SOLIDS HANDLING PROCESSING
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including SHAPA News
JAN/FEB 2014
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Collective expertise Clearly no single person or even company can be expert at everything, but within the manufacture and use of solids handling equipment a vast range of expertise is needed. SHAPA offers valuable resources to enable to enable all members to widen their knowledge and experience. Within any major processing enterprise, the supplier of each element of the flow process system will be both a supplier and a receiver – or “customer”. Each supplier will need to know the characteristics, mass and volume flow of the material delivered to their part of the equipment. Similarly, they will need to pass on appropriate data about the discharge of their product to the next part of the plant. Such communication is essential. Coincidentally, many SHAPA member companies are either suppliers to or customers of each other, often within the same project.
experts from member companies as well as key figures from organisations such as HSE and standards institutions. Development of new skills for upcoming engineers is always high on the SHAPA wish list. To this end special seminars with an educational technical theme followed by an entertaining event, such as kart racing, are arranged from time to time. Continuity is important. Our industries need new blood keen to learn from “old hands” to enable clearly driven progress.
Steady evolution drives quality In many areas, development in solids handling industries is steady rather than revolutionary; step changes in control technology may be an exception. Notwithstanding the desirability of steady progress, from time to time new regulations and standards, perhaps at national level or from the EU, impose changes. Health and safety issues or moves towards the mythical “level playing field” may instigate these. SHAPA members collectively have access to all such changes, with the Association having good links with HSE and key engineering institutions. Quarterly general meetings, in addition to fostering the earlier mentioned networking opportunities, also provide forums for new knowledge and ideas. These are fed to the two main sub-committees dealing with marketing and technical issues and as appropriate become agenda items for the General Council. Thus SHAPA is able to develop and present cogent events and papers to meet new challenges head on.
Incisive technical seminars... A recent example of SHAPA’s listen and learn approach is the valuable co-operation between HSE and our Association to promote good practice in the design, installation and subsequent regular inspection and testing of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) – or dust control – equipment. A number of member companies design, manufacture and install dust control, whilst several others specify and make provision for this in their own equipment. Examples of such equipment include conveyors, vibratory feeders, sieves and many others. HSE requirements, guidance notes and principles of good LEV practice were
Communicating for success This is just one facet of the SHAPA community that leads to profitable networking between members at the regular Association general meetings. In fact, the high level of attendance at these gatherings is almost unique amongst engineering trade associations. By their own enthusiasm and efforts individual members have willingly contributed to the success of SHAPA, secure in the knowledge that this application will help their own companies as well as other members and little by little improve the quality and reliability of all projects offered to end user clients. It has been mooted that solids handling and processing was originally a “black art” – maybethis was true in the misty past. But not now. The cooperative work of technical research institutions and associations such as SHAPA, through the commitment of skilled engineers and other professionals has ensured that knowledge based progress has prevailed. Disseminating expertise So how is this nectar spread? The Association is well known for holding regular interactive seminars for members and increasingly, for other industry professionals. Speakers include
WESTINGHOUSE
the subjects of a very successful seminar held at the end of 2013 during which a number of incisive papers were presented to SHAPA members and other key players from industry. More seminars on equally important themes are, of course, being planned.
...and commercial and marketing ones too Whilst technical development reflects solid worthy progress, to underpin installations that are efficient, reliable, long lasting and cost effective, the world of marketing changes at a much faster pace. In particular, marketing is moving more and more towards the internet, with a huge presence possible at minimal cost to the savvy marketeer. Of course, whilst face to face communication and the printed word remain vital and accessible tools, marketing via the internet is becoming an essential adjunct. SHAPA has held a series of seminars to keep delegates up to date with the latest methods together with the relative merits of each. Professional speakers have offered training and valuable tips in these exciting areas. Again, this subject will recur in SHAPA seminars as new internet marketing possibilities emerge. A browse through the pages of this supplement will demonstrate the comprehensive expertise available to industry from companies who have chosen to become part of the SHAPA family.
Commitment to the future So, SHAPA may well have celebrated more than thirty years’ valuable service to our industries, but our keen members will ensure that the future is assured and therefore any company involved in the supply of solids handling equipment and services should really consider membership. Clearly, we thank those companies who have joined us over the years – today’s membership stands at over 110 companies! They have already tapped into these benefits. Vitally, however, companies and consultants involved with new projects or updating existing process plant should head first for the Product Finder on our website – just a click or two away at www.shapa.co.uk, or email to info@shapa.co.uk.
ss e c o r p r u o y d e e F
Hygienic Rotary Valves
Hygienic Diverter Valves
• Drop through and Blow through versions available • All product contact parts Stainless Steel and grit polish versions available • Clean in place (CIP) suitable • Explosion containment up to bar • Standard Easy Detachable rotor, MZC rail system option available • Enlarged inlet option available • RID (Rotor Interference Detection) option available
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SOLIDS HANDLING AND PROCESSING
All product contact parts Stainless Steel and grit polish Tube diverters from to ports Clean in place (CIP) suitable plug diverter Ability to diverge or converge product Explosion shock resistant DMN UK Ltd. T +44 1249 818 400 dmn@dmnuk.com
COMPONENTS FOR BULK SOLIDS HANDLING
Last year was very much a year of consolidation and subtle change – at least for many parts of the UK economy, and indeed for many at an individual level. Trends such as “on-shoring” – or the reverse of “off-shoring” - started to emerge. Many “low cost” economies had begun to lose their pricing advantage in manufacturing. As an example, labour rates in industrial parts of China were beginning to chase those of USA. Furthermore, increasing transport costs from far flung places were allowing home grown industry to compete more robustly on the home market. An example of this “balancing” comes from the automobile industry, where net exports are now close to matching the value of imports. Now, almost everything that is manufactured or is a “processed” product, for example foodstuffs, has some materials that are supplied and used in bulk solids form, which is where SHAPA plays its part in this thankfully improving situation. Indeed, the Solids Handling & Processing Association was initially set up to help like minded companies share knowledge and increase their sales and marketing effort. For more than thirty years a wealth of knowledge and experience has been accumulating within the Association, offering technical standards and legislation data as well as sound commercial and marketing advice. Of course, all of this vital material is updated as and when new intelligence comes along.
By Gus Bishop – Solids Handling & Processing Association
www.dmn-shop.co.uk
www.dmnwestinghouse.co.uk
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