684 899345 E-mail: mail@xoptix.co.uk Web: www.Xoptix.co.uk

6

A water treatment plant in the US state of Georgia uses several wells to provide its residents and industries with fresh water. Each well site had to be equipped with the appropriate treatment equipment to ensure that the water meets and exceeds regulatory requirements.

One such well site used a diaphragm-style reciprocating metering pump to pump lime slurry directly into the well output. The well runs about 12 hours per day and discharges either to the system or to the tower for storage.

Lime slurry demand is up to 11.4 litres per minute (3 gallons per minute) and must be pumped at pressures exceeding 4 bar (60 psi).

Traditional diaphragm-style metering pumps use check valves which wear out and cause efficiency loss. Because this well site is unmanned, water plant supervisor Mr. Gibson or his associates had to make daily trips to the site in order to check the pump’s efficiency. This took up a lot of time and was becoming a major headache for the department.

Solution Verder’s local representative, GPM Environmental, introduced the plant to the Verderflex Dura, a peristaltic metering pump that does not suffer from abrasive wear and does not lose efficiency over time. Mr Gibson purchased one unit and was immediately pleased with how smoothly and quietly the unit ran compared to the old diaphragm pump. After the initial two month installation period, Mr Gibson quoted that: “The old pump lost flow and we had to constantly check on it. The new pump is very consistent; we never have to adjust it.”

For more information please contact Verderflex, Verder Ltd, Castleford, West Yorkshire.

Tel: +44 (0) 1924 221020 E-mail: info@verderflex.com or visit verderflex.com

Riley helps Canadian manufacturer with its expansion into product finishing Riley Surface World has recently enabled the sale and shipment of a complete Delta Industrietechnik copper/acid electroplating line for Billdidit, a specialist manufacturing organisation based in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The redundant Delta electroplating line was acquired, with the help of Riley’s, from the site of a former costume jewellery manufacturer in Ireland. It will be used for chrome and zinc plating by volume and for silver and gold plating in smaller quantities.

The system comprises three sizes of tanks: 600, 1200 and 2400 litres. The 600 litre tanks are predominantly used for the non-electrolytic processes, dragout and rinse stations. The larger tanks are used for the electrolytic stations, with either 3 or 6 flight bars in operation at any one time.

A technical support team from Riley Surface World is set to install and re-commission the plant at the company’s Nova Scotia headquarters during summer 2014.

Commenting on the project, John Aylward, Billdidit Vice President of Operations said: ‘Whilst price was obviously an important factor in the purchase of the electroplating plant, we also made our decision based on the professionalism, technical expertise and flexibility that we experienced from Michael Riley and his support team.

Not only have we made a very worthwhile investment in plant and machinery, we also believe we have found a partner who will help us to realise our expansion plans in the metal finishing sector, both in North America and worldwide.

For further information, visit: httpwww.billdidit.ca www.sabian.com For more information contact Riley Surface World, Aldridge, West Midlands Tel: +44 (0) 1922 45 8000 Fax: +44 (0) 1922 45 8001 E-mail: info@rileysurfaceworld.co.uk Web: www.rileysurfaceoworld.co.uk

Available on iPhone and Android devices PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

APPLICATIONS Spirax Sarco and EDF FENICE/ Dallol Energy’s AVTOVAZ: A NEW partnership help ENERGY EFFICIENCY Ignis Wick to heat CONTRACT FOR THE Scottish homes with COMPETITIVENESS renewable energy OF INDUSTRY EDF Fenice, expert in energy and environmental efficiency solutions of the EDF Group, and AVTOVAZ, first Russian car manufacturer, signed a series of agreements within the framework of a global energy efficiency project for the settingup of power factor correctors on more than 1200 electric motors operating in Togliatti site (Russia).

This initiative led to a significant decrease in the energy losses allowing AVTOVAZ to save more than 15 GWh/year of active energy through the resulting 7% decrease in the energy con-sumptions of the electric motors.

Initiated in 2009, the global optimization plan of AVTOVAZ energy consumption has been developed through a series of targeted interventions dedicated to different facilities of the site: compressed air production system, lighting system and currently the reactive energy factor of the internal distribution grid.

To date all these energy efficiency interventions led by EDF Fenice allow the Russian car manufacturer to save about 117GWh/year thus decreasing the production costs, so as to develop its own competitiveness on national and international markets and to reduce the CO2 emissions by 40.000 tons.

The energy performance completed thanks to the EDF Fenice-AVTOVAZ collaboration clearly shows it is possible to combine profitability and sustainable development, in the service of a modern, ‘’clean’’ and efficient industry.

Spirax Sarco and Dallol Energy combined to provide the boiler controls and steam system for an innovative energy scheme that uses a wet biomass boiler system to heat around 200 Scottish homes via a district heating system and to deliver steam to a neighbouring distillery.

The plant is owned and operated by Ignis Wick, which took over the district heating scheme in Wick, Caithness, in 2012. The company engaged biomass steam specialist Dallol Energy to deliver a 3.5 MW boiler and plant steam distribution system that would use locally sourced clean woodchips as the fuel.

“For this project we needed a reputable partner that could help us design, commission and install a whole new boiler house and steam distribution system,” says Victor Buchanan, Director at Dallol Energy. “We knew we could trust Spirax Sarco’s knowledge and proven technology and they were happy to trust our biomass expertise.”

Spirax Sarco provided all the steam distribution equipment, including the heat exchanger skids and the boiler house controls on the project, as well as the boiler hot well and steam accumulator. The boiler house is equipped with the latest supervisory control and monitoring system and level controls, as well as automated heat recovery blowdown systems to minimise energy losses.

For more information contact EDF Fenice – Corporate Communication, Via Acqui 86, 10098 Rivoli (TO) Italy. Tel: +39 011951 3852 Fax: +39 011951 3665 E-mail: olivier.martinelli@edf-fenice.com Web: www.edf-fenice.com/en/

For more information on boiler house design or steam distribution systems please email ukenquiries@spiraxsarco.com or visit www.spiraxsarco.com/uk

Spirax Sarco shows ‘commitment to quality’ in £1.5m boiler house project Spirax Sarco has completed the handover of a £1.5 million turnkey boiler house project as part of an innovative £4.3 million waste-to-energy plant at Davyhulme in Manchester. Owned by United Utilities, the plant uses sewage to supply gas for a combined heat and power plant. It recycles the waste heat from electricity generation to produce steam in the boiler house that can then be used in the process.

The scope of the contract included three boilers, two boiler feedtanks and a comprehensive water treatment system. It also included all the associated controls to enable the boiler house to run unmanned and maximise energy efficiency, such as automatic TDS and bottom blowdown systems. The main design and build contractor for the overall Davyhulme project was Black & Veatch.

In 2013, the Davyhulme plant won the Energy Award at the IChemE awards, with United Utilities and Black & Veatch named as joint winners.

For more information visit www.spiraxsarco.com/uk or e-mail ukenquiries@spiraxsarco.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

Micro-etched components for surveillance UAV An innovative miniature surveillance helicopter is benefitting from the high precision manufacturing capabilities of Precision Micro, Europe’s leading photo chemical etching specialist.

The miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), features an array of small, lightweight and extremely precise components manufactured by the UK based company, a division of global engineering group, Meggitt PLC. The UAV engine operates using miniature motor laminations, etched to tight tolerances. The laminations utilise Precision Micro’s ‘R bond’ technique, which uses the photo resist protecting the material surface during chemical etching as the bonding agent.

This novel approach offers improved performance versus conventional punched, riveted or welded laminations.

For the helicopter to effectively navigate obstacles and identify hidden dangers and enemy positions, the composition of the base metal must not be compromised during manufacture.

Communication integrity to the ground elements is maintained by the miniature shielding cans also manufactured by Precision Micro, protecting the sensitive electronics from EMI and RFI interference.

With low set-up costs, the customer was able to try multiple components without incurring excessive charges and have them in hand in a matter of days.

This innovative UAV has fast become a key component in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities and Precision Micro is proud to be playing a part in its success.

For more information please contact Precision Micro Ltd, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands.

Tel: +44 (0) 121 380 0100 Fax: +44 (0) 121 749 419 4157 E-mail: Lee.Weston@meggitt.com Web: www.precisionmicro.co.uk

SECOND SIPOS INSTALLATION AT KHOMS POWER STATION Following the successful installation of SIPOS 5 actuators as part of a modernisation programme at unit 4 of the Khoms Power Station in Libya in 2007, the company has received an order for an additional 284 valve control devices.

The latest contract has been placed by Babcock Power Systems for the supply of new actuators at the Khoms plant to units one and two. SIPOS’ advanced actuators will replace Siemens legacy products which were installed in the 1970s. As part of the plant upgrade, Siemens will supply a new DCS control system.

GECOL, the owner of the station, is the state-owned power utility responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electric power throughout Libya.

On-site support and service will be provided by SIPOS’ local agent.

SIPOS Aktorik – the manufacturer and global supplier of specialist and standard electric actuators.

For more information contact SIPOS Aktorik GmbH, Im Erlet 2, D-90518 Altdorf, Germany Tel: +49 (0) 9187 / 9227- 0 Fax: +49 (0) 9187 / 9227-5111 E-mail: info@sipos.de Web: www.sipos.de

7

APPLICATIONS

THE SPIRIT OF Kliklok International: WASTEWATER Keeping food on the table with Testo thermal imaging TREATMENT

Keeping the food on our table by keeping the production line moving

Veolia Water Technologies has been awarded a prestigious contract to provide wastewater treatment plant to the Macallan Distillery in Craigellachie, Moray.

The Macallan single malt whisky is currently the world’s second highest selling brand and owners, Edrington Group, are investing over £100m in a new distillery to meet the growing demand.

Wastewaters/washwaters from the new distillery will be treated on site to meet the SEPA consent for discharge to the environmentally sensitive River Spey. Prior to commencing on the design, Veolia carried out a wastewater characterisation study and also helped the distillery to optimise operation of the existing wastewater treatment plant. The experience gained by working closely with The Macallan allowed Veolia’s engineers to design the new plant with a high degree of confidence.

The Veolia treatment process is based on IdraflotTM dissolved air flotation (DAF) unit followed by a BiosepTM membrane bioreactor (MBR), and there is a longterm goal to treat the BiosepTM MBR permeate by reverse osmosis for re-use in the distillery as boiler make-up.

Ian Hart, Veolia’s Business Development Director, said “We are delighted to be working with The Macallan distillery on this project and helping to assure the continued success of this great brand.” The £2.5m contract is due for completion in summer 2015.

For more information contact Veolia Water Technologies, Birmingham E-mail: vwsukenquiries@veolia.com Web: www.veoliawaterst.co.uk

HRS HEAT EXCHANGERS EXPANDS FURTHER INTO THE SOUTH AMERICAN FRUIT JUICE MARKET A complete skid mounted fruit juice thermal processing system HRS Heat Exchangers Limited, a leading heat transfer specialist for the process industry, has recently supplied San Clemente Foods of Chile a packaged, skid mounted fruit juice processing system.

San Clemente Foods originally came to HRS with an enquiry based on HRS MI food grade corrugated tube heat exchangers, however after lengthy discussions HRS collaborated with the customer and designed a complete and bespoke skid mounted system.

The system supplied included Heating, Holding and Cooling sections all based on food grade MI corrugated tube heat exchangers, the system supplied is self contained and also includes a hot water loop, CIP tanks and pumps, Valves and a control cabinet.

The HRS MI system was installed to sterilise Apple and various fruit juices concentrate prior an existing aseptic filler system. The new HRS system has a flow rate of 4000 L/Hour and sterlises up to temperatures of <120oC Commenting on the collaboration with customer, Francisco Hernandez the HRS food systems director said, “We are delighted to have collaborated with San Clemente on an interesting and challenging project, and we see this system as another step forward in the South American fruit juice market for HRS”.

“HRS always offers the optimum heat exchanger solution to any heat transfer application and in this instance our corrugated MI range is clearly the best and most efficient option offering a host of advantages over old Plate Heat Exchanger technology.

For more information contact HRS Heat Exchangers Ltd, Watford, Herts.

Tel: 01923 336 312 E-mail: michael.adkins@hrs.co.uk Web: www.hrs-heatexchangers.com

8

Bristol based Kliklok International supplies food packaging equipment to household names around the world.

Their machines box, wrap or bag the food we see in our kitchen cupboards, fridges and freezers.

We take packaging for granted, but there are serious consequences should the machinery used go wrong. Wear in moving parts is normal for any equipment and not least in bearings, rotational parts and chain rails of a food packaging line.

The demand in the food industry means these machines are often working 24/7 and so the consequence of a component failure bringing the production line to a halt is a headache that any line manager would rather not have.

The ideal solution would be to predict likely component failure, so those parts could be replaced during routine maintenance before it fails and seriously impacts production.

Additionally, complex equipment can hide worn machine parts and so a solution to pin point the component would be beneficial. The answer came in the form of thermal imaging.

Finding fault Thermal imaging isn’t new. Seeing how it fits in with your business, however, may not be obvious. In 2009 Kliklok used a thermal imaging camera for the first time to identify a worn component. Using a borrowed camera it became obvious where the fault was and it underlined how effective thermography could be. All moving parts create heat, but a worn component generates more. The component that had been troublesome to locate was found almost immediately by its heat signature saving time and money.

It wasn’t long before Kliklok started evaluating thermal imaging cameras on the market as an indispensable tool for themselves. They needed something that could easily be transported by an engineer, show images clearly and with an ability to send these back electronically to headquarters if required.

Advances in the technology and production have also brought the price point down to a level that any company can easily afford – the cost savings made using it means it is also a piece of equipment these companies cannot afford to be without.

After a full evaluation of other thermal imaging cameras available, Kliklok chose the testo 875-2. Roger Mason, Service & Installation Manager at Kliklok explains, “The testo 875-2 was able to demonstrate all the features that assist us in fault finding when servicing our customer’s equipment and all at a price that was well within budget.”

It’s about having the right specification at the right price, something which the testo 875-2 offered over other suppliers. The camera has a good list of optional extras, but the standard equipment includes digital camera, USB connection and SD memory cards that permit the capture and transmission of images.

Incorporating an integrated digital camera, the testo 875-2 can take a true optical digital image that can be compared to a captured thermal image, very useful if used remotely to identify the part or area where a fault may be located.

So now Kliklok have a tool that can identify and overcome a mechanical problem before a costly breakdown. The good news didn’t stop there, as scanning electrical installations clearly show unusually heavy loads, bad connections and arcing. Great news for the food industry and great news for the Kliklok service department, as they can offer (and honour) quality maintenance and service agreements.

Saving reputation

Preventative maintenance on-site may be the key advantage to Kliklok in using thermal imagery, but to reinforce its effectiveness it is used routinely to build a thermal image or heat signature record for all new equipment being supplied.

On average 20 images are taken, but on larger or more complex machines Kliklok can take up to 50 reference images of the various parts and components. This record can also be supplied as part of the documentation shipped to the customer, with Kliklok holding a master copy on file. This “fingerprinting” allows the flexibility of either the customer’s own or a Kliklok engineer identifying a possible problem. The heat signature reference library held by Kliklok or the customer can be used for a comparison. If the customer has similar thermal imaging equipment they could capture a thermal image and send this image electronically back to Kliklok for comparison, in effect providing a remote diagnosis. With customers throughout the world, remote diagnosis ensures parts can be supplied and be on hand locally when they are needed.

The Testo 875-2 has proved to be an extremely cost effective piece of kit for Kliklok. An affordable solution that protects Kliklok’s reputation in providing a quality product and ensures their customers keep the production lines running.

For more information please contact Testo Limited, Alton, Hampshire Tel: 01420 544 433 E-mail: info@testo.co.uk or visit Web: www.testolimited.com/thermal

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

APPLICATIONS GRUNDFOS S-TUBE REVOLUTIONISES WASTEWATER PUMPING STATION The wastewater industry traditionally had to choose between selecting a pump that delivered energy efficient performance or free passage. Today the Grundfos S-tube with its unique impeller has alleviated that situation as with it there are no dead zones and no cutting or moving parts that can get worn out over time.

Just such a scenario faced a water utility company in the south west at a WwPS where they were suffering high operating costs and many disruptions. This situation had resulted in call outs which needed to be followed up by vacuum tinkering and resulted in 15 blockages over a 3 month period necessitating vacuum tanker cleaning events to remove rags and clean the pump chamber.

Grundfos were asked to look at the pump station and selected the SL1.80.80 Atex rated S-tube wet well submersible pump to improve the performance of the pump station. This pump had a solids handling capacity of 80mm whilst maintaining an efficiency of 63% therefore there was no compromise between pump efficiency and solids handling capacity – a key feature of the S-tube impeller.

The introduction of the Grundfos S-tube impeller pump brought about major reduction in operating costs and disruption as blockages were reduced from 15 over three months to zero; there was no further need to use the vacuum tanker to empty and clean the chamber; reactive call outs were reduced from 31 to 8 over the period of the trial.

This, now permanent, solution has also brought about operational savings of £5000+ in the initial 3 month period of the trial. A true win/win situation.

For more information or Literature request please contact Grundfos Pumps Ltd, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Tel: 01525 850000 E-mail: grundfosuk@grundfos.com Web: www.grundfos.co.uk

Promet moisture analyzer from Michell Instruments plays a key role in Germany’s sustainable energy plan A key energy company in Germany has chosen Michell Instruments’ Promet I.S. process moisture analyzer to monitor moisture levels in bio-methane before it is injected into the grid to ensure that it meets the correct quality standards.

Biogas is saturated with moisture immediately after production, as well as having other undesirable components such as CO2. Before it can be used as a fuel away from the production site, it needs to be scrubbed of the contaminants and dried. When it is destined to be upgraded to bio-methane and injected into the grid with natural gas, precise measurements of moisture are vital as it will need to meet tight quality standards. For transmission into the local distribution network in Germany, the bio-methane needs to meet the moisture levels permitted by the DVGW G260 Code of Practice. For distribution networks, this is 200mg/m3 at less than 10barg pressure (267 ppmV).

The Promet I.S. was selected for this task because it has a proven track record of monitoring moisture during the processing of natural gas, as well as for quality checks of gas in the network and transmission pipeline. It has an accuracy of ±1°C dew point, and measures reliably in pressures up to 450 barg. The unit is certified for hazardous areas around the world, including ATEX, FM, CSA, IECEx as well as GOST. Michell design and supply sampling systems fully equipped with filtration and sample conditioning to ensure reliable measurements and prolong the life of the sensor.

The Promet uses Michell’s ceramic moisture sensor which is highly resistant to contamination and provides long term stability in process applications. The sensor is part of Michell’s sensor exchange programme, which greatly reduces the cost of ownership. With the exchange programme, a freshly calibrated sensor is sent out and swapped for the old sensor that is due to for recalibration, which keeps process downtime to a minimum. Where traceability is needed, Michell provide a fast and efficient calibration service, with traceability to national standards.

For more information please contact: Michell Instruments, Ely, Cambridgeshire Tel: +44(0)1353 658 000 Fax: +44(0)1353 658 199 E-mail: sarah.lawrence@michell.com Web: http://www.michell.com/uk

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

Q1238 - PII June TI Food.indd 1

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6/18/2014 7:12:59 PM

Multi-touch Techn Functionality Adva

Multi-touch HMI takes HMI visualization to the next leve

By Richard Clark, Product Manager, InduSoft Mr. Clark started with InduSoft in 2012 and prior to that he spent almost 15 years at Wonderware.

He has extensive technical expertise encompassing IT and control systems engineering, administration, and security.

Mr. Clark combines 20 years’ experience in all industrial sectors of automation with technical training in electronics from California State Polytechnic University.

Most industrial automation and other manufacturing personnel are very familiar with multi-touch technology from their smartphones and tablets.

Many work for companies that allow employees to use their personal mobile devices for work purposes, from checking emails to accessing corporate data.

Now, multi-touch technology is making its way to the automation world through multi-touch Human Machine Interface (HMI) applications.

The arrival of the Windows 7 operating system and its builtin multi-touch programming capabilities has made it much easier and cheaper to implement multi-touch on tablets and smartphones. Windows 7 has also created a platform that greatly eases development of HMI software for multitouch applications. In response, certain providers of HMI software are including multi-touch development tools with their traditional PC-based HMI packages; and these tools typically encompass PCs, tablets and smartphones.

When used in industrial settings, many of the benefits of this technology are similar to those encountered in the commercial sector: relatively low cost hardware, the ability to access and work with data quickly and easily, and near universal familiarity with the technology. However, when multi-touch technology is used with HMI systems, it offers unique advantages in addition to those mentioned above.

Therefore, a company can invest in the same HMI software package to develop multi-touch screens for the PCs in the control room, and then use the same development tools to provide multi-touch enabled access for smartphones and tablets used in the field (Figure 1).

Using multi-touch devices such as smartphones and tablets to access and interact with data when in remote areas or simply away from the control room is fast becoming the de facto standard for manufacturers. A significant leap was ushered in with the introduction of browsers, apps and virtual private networks to access HMI systems through hand-held devices. Multi-touch offers the next step: the ability to quickly and intuitively view and analyze data from virtually any location.

Beyond Touchscreen At first glance, it’s easy to confuse multi-touch applications with traditional touchscreen designs. A traditional touchscreen application simply uses single touches to access different screens, basically replacing a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse. But multi-touch offers a number of advantages over touchscreens, keyboards and pointing devices (Table 1).

Multi-touch systems recognize the position of several touches and finger movements, which are referred to as “gestures.” As with touchscreens, multi-touch technology enables users to operate an entire system without the need for a keyboard or pointing device. However, it goes further in that it enables intuitive gestures that facilitate the execution of commands up to three times faster than those performed on traditional touchscreens.

Gestures used with multi-touch screens provide the ability to move through many screens by swiping. Zooming by pinching enables users to quickly zero in on areas of interest, and rotation and other manipulation of screen objects is greatly simplified and expedited. A good example of how these gestures improve operations is enabling users to swipe through pages quickly to find the data they need.

This is a great improvement over touchscreen buttons, mouse movements and keyboard commands that require the user to slowly drill down page by page.

Low Implementation Costs There are many new technologies being introduced that started in consumer electronics. Some of these are more easily adaptable for the industrial market than others. In the worst case, some require a paradigm shift or investment that outweighs the benefits of the new technology. Multitouch for HMI is clearly different in that it offers many real advantages without significant required investment or changes in work practices.

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Figure 1. Multi-touch for HMI will greatly enhance the ease and mobility by which remote workers can access systems and perform command through a variety of handheld devices.

In addition, multi-touch for HMI doesn’t require an expensive investment in new hardware. Workers can use their company-provided smartphones and tablets, as these devices have multi-touch functionality built-in. Many companies are going a step further by allowing for workers to use their own handheld devices on the job, a trend known as BYOD, or bring your own device.

Job satisfaction is increased when workers use their own devices, and companies often provide a monthly allowance to workers using their own devices, as the cost is typically lower than making a large capital expenditure to provide each worker throughout the company with handheld device.

Inherently Suited for Industrial Conditions The design of multi-touch screens, with their lack of moving parts, is inherently better suited than keyboards and pointing devices for industrial areas subjected to contamination from dust and water. No moving parts are exposed, which extends the equipment’s lifespan. This design enables some off-the-shelf devices to be used in the field without any additional protective measures, while others require only minimal modifications as compared to keyboards and pointing devices.

However, just as industrial PCs are made for the rigors of the automation world, panel developers have also introduced multi-touch screens that are reinforced for use in hazardous and other extreme environments. It’s possible to protect keyboards and pointing devices in hazardous

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

nology: Intuitive ances Automation

el to improve performance, enhance safety and cut costs more intuitive for humans to interact with machines and processes improves performance and reduces errors.

This lets operators spend more time on analyzing and improving systems and processes instead of on access and visualization.

areas such as Zone 1 or 2, but very expensive. Multi-touch HMI screens provided with a protective overlay of glass or polycarbonate to safeguard them from splashes, dirt and extreme temperatures are often a better, less expensive alternative for these and other demanding areas.

Lowering Training Time and Costs

Table 1: Benefits of Multi-touch for HMI

As mature operators and technicians retire at greater rates, younger workers will have to be trained to replace them, and companies naturally want to minimize training time and cost. Since the majority of these younger workers will have years of experience using smartphones and tablets, using multi-touch gestures for HMI systems will be intuitive and quickly learned.

1. Three times faster than traditional touchscreens 2. Reduces training time and cost 3. Improves remote access and functionality via smartphones and tablets

In addition, interface to the process or operation will be similar whether the device is a PC, a tablet or a smartphoneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as all will utilize multi-touch technology.

This obviously is much simpler than learning a different method of interface for each device. With less time required to learn how to use HMI system interface devices, more training time can be spent on learning about the manufacturing processes and operations.

4. Similar operation to smartphones and tablets 5. Better suited for harsh and hazardous environments 6. Provides enhanced protection for worker and machines

On the flip side, in the not-so-distant future a generation of workers will be very unskilled at performing keyboard commands and using pointing devices, so companies that continue to rely on these older technologies will have to spend more time and money training new workers.

Protecting Workers and Machines The ability to improve safety with multi-touch HMI probably isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as immediately apparent as the economic benefits and convenience of this technology. However, multi-touch technology used to access HMI systems does enable the implementation of significantly enhanced safety features.

In order to ensure worker safety and reduce the possibility of an accidental command, the HMI system screens can be programmed to require users make certain gestures unique to a specific operation. For example, the ability to start or stop a machine can be designed so a checkmark across the screen must be performed as a final step before the machine executes the command.

Operations for machines can also require users to have both hands on the screen at the same time in order to execute the command, thus protecting hands from accidentally becoming injured, and ensuring that critical operations are not performed with casual or accidental touches.

Some multi-touch applications even enable actions to be performed with gloved hands, an operation that is extremely difficult with keyboards. This frees workers from removing and putting gloves back on, saving time and making it easier to maintain personal protection.

Easier Diagnosis of Possible Problems Perhaps the most unique functionality multi-touch technology offers is the ability to visualize machines and processes, and then access the right screen to diagnose a problem. One of the difficulties in viewing complicated machines and processes is that numerous layers of screens must be created to capture an entire view (Figure 2).

7. Delivers superior visualization, the next step in HMI evolution Figure 2. Multi-touch for HMI enables users to quickly access data and execute commands by using familiar gestures, such as pinch and swipe.

Traditional HMI applications use multiple screen frames, and more frames mean greater memory requirements for the PC or other display device. A multi-touch application, on the other hand, requires far fewer screen layers to show a complete system overview. Smartphones and tablets have less memory than PCs and were once prohibitively slow when trying to move through multiple screens, but now users can access data very quickly and easily via multi-touch gestures.

Users can tap options on the screen to shrink and enlarge as needed, getting rid of the constraints of screen frame to enter a new era of visualized control. Perhaps, this ability to drill through screens in an instant or enlarge areas with a simple gesture is the new functionality, the killer app, which will hasten the adoption of multi-touch technology in the industrial workplace.

In the near future, operators in a control room will most likely continue to use PCs as their workstations. However, it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t difficult to envision those same operators taking their smartphones and tablets to locations outside the control room to access HMI systems and troubleshoot problems. Furthermore, combining reduced headcounts and smaller budgets with improved remote technology means the workplace of the coming years must and can be far more mobile than in the past.

The advantages that multi-touch for HMI bring in terms of improved performance, faster and more accurate command execution, and enhanced safety mean it will become more prevalent in the industrial world. Seeing technicians in areas outside the control room, both in plant and remotely, using multi-touch smartphones and tablets to access HMI systems will probably become the norm rather than the exception over the next few years.

The Next Step in Visualization HMI applications at the core have always been about providing visualization for machines and processes, rendering these operations and systems in a way that humans can easily understand. HMI systems are also designed with the purpose of viewing and controlling remote locations, and multi-touch HMI is the latest step in the evolution of visualization and remote access.

In addition to improved visualization capabilities, multitouch technologies simplify how users physically interact with systems each time they touch a screen to expand or contract a view, or drag an item. Making it easier and

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

Indusoft, Austin, Texas, USA Can be contacted via: Tel: 001 512 349 0334 E-mail: richard.clark@indusoft.com Web: www.indusoft.com

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Keep heat transfer costs under control Heat transfer is an important aspect of many commercial and industrial processes, so making it as efficient as possible is vital. Graham Dear, Marketing Product Manager – Heat Transfer at Spirax Sarco highlights some of the advanced techniques available for improving heat transfer efficiency, such as sub-cooling condensate, and the best ways to ensure reliable operation by tackling stalling in the heat exchanger.

Transferring heat efficiently from one place or process to another is the basis of a wide range of industrial processes, as well as being fundamental in building services for space heating and hot water. Most energy transfer applications in industry are based on the heat exchanger.

Steam is the most efficient and flexible energy transfer medium and there is a range of heat exchanger technologies available that can provide reliable service across a wide variety of applications.

Essentially heat transfer is concerned with two things: temperature and the flow of thermal energy from a heat source to a heat sink. To be practical, any heat transfer technology must also be efficient and controllable.

Energy efficiency determines what proportion of the energy entering the process ends up where it’s needed, while effective control enables the thermal energy transferred to match the demands of the process. Not only does this link closely with energy efficiency, but it can also influence production efficiency by affecting parameters such as product quality and waste.

For any steam user, it is important to have a sound grasp of the basics of energy transfer and steam plant operation in order to specify systems correctly and prevent problems cropping up later. They also need to understand the differences between the types of heat exchangers currently available (see below). In the case of users for whom steam lies outside the scope of their core activities, bringing in expertise from external steam specialists can help to ensure that their heat transfer installations provide optimised, reliable service for years to come.

The latest heat exchanger packages feature intelligent monitoring systems to deliver meaningful energy management and system performance data for the user

Heat exchangers – at a glance

Controlling steam heat exchangers

Of the three methods of transferring thermal energy, conduction is the most widespread and versatile approach and can be applied by several different heat exchanger technologies.

Apart from heat pipes, all the different types of exchanger are generally controlled in a similar way, by sensing the temperature of the secondary fluid (often water) emerging from the unit and using a valve to modulate the primary fluid (the incoming flow of steam) to the exchanger.

Shell and tube - Shell and tube heat exchangers are based on a pressure vessel (the shell), containing a bundle of tubes. One fluid flows through the shell and the other through the tubes. Each fluid enters the exchanger at a different temperature and heat passes between them through the tube walls as they flow through the exchanger.

Plate heat exchangers – Standard plate heat exchangers (PHEs) are increasingly popular in applications that transfer heat between medium- and low-pressure fluids.

In place of tubes passing through a shell, standard PHEs are built from a series of corrugated metal plates held together to form channels through which the two heat transfer fluids flow in alternating layers of the ‘sandwich’. The plates produce an extremely large surface area relative to physical size, which promotes very effective heat transfer.

This design also offers the additional benefit of having a low pressure/volume relationship minimising the level of routine inspection requirements.

Plate and shell heat exchangers - The plate and shell combination offers high heat transfer, compact size, low fouling and a close approach temperature, which is the temperature difference between the leaving process fluid and the entering service fluid.

It is also able to cope with a high pressure/temperature envelope.

Corrugated tube heat exchangers - A variation on traditional shell and tube exchangers. They have corrugated tubes to create greater turbulence, achieving much greater heat transfer compared to smooth tube heat exchangers, allowing them to be more compact.

Shell and coil heat exchangers - Built from circular layers of helically corrugated tubes inside a compact shell. The large number of closely packed tubes creates a significant heat transfer surface, while the alternate layers create a swift uniform heating of fluids and increase the total heat transfer coefficient.

Heat pipe heat exchangers - Vacuum tubes with one end in the ‘hot’ stream and other in the ‘cold’ stream. They contain a working fluid, and it’s the constant cycle of evaporation and condensation as the working fluid moves around the sealed tube that transfers thermal energy from one stream to the other. The big advantage of heat pipes is their great efficiency in transferring heat. For example, a heat pipe can transfer up to 1,000 times more thermal energy than copper, the best known conductor.

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An alternative control method to modulating the steam flow into the heat exchanger is condensate control, which keeps the input steam pressure constant and instead adjusts the flow of condensate coming out of the exchanger. This varies the amount of condensate inside the exchanger to control its heat transfer area and hence its heat transfer rate.

Condensate control allows the condensate to be maintained at a sub-cooled temperature to extract the maximum amount of useful heat from the steam and avoids any potential flash steam plumes.

Heat exchangers of any type can stall when the condensate is not removed effectively and builds up internally. Typical symptoms of heat exchanger flooding include banging and crashing noises coming from shell and tube heat exchangers caused by waterhammer.

Stalling happens when the pressure in the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the back pressure on the steam trap, often occurring when demand from the heating process falls due to a change of flow rate. Stalling is also dependent on the rate of change of flow. When this happens, the control valve reduces the steam pressure accordingly and this may reach a level that’s too low for the steam trap to clear the condensate effectively.

The best protection against stalling heat exchangers is prevention by good system design and by fitting measures to solve the problem. One solution is to fit an automatic pump trap to ensure condensate is always cleared under even the most demanding conditions.

What is clear is that efficient and controllable heat exchange is essential for thermal processes and should be considered crucial for any steam-using operation. As well as providing the heat transfer needed to enable the process to operate correctly and at the right rate, it also keeps energy costs down and reduces the production of carbon.

Spirax Sarco Limited, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Can be contacted via: Tel: 01242 521361 E-mail: ukenquiries@spiraxsarco.com Web: www.spiraxsarco.com/uk/

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

OVERLAY WELDING ALTERNATIVE

Sandvik 25.10.4.L super-duplex strip for overlay welding in aggressive environments For welding in aggressive environments, the conventional approach is to use nickel-based materials, work with clad bonding methods, or use UNS S31803 or S32750/S32760 plate materials. A safe and costeffective alternative for overlay welding is Sandvik 25.10.4.L, a super-duplex strip electrode with composition complying with EQ2594. An innovative grade unique to Sandvik, this electrode is used with Sandvik 47S flux.

High resistance to corrosion Sandvik 25.10.4.L gives weldments with high corrosion resistance. In some applications the level of corrosion resistance achieved matches that of nickel-based alloys, such as alloy 625. Yet the grade is less expensive and the price is more stable due to the lower nickel content.

Super-duplex, a safe choice for aggressive environments

Super-duplex stainless steels can withstand aggressive service environments such as warm chlorinated seawater and acidic water, chloride-containing media up to temperatures of 300°C (600°F), hydrochloric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, sulfuric acid of high or low concentration, and caustic soda.

Advantages over austenitic materials Duplex material is highly suitable for overlay welding. In contrast to austenitic stainless steels, there is only a small difference in thermal expansion between low alloyed steels and duplex stainless steels. Super-duplex also has higher erosion resistance, significantly higher stress corrosion cracking resistance, and is less sensitive to microfissuring cracks compared to austenitic materials.

Sandvik 25.10.4.L is a safe choice Cladding with EQ2209, achieving UNS S32750/S32760 by

alloying through flux, can be unreliable in terms of quality. With Sandvik 25.10.4.L strip, neutral non-alloying flux is used with a genuine weld composition solid filler.

In terms of weldment homogeneity, quality and durability, this is a safer alternative.

For more information: contact Sandvik Materials Technology, Box 502, 734 27 Hallstahammar, Sweden Tel: + 41 41 368 30 38 Web: www.smt.sandvik.com

HEAT TRANSFER & ENERGY SPL’s process offers more effective protection against contamination and corrosion and offers reduced downtime compared to ‘jetting’ cleaning methods A new immersive chemical cleaning process that can maintain the efficiency and extend the working life of heat exchangers is now available from Surface Processing Ltd (SPL).

Heat exchangers are prone to fouling, namely, the accumulation of organic and/or non-organic material deposits within heat transfer equipment (commonly on the cooling water side), inside tubes and on external surfaces. This causes blockages, corrosion or leaks, which affects flow and pressure levels and ultimately impairs heat transfer.

Unlike traditional jetting methods, SPL’s immersive process offers consistent cleaning power on both inner and outer surfaces. SPL can treat small heat exchangers at its Dudley facility or equipment too large to be moved or dipped in tanks can be treated on-site who can achieve effective results through immersion by pumping SPL’s cleaning products through the entire system.

Using the latter method, the company has successfully cleaned a 13-metre long heat exchanger weighing 34 tonnes.

For more information contact Surface Processing Ltd, Dudley, West Midlands Tel: 01384 242010 E-mail: sales@surfaceprocessing.co.uk Web: www.surfaceprocessing.co.uk

Winn & Coales Coating Protects Power Station Header Boxes Universal Heat Transfer Ltd (UHT) of Atherston, Warwicks, are heat exchange and transfer specialists in supplying equipment and services to industry. One of their latest projects involved the manufacture of header boxes and channel heads for the refurbishment of four hydrogen coolers for a power station generator cooling system.

UHT’s customer specified Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd’s Archco-Rigidon 403D to give “fit and forget” corrosion protection of the carbon steel substrate from the coolant inside the header boxes for a minimum of ten years. Winn & Coales checked the specification for both suitability of Archco-Rigidon 403D and also for the method of application, given that the coating had to be applied in normal engineering workshop conditions.

UHT say that the coating arrived in a timely manner, which was appreciated due to the tight deadlines they had to meet.

The glass flake vinyl ester Archco-Rigidon coating was inspected by UHT’s customer’s Quality Assurance consultants and found to be more than adequate in terms of finish and film thickness, including Holiday detection readings, to provide the required protection.

UHT manufactured header boxes coated with Archco-Rigidon 403D for power generator heat exchangers

For more information contact Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd, Chapel Road, London.

Tel: 020 8670 7511 Fax: 020 8761 2456 E-mail: mail@denso.net Web: www.denso.net

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

IMPROVED HEAT EXCHANGER PERFORMANCE THROUGH SPRAYING Spraying coils with water can significantly improve the performance of finned heat exchangers. Especially in refrigerating plants implementing free-cooling (e.g. for the cooling of server racks) considerable energy savings can be realised. The COP can be improved by up to 40 % through using a spraying system in high ambient temperatures to lower the condensing temperature.

These advantages may be fully exploited and maximized by using the appropriate fan and spray control system.

With the new, internally developed HydroSpray® System, Güntner offers a spraying system with numerous application advantages. For perfect control of this unique spraying system, Güntner Controls developed the Güntner Hydro Management – the controller GHM spray.

The controller GHM spray controls the water spraying depending on the demand from the heat exchanger and the measured temperature and pressure. Two systems are available, the Güntner Motor Management (GMM) with GHM spray basic and the GMM with GHM spray professional.

GHM spray basic The basic variant is a single-stage system that activates spraying at a defined switching point and sprays all the fan chambers up to 300 h/a.

Depending on different parameters, e.g. pressure or temperature, the controller manages an even spraying of the heat exchanger to attain an increase in capacity in the peak load range. All GHM controllers are parameterized in accordance with the GPC calculation for the units, so the operating parameters are already adjusted to the geographical location of the units.

GHM spray professional The GHM spray professional controller ensures that a maximum increase in performance is achieved over a spraying time of up to 1,000 h/a. The water consumed is 50% of conventional systems in the market. Another feature is the automatic vacuum drainage which ensures that spraying is always carried out with fresh water and that no water is left standing in the unit in the winter.

The highlight of the GHM spray professional, however, is the so-called Section Cycling, which is able to control up to 9 heat exchanger sections individually. This means that the heat exchanger is sprayed in sections, thus reducing water consumption. Moreover, the heat exchanger’s performance is thus adjusted in very small steps, maximizing the life of the heat exchanger.

For more informatgion contact H Guntner (UK) Ltd, Camberley, Surrey Tel: 0844 22 50 600 E-mail: info@guntner.co.uk Web: www.guntner.co.uk

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INDUSTRIAL AMPLIFIERS HBM RELEASES UPGRADED DIGITAL CHARGE AMPLIFIER HBM has released an improved version of its CMD600-P digital charge amplifier that now features IP65 degree of protection facilitating its use in challenging industrial environments as well as in laboratory applications.

The CMD600-P digital charge amplifier also features an extremely compact design, high function density and can be positioned directly at the measuring point to measure forces or torques in extremely tough and often dirty environments.

The latest design incorporates secure sealing of unused connections with protective caps so that external influences are reduced to a minimum. The digital inputs/ outputs and fast Ethernet interface enables users to easily parameterize the device and monitor it during operation.

The CMD600-P also features integrated peak value detection and limit value monitoring functions enabling control functions to be distributed across decentralized devices relieving pressure on the central control unit.

It is also possible for the system to continue operating, monitoring and even remote maintenance while parameter changes, such as changes in measuring range or limit value monitoring, are being implemented.

For more information contact HBM Ltd, North Harrow, Middlesex Tel: 020 8515 6000 E-mail: info@hbm.com Web: www.hbm.com

Latest industrial amplifier precisely measures torque and angle of rotation HBM has launched its PX460 plug-in measuring card enabling torque transducers to be fully integrated in its PMX industrial measuring amplifier by giving dynamic and precise measurements of frequency, pulse, speed, angle of rotation and torque.

The PX460 amplifier plug-in card can acquire up to four torque transducers simultaneously with a measuring bandwidth of up to 6 kHz. In addition to torque, encoder signals of up to 2 MHz can be acquired with absolute precision in challenging industrial environments. Real time Ethernet fieldbuses such as Profinet, Ethercat or Industrial Ethernet ensure reliable integration of machine and plant control systems.

The PMX measuring amplifier features Advanced Plug & Measure technology and TEDS that automatically recognises connected transducers. This removes the need to manually enter complex settings minimising delays in actually undertaking measurement tasks. The card helps users reduce time delays while giving greater system stability and avoiding unnecessary errors.

HBM developed the PMX measuring amplifier system to ensure quality assurance and system integration in industrial production and in end-of-line test benches.

All production data can be accessed via a passwordprotected web browser interface using an Internetcapable end device.

For more information contact HBM Ltd, North Harrow, Middlesex Tel: 020 8515 6000 E-mail: info@hbm.com Web: www.hbm.com

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TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY CHAMBERS

New range of compact benchtop temperature and humidity chambers Unitemp have introduced a new range of cost effective compact combined temperature / humidity chambers and temperature chambers manufactured

by Japan based E.S.P.E.C. This high quality range has been designed for the testing and monitoring of electronic / electrical components, semiconductors, small assemblies and selected chemicals. Improved fast temperature and humidity cycling with increased ramping provides the capability to validate quality and reliability for the item under test.

The range consists basically of 10 models with half of them designated the SH having a temperature range of -20,-40,-60 to 150 / 180 degrees C combined with a humidity range of 30 / 95% RH. The other 5 models are designated SU and have a temperature ranges of -20,-40,-60 to 150 / 180 degrees C. The interior is constructed from high quality stainless steel, the chambers have internal measurements of between W300 x H300 X D250 mm and W400 X H400 X D400mm.

Ideal for situations where space is at a premium the models are stackable. Capacity is 22.5 or 64 L dependant on the model and the weight is between 78

and 130 kg. An easy to use 4.3 inch colour LCD touch panel controller is integrated as standard making it easy to set various patterns of constant, program remote operation to meet various testing conditions. Incorporated is a unique web application (Ethernet connection) which allows the operator to monitor the chamber operation from a P.C. Without any software the chambers can be accessed and controlled via a web browser on the P.C, Smartphone and IPADS. Wireless connection and multiple units connection are also possible.

Options include viewing window door and roof top viewing, port arrangements, and various stand combinations with castors for ease of movement.

These new chambers complement Unitemp’s extensive ranges of chambers, and the company has the expertise to build special chambers to order.

For further information please contact Unitemp Ltd, High Wycombe, Bucks.

Tel: 01628 850611 or E-mail: paul@unitemp.co.uk

INFRARED THERMOMETERS

AMETEK Land introduces NEW Cyclops L - portable non-contact thermometers AMETEK Land, a leader in non-contact temperature measurement, combustion efficiency and environmental emissions monitoring, has launched the latest update to its Cyclops™ family of portable, high-precision, noncontact thermometers – the Cyclops L. With its internal data logging capabilities, configurable route modes and dedicated software, the Cyclops L further establishes AMETEK Land as the industry leader in highquality, portable non-contact temperature measurement.

Four New Models There are four new models in the new Cyclops L family, measuring across the range 200°C/392°F to 3000°C/5432 °F. They are aimed at a wide range of applications including liquid metal, steel and glass production, furnaces, plus many others.

Route Manager Function The Cyclops L family features the new Route Manager function, which enables users to configure a path/route around a plant by identifying the location with description, an emissivity value, a window correction factor (if applicable), and a unique identifier (a description).

This Route Management mode allows for complete repeatability of readings, making the thermometer the ideal tool for multiple locations requiring regular and reliable monitoring.

High Capacity Internal Data Logging The Cyclops L thermometer stores up to 9,999 temperature measurements, which can be downloaded to optional logger software for further analysis and comparison.

New Dedicated Data Logging Software - on a mobile device The Land Cyclops Logger Software allows users to connect a Land Cyclops portable thermometer to a personal computer or mobile device to view, analyze

and record live temperature readings.

Connections between the Cyclops L model thermometers and a mobile device /computer can be either wireless (via Bluetooth®) or via a USB cable.

Models Available for a wide range of applications These reliable, high-accuracy battery-powered thermometers have application in a wide range of industries, including metal foundries, steel making, glass refractories, petrochemical processing, and laboratory/ research & development. They have precise, narrow field of view continuously focusable optics with throughthe-lens sighting for accurate sample point selection.

Long-term, drift-free measurement assures confidence in the readings.

Outstanding Damage Protection The new Cyclops thermometers benefit from a new industrial rubber casing cover, for increased protection from accidental damage. Plus a new lens hood that adds further protection.

Full UKAS Calibration Available Cyclops L thermometers can be certified by US and UK ISO 17025 accredited laboratories to recognized international standards, in both the UK and USA. For more information contact AMETEK Land (Land Instruments International), Dronfield, Derbyshire, S18 1DJ Tel: 01246 417691 Contact: Stuart Harris: 01246 581588 E-mail: stuart.harris@ametek.co.uk Web: http://www.landinst.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

INFRARED THERMOMETERS NEW LOWER-PRICE FLUKE HIGH RESOLUTION VISUAL INFRARED THERMOMETER WITH AA BATTERY FLEXIBILITY

ANALYSERS

COMPLIMENTARY e-BOOKLET ON TDL GAS ANALYSER APPLICATIONS

Fluke has introduced the new Fluke VT04A Visual Infrared Thermometer - a lowerpriced version of the Fluke VT04 with a manufacturer’s recommended price of £495. While including all the features of the high-end VT04, it is powered by AA batteries offering flexibility to technicians who may wish to replace batteries in the field.

The Fluke VT04A is a troubleshooting tool with an infrared heat map which offers high resolution as well as temperature alarms and time-lapse features. The VT04A comes with updated firmware that extends battery life by offering three screen brightness levels, automatic screen dimming after a set period with instantaneous override, a configurable automatic time-off capability, and the ability to save images in .bmp format. It also comes in a more compact, soft carry-case.

The Fluke VT02 / VT04 / VT04A Visual IR Thermometers instantly detect problems using blended thermal and digital imagery. They will display and save images as full visual, full infrared, or in three blended modes. Markers pinpoint hot and cold spots indicating the hottest temperature with a red box and the coldest with a blue box. A temperature reading is provided at the centre point.

GPro 500 TDL analysers are designed for ease of installation and low maintenance operation in a wide variety of process applications in refining, petrochemical and associated industries. With a range of innovative process interface adaptions, they provide a flexible and cost effective measurement solution.

This applications eBooklet is a convenient reference to a selection of the most common GPro 500 applications.

It provides a brief overview of the application, a process diagram highlighting the installation location and the rationale behind the measurement.

Additional information, including typical gas stream parameters and tips on probe selection, will assist in achieving the most suitable configuration to meet your measurement requirements.

To download this best practice guide visit: www.mt.com/uk-gas-eBook

For more information contact Fluke (U.K.) Ltd, Norwich, Norfolk Tel: 0207 942 0700 Fax: 01603 256 606 E-mail: industrial@uk.fluke.nl Web: www.fluke.co.uk

For more information www.mt.com/o2-gas Tel: 0116 234 5095 E-mail: enquire.mtuk@mt.com

HARTING Ha-VIS eCon switches with PoE+ Data and power — perfectly combined.

tion here Find all product informa

ARTING.co.uk ww w.eCatalogue.H

Flexible power supply directly over Ethernet connections.

Ha-VIS eCon switches are now even more powerful: In addition to data transfer, the IEEE PoE+ standard allows simultaneous energy transfer over an Ethernet cable. Up to four remote devices can each be supplied with 34.2 watts — from IP telephones to camera systems to WLAN access points or RFID readers. Switch models with integrated voltage converter can be supplied directly with 24 V instead of the usual 54 V. And, thanks to intelligent energy management, Ha-VIS eCon switches with PoE+ reduce wiring effort, while cutting energy costs at the same time.

For more information, phone +44 (0) 1604 827500 or send an e-mail to gb@HARTING.com www.HARTING.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

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Smart solution integr The concept of integrated industry can be defined as the transformation of today’s factories into “smart” factories, where the orchestration of services represents the definitive solution for fully modularised automation. This article covers some of the smart solutions and the benefits they can provide.

Modular production Customer-tailored manufacturing requires a high degree of flexibility in production. In smart factories, modular production units are connected together to form executable processes. Here, the orchestration of services, their standardised description, and serviceoriented software architectures all play a central role.

Since traditional systems are incapable of meeting flexible customer requirements, manufacturing processes must be modularised and assembled for individual processes depending on the situation. This entails the integration of various technologies into a smart factory: automation technology, sensors, RFID and, last but not least, information technology.

In the smart factory, production is controlled by components and products in a largely decentralised and autonomous manner. Via sensors, objects detect the state of their surroundings; they can be uniquely identified, possess built-in object memory, and exchange information with other objects - regarding their processing state, for example. Through the addition of embedded systems, objects become “cyber-physical systems” (CPS). The result is a maximum of flexibility and the ability to profitably produce even the smallest batch sizes.

The co-ordination of individual CPS in the smart factory takes place in service-oriented architectures (SOA), which have been successfully employed in information technology for years. The basic idea is to encapsulate individual components as services. Here, a CPS can function as service provider or service consumer.

When orchestrating services, modular production units are assembled into executable production processes.

For the modelling, various programming approaches such as BPML (Business Process Modelling Language) and BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) are available.

In addition to the orchestration of services, one of the biggest challenges is the formal description of the services and their standardisation. System integration requires a reference architecture that enables providers and users to connect individual components with one another with “plug & play” capability.

This will have to be cleverly designed, since directly transferring IT approaches to automation is not generally possible.

joint burdens of high expectations and cost pressures, however, this is unacceptable. Auto-ID technologies are capable of minimising such data loss, but in order to achieve this they need to be sufficiently integrated into both the worlds they connect.

device is used to identify a machine listed for servicing. The service technician is led through the process step by step via an app (implemented via the application suite). Each step is simultaneously documented and archived in a database.

Currently, three Auto-ID technologies are deployed in industry: barcodes (including quick-response or QR codes), image recognition and RFID. Each of these systems has its clear strengths. Barcodes are extremely favourable in terms of costs and are easy to implement, and image recognition does not require any additional information. RFID, however, is the only technology that simultaneously permits unique identification, confers the object with memory, and allows bidirectional communication between the object and the IT world.

• Example 4: Today, the receipt of goods should be posted automatically. Using RFID, hundreds of objects can be simultaneously detected and the data sent directly to the SAP AII module via Ha-VIS Middleware.

The information gained by means of Auto-ID must be prepared in such a way that the target IT system can process it. Depending on the application, entirely different software components are necessary for this process: a PLC function block, middleware, the application suite or the SAP module Auto-ID Infrastructure (AII). The following are some examples of integration, ranging from simple to complex, in which different components are used for integration in each case: • Example 1: Local trains are getting longer and longer, while the platforms are not. Naturally, only doors which open onto a platform should be opened.

This can be detected by way of RFID. The RFID reader switches on a relay that shows the train operator which doors he or she can open.

From sensors to the Cloud and back It is common practice in modern production facilities to record sensor data in order to control production processes and monitor system units. But what would happen if, within a fraction of a second, this sensor data could be stored and subsequently become available again for further analysis – for example to predict failures or unplanned outages? It is precisely this scenario that forms part of the integrated industry concept.

The potential effects are far-reaching, and the organisational and economic benefits are striking.

Consequently, the HARTING Technology Group has developed a “predictive maintenance” demonstrator together with SAP based on the SAP HANA database Cloud technology (Fig.2).

Working on the basis of these two specifications, a complete “water works” featuring pumps, water circulation, sensors and an embedded microcomputer with management control software designed by the

• Example 2: Modern machines consist of numerous modules. Executing a PLC program that does not match the current module configuration can cause serious damage to machines. The RFID reader recognises the modules and communicates with the PLC by means of a function block, thereby ensuring that only authorised programs are executed (Fig.1).

• Example 3: Service calls are expensive, which makes trouble-free processing and sequences all the more important. By way of example, a handheld

Automatic ID integration One way in which these different worlds of automation and IT systems can be linked is through automatic ID integration.

When transferring information between media – say from paper to IT systems – much data can be lost. As a result, the potential for efficiency gains and cost reduction can fall by the wayside. In the case of production processes under the

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Fig.1. RFID in modern machinery

Fig.2. Predictive maintenance demonstrator

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

ns for grated industry

By Kevin Canham – Product & Applications Manager of HARTING Ltd.

company was developed within a period of six weeks.

The aim of this demonstrator is to test the robustness of a concept under essentially real conditions and in which errors in processes or components can be detected early on in order to order spare parts in advance, minutely plan replacement work, and be able to make appropriate remedial measures available to technical service personnel.

Inside the “waterworks” (Fig.3), water is continuously pumped out of a container and back into it. Sensor data

and repair. The RFID transponders permit components to be uniquely identified, and the history of every component can be documented.

As a result, maintenance intervals can be precisely planned down to the component level.

Ha-VIS Application-Suite How does the right app find its way onto a service technician’s mobile reader? Who makes sure that the required process steps are mapped and depicted?

How should such requirements be efficiently programmed and maintained from a central location? This solution goes by the name of the Ha-VIS Application-Suite, and is illustrated by way of the following scenario: A work shift gets under way in the maintenance and service department of a factory. We accompany a technician who performs maintenance on equipment within the company. This activity must be thoroughly documented and centrally recorded in an in-house database system.

But the technician doesn’t grab a folder full of checklists from the shelf that details the work he needs to complete to-day. Instead, he picks up a mobile RFID reader with an integrated touch panel. After logging on to the device, his work can begin.

RFID Identification Fig.3. Simulation of a waterworks on the predictive maintenance demonstrator, illustrating diagnosis of a system failure from the pressure and flowmeter are queried at extremely short intervals by the embedded microcomputer and then relayed to the SAP HANA database. In the event that a change in sensor data is registered with respect to the circulation, an algorithm stored in the SAP HANA database can mathematically and precisely determine the instant of the potential failure.

A graphical interface is employed to display status messages that can be used to analyse errors. In addition, a pumping cycle that shows signs of failure can be disabled and switched over to a second one that is also integrated into the demonstrator. This permits the malfunction to temporarily be bypassed.

Visualisation during service and maintenance To resolve the error, in addition to the information on the faulty component, the technician also has access to a detailed 3D drawing based on current CAD diagrams, which can assist in performing replacement work.

Further development of the demonstrator is planned: with the help of HARTING RFID transponders attached to each component, in tandem with the company’s Ha-VIS Middleware and Ha-VIS Application-Suite, the scenario could be extended to encompass maintenance

Arriving at the first maintenance location, the machine scheduled for servicing is uniquely identified by UHF RFID with the aid of the mobile RFID reader.

The maintenance checklist is automatically shown to the technician on the display, including the correct machine/object identification. Maintenance work is digitally documented directly on the mobile recording device. Thanks to RFID identification, any mix-up with the wrong checklist or an incorrect maintenance object is ruled out.

Who ensures that the recorded data are stored in the correct database? How complex is the maintenance of such a system? What happens if different recording devices are used? Can an application potentially be adapted to new work processes in a flexible manner? Does the mobile recording device need to be permanently connected to the server?

It is here that the Ha-VIS Application-Suite takes over and organises these tasks (Fig.4). The client-server based architecture of this solution platform makes it possible to create hardware-independent and operating system independent applications (apps). In concrete terms, this means that an app runs on a central server and can be updated and maintained there.

The predominantly mobile client devices receive the necessary information and interfaces from this central location. But, unlike a conventional client-server based mobile app, more than just a web-site is displayed on the client. Extensive job steps such as maintenance work can be performed offline. The mobile device

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

Fig.4. Principal architecture of the Ha-VIS Application-Suite loads necessary data once into memory and can then continue to work offline.

In addition, in contrast to pure Web-based applications, the hardware of the mobile end device can be accessed – for example, that of the RFID reading unit.

To accomplish this, device-specific connections are available. As a result, during the actual app creation the device-dependent properties can be ignored. The advantage of this technique is that an app that is created can run on different end devices.

This suite extends the Auto-ID product portfolio including the powerful Ha-VIS Middleware, which is compliant with the EPCglobal ALE 1.1 standard.

HARTING Limited Northampton, Northamptonshire Can be contacted via: Tel: +44 (0) 1604 827500 Fax: +44 (0) 1604 706777 E-mail: gb@harting.com Web: www.harting.co.uk

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PROCESS MEASUREMENT & INSTRUMENTATION Compact Mass SAM-1™ Smart Aqua Meter Transforms Flow Controller for Smart Devices into Lab or Portable pH, ORP, and Temperature Meters harsh environments Conductivity Sensorex device is Apple

With the introduction of their new model “T23”, Bronkhorst High-Tech expands their IN-FLOWCTA series of Mass Flow Meters /Controller for industrial applications. These instruments work on the basis of direct through-flow measurement (no by-pass), following the constant temperature anemometry principle.

The instruments contain no moving parts and have no obstructions to the flow path, which makes them ideal for low pressure drop applications and less sensitive to moisture or particulates than thermal mass flow devices with by-pass sensor.

The electronics housing is of rugged design according IP65 (dust- and waterproof).

The flow meters and controllers are available with optional ATEX approval for use in Category 3, Zone 2 hazardous areas. The “T23” is a compact Mass Flow Controller with a newly developed integrated, direct operating valve that can cope with high gas flow rates. The maximum flow control range of the instrument is 12-600 ln/min. Both analog I/O-signals and RS232 connection are available as a standard feature.

In addition to this there is the possibility of integrating an interface board with DeviceNet™, PROFIBUS DP, Modbus or FLOW-BUS protocol. Applications can be found in process control systems as for example in food, chemical and petrochemical plants.

To view Video go to: http://goo.gl/etTOuX For more information contact: Bronkhorst (UK) Ltd, Newmarket, Suffolk. Tel: 01223 833222 Fax: +44 1223 837683 E-mail: sales@bronkhorst.co.uk Web: www.bronkhorst.co.uk

CO2 SENSOR MODULE DESIGNED FOR OEM APPLICATIONS – MAINTENANCE-FREE, HIGHLY ACCURATE, COMPACT The sensor module EE893 from E+E Elektronik allows highly accurate and long-term stable CO2 measurements in demanding OEM applications. Thanks to its very small size and low power consumption, EE893 can be used in both hard wired sensors and battery operated devices such as wireless transmitters, hand-helds and data loggers.

The dual wavelength NDIR measuring principle is maintenance free and highly insensitive to environmental influences. Aging effects are automatically compensated.

The multiple point CO2 and temperature adjustment ensures excellent accuracy over the entire temperature working range. The CO2 measurements with a measuring range up to 10,000 ppm are available on the digital E2 interface. The measurement interval can be set individually according to the requirements of the application.

For more information contact E+E Elektronik GmbH, Langwiesen 7, A-4209 Engerwitzdorf, Austria Tel: +43 (0)7235 605-217 Fax: +43 (0)7235 605-8 E-mail: Johannes.fraundorfer@epluse.at Web: www.epluse.com

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and Android compatible The SAM-1™ Smart Aqua Meter from Sensorex harnesses the convenience of handheld smart devices to measure and record pH, ORP, conductivity and temperature values. Compatible with both Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, SAM-1 delivers accurate analytical measurements in the lab or field for use in environmental, education and industrial applications.

The SAM-1 plugs into the headphone jack of a smartphone or tablet and connects to Sensorex smart analytical sensors for measurement. The SAM-1 App, available as a free download, instantly recognizes the smart sensor type and calibration data. The interface makes taking measurements and managing data simple and error-free, eliminating handwritten logs and potential

for transcription errors.

Time, date, and GPS location are automatically recorded with each reading and users may add location name and additional comments.

Readings can be shared instantly via email or exported to a spreadsheet for analysis and record retention.

SAM-1 is currently Apple™ iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® compatible and will be available for Android devices in May 2014. Additional sensor types will be supported in the future with seamless software updates.

To learn more about the SAM-1 Smart Aqua Meter,contact Sensorex, Garden Grove, California Tel: +1 714-895-4344 Fax: +1 714 894 4939 visit www.sensorex.com E-mail: sales@sensorex.com

ENHANCED CS210 TEMPERATURE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR ROTARY KILNS Raytek introduces a new generation of CS210 system for non-contact temperature measurement and monitoring of rotary kiln shells. The modular system now integrates up to four infrared line scanners for monitoring long and difficult-to-access kilns.

Additionally, point sensors cover shadow areas, for instance behind tyres.

Designed for rotary kilns exclusively, the software compiles all data to a complete thermal image. The upgrade also enables a real-time display of a 3D thermal image of the kiln surface, making refractory monitoring especially user-friendly. Damaged and fallen bricks are quickly located, enabling users to initiate repair and avoid expensive production stops.

The system provides a one-brick resolution and sends failsafe hotspot alarms.

A Refractory Management database helps determine when best to replace the refractory. All ovenrelated and operational data, information about the

refractory material, and maintenance dates can be easily managed and documented with a user history. A separate sensor monitoring the burning zone can also be integrated and managed via the software.

Communication with the control room is typically realized via a fiber-optic cable and Ethernet TCP/IP. Moreover, the control level can access all system-related data via an OPC server.

For more information contact Raytek GmbH, Blankenburger Str. 135 13127 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 / 47 80 08 – 411 Fax: +49 30 / 47 10 251 E-mail: jschwelm@raytek.de Web: www.raytek.de

WATER COOLING FOR INFRARED MINIATURE TEMPERATURE SENSORS With the latest system expansion, MI3100 pyrometers from Raytek keep a cool head even in high-temperature applications. The new water-cooled stainless steel housing extends the ambient temperature tolerance to 180 °C. Delivery includes an air purge collar. With 35 mm in diameter and 73 mm in length, the housing can be easily integrated even in applications where space is limited.

The sensor series provides high versatility and precision.

Two spectral models each cover a wide temperature range of 500 - 1,800 °C (1 m) and 250 °C - 1,400 °C (1.6 m). An integrated laser sighting facilitates positioning and aiming. Modbus, Profibus, Ethernet, and Profinet communication boxes are available for connection to the control level, as well as a model with four galvanically isolated analog outputs.

Up to eight measuring heads can be connected to a single MI3 communication box. Digital communication between sensor and box and the patented automatic head detection enables plug and play.

The shortwave MI3100 pyrometers are particularly suitable

for use in secondary metal working and processing, and for manufacturers of ovens and heating systems.

For more information contact Raytek GmbH, Blankenburger Str. 135, 13127 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 / 47 80 08 – 411 Fax: +49 30 / 47 10 251 E-mail: jschwelm@raytek.de Web: www.raytek.de

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

DUST PREVENTION FOR INTERLOCKS

HEALTH & SAFETY

Dust plugs and vinyl bags keep interlocks working in the harshest conditions

DO YOU NEED TO DESIGN SAFETY GATE SWITCHES?

When operating in the most extreme environmental conditions, such as deserts or offshore, keeping valves free from sand and salt can be a thankless task.

To help operators deal with this issue Smith Flow Control has developed a range of dust plugs and vinyl bags to keep interlocks free from the worst of the elements, even in the most hostile environments.

Dust plugs Dust plugs are a simple and highly effective way to prevent dust and dirt ingress into key interlocks. Made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) and fitted with a ‘soft sealing’ aperture gasket, the plug is inserted into the key aperture as soon as one of the coded keys is removed.

By creating a tight fit, the plug seals the aperture and will not become dislodged, allowing the operator to complete the assigned task.

Dust Plug on a safety interlock

Vinyl bags

A simpler solution, these robust covers envelop the complete interlock unit and protect key aperture points and lock bodies. They are weather- and dust-proof and also have UV protection so they don’t deteriorate in the sun. The bags can be fitted to both handwheeland lever-operated valves and a drawstring allows then to be tightly closed and firmly attached to the interlocked valve.

Both of these products are simple to use and provide a powerful physical barrier, whatever the elements are throwing at valve interlocks, giving operators peace of mind.

Vinyl bag covering an entire valve assembly

For more information contact Smith Flow Control Ltd, Witham, Essex.

Tel: +44 (0)1376 517901 Fax: +44 (0)1376 519720 E-mail: pr@smithflowcontrol.com Web: www.smithflowcontrol.com

Static Grounding Equipment for Hazardous Areas

Then try out Fortress Interlock’s amGard pro product configurator! amGard pro is Fortress Interlocks’ modular interlock range for safety gate switches for heavy duty applications.

Its unique modular construction (made up of actuators, head modules, adaptors, electrical switches/locks and optional push-button pods) allows easy configuration for virtually any safeguarding application up to SIL3 (EN/ IEC 60261) Category 4 and PLe (EN/ISO 13849-1).

To assist with amGard pro configuration Fortress now has a Product Configurator on its website. By following the simple steps it allows the user to configure a complete unit, with part numbers, an image, a 2D drawing and a 3D model.

The amGard pro offers a range of fully integrated safety interlocks, including solenoid and non-solenoid safety switches with many additional options including key control modules, emergency release, redundant sensors, lock out/tag out and push buttons, e-stops and indication lights for enhanced functionality. Its robust construction also makes it ideal for industrial applications when safety, strength and reliability are of paramount importance.

It replaces all adaptions normally fitted within a guarding system, so additional hardware like door catches, actuators, closing mechanisms, internal release mechanisms, key functions including authorised access and deadlocks are no longer needed. All of these separate functions can be incorporated into amGard pro configurations, resulting in the most flexible safety interlock solution available for today’s industrial environment.

Key features of the amGard pro include: • Enhanced machine control functionality • Improved Standards Compliance • Enhanced strength 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 and to try out the configurator why not visit the amGard pro page on Fortress’ website? www.fortressinterlocks.com

SFC’s technology makes valve interlock adjustment effortless

A common feature of powder processing equipment operating in hazardous locations is the potential for static electricity to accumulate on multiple parts of the plant equipment. Isolated components of fluid bed dryers, hoppers, micronizers, hoses and powder conveying systems can accumulate voltages capable of discharging electrostatic sparks into potentially combustible atmospheres with minimum ignition energies well below the energy of a static spark.

For users requiring ground status indicators and process interlocks, the installation of multiple grounding systems to monitor each component individually is likely to be both cost and space prohibitive.

The Earth-Rite® MULTIPOINT is a discrete static grounding system, with process interlock capability, that can monitor and ground up to eight pieces of potentially isolated equipment, all at the same time, eliminating the need to install multiple grounding systems. The ground status of each object is displayed by an array of green and red LEDs mounted in a hazloc approved enclosure. If the MULTIPOINT detects that an object is not grounded it can be configured to shut down the transfer process to stop the electrification of equipment.

To learn more about the Earth-Rite® MULTIPOINT or the dangers of static electricity in hazardous areas please contact Newson Gale.

Trapped-key interlocks offer enhanced safety and efficiency for the most difficult process management challenges.

Mounted directly to valves, interlocks ensure a process only happens in the correct operational sequence.

Trapped-key Interlocks for handwheeloperated valves are different from those for lever-operated valves, as the latter only have a finite movement (normally 90 degrees). Interlocks on handwheeloperated valves, however, usually require several full revolutions between the locked open and locked closed positions.

Because of this, handwheel operated interlocks need to be able to ‘count’ the number of handwheel turns in order to release keys in the required open and/or closed positions. Similarly, with gate and globe valves, the closed position can vary through the effects of valve seat wear. After a period of use, the closed position on gate and globe valves may have altered. This can mean that when the valve is shut tight, the interlock (closed) key will not release as the valve has travelled past the original set key release position.

Smith Flow Control’s (SFC’s) GL Interlocks are ideal for this scenario as they can be adjusted in-situ in a matter of minutes simply by operating the valve back to the original key release position in two easy steps: 1. Using the special tamperproof tool (provided), the interlock cover is removed and the set screws adjusted 2. The valve is then operated again to its shut tight (closed) position and the screws are retightened (reset) in the new position This simple in-situ adjustment feature is unique to SFC’s GL interlock and provides a fast and efficient method of maintaining valve interlocks on site.

For more information contact Newson Gale Ltd, Colwick, Nottingham Tel: 0115 940 7500 Fax: 0115 940 7501 E-mail: groundit@newson-gale.co.uk Web: www.newson-gale.com

For more information contact Smith Flow Control Ltd, Witham, Essex Tel: +44 (0)1376 517901 Fax: +44 (0)1376 519720 E-mail: sales@smithflowcontrol.com Web: www.smithflowcontrol.com

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Optimising Pl

By Philip A Tugwell BA (Hons) M.Sc. MIC CMC - Associate Director - MCP Management Consultants Ltd

Industrial operations of every type and size understand that in today’s business environment, effectively managing assets throughout their lifecycle can deliver real and on-going value and reduce the total Cost of Ownership.

Improvement programmes often focus on applying standalone tools such as rapid changeover, 5S, and OEE measures and ignoring the simple fact that if we want to drive efficiency we have to do something more than just apply a set of tools and techniques and have the operators doing something different. We as managers need to act differently. It is a simple fact of life that low and static efficiency levels are the fault of the management team not the fault of the operators.

However a survey in 2005 by Michael L George (Author of The Lean Six SIGMA Pocket Tool Book) 50% of capital equipment was purchased to compensate for underperforming equipment! Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the Pharmaceutical industry where despite many years of lean initiatives and operational excellence programmes, average plant efficiencies are still significantly lower than is achievable. The table below was published by the ISPE (international Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers) in 2011 and shows the low level of performance and the improvement potential for this industry.

Type of plant

OEE % Min

OEE % Max

OEE % Average

OEE % Achievable Target?

Primary (API) - dedicated

30

90

60-70

90 +

Primary (API) - multi-purpose

10

65

60

70

Formulation - Sterile

10

80

45-50

50+

Formulation - Solid dose

5

30

15

40+

Formulation 20 - liquids/creams

60

50

70

Packaging

80

25

40+

15

So what does a loss management programme look like?

There are a number of activities which loss management programmes need to have in place these include:-

A process for analysing production data to identify the biggest loss areas and identifying root causes The most important aspect of the loss management process is not the collecting of data or the production of a performance measure but the analysis of the data using Root Cause Analysis techniques to clearly identify where and how the loss originated.

The process to be used is based around grouping the losses captured on the daily stoppage report into discrete sources of loss, we will use plant breakdown , changeovers, running speeds, minor stops, damage, yield loss and planned activities. On a daily, weekly and monthly basis these sources of losses are subjected to a Pareto analysis and the biggest causes of loss are subjected to further analysis using suitable tools such as root cause analysis to determine root causes and to then develop corrective actions and improvement plans aimed at reducing the impact of the loss.

On a daily basis any event which has impacted plant performance should have a counter measure implemented to reduce the likelihood of the event occurring again before a permanent corrective action is put in place. Team leaders use the 3C’s (Cause, Concern and Countermeasure) to drive structured and rapid action to events which occur on their shift. The diagram below shows the structure of this process

So what needs to be tackled in these organisations and in any other manufacturing business in order to raise the level of plant efficiency? And why have years of lean and other initiatives not raised plant efficiency levels significantly?

The answer lies in the much ignored tool of loss management. Loss management is one of the foundation stones of all other manufacturing improvement activities. The loss management process involves the collection, analysis, and reviewing of production loss data. Informed decisions can then be made to improve overall productivity. This process is assisted by a structured approach to shop floor control and monitoring and management review.

Initial Pareto Analysis

1

By product line, determine which sources of loss can be addressed and relative impact on productivity

2

Sources of Loss Grouping Aggregate sources of loss from all BEAR dimensions into logical groupings across product lines

� A process for capturing production performance data

Root Cause Analysis Use root cause failure analysis to create cause trees for highest impact loss symptoms Environment

Not controllable by plant Addressable by plant team Addressable by eng team

The basic elements of a loss management process are:-

3

6

D

OAE Preliminary Project List 1.

2.

But we do this I can hear you say, we have done it for years! Well maybe you do record production data, maybe you review it every day but is there a structured process which drives productivity improvements, across all levels of the business every day? Probably not. Few organisations genuinely have a robust and successful loss management process. A major Pharmaceutical company implemented an effective loss management programme in its Asia Consumer sites with a program driven by the regional operations director and saw its average OEE levels rise from around 40% to over 80% in a three year period, three years later this level of performance has been sustained and improved on.

3.

4.

5.

So what did they do differently to everyone else? Well, as always it was little to do with the tools and techniques of lean or manufacturing improvement. It was about making the changes to the way people behave and in particular how the production management team behave.

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C

E

Current Plant Initiative List Direct Match Similar Projects

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Startup Communication

Supply conveyors Case packer Shred Downtime due to Packaging

Insufficient inspection

Measurement

F

Preliminary Project List versus Current Plant Initiative List Comparison

� A process for developing and implementing improvement actions � A methodology for regularly reviewing plant efficiency, losses and improvement plans

B

Changeovers

Carton conv.

Knowledge Relief people Exposure A lot of shuffling Summer help

A

Method

Check weigher

Surge bin Flights Mech.\elec.

� An agreed standard measure of plant efficiency and effectiveness � A process for analysing production data to identify the biggest loss areas and identifying root causes

Machinery Baggers Cartoner – frequent Glue

5

Preliminary Project List Development Project Concept

Project Description

SOL Addressed

Food Scales, conveyors Dust Paste build-up Size Cartons Bad None Glued Unglued

Manpower

Cases Skewed None here Liners None here

Materials

4 Project Pareto Chart Development Create Pareto chart of grouped sources of loss

Potential Impact

A process for developing and implementing improvement actions In order to drive long term sustainable performance improvement a process needs to exist to drive and manage operational improvement. The top sources of loss identified in the previous element are subjected to a process in which further analysis is carried out to determine the true root causes of the issue and then to develop and implement robust and sustainable improvements.

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

lant Efficiency In essence this is about;

The model below shows the type of process we would envisage using; Top Losses Competitive Benchmarkin g

Solicit & Evaluate Opportunities Flow Chart

Check Sheet

Pareto Diagram

Write Charter & Form Team

Establish Measurements & Targets

Define Problem & Writer Charter

Propose Causes Brainstorm

Cause & Effect Diagram

Repeat Communicate Results & Acknowledge Team Report

Test Theories

Trend Chart

Experimental Design

Nominal Group Techniques

Why-Why Diagram

Scatter Plot

Develop Solution & Implement

Bulletin Board

� Daily/Weekly reviews in which the Team review loss KPI to confirm impact of improvement tactics � Monthly reviews where Middle management monitor/support trend towards the quarters goal � Quarterly reviews where Senior Management gives recognition for results over last quarter and agrees priorities for next quarter to progress towards agreed target and where Operational, Technical and Commercial issues outstanding of manufacturing control but which impact on performance are raised.

A structured process for shop floor control and monitoring

A methodology for regularly reviewing plant efficiency, losses and improvement plans

The basic building block of loss management is shop floor control and monitoring. This works on the basic premise of best practice manufacturing that, the longer the interval between performance reviews, the harder it is to make quick corrective actions. For example if plant performance is Gantt Chart only reviewed on a weekly basis then a whole weeks performance has potentially been reduced before any corrective action is taken. However, when performance is reviewed on an hourly or two hourly basis as in short interval control, it is only an hour or two’s production that is impacted before corrective action is taken. Short interval control also forms an integral part of any factory visual management approach since it gives an insight into current plant performance and issues as well identifying whether today is, a good day or bad day.

In order to drive improvement in whole plant performance there is a need for a process which reviews plant performance, losses and improvement progress on a regular basis.

Typically this would cover

Supporting short interval control is the concept of supervisory monitoring which should form part of the supervisory role. In a best practice organisation there is an expectation is that the supervisor’s days are distributed in the following manner:

Stratification Newsletter

Histogram

Pie Chart

Force Field Analysis

Award

Hold Gains

Control Chart

Audit

Measure Progress

Trend Chart

Pareto Diagram

Training

Brainstorm

� Monitor Shop Floor 60% � Improvement Projects 30% � Misc. 10% On its own a loss management process will not deliver improvements in performance, it requires the commitment and involvement of the people on the site to carry out the process on a routine basis such that it becomes a normal day to day activity within the business. However there is evidence to suggest that in the long term, organisations which have a process of this nature and use it are more successful at driving performance improvement. Increases in the order of 5%-25% improvement in OEE are claimed by organisations with processes similar to those described here.

However the key is changing the behaviour and approach of all of the operations management team from site leader down to supervisor. This needs to be achieved through training and coaching interventions with the management team alongside implementation support to develop the loss management process. It is not enough to implement an efficiency improvement programme without supporting it with management coaching if you do not provide the coaching and behaviour change you will fail!

Philip Tugwell joined MCP in 2001 after a successful career as a production and manufacturing manager with a number of UK based multi-national organizations in the food and drink, personal care and automotive industries.Specializing in Manufacturing, Operations and Asset Management, Philip has delivered improvement programmes in the UK, US, South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia, China, India, Japan and South Korea. A Certified Management Consultant and a member of the Institute of Management Consultancy, he has a BA honours degree in Management Science from the Open University and an MSc in Manufacturing Systems; Engineering and Management from UMIST.

MCP Management Consultants Limited, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands Can be contacted via: Tel: +44 (0) 121 506 9032 Fax: +44 (0) 121 506 9033 E-mail: training@mcpeurope.com Web: mcpeurope.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

21

Continuous

By Kevin Clarke, Sales Director, Permasense

integrity monitoring Plant safety continues to be of the utmost importance to operators and safety engineers.

The prevention of corrosion/erosion through live monitoring provides asset and integrity managers with a real time picture of how their facility is coping with the high demands placed upon it by corrosive fluids.

This information assists in risk management and auditing.

Plant integrity Steel pipework and vessels are always at risk of corrosion or erosion. Unless monitored there is a risk of failure which is both a safety and environmental hazard, quite apart from the financial costs of operational interruption, repairs and of reputational damage.

As oil and gas operators produce and process ever more corrosive and erosive hydrocarbon streams, and chemical/ petrochemical producers push process operating envelopes, for example in pursuit of higher product purities, the demands on plant metallurgy steadily increase.

Permanently installed sensor systems deliver a continuous picture of asset condition over time, at a cost comparable to that of a single manual inspection. The integrity data can be correlated with key process condition drivers that may be causing corrosion or erosion, and with corrosion control strategies such as inhibitor use. This enables the asset manager to move beyond merely knowing whether corrosion or erosion is occurring to understanding why and at what rate.

This understanding informs better quality decisions; resulting in improved plant profitability, cost-effective improvement of plant integrity and also, therefore, safety.

The crude was processed at 20-25% of the total slate during the test period. The sensors installed on the kerosene draw-off from the crude tower showed a marked increase in corrosion rate (below) - a valuable insight that is being used by the operator to develop operational guidelines and inhibitor strategy for future processing of the crude on an ongoing basis.

Figure 1.

Typically, investments in sensor technology are justified by safety and operational risk mitigation factors - assuring plant integrity, improving equipment availability, accessibility of measurement points from an inspector safety point of view, or changing the role of limited resources (like qualified inspectors) from making measurements in the field to analysing the causes and mitigation of corrosion issues.

However, once installed, these systems are highlighting where corrosion is taking place and whether it is intermittent or continuous. This information is proving particularly valuable in informing the production planning and operations decision making processes, to drive the plant towards improved profitability, by processing feedstocks with a more corrosive or erosive tendency, or operating the plant more severely.

System design At the core of these permanently installed systems is an ultrasonic sensor mounted on stainless steel waveguides. The waveguides isolate the sensor electronics from extreme temperatures and guide the ultrasonic signals to the pipe wall and back without excessive signal degradation and distortion. The sensors can monitor pipe wall thicknesses of over 3 mm (1/8 in) in a wide range of steels and other alloys. The frequent measurement of corrosion allows for metal loss detection at the level of 10s of microns.

The need for continuous monitoring There are various established techniques for the periodic assessment of pipe and vessel integrity. The drivers of corrosion and erosion - process conditions, crude constituents and abrasive solids - and the inhibitors to hold corrosion rates in check are familiar to most operators.

Periodic inspections do not, however, deliver continuous pipework condition data that can be correlated with either corrosion drivers or inhibitor use to enable understanding of the impact of process decisions and the use of inhibitors on plant integrity. Manual acquisition of ultrasonic wall thickness data is also frequently associated with repeatability limitations and data recording errors.

Real-time sensor data from installations is showing that, where corrosion is taking place, it is often intermittent rather than continuous. In such cases it is particularly valuable to be able to correlate thickness data over time with the key operating or feedstock quality parameters. Moreover, the data can highlight which prevention or mitigation strategies are most effective.

Optimisation of prevention and mitigation strategies Direct, accurate and sufficiently frequent measurement of pipework thickness to accurately identify trends is not practically feasible with manual inspection methods, when coupled with the challenges of accessibility, and avoidance of safety risks to personnel from high temperatures and difficult to reach locations.

Permanently installed sensor systems, on the other hand, deliver continuous data of high quality. Installed on pipes/ vessels operating at up to 600°C (1100°F) sensors have been certified as intrinsically safe for use in the most hazardous of environments, and proven in operation over a number of years in refinery and petrochemical environments, as well as onshore and offshore upstream facilities.

The figure below shows the range of drivers that are motivating plant operators to invest in permanently installed corrosion monitoring systems.

22

Figure 2.

In the short-range configuration, each sensor is equipped with a radio and communicates with other sensors and a gateway (base station) within a 50m (55yd) range. The sensors form an independent mesh or wireless network and each sensor radio can act as a relay, or repeater, enabling the network to span hundreds of metres from the gateway.

In the long-range configuration the same ultrasonic wall thickness measurement sensors are utilised as for the short-range system, but sensors are cabled to a range extender which incorporates an antenna. This enables the extender to communicate directly with a gateway up to 25 miles (40km) away. Thus data can be retrieved even from the remotest monitoring locations, enabling systems to be configured to meet the needs of upstream facilities and above-ground pipelines.

In both configurations the data is channelled via the gateway to a database on a connected computer. If, as is usual, this computer is networked, browser-based visualisation software enables the corrosion/inspection engineer to view the data at their desk, which could be anywhere in the world.

Improved insight into the impact of feedstock decisions Continuous corrosion monitoring is being used to support more strategic decision making processes such as feedstock selection and diversification. One refiner carried out a one month trial of a crude that it had not previously processed, to gain a better understanding of the potential integrity impacts.

Figure 3.

Processing of high acid ‘opportunity’ crudes is a key profit improvement strategy for many refiners in the Western Hemisphere. While naphthenic acid corrosion tends to be quite localised, Permasense is seeing refiners deploying arrays of sensors, making a series of point measurements to highlight where a significant increase in corrosion activity is being observed. This approach also enables an understanding of the effectiveness of inhibitor chemical injections in the ‘at risk’ locations.

On an offshore gas processing platform, sensors have been deployed in arrays around the gas risers to detect sand erosion (as shown in the photograph below).

The responsiveness of the Permasense sensor technology to changes in the wall thickness driven by sand breakthrough has enabled the operator to increase gas production by 10% with confidence, in the knowledge that Figure 4. equipment integrity was being closely monitored in real-time. In extreme environments, such as offshore oil and gas production facilities, the application of advanced sensor technology is being used to systematically limit the amount of inspector time required on the platform, to reduce costs of transferring staff from shore by helicopter and to add flexibility within constraints on the total numbers of staff offshore at any one time.

Summary The installation of permanently installed sensors eliminates the cost of repeat measurements (for example, from requiring scaffolding to be built for access) and there is no personnel exposure to high-risk locations or adverse ambient conditions.

However, operators using permanently installed continuous corrosion monitoring systems are finding additional benefits from having a more accurate and timely understanding of the corrosion and erosion rates occurring within their facility. While often installed as part of safety or operational risk management programmes, the data from such systems is providing plant operators with valuable insight into the effect of changing operations on corrosion/erosion rates, and supporting more effective risk-based decision making around issues such as feedstock cost reduction, chemical inhibition strategy, shutdown timing and selection of metallurgy for plant upgrades.

Permanently installed systems are also enhancing inspection strategies in locations where access is costly, dangerous or physically restricted, while the availability of wireless transmission of data significantly reduces the time needed to install such equipment in these tough environments.

Permasense Limited, Horsham, West Sussex Can be contacted via: Tel: +44 20 3002 3672 E-mail: webenquiry@permasense.com Web: www.permasense.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING INC. PUMPS & VALVES

PORTABLE VALVE ACTUATION FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER INSTALLATIONS SFC’s EasiDrive ensures safe, efficient operation Operating valves in water and wastewater installations can be a laborious and dangerous task, especially if the valves are used infrequently, corroded or have varying torque requirements.

Smith Flow Control’s EasiDrive portable valve actuator is designed specifically for these scenarios, by allowing operatives to operate valves without the need for dedicated valve actuators.

With the EasiDrive the operator has absolute control. One person can efficiently drive multiple valves with a single tool, reducing fatigue and risk of injury and resulting in major cost and time savings.

A unique feature is a ‘reaction kit’ which prevents a torque kickback, ensuring valve movement is always fully controlled and preventing operator injury and fatigue. In addition, the variable torque output feature, which prevents excessive torque being applied, ensures proper and safe valve operation at all times.

Key features of the EasiDrive: • Low cost alternative to permanent actuators • No permanent power supply required • Suitable for all climatic conditions • Wide band torque capability with variable torque adjustment as standard • Ideal for moving tight or partially-seized valves • Adaptable to any size/type of valve • Eliminates operator fatigue and greatly reduces the risk of injury • No ‘kickback’ often associated with other torque devices • Variable output torque – so no damage to valves by ‘over-torquing’ • Fully portable – can manage banks of valves with a single drive tool EasiDrive is highly versatile and can be powered by air, electricity or battery, giving the user ultimate control over their preferred choice. It can also be custom designed to suit specific site requirements.

For more information contact Smith Flow Control Ltd, Witham, Essex Tel: +44 (0)1376 517901 Fax: +44 (0)1376 519720 E-mail: pr@smithflowcontrol.com Web: www.smithflowcontrol.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

23

Reliability: The Safe Option

By Andrew Fraser, Managing Director of Reliable Manufacturing

The relationship between safety and reliability is too often overlooked. Reliability is the key to unlocking improved safety and a more productive, cost-effective plant.

Plant safety is a hot topic, and for good reason. Legislation and a desire to maintain a good reputation underpin a natural concern for employee welfare. A safe plant makes for a productive, pleasant work environment, but a working day in the process industry is unpredictable with the potential for accidents never far away.

However, when a plant is working reliably, the amount of urgent reactive action needed is reduced. Studies show that increasing the proportion of preventive and predictive maintenance work results in a clear decrease in the number of injuries, in some cases by as much as 50%. Yet few companies recognise this close relationship between reliability and safety, and fewer still give reliability the same credence as safety. Not only is reliability key to achieving safety goals, it can also boost efficiency and reduce cost.

Twenty years ago, action on safety was typically reactive, addressed when prompted by an incident, accident or investigation. We’ve come a long way from those days, and the majority of businesses recognise the importance of establishing an extensive safety policy. Leading companies ensure that reliability is a key element in their safety policy; a reliable plant is a safe plant, is a cost-effective plant.

failures to react to. A key facet of a reliable plant is less reactive maintenance (any work not scheduled at least seven days in advance). Research by Exxon Mobil shows that maintenance staff are five times more likely to get injured during a reactive task than during one which has been planned. Furthermore, a study by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, entitled ‘Maintenance and Occupational Safety and Health – A Statistical Review’, found that reactive maintenance staff were more likely to be exposed to extreme heat, extreme cold, humidity, loud noises and dangerous substances. A reliable plant is in the enviable position of being able to plan ahead and set out a weekly scheduled maintenance plan, reducing unnecessary reactive work and, consequently, injuries.

But of course, reliability does not begin and end with maintenance. It’s like blaming your garage for the poor reliability of your car. They didn’t design and build it, nor do they operate it on a daily basis; the garage just fixes the defects. For a dramatic, sustainable change in

Although reliability isn’t the only way to ensure a safer plant, it is very difficult for companies to have a good safety record without being reliable. It’s been seen before; the disproportionate management energy required to achieve safety performance in a reactive environment can lead to neglecting other key aspects of operational performance.

By chasing a perfect safety record without changing the nature of the working environment which is contributing to those accidents, such as unreliability, asset utilisation can drop dramatically, leaving companies struggling financially.

There is strong evidence to support the theory that a reliable plant is a safer plant. Data collected from a large US paper manufacturing company across some fifteen plants worldwide, over a five-year period (see figure below), shows the plants’ asset utilisation (blue) against injury rate (red). As asset utilisation goes up, the injury rate comes down. The correlation between the two is 80%; this is remarkably high for industrial data. What’s more, higher asset and production utilization obviously helps generate revenue growth. So not only will reliability decrease injuries, it will also increase efficiency and yield significant financial benefits.

Most accidents occur in reactive situations. When a plant is running well, with high asset utilisation, there are fewer

24

reliability and safety, the best approach is to affect cultural change. This begins with leadership making it clear that reliability is fundamental to the way the business is run and encouraging all employees to take responsibility and ownership for the care of assets. To achieve reliability, it is necessary to design, buy, store, install and start up, operate and maintain assets in such a way that it avoids introducing defects that would otherwise result in downtime, extra cost and safety and environmental events.

A quick & easy fit – it is not…

Establishing a culture of reliability throughout an organisation is not a quick process, nor is it an easy one.

But adopting a parallel top-down, bottom-up approach to improvement, and breaking this mammoth task into smaller ones, is a good start and can bring some instant results. From those in the highest executive roles to staff on the front line of operations and maintenance work, inspiring a culture of reliability and increased safety is only possible when a sense of excitement for pursuing a safer, more efficient workplace is instilled. This will ultimately yield huge results; those closest to the work are best placed to observe what is and isn’t working and thus are integral to effecting change. Many companies report that after working on a reliability policy, staff are more likely to look after the equipment in the plant, call maintenance less frequently and have a better sense of how important they are in the overall running of the business.

The challenge then becomes sustaining these improvements. A leading UK-based petrochemical company has been working through the sustainable performance improvement process developed by Reliable Manufacturing and, as a result of high level commitment, company-wide involvement and regular assessments, has since reached record production levels. The three phase process is as follows: • Phase 1 – Engage Help employees understand the need for change and ‘unfreeze’ the way things have been done in the past.

Educate them in good operations and maintenance practises and engage them in the actual process of change. Get each department working together to push change forward.

• Phase 2 – Transformation If a substantial amount of the workforce understand the need for change, and their role in making those changes a reality, the entire business will be able to work together to transform old, inefficient practices into new ways of working to promote both safety and reliability.

• Phase 3 – Sustain Sustainability is the name of the game. With front line supervisors and workers on board, sustainability is much more attainable. But to uphold high reliability and safety levels, continuous improvement is the best bet. Audit the new working processes introduced during phase 2 to see what is working and improve upon what isn’t. The processing industry isn’t stagnant; nor should working processes be.

Creating a sustainable culture of reliability in a plant prompts improvements across the entirety of the business, from lower injury rates to higher asset and production utilization. In due course, these advantages lead to improved customer satisfaction and ultimately, revenue growth. With a reliable plant, staff are safer, more invested in their work and time isn’t wasted dealing with unpleasant surprises, so delivering high quality service can take priority.

Reliable Manufacturing, Appleton, Warrington, Cheshire Can be contact via: Tel: +44 (0)1925 261033 E-mail: info@reliable-manufacturing.com Web: www.reliable-manufacturing.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING INC. PUMPS & VALVES

When Pressurised just call Smedegaard the Pressurisation system experts Smedegaard Pumps limited manufacture and supply what is ‘probably’ the largest range of pressurisation equipment for LTHW, MTHW and CWS systems.

The standard ECO and Elite pressurisation units are primarily designed for commercial systems and are used with Expansion Vessels. The units can be free standing or walls mounted, and are Category 5 compliant. Elite units are fitted with system ‘safe fill’ packs allow the units to fill the closed loop system.

For applications such as very large volume, high rise, higher temperature systems or where the final working pressure of the system must be similar to cold fill pressure then the SpillPress units offer the ideal solution.

The compactness of the SpillPress units may also be a great advantage where the available floor space is limited.

SpillPress tanks are designed to accept the full expansion of the system; level control is fitted as standard. All tanks have an overflow and spill over weir to give a WRc Category 5 compliant type AB air gap.

A full digital control panel is fitted to the unit which gives an audible and visual alarm indication with mute, password protection and hours run log and has volt free contacts for BMS connection.

SpillPress are split into three distinct ranges each providing the optimum engineered solution.

SPILLPRESS COMPACT The ‘Compact’ range consists of the pump and control module mounted together with the spill tank

on a common base plate.

Peripheral turbine pumps in twin configuration are normally used in the range.

However, other pumps can also be offered to suit specific requirements. The spill tanks are available in three sizes to accept 400 litres, 600 litres or 1000 litres of expansion.

Solenoid valves are utilised as spill valves on this range.

SPILLPRESS MODULAR The ‘Modular’ range consists of the pump and control module on a common baseplate and the spill tank supplied loose. Usually two vertical multistage pumps are fitted but there is the option for a third pump. Self acting spill valves are utilised with this range but solenoid valves can also be fitted to this range. ‘Modular’ packages can accept expansion of up to 11875 litres and is suitable for use with boilers of up to 12000 kW at 90°C.

SPILLPRESS BESPOKE The ‘Bespoke’ range is designed and engineered for larger projects which exceed the capability of both the ‘Compact’ and ‘Modular’ packages.

The ‘Bespoke’ sets are designed and built to the client’s specific specifications with the aid of our in house expertise. The accompanying picture shows a ‘Bespoke’ custom built pump and control package. Spill tanks with a capacity of 53,000 litres were provided with this package.

High Temperatures Applications When operating the system above 95°C higher pressures will be required to eliminate vaporisation. Additionally intermediate cooling buffer vessels may be necessary.

As the SpillPress for these applications is customised to specific needs, please contact the Smedegaard technical team for assistance when dealing with these system types.

For more information please contact Smedegaard Pumps Limited, Bridgwater, Somerset Tel: 01278 458686 Fax: 01278 452454 E-mail: info@smedegaard.co.uk Web www.smedegaard.co.uk

N

EW

Verderflex Dura 5 & 7 HPLV High Pressure Low Volume dosing Solving your dosing problems: Reliable dosing of off-gassing liquids Superior secondary containment Dry running Elimates pre-wetting No ancillary equipment needed

info@verderflex.com

www.verderflex.com Process Industry Informer.indd 1

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

2/4/2014 2:45:59 PM

25

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING INC. PUMPS & VALVES

Reduce operating costs for pumps & associated process equipment The performance and reliability of ‘O’ ring sealing systems within process plants can prove to be critical when examining overall plant costs. This becomes evident where the process fluids are aggressive, or otherwise dangerous to personnel safety, and environmental concerns become involved in the event of process fluid leakage due to seal failures.

Conventional elastomer seals which have proved to last the lifetime of process equipment, or provide leak-free operation between programmed maintenance break-outs may have established their suitability. However, sealing products that exhibit regular failures, necessitating costly equipment stripdowns, loss of productivity, together with leakage and clean-up procedures should have the costs

for the above procedures factored in when considering the overall costs of seal replacements.

The DuPont™ Kalrez® range of perfluoroelastomer seals, available in the UK from Dichtomatik Ltd, can show worthwhile long-term savings by extending the MTBF times and so minimising any associated labour and downtime losses.

It is important that the true cost of system failures include all the additional associated costs involved with equipment dismantling and re-assembly, downtime and loss of production. This should also include possible clean-up where aggressive chemicals are involved as well as the straightforward costs involved in replacing the sealing products (typically ‘O’ rings).

For more information contact Dichtomatik Ltd, Pride Park, Derby DE24 8HX Tel: 01332 524401 Fax: 01332 524425 E-mail: kalrez@dichtomatik.co.uk Web: www.dichtomatik-kalrez.co.uk

HYGIENIC PUMPS SUIT HIGH PRESSURE, LOW FLOW APPLICATIONS The established range of CSF pumps available through fluids handling specialists PUMP ENGINEERING now includes the CP Series, a close-coupled, single stage peripheral impeller pump which is ideally suited to high pressure, low flow hygienic applications. The range includes models which provide flow rates up to 6 m?/h, heads of more than 100 metres and maximum outlet pressures of 16 bar.

The standard design models are suitable for transferring clean, non-abrasive liquids such as syrups and oils with viscosities up to 250 cp. This design has the important benefits of smooth, pulsation-free flows which can be controlled more precisely than a centrifugal pump. This is important for liquid dosing, laboratory, pilot and micro-installations, spraying and in-line measurement applications.

The CP Series of regenerative turbine pumps generally requires a lower NPSH than a centrifugal pump and can handle liquids with up to 20% entrained gases which is ideal for tank emptying where vortexing or cavitation can occur. The pumps are available with a choice of seal configurations to ensure optimum flexibility depending on the application.

For example, the standard option has an internal mechanical seal wetted by the media and fitted behind the impeller in a chamber to ensure correct fluid flow and lubrication. The double mechanical seal option is designed for the circulation or flushing of cooling liquids and can be used with products that tend to crystallise, adhere, solidify, or are abrasive and corrosive.

The third option has a single mechanical seal which benefits from enhanced protection and is hydraulically balanced and bi-directional to facilitate easy cleaning and is therefore ideal for aseptic and food applications.

The pumps feature wetted parts in AISI 316L stainless steel rolled bar, electro-chemically polished for a perfect surface finish.

Typical applications for CSF CP Series pumps will be found in food, beverage and dairy processing and CIP (cleaning-in-place) as well as in the chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

For more information and product literature contact Pump Engineering Limited, Littlehampton, West Sussex. Tel: 01903 730900 Fax: 01903 730234 E-mail: sales@pumpeng.co.uk Web: www.pumpeng.co.uk

26

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

Big Pumps

Little Pumps

Long Pumps

Short Pumps

PD Pumps

Centrif Pumps

Hose Pumps

Gear Pumps

AOD Pumps

Disc Pumps

.... to mention just a few.

London 0208 579 2111 - Windsor 01344 886 633 Huddersfield 01484 543 649 - Durham 01325 327 322 - Aberdeen 01224 729 367 www.axflow.co.uk email: info@axflow.co.uk

FLUIDS & LIQUIDS HANDLING INC. PUMPS & VALVES NEW DOSING PERFORMANCE PUMPS LAUNCHED Wanner International has introduced two new Hydra-Cell® Dosing Performance Pump ranges with mechanical flow rate adjustment.

Because seal-less Hydra-Cell pumps are true positive displacement pumps, flow rate is directly proportionate to input shaft speed and virtually independent of system discharge pressures. Very precise, infinite adjustment of shaft speed is achieved through a simple manual adjust hand wheel.

The variable speed gearboxes operate on the elasto-hydrodynamic principle, producing output torque by means of a traction fluid. This removes the possibility of mechanical slippage between input and output, potentially experienced with friction type variators.

The Hydra-Cell G03/ G13 dosing range accommodates repeatable, steady flow requirements up to 310 litres per hour at pressures up to 100 bar and flows up to 490 litres per hour at pressures up to 70 bar.

The Hydra-Cell G10 dosing range accommodates repeatable flow requirements up to 732 litres per hour at pressures up to 103 bar and flows up to 1470 litres per hour at pressures below 50 bar.

These mechanically adjustable dosing pumps are ideal for use in ATEX Zone 1 and 21 when coupled to compatible, explosion proof motors which can also be provided.

Both ranges come with a variety of cam profiles to meet specific flow rate adjustment requirements and a variety of pump head materials is also available including Cast Iron, Brass, Hastelloy CW12MW, Polypropylene, PDVF and 316L Stainless Steel.

For more information contact: Wanner International. Tel: +44 (0)1252 816847 E-mail: NHerrington@wannerint.com Web: www.hydra-cell.eu

Pumping Polyelectrolyte in waste water treatment

63% therefore there was no compromise between pump efficiency and solids handling capacity – a key feature of the S-tube impeller.

The introduction of the Grundfos S-tube impeller pump brought about major reduction in operating costs and disruption as blockages were reduced from 15 over three months to zero; there was no further need to use the vacuum tanker to empty and clean the chamber; reactive call outs were reduced from 31 to 8 over the period of the trial.

This, now permanent, solution has also brought about operational savings of £5000+ in the initial 3 month period of the trial. A true win/win situation.

Following the highly successful launch of the revolutionary Qdos 30 peristaltic metering pump, Watson-Marlow Pumps Group is now introducing the larger Qdos 60 model. This innovative and versatile new pump is designed to save costs in chemical metering applications thanks to its inherent higher accuracy metering. The addition of Qdos 60 expands the range to incorporate flow rates from 0.1 to 1,000 ml/min (0.001 to 15 USGPH) at 7 bar (100psi). Furthermore, simple installation and easy, tool-free maintenance ensure total cost of ownership is minimised.

With the market demanding cost effective systems offering low operational expenditure, Qdos 60 negates the need for ancillaries, boosts productivity and cuts chemical wastage via more accurate, linear and repeatable metering than conventional solenoid or stepper-driven diaphragm metering pumps. As a result, Qdos 60 is able to reduce chemical costs even when metering difficult fluids, or when pressure, viscosity and solids content vary. This capability combines with peristaltic technology to ensures precise, continuous smooth flow for optimal fluid mixing Added benefits Typical applications for Qdos 60 include disinfection, pH adjustment and flocculation of drinking water, wastewater and industrial process water, as well as reagent dosing/ metering in mineral processing tasks. The new pump is especially suited to chemical metering applications found in larger water treatment plants where flow demand is greater than that provided by the existing Qdos 30 model.

Advanced control features include fluid level monitoring, fluid recovery, line priming and intuitive flow calibration.

Driven by ever-higher quality standards, enhanced pump accuracy enables higher concentration chemicals to be used, thus saving on transport costs and driving down carbon emissions targets.

Low life cycle costs Installing Qdos 60 could not be simpler. This drop-in pump requires no pulsation dampener, strainers or float switches, nor does it require any de-gassing, backpressure or foot valves. What’s more, the pump meets the demand for low/no upkeep products driven by reduced maintenance budgets. This is because there are no seals or valves in the Qdos 60 flow path to clog, leak or corrode, and there’s no opportunity for vapour lock.

In addition, Watson-Marlow’s patented ReNu pumphead technology provides a single, safely contained component for rapid maintenance without the need for tools. Rapid, straightforward pumphead removal and replacement minimises process downtime and demands no specialist training or technicians.

Innovative design Ideal for installing in restricted environments or on skids, the pumphead can be configured on the left or right. Intuitive operation is facilitated via a menudriven interface featuring a 3.5” TFT colour display with high visibility status indication. The keypad and display are positioned for easy access, along with input and output connections.

Engineers will also benefit from the ability to implement simplified system designs. The high suction lift and viscous handling capabilities of Qdos 60 eliminate the need for flooded suction, day tanks and specialist piping schemes. Ultimately, there will never again be a requirement to use a diaphragm metering pump.

For more information or Literature request please contact Grundfos Pumps Ltd, Leighton Buzzards, Bedfordshire. Tel: 01525 850000 E-mail: grundfosuk@grundfos.com

For more information please contact Watson-Marlow Pumps Group. Falmouth, Cornwall.

Tel: 01326 370370 Fax: 01326 376009 E-mail: info@wmpg.co.uk Web:www.wmpg.co.uk

The Challenge

An industrial waste water treatment company required a cost effective solution to pumping polyelectrolyte.

The plant engineers approached Verderflex distributor, Global Pumps Australia, for a solution to the following problems: - Existing helical rotor pumps were expensive to run and maintain - The replacement pump would have to be able to transfer liquid polymer which is a thick, viscous liquid mixed with a 30% kerosene (hydrocarbon) carrier.

- The pump had to be compatible with the client’s existing system - The hose would have to last a minimum of 3 months.

Solution

Global Pumps analysed the customer’s current systems and the Verderflex Peristaltic Dura Hose Pump was selected for the following reasons: • Peristaltic pumps have a low shear operation ideal for shear sensitive products like polymers • Has the ability to handle viscous liquids • Has a good metering/dosing capability with ±5% accuracy • Is easy to service with only one wearing part, the hose, when compared to a helical rotor which has a stator, rotor, mechanical seal and more • The Dura provided longer hose life than conventional hose pumps

Result

Verderflex’s Dura Hose Pump has now been installed for more than 1 year. The customer has reduced their process downtime, improved their operational efficiency and reduced the overall maintenance cost after moving to peristaltic pumping technology.

For more information please contact Verderflex, Verder Ltd, Castleford, West Yorkshire.

Tel: +44 (0) 1924 221020 E-mail: info@verderflex.com or visit www.verderflex.com

Grundfos S-tube revolutionises wastewater pumping station The wastewater industry traditionally had to choose between selecting a pump that delivered energy efficient performance or free passage. Today the Grundfos S-tube with its unique impeller has alleviated that situation as with it there are no dead zones and no cutting or moving parts that can get worn out over time.

Just such a scenario faced a water utility company in the south west at a WwPS where they were suffering high operating costs and many disruptions.

This situation had resulted in call outs which needed to be followed up by vacuum tinkering and resulted in 15 blockages over a 3 month period necessitating vacuum tanker cleaning events to remove rags and clean the pump chamber.

Grundfos were asked to look at the pump station and selected the SL1.80.80 Atex rated S-tube wet well submersible pump to improve the performance of the pump station. This pump had a solids handling capacity of 80mm whilst maintaining an efficiency of

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NEW QDOS 60 METERING PUMP FOR HIGH ACCURACY APPLICATIONS

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

MAINTENANCE New Fluke Connect™ System transfers measurement data from test tools to smart phones and the Cloud, improving maintenance team communication, safety and productivity

The AUMA Advantage Innovative actuator solutions: • Save tax: AUMA has the only ETL certified actuator Licence 03209 • For enhanced control capability: - Variable speed - Eliminate water hammer - Flow linearisation • With remote diagnostics: - Asset management - Planned preventative maintenance • Explosion Proof range: - Independently certified SIL DIN EN 61508-1/-2 capable up to SIL 3 - ATEX, IEC and FM certified - National Grid Gas Approved to T/SP/VA/2

The Largest System Of Connected Test Tools In The World The new Fluke Connect™ system allows maintenance technicians to wirelessly transmit measurement data from Fluke test tools to their smart phone for secure storage on the cloud, thus enabling access by any team member in the field.

The Fluke Connect app can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. More than twenty Fluke tools connect wirelessly with the Connect app, including digital multimeters, thermal imagers, insulation testers, process meters, and specific voltage, current and temperature meters.

Maintenance technicians make better, faster decisions when they have field access to maintenance records and when they can review measurements in real time with team members and supervisors who may be in different locations. The Fluke Connect facilitates access to records by all team members wherever they are and at the same time increases the safety of technicians working with energised equipment.

Technicians can AutoRecord™ measurements and infrared images to Fluke Cloud™ storage from wherever they are working, without writing anything down. Everyone on the team with a smart phone and the app can see the data.

Global Expertise in Automation

For more information contact Fluke (U.K.) Ltd., Norwich, Norfolk Tel: 0207 942 0700 Fax: 01603 256 606 E-mail: industrial@uk.fluke.nl Web: http://www.fluke.co.uk

GB93/2704

Modular actuator: • Enables design flexibility • Minimises on-site time • Reduces H&S risks • Lowers system costs

AJA08/12766

AUMA Actuators Ltd. Generation House, Yeo Bank 3, Kenn Road, Clevedon, North Somerset BS21 6TH Tel +44 D3064_155x225mm PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER AD_Layout 1 08/01/2014 15:32 Page 1 1275 871141 • mail@auma.co.uk • www.auma.co.uk

www.skillsstore.com

The winning formula to help you go for gold The Cogent Skills Store is now live and offers Gold Standard training covering technical competence, health & safety, business improvement and functional & behavioural skills. To claim your free Manual Handling e-learning module visit www.skillsstore.com

PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

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WASTEWATER SYSTEMS

COMPRESSORS & COMPRESSED AIR

Lancy Technology enhances processing market capability with addition of H2O wastewater evaporation systems Wastewater treatment specialist, Lancy Technology – part of NHE – is enhancing its range of capabilities and services with the addition of wastewater evaporation systems from German manufacturer, H2O GmbH. Lancy Technology is now the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for the full range of systems manufactured

by H2O, providing a broader service to its customers and building on its wellestablished reputation in this sector.

“Lancy Technology’s success is based on the provision of water recycling and effluent treatment services that centre on delivering proven, innovative equipment and leading expertise in the field,” says Keith Allen, Business Development Manager at the company. “The link now with H2O enhances this capability in a key area that impacts directly on efficiency and environmental performance across a wide range of machining and manufacturing sectors.” He points out that Lancy Technology is now able to supply the full range of H2O units, building on selected Vacudest evaporation systems which have featured in a number of tailored and stand-alone Lancy Technology installations already undertaken.

“We echo 2O’s H H2O’s philosophy that, because industrial wastewater can vary enormously, it is important that each treatment system is customised accordingly,” continues Keith Allen. “Thus Vacudest vacuum distillation systems are not offered ‘off the shelf’ but are configured from proven modular elements – a remarkable 3.5 million variants are available – to produce the highest quality results.”

This forward-looking confidence is echoed by Jochen Freund, H2O Product & Business Development Manager.

“Due to their expertise in industrial wastewater treatment technology and their excellent market position, NHE is the ideal partner to team up with,” he says.

For more information contact NHE, Coventry, West Midlands Tel: (024) 7625 3099 E-mail: keith.allen@nhe.uk.com Web: www.nhe.uk.com

CRYSTAL CLEAR COMPRESSED AIR Tests from a leading laboratory show condensate from the revolutionary Opus Crystal compressors is so pure that any oil/ hydrocarbon content is barely measurable on the class zero scale.

By comparison, the so called ‘oil free’ compressor tested alongside Opus Crystal presented hydrocarbon content figures 4,000 times higher and the Ph was semi acidic.

The difference is that, unlike so called ‘oil free compressors’ which simply compress air, Opus Crystal both compresses and cleans at the same time. Opus Crystal removes airborne impurities as they pass through the compressor. No matter where the compressor is sited, the result is always totally oil free, crystal clear air.

Opus Crystal compressors are available from Motiviar, who with more than 60 years experience, offer the market-leading Flexible Service Plan, 24/7 emergency breakdown support, compressed air equipment & accessories, technical design & support services and much more.

For more information contact Jason Vigrass at Motivair, Burtnwood, Staffs. Tel: 0845 009 6161 or visit motivair.co.uk and opuscrystal.co.uk to find out more.

Applied Weighing

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PROCESS INDUSTRY INFORMER June-July 2014

SOLIDS HANDLING PROCESSING

AND

including SHAPA News

JUN/JUL 2014

MANUFACTURING A SERVICE

Quality knowledge So far so good; but success needs a constant drip feed of new information, techniques, commercial and marketing intelligence, not to mention legal updates, to be sustainable.

With so many industries and applications, there exists an insatiable appetitie for all of this that must be sated as far as possible. SHAPA members have a head start, with an accumulation of more than 30 years’ knowledge and experience readily available and regularly updated.

Reliable expertise

a “knowledge machine”. For more than thirty years, with steadily rising membership – now standing at more than 110 companies – the Association has been a group of dedicated engineers and company managers willingly offering their time and experience for the benefit of all member companies and for industry as a whole. Its place and reputation within British industry is assured.

New faces However, whilst most SHAPA activities are facilitated by voluntary effort, the Association employs a General Secretary whose rôle is to cement all activities, providing continuity and a readily available point of contact. We are dellighted to announce a new General Secretary in the person of Ian Birkinshaw, whose 40 years plus industrial experience and considerable knowledge gained in his post as Operations Director at member company Portasilo Ltd., will, we are sure, be of great benefit to SHAPA. Ian, who is taking early retirement from his present post and will be fully available from August, is at present at the hand-over stage, to ensure a smooth transition for his successor at Portasilo.

Being prepared Aside from his engineering life, Ian is also very prominent in the scouting movement, so we can rely on SHAPA being even better prepared in the future!

Preparation comes in many guises and having a firm grip on market trends, both technically and commercially, is vital. Earlier this year the Association commissioned a further definitive Solids Handling & Processing UK Survey. The results were disseminated in April and were the culmination of a wide ranging interrogation of more than two hundred significant companies. Investment plans, drivers influencing investment, buying strategies and many other facets were probed as well as ways in which the profile of SHAPA within industry may be raised.

earlier in the year, this established annual event is set to be repeated with an updated event next year. This professionally led members’ event explains and demonstrates the latest thinking and methods, showing delegates how to maximise commercial advantage from social media and other up to the minute internet based tools. For many participants, the Digital Marketing Seminar is a good enough reason in itself to be a part of the SHAPA “family”.

Quarterly meetings The SHAPA General Meetings – one of which includes the AGM – continue to be well supported and there is always an invited speaker to provide an insight into industry related topics. This year’s general meetings will include subjects such as tax relief on development and later in the year an update on the economy by a Bank of England insider. With so many factors affecting the UK economy and our export prospects this update will be keenly anticipated.

Engineering the Future SHAPA committees are nothing if not holistic in their wish to offer a complete and, crucially, a continuing service to engineering. To this end the succession is key to maintaining standards as older engineers and managers look towards handing over to the next generations. The Association has held a number of events, part educational part social, to attract and enthuse up and coming staff who will be the next key managers and innovative engineers within our industries. November will see the next event in this series, with details becoming available shortly.

Enjoying the PII SHAPA supplement The next few pages give a feel for the commitment, expertise and sheer range of technologies available to project and process engineers, who can have confidence in the knowledge that SHAPA member companies have access to high quality engineering, technical, commercial and legal data. They are also keen to pursue consistent improvements into the future. If you would like to think about joining us, or you have a project requiring expertise, or you just have a technical question to ask, simply visit www.shapa.co.uk or contact us at info@shapa.co.uk.

Operators of solids handling and processing equipment will be well aware of the importance of procuring Digital marketing equipment from companies that have taken the time to Following the success of the Digital Marketing seminar research the properties and characteristics of their materials. Whilst very many materials are well classified, it is always prudent to make a thorough investigation to ensure that parameters such as attrition, abrasive wear, unwanted segregation due to unequal grain size and also explosibility are fully taken into account. SHAPA WESTINGHOUSE promotes good practice amongst its members and encourages knowledge sharing wherever practicable. Over the years member companies have been generous with their time and data to Servicing & Repairs expand this pool of knowledge over a wide range of related topics.

Free of charge assessment by a DMN engineer Each stage of every process benefits from Genuine spare parts used to the original manufacturer’s specification this accumulated wisdom. Intake and storage, Comprehensive 12 month warranty with continued support including silos and daybins will only deliver with all refurbished DMN valves undamaged consistent material onwards if these elements are designed with the particular Refurbishment service by the original manufacturer materials in mind. This applies right through the ATEX certification and validation services production process from screening and sieving to mixing, conveying and further production activities, indeed right up to bagging or packaging for despatch and transport. Reliability long life with economic non-intrusive maintenance will lead to profitable operation and happy customers.

s i e g n e l l a h c y r e Ev e s i u g s i d n i y t i n u t an oppor

Human approach So, membership of SHAPA really should be a natural starting point for manufacturers and suppliers of solids handling and processing equipment. However, SHAPA is more than simply

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

DMN UK Ltd. T +44 1249 818 400 dmn@dmnuk.com

COMPONENTS FOR BULK SOLIDS HANDLING

It is hard to believe that six years have already elapsed since the beginning of the UK recession – but now clear blue horizons beckon. Statistical analysis and speculative reporting in equal measure would have us believe that all parts of the economy have now moved up a gear. Nevertheless, the manufacturing sector still lags its peak output by around 7%, whilst the economy as a whole has now crept above its size at the beginning of 2008.The only small grey clouds, may be the gradually growing strength of the pound (GBP) particularly for exporters, and possible future interest rate rises.

So, the good news for suppliers to manufacturing industry is that there is both the will and indeed the scope for considerable improvement. Companies who have survived the downturn will be better placed to succeed, having rigorously examined their costs and aspirations and built more efficient and secure platforms from which to head into the future.This situation in itself bodes well for SHAPA member companies, but manufacture is only a part of the body of industry supplied by members of our Association.

Handling and processing of dry materials in bulk (in large of small quantities) affects a huge range of industries from mining and quarrying, through to pharmaceutical research and development, as well as the massive food and drinks sector. In fact a quick glance at the Equipment Finder on the SHAPA website at www.shapa.co.uk will reveal a plethora of such industries and applications.

By Gus Bishop – Solids Handling & Processing Association

www.dmn-shop.co.uk

www.dmnwestinghouse.co.uk

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NEW 3D SIEVE SHAKER OCTAGON 200CL For precise, reproducible and error-free sieving processes Endecotts’ new Octagon 200CL competes with the most advanced sieve shakers in the world. Several unique features have been developed specifically for this machine, including the ‘Closed Loop’ amplitude control for ultimate reproducibility.

The sieve shaker is powered by an electromagnetic drive which has no rotating parts making it maintenancefree and extremely quiet in operation. The vibratory, three-dimensional motion produced by the power unit moves the sample over the sieve in a unique way resulting in faster, more efficient sieving, while the rapid vertical movements help to keep the apertures from blinding.

The Octagon 200CL is designed to work with Endecotts’ SieveWare, the new software for easy evaluation and documentation of the sieving process.

The new Octagon 200CL will be available as of July 2014.

NEW FEATURES: • ‘Closed Loop’ total amplitude control ensures reproducible sieving • Digital controls for easy and reliable operation • Easy-to-use sieve clamping system • Accepts up to 8 full height 200 mm (8”) diameter sieves • Suitable for dry and wet sieving • 3D sieving motion allows for high separation efficiency and non blinding sieving action • Full compatibility with new SieveWare evaluation and control software via RS232 Port (printed or digital protocols) • Voltage-independent For more information please contact Endecotts Ltd, Lombard Road, London.

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8 542 8121 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8 543 6629 E-mail: lbergen@endecotts.com Web: www.endecotts.com/octagon-cl

GLOBAL LEADER IN EXPLOSION AND PRESSURE SAFETY SOLUTIONS LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY DUST DETECTION SYSTEM A global fire, explosion and pressure relief solutions company has introduced a revolutionary product that will assist in the prevention of dust explosions and as such eliminate the risk of potentially devastating disasters occurring in the workplace.

Fike UK, based in Kent has enhanced its already extensive range of high quality, safety driven products with the introduction of the Fike Dust Detection System (FDDS). The FDDS functions by signalling the presence of unusually high airborne dust particles enabling the prevention of explosion devastating the workplace.

Keith Avila, General Manager of Fike UK said of the new product launch: “A dust explosion can be potentially catastrophic. We are very proud to be the first in the industry to introduce such ground breaking technology and be at the forefront of providing safety solutions like this which prevent devastating and irreversible effects.”

Featuring unique technology the FDDS - a processor based device - can identify levels of dust that can cause explosive hazards whilst also having the ability to validate the protection of non-zoned areas. The advanced technology is installed in ducts and will alert a business to any early warning signs of potential contamination caused by nuisance dusts.

The system works by detecting the normal amount of dust particles passing by with an easy ‘trafficlight’ notification system indicating the levels of dust concentration within the duct.

Commenting on the benefits of the new product Keith said: “As well as detection, it comes with an additional layer of protection which removes any potential hazardous dust zones, whilst also being able to detect leaking filter bags. One of the key benefits of the FDDS for our customers is it requires little or no maintenance – a feature that really appeals to them in terms of cost efficiency and resourcing.”

The use of innovative Inductive Electrification technology sets the product ahead of other optical or tribo-electric devices by determining the background acceptable level of dust during normal process operation

Prevention Venting Isolation Suppression

and triggering alarms at different pre-set dust concentration levels when these are attained. This is coupled with running advanced filtering algorithms that can detect the smallest of dust concentration variations and provide the most accurate dust measurement signalling.

Dust is a serious health and safety consideration with a wide range of materials capable of causing a dust explosion.

These include anything from agricultural products and metals, through to chemicals, wood and many more raw materials. Dusts can be caused through various means including transporting, handling, processing, and polishing; through to abrasive blasting, cutting and mixing. The dust explosion is caused by a sudden ignition of a mixture of air and a high concentration of suspended combustible dust particles.

Fike has almost 70 years’ experience advising on fire explosion and pressure relief solutions with a team of in-house engineers, application specialists, and combustion researchers specialising to companies across the food, power, wood and pharmaceutical/chemical industries.

Keith added: “In our industry, Fike has unprecedented expertise and is committed to providing quality safety products that are fully explosion tested. The FDDS has been developed over a considerably long period of time and carry the highest industry standards to ensure our customers have the safest potentially life-saving product.”

Fike is a globally recognised company supplying products and services which protect people and critical assets from fire, explosion and over/underpressurisation. A leader within the industry, Fike manufacture solutions for a diverse range of process industries, providing products ranging from bursting discs and explosion protection systems to energetic oil and gas products for the offshore markets. Other UK branches of Fike also provide fire suppression systems, fire detection devices and alarm panels.

For more information please contact Fike UK, Maidstone, Kent. Tel: +44 (01622) 677081 Fax: +44 (01622) 685737 E-mail: sales@fike.co.uk Web: www.fike.co.uk

EXPLOSION HAZARDS LTD

37

YEARS

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

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SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

DEALING FAST, HIGH WITH DUST CAPACITY AND FUME PRECISION MIXING Dust Control Systems Ltd specialise in providing dust and fume extraction solutions across many industries, including major projects in the recycling and waste management sector.

Saving energy and increasing production efficiency while ensuring a safe working environment are key requirements of most processes. And this particularly applies to the controlling and management of dust and fume generated in recycling and waste management processes.

The DCS reference list of projects in the sector includes systems to serve various processes in glass recycling, paper recycling and tyre rubber processing.

Recent successes for DCS include the supply and installation of a complete extraction DCS extraction system handles system to minimise 60,000 m3/hr of dust laden air dust from waste at at North Wales MRF. a major material recycling facility (MRF) in North Wales for UPM Shotton.

To assist companies with compliance of COSHH Regulations, DCS offer comprehensive LEV (Local Exhaust Ventilation) testing and examination packages that include inspection and service to ensure extraction systems continue to comply with regulations.

For more information contact Dust Control Systems Ltd, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire Tel: 0800 040 7116 Fax: 01924 482530 E-mail: sales@dcslimited.co.uk or visit Web: www.dcslimited.co.uk

PT14_255x155_GB_Process_Industry_CL5.indd 1

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

The new Bella XN double shafted Fluidized Zone Mixer by Dynamic Air includes access doors which not only increase accessibility but also make it much easier to clean when necessary.

The Bella mixer achieves fast, high capacity, low shear, precision mixing of either dry bulk solids or liquids with solids. Regardless of particle size, shape or density, materials are mixed with a fast, efficient, and gentle action typical mixing times are 60 seconds or less.

A weightless zone created by low-speed counter rotating shafts generates very low friction without shear. This makes it ideal for fragile products that cannot tolerate rough handling. Even flakes or spray-dried bodies remain intact.

The Bella XN mixer includes twin bomb-bay door openings for fast, efficient discharging and to minimize segregation during discharge. The Bella mixer is available in stainless steel for sanitary applications. Custom sizes, finishes and materials of construction are available upon request.

For more information please contact Dynamic Air Ltd. Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

Tel: +44-1908-568155 E-mail: sales@dynamicair.co.uk or log on to http://www.dynamicair.com/ products/mixer_b350xn.html Or visit Web:www.dynamicair.com for other information.

BULK BAG FILLER BRINGS FILL HEAD TO OPERATOR

Flexicon’s patented Swing-Down® Bulk Bag Filler features a pivot-down fill head that enables the operator to connect empty bulk bags at floor level and resume filling operations rapidly, eliminating the need to climb steps, strain to reach overhead connection points, or risk injury associated with operation of conventional fillers.

The filler simultaneously lowers and pivots the fill head, stopping it in a vertically-oriented position that places the bag inlet spout inflatable connection, inflator button, and four bag loop latches within one arm’s length of an operator standing on the plant floor.

Once bulk bags are filled, the controller deflates the spout connection collar, releases the loop latches, and raises the fill head to fully disengage the spout.

Optional vibratory decks de-aerate and densify material in the bag at preset set points to create a solid, stable bag, ready for shipment.

For more information please contact Flexicon (Europe) Limited, Herne Bay, Kent.

Tel: +44 (0)1227 374710 E-mail: sales@flexicon.co.uk Web: www.flexicon.co.uk

27.05.14 06:53

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KNOW YOUR FLOW PROPERTIES

By Dr Rob Berry PhD Mechanical Engineering - The Wolfson Centre For Bulk Solids Handling Technology

Many process industries suffer problems as a result of inconsistencies in the flow properties of the particulate materials that they handle which adversely affects operating costs and process efficiencies. Process problems can range from extremes of; poor flowing materials that occasionally form stable obstructions within storage vessels (see fig 1) or stick in chutes/ conveyors, requiring operator intervention with a hammer to reinitiate flow; to materials that fluidise readily and flow uncontrollably, requiring plant shut downs to unblocking over-filled feeders and cleaning up spillage.

In the current market place there are numerous relatively low cost automated powder flow testers (shear cells) available for undertaking characterisation tests on the bulk flow Fig 1 Flow stoppage due to properties that allow cohesive arch formation over process operators to the outlet of a hopper better understand their powders. Traditionally flow properties have been used for the equipment manufactures to specify and design of new storage and handling equipment, but these measurements can also be used by powder manufactures, or manufactures of products with powdered ingredients to meet a range of objectives from; general bench marking of material and quality control; comparing new versus current ingredients; to assist reformulation and reverse engineering of equipment. However, before looking at these different potential uses, it is useful to review the principal flow properties and what they mean as many Engineers will be unfamiliar with them.

What are the key flow properties and how do they relate to process problems The primary flow property is the flow function which is best explained using the concept of the ‘sand castle’ experiment shown in fig 2. In the first stage a powder is compacted into a cylindrical mould to a controlled consolidation stress. In the second stage, the cylindrical mould is removed to reveal the unconfined powder sample ‘or sand castle’. An increasing Fig 2 The uniaxial unconfined consolidation stress is reapplied to the failure (sand castle) test. sample ‘or sand castle’ until it fails. The peak stress represents the unconfined failure strength of the powder, the strength of the powder at a stress free surface, i.e. at an arch over the outlet of a storage vessel. The test is then repeated using a range of larger consolidation stresses which results in a proportional increases in the unconfined failure strength. The results of these tests are presented a flow function (shown in fig 3), a plot of the consolidation stresses (load used to compact the sand castle) on the horizontal axis versus the unconfined failure strength (strength of the sand castle) on the vertical axes. The flowability of a material can be loosely classified using the flow indices demarked by dashed lines in figure 3, highlighting the free-flowing, easy flowing, cohesive, very cohesive and non-flowing regions.

An important secondary flow property is the bulk density, i.e. the weight of particulates that can be stored in a known volume. This can be measured in a shear cell by tracking the reduction in volume of the sample of known weight as a function of consolidation stress, to give a compaction or compressibility curve as show in fig 4. Alternative simpler

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Fig 3 The flow function of a very cohesive ultra-fine powder and a free-flowing coarse particulate techniques commonly used are the poured and tapped bulk density which gives a similar indication by does not give reference to the consolidation stress.

What is the significance of the bulk flow properties The potential for a material to bridge or arch over the outlet of a storage vessel and thus cause a processing problem as shown in fig 1 is dictated by both the unconfined failure strength of the material and the bulk density. It is the strength of the material that provides resistance to flow, while it is the materials self-weight under gravity that generates stress to break the obstruction and ensure flow. Thus a material with a high strength and low bulk density is likely to give flow problems while a material with a low strength and high bulk density will be free flowing. The flow properties can thus be used to determine the outlet size required for reliable gravity flow.

Common factors effecting flowability While the flow properties are very much material dependent, for a given particulate material there are two factors that significantly effect the flowability, namely the particle size and the presence or not of a surface liquid.

Assuming a dry particle, above a diameter of 100m most materials are free flowing (as shown by a typical coarse particulate in fig 3). As the particle size is reduced below this value the material becomes more difficult flowing and flow function gets steeper as the self-weight of the particle reduces relative to cohesive inter particle forces (Van der Waals forces), as shown for the very cohesive ultra-fine powder in fig.3.

In the case of wet particulates, liquid bridges connect neighbouring particles and it is the surface tension of the liquid that generates the cohesive strength. Thus as the moisture content increases the material becomes more difficult flowing (flow function gets steeper) until the moisture level approaches saturation and the material becomes a slurry. Thus for wet materials with particle sizes of the order of 20mm diameter can be cohesive.

The bulk density can also be used to give a good indication of flowability as shown in fig 4. E.g. free flowing materials have a tendency to be incompressible as their particles naturally settle into close packing structures, while particles of a poor flowing material (where gravity forces are low relative to interparticle forces) settle in a very open particle packing structure and therefore tend

Fig 4 The bulk density (compressibility) functions of a compressible ultra-fine powder and a incompressible coarse particulate to be highly compressible when stored under the action of their self-weight.

Uses of the flow properties To conclude, a knowledge of the flow properties of your material can be used in a number ways to improve process efficiency and minimise the chance of problems as outlined below.

Bench marking tests to check the consistency of the flow properties of the product over time, as a method of inferring quality or looking for problem batches.

As examples, these tests could be used to identify; differences due to variations in the particle properties of the input materials (seasonal variations in particle size and shapes of grains); variations in the mix ratio of a blended product and drifts in the ambient temperature and humidity.

Comparing potential new versus current materials – When changing the supplier of input material, or reformulating a blend, a thorough evaluation of the flow properties of new and current materials should be undertaken. This will high light any significant differences in their relative flow behaviour so that the potential for process problems can be factored into any purchasing decisions along with cost and other processing characteristics.

Research & Development of new products - When formulating new products flow property measurements can be used to systematically evaluate the effects of changes to the particle size, the blend additive (such as free flow additives, liquid binders, fillers) type and level on the materials flow and handling characteristics. Thus the flow properties can be optimised to minimise the tendencies for flow problems.

Reverse Engineering of Equipment – If different materials are handled on the same processing line with different levels of success i.e. some flow acceptably while others do not, then flow property measurements could be used to determine an operating window that the flow properties must fall within for successful processing.

The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent Can be contacted via: Tel: +44 (0)208 331 8646 Fax: +44(0)208 331 8647 E-mail: r.j.berry@gre.ac.uk Web: www.bulksolids.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

SPIROXXX Supplement & Process Industry Informer Advert_Layout 1 26/06/2014 08:14 Page 1

DELIVERING THE SOLUTION

A UK company with a global reputation for solids and bulk handling.

Spiroflow conveying and weighing systems are in operation worldwide and are acclaimed for their outstanding versatility and prolonged working life in the most demanding environments.

In food and pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and chemicals, minerals and plastics, Spiroflow's experience and proven capability is providing the answer to every conceivable handling need.

Sack Tip and Flexible Screw Conveyors

Aero Mechanical Conveyors for complete batch tranfers

Bulk Bag Fillers

Bulk Bag Dischargers

Spiroflow Limited Lincoln Way, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 1QG, UK. T: +44 (0) 1200 422525 F: +44 (0) 1200 429165 E: sales@spiroflow.com

E: sales@spiroflow.com www.spiroflow.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

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Dust - why it’s an issue and

what the processing industry should be doing about it…

by James Miller – Managing Director – Dustcontrol UK Limited

Dust is a major problem across a wide range of industries, and those involved in the processing industries certainly fall within this bracket. Despite the impact of dust, many people don’t seem to be aware of just how serious or how important the issue of dust really is. Not only do they underestimate the significance of its impact, they fail to appreciate how tackling the problems caused by dust can both improve business turnover, and provide a ‘greener’ way of working.

The negatives of industrial dust are many fold. It creates a dirty working environment, hinders production efficiency, lowers staff morale, affects product quality and provides a health and safety risk for those in close proximity.

The many and varied forms of dust means that a lot of people underestimate the negative influence it can have. Dust is often associated with a feather duster and a can of spray polish. It’s seen as a household nuisance rather than an industrial menace. If we’re to combat the adverse impact of dust in the workplace, then attitudes towards its effects need to change.

That isn’t to say that mindfulness of dust related issues doesn’t exist. There are those involved in the processing industries that do attempt to address the situation, but most of these are not being as effective or efficient as possible in their approach.

If you walk into a processing plant, in many cases you’re likely to see an abundance of cheap mobile dust extractors. The fact that an attempt is being made to rectify dust-related issues is certainly a positive. But it’s often the case that in large processing plants these can become more of a nuisance as opposed to providing any real assistance in resolving the matter.

The mobile dust extractors used in these instances are often fitted with low quality filtration and are poorly maintained, as personnel are unwilling to take responsibility for keeping them clean and ensuring that they’re looked after. It’s also more than likely that they constitute a health and safety risk, with leads and cables stretching across the production area. These not only pose the risk of tripping, but also make the area look untidy, which isn’t ideal during a client factory tour. There’s also often a lack of understanding on just how these extractors should be used, with many companies opting to use them after processing rather than during. Mobile dust extractors might seem like an attractive short-term solution to workplace dust and the balance sheet, but they usually fail to achieve the desired results with running costs actually making them more detrimental in the longer term.

So what is the best option?...

The best way for processing plants to address the issue of dust is to install centralised vacuum systems. These can fit into the building in question, and have a number of plug-in points running off them, avoiding the need for messy leads running everywhere. The systems can run for 24 hours, and are even self-cleaning. Lease finance for this type of equipment is becoming a much more common way of avoiding large Capex sign off and helping to manage cash flow.

Central vacuum systems are also energy efficient. Depending on the number of open outlets, the RPM of the vacuum producer can be optimised generating just as much vacuum as needed. And when no outlets are open the vacuum automatically switches to a saving mode, thus reducing both carbon emissions and running costs.

What’s more, a centralised vacuum system can help solve any ‘product loss’ issues - where what’s coming out at the end of the production line is less than what’s being put in at the start. The systems can show visibly what they’ve collected during the process, so if there are still serious ‘product loss’ issues these can be backed up with accurate

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data. Dust or product that is removed during the extraction process can also be recycled where necessary.

The benefits of a centralised vacuum system are many. Working in a cleaner environment will not only improve staff morale, it will also reduce the risk of potential health issues for employees. Dust extraction at source will help to tackle occupational asthma and other such respiratory illnesses. For example, in regards to the food processing industry, employing dust extraction equipment helps to negate the peril of ‘Baker’s Lung’, which is a form of lung disease caused by prolonged exposure to allergens contained in many food-processing ingredients.

Reducing the risks…

It’s also important to bear in mind the fact that many dusts are combustible. When a material is suspended in the air in a finely divided form, in the right concentration and in the right conditions, explosions can occur. Again referring to food processing, foodstuffs such as sugar, spice, starch, flour, feed and grain are amongst the materials that are most dangerous in the workplace. Whilst these generally aren’t immediately regarded as explosive substances, the risk that they can potentially pose if poorly handled is considerable to both workforce and equipment. It’s therefore imperative to reduce the risks presented in an environment where these materials are both in abundance and being processed in a way that causes dust to form. A centralised vacuum system is one of the key methods of doing so, providing a comprehensive solution to dust-related hazards.

It’s not just in relation to potential health hazards where extraction can provide assistance, however. On a more business minded level, dust extraction will help to improve product quality as it removes dust from both the product and its associated packaging, whilst also reducing the need for maintenance, which allows valuable resources to be spent elsewhere.

Dustcontrol UK Limited, Whittlebury, Northamptonshire Can be contacted via: Tel: +44 1327 858001 Fax: +44 1327 858002 E-mail: sales@dustcontrol.co.uk Web: www.dustcontroluk.co.uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

PREVENTING DUST EXPLOSIONS Explosions and fires within the processing industry from combustible materials are a known hazard and can give rise to serious injury - perhaps even fatality - as well having as the potential to cause extensive plant and buildings damage and substantial loss of production.

A dust cloud of any combustible material will explode if the concentration is above the minimum explosible limit and in the presence of an effective source of ignition.

Self-heating and contact with hot surfaces (giving rise to spontaneous ignition) can give rise to additional hazards and must also be considered.

SPIROFLOW UNVEILS NEW BIN ACTIVATOR FOR DIFFICULT MATERIALS

Guidance is available from many sources to prevent dust explosions and protect against them. One such source is the 1 day training course entitled ‘Dust Explosions – How to Demonstrate DSEAR/ATEX Compliance’ on 29th October 2014 run by the Wolfson Centre team at the University of Greenwich in Kent.

For more information contact the Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham, Kent. Tel: 020 8331 8646 E-mail: Wolfson-enquiries@gre.ac.uk Web: www.bulksolids.com

The UK’s largest manufacturer of aluminium silos • 30 years supplying the food and

Spiroflow Ltd is launching a new bin activator into the UK market that will help manufacturers in process industries such as food, beverage, chemicals, plastic and oil and gas to eliminate material flow problems that can lead to potentially dangerous blockages in factory piping or tubing applications.

Incorporating the latest technology, Spiroflow’s bin activator has integral vibrating blades to maintain a steady momentum and minimise bridging. It is exceptionally well suited to ensuring the steady flow of materials that are hazardous, toxic, require sanitary handling or are simply challenging, such as Titanium Dioxide.

The blades are fully adjustable for accurate control of solids, while energy is imparted directly into the materials by the vibrating blades to ensure continuous flow. Effective shut–off is managed with close tolerance blades by the discharger control valve and these can be customised by Spiroflow to fit customers’ own specifications.

Manufactured in carbon or stainless steel, making the equipment easy to wash down for applications like food processing and beverage bottling, Spiroflow’s bin activator is designed to minimise risk in potentially hazardous or explosive environments.

Shifting millions of tonnes of potentially dangerous ingredients is part and parcel of many production processes for manufacturing companies, which must have systems and equipment in place that adhere to the European Union’s ATEX Directive 1999/92/E - implemented by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) act in the UK. Spiroflow is a world-leading manufacturer of ATEX approved conveying and bulk handling systems that meet regulatory requirements for transporting and handling powders and other materials in environments containing a potentially explosive atmosphere, such as chemicals or oil and gas.

Spiroflow bin activators, which can be tailorplastics industries made to suit customers’ needs, are exceptional equipment for facilitating the steady discharging • Fully ATEX compliant of powdery or granular materials from storage • Aluminium or stainless steel silo bins, silos or hoppers. The bin activator ensures optimum feeding of the materials, avoids bridging construction and can also be incorporated into material handling • Dual tower silo manufacturing equipment like dischargers and feeders.

In addition to bin activators, Spiroflow Ltd is facility also a manufacturer of bulk bag fillers, Flexible Screw Conveyors, Aero Mechanical Conveyors, Tubular Cable and Chain Drag Conveyors, Vacuum Conveyors, Bulk Bag Dischargers, Ingredients Handling and Weighing Systems. The company’s technical and engineering expertise has led to it developing an international reputation for an unrivalled range of products with state-of-the-art control systems.

For more information about their products & services please contact Spiroflow Ltd, T: 01275 845901 Clitheroe, Lancashire via E: sales@bartonfabs.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1200 422525 Fax: +44 (0)1200 429165 W: www.bartonfabs.co.uk E-mail: sales@spiroflow.com Toll Processing NEW Ad (125x175)_Layout 1 28/05/2014 13:13 Page 1 or visit www.spiroflow.com

OUTSOURCING PRODUCTION BENEFITS TOLL PROCESSING bartonFabAdvert86x124.indd 1

11/07/2013 10:46

Specialists in size reduction, classification and multi-processing techniques, Hosokawa Micron’s Toll Processing Service is designed to support companies seeking the swift route to market of even difficult to handle new products.

Test Facility and Process Capability l Comprehensive

in-house analytical and test facility support chemical and food (BRC accredited) processing suites l High volume or small batch production l Separate

Process Engineering Expertise Experienced, process and chemical production engineers work with companies to determine accurate product specifications, product/process risk assessment and optimum design of production processes to meet individual end product requirements.

Rivington Road, Whitehouse, Runcorn, Cheshire, England. WA7 3DS. Tel: +44 (0) 1928 755100 Fax: +44 (0) 1928 714325 E.mail: info@hmluk.hosokawa.com www.hosokawa.co.uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES FOR TOMORROW SM

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HOSOKAWA MICRON POWDERS – TOLL PROCESSING PARTNERS DELIVERING ADVANTAGES FOR ADDED VALUE Choosing the right toll processing partner can make all the difference to your business in satisfying the fluctuating demands of today’s challenging marketplace or developing new products for the market.

From modern production facilities in Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom customers can eliminate many of the risks associated with new product development, overcome temporary capacity shortages and produce niche products that would be out of the scope of their normal processing activities; without the need to invest in their own processing or storage facilities.

Hosokawa Micron Powders is a specialist toll processing partner offering a range of toll processing services and access to more than 20 individual processing suites that can give you all the above plus other significant production advantages that come directly from their unique and specialist processing heritage.

Comprehensive in-house analytical and test facility support is available to substantiate your new product development or trial work and to deliver optimum quality assurance, choice and design of equipment.

Hosokawa Micron Powders can handle multi-tonne lots or ultra small batch processing; production of materials requiring processing in a contained environment; food products processed within BRC accredited suites and micronisation and classification of materials to sub-micron size.

Manufacturers of food, chemical, mineral, plastic and metal materials can select from a range of processing and finishing technologies including; Size reduction, Granulation, Mixing, Coating and Compaction, pack-off into FIBCs, sacks, drums or boxes and warehouse storage and delivery directly to customers. All with the added benefit of the extensive processing know-how of Hosokawa Micron engineers.

For further information/reader enquiries, please contact: Hosokawa Micron Ltd, Rivington Road, Whitehouse Industrial Estate, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 3DS. Tel: (01928) 755100 Fax: (01928) 714325 E-mail: info@hmluk.hosokawa.com Web: www.hosokawa.co.uk

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AN EXTRACTION SYSTEM, BUT ONLY WHEN NEEDED…

Extraction systems play a significant part in the energy costs for organisations and also in the effect organisations are having on the environment. Dust and fume extraction systems operate throughout the working day, whether they are needed or not. Normally each position is open and extracting with the fan running at full power during working hours.

Based on 40 years of experience in the extraction manufacturing and installation industry UK engineers have designed Inteliair.

This system looks at the demand at individual positions and extracts only where needed. Fan speeds are adjusted accordingly saving in excess of 40% in energy costs for users.

This type of control system offers not just cost savings but can expand the capacity within an installation. Air movement and air quality managers have ultimate control and can also access the units wirelessly to gather operating data or change the system setup with a simple software interface.

Following a year on the UK market with several large customers including Dyson and Dunlop, Inteliair will now be released in Europe.

For more information please contact Sarah Turner, European Business Development Manager, Inteliair, Western Air Ducts (UK) Ltd, Midsomer Norton, Somerset. Tel: 00 44 (0)7764 967985 E-mail: sarah@inteliair.co.uk Web: www.inteliair.co.uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

FB CHAIN TASTES SUCCESS WITH FOODGRADE CONVEYOR SOLUTIONS A new range of lube-free plastic combination chains for the food processing and pharmaceutical industries meets strict EU hygiene standards.

The traditional stainless steel chains typically used in the food processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries are ripe for premature wear. A risk of contamination from lubricants, especially where direct contact with consumables is unavoidable – means that the chains are frequently required to operate dry. With a short service life and high replacement costs (increasing steel prices show no sign of abating), these chains can be a drain on resources.

Enter FB Chain, who have developed a new range of corrosion resistant chains specifically for the food processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries that do not require lubrication for optimal performance and meet strict hygiene standards.

FB Chain’s plastic combination (PC) chain is constructed from food-grade engineering plastic inner links, supported by 304 grade stainless steel bearing pins and outer link plates. The PC chain matches the strength of standard stainless steel chain but has a much lower friction co-efficient, eliminating the need for lubrication and increasing wear life. The PC chain is also much quieter and an impressive 50% lighter, helping manufacturers to meet energy efficiency and environmental targets, while enjoying a significantly lower total cost of ownership. Furthermore, the bushed design of the plastic inner link ensures that in wash down applications there is no risk of residue becoming trapped between the chain components and resulting in contamination over time.

Available from stock

FB Chain’s PC chain is available from stock in foodgrade blue. A general purpose white engineering plastic is also available, with both versions supplied in sizes from 3/8” to 3/4” pitch. The chain is dimensionally interchangeable with stainless steel chain, meaning no adjustments to sprockets or other existing conveyor components are required to accommodate it. Nevertheless, the company is able to supply a wide range of sprockets made from either stainless steel or food-grade approved polymers, as well as high quality thermoplastic chain guides as part of a total package.

Robert Young, process industry sales manager at FB Chain says: “Plastic combination chain – even of the non-food-grade variety – is currently only available from a small number of chain manufacturers. We aim to be the leading supplier in this niche, helping customers in the food and pharmaceutical industries – or indeed with any clean-room application – to significantly improve their safety, efficiency and profitability.”

For more information contact FB Chain Ltd, Letchworth, Hertfordshire Tel: +44 (0) 1462 670844 E-mail: sales@fbchain.com Web: www.lubefreechain.com

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DID YOU KNOW There are approximately

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50 reported dust explosions in the UK each year.

Keep reading to see more facts...

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Weighing up the benefits of an electronic scale system Whether producing, handling, packaging or shipping, it is vital that each step of any production process is accurately documented and accounted for. Laura Wilks from Avery Weigh-Tronix explains how an electronic scale system can efficiently weigh and document product information, allowing manufacturers to monitor, trace and control production—and all materials involved—from start to finish.

To optimise processes, weighing equipment can be used at every step, from tracking incoming raw materials and inventory, to measurement of ingredients, quality control and shipping finished goods. As well as efficiently gathering, documenting and storing weight information, high-accuracy scales can increase revenue in these applications by reducing giveaway and ensuring customer orders are accurately invoiced and managed.

Efficient management of incoming and outgoing goods Properly managing inventory and billing in processing environments depends upon documenting and weighing both inbound and outbound freight. Whether verifying load weights for incoming ingredients or shipping finished goods for ongoing distribution, accurate weighing is essential. With the high cost of fuel, bulk carriers also have to balance the need for optimal loading with concerns about safety.

Weighbridges and axle weighing systems can help to ensure that both incoming and outgoing vehicle loads are weighed quickly and accurately.

For increased efficiency, weighbridge controls may be integrated into a stand-alone console that facilitates unattended weighing operations. These terminals enable drivers to complete weighing transactions 24/7, without leaving their cab. The result is that your weighbridge can run smoothly without a dedicated operator, reducing operating costs, extending hours of availability and improving health and safety by allowing drivers to stay within their vehicles.

Integrate weighing into your processes Once goods have arrived on-site, the ability to transport and weigh materials in one simple step can result in tremendous time savings and a speedy return on investment. A forklift scale can expedite operations by enabling forklift drivers to take raw ingredients directly to storage upon delivery or packaged goods to dispatch, while tracking the weight, origin and storage location during transport. This process results in real-time data acquisition, which can be used for billing and inventory management.

In-cab instruments such as bar code scanners allow forklift operators can be used to instantly capture all necessary freight data available and then transmit this information with weight data wirelessly via Bluetooth® or radio to supervisory computer systems.

Also used mainly when shipping or receiving, or when sorting inventory, bench and floor scales provide an alternative way of weighing goods with very high accuracy, reducing the likelihood for revenue loss. Often found within a warehouse or ingredient store, both bench and floor scales are available in stainless steel for environments where heavy washdown and strict sanitation is required.

The scales also come in mild steel for warehousing or goods in/out applications where an operator might set palletised loads on to a floor scale using a forklift.

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Reduce giveaway and maintain quality When it comes to quality control and average weight legislation, employing a fast and accurate checkweigher can make a big difference to a company’s bottom line.

Underweight packages can lead to unhappy customers, while overweight packages lead to costly giveaway and overweight shipments. Whether you need to spot check raw materials or finished goods, or to ensure adequate quality control, checkweighers can provide visibility of weighing data and statistics which can help to maximise performance and profitability.

When selecting a checkweigher, or indeed any weighing system, ensure that the construction is suitable for your environment. If working in the food or chemical environments, ensure that the equipment has been specifically designed to meet the stringent requirements of the industry. Products with an IP69K rating are proven for use in heavy washdown environments and can withstand even the most rigorous cleaning regime, while scales with an ATEX badge are deemed suitable for us in potentially explosive environments such as mixing and batching volatile chemicals, or bulk solids that produce explosive dust mixtures.

Inventory control and ingredient mixing Retrofitting bins, tanks or hoppers with load cells can easily turn your into existing equipment into an accurate, dependable scale with minimal interruption to your operation. By adding a weight sensor to your existing storage bins, you can keep a close eye on inventory at a basic level, or pair with a sophisticated weight indicator and software to automate mixing of your raw ingredients.

Stainless steel, watertight and explosion-proof (ATEX) models make these ideal for use in a variety of processing applications.

Intelligent data for process control and traceability On a basic level, weight indicators collect, store and communicate data. By integrating more advanced digital indicators into your operations, you can use wireless communications to transmit data to back office systems, improving management information and control and producing instant, accurate invoices for all materials weighed.

Indicators can also be linked to printers, bar code scanners, computers and other peripherals for integration into existing networks, allowing effortless data transfer and management from anywhere in the operation.

Many scales can also be paired with sophisticated software and indicators to provide additional data collection, tracking

and analysis, from integrated management systems which monitor operations and inventory in real-time, to solutions which can automate batch and recipe control. Software innovations help to facilitate efficient documentation and management of key weight, commodity and scale data, all of which can be absolutely vital for traceability.

Legal-for-trade weighing A scale system capable of legal-for-trade weighing is an invaluable asset in the process industry as revenue is commonly based upon the weight of commodities purchased or shipped. Legal-for-trade accuracy is required for business transactions where goods are bought or sold by weight, but the benefits of a legal-for-trade system extend beyond legality. The legal-for-trade approval can also be seen as a badge of reliability - proof that your scale can provide repeatable weighing of goods, ensuring customer satisfaction, precise billing and accurate inventory records.

Selecting a supplier Having acknowledged the importance of weight data, some organisations fail to see the importance of regular service and calibration from a reputable provider.

Focusing on regular preventative maintenance keeps your equipment working at maximum efficiency and reduces the likelihood of costly emergency breakdowns which can halt production.

The cost of planned maintenance, particularly as part of a regular service regime is always more cost effective than an emergency repair. If, for example, a checkweigher breaks down, then you may need to close an entire production line. The cost of this downtime can run into several thousands of pounds a day in lost hours, causing production back logs and customer orders not fulfilled.

If you trade by weight then regular service and calibration of weighing equipment, with all of the appropriate documentation, is a legal requirement. If a piece of equipment is repaired and this involves replacing weighing parts, it will need to be re-verified for trade by a trained verification officer. Not verifying for trade can result in criminal proceedings by the NMO trading standards officers and could also mean that you’re breaking Weights and Measures legislation and the quality standards requirements of ISO 9001:2008 which demand that you have properly calibrated scales.

Without proper servicing, the advantages of incorporating weighing equipment into your production line are diluted.

The impact of weighing processes With today’s fierce market competition, ensuring customer satisfaction without impacting productivity is crucial.

Now, operators can implement weighing solutions with customisable features and functions in order to tailor their performance to exact specifications. This not only improves production with data acquisition and inventory management capabilities, but also improves a company’s bottom line and product quality.

ITW Limited trading as Avery Weigh-Tronix, Smethwick, West Midlands Can be contacted via: Tel: +44 (0)845 307 0314 Fax: +44 (0)870 90 50085 E-mail: info@awtxglobal.com Web: www.averyweigh-tronix.com/uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

MUCON SERIES H IRIS VALVE – THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR IBC DISCHARGE AND FLOW CONTROL The Series H Iris valve is able to offer the end user a choice of either a bolted or a quick release adaptor, so that they can be easily and quickly fitted to the bottom of any rigid IBC. The Series H Iris valve offers the end user an economical, gentle and easy to operate discharge valve. Should the application require frequent washing of the IBC, the Series H Iris valve with the quick release option. This allows the Iris valve to be effortlessly removed from the IBC for cleaning in between product batches.

Where cross contamination could be an issue, the Series H has the ability to offer two different kinds of adaptor.

1. The Plain adaptor allows the end user to include a simple polythene liner to the inside of the Iris valve. As and when the material being processed is changed, the liner can be quickly disposed of and replaced with another clean liner. This is a very simple and inexpensive way of ensuring that cross contamination is avoided.

2. For materials that are more abrasive a grooved adaptor can be supplied with the Series H Iris valve to accommodate a robust liner.

The Mucon Iris valve is often used to control the discharge of powders and tablets.

Its gentle opening and closing of the diaphragm acts to prevent tablet damage. This not only means that cleaning of the IBC is reduced to a minimum, but also product wastage is reduced.

The Iris valve has FDA approved contact parts.

The Series H also has an additional Transit Cover option. Transit covers can improve product safety and minimise moisture absorption while the IBC is in storage or transit.

The Series H valve has been on the market since 1992. Since then thousands have been supplied all over the world to IBC manufacturers and IBC end users. Customers include Bayer Pharmaceutical, Mc Neil Pharmaceutical, Merck and Novartis.

For more information please contact Process Components Ltd, Macclesfield, Cheshire. Tel: +44 (0) 1625 412000 E-mail: sales@mucon.com Web: www.mucon.com

LARGEST BARTON SILO CONTRACT COMMISSIONED

BY CARR’S FLOUR SCOTLAND Barton Fabrications has completed its largest ever silo installation project.

As part of a multi-million pound investment to automate and upgrade its Kirkcaldy site, 26 aluminium silos have been commissioned by Carr’s Flour Scotland. The silos supplied range in size from 12 to 100 tonnes and are up to 19 metres tall.

Barton’s silos are used for a number of different applications at the Kirkcaldy plant, including flour storage, out-loading and ingredient containment.

Commenting on the benefits of Barton Fabrications’ products and service, Tim Hall, Operations Director at Carr’s Flour Scotland said: “Barton Fabrications’ reputation for build quality and installation expertise were key reasons in the selection of the company to manufacture and install the silos at our Kirkcaldy site.

“Apart from Barton’s established track record and technical competency, the company has been easy to deal with, highly responsive and extremely flexible in accommodating prog-ramme adjustments.”

The majority of the storage vessels include Barton’s half penthouse design: this provides indoor housing protection for operators during filter maintenance and easy venting for explosion panels which are part of the silos ATEX compliant design. A number of special features have also been incorporated into the plant including measures to avoid condensation and a unique double door arrangement fitted to twelve finished flour storage silos. This provides easy access for maintenance to the motors and discharge equipment located at the base of the silos.

For more details on Barton Fabrications’ silo solutions, contact Barton Fabrications Ltd, Portishead, Bristol Tel: +44 (0) 1275 845901 E-mail: sales@bartonfabs.co.uk Web: www.bartonfabs.co.uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

The Serious Pipe* *No side splitting comedy guaranteed High-volume manufacture means high-quality pipework that’s reliable, flexible and easy-to-maintain but costs less than custom-built sheetmetal ductwork.

Jacob (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0) 1694 722841 E: sales@jacob-uk.com W: Jacob-uk.com

DID YOU KNOW

?

Which ONE company prevented approximately

20

potential dust explosions in the UK last year.

Keep reading to the answer...

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SELF CLEANING ECO FILTER DOES THE ITALIAN JOB… Consorzio Latterie Virgilio is an Italian consortium that is associated with 70 dairies and more than 2,000 farmers.

Working with the members of the consortium, the company primarily focuses on the production of dairy products, including butter, fresh cream and aged cheeses. However, with increasing uses for animal fat, the company recognized the opportunity to expand their product range. Sourcing fat from their slaughter plant, the company sought to produce two key animal fat by-products – an animal fat spread (an Italian delicacy) and biodiesel.

The processing of these animal fat by-products required a new processing line to be built, and therefore Virgilio approached a well known engineering house to provide a processing solution. The proposed system required the meat fat to be minced before it is steam heated into a liquid form at just under 100oC. As the meat fat contains skins and cartilages that are difficult to break down, the liquid product is then fed to a filtration system to remove any oversize contamination. Having worked with Russell Finex previously, the engineering house did not think twice about supplying the SelfCleaning Russell Eco Filter® to Virgilio for this stage of the process.

The unique design of the Self-Cleaning Russell Eco Filter® ensures that material passes through the filter screen whilst the screen is automatically cleaned using a rotating wiper inside the element.

“The Eco Filter wiper system works on a continuous basis, cleaning the filter element surface at all times, providing a consistent throughput rate and differential pressure” states Andrea Bozzellini, Area Responsible.

The units were customized to meet the exact requirements of the application. As the filter was

required to remove oversize above 100 micron which is then returned to the pulverizer for rework, the oversize outlet was reduced in size from 2” to 1” and attached to a pump. The pump constantly feeds the oversize back into the main line. “Russell Finex were happy to facilitate the necessary adjustments to the machine to suit the process better”, continues Bozzellini.

Due to the nature of the product being processed, the pipework needed to be cleaned on a regular basis.

Therefore, a second Russell Eco Filter® was supplied, acting as a Clean-in-Place system circulating water with cleaning solution around the pipework.

Russell Finex has over 75 years of experience manufacturing and supplying separators, screeners and filters to enhance productivity and ensure product quality. The company serves a variety of industries in over 100 countries with applications that include adhesives, ceramics, chemicals, colors, enamels, explosives, food, inks, latex, metal powders, paint, paper coatings, pharmaceuticals, plastisols, powder coating, and waste oils.

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

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

DEMAG CRANES PROVIDE LIFTING POWER FOR THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR • Demag open winch wire rope units fit the bill • Precision movement and positioning of large and heavy loads • Strong Demag regional service support Terex Material Handling has installed two Demag overhead travelling cranes at Dril-Quip Europe’s production facility in Aberdeen. A division of the multinational operator, DrilQuip Inc of Houston, Texas, the company designs, manufactures and services a wide variety of hardware for the oil and gas industry.

Dril-Quip’s product range includes sub-sea and surface trees and tubular components, which are distributed to major oil and gas operators worldwide.

Dril-Quip specified the Demag cranes as part of an expansion programme at its 400,000 sq ft production facility. The investment was driven by the need to handle increasingly large and heavy components, between manufacturing and assembly processes. Terex Material Handling supplied a Demag 50 t SWL, 17.6 m span ZKKW double girder overhead travelling crane and a 30 t SWL, 17.6 m span ZKKW double girder overhead travelling crane. Both cranes incorporate Demag MPW open winch wire rope lifting units, which are particularly suited to Dril-Quip’s manufacturing processes.

Both cranes have variable cross and long travel speeds of 0 - 20 m/min. The 50 t SWL crane has variable hoisting speeds of 0 – 8.8 m/min for loads up 30 t and 0 – 5.5 m/min for loads above 30 t, whilst the 30 t SWL crane has variable hoisting speeds of 0 – 8.8 m/min for loads up 18 t and 0 – 5.5 m/min for loads above 18 t. Safety features include fast to slow and slow to stop functions at cross travel and long travel limits, with an optical crane to crane anti-collision feature.

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The crane systems feature AC inverter controls for smooth movement, precision positioning accuracy and minimisation of load sway. The cranes are operated via a Demag DRC-J joystick radio remote control, allowing the operator to be excluded from the lifting area for safety, ergonomic efficiency and comfort.

Dril-Quip Europe’s Lifting Equipment Supervisor, Arty Matheson, reported that the company now has several Demag cranes at its Aberdeen production facility: “We have been impressed by the productivity and reliability of our existing Demag cranes. This latest investment was prompted by the necessity to handle increasingly large and heavy loads. Terex Material Handling was able to help us meet these objectives with an engineered solution, tailored to our specific requirements, incorporating the Demag MPW open winch wire rope lifting units.”

He added: “Demag’s regional after sales network was also an important factor in the specification process.

Demag service has a strong presence in the north east of Scotland, providing us with total peace of mind in terms of technical support.”

For more information please contact Demag Cranes & Components Ltd, Banbury, Oxfordshire. Telephone enquiries to: 01295 676100 · Fax enquiries to: 01295 271408 E-mail enquiries to: bnb-help@demagcranes. com or visit Web: www.demagcranes.co.uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

VACUUM CONVEYING IS AS SIMPLE AS IT IS INGENIOUS Piab are an innovative designer and manufacturer of vacuum pumps, suction cups and vacuum conveyors.

The growing reliance on vacuum conveying is not hard to understand, once you consider its myriad advantages. It is enclosed, hygienic and safe, which is recommended when transferring ingredients and finished products in the food processing applications.

Powder and granules are ideal for vacuum conveying as well as a number of other materials. Even those materials that are sensitive to humidity and contamination can be safely conveyed.

The piFLOW® range of vacuum conveyors can be configured or tailor made to transfer powder or granular products with volumes from 250g up to 10 tons p/hr and distances up to around 50 metres total vertical/horizontal.

Visit us at the PPMA show STAND E06 where will be exhibiting the piFLOW®p conveying plastic granules.

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

Up, down and around For clean, safe, cost effective and dust free bulk handling of products turn to UniTrak Powderflight’s range of reliable equipment: • Bucket elevators • Aeromechanical conveyors

• Flexible screw conveyors • Bulk bag dischargers

UniTrak Powderflight always moving in the right direction!

Featured product: Powderflight Aeromechanical Conveyor

Trust the experts.

(0)1457 865038 www.unitrak.co.uk

Which statistic would you prefer to be part of for

2014?

In 2013 Fike EPACO® systems prevented 21 potential dust explosions from occurring in UK factories alone.

In the UK the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) require employers to control the risks to safety from fire and explosions.

Fike offers: ■ Conventional & Flameless explosion vents ■ Full range of passive isolation devices ■ Active explosion isolation & suppression systems ■ Full-scale explosibility testing facilities

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

Fike UK, 35 Earl Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1PF, United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 1622 677081 E: info@fike.co.uk www.fike.co.uk

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Spherical D

for Solids Process Solids and slurries have completely different flow characteristics than liquid and gases, so it’s important to choose a valve for powder applications carefully.

Taking the GEMCO spherical disc valve as an example: Related to a full-port ball valve, the spherical disc valve design uses a spherical disc section (segmented ball) to provide shutoff. Mounting arms are added to provide a pivot on shafts through the center axis of the original ball. A section of the spherical disc seals against the identical spherical radius of the seat while the rest of the shut-off surface is under-cut below the spherical radius.

Advantages of the spherical disc valve design: • The spherical disc wipes the material away from the matching radius of the seat to provide sanitary sealing and longer seat life.

• The spherical disc rotates 90 degrees out of the material flow, to allow mass-flow through its full port.

• The under-cut disc segment provides clearance that prevents powder jamming between the disc and housing.

Factors to consider when choosing your spherical disc valve: Materials of construction The powders and/or solvents to be processed determine the product contact material. While cast iron, carbon steels, and aluminum can be used for many industrial applications; corrosive processes require the use of stainless steel.

In some cases, material laden with solvents justify the extra expense of using Hastelloy or other high-nickel alloys to prolong valve life.

Seat materials: Very abrasive material tend to dictate the use of metal seats versus the commonly used reinforced Teflon seats (RPTFE). The metal seat is typical stainless steel coated with a Carbide in a Cobalt favorable environments (WC/CO) and will give longer life and can be used at higher temperatures than Teflon.

Cleanability The sanitary requirements of a particular process govern surface finishes and other sanitary options.

No surface finish specified: Also referred to as “mill finish” or “as cast”. Fabricated valves will only have the internal welds ground smooth and flush. This finish is most often used in general industrial applications where cross contamination

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or cleanability are not a concern. #2 finish - Ra 33 to 65 microinch - 150 to 180 grit: Also referred to as “buffed, blended or uniform appearance finish.” This finish is usually specified for the outside of equipment which will be washed down. #4 polish - Ra 16 to 32 microinch - 180 to 240 grit: All fabrication and handling marks are removed and the surface is buffed to a uniform satin finish.

The #4 polish is typical for the interior of equipment that needs to be cleaned between batches to prevent cross contamination. #7 polish - Ra 10 to 15 microinch - 240 to 320 grit: All surface imperfections are repaired. Often referred to as “pit free” and “mirror finish.” Used for high purity applications such as processing potent pharmaceutical actives. This finish is also used for products that tend to adhere to surfaces.

Spray balls or jets should be considered for automatic cleaning. Another option is a valve that can be dismantled by hand for inspection and cleaning. For safety reasons, the size of such valves are typically limited to a 10” port diameter due to the weight of individual components.

Weight The weight of a valve is especially important for mobile or rotating equipment. High performance and heavy- duty valve models will be heavier than regular duty valves. A valve that is dust tight, full vacuum, and 1 bar service, is considered to be regular duty service. Valves that can handle 90 PSI (6bar) to 150 PSI (10bar) are high performance. A higher performance valve can weigh four times as much as its regular-duty counterpart.

Mounting arrangements The typical ANSI 150 # drilling is used as an industry standard for heavy duty and high performance models valves. Quick clamps can also be used for applications up to 15PSI (1bar) and port sizes up to 10".

Some valves will include blind tapped holes, which might present a problem if the valve is mating with existing blind tapped holes. Another option is to choose oversized flanges, which allows for through holes. DIN and special drilling are engineered to order. However, for regular duty service valves, ANSI and DIN bolting can be overkill.

Actuation When selecting an actuator one must consider the materials being processed, available air supply and

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

Disc Valves

sing Applications failsafe operation. As with other quarter turn valves; levers, gear drives or chain operators are all options to consider. Pneumatic and hydraulic, operators are available in double acting or failsafe modes.

For price, reliability, and speed, pneumatic operation should be the first choice. When handling solids, a higher factor of safety is used to calculate seat torque requirements. The factor is typically 1.5 instead of the more commonly used 1.25 safety factor used for liquid and gas valve calculations.

For solids that “set-up” or harden, an oversized actuator and specially designed discs that can be incorporated to break through the hardened cake when the valve opens or closes is recommended.

Actuators are typically sized for 5.3bar (80-PSI) pressure. If the available supply air pressure is dependably higher 6.7 bar to 8 bar (100 to 120PSI) or lower 2.6 bar to 4 bar (40 to 60 PSI), you will need to consider this factor when sizing the valves actuator.

For fail-safe operation, spring return actuators are the norm. When a spring return type actuator is used, it is oversized to compensate for the spring as well as the unseating, run, and seating torque required for valve operation. This can lead to weight and space problems as well as extra cost.

Another fail-safe option to consider is to use a double-acting actuator in conjunction with a pneumatic accumulator sufficiently sized to close the valve. When there is a loss of pneumatic pressure, a pressure switch activates the accumulator and closes the valve.

a concern. The valve is offered as dust tight, full vacuum, and low-pressure (1 bar) services.

Common installations of the TLD valve include inlet/ outlet ports on rotating or stationary blenders and Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC’s).

and efficiently. Options for retractable sleeves can include inflatable seals for hazardous environment, spring-return air cylinders for fail-safe operation, metal bellows for high-pressure applications, and “clean-in- place” fittings.

Sanitary Valve: The sanitary K valve is designed to USDA and FDA guidelines, which eliminate threads, keyways, and crevices. The split body design means it can be completely disassembled by hand to allow for quick and easy inspection and cleaning. It is used for charging/discharging, commonly in food and pharmaceutical industries where cleanability is required.

Diverter Valves: The diverter valve places the spherical disc valve in a ‘Y’ junction. This allows the valve to select a product feed stream from one of the two inputs, or to direct one incoming stream of material to either of the two outlets. Diverter valve use varies greatly from rock crushers to food processing.

Heavy Duty Valve: The T valve is designed for heavy-duty service and comes with oversized flanges with through holes for mounting to blind flanges.

Options include high temperature or pressure (3 bar) designs. This valve is commonly used for charging and discharging of hoppers, tanks, silos, conveying systems, and weighing systems processing slurries, abrasives, and heavy density materials.

Summary

Fast acting (1 to 5 seconds), quarter turn valves are ideal for flow control of solids. A pneumatic (200mbar to 1000 mbar/3 to 15 PSI) or electropneumatic (4 to 20 milli-amp) positioner can take a signal from a manual adjusted pressure regulator, or from a computer controller. The pneumatic positioner is often used in manually-operated filling stations, whereas the electro-pneumatic positioner is typically used for automatic loss-inweight systems.

High Pressure & Corrosion Valve: The P21 valve is specially engineered to meet rigorous demands of pressure and corrosive applications. The valve is designed and built to ASME/PED standards for pressure-assisted sealing from full vacuum to 10 bar (150PSI), and at temperatures up to 230 Celsius (450F). This valve is often used for reactor feed valve or as an isolation valve.

Spherical Disc Valve Examples:

Other Valve Combinations and Options:

Flow Control

Light Weight Valve: The versatile TLD valve is most often chosen for processing light density materials such as foods and pharmaceuticals, and on rotating and mobile equipment where weight is

Retractable Sleeves: Retractable sleeves are designed for the dustless transfer of solids from one process to another. They are usually interlocked with the valve. A mobile vessel or container is located so the retractable sleeve engages and seals automatically. Once the seal is confirmed, the valve opens to allow material transfer safely

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

Airlocks: Airlocks are designed to control the flow of material between two atmospheres. They typically consist of two valves connected by an intermediate chamber. Airlocks are often used instead of rotary feeders, which are prone to high maintenance and leakage of material and gases,

Choosing the best valve for your powder application results in many benefits including: better performance, lower maintenance costs, and better product quality over the life of the processing equipment. For more detailed information visit the “Design Principles” page at Gemco Valve Company.

Gemco Valve Company, 301 Smalley Ave, Middlesex, NJ 08846, USA Can be contacted via: Telephone: 800-654-3626 or +1 732-733-1142 Fax: 732-424-2483 Web: Gemco Valve Company http://gemcovalve.com/contact/ Induchem UK – UK distributor, Congleton, Cheshire Can be contacted via: Tel: +44 1260 295413 Fax: +44 1260 295075 E-mail: Sales Inquiries to: sales@induchem.biz Web: www.induchem.biz/

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EFFICIENT PARTICLE CAPTURE? – THE ANSWER SHOULDN’T BE BLOWING IN THE WIND The removal of particles from gas flows can be achieved through a variety of equipment types. A major challenge for many industries when a plant is subject to expansion or re-design, is that it is often the case that the dry particle filtration system is unlikely to be adequately assessed for its capability to operate with either higher transfer rates or radically different bulk particle properties.

Failure to take these factors into account can lead to an increased tendency for filter blinding or more frequent cleaning cycles. In either case the end result can cause interruption to process efficiency and hence loss of profits.

The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology has developed a comprehensive suite of pilot plant scale equipment for evaluating filter performance and the effects of changes in bulk particulates on filter life.

For more information The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology, Chatham Maritime, Kent.

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8331 8646 E-mail: Wolfson-enquiries@gre.ac.uk Web: www.bulksolids.com

BESPOKE PADDLE BLADE MIXERS FROM JR BOONE PERFECT FOR CLAN CERAMICS John R Boone have developed a bespoke mixer solution for investment casting specialists Clan Ceramics for their global ceramic core process and material supply business, including high-temperature, multi-stage mixing with vacuum processing.

Nerak Wiese Ltd

Other bucket conveyors pale in comparison

If you handle bulk, you may already know that Nerak conveyors – which are manufactured in our state-of-the-art factory in Brecon, Wales – have a proven track record for quality, speed and reliability. We're delighted to announce that, having been appointed sole UK distributors, we now exclusively offer the market-leading range of bucket conveyor solutions from Wiese.

Whether you're handling food, chemicals, aggregates, pharmaceuticals or waste, bucket conveyors from either the Nerak or Wiese ranges will provide rapid, quiet and safe handling around the clock. Driven by the grease-free, non-slip and ever-taut Wiese rubber chain technology, both the continuous bucket conveyor and the pendulum bucket conveyor systems from Wiese offer spill-free operation, gentle handling and a long service life – even in the harshest of applications.

Continuous bucket conveyors

Featuring an ingeniously shaped and interlocking bucket design, the Wiese continuous bucket conveyor operates horizontally, vertically and at any angle in between without spillage. Offering high conveying speeds and capacities, this solution is ideal for operation in tight spaces in applications requiring only one discharge point.

Pendulum bucket conveyors

With individual buckets that swing freely and overlap when in horizontal operation, the design of the Wiese pendulum bucket conveyor ensures no-spill handling, yet makes multiple discharge points and more complex layouts possible. Tool-free removal of the buckets facilitates cleaning outside of the casing, as well as simplifying maintenance.

A whole host of options

Both the Nerak and Wiese conveyor ranges are available in a wide choice of sizes, layouts and finishes. Casing options include a hygienic and easy-clean coating that meets FDA standards, as well as mild steel or stainless steel finishes. Bucket materials are selected to suit the application, with options available to suit all types of bulk – from sticky goods to abrasive items, at temperatures from -40°C to 130°C – with food-grade metal detectable buckets also available.

Find out more Visit the Nerak Wiese website for full details of the bucket conveyor range or contact Simon Musgrave for more information on 01874 612 900 or via e-mail: simon.musgrave@nerak-uk.com Nerak Wiese Ltd, Ffrwdgrech Industrial Estate, Brecon, Powys, LD3 8LA

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In such a technical arena, the choice of machinery is critical. Clan needed a partner with whom they could work, and whom they could trust to supply equipment to fit their production lines globally.

JR Boone produced a horizontal paddle blade mixer (HPBM) for Clan. The mixing process is complex, forming a paste at high temperature (140ºC) over a number of stages, finally de aerating and discharging under vacuum to make sure that a homogenous, bubble-free ceramic material is produced for the casting process.

JR Boone produced a variation on their standard HPBM, incorporating an insulated jacket, heating system and a vacuum pump for the final part of the process.

John Morris, Clan’s Technical Director, said: ‘The amount of testing we were able to do with JR Boone helped tremendously. We have been able to reduce mixing time by 25%, for example. We also found that the profile of the Boone paddles means that, despite the very abrasive materials we use, they wear far less than other mixers we have tried; improving product quality and ultimately reducing cost.’

The Control System was designed specifically for Clan, with temperature, speed and time all being selectable and monitored parameters within the easily operated menu system on the HMI. Boone mixers are specified to third party manufacturers, so JR Boone have manufactured them to be as far as possible ‘plug and play’, easily installed and operated so that operators worldwide can produce the very high quality ceramic cores that have rightly built Clan Ceramics’ reputation.

For more information contact John R. Boone Limited, Congleton, Cheshire.

Tel: 01260 272894 Fax: 01260 281128 E-mail: sales@jrboone.com Web: www.jrboone.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

MATERIALS PROCESSING & HANDLING SOLUTIONS FROM EXPERTS GAME Engineering Ltd is a privately owned company based in Lincoln, and founded in 1986. We are materials processing and handling engineers providing processing, packaging, handling, storage and bespoke solutions to clients.

We have a unique and proven ability to deliver innovative, imaginative and real world solutions to our customers and have built our hard earned reputation by consistently completing successful projects while at the same time developing excellent working relationships with our clients.

Services: “Our Experience is your Guarantee.”

• Complete Turnkey Engineering Solutions • Process Design and Engineering, Layouts & Flow Diagrams • Project Management • Principal Contractor • Site Installation and Construction • Risk Analysis, Health & Safety and CDM Safety Management • Machinery Manufacture • Home Office approved Subcontract Fabrication • Bespoke Manufacture Products: “Why Compromise? Your Special is Our Standard.”

• Conveyors • Elevators • Ribbon blade mixers • Paddle blade mixers • Valves • Diverters • Weighing systems • Cyclones • Feeders • Storage Systems (silos, bunkers & hoppers) • Self-clean elevator boot • Micro-ingredients weighment systems • Rotary sifters • Robotic palletising • Slides • Materials recycling facilities (MRFs) • WEEE process lines • Bio-fuel storage and handling systems • Extruder plants • Pelletising plants For more information contact GAME Engineering Limited, Lincoln, Lincolnshire.

Tel: +44 (0) 1522 868021 Fax: +44 (0) 1522 868027 E-mail: sales@game-engineering.com Web: www.game-engineering.com

Protecting Your Plant Before Things Start To Go Wrong

Motion Sensors for Every Application PE 4000

Speed Relays or PLC

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Rotech Motion Sensors units are used for monitoring of:

•Stop/Slip •Distance/Direction Protects: •Underspeed/Overspeed •Rotation Control • Conveyors •Interlocking/Sequencing •Belt Weighers • Crushers

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ULTRASONIC FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS One of the major issues facing process industries during the manufacturing process is fire. Coltraco Ultrasonics a leading UK OEM of ultrasonic fixed fire suppression systems has a range of products and systems to help negate this risk.

The fire suppression system within a facility such as Pharmaceutical manufacturing plant will have many components. One of the most important is the suppression system cylinders. In a high risk high value environment detection is key.

Permalevel™ Multiplex is an ultrasonic measuring system that has the ability to monitor up to 700 cylinder points in real time.

This gives the operator the ability to call up individual cylinder points and monitor their liquid level. With a complex data logging system it also gives the operator the ability to check historic levels for slow seepage.

Permalevel™ Multiplex gives owners the ability to better protect their assets.

For more information please contact Coltraco Ltd, 46 Mount Street, Mayfair, London.

Tel: +44 207 629 8475 Fax: +44 207 629 8477 E-mail: sales@coltraco.co.uk Web: www.coltraco.com

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

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ENHANCING EFFICIENCY IN

CONVEYORS Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bulk conveyors are moving a more punishing

development and production. Drawing on decades of

mix of raw materials, into more places, than ever before.

material handling experience, the designers and engineers

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the scale, conveyors

behind the components that drive conveyors are helping

in food and beverage must maintain performance while

OEMs to build machines that reduce the high costs of

offering enhanced product safety. To meet these demands,

unplanned downtime, maintenance and energy, says Phil

conveyor OEMs are looking for ways to optimise design,

Burge, Country Communication Manager, SKF.

Heavy duty conveyors Whether transporting raw coal or metals at a mine, or bulk materials and finished goods at a port, heavy (or bulk) conveyors often endure abrasive contaminants under dirty, wet conditions that challenge component reliability. The surging population, rapidly growing economies and burgeoning global development, particularly in areas such as the Asia-Pacific region, are the main drivers behind an ever increasing consumption of mineral commodities and ore bodies. In order to meet the rampant demand, raw material suppliers the world over are now under heightened pressure to ensure that sufficient supply is in place to satisfy the need.

belt damage during the commissioning and training period. Further expected benefits are longer operational life of the idlers and pulleys, as unnecessary stresses have been removed from these components prior to full production operation.

Components such as bearings are present in virtually every piece of industrial machinery, so when a breakthrough in bearing technology is made that offers notable energy savings, the benefits can be applied across industry. Improvements made to just one piece of equipment, such as the ubiquitous conveyor, which often incorporates many hundreds of bearings for pulleys and idler rollers and in drive motors, can have a profound impact on energy consumption.

And there is further pressure in the form of tightening regulatory requirements and rising energy, raw material and waste disposal costs that only serve to compound the issue. Consequently, these challenges see many plants being forced to drive down energy consumption and emissions in order to remain environmentally responsible and commercially competitive.

With this in mind, a range of highly efficient, low friction bearings that cut frictional torque has now been developed. The new bearings reduce friction, and thus energy consumption, by as much as 50%, depending on the application. Perhaps as importantly, bearing life can be increased to give a major reduction in total cost of ownership.

Increasing productivity and reducing costs are the keys to success in surviving the sector and, as a result, many organisations are now increasingly looking to contain and reduce costs to sustain profitability, primarily through improvements in machine performance, reliability and efficiency.

Similarly, the latest high performance seals are perhaps more effective than ever at providing protection against the intrinsically harsh operating environments of mining applications, preventing system contamination resulting from the ingress of particulate matter and moisture. Furthermore, a correctly specified seal provides low levels of friction, retains the lubricant and essentially extends bearing service life.

In many cases, the key to achieving these goals lies not just in addressing the performance of larger systems, such as engines and gearboxes, but by taking a holistic view and evaluating the system as a whole. By focussing on the components of the conveyor, operators of mining plant and equipment can realise significant cuts in operating and maintenance costs, while maximising equipment performance and life in service.

Conveyors in food and beverage In proving ovens, high pressure wash-downs and humid operating conditions cause premature failure to conveyor chains and bearings, leading to an increased risk of product contamination and unnecessary maintenance and re-lubrication costs.

Belt alignment tool TMEB 2 B

A range of products and services are now available that optimise conveyor performance and efficiency, including lubrication, alignment and housing solutions.

For example, where a conveyor tracks substantially Shaft alignment tool TKSA 80 off course whilst feeding the belt through the idler system, poor tracking is often the result of poor pre-alignment of the pulleys and idlers. In such cases, geometric alignment of the entire conveyor assembly - including drive trains, pulleys and idlers - may be required. Precision conveyor alignment can be achieved using a combination of techniques and several laser alignment tools ranging from advanced geometric alignment to basic belt alignment lasers. As a result of the precision geometric alignment, conveyor belt commissioning times can be reduced considerably when compared to conventional methods of belt tracking where idlers have to be adjusted continuously in order to train the belt along its pathway. The benefit to the customer after the alignment process is an extremely smooth start-up with only minor adjustments needed in order to be fully productive. The precision alignment also results in a greatly reduced risk of

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Under these conditions, moisture, water and cleaning fluid will creep into bearings, resulting in reduced lubrication. This is because the bearing grease will absorb the water and emulsify, changing the consistency of the grease and allowing it to wash out. Along with corrosion accelerated by the humid environment, this can cause the guide wheel bearings of proving oven conveyors to fail.

Prompted by customers that have experienced similar difficulties the designers and engineers of conveyor components have worked with OEMs to review the system and minimise such maintenance issues in the future. An efficient solution that has emerged from this collaboration is the use of air-assisted oil projection lubrication systems to address issues connected to manual chain lubrication.

An air-assisted oil projection lubrication system enables reliable and effective lubrication of the conveyor chain, eliminates related downtime and reduces maintenance costs. Through accurate oil projection, the system prevents lubricant waste and reduces environmental and operator safety issues created by excess oil. Volumetric piston pumps precisely deliver a metered volume of lubricant to the points of friction while the chain is in operation, while a control unit can be preset to the preferred timing for lubricant application. Because the projection nozzles have no mechanical contact with the chains, dirt accumulation and applicator wear are prevented. The chain does not need to be stopped for re-lubrication, so productivity is increased, while longer service life is achieved due to decreased chain wear and reduced friction lowers energy consumption. In food and beverage applications such as this, an air-assisted oil projection lubrication system also helps support the HACCP process in producing safe food by preventing contamination from the lubricant.

SKF (UK) Limited, Luton, Bedfordshire Can be contact via: Tel: 01582 490049 E-mail: marketing.uk@skf.com Web: www.skf.com/uk/

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

ERIEZ RARE EARTH MAGNETIC DRUM PRODUCES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PURITY A world authority in separation technologies, Eriez Magnetics Europe Ltd demonstrates the efficiency of its rare earth magnetic drum separation system to help produce the highest levels of purity in fine powdery material.

Société Européenne Produits Réfractaires (SEPR) in France, part of the Saint Gobain Group required reducing the ferrous contamination of its very fine (> 0.5mm particle size) refractory cullet to less than 120ppm of Fe whilst maintaining a throughput of 1,000 kg per hour by using a self-cleaning system.

The solution was to use rare earth magnets, which produce magnetic fields up to twenty-five times stronger than ferrite magnets without any increase in size. They remove low mass particles that may have been generated during the grinding process and weakly magnetic materials, such as rust and stainless steel particles rendered paramagnetic through work-hardening.

Tests were carried out at Eriez’s laboratory in South Wales using SEPR material samples. Various drums types and feeder systems were trialled to establish the

GEARBOX IMPROVES RELIABILITY AND PRODUCTION CAPACITY The new ABB Dodge® Torque Arm II is a highly efficient helical bevel shaft mounted gearbox suitable for conveyors carrying sand, crushed rock, gravel, recycled and artificial aggregates.

The modular design of the gearbox is ideal for use in shaft mount, screw conveyor or vertical and flange mounted applications.

The twin tapered bushing system provides concentric grip on the shaft eliminating fretting corrosion that can often occur on these types of gearbox applications.

The integrated oil seals in the Torque Arm II offer up to six times the wear resistance and a good level of resistance to both synthetic and mineral lubricants.

The gearbox has a minimum operating life of 25,000 hours giving end users a more reliable gearbox capable of running longer between maintenance intervals.

Reducing the number and frequency of outages and maintenance intervals allows manufacturing companies to realise the full potential of their production machinery.

For more information contact ABB Limited MPT, Warrington, Cheshire Tel: 01925 741 111 Fax: 01925 741 212 E-mail: energy@gb.abb.com Web: www.abb.co.uk/energy

best equipment for the application. It was found that a high performance, double stage Rare Earth Magnetic Drum model RRS in a vertical housing produced the best results. This two-stage approach achieved the high level of purity SEPR required.

The drums consist of a permanent, rare earth, high strength and high gradient fixed magnetic arc element and a rotating stainless steel shell. Material is fed onto the drum shell surface by an Eriez electromagnetic HS42 vibratory feeder, which ensures an even, controlled feed of material. As the rotating shell carries the fine powder through the magnetic field any fine magnetic particles are attracted and held to the surface of the drum. Once they reach the end of the magnetic arc they are then discharged by gravity into a separate chute. The fine clean feed material simply falls via its normal trajectory from the drum into the clean product discharge chute.

Eriez Europe Sales Director Gareth Meese comments: “The main benefits of our magnetic drum separators are that they allow high volumes of material to be processed, are self-cleaning and require very low maintenance and spare parts.

Our vast experience in this sector enables us to

specify equipment to very strict constraints of quality and installation. By using different types of separators with different feeders and configurations we expand significantly the potential applications of Eriez permanent magnetic drum separators in the food, ceramics, and mineral processing industries when high quality of the end-product is paramount, as well as in the recycling industry for the removal of ferrous material. They provide cost-effective solutions to the fine and weakly magnetic iron contamination problems.

Eriez’ Rare Earth Drum Separators are available up to 1220mm in diameter and up to 3m wide in a variety of configurations.

For more information contact ERIEZ Magnetics Europe Ltd, Bedwas, Caerphilly, Tel: +44 (0)29 2086 8501 E-mail: info@eriezeurope.co.uk Web: www.eriez.com More information is available from the brochure on our website. www.eriez.com/magnetic_drum_separator.

Revolutionary Odour Neutralisation Without Power or Water For some industrial processes, creating unpleasant odours is a natural part of the process. Industrial and waste processors are under pressure to reduce odours to improve industrial relations and avoid litigation or fines for nuisance odour.

Bespoke Odour Control Specific granules neutralise specific odours, enabling us to customise Neutrapak to your odour problem.

Introducing Neutrapak Effective indoors and outdoors, with low running costs as no power or water is required - ideal for limited access sites, waste sites, animal processing or biowaste sites.

Effective Odour Neutralisation Some odour control systems attempt to mask odours. Others filter huge amounts of air; filtering is often impractical and impossible outdoors.

Instead of masking odours, Neutrapak neutralises odour by bonding odour molecules to odour absorbing plant-oil extracts. Discreet, easily attached pouches of granules are positioned at 2m intervals, 2m from the ground. Neutrapak works upon exposure to air and releases at a slow, steady rate.

Renby Limited, Tarvin Mill, Barrow Lane, Tarvin, CHESTER CH3 8JF Tel: 01829 740913 www.renby.co.uk info@renby.co.uk

SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING

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PRODUCT AND SERVICES DIRECTORY ABRASIVE RESISTANT LININGS

EXPLOSION PROTECTION

CONSULTING

The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology

Bulk Solids Short courses and consultancy for handling

Solutions Contact the experts +44 (0)20 8331 8646 bulksolids.com

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One Thousand Pumps, One Distributor.

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www.tomlinson-hall.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1642 379500 Email: enquiries@tomlinson-hall.co.uk

Fike UK, 35 Earl Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1PF, United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 1622 677081 E: info@fike.co.uk W: www.fike.co.uk

Tomlinson Hall & Co Ltd, TS23 4JA

MIXERS & BLENDERS

CONTINUOUS PARTICULATE EMISSION MONITORING FOR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND PROCESS CONTROL

MIXERS & CRUSHERS

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Spiroflow Wall Planner Ads_Layout 1 19/10/2011 09:11 Page 1

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KD420 Modbus Sensor Interface 4-20mA and DC voltage inputs Modbus RTU Slave registers with multiple data formats Modbus Master feature can write data to a Modbus Slave device

Modbus RS422 / 485

Modbus RS485 Slave

Master

4-20mA ±30V

DUST CONTROL

DUSTECH ENGINEERING LTD 162 Chiltern Drive, Surbiton, Surrey KT5 8LS Tel: 0208 399 9991 Fax: 0208 390 2004 www.dustechengineering.com explosionhazards_6x6b.pdf 1 30/10/2012 11:55:26

CONSULTING

EXPLOSION PROTECTION

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CM

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KK Systems Ltd

01273 857185 01273 857186

Visit us online

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LEVEL MEASUREMENT

NYLON SCREENS & WEDGE WIRE BASKETS

PRODUCT AND SERVICES DIRECTORY PARTICLE ANALYSERS

PROCESS MEASUREMENT

Worldwide Level and Flow Solutions SM

A preferred partner in the global supply of level and flow control solutions

TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

VACUUM CONVEYING

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PARTICLE SIZE REDUCTION

QUICK CONNECTOR SOLUTIONS

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

» WEH® QUICK CONNECTOR SOLUTIONS

WEIGHING SOLUTIONS

PRECIA-MOLEN UK LIMITED

Pressure-tight connections in SECONDS

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» Simplified workflows » Reduced operating times » Increased productivity

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PIPE COUPLINGS

WEH UK T: 01564-825100

enquiries@wehuk.co.uk

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RISK ASSESSMENT

GexCon has a staff of highly qualified personnel, which can offer safety services for all types of installations.

Including: · Expert Witness · Advanced CFD modelling · Hazardous area classifications and DSEAR risk assessments/compliance in accordance with DSEAR / ATEX 137

Tuf-Lok (UK) +44 (0) 1706 822512

www.tuflok.com

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TRAINING PIPEWORK SYSTEMS

SERVICE & MAINTENANCE

The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology

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PROCESS COOLING

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SLIDE GATE VALVES

ULTRASONIC FLOWMETERS

To advertise here or within our editorial pages or on our website please call Peter or Guy on 01428 751188

•

40th anniversary

established 1974

an excellence in engineering

2014

comprehensive range of components www.jbj.co.uk

permanent magnetic couplings built to suit your system. external coupling half, motor side (atmosphere)

The rpm of the external half of the coupling is equal to the rpm of the internal half of the coupling.

internal coupling half, pump side (fluid)

containment shroud (does not rotate)

Magnetic couplings capable of transmitting torque from 3 to 600 Nm without mechanical contact between two shafts through magnetic forces that are established between the internal and external rotor. The magnetic coupling is ideal for applications where prevention of leakage from the pump is essential. Magnetic couplings also prevent vibrations and, radial and axial loads to the pump shaft. The magnetic coupling is a synchronous system with a primary function of hermetically separating two areas.

There is no need to alter your system as the magnetic coupling will be designed to suit your machinery.

These magnetic couplings can be used to connect gear pumps, screw pumps, centrifugal pumps, etc. with all types of electric motor or gear box including U.S.A. standards such as NEMA types.

The magnetic coupling works by using the power generated by permanent magnets. No external power supply is needed, as these are permanent magnets not electro-magnets.

» no fluid leakage from pump seals.* (depending on application) » maintenance free. » no transmitted vibration. » management of misalignment between shafts. » hermetic separation between two areas. » ability to limit a maximum torque.

Areas of Application; the ability to hermetically seperate two areas whilst continuing to transmit mechanical power from one to the other makes these couplings ideal for applications where prevention of cross contamination is essential. For instance: hydraulic sectors, dosing systems, compressors, sterilizers, industrial ovens, biotechnology, subsea equipment, pharmaceutical industry, chemical industry, food industry, generators, mixers.

ATEX compliance (on request) is yet a further advantage for using these excellent power transmission couplings within your system.

www.jbj.co.uk/magnetic-couplings.html

You Tube quality products for mechanical & fluid power

01737 767493 jbj Techniques Limited is ISO certificated, committed to international coordination & unification of industrial standards.

info@jbj.co.uk - registered in England No: 1185469 -

www.jbj.co.uk A range of products ATEX certificated to directive 94/9/E requirements