Business and Industry Today Issue 380

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Zentia lends a mental health charity a Helping Hand

Ceilings manufacturer Zentia helps refurbish Glasgow Mental Health Network’s offices.

Leading UK ceilings manufacturer Zentia has helped a mental health charity with a facelift for its offices.

The Gateshead-based company donated 300m2 of its mineral ceiling tiles to the refurbishment of the offices in Glasgow that are home to the Glasgow Mental Health Network charity that celebrates its 21st anniversary this year.

The charity has been based in Templeton Business Centre, in the East end of Glasgow for 15 of those years, but the building is more than 100 years old and was in need of improvement.

As part of the wider project, Zentia supplied ceiling systems through specialist sub-contractor Glasgow Ceilings, who provided a team of two for a total of two weeks, installing the 600mm x 600mm tiles on a Prelude 24 TLS grid in the medical rooms and corridors.

Zentia sales and marketing director, Graham Taylor, said, “We were delighted to be able to provide some tangible assistance to our sub-contractor and main contractor partners in all of our efforts to help people who need mental health

The VJ iStore® launches

support.”

Glasgow Ceilings’ director Gerrard Winter explained they were asked to get involved through main contractor BAM Construction, who support the HWS Helping Hand initiative as part of their social value commitment to their NorthEast Hub Project in Parkhead.

HWS is a joint-venture organisation owned by both the public and private sectors which works with public bodies in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area to design and construct facilities which provide services to local communities.

The ‘Helping Hands’ initiative was created by HWS to support an identified local community project or group with materials and labour to support the upgrading of an existing community resource.

Contact T 0191 497 1000 info@zentia.com www.zentia.com

See

VJ Technology, the market leader in manufacturing, distributing and testing fixings, fasteners and building consumables for the construction and infrastructure sector, has launched a unique, onsite procurement solution designed to reduce costs, improve cashflow and productivity, whilst limiting the impact of deliveries on the environment.

The secure by design VJ iStore® brings a warehouse to any construction site (literally) in bespoke modular shipping containers to act as vending machines, so fast-paced infrastructure projects can be fed a constant supply of their most used products that can be clicked and collected in a matter of minutes directly on-site at the point of need.

Products are available 24/7 which in turn increases productivity significantly and are only paid for once they have been collected, positively impacting cashflow. It is replenished once every 10 to 14 days as managed by the active stock control system resulting in an up to 70%

reduction in carbon emissions previously caused by daily deliveries to site. Other benefits include: reduction in process cost; 24/7 access to products that are generally thought of last minute; reduced loss and theft from busy sites; no delivery delays; less issues with site restrictions for deliveries.

It is the first of its kind in the UK and Europe (patent pending) and takes its inspiration from the Amazon Locker solution. Smaller solutions can also be deployed using a dedicated site room.

Andrew Mobbs, CEO at VJ Technology, said, “These are challenging times for the sector and we are on a mission to de-risk the construction and infrastructure supply chain, playing our part to help projects finish on budget and on time. Everything we do revolves around how we can makes things easier and better for the customer and The VJ iStore® is just another step in this journey and is absolutely a part of our long-term growth strategy.”

www.vjistore.com

Founded in 1946 by Grant & Hector, established as Grants Electrical Services in the mid-1970s, we have grown into GES Group, providing electrical & mechanical products and services throughout Ireland, UK and beyond.

An award-winning industry-leading organisation, the company provide power, energy and turnkey solutions for SMEs and large multi-nationals across a range of industry sectors, including renewable energy for the UK, Ireland and beyond.

Employing over 90 staff across three sites, we respond quickly to industry’s ever-changing needs, while offering geographic coverage to many of our customers.

Traditionally AC/DC motor manufacture/rewind specialist, GES offer a range of products and services that have been carefully developed to provide electrical contracting & service, wholesale & distribution, specialist control & switchgear manufacturer, drives & automation, design and consultation, HV/LV installation and testing and a range of leading advanced electronic automation and control equipment; to wide range of industry sectors (agri-sector, aerospace, food & beverage, manufacturing and quarrying).

The company currently has many alliance and partnership agreements and arrangements in place, enabling GES to employ the specialist services, products, technical and management services to that which the partnerships make readily available and viceversa. In using our colleagues and partners enables us to be the best and most efficient solution available to our clients whilst delivering within the expected or predicted timescales appointed.

It is the company’s objective to see the commercialisation of innovate clean energy technologies and processes accelerated, with significant change brought about in the next 3-5 years, and growth and development delivered into 2030.

As the company looks to the future, GES Group plans to grow its customer base in Southern Ireland following its new partnership with Nidec and will expand the products and services to new and existing accounts. The company is continuing to recruit new employees and further its mission to provide renewable energy solutions. www.ges-group.com

Telephone: 02825 656406

Email: info@ges-group.com

Selective Soldering: A need for Innovation and Development

Introduction

Selective soldering utilises a nozzle to apply solder to components on the underside of printed circuit boards (PCBs). This nozzle can be moved to either perform dips (depositing solder to a single component) or draws (applying solder to several components in a single movement). The selective soldering methodology thereby allows the process to be tailored to specific joints and allows multiple nozzle types to be used if required on the circuit board.

Key attributes of nozzles

To ensure that controlled application of the solder is maintained, the solder must wet to the nozzle.

Wettability is the study of the adhesion of liquids to solids due to the interaction between the surface energy of the solid and the surface tension of the liquid. The most common method of measuring wettability is determining the contact angle of a sessile droplet.

When in contact with a solid, a liquid droplet will deform and spread out. The amount of spreading and the angle of the interface between the liquid and solid is determined by the surface tension of the liquid and the surface energy of the solid. Figure 1 demonstrates scenarios with various levels of wetting. When the surface energy of the solid is greater than the surface tension of the liquid, the droplet will have a lower contact angle. Figure 1(a) and (b) are an example of this.

between the wear and wetting.

The need for development

The new nozzle will reduce operation and maintenance costs for manufacturers by reducing the number of nozzles required overall and reducing downtime caused by nozzle failure. Improving the wettability of nozzles will

Samuel J. McMaster*1 , 2, Andrew Cobley1, John E. Graves1, Nigel Monk2

*Corresponding author – s.mcmaster@pillarhouse.co.uk

1 Functional Materials and Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Manufacturing and Materials, Institute of Clean Growth and Future Mobility, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK

2 Pillarhouse International Ltd, Rodney Way, Chelmsford CM1 3BY, UK

allow for more challenging joints to be tackled using the selective method. This project has been undertaken due to customer requests to increase nozzle lifetime and reduce the maintenance required.

This research project, part funded by Innovate UK and Pillarhouse International Ltd. is partnered with Coventry

University through a knowledge transfer partnership scheme. The new AP Master Nozzle will be available in June of 2023.

T +44 (0)1245 491333 sales@pillarhouse.co.uk www.pillarhouse.co.uk

Figure 1: Examples of different contact angles between a droplet (stripped red) and solid (blue): (a) Contact angle of 0° demonstrating perfect wetting. (b) Contact angle less than 90°for a wetting surface. (c) Contact angle greater than 90° hydrophobic surface. By Idris.abk – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/ index.php?curid=97191171

For the wetting of the solder to the tip of the nozzle maintains a stable radial wave and achieves control during the soldering process by maintaining a stable dome shape to deposit solder. Figure 2 shows a well wetted nozzle wherein the solder is adhered to the entire outer surface of the nozzle. This allows for good control during the selective soldering process. The static wettability for this nozzle would be akin to Figure 1 (a) or (b).

In the case of a material that solder does not readily wet to, the solder will maintain a single stream as shown in Figure 3. The static wettability of this nozzle would produce a large contact angle such as in Figure 1 (c).

To achieve wetting between liquid solder and a nozzle, there must be a clean interface. Flux is used to remove oxides and generate/ maintain this clean interface before and during operation. After cleaning, a chemical reaction between the solder and nozzle determines the extent of the wetting but this interaction also causes wear of the nozzle.

Therefore, a good nozzle must have good wettability to solder ensuring that control can be maintained during the selective soldering process in addition to a balance

Figure 2: A wetted nozzle

Figure 3: A non-wetting nozzle

Oliver Valves supplies manifolds to Saudi Arabia

After being awarded a huge contract to support the transmitter industry in the Middle East, Oliver Valves prepared its production facilities for the manufacture of nearly 2,000 units of their 2 and 5 valve consolidated Manifold Valves.

Winning the project comes down to a culmination of efforts, explains Business Development Manager, Haridas Embanath, “Oliver’s are very excited to be working with our clients again to deliver on this

huge project. When specifying work, it’s often easy for a supplier’s ability to fully understand the clients’ project requirements to be overlooked in favour of a purely cost-driven solution.

“The close relationship we have with our clients, ensures a great trust between the two, not only in our ability to meet demanding schedules, and deliver customised valve solutions that are truly world-class, but also reductions in cost.”

Having liaised with the client’s procurement teams in Europe and the Middle East over a 6 month period, Oliver Valves successfully delivered the best cost solution for the client, and is to provide engineering support throughout the project.

To find out how Oliver Valves can custommanufacture your valves, telephone +44 (0)1565 654089, email: sales@valves.co.uk or visit the website at: www.valves.co.uk

Pumps & Valves

TYDE expands washroom fill & flush range

TYDE is excited to announce the launch of their new range of Dudley ‘Victoria’ Outlet Valves.

Along with an improved version of the Dudley cable operated Victoria Valve, the all-new Mechanical Dual Flush Victoria Outlet Valve is now available to be ordered from TYDE’s production centre located in the heart of the Midlands.

The new Victoria Valves are both WRAS approved and can be serviced in under 5 minutes providing installers with a real time saving advantage. Both of these highquality Outlet Valves are fitted with long life silicone seals and a choice of button mounting options. The new Victoria Valves offer Water saving options with full and reduced flush options as standard. For maintenance or replacement, the robust but simple to use bayonet fixing enables the valve body to be quickly and simply removed from the cistern making the Victoria Valve fast and simple to install and maintain.

The new Dudley Victoria Valves are excellent additions to TYDE’s extensive product range offering both quality and reliability and for peace of mind, the new Victoria Valves come with a 3 year warranty and can be ordered for next day dispatch. Order yours today!

For more information, visit: www.thomasdudley. co.uk/tyde or email us at: info@tyde.co.uk

Industrial Cutting-edge subsea technology

Cumbria based Digital Edge Subsea is a world leader in offshore digital video recording (DVR) and inspection systems. The company supplies the oil and gas industry with its digital video recording system that includes diving, remote operated vehicle (ROV) and topside operations. Digital Edge Subsea’s products fit mainly into two categories, Subsea Robotics and Inspection Systems. The former includes both single and dual use modules as well as manipulators, which are high quality state of the art robotic solutions for the subsea market. Digital Edge Subsea is also a market leader in producing subsea inspection systems, and with 10 years’ experience in the industry has nurtured strong customer relationships allowing for honest customer feedback which has been incorporated into the development of the Version 5 EdgeDVR. The EdgeDVR has become an essential part of any ROV and Diving system offshore as it is easy to use and reliable. The new V5 software includes an online training platform and certification, as well as a powerful portable laptop version which comes in addition to the original 4U rackmounted version. To work alongside this, Digital Edge Subsea has also recently released the Edge DVR Archive application. Edge Archive handles the transfer of data from the internal DVR drives to client storage, either on a NAS, a Raid, or a phased delivery to multiple external hard drives. Archive can act as a simple data mirror of the correct internal drive data folders or can be used to create multiple simultaneous backups of client deliverables. This can be done in continuous backup or a phased approach that is conducted after each dive.

T +44 (0)1229 206456

info@digitaledgesubsea.com www.digitaledgesubsea.com

Warehouse & Logistics

Wooden pallet manufacturing and reuse show large uplift

Manufacturing and reuse of timber pallets increased significantly according to the most recent survey commissioned by the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) and the research arm of the Forestry Commission, Forest Research.

The UK Wood Pallets & Packaging Market survey showed that UK manufacturers produced an estimated 48.6 million in 2021, up 8.3% from 44.9m the previous year.

These manufacturers repaired and sold on for reuse a further 16.2m pallets, up from 15.6m in 2020. Overall, pallet repair was down slightly, at 48.1m, compared with

49m the year before.

The annual survey is based on a questionnaire answered by TIMCON members, who manufacture approximately 80% of the 50 million new pallets produced in the UK every year.

Commenting on the figures, TIMCON President, John Dye, said, “It is encouraging to see that this report shows a substantial uplift in the number of new pallets manufactured. While there was a small drop in the reported number of pallets inspected and repaired, this number is still similar to the number of new pallets – and I would expect to see it start to rise again in the months ahead,

EPAL’s record pallet repair figures

EPAL UK and Ireland has reported an uplift in the number of pallet repairs carried out across its network, as customers seek to mitigate the impact of growing supply chain costs.

The organisation, which administers the EPAL system for the UK and Ireland region, said more than 100,000 pallet repairs took place for the first time during 2022, as businesses increased pallet reuse for reasons including sustainability and reducing costs.

and also be boosted by the formal implementation of the UK Government’s eagerly awaited reuse incentive in 2025.”

TIMCON has just relaunched its website at: www.timcon.org – the new site includes information on the wooden pallet and packaging business, news and resources for members.

Test, Measurement & Laboratory

Production of new EPAL pallets also grew year-on-year in the UK market in every month of 2022 to a total of 1 million across the year, a record for the country. In Ireland, production remained largely stable, despite challenging conditions that affected availability of timber at times during the year.

Felicity Smith, National Secretary for EPAL UK & Ireland, said, “We are really pleased to see reuse of EPAL pallets going up for another year to hit these record levels. Driven by increasing cost pressures, as well as the increasing legislative and customer demands on sustainability, more supply chains are looking to recondition, repair and reuse their pallets. The EPAL network of licensed repairers is expanding, which is making it easier for them to do this.

“This, alongside the growth we saw in the production of

The world leader in force measurement

Interface Force Measurement Solutions

(Interface) is a UK company specialising in the supply and distribution of highquality sensors and associated electronics and displays for a wide variety of industries. Working previously with clients such as Airbus, BAE Systems, and Formula One Teams, we spoke with Tony Rokins, Business Development & Pressure Mapping Specialist, who explained some of the companies well known products.

“Our product portfolio is applicable to many industries. For instance, we are well known for our high-quality pressure mapping systems that are used by many of our automotive and motorsport customers. Our sensors deliver highly accurate, repeatable measurements and many of our load cells are used by calibration

houses as calibration reference devices. Our high-quality, yet competitively priced 3 and 6 axis load cells are used for many R&D, renewable energy and robotic applications.”

Reflecting on last year, Interface has faced much adversity from COVID-19. Fortunately, its sturdy business model and reliable service has enabled the company to pick up the pace and continue projects that were left postponed. “Trading conditions have been tough, but business levels picked up strongly towards the end of the year. I think we came out of it stronger than we could have reasonably expected.”

In terms of recent developments, Tony continued, “We’ve taken some time to review our business model, how we operate on a day-to-day basis. Being responsive to our customer’s needs and being able to offer a high-quality product with strong product knowledge at a competitive price with the best possible lead times is our number one priority.” 2021 also welcomed the launch of the G-Series Load Cells. The range comprises of miniature and small sensors for industrial applications, with capacities starting from just 4.5N Newton up to 200kN with metric threads.

“These are highperformance devices but aimed at more costconscious applications. This is a new market for us, but we are seeing increasing interest. We have launched an e-commerce website at: store.interfaceforce.co.uk – competitive pricing and availability from stock will be key to this new venture’s success,” stated Tony.

In the future, Interface is keen to continue its growth trajectory for 2023. We asked Tony what their plans are going forward, he answered, “We work hard for our customers to offer the best measurement solutions. The recognition is greatly appreciated. Long term, we are strengthening our position with our customers in our more traditional markets of aerospace, automotive, motorsport, Universities and alternative energy research.

“We are also working on new, wireless force and vibration sensors for remote monitoring in systems such as luggage carousels. One more area we are pushing for growth is with XSensor’s pressure mapping systems, particularly in the Hispeed systems designed for high-speed impact or crash testing and tire foot-print research. These systems are capable of capturing data up to 2,500 frames per second. The tire sensor can be driven over at speeds of up to 140kph. I believe this is a unique capability we can bring to the industry.”

Contact T 01344 776666 info@interface.uk.com www.interfaceforce.co.uk

EPAL pallets during 2022, is further indication that more customers are asking their suppliers to use EPAL to make their supply chains more efficient, sustainable, and ISPM 15-compliant.”

Administering some 650 million EPAL Euro pallets and 2 million box pallets internationally, EPAL is the world’s largest open exchange pool.

To find a local EPAL supplier, visit: www.epal-pallets.org/eu-en/

Force, torque and pressure measurement

Interface Force Measurements has been supporting UK industry with the highest quality force, torque and pressure sensors for more than 25 years.

You can benefit from our experience whenever you contact us about your next measurement application, experience gained helping designers and engineers across multiple industrial sectors.

We’ll use our experience and product knowledge to help you select the best sensors for your application from our wide range of sensors from some of the world’s best sensor manufactures, including:

● Interface Inc – single, dual, 3 and 6 axis load cells and torque transducers

● AMTI – six-axis load cells and force plates

● GP50 – pressure and temperature

sensors for oil/gas, aerospace, automotive food/beverage and general industry

● DDM – miniature pressure sensors for automotive R&D

● XSensor – pressure mapping systems for bed/ mattress, seating, automotive R&D, tire testing applications and impact testing for seats, airbags, helmet and protective equipment

We can also help with your data collection needs with our range of amplifiers, displays and software what will work with our and other manufacturers’ sensors.

So, if you have a force, torque or pressure measurement challenge that you’d like our help with, please contact us.

T 01344 776666 info@interface.uk.com www.interfaceforce.co.uk

SPATEX stands and delivers!

SPATEX 2023, the 26th edition of the annual water leisure exhibition, held from 31 January to 2

February, did not disappoint!

More than

1,400 visitors from 23 countries flocked to the Coventry Building Society Arena and packed over a hundred stands, showcasing the latest innovations from the world’s leading suppliers and manufacturers.

Over a third of visitors sampled the free ISPE Workshop and parallel seminar programme, where energy saving and sustainability, along with the latest health and safety guidance, were hot topics.

Networking opportunities were plentiful and very well attended. The annual British Pool & Hot Tub Awards on the Tuesday evening was followed by the traditional after-show visitor and exhibitor themed SPATEX Networking Party on the Wednesday. Many delegates then enjoyed a special curry and artisan beer night in the local Dhillon’s Brewery. Situated

Your dream conversion is just one doodle away

Stoneworld: Everything you need in stone

within minutes of the Coventry Building Society Arena, it proved a hugely popular event.

A large swim spa proved a major visitor attraction as a synchronised swimmer, a rower and a counter current swimmer were put through their paces for the launch of the Swimming Teachers’ Association ‘Swim to the Beat’ campaign, to raise valuable funds throughout February for the British Heart Foundation.

SPATEX’s 27th edition returns

Tuesday February 6th to Thursday February 8th 2024 to the Coventry Building Society Arena. This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this year’s event, listed here in alphabetical order: Doodle Build & Stoneworld. Further details can be found on this page.

www.spatex.co.uk

Doodle Build offers a unique concept that comes completely unrivalled in the space of modern architecture. Specialising in the design and build of shipping container architecture, Doodle Build commanded a lot of interest and positive reviews from attendees and other like-minded professionals at this year’s Spatex 2023 Expo.

As an original container conversion company, Doodle Build has been building concepts and ideas out of shipping containers for over 10 years. Showcased at the Expo, Doodle Build enticed a new audience with its innovative ‘Plug and Play’ super-efficient swimming pool that can be placed and used anywhere, delivered on the day and ready to use almost instantly.

Luke Jackson Miller from Doodle Build commented, “The reception we had over the Expo was unbelievable. It wasn’t what we were expecting at all and it’s all thanks to Spatex for giving us the fantastic opportunity to showcase our latest developments to this

new industry.”

Doodle Build is excited to move into this unique and exciting industry of pool, spa and wellness products. Its current portfolio consists of the Swimbox (Swimming Pools), WelBox (Ice Baths) and Container Conversions, which could be cafes, offices, pop-up retail stores, sporting facilities, homeless shelters accommodation and much more…

The process is simple. Write down your idea/concept, Doodle Build will then design it, build it, and transport it. Make your dreams a reality with Doodle Build’s quick, efficient, and simply extraordinary service.

Contact T 02476 272428 info@doodlebuild.co.uk www.doodlebuild.co.uk

Based in Oxfordshire, Stoneworld is a national supplier of natural stone and porcelain. Utilising a modern on site stone masonry factory, they are able to create bespoke, precision fabricated pieces for garden and pool projects. Working with a wide variety of customers, Stoneworld offer a reliable service, with high stock levels and an expert team to help you ensure the success of your project.

Stoneworld have visited SPATEX on a number of occasions now, offering new and innovative solutions to swimming pool customers, such as precision cut grilles, three part copings and natural stone skimmer lids, alongside high quality stone and porcelain.

This year, Stoneworld also celebrated the arrival of their new ‘Flying Bull’ edging machine, allowing them to create perfectly bullnosed copings on demand and in considerably higher quantities; providing the industry with a reliable source of premium quality pool copings for years to come.

With 20 years in natural stone, Stoneworld have carved a name out as one of the leading suppliers to the pool and spa industry, and innovators in stone masonry. Working across the UK, they supply to projects large and small in all areas of the hard landscaping sector.

Contact T 01844 279274

sales@stoneworld.co.uk www.stoneworld.co.uk

Training Provider of the Month

Training & career development with a difference

In this issue of Business & Industry Today, we are proud to announce Skern Training and Skills as our Training Provider of the Month.

Apprenticeships are key to the UK Government's Levelling Up agenda: helping apprentices aged 16 and upwards access training and future jobs across many communities, especially marginalised areas.

It also has a positive knock-on effect for employers: meeting market job shortages and upskilling existing adult employee skills.

Skern Training and Skills is a leading independent training provider, based in Appledore, Bideford, Devon, focused on delivering apprenticeships, career development programmes and skills courses.

Skern Lodge Limited was established in 1976. It has an illustrious history and is the recipient of many coveted awards such as the Visit Devon Tourism Award Gold-Best Active and Sporting Experience.

Skern Training and Skills was developed in 2019 as the formal training arm of the organisation after a significant history delivering high-quality development courses with organisations such as BMW, John Lewis, Babcock, STFC and UKAEA, the training provider has been making waves across the training world, with its wide choice of apprenticeship and career development programmes.

As a provider approved by Ofsted and the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority as well as a host of awarding bodies in multiple sectors, the group can offer a suite of training from Geography Field Studies and school residential programmes with Skern Lodge to career development programmes for apprentices, graduates, early careers and senior leaders as well as its full apprenticeship offering.

Skern Training and Skills has its flagship centre at Appledore but delivers its apprenticeship programmes throughout the country, with the heaviest concentration across the North West, Midlands and South West regions.

We spoke to Kate O’Callaghan, Head of Sales, to find out more about this dynamic, pioneering training provider, “We offer a full consultation to establish training needs and design a solution to support those needs: working in partnership with our employers to create a value proposition bespoke to their business. Our corporate development programmes are delivered at any of our 12 centres around England & Wales, internationally, or at our clients’ locations.“

There are a wide range of apprenticeships on offer from: Level 2 General Farm worker, Level 3 Outdoor Activity Instructor, Level 4 Hospitality Manager, Operations/Developmental Manager, through to Level 5 Early Years lead Practitioner and many more.

The Level 2 General Farm Worker apprenticeship is designed to fully support daily & seasonal operations across farm enterprises, encompassing modules such as: animal breeding and farm infrastructure maintenance. There is an advanced Level 3 Livestock Technician, providing further expertise.

For those wishing to work at a high level in childcare:

The Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner is wholly designed for those responsible for endorsing children's developmental stages from birth to aged 8 years. The modules include: pedagogy, child development and theory, health & wellbeing, safeguarding, equality & diversity, SEN, inclusion & leadership & management.

The Career Development Programme offers experiential learning sessions: aimed at supporting larger employers with early career talent development towards future leaders.

Accredited to Psychologist, David A. Kolb, experiential learning is essentially “learning through experience”, and has proved influential throughout the world of teaching in recent years, with documented positive, beneficial impact on learners.

What places Skern Training and Skills above its competitors, is its unique partnership working with employers as Kate elaborates, “We offer quality tailored apprenticeship programmes that integrate into business with minimal disruption, bespoke delivery models that work around our employers and offer our apprentices full support throughout their apprenticeship. Our unique experiential learning programmes can be incorporated into our apprenticeships to offer a high impact alternative to traditional learning.”

The future looks bright for Skern Training and Skills, through joining up with the Inspiring Learning Group in 2018, who have been actively running a wide portfolio of global life-changing outdoor provisions since 1933, widening further Skern’s own remit.

“We are planning further development in the adult education sector including pathways for existing offers, skills courses for sectors to enhance added value for customers.

“STS are a people-first business dedicated to developing staff and clients through engaging, experiential learning courses and services.”

Contact T 01237 809469

www.skerntrainingandskills.co.uk

The Business Show 2022 Review – Top Exhibitors

The Business Show 2022

Europe’s largest business show was back for 2022, returning to London’s ExCeL from 16-17 November. Helping SMEs and startups grow and develop, the 44th edition of the show focused on getting Britain back to business by revealing the secrets of business adaptation and innovation.

Built from the ground up to equip, educate and encourage the small businesses and entrepreneurs of the world, The Business Show gathers and showcases the knowledge and services of hundreds of business experts and leaders. Jam-packed with everything an entrepreneur or small business needs to succeed, with a mind-boggling 750 exhibitors, 200 inspiring seminars and unmissable masterclasses.

Visitors could meet over 750 industry leading exhibitors showcasing all the latest products and services needed to take their business to the next level. Whether they need help with their website and advertising their business, want to learn the latest in HR and recruitment or find the latest products to help keep their business safety, the show had visitors’ needs covered.

The industry’s most influential figures stepped up to deliver keynote sessions, covering everything from the trends driving the industry, to building a brand online.

Visitors could listen in as top tips and tricks are revealed, providing them with a wealth of new knowledge to feed into their business.

The Business Show 2023 returns this year to London’s ExCeL from 22-23 November 2023. This is our second pick of the best exhibitors from last year’s event, listed here in alphabetical order: Book Brilliance Publishing, Collegia, Commercial Reclaim Ltd & Max Crowdfund. Further details can be found on this page. www.greatbritishbusinessshow.co.uk

David Vs Goliath: meet the brave company taking on the giant energy companies

Commercial Reclaim Ltd was the talk of the town at the 44th London Business Show at the mighty ExCeL last November. Stand B580 was buzzing with interested trade delegates from all industries, even former BBC The Apprentice’s winner: Harpreet Kaur popped by for a chat.

Taking advice from a King’s Counsel Barrister: Commercial Reclaim are taking on the powerhouse UK energy suppliers, on behalf of business that have been mis-sold energy contracts.

The King’s Counsel (KC) are senior barristers appointed by the Monarch, who are seen as ‘experts’ in the legal field.

Unlike France, where energy

is fully nationalised, the UK energy market sector is fully privatised and has been for the last 23 years. This has led to what Managing Director, Chris Sutton, calls, “Wild West territory: with huge mark-ups and cowboy brokers mis-selling energy contracts.

“The deregulation of the energy companies has seen a breach on the fiduciary duty of care, with brokers acting purely out of self-interest.

“We help businesses every day claim entitled refunds up to 70% of the value of energy contracts, if the event of unlawful practice. It’s astonishing that up to 91% businesses across

Free Payroll for all businesses

The UK’s first completely free payroll platform has been launched by Collegia.

Freepayroll is HMRC registered and suitable for all businesses and their business advisors, regardless of size. What’s more Freepayroll is more comprehensive than many other payroll services and includes all standard payroll functionality such as runs, EPS and FPS submissions, P6/ P9 and student loan notifications, payslips, P11s and P60s to multiple clients.

In addition, Freepayroll includes Collegia’s free, awardwinning and Defaqto 5-star rated Auto Enrolment pension. This allows all payroll and auto enrolment tasks to be completed on a single free platform. The Collegia Pension is also the UK’s only 100% sustainable and app-based auto enrolment pension.

The completely free payroll and accompanying award winning and 5-star Defaqto rated auto enrolment pension is made possible by the market leading software that underpins it. Similar technology underpins the Collegia pension, which is completely app-based, 100% member self-service and since launch has a member query rate at less than 0.1%.

Critically the Collegia pension is the UK’s only 100% sustainable pension. It’s also cheaper for employees, who benefit from wholesale fund charges due to Collegia’s exclusive relationship with global fund manager AllianceBernstein.

T +44 (0)1865 416076

the UK are oblivious to potential compensation claims. We're ready for fighting talk.”

The experienced team will expertly guide businesses through the claim system, from initial phone call to final case evaluation: see the details below:

T 01702 969360 help@commercialreclaim.com www.commercialreclaim.com

Max Crowdfund is a crowdfunding platform that brings together project developers and investors from all walks of life. Developers are given the opportunity to gain access to fast project finance, and investors are able to invest in real estate from as little as €100.

The loans published on the Max Crowdfund platform generally offer yields of between 8% and 12% and all projects are asset backed. Compared to other investment classes such

as stocks or cryptocurrency, property is less sensitive to sharp fluctuations in value and is historically a good hedge against inflation. The addition of crowdfunding technology makes property investing accessible to all, at a dramatically lower entry level than traditional real estate investments.

Loans placed on Max Crowdfund are analysed and approved by an investment committee of real estate experts, with full

investment information made available on its user dashboard. Once a loan reaches its target fundraise, the investment window closes, and users begin receiving interest payments in accordance with the loan schedule. In the case of a loan default, Max Crowdfund has registered charges on property assets which can be used to recover the invested capital if necessary.

M 07703 189658 mark@maxcrowdfund.com

10 Reasons Why YOU Need to Publish YOUR Business Book With Book Brilliance Publishing!

Book Brilliance Publishing (BBP) is a fast-growing independent publishing house based in Surrey, founded during the pandemic by Brenda Dempsey (pictured), bestselling author, former education specialist and coach. Our authors are from the UK, Europe, the US, India and the Middle East.

Our values are Integrity, Collaboration and Reliability, all of which are fundamental to the way we work. We lead the way in creating ‘Authorpreneurs’; envisioning every book as a start-up business, BBP empowers authors to create a vision for themselves, their book and their business with success on a global stage.

Becoming a published author:

● Opens doors of new opportunities

● Attracts new clients

● Provides media attention

● Gives you greater authority and confidence

● Enables you to share your message with the world

● Raises your profile

● Makes you stand out from the crowd

● Amplifies your voice in a crowded marketplace

● Positions you as the ‘go to’ authority in your field

● Leaves a legacy for future generations

Our authors have gained recognition through awards, speaking engagements and business growth, including a 100% increase in global reach.

Contact admin@bookbrilliancepublishing.com www.bookbrilliancepublishing.com

Issue 445 May 2023

Tel: 0121 550 7510

www.businessandindustrytoday.co.uk

SUSTAINABILITY TOD AY

energy | water | waste | recycling | sustainability on LinkedIn and Twitter

CARS and MRE

Last chance to secure your complimentary tickets to Europe’s premier event for anyone involved in metals and vehicle recycling!

May 24-25 2023, NAEC Stoneleigh

With only one week remaining, seize the opportunity to claim your FREE tickets for the foremost gathering of professionals in the metals and vehicle recycling sector in Europe.

In 2021, over 1,700 industry experts came together for two exhilarating days, engaging with 70+ distinguished speakers across the theatre and workshops, and exploring offerings from 90+ exhibitors who are leading in the sector space. Anticipated to surpass previous editions, the 2023 event promises to be the most remarkable to date. This year’s line-up boasts esteemed speakers representing prominent UK and international organisations such as the BMRA, VRA ARA and more, as well as key players such as eBay, recycling lives, Salvage Wire and ELV training. Waste Classification, Decarbonisation, Net-Zero, and Green parts feature as key topic areas for the 2023 event.

Pop by the skills labs and workshops areas for free masterclasses on all things dismantling and take advantage of free advice on how to scale your business with The Business Doctors.

In addition to captivating content sessions, workshops and demonstrations, participants can leverage the extensive networking opportunities offered, including the renowned ‘Meet the Buyer’ event, YBMR networking brunch for young metals recyclers under the age of 40, the free breakfast club on day two and more. Alongside all the traditional elements you could anticipate, plus additional interactive features throughout – it’s an event you won’t want to miss.

CARS and MRE are co-located allowing attendees to position themselves at the epicentre of the industry. By staying informed with insights from industry leaders, discovering new business prospects, maximising return of investment and all round futureproofing your auto or metals recycling business/ processes – this event is an invaluable opportunity that only comes around biennially – with no other event in the UK like it.

Don’t miss out! Secure your free ticket at: www.carsmre.com Scan to register

Alternative Energy Air Quality Air quality – it’s not somebody else’s problem

Forecourt of the future

In a world-first, Bluewater, a global leader in innovating healthy and sustainable water purification and beverage solutions for home, HORECA, and public dispensing applications, has installed a state-of-the-art rainwater harvesting and filtration system for drivers using a new EV charging station in the Scottish city of Dundee.

The new charging hub at Clepington Road, central Dundee, features an on-site solar canopy that can provide power for both the electric vehicle charge points and the Bluewater system. Rainwater that falls on the canopy is collected and processed using multiple stages of advanced water filtration and purification technologies to create chilled & purified drinking water vended from the two on-site Bluewater dispensers.

“The new EV Hub in Dundee is a game changer because it will provide clean water for the city’s residents and visitors for free, reducing pressure on municipal resources to build greater water resilience,” said Bluewater founder and CEO, Bengt Rittri. He added, “In the past, drivers went to a petrol station, filled up the car and then purchased a beverage in a single-use plastic bottle. The Dundee project represents the future of the service station, in being not only zero-emission but also zero-single-use-plastic.”

The new public EV charging hub resulted from a collaboration between Bluewater, Dundee City Council, and traffic technology group SWARCO. The Bluewater Rainwater harvesting system integrates rainwater storage, controls, pumps, and mains water backup and

was developed in close partnership with GRAF – a global market leader in rainwater harvesting technologies. For more information, visit: www.bluewatergroup.com or call David Noble on +44 (0)7785 302694.

We know that there’s a relationship between air quality and negative climate impact. If we’re collectively going to achieve Net Zero by 2050, a great influence in the successful outcome will be the decarbonisation of supply chains. The ongoing development of our global built environments will always be a source of carbon emissions, unless we make a fundamental change in the way we continue to develop and embrace greener solutions. This should include universal monitoring of our air quality and acting upon that data to clean up the problem. Remove the sources of VOCs, hazardous dusts, fuel based emissions and anything else that’s making us and our planet sick.

We’ve crossed a threshold in the UK, where there are now calls for a change in legislation regarding air quality. The courts have deemed that deaths have been caused by air pollution as a contributory factor.

Outside airborne pollutants find their way to us in our internal environments as long as there is a conduit. That might be from opening a door, window, or even through our ventilation and HVAC systems. Pollutants are also a major issue on industrial sites such as Waste Management areas, Construction/Demolition projects and in Quarries.

Here at Air Spectrum, we seek to create the greenest solutions to improve air quality in various settings. Recently, as an example, we launched the UK’s first emissions-free dust suppression system – the ecotech Rotary Atomiser – to protect workers in dusty environments – usually in construction and demolition or waste and recycling. It is battery operated rather than using diesel, so there are zero emissions generated while it’s doing its job to suppress dust in the atmosphere. It’s quiet, so doesn’t add to noise pollution; it runs for a whole working day on a single battery charge, so it’s energy and cost-efficient.

The technology is familiar, but just used to create an environmentally friendly solution. This kind of substitution could easily make our building and engineering projects greener. It provides a safety solution that does not create an emissions problem while fulfilling its function.

There is much trepidation about the outlay of adopting greener solutions, but deep down, it may well be a fear of beginning a different method of working. The benefits are certainly worth the change on many levels – environmental, financial social, biological and cultural – and they are not just long term.

Don’t we remember the positive impacts during the pandemic as the world went into enforced hibernation with the first quarantines? The air quality improved at a sharp rate, coastal waters cleared, the Venice lagoon became a crystal pond; nature had breathing space.

We have the ability to recreate this improvement over time with greener technology.

Decarbonising supply chains tackles an environmental threat from a cultural level, encouraging the pledge to use a cleaner solution wherever possible and make it the new norm. It’s not unlike switching from a diesel/petrol car to an electric one. It might seem a little odd at first, quieter, odourless, you have to stop and charge up every now and then, but it gets the job done without making a mess of the air that we breathe.

T +44 (0)1905 362100 sales@airspectrum.com www.airspectrum.com

The London EV Show

The 2nd edition of the London EV Show at ExCeL London took place over three days from 29 November to 1 December 2022 and marked a great success. The event showcased a massive exhibition and conference with 170+ exhibitors, 50+ sponsors, 140+ speakers, 20+ media partners, and almost 6,000 attendees. The event offered a unique opportunity for industry giants and influential voices from the entire EV spectrum to network and exchange innovative ideas in making EVs mainstream globally.

The Show provided a great platform for EV enthusiasts to gain valuable insights from policymakers and industry leaders including Jenny Gilruth, Minister for Transport, Ministry for Transport, The Scottish Government, Peter Svec, Deputy Minister of Economy, Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, and Marius Skuodis, Minister, Ministry of Transport & Communication of the Republic of Lithuania, Carlos Carriedo, Chief Operating Officer, International, WEX, Henrik Hansen, European Business Development Manager, Samsung Electronics and many more.

Some of the prominent names like Jon-Ivar Nygård, Minister of Transport, Ministry of Transport – Norway and Martha Delgado Peralta, Undersecretary of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico, Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Mexico graced the event virtually.

Linked Charge expands globally as leading EV charging solution provider

More than 3,000 companies participated in the event including industry bigwigs like Tesla, Ford, WEX, MICHELIN Connected Fleet, Nissan, SAE International and others.

The 3rd edition of the much awaited London EV Show is all set to take place from 28-30 November 2023 at ExCeL London. This is our pick of the best exhibitors from last year’s event, listed here in alphabetical order: EV Blocks, Linked Charge, The Miles Consultancy, Net Zero Asset Finance Limited & RPP. Further details can be found on this page.

https://londonevshow.com

The Miles Consultancy

While the flat figure of 9 pence per mile from HMRC makes things simple to manage, it could be leaving your drivers short.

The Miles Consultancy is helping companies to reimburse their electric vehicle drivers using an alternative, more inclusive method which ensures employees are not left out of pocket.

HMRC’s Advisory Electric Rate (AER) of 9p per mile assumes 100% charging at circa 30p per kWh and is based on an average consumption of 3.47 miles per kWh. Electric vehicles in the UK tend to range from 2.1 to 4.7 miles per kWh, meaning some

employees would be left short if reimbursed per mile using the AER.

TMC can fix both the cost and the performance issues of the AER through our own TMC EV Rates, by having the ability to use the employee’s domestic

or company tariff and by calculating the expected miles per kWh at vehicle level, using the battery range and capacity for each make and model.

Alternatively, TMC can reimburse your EV drivers at actual cost. By combining domestic, public and office charging events together with the business and private mileage, actual cost produces the true cost per mile to reimburse your EV drivers at the actual cost of the energy they have used.

Contact T 01270 525218 www.themilesconsultancy. com

ASSET FINANCE TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION TO NET ZERO

We have access to a wide panel of lenders and asset finance solutions. Our approach is to understand the specific financing requirements of your business and provide the best asset finance solutions that enable your business to support the transition to net zero.

info@netzeroassetfinancelimited.com

www.netzeroassetfinancelimited.com

LinkedCharge is one of the very first technologies companies dedicated to provide smart and data driven solution for e-Mobility serving customer since 2017. Its headquarter resides in Hong Kong with 4 branch offices in China and UK. We are truly a global focus solution companies that led us in deploying our solution and over 10,000 charging points over 200 cities including both AC and DC serving over half a billion kWH of energy.

Linked Charge continues expanding its reach globally, setting its sights on working with EV industrial players worldwide to deploy its

EV Blocks

innovative charging solutions.

“Linked Charge is excited to expand our reach globally and work with charge point companies to provide innovative and sustainable charging solutions,” said Tom Chik, Founder and CEO of Linked Charge. “Our business solution creates an ecosystem from smart charging

EV Blocks launch their new universal adaptor plate at Fully Charged South, their universal EV charger foundation that has been adopted by many contractors around the UK has just had a major development. EV Blocks can now be installed as a passive solution with their nonslip finish on the top surface and load bearing capabilities enabling the blocks to be installed within a car park area prior to EV chargers being installed.

The B600 has a capacity of 12.5T, which will be ideal for most car park areas. “This is a great step forward for us to have developed the products to be truly passive, so that the car park only needs to be dug up once and gives us real scalability as we expand into markets in the USA & Canada,” Director, Trevor Palmer, added.

EV blocks can be installed during the construction phase or retro fitted to an existing site, which allows for projects to commence before chargers have been specified or selected. With an EV Block you can be sure you will get a uniform finish every time.

experience to analysing data for ESG needs. We add value to your business to drive up traffic and profit while shortening your ROI. We believe that electric vehicles are the future, and we are committed to providing the most efficient and reliable charging solutions to meet the needs of drivers and businesses worldwide.”

For more information about Linked Charge and its innovative EV charging solutions, visit:

T (+852) 59889011

tom@linghuchongtech.com

www.linghuchongtech.com

www.linkedcharge.energy

UK office +44 (0)7835 743654 info.uk@linkedcharge.store

If the charger needs to be changed after the project has finished, it’s just the case of replacing the adaptor plate and fitting the new charger, what could be easier?

More information can be found at: www.EVblocks.com

Financing the transition to Net Zero

Switching from ICE vehicles to electric ones is a challenging exercise for SMEs & mid-corporates especially in the current economic climate. However, there are many reasons to start this process including the adverse impact on ICE vehicles of local ‘clean air zones’ (including the extension of the ULEZ zone in greater London from 29 August 2023) and the increasing focus on ‘Scope 3’ emissions where larger companies will place Net Zero requirements throughout their supply chain (with a similar focus for government & local authority contracts).

Net Zero Asset Finance specialises in arranging asset & debt finance for SMES and

mid-corporates looking to switch to electric vehicles (cars, vans, lorries, buses/coaches).

Working with a panel of specialist lenders, we work with the company to provide a combined financing solution to cover both the electrical vehicles and the charging infrastructure in conjunction with government related incentives that may apply (including ‘salary sacrifice’ arrangements for electric cars, ‘plug in grants’

for vans & trucks and ‘workplace charging’ grants for charging infrastructure).

We also arrange finance for other sustainability projects including solar & battery storage, ground/air source heat pumps and waste to energy. Net Zero Asset Finance Limited is an independent asset finance brokerage and an Appointed Representative of AFS Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

T 0333 090 4062

info@netzeroassetfinancelimited.com

www.netzeroassetfinancelimited.com

30 years of British manufacturing excellence

Proteus Switchgear provide British manufactured industrial and domestic switchgear with full circuit protection through an ever-growing, extensive and varied product range. Throughout its time, engineers have trailblazed the way in electrical products and services, offering a full portfolio from Distribution Boards to LV Switchgear, Metalclad Consumer Units to Circuit Protection all of which offer a complete solution for the domestic, commercial, retail and industrial sectors.

The Proteus brand has over 30 years manufacturing experience and is made up of two factories: Proteus Consumer in Redditch Worcestershire, which focuses on 230V domestic switchgear, and Proteus Industrial in Telford, Shropshire which focuses more on industrial 400V switchgear.

Both factories hold quality and testing at the

forefront of their processes and have invested heavily in quality control, testing and on-site machinery. As well as delivering broad ranges of standard switch gear, circuit protection devices, and the distribution boards for electric vehicle chargers, both also offer bespoke switchgear to customer specification and can manufacture and pre-populate on-site before despatch.

Engineering and procurement teams work tirelessly to ensure the best solutions that meet clients’ objectives. The expertise and experience of the Proteus brand is why it has been so successful for many years. It’s experience gives it the ability to adapt easily, reacting quickly for industry regularity changes as well as being fast to bring out unique products such as the single module arc fault detection device and the new 3 module 4 pole RCBO.

www.proteusswitchgear.co.uk

Recycling & Waste Management

Industry-leaders in waste materials and recycling machines

In 2018, the UK generated an estimated 43.9 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste (C&I), with Wales successfully reaching the 50% set recycling targets: making it the 4th highest recycling nation in the world. The majority (63.2%) of waste was packaging waste (paper, plastic and cardboard). By 2021, only 44.1% of plastic packaging was recycled, showing room for improvement across the board.

Donasonic is a Doncaster-based machine manufacturer offering cutting-edge, bespoke waste recycling disposal turnkey solutions, from initial design to full installation. Working in partnership with companies, Donasonic provides the optimal machinery solutions across many diverse industries such as: e-waste, cable recycling, MSW & RDF, Bio-Gas, oil filters and tyre recycling; helping the UK pave its way towards less landfill and higher recycling rates.

In this age of technology, our throwaway culture encourages continuous upgrading of iPhones, widescreen TVs and computers. Consumerdriven demand creates substantial WEEE and e-waste, leaving our landfills full of dumped unwanted, products. The circuit boards contain precious metals such as: gold, silver and platinum, whereas the base metals include copper, iron and aluminium.

Donasonic provides expert, bespoke turnkey solutions for a range of waste processing requirements, from single shredders and granulator machines through to 2,000 tons per day MRF Facilities.

Partnering with clients, Donasonic is focused on operation excellence across the board, with its popular product range including: Thunderstorm single-shaft shredders, Granulators, Quatro fourshaft shredders, Micro and Macro fine shredding machines, and Hurricane vertical crushing machines. With Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) processing lines, in particular high demand, Donasonic offers the powerful CROSSFLOW: a robust, chain crusher that uses impact to fragment

products.

Donasonic prides itself on a dedicated service, partnering with customers to provide bespoke solutions for waste recycling. Through a winning combination of precision-engineered technology, first-class industry knowledge & excellent customer service: this company provides cost-effective machinery that go the distance.

To find out how Donasonic can help you today, see the details below:

T +44 (0)1302 247295 sales@donasonic.com www.donasonic.com

Donasonic has a range of products that can help companies recycle waste effectively and sustainably, such as the versatile Typhoon Twin Shaft Shredder.

The Typhoon has a pre-shredding capacity of up to 20T per hour, with in-built design flexibility for different blade configurations across diverse material: from e-waste, cable recycling, organic waste, solid waste, bulky refuse, oil filters, carpets and tyres. With a cutting unit that is low on noise and precision-driven slow-turning; the Typhoon is cost-effective because of its low-connected load. The smart technology automatically detects unshreddable material and in this scenario, will simply reverse the rotation to clear the blockage, with automated alerts to the operator.

For different applications, operators can choose from high torque geared electromotor through to hydraulic drive units, for the tougher materials.

The Typhoon has the Donasonic trademark central lubrication, providing optimal performance, with minimal downtime or maintenance. A stateof-the-art engineered IIoT cloud-based system can be bolted-on, provide real-time, remote monitoring of the system, for enhanced system surveillance.

The powerful Typhoon has next-generational cutting performance, providing large throughput volumes every time. The rotor shade, blade shape and cutting geometry allow seamless high torque, twin shaft shredding capacity, for effective waste processing.

The Typhoon X60 has a total weight of 7,800kg, with a cutting space dimension of 600 x 730 mm. Its powerful drive power is 2x 7.5 and 2x 11kW. The Typhoon X200 has a total weight of 25,800kg, with a cutting space dimension of 2,000 x 1,100mm. The drive power ranges from: 2 x 30, 2 x 45, 2 x 55 and 2 x 75.

Unblocktober founder Lanes Group backs plans to ban wet wipes

National drainage and wastewater specialist Lanes Group plc – founder of Unblocktober, the world’s first campaign to improve our drains, sewers and seas – welcomes proposals to ban plastic-based wipes to tackle water pollution.

The measure is part of a wider Government plan to improve water quality in rivers and other waterways in England.

A ban on plastic-based wipes should come into force in England in the next year after a period of consultation that is due to start this month, the Environment Minister, Therese Coffey, told the BBC.

Similar bans have been considered in Wales and Scotland but have not yet been imposed.

Lanes Group, the UK’s largest independent drainage and wastewater specialist, founded Unblocktober in 2019 to save sewers, waterways and oceans from sewer misuse. The wrongful flushing of wet wipes, almost all of which contain plastic, has been a key target of the campaign, the first to encourage people to change their waste

disposal habits to prevent sewer blockages and plastic pollution.

Lanes has also launched Microplastics Out of Our Drains (MOOD) a campaign targeted at advocating stricter UK regulations on the use of microplastics in a wide range of products, including wipes and clothing.

Richard Leigh, Group Development Director at Lanes, said, “We very much welcome the government’s announcement that wipes containing plastic should be banned.

“Evidence from Unblocktober make clear the urgent need to take action to reduce sewer blockages and prevent plastic pollution that damages waterways and oceans and wildlife in them.

“The enthusiastic support Unblocktober receives every year, and feedback from participants, also shows there is very strong public support for banning plastic wipes. I’m sure it’s a measure that will be widely welcomed.”

Wet wipes flushed down toilets are associated with 93% of sewer blockages and cost over £100m a year to clear up, according to water industry body Water UK. Such blockages can result in local sewer flooding. Also, micro-fragments of plastic from wet wipes can make their way into waterways, and then out into oceans where they are ingested by fish and other creatures.

The wipes often combine with fats, oils and grease, known as FOG, to form giant fatberg blockages that can fill large urban sewers, causing flooding and undermining wastewater services for thousands of homes, businesses and public buildings.

In 2017, Lanes cleared the infamous Whitechapel fatberg on behalf of Thames Water, a process that raised awareness about serious problems caused by FOG and wipes around the world, and even led to a fatberg exhibition at the London Museum.

Around 90% of wipes sold in the UK contain plastic and should never be flushed down toilets. Only paper wipes that are designated ‘Fine to Flush’ have been shown to break up in sewers, like toilet paper, and so do not increase the risk of blockages or environmental pollution.

Previous government consultation exercises on banning plastic wet wipes have drawn strong public support, with 96% of respondents backing the idea in 2021.

Through its MOOD campaign, Lanes is seeking to raise awareness about the damage caused by microplastics by explaining what they are, as well as facts about how they get into the world’s oceans, along with the impact they have on ecosystems.

Lanes delivers sewer and wastewater systems unblocking and cleaning services for water companies across the UK, including Thames Water, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water, Northumbrian Water, and Scottish Water.

It also operates a network of 21 commercial depots across the UK, delivering drainage and sewer rehabilitation services to businesses, government bodies, public sector agencies, and domestic customers.

Contact

T 0800 526 488 sales@lanesgroup.co.uk www.lanesfordrains.co.uk

Hazardous Environment Control & Monitoring Equipment Company of the Month

Protecting people and optimising hazardous plant capabilities

In this issue of Sustainability Today, we are delighted to announce Davis Derby as our Hazardous Environment Control & Monitoring Equipment Manufacturing Company of the Month.

Hazardous workplace environments have stringent health & safety regulations, designed to keep workers safe from: ground or strata failure in mining, hearing loss in quarries to FLT injuries in warehouses. Alongside health & safety considerations, companies often struggle with expensive downtime on machinery or conveyor faults.

Davis Derby offers world-class solutions for these downtime scenarios through its precision-designed and manufacturing of electronic control and monitoring equipment, software and data logging systems. These are designed for hazardous environments such as mining, quarries, power stations, steelworks, cement plants and oil and gas platforms.

One such innovative application is The StedFAST conveyor range: protecting workers in hazardous working conditions. Through a built-in speed monitor, emergency stop-pull system key and WiPAN digital sequencing: this wireless management system is a world-leading conveyor protection system.

The WiPAN Pullkey wireless Technology provides roundthe-clock remote monitoring of conveyors, perfect for hazardous environments with conveyors. The smart

technology activates early fault warnings via email or text, giving a pinpoint location of the fault. It provides a fool proof automated compliant system, enabling conveyor systems to work seamlessly.

MineWATCH is another innovative application, expertly designed for the mining industry. At the touch-of-abutton, the application has a full range of safety features from warning systems to fully comprehensive SCADA control consoles, allowing full monitoring of both miners and plant operations.

Established in 1779 by Gabriel Davis, the company has a long illustrious history building a world-class reputation for solid, dependable technology, data capture and analysis and reporting. Davis Derby is proud to offer expertly designed applications, to support companies maintain high safety and compliance rates, whilst optimising performance.

The company has entered its second year as an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), protecting its

historical company legacy and giving the employees a sense of ownership, commented Paul Bouskill, Business Manager. “We weathered the COVID-19 storm, as luckily, we had just moved into our new premises before Lockdown was initiated and the recent EOT has helped protect our assets and considerable historical company legacy.

“Based in Derby, we have an excellent central location, allowing us to deliver stock the next working day.

“We have continued to manufacture control and monitoring equipment, for the prominent hazardous industries, offering world-class conveyor control and monitoring but we also offer another service: producing access control and pre-operational checks for the Forklift Truck Industry, such as TruckLog.”

TruckLog is a wellestablished and independent forklift truck fleet management solution, that can be easily fitted or retro-fitted to forklift trucks. With a fully accessible dashboard, managers are given automated feedback on the safety of their forklift truck fleet. There is also a handy comprehensive update on driver vehicle access, pre-operational checks, vehicle shock and impact reporting, driver training needs, vehicle service and maintenance schedules, and speed zoning.

Ideal for busy warehouses, the TruckLog TK5 is compatible with small and larger forklift fleets and allows complete control of authorised driver access, through to shock monitoring and fleet utilisation. Further enhance features, such as GPS tracking and speed zoning options can be added. The latest Vision dashboard edition offers clear data on current truck availability, truck and driver reports and fleet data, at the touch of a button.

Davis Derby are UK & Ireland distributors and expert installers for the Lopos Pedestrian Alert System: providing automated pedestrian alerts, with an enhanced clear-audio-visual warning to drivers and pedestrians alike. The Ultra-Wideband solution helps prevent collision between pedestrians and forklifts, offering full health & safety compliance on busy sites.

T 01332 227500

info@davisderby.com www.davisderby.com

Quarrying, Mining & Landfill

Sustainability and what it means for Close Brothers

Acting sustainably isn’t a choice – it’s imperative. At Close Brothers, behaving responsibly is integral to our actions and decision-making and this is reflected across our sustainability objectives we set ourselves, including:

t Supporting our customers, clients and partners in the transition towards more sustainable practices t Reducing our impact on the environment and responding to the threats and opportunities of climate change

We are committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement to achieve net zero by 2050. We are conscious that the emissions impact of the assets and sectors that we finance can contribute to climate change, and as a financial services provider we recognise the role we have to play in supporting the transition to a more sustainable future. This includes supporting our customers and partners with their own transition journeys.

Our efforts to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment continue at pace, and we strive to take actions that make a positive contribution to the world around us.

Careful consideration of environmental factors and potential risks now plays an integral role in the actions we take, alongside thoughtful evaluation of where opportunities may arise for us to make a meaningful difference through our business decisions.

Today, our Renewable Energy team has funded around £1.3bn of onshore wind, solar and battery storage projects. This figure doesn’t include the smaller-scale projects, which account for another significant sum, making us an important player in the renewable finance sector.

For more information, please visit: www.closeasset.co.uk/manufacturing

The attachment experts

MMD Mineral Sizing Europe

MMD have been a global leader for over 45 years in the design and manufacture of innovative material processing equipment. Our core products, the Mineral Sizer and Apron Plate Feeder, feature in ground-breaking in-pit solutions that enhance productivity, profitability, safety, and promote sustainability in the mining industry.

MMD’s revolutionary Bulk Ore Sorting System combines the benefits of In-Pit Sizing and Conveying with pioneering ore analyser technology. The ore analyser distinguishes between grades of material, enabling the separation of ore from waste at the mine

face. By allowing this to happen earlier in the process, trucks need only to haul ore, not waste, to the processing plant. The results are up to 10% less energy usage and a lower cost per tonne. Efficiency advantages are passed on to the downstream processes too, with less water consumption, ore grade uplift, and SAG mill benefits. These MMD systems are currently operating in South Africa, Chile and Brazil, processing copper, platinum and nickel ore. We invest heavily in developing new technology that maximises efficiency. We are committed to helping our customers achieve their sustainability targets and lead the way towards

a greener future for the industry.

Contact T +44 (0)1773 835533 info@mmdsizers.com www.mmdsizers.com

Freehold, Leasehold & Copyhold Mineral Rights Middleton, Hopton and Surrounding Areas, Derbyshire

APRD Machinery Ltd prides itself on offering a quality and reliable experience through its tailored solutions designed to give maximum productivity. Named as the industry’s attachment experts, APRD has the ability to source the best attachment for any job while ensuring safety and efficiency as paramount. The company is run by its managing director, Gary O’Shaughnessy, who has over 20 years’ machinery and attachments experience in the construction, demolition, and civil engineering industries.

Available to both the UK and Irish market, APRD stock a range of products useful to construction, quarries and demolition sites. As well as the TerraStar®

Screening Bucket line that consists of TerraStar® Ecoline, Greenline, Compactline, and Powerline; all of which are designed for maximum material flow and deliver high-performing results, APRD Machinery are also the sole distributor of the Wolf Technik range that includes screening and mixing buckets for excavators and wheeled loaders, cabin protectors, ram guards and hydraulic compactors.

APRD Machinery is also the only distributor in Ireland for the world leading OilQuick quick coupler systems which can be used on excavators, wheeled loaders, material handlers and forklifts

T +353 (0) 1 5654981

M +353 (0) 87 6208404 info@aprdmachinery.com https://aprdmachinery.com/

A rare and exciting opportunity to acquire Freehold, Leasehold and Copyhold mineral rights, with the benefit of planning permission for the working of a substantial quantity of high quality limestone, within the established quarrying area of the Derbyshire Dales. 1,549.86 acres (627.22ha) or thereabouts of high-quality mineral reserves, as well as the freehold surface of the Via Gellia historic woodland, available for sale as a whole or in four lots.

Lot 1: Middleton Mine, Intake and Hopton Wood quarries. Leasehold and Freehold minerals totalling 421.68 Acres (170.65 Ha) or thereabouts and part of the Via Gellia Woodland.

Lot 2 North: Freehold reserved minerals totalling 345.82 Acres (139.95 Ha) or thereabouts.

Lot 2 South: Freehold reserved minerals totalling 500.20 Acres (202.43 Ha) or thereabouts.

Lot 3: Freehold Surface of Via Gellia Woodland together with Freehold and Copyhold mineral interests totalling 282.16 Acres (114.19 Ha) or thereabouts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Agent: Andrew Crawford Tel: 07969 889779 Email: andrew@crawfordscs.net

Agent: Hannah Hatton Tel: 01509 233433 Email: hannah.hatton@matherjamie.co.uk

Mission and business-critical wireless connectivity applications

Linkwave Technologies Ltd, professionals in wireless connectivity, always relishes the chance to speak with other industry professionals in the mining and construction industries about its wireless connectivity products and services. The team is always available to discuss how Linkwave can connect businesses using its state of the art cellular and wifi solutions alongside explaining how Linkwave also offers host applications within routers, giving more power at the edge of technology in the most demanding environments.

Linkwave likes to highlight some fantastic products from its 5G range including Sierra Wireless modules and routers, Robustel and Celerway along with its range of antenna solutions.

Quarrying, Mining & Landfill

High visibility clothing

As a long-standing UK Sierra Wireless module distributor, Linkwave recently welcomed the latest generation of 5G mobile broadband embedded modules – the RF-optimiser EM92 Series that are built to enable the most demanding business-critical, industrial and networking use cases into its portfolio. The RF-optimised modules are designed to reduce the complexity of 5G designs and improve global network coverage for easy integration of 5G connectivity into products.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Linkwave and its services, please see below:

T 01522 884750 https://linkwave.co.uk

Working in environments such as construction, mining, and recycling where adverse effects of the weather and the surroundings can be hugely impacted by many factors it is critical that your employees are safe and protected during their shift.

For over 40 years, Leo Workwear has been a leading high visibility-clothing brand renowned for its garment quality and consistency.

One notable range that is built to fulfil all sustainability goals are the EcoViz® products. Conforming garments from recycled fabrics, all EcoViz® products are ISO 20471 certified and constructed from fabrics derived from either recycled post-consumer clothing or recycled plastic bottles. From Bib & Braces to Stretch Cargo Trousers, Stretch Overalls, Fleeces, and Breathable Bomber Jackets, the entire range boasts over 100+ garments including a women’s and maternity range. All products are built to withstand the demands of working in dirty, dusty, tough environments with no compromise to its quality.

T 01271 378904

www.leoworkwear.com

Cost-effective solution for achievement of sustainability targets

TCETransmission

has heralded its secondgenerational TCE Monitor as a gamechanger for monitoring carbon emission levels.

The low-cost, energy warning system is precision-designed to monitor Electrical Current usage in electric motors.

The cloud-based system, with up to 32 connected sensors per device, can also monitor Heat, Vibration, Pressure/Flow Rates in water & hydraulics, amongst many other metrics. TCE Monitor’s Dashboard allows clients to customise alert levels, protecting assets and reducing carbon emissions.

The sensors are connected to multiple cellular networks and provide operational functionality in a clear graphical format. The system collects performance information at a rate of 6 times per second and alerts are sent to any connected device, allowing for routine or emergency maintenance.

A new state-of-the-art App format will be released soon, optimised for mobile phones, to allow quick and convenient updates on the move.

This is a game-changer in sustainability terms: working with major many major Aggregates Producers, including Tarmac, TCE Monitor has demonstrated that a reduction in CO2 emissions of 10% is achievable.

TCE Monitor is an Early Warning Condition Monitoring System helping to prevent unplanned breakdowns, saving tonnes of CO2 emissions, across quarries, busy factories and other production lines.

For more information on TCE Monitor, see below:

T +44 (0)121 369 3659

M +44 (0)7939 152777 tony@tcet.co.uk info@tcet.co.uk https://tcet.co.uk/

Quarrying, Mining & Landfill

Putting the helical gears in motion for a greener future

The FLENDER ONE gearbox is the latest cutting-edge single-unit coiled gearbox perfect for torque and ratio requirements.

With the world’s densest transmission network (103 ratios per size), this low cooling option offers nextgenerational sustainable gearboxes for plants and production. Precious energy is preserved through a fully optimised wheel axle offering huge annual energy savings. The gearbox comes with a simple configuration so no complicated training is required for instalment.

This gearbox is perfect for pulp, paper and pump machinery in waste recycling and with precision-designed roll bearings and thermal capacity no job is too small. The oil changes in the central oil lubrication need less oil changes making this gearbox an excellent investment.

Flender is committed to becoming 100% carbon neutral by 2030 and was awarded the

Recovering value from waste

coveted Gold Medal by EcoVadis for global sustainability performance in recognition of its achievements. This prestigious accolade means Flender belongs to the exclusive top 5% of global sustainable companies.

The FLENDER ONE can save companies up to 112.2t of CO2 annually and an estimated phenomenal €58,532.48 in energy costs. This really is the optimal precision, green gearbox design for the future.

The gearboxes can be easily ordered online and conveniently delivered direct to your company. To see the wondrous workings of FLENDER ONE see the website details below.

Contact www.flender.com

Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) systems

With hundreds of LTA systems installed, DESMI UK Limited supply a fully compliant, UK manufactured, pump package for warm mix additive dosing. Our package has been continuously developed in partnership with Evotherm and, collectively, we can provide chemical and dosing advice along with specific on-site support for the full dosing system to ensure the right chemical composition and pump system is selected for your specific plant.

Our LTAs are supplied with a heavy-duty ROTAN pump, control panel, pulse-output flow meter, pre-wired, pre-piped, and packaged in a rugged container. DESMI UK further provides contractor co-ordination to aid ease of installation. Options include batch and continuous plants (with variable frequency controller and force ventilated motors) and low dosing rates for smaller systems.

DESMI’s ROTAN internal gear pumps are widely

Scalable

electrification of plant machinery

Power-hungry machines need a lot of energy to move large quantities of earth, or to lift and transport heavy materials.

Taking the challenges machine operators and owners face when looking at reducing their CO2 emissions and transitioning to electrification, companies such as Webasto have worked tirelessly to develop technology and solutions to address the complexity of needs.

Battery systems

The modular battery packs developed by Webasto are interchangeable therefore can be swapped over with fully charged packs when required & on site. Charging of the boxes can be done off site, meaning there is no need to remove the entire machine from site.

However, the main benefit of a Webasto CV Battery System is the Thermal Management System and Vehicle Interface Box (VIB). The primary VIB controls secondary BMS units in each battery module, therefore balancing the current flow from each one. As well as enabling communication between individual hardware components and corresponding software, the VIB also serves as the interface between the batteries and the vehicle, combining the functions of a power distributor, BMS and fuse box in a single enclosure.

Contact David Stafford on 01302 381141 or email: david.stafford@webasto.com

acknowledged as one of the leading pumps for bitumen and are used in asphalt plants for bitumen off-load and for duty and/or blending.

We can provide on-site advice to replace existing bitumen pumps to ensure the correct size of pump is selected. We also offer a service exchange programme to minimise downtime.

Contact Ray Jeffries on 07854 007593 or 01782 566900 or email: rayj@desmi.com to arrange a site visit or for further information.

Ecohog Ltd offers the best density and magnetic waste separation equipment on the market.

We are passionate about creating multifaceted solutions for your separation needs. With every waste processing site comes different issues. Therefore customer consultation to identify bespoke needs is the first step. The desired result, however, is always the same; high yielding recovery coupled with low overhead and maintenance costs. That’s exactly what Ecohog products offer.

Our range of density and magnetic separation products come in modular and mobile form and can apply to many applications including scrap metal, biomass, C&D waste, compost, MRF glass, MSW, RDF/SDF, aggregate and beyond.

We incorporate features such as shredder protection and dust control to cut costs and improve production rates. Our enhanced separation technologies ensure reduced dependence on manual labour – meaning staff can focus on securing large volumes of recovery, over spending hours on diagnosing issues and resolving maintenance problems.

In metal recovery, our static, modular and tracked units can separate maximum amounts of ferrous and non-ferrous metals in medium to heavy applications, from UBC to Car Frag.

Our products secure profitable levels of clean FE, Zorba, Zurik, Copper and Brass. Additionally, we have equipment that can recover light fractions, eg. paper and plastic from wood, compost and other waste material, to provide a superior clean end product.

Our machines are designed to operate for less, provide a higher throughput and integrate seamlessly into existing setups easily and quickly. Energy efficient motors and hybrid power provides flexibility and control over your operations and having tracked versions of our bigger stock allows you to bypass cumbersome planning permission legislation and costs.

Finally, with dedicated customer consultation and aftercare you will be satisfied that you chose Ecohog for your separation needs.

Find out about our products: https://ecohog.com/products/

Futurebuild Show Review – Top Exhibitors

Futurebuild 2023 wraps up with optimism for the future

Futurebuild, the event dedicated to building a better future for the built environment calls a wrap on its exciting annual industry event held from 7-9 March 2023. Trailblazers from across the entire built environment came together to take a stand through innovation, knowledge-sharing and networking.

Across the three days, Futurebuild hosted over 17,800 visitors, 500 speakers, 400 exhibitors, 135 sessions, and 90 curators to join forces in creating a more sustainable future. With sustainability a more relevant topic than ever, Futurebuild’s expansive exhibition was specially curated to drive change across the entire supply chain through showcasing the best in innovative bio-products and sustainable solutions throughout the whole event. A showcase that truly makes a difference

In addition to celebrating innovation in sustainable products, Futurebuild wanted to offer solutions which create a quantifiable, positive impact on the environment. As many products claim to be sustainable, Futurebuild placed an emphasis on providing accurate factual reporting about the green credentials of its

offerings. One of Futurebuild’s speakers, Dr Tom Woolley, architect and environmental researcher, author of ‘Natural Building Materials, Health and Indoor Air Quality’, and chair of the UK Clean Air Steering Committee observed, “There were enough really green stands there to make it worthwhile and not too much greenwashing!”

The exhibition showcased ground-breaking feature builds, including the truly innovative ZEDPower Micro Home from ZEDfactory, an architectural firm offering Zero (fossil) Energy Development (ZED) buildings in the UK and worldwide. Bill Dunster OBE, founder of ZEDfactory, remarked on the value Futurebuild offers, “Futurebuild is the best possible platform to launch a big idea – and has a value to society way beyond any conventional trade show.”

Staying true to its roots sustainability and innovation ran through every aspect of the show and saw the team launch their Walk the Talk campaign that led to a significant reduction in the event’s carbon footprint. Removing the aisle carpet alone (just one

Ecoboard: The recycled building board by Acoustic Materials

The construction and demolition sector is among the top waste producing industries, contributing millions of tonnes per year excluding soil and stone. While sustainability in construction has focused on reducing energy consumption of buildings, it is clear that we must reduce resource use in other areas too, moving from a linear model of consumption – take, make, waste – to a circular one – recover, reuse, recycle.

Acoustic Materials Ltd create and supply ‘circular’ construction products, like Ecoboard, a construction board that can be used in place of OSB, plywood, and plasterboard. It is made from composite cardboard – milk cartons and coffee cups – a material deemed non-recyclable because of the difficulty of separating its components.

Ecoboard has an impressive list of attributes: fire rated, sound rated, mould and mildew resistant, formaldehyde free, with extreme impact resistance.

Every 100m2 of Ecoboard diverts 510kg of paper and 340kg of plastic from landfill and toward beneficial reuse. Furthermore, Ecoboard’s can be reprocessed with

2050 Materials

2050 Materials platform is pleased to announce the launch of its free-to-access library of sustainable and transparent building materials. Our mission is to support construction professionals in designing and building structures in line with climate targets. The platform is designed to help professionals find materials that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable with over 30,000 sustainable building materials included.

The platform has already been adopted by over 1,000 offices in the UK market, & we are excited to expand our reach to offices in other countries. Our platform offers a vast range of third-party verified building products, easily searchable based on your specific project requirements, making it easier to choose sustainable products that meet certification requirements.

We believe that our app will be an excellent resource for members who are committed to sustainable building practices. With the increasing focus on sustainability in the construction industry, app.2050-materials.com

CALMFLOOR

Floor vibrations in buildings can cause annoyance and discomfort for occupants, leading to complaints and lack of productivity if left unaddressed. Vibrationsensitive equipment can also be affected in buildings such as hospitals and laboratories.

We are dedicated to revolutionising the construction industry with our innovative CALMFLOOR active mass dampers (AMDs). These offer a unique approach to reducing floor vibrations in a wide range of buildings. Using state-of-the-art sensors, actuators and controllers, CALMFLOOR adapts to various sources of vibrations, ensuring a comfortable and high-quality environment for occupants.

We believe that our CALMFLOOR AMDs have the potential to transform the way buildings are designed and constructed. Our system provides numerous benefits:

t Enhanced Comfort – Reducing excessive floor vibration improves living and working conditions within a building, promoting well-being and productivity.

t Easier Change of Use – Buildings should be reused, not demolished and rebuilt! CALMFLOOR provides

no loss of performance, making it the perfect circular product.

For more info: in Ireland contact Acoustic Materials on 01-2015746 or email: sales@acousticmaterials.ie – in the UK, contact Phil Mohan on 07703 141517 or email: pmohan@ventac.com

of the changes) reduced the event’s carbon emissions by 27,707kg. Over the next 12 months the team at Futurebuild will assess what impact the changes had and what more changes can be made to drive even further reductions in 2024.

Stay tuned for more

Futurebuild 2023 ended in the same way it began

540 WORLD

Asa leading Innovation Partner for Futurebuild

2020-2024, Circular Design Consultancy, 540 WORLD frequently see their Futurebuild display as the most visited collaborative showcase each year and the largest annual display of certified sustainable Cradle to Cradle Certified® products in the UK.

C2C Certified® is recognised as the global standard for safe, circular and socially fair products and 540 WORLD exclusively promote verified, certified products and materials for evidence-based, non-toxic, circular design to directly disrupt greenwashing, prevalent in the built environment.

540 WORLD open their London Clerkenwell Design Week support with their ‘BEYOND SUSTAINABILITY, World-class Solutions to Safe, Circular & Certified Sustainable Materials’ podcast, 22 May 12noon BST, with live virtual seats available to book free on this link, hosted by the Institute of Interior Impact: https://instituteofinteriorimpact.com/the-beyondinterior-design-live-show/

You can watch the podcast featuring 540 WORLD’s Founding Partners as a recording from end May on this link: https://instituteofinteriorimpact.com/beyondinterior-design/

with an optimistic outlook for the future of the built environment. Visitors left with renewed excitement and new knowledge of sustainable solutions and innovations in the sector. Although the annual live event is over, Futurebuild works on providing content all year round. To relive the event, the full programme will be available in the coming weeks.

Having received insightful feedback from visitors on what they would like to see at Futurebuild 2024, the team is inspired to cover an even greater range of topics next year to again engage and challenge the industry to build better.

Save the date 5th-7th March 2024 – don’t miss out on next year’s show. This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this year’s event, listed here in alphabetical order: Acoustic Materials, Aico, CeraPhi Energy, 540 World, FSD Active, ISO Energy, KNX UK, Structherm & 2050 Materials. Further details can be found on this page. Contact www.futurebuild.co.uk

provides an invaluable tool for professionals to meet the needs of clients and stakeholders while reducing their environmental impact.

For more information about 2050 materials and how it can support sustainable building practices, please visit our website at: http://2050-materials.com

M +44 (0)7849 018049 info@2050-materials.com

an easy and convenient upgrade path for existing buildings where more stringent vibration standards need to be met, helping reduce global carbon emissions.

t Reduced Embodied Carbon in New Buildings – New structures can be designed to be lighter and more slender than ever before, reducing embodied carbon while maintaining excellent vibration performance.

T +44 (0)330 133 3801 enquiries@calmdampers.com www.fsdactive.com

540 WORLD and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute are already working on 2024’s showcase to bring the best of international knowledge-sharing and certified safe, circular and socially responsible material innovations to Futurebuild 2024, 5-7 March. 540 WORLD will present world-first regenerative projects including their work with the Environment Agency’s TEAM2100, free to read in the C2C Design Directory from www.540.world info@540.world www.540.world

Aico: Innovation Partner

Aico attended Futurebuild 2023 as an Innovation Partner and participated in the Innovation Trail. Aico decided to get involved with Futurebuild’s innovation partnership as it aligns with further efforts and commitments made by Aico in the drive towards climate action. The Innovation Trail was a great way to explore and learn about the latest innovations in products and solutions, and to meet the people behind these advances.

Aico strives to continue to innovate and drive the UK housing industry forwards, meeting the needs of our customers in novel ways, aligning with sustainability and net zero targets, with resident engagement and wellbeing at the fore.

Aico showcased their HomeLINK Environmental Sensors which

ISO Energy

are designed to create better maintained, healthier, more energyefficient homes, placed throughout the home to monitor temperature,

As we continue to witness the devastating effects of climate change and the impact of severe weather abnormalities around the world, the need for sustainable solutions has become increasingly urgent. The role of energy is crucial in this fight, as it is responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why the UK transition to Net Zero is so important.

ISO Energy’s approach to renewable energy is not just about reducing emissions and saving costs, it’s about helping shift the mindset of thinking about energy. By taking a bespoke approach to each project, we demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to sustainability. Each building, each business, and each individual has unique energy needs and circumstances that must be taken into account.

We are continuously exploring new technologies to provide sustainable energy that is reliable & accessible. This type of forward-thinking is essential if we are to make a real impact in the fight against climate change. By choosing ISO Energy’s solutions, such as ground

humidity and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Insights from the Environmental Sensors on indoor environmental conditions allow for preventative measures and proactive maintenance, enabling landlords to adhere to requirements outlined in Standards and Legislation, such as the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and PAS 2035, as well as supporting reaching net-zero targets. Adding another dimension to home life safety, Aico strives to create safer, healthier homes.

Aico looks forward to exhibiting and attending Futurebuild 2024. Contact T 01691 664100 enquiries@aico.co.uk www.aico.co.uk

source heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage systems, individuals and businesses can reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future for all.

T 01293 821345

consult@iso.co.uk

www.isoenergy.co.uk

Waste Management & Recycling Company of the Month

40th Birthday celebrations for leading integrated waste management company

In this issue of Sustainability Today, we are proud to announce Cartwrights Waste Disposal Services Ltd as our Waste Management & Recycling Company of the Month.

Cartwrights Waste Disposal Services Ltd has been at the forefront of UK integrated waste management solutions for forty years, working with SMEs to larger multinationals.

Established in 1983 by founder John Cartwright, the company has grown exponentially over the decades and now empties over 1,000 containers and 50 RELs every week. Based in Telford, Shropshire, it provides a whole host of hire solutions ranging from commercial and industrial grab and tippers, road sweepers, to important hazardous waste management. With a fully licensed waste transfer station and recycling centre on site, the company is less than 3 miles from the M45 motorway and ideally situated for Shropshire and the west side of the West Midlands customers.

With mounting waste disposal legislation, it is essential that companies are compliant with the latest regulations. From January this year, any upholstered furniture can no longer be disposed in general waste or landfill, due to hazardous persistent organic pollutants (POPs), identified by the Environment Agency. Since 2011, all UK manufacturing desisted with using POPs in upholstery but any prior upholstery needs to be disposed in the correct manner, namely via incineration. Cartwrights Waste can offer compliant waste disposal of furniture in this instance, such as company sofas, chairs and cushions, providing reassurance and peace of mind.

With further, extensive knowledge of hazardous waste across commercial and industrial sectors, especially demolition sites such as: empty aerosols, solvent based paint tins and fridge/ freezers, Cartwrights are the ideal partners for safe waste disposal. Using fully-licenced ADRtrained drivers, hazardous waste doesn’t need to be a waste headache for companies.

Beyond hazardous waste, Cartwrights are firmly committed to sustainable waste disposal, having traded as a ‘Zero 2 landfill’ business since 2013. The leading company will recycle all waste, using a hierarchy system from WEEE, aggregates, metal to plastic and any residue waste that cannot be recycled, is reprocessed into refuse derived fuel

(RDF). On initial inspection, all weight is weighed on a digital weigh bridge and recorded within the PurGo software system. Secondly, all waste is separated on the processing line by machine and hand, with secondary recovered materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic, bottles and cans traded with manufacturers and upcycled into new packaging.

Furthermore, a new exciting year-long partnership with Andusia Recovered Fuels Limited has greenlighted a joint contract to supply 10,000T of RDF to the German EEW Knapsack facility. The recovered waste will be harnessed to create energy and electricity, further avoiding needless landfill waste (waste 2 energy).

Director of Cartwright’s Waste Disposal Services, John Cartwright, was delighted by the recent partnership, “At Cartwrights we strive for Zero 2 Landfill by maximising our waste recycling and reuse efficiencies. When this isn’t possible: sending waste for incineration, as RDF, to EfW plants, is the perfect solution.”

Cartwrights has installed solar panels on its Telford Headquarters and uses a state-of-the-art integrated software solution, allowing the company to go paperless. The streamlined system named ‘PurGo’ integrates all operational functions from enquires, sales, admin, orders, to daily logistical activities. All trade vehicles have integrated bin weighing systems, providing automated reports and customers also benefit from the automated software solution. PurGo provides a web-based portal for customers to access orders and invoice, at the touch of a button. The electronic

encrypted card and duty of care facilities are quick and secure, for customer convenience. Finally, with a live data functionality, all vehicles are tracked, providing customers with automated updates of delivery scheduling.

With this integrated software solution and extensive waste disposal portfolio, it is easy to see why many regional companies partner with Cartwrights. With glowing testimonials from organisations as diverse as: Shrewsbury College, Harper Adams University, Shrewsbury Town Council, to S.K. Deer Building Contractors, the company is highly regarded. The following testimony from longstanding customer, Shrewsbury College is atypical, “Cartwrights have been collecting our food waste from our new restaurant for the past three years. Their high level of customer service proves their commitment to offering a fully 100% recycling service to their clients in the commercial sector. Their professionalism is second to none and is testament to the hard work and enthusiasm shown through the whole company. We at Shrewsbury College are proud to have them as a service provider and would recommend them to any business that is producing waste and food waste, on whatever scale and is looking to divert food waste away from landfill and offer a fully recycled and sustainable solution.”

Beyond food waste, there is a wide range of hire waste disposal solutions available across construction, commercial and industrial sectors. Companies can hire large containers (wheelie bins), ranging from 120 to 1,100 litres.

These are perfect for compactable, nonhazardous waste collections of dry mixed recycling, glass and other industrial and commercial waste. The wheeled containers are ideally suited for retail outlets, offices, manufacturing and the hospitality trade.

Roll on, roll off skips (RoRo) are ideal for small or large refurbishments, construction, demolition and shop fitting projects, with handy open or enclosed features. Available in 20- and 40yard size options, these are ideally designed for garden waste, metal, plastic, glass and plasterboard waste.

Alternatively, no road permit is required for the six- or eight-wheel grab hire options, providing a quick and easy logistical operation for industrial waste disposal. The grab does all the heavy lifting, so no back-breaking filling and tipping of wheel barrows is needed, for site clearance, gardening or construction projects.

The future looks bright for this leading integrated waste management and recycling company, with plans to purchase a larger premises, due to increased recycling production storage needed. The current site consists of offices, on-site garage for the manufacturer and repair of container fleet and scheduled maintenance of vehicle fleet, state-of-the-art processing and picking line, and aggregates storage area.

We want to wish Cartwrights a very Happy 40th Birthday and all the best for the coming year.

To view the extensive range of waste management disposal options, see the website below:

T 01952 587587

T 01743 358886

T 01939 250509 enquiries@cartskips.co.uk https://cartwrightswastedisposal.co.uk/

Energy Management & Net Zero Sustainability Consultancy of the Month

Your net zero partner on the road to greater sustainability

In this issue of Sustainability Today, we are delighted to announce ClearVUE.Business as our Energy Management & Net Zero Sustainability Consultancy of the Month.

The UK government is calling on all sectors of the UK economy to prioritise decarbonisation, in a bid to reach the legally binding 2050 net zero targets.

The UK is the first major economy to pass net zero legislation, under the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019. As a result, businesses across the country are doubling down on efforts to increase the number of electric vehicles and vans, along with increased solar panels installation, ground/air source heat pumps and recycling of industrial and commercial waste.

ClearVUE.Business is a pioneering energy management and sustainability consultancy. The internationally-commended technology leaders are empowering a broad spectrum of industries to propel their sustainability journey with immediate and quantifiable progress. Businesses from manufacturing, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and education are reducing their carbon footprint, optimising their energy consumption and reaching governmentled sustainability targets.

“We are proven innovators, disruptors, and expert data analysts proven by several years of success stories. Our sustainability services have been shaped around ClearVUE.Zero technology, which helps businesses measure and monitor energy, emissions, and costs in real time.

“We have developed a range of services that enhance the use of our software and leverage businesses’ data to identify opportunities and control risks. Our comprehensive suite of services include carbon accounting and reporting, net zero strategy, energy efficiency, compliance with environmental regulations and standards, materiality assessments, and sustainability reporting,” outlines Manuele Vagnoli, Head of Sustainbility at ClearVUE.Business.

Established in 2017, ClearVUE.Business is based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, Northern England, with a strong global presence across Europe (Italy, France and Malta) and South Asia (India). Their robust network with resourceful geo-hubs is supporting their rapidly expanding international audience.

With a clear mission from the outset, ClearVUE. Business aims to furnish businesses with innovative solutions that drive sustainable growth, improve energy management, and ultimately result in a higher bottom line.

“Our main role is to act as a strategic partner by enabling businesses to navigate the complexities of the energy landscape, unlock cost savings, and drive positive environmental impact.

“By combining our deep industry expertise with our ground-breaking ClearVUE.Zero technology, we deliver tailored, data-driven solutions that drive measurable results and position our clients as leaders in sustainability,” continues Manuele Vagnoli.

ClearVUE.Zero is a precision-designed carbon accounting platform, giving companies automated real-time access to energy and carbon data.

Why employ a third party (a traditionally highcost exercise) to spend hours shifting through energy consumption reports, when ClearVUE. Zero does it all, at the touch of a button – in house?

The digital SMART device processes energy data quickly and accurately across all company sites, circuits, meters, even those abroad; giving access to consumption, costs and carbon emissions.

The next-generational digital analytics creates a new capacity for informed decision-making, with businesses now making evidence backed, sustainable and profitable improvements to operations, using an easy to interpret and navigate system.

Annual and quarterly energy and carbon reports are instantly generated with built in reporting standards, streamlining auditing departments, and giving precision-location of energy consumption.

ClearVUE.Zero provides companies with a macro-micro view of energy consumption levels.

“ClearVUE.Zero allows us to pinpoint down

to a shop. If we choose to, we can pinpoint it down to a machine,” stated Morgan Motors Inc. This cutting-edge digital technology saves companies time, money and ultimately provides an accurate and efficient tool for compliance and environmental sustainability progress.

Ice Arena Wales is home to the current top four ice hockey champions, The Cardiff Devils. The arena is used for ice hockey training, league matches and recreational and professional ice and figure skating, making it an important location for ice sports in Wales.

The management team wanted to reduce energy consumption by 10% monthly. By utilising ClearVUE.Zero, the arena was able to successfully meet these targets. The digital technology took the ‘guesswork’ out of energy monitoring – enabling them to save costs and reduce carbon.

ClearVUE.Business stands at the forefront of energy management and net zero sustainability consulting, consistently pushing boundaries in the rapidly evolving energy market. Through the development and perfection of their unique, revolutionary technology, this global pioneer has emerged as a driving force for innovation. With a strong emphasis on extensive research and development (R&D), ClearVUE.Business is spearheading the industry’s march towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.

“We are working hard to maintain our position as the flag bearers and leaders in our space.

“Our priority will always be providing our clients with the best-in-class solutions to achieve net zero and contribute to a sustainable future. We believe that by offering unparalleled energy management and sustainability consultancy services, we enable businesses across the globe to become leaders in sustainability progress,

driving real, quantifiable, & measurable changes.

“We are particularly excited about our groundbreaking Scope 3 Accounting system – a feature that sets us apart in the market. Our innovative platform enables businesses to comprehensively track and manage their indirect emissions throughout their supply chain, providing them with a holistic view of their environmental impact.

“This unique capability allows our clients to identify areas for improvement and develop targeted strategies for reducing emissions beyond their own operations. By offering this level of insight and control, ClearVUE.Business is helping businesses become true sustainability leaders and drive positive change throughout their entire value chain,” elaborates Vagnoli.

From October 2023, UK companies will need to report any emissions embedded in materials shipped into the EU. By 2026, companies will need to purchase certificates stating these embedded emissions.

ClearVUE.Business provides bespoke timely consultations on these new environmental legislations, allowing companies to plan ahead, avoiding financial penalties and maintaining positive corporate reputations.

To meet ClearVUE.Business in person, see them at the following trade shows: Distributed Energy Show, Innovation World Cup 2023 & EMEX 2023.

For all your company’s energy management and net zero sustainability consulting needs, including a free demo of ClearVUE.Zero, contact ClearVUE.Business today.

T +44 (0)3300 300200

enquiry@clearvue.business

https://clearvue.business/

The future of digital video recording

Digital Edge Subsea, a world leader in offshore technology, supplies the renewables and oil and gas industries with its digital video recording system.

The company, established more than 10 years ago, has nurtured strong customer relationships that allow for honest customer feedback and this has been incorporated into the further development of the Version 5 Edge DVR.

Based in a small market town in rural Cumbria, their customer reach stretches around the world. The Managing Director, John Benson, takes great pride and pleasure in visiting clients, not just to maintain relationships, but to ensure he hears their feedback first-hand.

Understanding customer perspective

It’s during these visits and from regular contact with his customers that John and his team

have been able to understand the customers’ perspective, hear their ideas and look at implementing suggested improvements into their product.

The driver for the latest improvement in the Version 5 software came from specific conversations with clients and recognition from the technical support team that this enhancement would be beneficial to a large

OFFSHORE DIGITAL VIDEO+INSPECTION SYSTEMS

INTRODUCING EDGEDVR

The EdgeDVR is currently used worldwide by most of the major ROV and Diving contractors. With our Version 5 software, we have 6 models. The EdgeDVR has become an essential part of any ROV and Diving system offshore, easy to use and reliable. The system is capable of recording simultaneous High Definition and Standard Definition video, together with auto creation of Dive, Video, Photo and Anomaly logs. Multi channel digital overlay is also available for all recorded channels, logos and realtime survey data can be displayed. With around 800 systems now offshore, we have a proven record of reliability.

Diving | Workclass & Inspection ROV Platform & Pipeline Inspections | Construction & Decomissioning

number of users.

In version 5.8, Project Merge was introduced. This allows multiple DVR projects, from either the same DVR or from separate DVRs to be combined into one project client deliverable. This is a free application to help with clients’ workflow and offline editing.

Improvements

In addition, version 5.9, sees improvements to the Standard and Pro Workpacks, which now generate a template that can be pasted into xlsx files, edited for component trees in Standard, and components tasks, tags and notes in Pro, and then pasted back into the Workpack Editor to generate the Workpack file.

Access to v5.9 may be made by emailing the company and this version is available for all levels of software.

Hardware options

Digital Edge Subsea offers a number of hardware options:

● Traditional rack mounted

● A laptop version for mobility

● A triple monitor mobile workstation to allow for a more compact form factor for field deployment as an alternative to a 4u rack

As with all of their hardware, three levels of software are available:

● EdgeLite – an entry level unit, suitable for surveys and inspections, with no eventing requirement

● EdgeDVR – is able to record four channels of HD simultaneously. It continues to offer the creation of Workpacks and offline editing

● EdgePro – has an extended database that allows tasks to be assigned to components under inspection. This allows customers to either create their own Workpacks, or they can be created in-house. It also provides an automatically generated report to capture inspection results.

Reliability

You can be assured of a reliable system, whichever unit you choose. Digital Edge also supplies excellent technical support where all systems can be remotely accessed.

All units have been designed to be simple to use by personnel of all levels of ability and training is offered for increased peace of mind. Digital Edge Subsea work with clients of any size to provide the system that suits them best.

info@digitaledgesubsea.com

www.digitaledgesubsea.com

Print & Packaging

Rotech solutions alleviate coding pain-points for CBD wellness company

Multiple award-winning wellness company, Orange County CBD sourced a RF Lite from Rotech to automate their batch coding process, after their boost in popularity meant that manual labelling was becoming too time-consuming and costly.

Established in 2019 and situated in London, Orange County CBD have an impressive portfolio of CBD products featuring oils, skincare and edible gummies, all manufactured in-house, using only the highest quality CBD, harvested from 100% organic hemp grown in the Golden State, California.

Orange County is definitely feeling the effects of automating and streamlining their coding processes with clever coding. They’ve been able to drastically reduce labour costs, improve production throughput, and reduce costs involved with pre-printed stock.

Our team has been highly praised since the installation. Head of R&D and Production at Orange County said,

“We couldn’t be happier about our experience working with Rotech! When we needed a coding machine for our business, they came highly recommended, and they didn’t disappoint. The team at Rotech was incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and attentive to our specific needs. They helped us select the perfect coder that streamlined our production process and improved our efficiency. Their exceptional customer service and after-

sales support have made us feel valued and confident in our investment – we couldn’t be happier with the results. I highly recommend Rotech to anyone in need of top-quality coding solutions!”

Contact T +44 (0)1707 393700 www.rotechmachines.com

Their mission is to normalise the day-to-day use of CBD products, for individuals struggling with a variety of ailments that negatively impact their lives, such as stress, poor sleep, anxiety and ongoing pain. This notso-modest mission is one they seem to be conquering at great speed. The company has an ever-growing army of loyal customers alongside hundreds of glowing reviews citing how the products have changed the users’ lives for the better.

A rise in CBD use – a movement for better wellbeing

The rising awareness of the benefits of CBD, along with the popularity of Orange County’s quality products meant that Co-Founder, Aaron Spinks began to look for alternative ways to apply batch codes to their cartons. Previously they were labelling the boxes and cartons by hand – a process that was becoming too labour intensive and costly. He also required something that could guarantee clear, permanent codes and eliminate mislabelling errors for good.

After an enquiry was made with Rotech, Sales Manager Steve Ryan offered a quick and knowledgeable response, suggesting the RF Lite as an ideal solution for overprinting their cartons – backing this up with an impressive video of the system running the carton samples with ease.

The compact coding system is primarily designed to help users automate their coding process for the first time. Fitted with clean, user-friendly thermal inkjet (TIJ) technology, the innovative machine automatically takes flat-form packaging from a stack and applies a code to it, consistently and reliably, before stacking it again, ready for operator removal.

The RF Lite is perfect for quick growing companies such as Orange County, as it is capable of running at high speeds of up to 60m/min – a key consideration for Aaron, as he needed it to keep up with increasing production volumes – the company now prints over 10k cartons per day!

Sticking with Rotech

Happy that the introduction of the RF Lite had made a positive impact to their production process, Orange County looked to Rotech for a way to automatically overprint variable data directly to the labels being applied to the vials of oil.

The compact nature of Rotech’s Integra TIJ printer means that it can be easily integrated into existing production lines, to work seamlessly with other equipment, including label applicators.

The addition of the TIJ printer to Orange County’s labeller meant that they no longer had to pre-print labels or apply fiddly secondary labels by hand, meaning they saved a lot of time & no longer faced overstock/waste.

The printer also comes with its own iDesign formatting software. The company can create and edit batch and date codes, control output speeds, view job status and check ink levels. The software allows them to set the printer to print their Batch and Expiry information onto the exact area on the wraparound label.

Farm Business Innovation 2022 & Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Review – Top Exhibitors

Inspiring rural entrepreneurs

Farm Business Innovation 2022, held at Birmingham’s NEC from 2-3 November, brought visitors an incredible two days full of unmissable insights into the latest revolutionary products transforming the industry.

Farm Business Innovation is Europe’s largest event for farmers, country house estates, and landowners who are forward-thinking and looking to diversify into the leisure, hospitality and tourism industries. Co-located with 3 other shows, especially Holiday Park & Resort Innovation, which is also covered in this review.

66% of all farm businesses in England also run other enterprises – such as farm shops, wedding venues and B&Bs – generating an income of £680 million in 2017-18, to the UK economy. The event was specifically designed to enable visitors to meet the faces of the industry, with 1,000 leading exhibitors ensuring visitors were able to try, touch and test all of the latest products, solutions, and systems from across the globe that are driving innovation.

Plus an incredible line-up of speakers allowed visitors to choose from over 500 seminars, where key individuals and experts in their field shared their insights and expertise, and divulged their own secrets to success, enabling visitors to return to their own business armed

Farmers are seeing 5 times more profit by selling direct

with ambition and brimming with ideas and inspiration.

Farm Business Innovation 2023 & Holiday Park & Resort Innovation return to Birmingham’s NEC from 15-16 November this year. This is our second pick of the best exhibitors from last year’s event, listed here in alphabetical order: ADAM Architecture, Green Switch Capital, Halletec Environmental, JN Environmental, Marsh Industries Ltd, Revolution Group & Unison Process Solutions. Further details can be found on this page and the next.

www.farmbusinessshow.co.uk

www.holidayparkshow.co.uk

Marsh Industries Ltd

Marsh Industries Ltd is the leading UK manufacturer providing off mains drainage solutions, including sewage treatment plants, pump stations and separators, for both the domestic and commercial markets.

From state-of-the-art production facilities in Northamptonshire and Somerset, Marsh offers over 100 years of combined technical knowledge to their customers from specification to after sales services. With an external team covering the UK and a specialised civils department, you’ll be in safe hands discussing your off mains needs.

We offer specialist advice on Glamping developments through to large scale Holiday Parks. With unique product offerings including the Portapura portable sewage treatment plant, through to commercial Ultra:Polylok sewage treatment plants. Alongside Elsan Tanks, Firewater Tanks and Cesspools. With the ability to support retail and catering infrastructure with our Hydroil Oil Separators and GMS Grease Traps.

Facing challenges with phosphate reduction and nutrient neutrality? Speak to us about our Gem-APS tertiary treatment units.

Using only 100% virgin resin, Marsh Industries

products are type tested and certified to current standards and have also been tested to ensure strength and fire resistance.

If you need any assistance with your off mains drainage needs, contact Marsh Industries Ltd at: sales@marshindustries.co.uk today.

Unison Process Solutions is revolutionising the dairy industry with its compact pasteurisers and the Smart Microdairy, which are helping UK farmers earn over 5 times more profit from their milk. As farmers are looking towards diversifying their farms and adding value to their milk, Unison Process Solutions has come to their aid with its expertise in dairy processing and over 40 years of experience in pasteurisation.

Unison's pasteurisers use Continuous HTST pasteurisation, are fully automatic, three times faster, 10 times less labour intensive and more economical than traditional batch pasteurisers. Developed for small and medium processors they can be used for a range of products including milk vending, bottling, cheese, yogurt, beer and much more.

The Smart Microdairy is a complete hygienic pasteurising solution that is making milk vending simple. It is fully automated and requires minimal labor. It can be installed on-farm in just one day and includes a built-in milk dispenser, eliminating the need to move heavy tanks for vending or cleaning.

The Smart Microdairy saves farmers hours of processing and cleaning time while making it quicker and easier to adhere to health and safety standards.

Overall, Unison Process Solutions is committed to helping farmers increase production capacity, reduce labour costs, and add value to their milk. Their innovative products are game-changers for the dairy industry and provide farmers with an easy route to selling directly to customers.

Contact T +35361422224

sales@unisonprocess.com www.unisonprocess.com

ADAM Architecture

ADAM Architecture is the leading practice specialising in classical and traditional architecture, and contextual urbanism. Our portfolio is wide-ranging and includes new country houses; commercial and institutional buildings; estate and farm development, including new buildings and the adaptation of existing buildings; and new housing and masterplans ranging from small village extensions to major housing developments.

We have extensive experience of delivering new interventions on rural land holdings and country estates, as well as estate improvement, restructuring and repurposing, at a variety of scales around the UK. We offer a range of services from initial site assessments, historical analysis of a site, defining a brief, feasibility studies and concept option appraisals, to outline or full planning applications for single buildings, refurbishments, and for large developments.

We act variously as the master planner, architectural historian, architect and coordinating designer. The practice is directed by Nigel Anderson, Hugh Petter, Robert Kerr, George Saumarez Smith, Darren Price and Robert Cox and employs around 100 highly skilled and experienced staff. We welcome opportunities to discuss sites with landowners or estate managers to help develop and unlock the potential of your land.

Contact

T 01962 843843

contact@adamarchitecture.com

www.adamarchitecture.com

Private Water Supply Treatments

JN Environmental offer the latest in specialist water treatment and private supply engineering for domestic and commercial clients involved in rural properties, private residences, farms, campsites and holiday parks, large stately homes, B&B's and many more business premises.

Coming from a proud background in construction, water treatment, and The Royal Navy, JN Environmental offer an effective and unrivalled end-to-end service from the initial site survey through to the installation and ongoing maintenance of your water treatment equipment including boreholes and spring water supplies.

Their team of experts are also highly trained in servicing third party equipment installed by other companies, carry a wide range of

Partnering with renewable technology for UK landowners

Partnering with renewable technology for UK landowners The Farm Business Innovation Show 2022 at the NEC last November was seen as a renewable energy tipping point for the agricultural sector. As we head towards the UK Government’s 2050 net zero targets, the farming community is being encouraged to re-evaluate its renewable energy capacities.

Green Switch Capital were on hand at the show, to showcase its UK energy development scheme. This expert company is ideally placed to provide fully-funded, long-term land rental opportunities for landowners.

After an initial consultation, the energy

development team will ask for Land Boundary, Letters of Authority, and check for planning restrictions, to assess suitability for solar farms. A further site visit will review the land and if applicable, an application will be made to the National Grid, on behalf of the landowner. After signing a lease, a planning application will be submitted, and construction of the solar farm will begin.

UK landowners can expect to receive a regular income for up to 40 years and contribute towards the green revolution: helping turn the UK net zero, by 2050.

“With the removal of the basic payment

consumable products to cater for systems of all sizes, and offer a bespoke tank cleaning and disinfection service.

Based in Bury, Lancashire, JN Environmental are a team of professional engineers and contractors who are trained to find the best solution at the most competitive prices for you.

For all your private water supply filtration and pumping requirements, contact JN Environmental Ltd:

T 0161 523 6357

info@jnenvironmental.co.uk www.jnenvironmental.co.uk

scheme and raising farming costs, post-Brexit: landowners need all the help they can get, & we can offer them a dual-purpose solution: increase your income and go greener,” says Neil Davies, Marketing Manager.

For your initial conversation on solar farms or to find out more, see the details below:

T 0151 212 3300 info@gscapital.uk www.gscapital.uk

Halletec Environmental

Approaching 25 years as an independent consultancy specialising in the areas of minerals, waste, planning and environmental assessment, Halletec work for landowners and developers in helping to identify opportunities for rural diversification. This may include mineral extraction, land restoration using inert waste, and sites suitable for housing and leisure related land uses such as lodge and caravan parks and canal linked marinas.

Based in North Shropshire, we work all over the UK providing professional advice in assessing the commercial viability of development proposals. We have led negotiations for working rights and other

agreements and advise our clients on the purchase and sale of land with development potential. We also provide other professional services including management of leases for landowners and acting as expert witnesses in dispute resolution procedures.

We have experience in Town and Country Planning and associated work. For example, we have been successful in promoting sites for development in Local Plans and obtaining planning permissions for a wide range of development types.

We are also familiar with planning applications for large sites that may require an EIA.

Pret A Manger go live with Terryberry’s bespoke

We are one of very few RICS approved registered valuers qualified to advise on the valuation of minerals and waste assets.

T 01630 698035 info@halletec.co.uk

Employee Benefits Platform & Wellbeing Hub

Pret A Manger have become the latest company to go live with Terryberry's complete Employee Benefits Platform alongside a Wellbeing Hub, which is designed to support employees’ physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

As part of the launch, Pret A Manger will now have access to a new Offers and Discounts platform, designed to help support employees during the cost-of-living crisis. With the platform giving users potential savings of up to £3,000 per year. Alongside a recognition platform that will connect all 8,000 employees in the UK, and encourage a culture of recognition across all locations.

Emma Spencer, Senior Pay & Benefits Manager at Pret A Manger, said, “We are excited and delighted with our new bespoke one-stop benefits and wellbeing platform. This now allows all our employees across the UK to access their Benefits and Wellbeing offerings in one easy to access platform and App.

“We were really impressed with the new features that Terryberry were bringing to their benefits and wellbeing platform. This played a big part in our decision to partner with Terryberry as we could see great potential and knew the impact this would have for our teams.

“The initial response from all our staff has been fantastic and we have seen engagement levels increase across all teams since the platform was launched, which has had a positive impact on the culture within the business.”

In response, Ian Feaver, Managing Director of Terryberry UK, said, “To fully create a culture of engagement within a business, we felt that it was important to build a space where all employee benefits could be accessed from a single location, making it easy for employees to take care of their mental, physical and financial wellbeing as well as redeem their rewards and benefits.

“We are really excited to be working with a business such as Pret A Manger, who are one of the biggest brands in their space. We feel that we have the best product available in the market and that is attracting the biggest clients now.”

If you are interested in an all-in-one Engagement, Reward, Recognition and Benefits platform for your business, you can get in touch at: www.terryberry.com/gb/contact-us/

About Terryberry

Terryberry partners with organisations worldwide to develop and implement custom employee rewards, employee benefits, recognition programs, and engagement solutions. Terryberry’s 360 Recognition Platform provides everything needed to recognise and engage employees from service and milestone achievements and discounts on their lifestyle spending to empowering teams through social recognition. We are Terryberry, the recognition and engagement company that ignites employee success.

Contact: Ben Pritchard T 0344 826 2008 bpritchard@terryberry.com www.terryberry.com/ gb/360-recognition-platform/

UNISIG’s approach to automating surgical instrument manufacturing

As surgical instrument manufacturers pursue greater throughput while facing increased labor costs, automating the medical instrument manufacturing process has become a necessity. However, integrating automation into the gundrilling process for drilling deep holes in extremely precise surgical instruments in lights-out operation is a major engineering challenge requiring more than simply pairing a robot with a deep-hole drilling machine.

The right machine, tools and process must all come together to create small holes with extreme precision in difficult-to-machine materials such as titanium and surgical stainless steel. More importantly, the entire system must flow from a unified concept where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

To meet these challenges, UNISIG developed its UNE6-2i-750-CR dual independent spindle gundrilling machine. The UNE6-2i is capable of gundrilling hole diameters ranging from 0.8-6mm in part lengths measuring up to 30 inches with depth-to-diameter ratios from 20:1 to more than 100:1. The machine has a maximum combined drilling speed of 28,000rpm and a 3,000psi (207) bar programmable flow-based coolant system with dedicated pumps for each spindle to ensure precise coolant pressure control.

Automating hundreds of cycles of precision manufacturing, however, is not possible unless the overall operation is considered from the outset.

Surgical instrument manufacturing is a sequential process: parts must be loaded into the machine in a particular way for specific operations that happen in a specific order.

Workpiece length, shape and configuration determine where it is gripped by the robot when loaded into a machine, moved from spindle to spindle for drilling, residual cutting fluid removed, and returned to the pallet. Where a part is gripped impacts where it is clamped for drilling to ensure accuracy. Every variable along the process chain must be considered and accounted for, and the calculus is detailed and complicated.

The process of drilling a part from both ends in a single-piece flow is unique to UNISIG. Workpieces with enlarged features on one side are loaded from the rear of the collet, solving a common problem in gundrilling medical surgical instruments with full automation.

Control of the UNE6-2i and a computer are consolidated into the Human Machine Interface (HMI), a menu-driven touch screen system for easy, intuitive operation. Training and operator engagement with the system is significantly reduced due to user-friendly UNISIG controller menus and prompts.

UNISIG’s comprehensive and integrated approach to automating medical part manufacturing is a vision that sets it apart in the industry. It’s more than drilling the impossible hole. It’s a commitment to understanding and to the research that drives continuous improvement and innovation for automated part production at its full potential. Further information on all machines and the complete UNISIG machine programme is available at: www.unisig.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter (@UNISIG). You will also meet us at the EMO 2023 show in Hannover, Germany, from 18-23 September.

Then there are unique customer needs and requirements. The equipment and process must accommodate a variety of part families and hundreds of parts to increase runtime and efficiency. Operators must be able to change over part types and programming without calling in an automation specialist, and the entire process must be controlled from a central interface. Add to the mix that everything must be packaged in as small a footprint as possible, and the scope of the engineering challenge comes into focus.

UNISIG’s approach to solving these problems, however, results in targeted automation that enhances the existing benefits of gundrilling, ensuring a solid foundation for reliable processwide automation.

At its core, the automated UNE6-2i is a purposebuilt machine with automation embedded in its design, not added as an afterthought. Flexibility and adaptability are maximised by a harmonious, interdependent mechanical, software and operational planning scheme.

To meet size constraints, a 6-axis robot was embedded in the machine with a pallet system on the backside of the machine, allowing easy operator access from the front to setup the machine without compromising ergonomics. The configuration enables quick setup changes between prototype and proving operations and full production runs.

The robot automatically repositions the workpiece from the front of the first spindle into the rear of the second spindle without operator input.