Industrial Process News Issue 725

IPN INDUSTRIAL PROCESS NEWS

November 2023 – Issue 725 Tel: 0121 550 2086 www.industrialprocessnews.co.uk Search for us on LinkedIn

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Editors Notes

This month, we discover the latest innovations in industrial machinery manufacturing and its uses in explosion protection.

MacClancy & Sons have been chosen as our Explosive Protection Industry Company of the Month and when we spoke to James MacClancy who only recently took over the reins of the company, we were more than impressed by how the business Gina Burton has gone from strength-to-strength so quickly. Providing Editor explosion protection to the bulk solids, filtration, and food gina@industrialprocessnews.co.uk & beverage industries in the form of vent panels, flameless vents, environmental safety protection, we also highlight The VigiSpace® Deflector, which is a recent new product to market, engineered as an explosion panel deflector. You can read more on MacClancy & Sons across pages 16-17.

Subcon had its 46th edition this year and it truly lived up to its reputation as the industry’s leading subcontract manufacturing supply chain Show. Attracting over 4,500 attendees, this represented a 15% increase on 2022, 70% of whom had a joint/sole responsibility in purchasing. In its first day of opening, footfall was strong with orders well in excess of £300,000. More than 200 world class manufacturing solution providers exhibited the Show representing the best of British manufacturing alongside many market-leading international suppliers. We have chosen and highlighted some of our Top Exhibitors for you on pages 12-13.

Contents

IPN INDUSTRIAL PROCESS NEWS

Issue 725

Another company celebrating a milestone 150th anniversary this year is FOETH selected as our Powder Processing Solutions Company of the Month. As global leaders in the purchase and sale of used process equipment from top quality brands, FOETH is taking big steps forward in its sustainable responsibility by not only aiming to be carbon-neutral across its direct operations by 2025, but also by offering a complete regeneration solution to all customers involved in the pharma, speciality chemical, and food & feed ingredient sectors. We have highlighted some of their most popular products for you to peruse through on page 33.

Don’t forget to send us your latest Industrial news and updates and email us at: info@industrialprocessnews.co.uk.

BVC/Quirepace

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DP Doors & Shutters

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UNISIG

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Cover Story

FOETH

An awarding winning company who is one of the largest dealers of high-end used process equipment in the world. Since 1908, Foeth has been active in the purchase and sale of used process machinery, serving the chemical, food & feed and pharmaceutical industries in Europe and beyond.

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Contacts

Industrial Process News is a multi-media digital magazine which circulates directly to 25,000 targeted businesses per issue, and is downloadable from multiple digital news stands and via social media.

Publication Management Fallon Waldron, Publication Manager T 0121 550 2086 fallonwaldron@industrialprocessnews.co.uk

Accounts Paul Whitaker, Accounts Manager T 0121 709 5534 accounts@businessandindustrytoday.co.uk

Production Robert Sharp, Production Manager production@businessandindustrytoday.co.uk

Editorial Gina Burton, Editor gina@industrialprocessnews.co.uk

The entire content of this publication is advertorial based. To place an advertorial or an advert, please call 0121 550 2086.

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Please contact 0121 550 2086 Email info@industrialprocessnews.co.uk www.industrialprocessnews.co.uk For more information on print or format requirements, please see our Media Pack and follow Find us on LinkedIn us on Twitter @ipn_uk

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Electrical & Electronics

ATS: The heating, sensing and controlling suite of tomorrow I

n the past, thermal systems always had trade-offs that often made the ‘ideal’ system out of reach. Whether budgetary concerns limit the number of temperature sensors, tight space requirements restrict the number of zones or the technology hampers how precise the heating systems are, these systems are often curated with compromise. Here, Sean Wilkinson, Product Manager at industrial technology company Watlow (pictured), explores how adaptive thermal systems (ATS) are designed to provide companies with the tools to build the heating systems they need, without forcing compromise.

A great heating system needs a great controller. Of course, better controllers are only worth the investment if it’s possible to achieve better control throughout the system. Improved control requires more sensors, which can be a costly proposition.

But there are ways to get around high

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costs. High temperature coefficient resistance (TCR) materials respond to temperature changes with a change in resistance. By measuring that change, it’s possible to determine the temperature at that location. Building heaters out of high TCR materials adds a sensing capability, adding measurements to places where they were previously impossible due to space or cost requirements.

Likewise, integrated thermocouple heater (TCH) junction temperature control turns heater power leads into a thermocouple junction. The voltage at this junction varies consistently with the surrounding temperature, so measuring it provides a spot measurement of the temperature at that location. Together, these two technologies offer expanded sensing options without additional wiring or extra controllers. www.watlow.com

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Health & Safety

Silencing the Mining Industry: Noise Measurement Solutions consequences beyond noise pollution. Dust, water pollution, habitat destruction, and land degradation are among the environmental impacts associated with mining. Monitoring these impacts helps mining companies identify areas for improvement, implement sustainable practices, and minimise their ecological footprint.

This commitment to environmental responsibility aligns with the growing global focus on sustainability and contributes to the preservation of natural resources for future generations.

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he mining industry, a cornerstone of modern civilisation, fuels economic growth and technological advancement.

However, noise from mining operations can affect both employees and the surrounding environment, with the same noise sources contributing to both occupational and environmental noise.

Protect your workers hearing, ensure compliance with occupational noise regulations, reduce the number of community noise complaints and ensure you’re compliant with noise regulations and permits by choosing Cirrus Research.

Preserving worker health and safety One of the most important reasons for monitoring noise in the mining industry is to safeguard the health and well-being of workers.

Mining operations often involve heavy machinery, explosions, and high-impact activities that generate intense noise levels. Prolonged exposure to such noise can result in irreversible hearing loss and other health issues.

community relations and ensures that mining operations co-exist harmoniously with nearby residents.

Regulatory compliance Stringent noise regulations are in place to minimise the impact of industrial activities on the environment and human health. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines, legal repercussions, and reputational damage.

By consistently monitoring noise levels and environmental impacts, mining companies can demonstrate their commitment to adhering to regulations and being responsible corporate citizens.

Environmental responsibility Mining operations have far-reaching ecological

By implementing comprehensive noise monitoring systems, mining companies can identify areas of excessive noise and take proactive measures to reduce exposure. This not only protects workers’ hearing but also enhances overall occupational safety.

Mitigating community disruption Mining sites are frequently located near residential areas, leading to potential conflicts between mining operations and local communities. Uncontrolled noise from mining activities can disrupt the daily lives of residents, affecting their sleep, communication, and overall quality of life.

Effective noise monitoring allows mining companies to track noise emissions, identify sources of disturbance, and implement mitigation strategies. This proactive approach fosters better

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Innovation and continuous improvement Monitoring noise and environmental impacts isn’t just about meeting regulatory requirements; it’s about driving innovation and continuous improvement. By analysing data collected through monitoring systems, mining companies can identify patterns, optimise processes, and find novel solutions to reduce noise and minimise environmental effects. This approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also positions mining companies as leaders in responsible resource extraction.

How can Cirrus Research help?

At Cirrus Research, we provide a range of products that are perfect for monitoring the personal noise exposure of workers on your site, and the impact that your site has on the environment.

■ The Intrinsically Safe doseBadge Noise Dosimeter is the perfect personal noise dosimeter to be used in explosive atmospheres and hazardous zones.

■ The Quantum Outdoor cloud-based environmental monitor is ideal for monitoring the environmental impact of your site, including noise, weather, windspeed, ground-bourne vibration and gas.

In conclusion, monitoring noise and environmental impacts in the mining industry is paramount for various reasons, including ensuring worker safety, minimising community disruption, complying with regulations, and embracing environmental responsibility. By investing in advanced monitoring technologies and adopting sustainable practices, the mining sector can mitigate its negative effects and contribute to a more balanced and sustainable future.

Download your Free Noise Measurement Terminology Guide to expand your noise knowledge and make measuring noise simpler.

01723 891655 sales@cirrusresearch.co.uk www.cirrusresearch.co.uk

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Cleaning & Hygiene

Metsä Tissue chooses Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire for planned landmark UK investment

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eading Finnish tissue paper manufacturer Metsä Tissue, part of Metsä Group, to create 400+ direct jobs over the next decade through planned investment totalling several hundreds of millions of pounds.

Goole chosen as site for Metsä Tissue’s planned investment in new tissue paper mill, increasing the UK’s self-sufficiency by more than 30% in the production of essential tissue products.

Planned investment worth several hundreds of millions of pounds will create 400+ new local jobs with thousands of indirect jobs generated across the supply chain.

New mill to boast largest tissue production capacity in the UK and latest in sustainable production technology.

The plan consists of 240,000 tons of tissue paper production capacity, built in several phases during the upcoming decade.

Metsä Tissue today announces that it has chosen Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire as the site for its planned new state-of-the-art tissue paper mill in the UK. This landmark investment of several hundreds of millions of pounds will deliver the largest tissue mill in the UK and significantly reduce the quantity of tissue products that are currently imported into the UK and Ireland each year. The new mill will create 400+ jobs at the facility, as well as thousands more across the supply chain and the local economy.

Up to 45% of tissue products are currently imported into the UK and Ireland. Metsä Tissue aims to replace almost half of the imported products with local British

production, using fresh fibre pulp as the main raw material from sustainably-managed forests in the Nordics.

Reducing the reliance on imports will have a positive impact on the UK’s productivity, carbon footprint and self-sufficiency for essential tissue products.

The Goole facility will use cutting-edge sustainable production technologies to deliver an efficient and modern facility with world class environmental performance. Metsä Tissue’s activity is rooted in sustainability, with a target for all products to be manufactured from fully fossil-fuel-free raw materials by 2030 as the company strives to achieve a net zero society. Additionally, we aim for all our mills, including the new Goole facility, to operate without the use of fossil fuels by 2030.

Subject to planning and environmental permits and a final investment decision, the site will occupy an area of around 200 acres and will have the capacity to produce 240,000 tons of tissue paper, built in several phases over the next decade, serving both the professional and consumer markets – a level of production unrivalled in the UK. The planned facility would be the first major investment in the proposed Goole tax site within the Humber Freeport, which aims to accelerate inward investment in the Humber region.

Invitation to public event As part of Metsä Tissue’s plans to get to know the community in which it plans to invest, Metsä Tissue CEO Esa Kaikkonen will host open-for-all public events on Thursday 2nd November at 3pm and 6pm in the RaisE Building, Tom Pudding Way, Goole DN14 6BS. Joining Esa Kaikkonen, will be Technical Director Alan Jeffery and SVP, UK & Ireland Mika Paljakka.

The event will be available to view on Metsä Tissue’s website at: https://www.metsagroup.com/ metsatissue/projects/metsa-tissue-mill-in-the-uk and on YouTube on Metsä Group’s profile: www.youtube.com/metsagroup, soon after the event.

For further information, please contact: Joanna Linnermo, Communications Manager, telephone: +358 40 555 5868, email: joanna.linnermo@ metsagroup.com or Metsä Tissue Communications, SVP Communications, Johanna Kesti, telephone: +358 40 417 5660.

Cleaning up our impact: How Tork bio-based paper towels complement sustainability

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ORK, from leading hygiene and health company, Essity, looks ahead by providing products and solutions that help customers achieve sustainability goals.

Manufacturing today faces a particular challenge – how to balance the demand to continuously improve productivity with the need to meet sustainability goals. Sitting alongside Tork’s targets to provide better hygiene across a range of sectors, is the mission to make hygiene in manufacturing as sustainable as it can be. Sustainable innovation and collaboration are key to accelerating progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Tork products help to improve more from less and create circularity by helping factory owners and manufacturers to close the loop.

From the start of a product’s life at its raw materials such as wood fibres, to how to product is used and disposed

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of at the end. Reducing packaging, reducing CO2, building upon sustainable practices and improving wellbeing can all contribute to establishing this circular component of hygiene in collaboration with Tork products.

Tork products and services support green workspaces, through ecolabelcertified hygiene products and data-driven educational tools and advice to help businesses optimise sustainable practices and create circularity.

Contact www.essity.com

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Vacuum cleaners for hazardous dusts in the Workplace I

t is essential when evaluating a vacuum cleaner for industrial and commercial cleaning tasks, that consideration is given to the relevant hazards and that the equipment is therefore specified appropriately.

Hazards from dusts and spilled product fall in to two distinct categories; the first is dusts that are hazardous to health. This category includes obvious products like asbestos and silica dust, but any dust that can be breathed in by the operator or other personnel in the workplace is likely to be hazardous to health to a degree.

The second category is dusts that are hazardous in the environment. The obvious category is dusts that can potentially cause an explosive atmosphere, particularly organic products like sugar and flour. Some products fall in to both

Cleaning & Hygiene

This can be constructed from several different materials including PTFE coated, fire resistant and anti-static materials in addition to standard filter materials. Within machines designed to recover hazardous materials there is always a second stage filter, usually a 3rd stage filter, and sometimes a 4th stage filter, with each stage designed for a specific purpose to ensure the hazardous product is collected safely and that the exhaust air is as clean as possible.

The range of BVC Industrial Vacuum Cleaners extends from 1kW single-phase units to 15kW 3 phase machines. In addition, Quirepace supply both compressed air and petrol/diesel powered units. The smaller machines in the range; the IV40 and IV60, are both available as several different versions rated as either M/H Class or ATEX, or indeed both, for when dusts are both hazardous and require rating for ATEX rated environments.

The standards that describe the specifications to conform to M/H Class are not appropriate for the largest machines in the BVC range; the Ti60 and Ti80 Centurions. These machines, typically with 4-15kW 3 phase multistage exhausters are available in ATEX versions, and can also be supplied with HEPA filtration to a similar specification to M/H Class units. Again, machines can be configured with filtration against dusts hazardous to health and with specifications suitable for ATEX rated environments.

The choices available to the potential customer are not just related to the specification of the vacuum cleaner itself; the specification of the hoses and tools must also be considered to ensure that they are appropriate for the use the machines will be put to.

Quirepace’s extensive knowledge combined with our experienced sales team, UK manufacture, and local service and spares support, means that BVC UK manufactured Industrial Vacuum Cleaners, with their 5-year parts warranty, deliver excellent durability and value for money in the industrial environment.

In addition to portable equipment, Quirepace also design and install fixed installations for Central Vacuum Cleaning, where multiple outlets are served by central plant through a network of fixed pipework.

Contact us today to arrange an initial consultation meeting: 023 9260 3700 sales@quirepace.co.uk www.quirepace.co.uk www.bvc.co.uk

categories such as wood dusts, which are both hazardous to health and potentially explosive.

Selecting an appropriate Industrial Vacuum Cleaner requires consideration of the potential hazards, which then informs the specification of the machine. BVC – British Vacuum Cleaners is the leading brand of British manufactured industrial vacuum cleaners. Manufactured by Quirepace in Fareham, the range includes both M-Class and H-Class machines for dusts hazardous to health and ATEX rated equipment suitable to operate in potentially explosive environments.

BVC equipment is manufactured to order to match the specific requirements of individual customers.

One of the principal considerations is the choice of filter material used for the primary filter.

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Print & Packaging

Soyang and Josero appointed resellers for Vivid Laminating Technologies’ VeloBlade range

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he agreement will cover the entire portfolio of VeloBlade machines, with Soyang Europe and Josero to focus on the Nexus range in particular.

Soyang Europe, the leading manufacturer and distributor of digitally printable wide-format and superwide-format media and surface coverings, and – through its acquisition of Josero – a supplier of leading edge wide and superwide-format print production hardware, are delighted to announce that they have been appointed as approved resellers of the VeloBlade range of digital die cutters from leading print finishing manufacturer Vivid Laminating Technologies.

Customers will be able to access the full range of market leading digital cutting solutions through Soyang Europe and Josero. The partnership officially launches at The Print Show 2023, which takes place from 19th-21st September at the NEC in Birmingham.

Soyang Europe and Josero will offer customers access to the entire VeloBlade collection but will primarily focus on the highly popular Nexus range which includes the VeloBlade Nexus 2516, a wide-format digital die cutter with a bed size of 2,500mm x 1,600mm. User-friendly features on the machine include an automatic cut depth setting, while when combined with a CNC router, the system enables users to work with stocks up to 25mm thick including materials such as Dibond, MDF and acrylic.

To showcase the leading quality of VeloBlade cutting to customers, Soyang Europe and Josero have purchased a VeloBlade Nexus 2516 for live demonstrations at their showroom in Accrington. The machine will also be in action on the Vivid Laminating Technologies stand (C01) at The Print Show 2023.

“We have done our due diligence on

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other solutions and are really excited to be partnering with Vivid on this product,” Soyang Europe and Josero Group Sales Director Sarah Winterbottom said. “We have worked with Vivid for many years selling their laminator range and we already have a trading relationship. We were flattered when Vivid approached us to discuss expanding this arrangement.

“It’s not just the quality of the product but how well their customers will be looked after when the sale completes.”

“The fact that VeloBlade machines are manufactured and assembled in the UK is key for us; they are very well built and offer tremendous value for money to users. Our technical team is looking forward to working with customers to help them identify the best solution for their business.”

“The people that work at Soyang Europe and Josero was one of the main drivers behind the new deal,” Lewis said. “Like us, they are very forward-thinking and committed to developing new and innovative products.

They know there will be new products coming soon from us that they can add to their portfolio and offer to their customers.”

Delivering quality solutions to customers Lewis Evans, Managing Director of Vivid, adds, “We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with a great company. We have worked with Soyang Europe and Josero previously on our Easymount machines and it was a really sensible move to partner with them on our VeloBlade range.

“They have a space in their portfolio for a top-quality digital cutter and router. We fit the bill mainly because of the aftercare service we offer at Vivid. If they were to buy in kit from abroad, customers would not get the support that they require and Soyang Europe and Josero pride themselves on. Vivid is able to offer high-quality support with our expert customer service team in the UK.

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Lewis also spoke about the potential to expand the relationship with Soyang Europe and Josero further, saying that like Vivid, the company is committed to ongoing R&D to bring more solutions to market.

Visitors to The Print Show 2023 can find out more about the new partnership and speak with Vivid, Soyang Europe and Josero experts on the Vivid Laminating Technologies stand.

Vivid will also be launching its brand new VeloBlade Board Runner at The Print Show.

This solution will auto-feed the substrate onto all models in the VeloBlade range, removing the need for manual hand loading by operators.

Contact +44 (0)161 765 3400 sales@soyang.co.uk https://soyang.co.uk

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Best in Class Sustainable Packaging: CCL and Henkel win AWA Award for sustainable sleeve technology ■ Henkel uses innovative EcoFloat® sleeve technology to improve the recycling of PET bottle bodies ■ Technology enables easier separation of sleeve and bottle body in the recycling process ■ CCL and Henkel were awarded for environmental contribution of new packaging design.

low-density polyolefin sleeve, is designed for easy sorting and recycling.”

CCL Label, a world leader in specialty label, security and packaging solutions, and Henkel announced today that they have won the AWA (Alexander Watson Associates) Award for their Best in Class Sustainable Design for Henkel’s Vernel brand fabric softener bottle.

AWA stated, “The design was applauded for emphasising recyclability and adhering to EPBP guidelines. The container, constructed from 100% recycled PET bottle materials and a

To improve the recyclability of the PET bottle bodies of its fabric softeners in Europe, Henkel partnered with CCL who has developed a new generation of floatable polyolefin material for shrink sleeves called EcoFloat®. This lowdensity material can be separated from PET bottle components during the sink-float separation process at recycling facilities. While the heavier bottle material sinks to the bottom of the water baths, the lightweight sleeve material floats to the top, even with full printed designs. This enables a clean separation of the PET and the label material, which is necessary to gain high-quality PET recyclate. www.ccllabel.com www.henkel.com

Print & Packaging

Why the £270 million from Plastic Packaging Tax could solve long-term industry challenges

By Paul Empson, General Manager, Bakers Basco

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he UK Government’s collection of £270 million from the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) in its first year signals a strong commitment to addressing plastic waste. However, beneath the surface, challenges in sourcing recycled plastic must be tackled for long-term success.

30% recycled content in their products. However, this presents its own problems due to supply chain struggles.

Introduced in April 2022, the PPT imposes a £200 per tonne charge on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content, aiming to promote recycling and collection. But the complexity emerges when assessing its impact on industries reliant on plastic packaging.

A key issue, highlighted by Plastic Recyclers Europe, is the shortage of sorted plastic waste in Europe, affecting the £7.7 billion plastic recycling sector. With only 52% of recycled material coming from the UK, questions arise about the remaining 48% and associated carbon emissions.

This situation forces companies, even smaller ones like Bakers Basco, into using

The long-term consequences for the plastics industry are significant, with production delays affecting various sectors. Bakers Basco, known for its reusable Omega breadbasket, faces challenges in securing the required recycled plastic, impacting not only their operations but also the baking industry.

In conclusion, the PPT revenue highlights the UK’s commitment to combat plastic waste, but addressing business challenges and imported recycled material accountability is crucial.

Allocating funds to enhance domestic recycling infrastructure and innovation paves the way for a sustainable future, emphasizing that legislation alone is insufficient; strategic actions are vital for a resilient and circular plastics industry.

08000 327323 https://bakersbasco.com

Environmental

Major investments across the GRG Waste UK group to improve service, compliance, and environmental performance

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ollowing a £1.5 million investment by Chloros Environmental for a bespoke design waste transfer facility in Hartlebury, Worcestershire in 2019, GRG Waste UK have continued to make key investments to improve service, compliance, and environmental performance.

With a diverse network of offtake partners, Novum Waste Recycling was established in late 2021 to meet the ever-increasing demand for sustainable treatment solutions for problematic streams.

Since inception, Novum has opened 14 trans frontier shipment (TFS) routes, enabling GRG companies to offer R-code solutions for a range of unique specialist materials, with a further 12 applications to go live by the end of 2023.

In January 2023, the highly anticipated closed-loop aerosol recycling plant was installed at Greenway Environmental’s site in Bootle, Liverpool. This capability offers 100% gas capture, wasteto-energy, and landfill diversion, turning an otherwise challenging waste stream into a true circular economy.

The facility utilises BAT (best

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available technology) to separate the components and is the only complete R-code aerosol recycling solution that meets stringent regulations on hazardous waste disposal, worker safety, and greenhouse gas emissions.

To add to the group’s growing in-house treatment capabilities, BKP Waste and Recycling recently invested in an Industrial Packaging Decontamination Process. Designed to handle a wide range of chemical contaminants and materials, the process allows maximum reuse of large containers and recycling of plastic and steel components.

Investments are ongoing with major site developments taking place at their site in Romsey, including the construction of high solid wash out bays, enabling the group to accept and treat high solid tanker loads requiring dig out by appointment to improve customer experience and service offering.

Keep up to date with the continued upgrades and latest news from GRG Waste UK: www.grgwasteuk.com/news

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PDC Drill Bits Engineering Company of the Year

How to make PDC Drill Bits to work for Geothermal Industry I

n this edition of Industrial Process News, we are pleased to announce that ZerdaLab Ltd has been chosen as our PDC Drill Bits Engineering Company of the Year.

At Industrial Process News, we have previously featured ZerdaLab as our Drill Bits Engineering Company of the Month. As we approach the end of 2023, we have been deeply impressed by the remarkable growth of this relatively new Scottish startup over the past twelve months.

ZerdaLab was founded in Aberdeen in 2022, the commercial hub of Scotland, a thriving seaport and home to the UK’s North Sea Energy Industry. This drill bit engineering and drilling data analytics company boasts an expert in-house team with extensive industry experience and ambitious growth plans for 2024.

In the ever-evolving energy industry, with the geothermal sector gaining prominence by the day, ZerdaLab stands out as the company to watch.

Geothermal energy, derived from the Greek words ‘geo’ for Earth and ‘thermal’ for heat, is an exciting development in renewable energy. It can be harnessed to provide both heat and electricity, but accessing this energy source requires drilling deep wells through challenging and resilient rock lithologies. The energy is subsequently converted into steam, which powers turbines for electricity generation or heating.

As things stand, the USA leads the way in geothermal electricity generation, producing over 3.7 gigawatts, enough to power millions of American homes. While the geothermal energy market in the UK is currently relatively conservative, there is a future project in Seaham, County Durham, which aims to utilise water from mineshafts to heat local homes.

The University of Durham has identified areas with significant geothermal potential, including Northumberland, Middlesbrough, North East Derbyshire, and Nottingham.

Academics have even predicted that the UK possesses enough underground geothermal energy to heat every home for the next century.

Scale-Up Programme, designed to expedite startup development.

Historically, conventional designs like the Roller Cone have lacked the durability and efficiency required for drilling in high-temperature, hard rock environments beneath the Earth’s surface. High operational costs have also been a hindrance, with nearly a quarter of geothermal project budgets allocated to drilling alone. ZerdaLab’s PDC drill bit technology and unique business model aim to change this landscape through an automated approach to drill bit selection, localised manufacturing, and performance assessment.

ZerdaLab’s application employs an in-house developed physics-based model to determine the optimal cutting structure for each application, maximising the bit’s performance.

Furthermore, a state-of-the-art Computer Vision AI application is used to assess the bit’s condition after use, calibrating the selection algorithms. This

Europe has already made substantial progress in the geothermal sector, with countries like France and Germany leading the way. Many homes in Paris use geothermal heating, and Iceland, with its natural geology, is fully exploiting this renewable energy source.

ZerdaLab is at the forefront of geothermal industry innovation and was recently the only British company nominated for Innovation of the Year by the European Geothermal Energy Council in Germany.

In collaboration with the University of Bath, this Aberdeen startup has undertaken an R&D project on bit construction, funded by the InnovateUK grant, and is a member of the

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We specialise in designing bespoke, high-spec drill bits that are manufactured locally, significantly reducing costs objective bit performance assessment ultimately leads to improved drilling efficiency and reductions in the cost and energy input of geothermal wells.

We had the opportunity to speak with company Director, Vasiliy Zbaraskiy to learn more about this ground-breaking company.

and also mitigating shipping-related CO2 emissions. This approach also supports local manufacturers and communities. Our developing physics-based automated bit selection application will enhance the quality and speed of selecting the right bit for each application, maximising drilling performance.”

The geothermal energy market is thriving not only in the USA but also in Europe, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Iceland, Turkey, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Asian Pacific’s Ring

“Although we were only established in 2022, our achievements have far exceeded our initial expectations. I’ve just returned from the industryleading Geothermal Rising Conference in Nevada, where I had the pleasure of meeting many like-minded

professionals from across the industry, particularly in the USA, the global leader in geothermal energy. We specialise in designing bespoke, high-spec drill bits that are manufactured locally, significantly reducing costs, improving lead times and drilling performance,

go-to choice for drill bits and engineering in the global geothermal space. Their current focus is on optimising drill bit performance and reducing costs for customers, with a vision of making drill bits as close to drilling sites as possible through a network of global manufacturing partners. ZerdaLab will soon be launching both its AI Dull Grading app and its MLenabled Drill Bit Selection tool.

As the geothermal energy sector gains momentum worldwide, including in the UK, we eagerly anticipate ZerdaLab’s future endeavours.

of Fire/Circum-Pacific Belt. ZerdaLab has secured trial tests for its bespoke-designed bits in New Zealand and recently supplied drill bits for a project in Germany.

Looking ahead, the company aims to become the

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“We are delighted to receive a second award from Industrial Process News this year. It is unexpected but greatly appreciated. We are skilled design innovators, and our expert team enjoys collaborating with companies worldwide. Our team is composed of dedicated individuals who thrive under fast-paced pressure. With clear objectives in place, we all know the direction each project is heading in. We are highly motivated and look forward to hearing from new and existing customers in the coming months,” concluded Vasiliy.

To learn more about ZerdaLab and its services, please visit: www.zerdalab.com or contact the company at: info@zerdalab.com or +44 (0)7549 980407.

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Review – Top Exhibitors

Exhibitors signed. New hall sealed. Subcon 2023 delivered The eagerly anticipated Subcon Show returned to Birmingham’s NEC for two exceptional days of industry celebration and innovation!

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he 46th edition of Subcon truly lived up to its reputation as the industry’s leading subcontract manufacturing supply chain show and continued to bring together an abundance of high-quality visitors with over 4,500 in attendance. This represented a 15% increase on 2022, 70% of whom had joint/sole responsibility in purchasing.

Seamless entry into 12 shows For the first time, the Subcon badge also gave visitors access to a number of other shows taking place in adjacent halls on the same dates. Visitors had free access and seamless entry into Subcon, MedTech Innovation Expo, TCT 3Sixty, Automechanika Birmingham, Automotive Supply Chain Forum, Smart Factory Expo, Design Engineering Expo, Maintec and Drives and Controls Zone.

Feelings of success were mirrored by exhibitors.

Simon Bluff, Managing Director at Taylor Forgings, commented, “It’s been a really good day so far, the footfall has been amazing, and we’ve had orders well in excess of £300,000 today alone.”

Simon’s comments were echoed by an impressive on-site rebook rate of 60%, and the average stand size increasing by 28%.

Even bigger and even better in 2024: Subcon returns to the NEC, Birmingham on the 5th-6th June 2024, this time in Hall 3A, making it even easier to access the events, via transport hubs, taking place across the same dates. Additionally, the Subcon floorplan has had an incredible 33% expansion on 2023, this along with the high rebook rate and the continued growth in visitors makes for a brilliant couple of days next year.

World class manufacturing solution providers More than 200 solution providers were in attendance, representing the best of British manufacturing alongside a wealth of market-leading international suppliers.

Thousands of new products and innovations were on display across the full range of advanced engineering technology, systems and services – from additive manufacturing and metrology solutions to frictionless

bearings, cables and controls, and everything in between.

Conference takeover!

Curated by The Engineer, Manufacturing Management and Machinery, Subcon brought together a variety of quality conference content.

The conference delivered high-quality, case study-led discussions on a range of topics including Automation; Cybersecurity; Energy Storage; Net Zero; Recruitment & Retention, Supply Chain Resilience and much more, featuring speakers such as Professor Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Advisor for the Department of Energy Security & Net Zero, and Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer at the MTC.

This is our pick of the best exhibitors from this year’s event, listed here in alphabetical order: FARO, Grenville Engineering, Rivetmaker & SIC Marking. Further details can be found on this page and the next.

For more information on visitor and exhibitor opportunities, and to register your interest, please visit: www.subconshow.co.uk

Grenville Engineering enhances capabilities with arrival of state-of-the-art Tube Laser

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xcitement is in the air at Grenville Engineering as the cutting-edge Bison machine, the Tube Laser, arrived on-site today.

A buzz of activity surrounds the installation as it is carefully craned into position, marking a significant milestone for Grenville’s continuous pursuit of excellence in precision engineering.

State-of-the-Art Technology The RVD SMARTFIBRE TF 8020.3000 CNC Fiber Tube Laser represents the latest advancement in laser cutting technology. This state-of-theart Bison machine is poised to expand Grenville Engineering’s capabilities and allow the company to work with a wide range of materials and shapes. Equipped with cutting-edge features, it brings a new level of flexibility, ensuring that the company can cater to even the most unique project needs.

Benefits to Grenville Engineering The arrival of this cutting-edge machine promises several significant benefits for Grenville Engineering and its valued partners and customers, including Enhanced Precision, Versatile Materials and Shapes, Shorter Lead Times, CostEfficiency and Eco-Friendly Practices.

Sales Director Stuart Rawlinson says,

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“Our new Tube Laser isn’t just a piece of equipment; it’s a game-changer for Grenville Engineering. This arrival elevates our ability to meet customer needs and enter new markets like never before. This clearly reflects our commitment to innovation, quality, and increasing capacity.”

As the machine takes place in the production lineup, Grenville looks forward to better serving its customers and tackling new projects. This marks a significant step towards excellence in precision engineering and the company's mission to provide high-quality, innovative solutions to its clients.

01782 577929 sales@grenville-engineering.co.uk www.grenville-engineering.co.uk

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Review – Top Exhibitors

FARO: Revolutionizing Quality High quality rivets Inspection with AR & Mixed R Reality ivets Maker Ltd is a leading British manufacturer of premium-quality rivets and was delighted to be selected as a Top Exhibitor at this summer’s Subcon Show 2023 from 7th-8th June at the NEC, Birmingham.

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uilding and inspecting large-scale precision fixtures and tooling for manufactured parts can be a challenging and time-consuming process. But with FARO and PolyWorks 3D metrology tools, it doesn’t have to be.

A hardware-software pairing that combines the FARO® Vantage Max Laser Tracker, or the FARO Quantum Max ScanArm, with the InnovMetric PolyWorks|Inspector™ 3D dimensional analysis software, and PolyWorks|AR,™ the mixed reality solution delivers even more precise and accurate results in real-time.

Watch this video to learn how: ■ Mixed reality, like AR, accelerates laser-tracker measurement tasks ■ Portability allows for easy and fast inspections, reducing inspection time by up to 75% ■ To position fixture components precisely, using real-time measurement-driven part tracking ■ Complex GD&T 3D inspections with no line-of-sight obstructions ■ An all-in-one 3D measurement solution, utilizing probing/scanning technology provides the highest flexibility

FARO Laser Trackers make measurements fast and easy, reducing inspection times by up to 75%. With an AR headset, operators gain a greater visual 3D measurement ■ Automated quality control tasks with multiple piece inspection technology streamlines processes.

Learn more +44 (0)2476 973000 www.faro.com

The Leicesterbased manufacturer offers a wide range of rivets from: solid, tubular, semi-tubular (P/T rivets) through to bifurcated rivets, with additional speciality in weld studs and heel pins for stiletto shoes.

Rivets are wonderfully versatile fasteners and can be used across a wide range of applications such as: connecting structural components in aerospace and automation, assembling furniture, through to self-piercing bifurcated rivets in the fibreboard, leather and plywood sectors.

Rivets Maker specialises in rivets up to 6mm in diameter and manufactured batch sizes range from 50,000 to 500,000 components. The expert team can process an extensive range of materials such as aluminium, brass and mild steel, with finishing processes surrounding BZP, nickel and tin plating,

Manufacturing excellence

lacquer blacking, annealing and through-hardening.

Tubular rivets are historically used in the leather industry for example, for belts, bags and applications where a secure or decorative fastening is required.

Rivets Maker has particular skilled expertise in large orders of high-end stiletto heel pins, with four types of knurling along the shaft and offered in differing shank sizes to accommodate different tube diameters. With stilettos still a popular choice across the country, especially white Stealth Stilettos, popularised by many members of the Royal Family, there is still huge demand for high-end heel pins.

07341 082484 info@rivetsmaker.co.uk https://www.rivetsmaker.co.uk

pumps, with SIC offering a lengthy technical consultation to all new and existing customers.

Wiring harnesses for example, are a comprehensive collection of wires and connectors, all assembled to enable the precisionfunction of many electrical products such as control panels and electrical leads and wiring.

S

IC Limited is a leading wiring harness and cable assembly manufacturer, with an illustrious history dating back to 1964.

In the lead-up to the company’s 60th anniversary next year, SIC was an exhibitor at this summer’s Subcon Expo. Held from the 7th-8th June at the NEC, Birmingham. The Subcon expo is the UK’s biggest manufacturing supply chain show and the calendar-event for subcontract manufacturing professionals across many industry sectors.

SIC has been successfully manufacturing cable looms since 1964, from discreet wires to more complex multi-component cable assemblies, from 36AWG TO 2AWG cables. Each customer received a personalised account manager throughout the process, from design consultation to final product delivery. SIC has a state-of-the-art 188,000ft manufacturing and warehouse facility and uses a multitude of manufacturing processes including: APQP, PSW, PPAP AND ISIR. SIC is forward-thinking and embraces the latest advancements in machine and technology, with

SIC were on hand to discuss its full range of services including wire looms, wiring harnesses, control panels, cable looms, control boxes, panel wiring, cable assemblies, battery cables, box/ build assembly and cable harnesses. With over 14,000 product lines used across a wide range of applications: automotive, aerospace, medical, gaming, to HVAC, the Welsh Powerhouse serves over 100 customers in 20 different markets. The high-end product lines have been used in HVAC, vending machines, Medical, boilers to vacuum

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specialist machinery delivering premiere level cable loom production. The in-house trained personnel can produce a wide range of cables from smaller 23mm interface connections to much larger 25M trailer wiring looms and has manufactured over 14,000 product lines. For customised projects, SIC can build manufacturing cells on demand for both manufactured assemblies and special customer packaged components. The in-house engineering team can assist further with any harness or wire loom queries.

The UK based company has always prided itself on exemplary high-quality product and services levels and holds global accreditations, such as: ISO 9001: 2015 quality management certification and ISO 14001:2015 environmental management certifications. Furthermore, the manufacturing facility is UL approved to supply wiring harnesses. +44 (0)1792 957009 enquiries@sicltd.com https://www.sicltd.com

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Laboratory & Harsh Environment Industrial Temperature Monitoring Company of the Month

World-leading fibreoptic technology solutions I

n this issue of Industrial Process News, we are pleased to announce Proximion as our Laboratory and Harsh Environment Industrial Temperature Monitoring Company of the Month.

Proximion is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of systems based on advanced Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs) which are primarily used for fibre optic communication. Proximion’s FBG solutions are extremely efficient in optimising data transfer over long distances via fibre optic networks.

You’ll find Proximion’s technology used across the ten leading system vendors that represent approximately 90% of the telecommunications market, however, this versatile technology is also extremely useful for temperature and strain sensing within numerous industrial sectors.

“Proximion provides fibreoptic technology to two markets: the telecoms market, where its solutions increase the performance, security and cost-effectiveness of communications networks, and the laboratory and industrial sensing markets where its solutions offer actionable measurements for process optimisation and control,” stated Chris Staveley, Business Development Consultant.

Compared to conventional electronic sensing, Proximion’s fibreoptic sensing offers a vast number of benefits including: high speed, high accuracy measurements; insensitivity to electro-magnetic fields; intrinsic safety; one or few connections vs. hundreds for traditional electronic sensor installations; highly distributed linear (1D), area (2D) or volumetric (3D) measurements; miniature sensing fibres that are easily embedded into a structure; and significant cost advantages compared to high-count traditional monitoring.

Established in Sweden by a group of technical experts who held vast amounts of knowledge and expertise in the field of optical fibre technology for the telecoms market, Proximion has gone from strength to strength over the years and is now part of the Hexatronic Group, which is well respected for its fibreoptic technology across the globe.

There are two applications worth noting here.

Firstly, fluid level monitoring with fibreoptic temperature sensing arrays. Many chemical processes include storage tanks where process fluids enter and leave, and knowledge of the process fluid levels and stratification is of great value.

Deploying a Proximion sensing fibre vertically within the tank provides a high-resolution temperature profile of the fluid column from which the fluid interfaces can be determined in real time. A good example of this was in a recent case study from a Kraft pulping process where wood is converted into wood pulp containing cellulose fibres for the production of paperboard and paper, and where the production of highvalue secondary product streams such as lignosulfonates and crude tall oils can be extremely challenging. Proximion’s optical fibre array temperature sensing is ideally suited to meet this measurement challenge by using miniature fibre Bragg grating sensors that support a large number of measurement points using only one single sensing cable. The high-resolution temperature profile generated by such an optical fibre array is processed in real-time to show process engineers the fluid interfaces within the tank, from which they can optimise the production of the valuable secondary products. Together with a leading Swedish pulp and paper producer, Proximion engineers have completed pilot trials that demonstrate the value of fibre optic multi-point temperature sensing in this and several other potential applications.

The second application worth nothing is the monitoring of exothermic reactions in column reactors, which is a new use of optical fibre sensing technology for the chemical process industry. Proximion’s fibreoptic sensing provides a solution to this monitoring challenge and has been proven through a collaboration with the Research

Institute of Sweden (RISE), where a biofuel reactor was successfully instrumented, and valuable measurements were obtained and analysed.

The packed bed reactor is the most common chemical reactor design, and Proximion was challenged to find a solution to the cumbersome process of monitoring these reactors accurately. FBG sensors are made inside miniature (<=250µm) optical fibres and have a very small form-factor, and therefore were ideally suited to this challenge. An experimental packed bed reactor with Proximion fibre optic temperature array sensors was built at RISE to evaluate this new technology application. The sensing system demonstrated the capability to measure the relatively minor exothermic reactions that occur along the complete length of the column, allowing the RISE process engineers to optimise the reactor conditions for maximum conversion efficiency.

Proximion’s applications and systems are ideal for laboratory technicians, researchers, and industrial process control engineers. As your trusted advisor in fibre optic sensing, Proximion can create solutions that deliver clear value to you.

Proximion will be exhibiting at Lab Innovations on the 1st-2nd November 2023 at the NEC in Birmingham on Stand A46.

For more information, please see below: https://www.proximion.com

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Oil, Gas & Offshore

Digital Edge Subsea: Offshore Digital Video + Inspection systems

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igital Edge Subsea supplies subsea industries with digital video recording systems (DVR). The company was established more than 13 years ago, and has nurtured strong customer relationships that have allowed for honest customer feedback, and this has been incorporated into the development of the Version 5 Edge DVR. Digital Edge Subsea also offer further software that will help their customers better serve their clients. The Archive App offers a data storage and backup solution that uses an integral Edge architecture to avoid needing a 3rd party app. Edge Archive handles the transfer of data from the internal DVR drives to Client storage,

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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, i.e., after each dive.

Our DVRs are available in 4u, laptop and workstation formats, providing a great range of potential solutions for many situations.

For more information or a demonstration of the system, contact: info@digitaledgesubsea.com or visit: www.digitaledgesubsea.com

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15

Explosive Protection Industry Company of the Year

Safety our Priority, VigilEx by Stif I

n this issue of Industrial Process News, we are delighted to select MacClancy & Sons Ltd as our Explosive Protection Industry Company of the Year.

We have previously featured MacClancy & Sons Ltd as our Explosion Protection Equipment Specialist Company of the Month and we have been impressed by how this sales and consultancy business has grown from strengthto-strength: the Scottish-based company has recently announced it is the sole UK & Ireland representative for Raptor Spark by Boss Products.

The company was started by industry expert, Michael MacClancy in 2020, who had extensive experience in the explosive protection industry spanning 23 years.

Michael wanted to provide explosion protection to the bulk solids, filtration and food & beverage industries.

Unfortunately, Michael passed away suddenly before completing a full handover to his son, meaning James MacClancy had to quickly take over the reins as he explains here, “The plan was always for us to take over the company, when our father retired but sadly that never happened so I had to hit the ground running and get up to speed quickly as Managing Director. My background is in the offshore oil & gas industry, so I am

used to working in a pressurised environment and I was able to use my transferable skills. Our father had built up considerable contacts through the explosion protection industry over his career lifetime, so I was off to a good start. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company was able to weather the storm as the food and drink industry especially is pandemic and recession-proof, simply put: people will always need to eat and drink.”

“We offer high-quality Explosion Protection equipment from our wide range of Vent Panels, Flameless Vents and Isolation Valves as well as Sensors, Environmental and Safety Protection. Due to our exclusive partnership with STIF, we supply VigilEx® Safety Protection equipment, which is fully ATEX certified for all types of combustible dust up to 250KST, as well as meeting the latest UK National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulations.”

“We have seen our client list grow and we have increased our sales growth year-on-year. After a successful exhibition at HazardEx Live earlier this year, with Jordan Hureau from STIF, we were delighted to meet new and existing customers to talk about our explosion protection range. We will be back once more at HazardEx Live in February 2024, to discuss how to mitigate against explosions across the industry.”

MacClancy & Sons Ltd are based in Strathaven, Lanarkshire and are the exclusive UK agents for VigilEx by STIF products: a French company specialised in the production of components for bulk handling products and known in the industry for exporting a large range of different products including explosion protection equipment. STIF products are sold globally through an extensive sales network of specialised subsidiaries, independent local distributors, and expert sales and consultancy services.

Renowned for their meticulous in-house research and development and testing with European Notified Body INERIS, resulting in its cutting-edge VIGILEX safety protection equipment, STIF products are all ISO 9001 AFAQ accredited and certification compliant to EN 14491, EN 14994, VDI3673 and NFPA 68, 67 and 855 Standards.

The specialised team of French engineers have perfected its product for the explosion vent panel market, through flat, curved, bent or round panels.

Working as sales and consultancy experts, MacClancy

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and Sons Ltd supply VIGILEX explosion protection to industries ranging from: food & beverage, filtration, bulk material handling, LEV, Biomass and all sectors, which have a combustible dusty atmosphere.

The VigiSpace® Deflector was a recent new product to market, engineered as an explosion panel deflector. The panel is installed upside down and the VigiSpace® Deflector is attached directly to the panel, manoeuvring any unexpected flames or explosive pressure upwards, protecting workers and machinery. Precisiondesigned to mitigate the spread of fire or explosions, the VigiSpace® Deflector gives businesses peace of mind, with optimised protection. Used with the VIGILEX VL or VD, it restricts the opening angle of the explosion vent and guides the pressure, flame and heat relief upwards.

“The VigiFlap® Explosion Isolation Valve is revolutionary in the LEV installer and fitter industry: it has been certified to be installed both vertically and horizontally,

giving it a huge advantage over our competitors. Designed as a non-return valve, the VigiFlap® Explosion Isolation Valve essentially mitigates against overpressure or flames caused by downstream explosions.

The valve can be utilised at the entrance and exit of the filter and can isolate and shut down the filter from a further explosion. In the event of an explosion, the valve is shut down, preventing further flame migration. This isolation valve is simply the best in the market today and we are proud to be exclusive agents of this game-changer in the industry,” explained James.

A second industry heavyweight is the Raptor Spark family of explosion protection, fire isolation and diversion products from Boss Products. Boss Products are renowned globally for combustible dust mitigation and are all ATEX-approved and NFPAcompliant. MacClancy & Sons Ltd have revealed that they are now the exclusive UK & Europe representatives and bringing their Raptor Spark range to the UK & Irish markets.

rise in temperature inside the vessels is identified quickly with thermal probes, with a corresponding automatic system shut-down signal sent. Equally, dust probes monitor for leaks and any detection of dust in the clean air-side activates the Raptor High Speed Abort Gate safety device. If you’re looking for state-of-the-art protection cross a multitude of applications, these kits are a game-changer.

With the UK Government’s 2050 net-zero targets on the horizon, ministerial teams have made it mandatory to fit or retro-fit explosion protection equipment to battery energy storage systems (BESS) infrastructure.

This explosion protection will ensure renewable energy sources are implemented as quickly as possible, in accordance with NFPA 855 upgrades and the allimportant ATEX compliance, as James outlines below, “VigilEx ENERGY® Division provides both passive and active mitigation against fire and explosion, protecting plant and personnel. The ARC-VENT® and DUAL-VENT® offers optimal IP65 and ATEX EN 14491 certified deflagration protection. Designed to mitigate against arc flashes or electrical explosions, the active DUAL-VENT® solution has dual intrinsic operationality: venting by gas detection (active) and explosion pressure (passive). The gas detection senses gas before the maximum threshold, automatically opening the vents, eliminating the gas risk immediately.

Vents are installed easily or seamlessly retrofitted to external walls of electric switch rooms or directly onto BESS containers. The ergonomic vents open outwards, directly the explosion away from further damage.”

Looking ahead to 2024, James is planning to continue to grow the business organically and might be recruiting in the near future, to optimise growth of the existing client base. The quality and reputation of both the VIGILEX and Raptor Spark ranges are simply unmatched in their ability to protect your personnel, process plant and property.

MacClancy & Sons Ltd will be at HazardEx Live again from 28th-29th February 2024: Harrogate (Stand 33).

Raptor Spark is designed to keep a full range of facility sectors safe, from the wider food industry including: coffee, flour and cocoa, furniture and woodworking, to paper, tobacco and animal feed. These cutting-edge systems work across hazard detection, system shut-down, isolation/ abort, extinguishing and/or suppression.

+44 (0)7884 350337 james@macclancyandsons.co.uk https://vigilexuk.com https://www.macclancyandsons.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/stifsoci%C3%A9t%C3%A9-de-t%C3%B4leriefran%C3%A7aise-

The Raptor Spark Detection and Extinguishing System is primarily designed to mitigate the risk of fire and explosion in dust filtration and pneumatic conveying systems. The spark detectors detect spark, fire and incandescent material, with the water extinguishing system triggered by spark detectors within 200Ms. Sparks are also detected that have travelled past the extinguishing system, offering robust protection. Any

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Pumps & Valves

Xylem’s renowned Flojet brand Oliver Twinsafe expands innovative VersiJet Series engineers let X

ylem’s (NYSE: XYL) renowned Flojet brand has enhanced its innovative VersiJet Series industrial motor driven diaphragm (MDD) pumps with the introduction of a new, four-chamber model. Leveraging market-leading pump technology from Flojet, the new MDD pump has been specifically designed to serve industrial applications requiring flow rates of between 3 and 5 gallons per minutes (GPM), the equivalent of approximately 11 to 19 litres per minute (LPM).

Backed by Xylem’s technical expertise, this expanded VersiJet offer will make it even easier for our customers to find the right pump for the job, every time.”

The new VersiJet four-chamber pump from Xylem brings new capabilities to its Flojet industrial offer, bringing higher-pressure capabilities, greater ambient temperature resistance and longer pumping life

The new pump is the first four-chamber pump available under the Flojet VersiJet Series and replaces the existing Flojet Quad Series, offering higher-pressure capabilities, greater ambient temperature resistance and longer pumping life.

The pump head has been specifically designed with a cast aluminum lower housing for enhanced durability, handling a maximum pressure of up to 60psi. Equivalent MDD pumps under the Flojet Quad Series currently handle a maximum pressure of 45psi.

The new four-chamber pumps also offer improved heat resistance and have been tested to achieve temperature stabilization in elevated ambient conditions of 122°F (50°C). This capability opens up the four-chamber design to applications in markets requiring spraying or on-demand pumping in high temperature conditions, unlike the previous model available under the Flojet Quad Series. Due to this level of heat durability, the pump is suitable for use in heavy-duty applications like agriculture, farming and construction.

“The addition of the four-chamber MDD pump to our established VersiJet Series will enhance our Flojet industrial pump portfolio significantly,” said Young Baeg, Associate Product Manager at Jabsco, Flojet, Rule. “By incorporating the robust qualities of our innovative VersiJet Series into this new four-chamber design, we’re offering our industrial OEM customers increased pumping capabilities through a simplified portfolio.

As the latest addition under the VersiJet Series, the new four-chamber MDD pump joins an expansive line-up of industrial pumps for use in applications including spraying, fluid transfer, filtration, cooling, dispensing and pressure boosting. The newly expanded VersiJet Series, which also includes an innovative five-chamber MDD pump, is capable of handling pressures of up to 70psi at a maximum capacity of 6GPM or 23LPM, approximately.

Since its launch, the VersiJet fivechamber pump has been successfully deployed in heavy-duty applications, with agriculture equipment customers noting its superior performance when compared to competitor pumps. The pump’s durable exterior, coupled with its excellent shock absorption capabilities, supports the operation of agricultural machinery in harsh environments, while its IPX6 rated water protection certification is well-suited for efficient installation in tough surroundings.

Customers have also cited the reliability of the VersiJet Series as a deciding factor when selecting pumps, due to the consistent level of quality assurance offered by the global pump brand.

The new four-chamber VersiJet Series industrial motor driven diaphragm pump is available to purchase globally now.

Established since 1975 as a manufacturer of special application pumps with an initial focus on the emerging cleaning machine market, Xylem’s Flojet brand has evolved into a leading global supplier of small pumps, motors and dispensing pumps for a variety of industries.

For more information on the Flojet VersiJet series, please visit: www.xylem.com/Flojet

Oliver Valvetek Double Gate Valves on the Norwegian Continental Shelf O

liver Valvetek has manufactured a number of 1” Double Block Subsea Gate Valves with manual and hydraulic actuation destined for the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Interestingly, a continental shelf is a shallow and relatively flat stretch of seabed that extends from the shoreline to water depths of around 200 metres, before dropping off to deeper waters in what’s called the continental slope.

This dual functioning valve consists of a 1” hydraulic gate valve and a 1” multi-turn manual Gate valve both positioned on a single unitary forged valve block for dual redundancy and functionality. This unique and customised design brings additional benefits to subsea tree engineers in that it now provides flexibility to be used as stand-alone and fully functioning valves on other applications of the tree due to its standardised valve footprint.

The importance of the continental shelf to Norway is that it holds huge natural resources such as oil and gas, but also fishing. The bestknown fishing areas are found on the Shelf and at the edges where it meets the deep sea. Under international law, coastal states are entitled to their continental shelf up to 200 nautical miles from their shores with some exceptions made to lengthen this, with NCS being one.

To date, Oliver Valvetek has manufactured more than 150 double gate valves with the hydraulic gate valve being a coil spring design as specified by the end-user.

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off steam O

liver Twinsafe, in partnership with their official distributor HT-PCE, collaborated with an industrial processing plant in solving huge leakage problems experienced on steam applications.

Their existing metalseated valve design had to be improved and even replaced, and for good reasons. Their valves had only a single isolation design, and exposed the risk of leakage due to the number of potential leak paths they contained.

The perfect solution would be for the valve design to have far fewer leak paths, metal-seating with zero-seat leakage, and a compact design that reduces overall space and weight.

Fast forward a few weeks and the engineering team at Oliver Twinsafe custom-designed a 2”/300lb Double Block and Bleed (DBB) valve supplied complete with actuators and utilisation of all ball valve operation. The team took onboard all of the technical requirements, used existing and proven valve technology and materials to create the perfect solution to this problem. It’s often said, that when engineers creatively let off steam, it usually results in some of the most amazing solutions, and this has been no exception.

On completion of initial trials, the 2” DBB valves are to be installed on other UK and overseas processing plants.

For more information on how Oliver Twinsafe can custom-design valves for your processing plant using the very best in valve design and technology, contact us on +44 (0)1565 632636 or email: sales@valves.co.uk or visit: www.valves.co.uk

For information on how Oliver Valvetek can provide subsea valve solutions for your project, telephone: +44 (0)1565 632636 or visit our website at: www.valves.co.uk

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Handling, Storage & Logistics

Supplying a wide range of Industrial Doors together with repairs and maintenance to the whole of the UK E stablished in 1997, dp Doors and Shutters ltd was founded by 2 people working from a converted garage.

Based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire the company maintains an impressive amount of work force collective experience spanning across 300 years for manufacturing, installing, and repairs and maintenance of industrial doors for a range of industrial, food processing and commercial applications.

Expanding significantly since the companies’ inception, dp doors and Shutters has seen exponential growth.

Starting from a team of just 2, the company now maintains 37 employees operating from its 12,500 sq. ft. factory.

A noteworthy a milestone for the company is the achievement of ISO9001:2015 status.

As a specialist in a wide range of industrial doors, dp doors and shutters manufacturers and installs Steel Roller Shutters both single skin and insulated,

Insulated up and Over Sectionals, High speed Doors, steel personnel doors, Fire shutters and Steel Fire Doors.

All our doors can be both electrically operated or manually controlled (single or 3 phase).

With such a varied range of products, dp doors and shutters also maintains and repairs doors for a variety of

customers and has provided its products and services for many different applications including manufacturing, food processing, warehouses and the construction industry.

One important factor that positions dp doors and shutters as a key player in its industry is its unrivalled skill set and dedication to customer service. Offering 24/7 availability, a full site survey carried out at no extra cost and an expert team providing vital support, advice and services. dp doors and shutters strives to achieve excellence for its customers.

“It’s not so much the product, as most companies in the industry supply doors that are technically similar, its more about our service and response times that set us apart. We endeavour to be on site within 4 working hours from call out.” says the Managing Director, Alan Bolsover.

One of the companies’ most notable ranges is its selection of High Speed Doors. Consisting of the motorised Rapid Fold up and Rapid Roll up fabric Doors. These are doors that effectively open rapidly upon approach and close automatically after a timed delay. These make the doors ldeal where controlling the environment is paramount.

The Fold up door is specifically designed for use on external doors where wind resistance is a key factor in design. The rapid fold up door has been specifically designed for doorways with a larger width and height. Its unique design and integral built in wind bars make this an ideal choice for openings exposed to the elements.

The rapid Roll up door is ideal for smaller and internal openings where wind resistance isn’t a factor.

The Rapid Roll and Rapid Fold fabric doors comes with electronic fault code displaying control panel, soft stop, soft start, multi light beam safety feature and self-repairing curtains (Rapid Roll only).

The Rapid Action doors are manufactured from a light-weight aluminium frame which makes them easier and quicker to install.

The company also boasts an in house modern powder coating facility which has helped the company with its turn around times and reduce costs. dp doors and shutters is a long time member of the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) and hold accreditations including CHAS, Safe Contractor and Construction line.

The company takes Health and Safety very seriously with the company engaging in regular toolbox talks with site engineers and investing in an ongoing training program.

0114 2889464 sales@dpdoorsandshutters.co.uk www.dpdoorsandshutters.co.uk

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19

Technology

Why use IO-Link?

Universal | Smart | Easy A Tipping Point hen I first encountered the topic of IO-Link 18 years ago, uniform communication at the sensoractuator level was at a tipping point. It was basically clear to everyone that you can only win with a uniform standard. Every manufacturer already had corresponding proprietary communication interfaces for internal production processes, but access for the customer was difficult. So what was the reason that almost caused it to fail? Backward compatibility with the classic switching signal had to be strictly adhered to and shifting between switching mode and communicating mode was not solved. After hard discussions, the knot was broken, and the further definition was completed successfully. At this point, however, the most important characteristic of the IO-Link community has already become apparent: despite all differences and different approaches, the challenges were mastered, and the final product can be admired today.

W

Wide compatibility In addition to compatibility with the switching 3-wire world, IO-Link is characterised by the fact that it does not require a system decision at any time, since the well-thought out, IO-Link master element enables mapping to all known bus systems as well as to IoT standards. This fact results in a win-win situation.

The IO-Link device manufacturers only need to incorporate one communication standard in one device type and the user benefits from the wide range of products without restrictions due to bus systems or simple support of different bus systems.

Standardised device description IO-Link has succeeded in creating a harmonised parameterization via the IODD (Input-Output-Device-Description) file.

Uniform standard parameters are used under the same names across all manufacturers, so that the user can find his way around very quickly without having to read a lot of documentation. As a side effect some fundamental parameters popped up that are a basic prerequisite for today’s digital world,

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in particular standardised identification and diagnostic parameters as a basis for future use in digital twins.

But that’s not all, in IO-Link systems the toolfree exchange of IO-Link devices is already realised. So there is no need to search and install parameterization software. A simple mechanical exchange with automatic update to the current parameter set puts the system back to operation.

In the case of sensors, many manufacturers have profiled the process data of measuring systems, and profiles for actuators, signal lamps and power supplies are under construction, so that the integration of IO-Link components will be further simplified for users. In addition, the IODD already makes it easier for users to set up IO-Link devices using their respective familiar system tools.

Furthermore, the IO-Link community adds the convenience of centrally stored IODDs on the IODDfinder and many system tools already support an integrated import of missing IODDs. This eliminates the annoying search for the appropriate IODD on the respective manufacturer pages for more than 25,000 devices from more than 150 manufacturers today.

Quality first The success of IO-Link is closely linked to the quality integrated from the get-go. By creating the test specification in parallel and consistently implementing it in test tools, the manufacturers of IO-Link components are enabled to check for conformity in a traceable manner. Based on these tests, the manufacturer creates a self-declaration in the form of a Manufacturer Declaration (MD). Through the mandatory publication, for example on the IODDfinder,

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we achieve maximum transparency for the user.

The access for manufacturers as well as consultants or independent conformity test houses into the IO-Link technology is conveniently arranged by the IO-Link community through accredited IO-Link competence centers and test laboratories in the USA, Europe and Asia. These facilities undergo regular audits by the IO-Link community to meet the high-quality standards.

But IO-Link is more than just each individual component. The greatest benefit for the user is provided by the standardisation across the whole system chain. From the end device to the customer application and independent of the component manufacturers. To support the already established integration specifications for various fieldbus systems and IoT standards, the IO-Link master interface has been further harmonised with the help of the standardised master interface (SMI) and provides a solid basis for further integrations.

Extending IO-Link Besides the original IO-Link definition, useful extensions relevant for automation have been created according to proven principles.

Considering the already created tools and IODD definitions, the system has been enriched by IO-Link Wireless and IO-Link Safety. Both extensions carry on the basic idea of IO-Link, i.e. point-to-point communication, mapping in all bus systems or FSCPs (Functional Safety Communication Protocols) and this uniformly across manufacturers.

An eye towards the future Because it is not enough to rest on our laurels, we have set up a Task Force Future within the IO-Link community. In this way, we want to specifically address future topics for IO-Link, evaluate them and develop concepts to guide the community integration into the IO-Link standard without overburdening users, but still carry the system into the digital future. In particular, the usage of the proven data model

– see them on page 7

in other communication technologies is being considered. One example is the co-operation with the mioty alliance, which, by using the IODD methodology, does not have to develop integration in systems from scratch, but applies existing tools to a new area of communication.

The IO-Link user is always in the focus of the IO-Link community. This is reflected in the regular IO-Link forums, where IO-Link experts explain the IO-Link standard in all its facets and thus provide future users with a broad basis for making decisions about IO-Link.

Transparency for all Another aspect of the success of IO-Link technology is the transparency of the IO-Link community. By publishing all specifications, anyone who is interested can read them and give us feedback about issues, misunderstandings and ideas for improvement.

The relevant definition groups capture the suggestions, evaluate and incorporate them in order to improve the specifications and improve the system further. This openness repeatedly enforces the descent from the ‘ivory tower’ and opens up the technology to previously unrecognised application opportunities.

This again creates an open working culture in the IO-Link community, ranging from IO-Link experts and tool specialists to IoT experts and PLC programmers. It also reveals the demanding challenges we are dealing with, processing the IO-Link data not only for use in the control of a plant, but increasingly in maintenance, condition monitoring tasks as well as robot collaboration up to quality analyses. At this point, the IO-Link community is also very committed and easy to work with. Everyone in the community is allowed to contribute to the corresponding working groups and thus a broad expert knowledge is guaranteed.

Conclusion Today, IO-Link is an accepted communication standard that provides data from the field to the controller (PLC) via Profinet, but also meets the IoT requirements and supports systems such as omlox and MTP (Module Type Package).

Diagnostic data, backwards compatibility, simple device

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exchange, unique device identification and standardised parameters have become so selfevident that it is no longer seen as a significant milestone in automation and IoT. Almost needless to mention anymore that the system also supports safe applications and handles wireless data transmission.

Therefore, I can state for myself, that we come a long way from an almost failed standard 18 years ago, to an accepted communication standard for simple devices as it has emerged today. IO-Link standardises far more than just the communication and thus offers users many possibilities to implement their applications without having to dive deep into the system.

And to top it off, the whole thing is worldwide!

Contact +49 721 986197-0 www.profibus.com

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Engineering & Machining

Essentra’s Hengzhu site HellermannTyton site sets new personal best powered with solar energy to promote sustainability in manufacturing

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lobal cable management specialist, HellermannTyton, has broken its production record along with setting new site safety standards at its Manchester manufacturing facility.

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HellermannTyton recently set a new standard for productivity, with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) – a key metric in manufacturing - reaching 90%, it’s highest ever level.

This surpasses the previous record of 88%, set in June and further reinforces the factory's position as a world-leading facility. The benchmark for ‘world-class’ OEE is generally considered to be 85%.

Scott Mayne, Site Director at HellermannTyton Manchester, said, “We were typically operating somewhere around 75-80% and we drove that up to 88% over the last few months. In July, we saw our best OEE month on record, which is a testament to the changes we’ve put in place and the hard work of the entire team.”

HellermannTyton is a leading manufacturer of cable management solutions serving the electrical, rail,

automotive, offshore and panel building sectors. Last week the Wythenshawebased facility produced 112 million parts, while it has also reduced raw materials wastage and enjoyed a 40% improvement in right-first-time quality.

In addition, the facility has notched up an impressive six months with no health and safety incidents on-site.

Mike Woodbridge has joined as health and safety manager and along with implementing a culture change on safety, he has introduced employee welfare measures.

HellermannTyton’s achievements have also been attributed to initiatives focused on staff retention and training of employees at the Manchester site. https://www.hellermanntyton.co.uk

ssentra, a leading provider of essential components and solutions, has furthered its commitment to making direct operations net zero by 2040 with its manufacturing site in Jiangxi, China, now being powered by solar panels.

Supporting its emissions reduction targets, aligned with science-based thinking, the solar array installation is a significant step towards realising Essentra’s sustainability goals. The site will generate up to 1,650,000kWh of energy annually, reducing its reliance on fossil-fuel generated electricity and avoiding the unnecessary generation of an estimated 1,000 tCO2e of emissions each year.

The installation comes only three months after commissioning a 6,000m2 solar array at Essentra’s manufacturing site in Rayong, Thailand, as part of a companywide pledge to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25% by 2025.

Jennifer Spence, Head of Sustainability Strategy at Essentra PLC says the panels are a step forward in reducing direct emissions: “The solar array reflects our overarching aim to reduce carbon emissions and practice sustainability in manufacturing across all of our global sites,” she says.

“With ESG targets in mind, and the rising costs of energy prices, being energy independent and efficient not only helps us positively impact the environment, but also saves money in the same process.”

The installation of solar panels is just one part of a comprehensive programme of measures to reduce carbon emissions and make better use of energy, including the use of more efficient equipment and carrying out regular energy audits to identify where further improvements can be made.

Contact www.essentracomponents.com www.essentraplc.com

£1.8m investment at Precision Micro supports journey to net zero G

lobal chemical etching supplier Precision Micro has unveiled a further expansion of its manufacturing capacity and capability with the addition of a second new etch room at its Fort Dunlop-based site in Birmingham, UK. In an investment totalling £1.8 million, the etch room is home to three new highly efficient etch machines alongside a bespoke semi-automated print frame.

Believed to be an industry first, the business’s new print frame boasts a design that minimises human input in printing photoresists onto larger sheet metals up to 1,500mm x 600mm in size, increasing throughput and delivering cost savings to its customers.

Furthermore, the shift towards a more automated approach enhances component quality by eradicating the issue of foreign object debris, which can impact the photochemical etching process, as well as reducing the manual handling of heavier materials.

Driven by global demand for nextgeneration energy technologies such as hydrogen production and storage, carbon capture, green energy buffering,

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electric and hydrogen electric vehicles, the expansion enables Precision Micro to supply larger, thicker etched sheets in higher volumes.

Supplying enabling components such as printed circuit heat exchanger flow plates for waste energy recovery and hydrogen pre-coolers, busbar battery interconnects for EVs and bipolar plates for fuel cells and electrolysers used for hydrogen production, the investment will support companies looking to productionise these products and overcome capacity constraints in the existing supply chain.

Precision Micro also plans to add a fourth etch machine to its new etch room in early 2024. https://www.precisionmicro.com

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Photos: UNISIG

Machining

BTA Drilling: Brazed versus Indexable Tooling D

eep hole drilling applications can be approached in several ways, but one of the most effective methods is often BTA drilling. BTA stands for Boring and Trepanning Association, although it is sometimes referred to as STS or Single Tube System drilling. Unlike gun drills or twist drills, a BTA drill features internal chip removal, which has advantages in both productivity and hole quality.

The BTA drill head has multiple carbide cutting edges and guide pads mounted to it. Open spaces are designed into the head for chip removal, and chips are evacuated through the drill tube the head is threaded onto. Pressurised coolant surrounds the drill head in operation, and is key to

forcing chips through the head and out the drill tube. This method of chip evacuation allows for a very clean and reliable process with excellent surface finish and high drill feed rates – typically 5-7 times faster than gundrilling at the same diameter. No peck cycles or feed interruptions are needed, resulting in reduced machine time while drilling extended depth-to-diameter ratios even greater than 40:1.

BTA drills are generally available in two forms: brazed or indexable; and tool selection is dependent upon several factors. As the name implies, brazed tools involve brazing a carbide insert and guide pads onto a steel body, while indexable BTA drilling tools have carbide inserts either directly mounted to the head with a retention screw or seated in a cartridge that is mounted to the tool.

BTA head can only be as accurate as the tolerance of the inserts themselves; but a brazed head has been ground to a very precise tolerance from the manufacturer.

Indexable BTA heads, with inserts mounted directly to the head

By contrast, hole diameters starting at approximately 20mm favor indexable tools, primarily for economic reasons. Replacing larger diameter brazed tools is expensive, whereas indexing an insert and guide pads gives an easy extension on the tool’s life. Indexable insert manufacturers also offer an exhaustive range of carbide grades, coatings and chip breakers for application-specific advantages.

The placement of the indexable inserts on BTA drill head varies by diameter and by manufacturer, and can include one or multiple inserts mounted directly to the head or set in a heat-treated cartridge, which is then mounted to the head.

Guide pads are typically mounted the head to counter the drilling forces and burnish the hole during drilling. Indexing, or rotating, a directmounted insert is as simple as loosening the retaining screw and turning the insert to expose a fresh cutting edge. If the insert and pocket were made with tight tolerances, your cutting diameter should remain reasonably consistent.

Cartridge-mounted inserts, however, typically incorporate a shim or other adjustment system to allow for a much more precise diameter setting after indexing inserts and guide pads. This process does require additional equipment, however, such as a micrometer and stand or tool presetter – as well as the skills needed to accurately make the necessary adjustments.

Whether you select brazed or indexable BTA drills for your deep hole drilling application, you will be rewarded with high feed rates and process reliability, along with minimal centerline deviation and excellent hole quality.

To learn more, contact UNISIG: www.unisig.com about its complete portfolio of BTA drilling machines, drill tubes, tools and BTA durable tooling.

Hole diameter is the initial consideration when determining whether to use brazed or indexable BTA drills. For small hole diameters – generally 12 to 20mm in diameter – brazed tools are often the first choice as it’s difficult to make small inserts and screws strong enough to withstand the torque and forces of BTA drilling. (Manufacturers of BTA drilling tools continue to make improvements in indexable BTA heads as small as 8mm in diameter, however).

Brazed tools offer extremely close tolerances and excellent surface finish as the insert and guide pads are mounted and then ground to the specified diameter, providing almost perfect concentricity and cylindricity. Ease of use is also a benefit – simply attach the head to the drill tube and discard it when it has dulled or failed. If you experience a tool failure, the investment in drill head isn’t as costly as repairing or replacing an indexable drill head. Finally, an indexable

Brazed BTA heads – carbide inserts and guide pads are brazed onto the drill head

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Review – Top Exhibitors

Manufacturing & Engineering Week is industrial sector’s biggest event

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anufacturing & Engineering Week, produced in association with The Manufacturer, has become the biggest industrial sector event in the UK in just its second year, according to statistics released by event organisers The Nineteen Group. Over the course of the live shows back in June, 10,355 manufacturers, designers, engineers and maintenance professionals attended at the NEC and 342 exhibitors showcased their products and services.

The week began with digital sessions produced by The Manufacturer, a BBC radio broadcast followed by four live events featuring high profile speakers including Nusrat Ghani, Minister of State at the Department for Business & Trade who gave the welcome address in the Keynote Theatre. The six solution theatres covering Automation & Robotics, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Industrial Data & AI, IIOT & Connectivity and Maintenance were also packed on both days.

Senior manufacturing leaders attended the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit and the SME Growth Summit while also finding time to visit the Google Leaders’ Lounge and The Manufacturer Top 100 Award ceremony, which celebrates the heroes of UK manufacturing and recognises their contribution to the sector.

As part of the STEM programme, more than 450 students attended the exhibition on the final afternoon finding much to inspire them in the Made Smarter Innovation Alley, the Innovation Village and beyond.

Manufacturing & Engineering Week has the support of most of the high-profile organisations, institutions and trade bodies representing the UK’s industrial and manufacturing sector, none more so than Make UK. Stephen Phipson CBE, CEO of MAKE UK and chair of Manufacturing & Engineering Week said of this year’s event, “Manufacturing and Engineering Week has gone from strength to strength with key challenges high on the agenda with skills, supply chain and sustainability discussed in detail. It was great to see the show also offset their carbon emissions once again by planting thousands more trees in the M&E Week forest.”

Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group commented on the success of the event saying, “We gave our team the licence to disrupt the accepted norms of what an industrial sector trade show looked like, from the Nexa3D guitar players’ competition to the festival-like stilt walkers and branding to the sheer sense of excitement generated on the

Celebrating 120 years of delivering technical excellence!

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armley Graham was founded in 1903 serving the North East’s shipbuilding, coal, and steel industries through the supply of industrial engineering products.

The company has continued to adapt and evolve to ensure it is always at the forefront of technology, establishing itself as the UK’s premier independent supplier of Factory Automation.

Indeed, alongside state-of-the-art products supplied by all leading manufacturers, Parmley Graham remains committed to providing a

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This is our second pick of the best exhibitors from this year’s event, listed here in alphabetical order: Chronos Technology Solutions, Control Station, EA Technology, FC Laboratories, Flags Software, Gruetzner, Interface Force, Laser Prototypes, Mac Solutions, Parmley Graham, PCE Instruments & Santon Circuit Breaker Services. Further details can be found on this page and the next 3 pages.

M&E Week 2024: 5th-6th June – Smart Factory Expo, Design & Engineering Expo, Maintec (2 days, Hall 4) 4th-6th June – Drives & Controls, Air-Tech, Fluid Power & Systems (3 Days, Hall 5).

For more information, please visit: www.mandeweek.co.uk +44 (0)20 8947 917 enquiries@mandeweek.co.uk

Efficient flow measurement and control with the PCE-TDS 200+ series T

he ultrasonic flow meters of the PCE-TDS 200+ series play an important part in the energy transition as part of which many countries switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies to reduce CO2 emissions and ensure a sustainable energy supply. In this context, energy generation plants like solar power plants, wind farms and new heat pumps are gaining importance.

The PCE-TDS 200+ series measures the flow of liquids – a crucial advance in energy production. The device can be used to monitor the flow of cooling water in solar thermal systems or measure the flow in heating systems.

downtime. A data logger can also be set up to save the results on a 32GB SD card for evaluation.

By measuring flow, the PCE-TDS 200+ series supports efficient control and optimisation of power generation processes. It helps maximise the energy yield and optimise energy consumption.

Precise measurements of the flow rate enable optimised use of renewable energies and make an important contribution to achieving climate targets.

So, if you are looking for a trusted advisor, contact us today!

The flow rate, the volume flow and the volume are displayed.

Contact +44 (0)191 478 0400 www.parmley-graham.co.uk

Real-time measurements allow faults to be detected quickly, enabling timely response to minimise

More information: https://www.pce-instruments. com/english/measuringinstruments/test-meters/ ultrasonic-flow-meterkat_152137.htm

wealth of technical expertise and application knowledge across all industry sectors.

Today, as it celebrates 120 years, Parmley Graham is the UK’s largest Value Added Reseller of Siemens; an official recognition of quality at every stage – from consultation and engineering, through to the supply, service, and technical support.

exhibition floor it’s been superb, and it will only get better next year as we add Drives & Controls, Air-Tech and Fluid Power & Systems alongside the established Smart Factory Expo, Maintec and Design & Engineering Expo.”

Helping customers embrace new technology and develop new skills to improve their productivity, raise quality, and drive down costs has become synonymous with Parmley Graham’s offering.

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Force measurement solutions I

t is important for those involved in manufacturing and engineering to use the correct force measurement instrumentation that provides the right data for the most accurate process control.

Interface Force Measurement Ltd is a UK company that’s product reliability is second to none. Specialising in the supply and distribution of high-quality sensors and associated electronics and displays for a wide range of industries, Interface is recognised around the world with decades of experience that has gone into making Interface manufactured load cells the benchmark for thousands of users around the world.

Just some of its high-quality, high accuracy force, torque and pressure mapping solutions include Single, dual and triple axis load cells and torque transducers from Interface Force; Six axis transducers and force plates from AMTI: Pressure mapping sensors and systems from XSensor Technology Corp.

As the exclusive distributor and local representative for DDM Sensor Solutions, AMTI, GP:50, and XSENSOR, over the years, Interface has supported many household names including

Review – Top Exhibitors

Santon Switchgear Circuit Breaker Services: Designing retrofit solutions for obsolete or faulty switchgear

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t Santon Circuit Breaker Service, our core mission is to design retrofit solutions that replace obsolete or faulty switchgear efficiently and effectively. We specialise in breathing new life into aging electrical systems, ensuring they remain reliable and safe. Our commitment to minimising downtime is evident as our innovative solutions can be installed in just 2-4 hours.

Cadbury, JLR, Rolls Royce, Nissan, University of Oxford, Siemens, Dyson, and many more.

Whether you’re looking for an Interface specific product or something more bespoke, Interface can help.

Interface will be exhibiting next at Advanced Engineering on the 1st-2nd November 2023 and Engineering & Manufacturing/Smart Factory Expo on the 5th-6th June 2024.

For more information, please see below: 01344 776666 info@interfaceuk.com https://interfaceforce.co.uk

Our expertise spans a wide range of switchgear types, including those from industry leaders like ABB, GE, Merlin Gerin, Siemens, and Terasaki. Whether you’re grappling with outdated equipment or facing reliability issues, Santon’s team of experienced engineers is ready to craft customised retrofit solutions tailored to your specific needs.

In a world where efficiency and sustainability are paramount, Santon Circuit Breaker Service stands as the embodiment of progress, providing swift and green solutions for your electrical needs. We are committed to keeping your operations running smoothly while minimising disruptions, and we’re here to light the path forward in electrical engineering. +31 (0)10 283 26 14 https://santoncbs.com

Our unique approach doesn’t stop at retrofitting; it encompasses a forward-thinking philosophy we call ‘Forward Engineering.’ This philosophy underscores our dedication to sustainability, making sure that your electrical infrastructure is not only dependable but also environmentally responsible.

Control Station: Making Where is my stuff and Optimisation Easy! what is it doing?

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ontrol Station leads the process analytics field, offering monitoring, diagnostics, and optimisation solutions to global manufacturers. Our goal is simple: empower manufacturing excellence by improving production efficiency and throughput, and control loop performance across industries.

Manufacturers rely on automation for competitiveness, and Control Station’s solutions are essential to that success.

Our Lifecycle Solutions: PlantESP™ monitors plant-wide control systems, detecting production issues, performing root-cause analysis, and recommending corrective actions, resulting in optimised production systems, reducing downtime, and enhancing efficiency.

LOOP-PRO™ is our leading software for process modelling and PID controller tuning, excelling in noisy and dynamic data applications, making it a valuable asset for industries with complex processes. It has been recognised numerous times for the Engineer’s Choice Award as the

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market’s best PID Controller Tuning Software and it is a two-time winner of Chemical Processing Magazine’s Vaaler Award.

Training & Skills Development: Practical Process Control workshops equip professionals to diagnose and fix control-related issues, licensed by 200+ global colleges and universities and certified by leading process manufacturers.

Our global customers are based in all industry segments including: Pharmaceuticals & Biotech, Manufacturing, Mining, Chemicals, Food & Beverage, and Oil & Gas. Control Station is dedicated to helping manufacturers worldwide optimise production.

Contact 00353 (0)505 39900 Emeasales@controlstation.com www.controlstation.com

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ffective management of physical assets is key to determining productivity. Time wasted looking for equipment, the cost of lost or stolen assets quickly impacts your bottom line. Through the deployment of asset tracking solutions, you realise the ability to gain global visibility in any environment helping to improve productivity, efficiency, and a reduction in overall operational costs in addition to preventing theft and waste. The Chronos approach to asset tracking also includes activity data allowing you to answer the question ‘Where is my stuff and what is it doing?’

Connecting machines, tools, people, and other assets gives organisations the ability to better visualise, plan and execute production processes by enabling you to track and locate your assets and people. The use of sensor data is further driving productivity by establishing predictive and preventative maintenance schedules ensuring critical

equipment remains in use. Tracking inventory and equipment as it moves from building to building removes the risk of loss and improves production flows. Working with industry leading suppliers, Chronos offers the only single technology deployment covering both indoor and outdoor tracking in the toughest environments.

Chronos has been in the business of GPS/GNSS for over 35 years. Talk to our team about how our asset tracking solutions can help you.

Contact 01594 862200 sales@chronos.uk https://chronos.uk

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Review – Top Exhibitors

Connect-Secure-Analyse M

Manufacturing production control software

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rom delays in productivity and efficiency, to mechanical breakdowns and rework, quality issues can cause significant problems in the production line.

Bringing FLAGS Software into the mix gives complete control, visibility and traceability across the production line.

Allowing manufacturers to work smarter, not harder. Detailed views of problems means engineers can implement controls in their process and monitor the impact of changes quickly and easily.

Manufacturing generates a wealth of information. If software packages for different processes aren’t integrated, or are paper-based, information becomes fragmented, and issues hard to identify.

FLAGS ensures silos become a thing of the past, holding all information in a

single place. Engineers can access what they need, when they need it.

Providing facts through real-time dashboards, FLAGS stores all data and eradicates paper trails and errors associated with them. Improving overall accuracy and precision of each issue, reducing the risk of data loss and improving efficiency.

Integrating with existing software systems, FLAGS communicates with manufacturing programmes, upgrades processes, enhances communication and provides immediate improvement. Providing guided instruction to production when an issue has been identified, meaning changes can be made quickly, issues contained, and monitored.

Real time feedback allows manufacturers to see the impact of changes to the process, which improves overall efficiency and productivity.

Contact us now for your Smart Factory solution.

FLAGS Software Limited, 0121 746 5270 sales@flagssoftware.com www.flagssoftware.com

Gruetzner: Automatic lubrication since 1993 D

ust and moisture cause most problems at lubrication points and may even lead to cost-intensive machine breakdowns.

Automatic lubricators solve these problems and not only save time and costs, but also increase work safety and ensure a smooth process.

Using the automatic lubricator G-LUBE, over or underlubrication is prevented as the required amount of lubricant is always dispensed automatically. G-LUBE seals the lubrication point so it can no longer be contaminated by dirt and water. Thus, G-LUBE is ideally suited for outdoor use and can be used in hazardous environments and ex-areas.

With no need for manual lubrication for up to one year, you save time and avoid risks when lubricating hard-toreach lubrication points.

And the wide field of automatic lubrication has much more to offer – for example PLC-controlled lubrication systems, systems for multipoint lubrication and high-pressure

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lubrication systems up to 70 bar (1,015 psi).

Gruetzner GmbH has established itself as a specialist for automatic lubrication systems since 1993. Get in touch and secure an individual, custom-built lubrication concept that is adjusted to your machines and constructions.

Bonus: Get your own customised lubricator labels for a safe follow-up business!

Contact Volker Gruetzner, CEO, +49 911 277399-0 Volker.Gruetzner@G-LUBE.com www.G-LUBE.com

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.A.C. Solutions is a leading expert of Connectivity, Cyber Security and Alarm Management Software: offering Industrial IT and Operational Technology (OT) technical products across applications from manufacturing, defence, aircraft, to critical infrastructure applications.

Experts since 1996, M.A.C. Solutions provide optimised software and hardware to connect and secure, industrial data. M.A.C. are not just about selling technology, but about providing technical expertise and delivering real solutions that are adaptable, scalable and that work.

By taking the time to understand challenges, capabilities and potential; M.A.C. can take needs and turn them into the right solution for you.

M.A.C. Solutions offer: ■ OEM and Machine Builders ■ OT Cyber Security ■ Hardened Networking ■ Open Platform Communications (OPC) ■ OT & Data Integration.

With Cyber Security a paramount concern for many companies, M.A.C. Solutions was at this year’s Manufacturing & Engineering Week from 7th-8th June at the NEC, Birmingham to showcase its Cyber and Connectivity solutions to safeguard OT networks.

These include Endpoint Protection, threat detection and cross-domain data transfer. The media protection products are precision-designed to clean devices before adding to networks, whilst simultaneously detecting threats on removal media devices and subsequently blocking unscanned devices from connecting further.

M.A.C. Solutions furthermore provides products that protect against obsolescence, such as a wide range of open connectivity solutions, industrial Ethernet switches, version control software, web and HMI visualisation tools, the ProcessVue Alarm Management Suite, connectivity solutions, ethernet-enabled OPC servers, industrial monitors, and PCs. 01527 529774 sales@mac-solutions.co.uk https://www.mac-solutions.net

Progressing AM Production L PE, the UK’s longestestablished 3D Printing service, is now offering one of the most comprehensive AM production services available – in both plastics and metals.

Over the past 2 years, they’ve made strategic investments to meet growing demand in 4 key areas: ■ Design freedom ■ Material choice ■ Batch capacity ■ Quality testing

Most recently, they’ve brought in the new AM process ‘HPS’ (Hybrid Photosynthesis), becoming the first company in the UK to offer it.

HPS combines both laser and light technologies to achieve the build size and precision of SLA, but with the part strength, properties and print speed of DLP. This allows customers to make SLA (mainly a prototyping process) parts fit for end-use. With an opensource machine (Axtra 3D), the company is offering custom material selection*.

Additionally, they’ve built a ‘quality lab,’ purposed for the advancement of quality testing and certification

processes. Here they carry out extensive quality testing on production parts, including on-vehicle aerospace and F1 components. The latest addition to the lab is an advanced 3D scanner; the HandySCAN 700TM|Elite, to support critical part validation, with LPE due to become AS9100 certified in January.

LPE have also recently integrated ‘DyeMansion’ technology, which automates the ‘print-to-production’ process for end-use SLS parts, allowing unprecedented surface quality and colour choice. They’ve further invested in a 4th metal printing machine for increased capacity, and a high-speed CNC machine for ultra-precise post-machining.

028 9070 6940 sales@laserproto.com www.laserproto.com *conditional on minimum order quantity

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Cutting & Welding

ESAB’S ‘Ultimate Line-Up’ – So many ways to improve welding & cutting performance

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abrication shops across Europe are upgrading their fleets to inverter technology machines that meet EU Ecodesign Directives to improve energy efficiency and lower utility bills. With ESAB’s new ‘Ultimate Line-Up’ of welding and cutting equipment – which features state-of-the-art digital technology – fabricators also gain advanced functions.

ESAB Rustler™ Industrial Series The ESAB Rustler series of MIG welders features four models that combine simple, intuitive controls, reliable operation and welding outputs of 280A or 350A at 40% duty cycle. All Rustler machines use a premium 4-wheel drive feeding mechanism. Rustler also offer an MMA output, and the Rustler EM 350C PRO Synergic saves set-up time, promotes consistency and helps less experienced welders produce optimal welds.

Renegade™ VOLT for Ultimate Portability The Renegade VOLT ES 200i revolutionises the industry as the first-ever interchangeable battery-powered welder. It allows users to accomplish jobs in difficult-toreach locations while providing quick set-up provide operational efficiencies. Renegade VOLT offers a max output of 150A on battery power, connects to 120V/230V AC mains power and has an exclusive AMP + Hybrid Mode that supplements mains power with battery power to mitigate nuisance circuit breaker tripping.

Renegade Single-phase MMA and TIG Welders The Renegade series of single-phase welders includes the Renegade ES 210i inverter for MMA/Live TIG and three Renegade ET inverters for pulsed TIG welding with HF TIG arc starts. The Renegade ET 210iP Advanced features a 110mm-wide TFT LCD colour display.

ESAB Rogue Light Industrial Series The ESAB Rogue EM and Rogue EMP are a series of easy-to-use, compact and lightweight welders. Rogue welders build on the Rogue brand promise of an unbeatable combination of performance, power and price. All Rogue EM and EMP inverters feature Arc Dynamics, a control to fine tune arc characterics for a crisp/stiff arc when welding carbon steel or a smooth/soft arc when welding stainless steel.

Cutmaster 70+ has a recommended pierce and cut capacity of 19mm. The Cutmaster+ family features ESAB’s signature 110mm TFT LCD display, which is paired with a glove-friendly knob for selecting and setting parameters.

The Cutmaster+ machines also offer a built-in 14-pin CPC port for easy CNC mechanization with the ESAB MechPak.

Cutmaster+ Manual Plasma Family The Cutmaster 50+ has recommended pierce and cut capacity of 16mm, and the

For more information, visit: esab.com or go directly to the ESAB Ultimate Line-Up site: https://esab.com/gb/ eur_en/landing-pages/welding-ultimate-line-up

Power Supply

CAMTEC Power Supplies announces: World’s smallest inrush current limiter-series CAMTEC ESB001 now available worldwide

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AMTEC POWER SUPPLIES, the German recognized specialist for particularly robust capacitive loads and laboratory power supplies, is expanding its successful portfolio of AC inrush current limiters: The new CAMTEC ESB001 series is now available worldwide. The ESB001 inrushcurrent limiter series is by far world’s smallest of its performance class. It requires just 1 TE (17.5mm) space on the top-hat rail, which is just the dimension of a single-phase circuit breaker. The series’ name ESB stands for ‘EinschaltStromBegrenzer’ – the German term for this type of device.

The reason for the enormous worldwide increase in demand for inrush current limiters from CAMTEC Power Supplies in safety-relevant networks over the last decade is easy to understand: In a network with inrush current limiters, the sum of all inrush currents in the subdistribution network is kept extremely low. This makes the network stable and fail-safe. What’s more, not having to switch on the different network areas one after the other while being able to use simpler components in the electrical system, saves up to 10% of the total costs when planning lighting, tunnel, or industrial electrical installations.

With low heat dissipation of only 1.1W @230Vac at 99.97% efficiency, the new ESB001 components can be mounted wallto-wall with adjacent devices in the control cabinet. This makes the new ESB001 devices the perfect solution wherever control cabinet space is at a premium – such as LED retrofits in buildings or street lighting. The new, small design also makes them suitable for displays in store solutions, showcases at airports or in city centres.

In addition, the CAMTEC ESB001 retains all the features and benefits of the original ESB101 and ESB303 series.

Those were also developed, designed, and manufactured

by CAMTEC Power Supplies in the Black Forest – and have been used for more than a decade, wherever particularly reliable protection of lighting and machinery applications is required.

Global distributors will offer two versions of the new ESB001 series: The ESB001.LED.230VAC perfectly supports LED lighting networks in buildings, street, and tunnel lighting. The ESB001.24.230VAC is suitable for protecting against contact fires on load relays or protecting multiplexed MUX channels from harmful inrush currents in industrial environments, and in the building automation.

EMC neutral and can be used – just like the CAMTEC ESB101 and ESB303 limiters – in all frequencies from 16 2/3Hz railroad networks up to 400Hz on-board networks. They can be purchased from all CAMTEC Power Supply distributors worldwide: https://www.camtec-powersupplies.com/salespartners

The ESB001 complies with the demanding industry standards EN61010-1, EN61010-2-201 as well as the current IT standard EN62368-1. They are completely

Contact Mr Oliver Walter oliver.walter@camtec-gmbh.com www.camtec-powersupplies.com

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Industrial Process Technologies

High Power QCW Laser Essentra invests in the Diode stacks from future of sustainable Beijing RealLight plastics manufacturing E

ssentra, a leading provider of essential components and solutions, has created a new Centre of Excellence at its manufacturing and distribution site and UK headquarters in Kidlington to test and develop new materials that will in turn enable it to offer even more sustainable product ranges globally for its customers.

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he high power QCW laser diode stacks from Beijing RealLight are very compact and deliver peak powers from 480W up to 5,600W. They are offered at 796nm or 808nm or as combination of these two wavelengths. Due to the hard soldered sub-mount they are very reliable and can be used in applications requiring high

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temperature operation up to 60°C. Applications: ■ Pumping of DPSS Lasers ■ Scientific Research ■ Illumination Contact sales@frlaserco.com www.frlaserco.com

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Testing will be conducted on both recycled content and various biodegradable and bio-based materials including bio-woods, nylon and Polylactic Acids (PLA) to see how they perform when replacing or added to existing resins used in the manufacture of plastic components.

These innovative new materials can reduce the environmental and carbon impact of the products Essentra manufactures, and helps its customers reduce their own carbon footprint.

The Centre of Excellence includes a significant investment in two different types of machine: an all-electric machine and a Servo Drive machine. While both have energy saving benefits, the principal purpose is to enable Essentra to test not

only how the materials will behave in the manufacturing process, but also the impact of different types of tooling. The net result is to achieve a more efficient and sustainable process, reducing scrap rates and accelerating speed of delivery.

A key benefit of the new Centre of Excellence is the access to quantitative data it can provide to explain how a material performs, supported by an investment in Melt Flow Index technology to help predict the behaviour of a polymer in the manufacturing process. This is critical not only for testing materials that are available now, but also materials that might be considered or available in the future and used globally. www.essentracomponents.com www.essentraplc.com

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Industrial Process Technologies

Glasdon is ‘in its Element’ with GRP Housing

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lement™ GRP Housing incorporates modular panels to aid with flexibility and growth. Customers can choose from 10 standard sizes.

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Further customisation of the Element building is available with a choice of optional fittings. A vent or gland plate extends Element’s usage opportunities and a wide range of locking systems provide extra security and peace of mind for housing sensitive equipment.

Delivered fully assembled and ready for anchoring into position with self-tapping masonry bolts, Element offers optimum flexibility for your application.

Element’s corrosion, vandal and weather resistant GRP panels feature a semi-gloss, light grey outer laminate, which is easy to maintain throughout its long service life. The inner laminate layer provides flame retardancy.

Please contact Glasdon UK Limited Buildings & Housings Division enquiries@glasdon-uk.co.uk www.glasdon.com

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Machinery Safety

Relaunch of the tec.nicum website

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New website for services relating to machine safety

ec.nicum, the service division of the Schmersal Group, is pleased to announce that its new website has been launched today. The new website features the new, overhauled corporate design of tec.nicum. The website is now characterised by a clearer and more user-friendly structure and can be reached as before at www.tecnicum.com The website provides an overview of all services that tec.nicum provides in terms of machinery safety. tec.nicum’s range of services encompasses four pillars, which can be ordered as either individual modules or all-round packages: ■ tec.nicum academy: Knowledge sharing ■ tec.nicum consulting: Consulting services ■ tec.nicum engineering: Conception of safety solutions ■ tec.nicum integration: Practical implementation The tec.nicum website includes current

information on the comprehensive training and seminar programme of the tec.nicum academy, which also includes the new TÜVcertified qualification ‘Machinery CE Certified Expert’. The seminar calendar provides an at-aglance overview of all topics and dates, and events can be booked online through the website.

The MRL News magazine, which offers a wealth of well-founded background information on the subject of machinery safety, can also be accessed free of charge via the tec.nicum website, either as an e-paper or as a downloadable PDF. ‘Since its foundation seven years ago, tec.

nicum has successfully evolved as a service provider. In the meantime, our organisation now operates domestically and at different locations internationally. Our website ensure the best possible accessibility for our services,’ explains Siegfried Wolf, Director of tec.nicum.

Contact www.schmersal.co.uk www.tecnicum.com

Test, Measurement & Laboratory

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Test, Measurement & Laboratory

Hamamatsu Photonics releases new version of its software for Mini-Spectrometers H

amamatsu Photonics is thrilled to introduce TOKUSPEC 1.3.0, an improved version of the software tool exclusively crafted for its mini-spectrometers.

TOKUSPEC offers seamless device control, streamlined data acquisition, advanced data processing, data correction capabilities, and versatile data export options in multiple formats. Remarkably intuitive, the software automatically detects connected devices, enabling concurrent operation across numerous units.

This upgraded version will now also include added support for the latest spectrometers like the ultra-high

dynamic range OPAL-Luxe, the TM series C10082CAH, and devices that require manual configuration steps (e.g. IP address, COM Port, etc.). It also includes an upgrade to the .NET Framework 4.8 and an improved speed and memory consumption for XLSX export.

As a testament to Hamamatsu’s dedication to industrial partnerships and scientific progress, TOKUSPEC is offered at no additional cost.

Contact Hamamatsu to learn more about this upgrade. marcom@hamamatsu.eu www.hamamatsu.com

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Long lasting quality: Application example from particle physics F

or 13 years now, a model of a Thyracont VD81 has been in use at the Laboratory for Particle Physics of the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute.

Here, the n2EDM project is conducted in an international collaboration, searching for the neutron electric dipole moment of the (electrically neutral) neutron (nEDM).

The vacuum meter monitors the operating pressure in the helium container of a 5T superconducting magnet, a polarization filter that only allows neutrons in one of the spin states to pass. The operating pressure is supposed to be constantly retained at 1psi (69mbar) and must not drop.

Independent of the gas-type, the VD81 measures absolute pressure in rough vacuum from 1,600bis 1

mbar with a chemically resistant ceramic sensor. Under the influence of the pressure, the thin membrane of the piezo sensor, on the back of which a resistance measuring bridge is applied, deforms. The resulting deflection of the measuring bridge serves as parameter for the absolute pressure acting on the diaphragm.

Insensitive to contamination, the vacuum meter is also suitable for harsh industrial processes.

Contact www.thyracont-vacuum.com

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Test, Measurement & Laboratory

Interface G-series load cells fly off the shelves through its new e-commerce website lead times with next business day delivery for small quantities. Following its successful launch in 2021, it has become an increasingly popular product range for students, industrial engineers, OEMs and anyone requiring a small form force sensor offering accuracy, repeatability and Interface quality.

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nterface Force Measurement Solutions (Interface) is a UK company specialising in the supply and distribution of high-quality 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 highquality, yet competitively priced 3 and 6 axis load cells are used for many R&D, renewable energy and robotic applications.”

In terms of recent developments, Tony continued, “Being responsive to our customer’s needs and being able to offer a highquality product with strong product knowledge at a competitive price with the best possible lead times is our number one priority.

Last year we launched our range of 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 high-performance devices but aimed at more cost-conscious applications. This is a new market for us, but we have already had increasing interest. We also launched our brand-new e-commerce website on the 1st of April for the G-Series that showcases Interface load cells at competitive prices with all the convenience purchasing online offers,” stated Tony.

In the future, Interface is keen to continue its growth trajectory for 2022. Tony mentioned, “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 Hi-speed 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.”

As the company looks to continue strengthening its position with its customers in its more traditional markets of aerospace, automotive, motorsport, Universities and alternative energy research, it will be attending some expos over the next 12 months and be readily on hand to discuss any questions you may have about force, torque, pressure mapping or pressure, level & temperature measurement.

Visit us at the Advanced Engineering exhibit from the 1st & 2nd November 2023, Stand P172 at the NEC, Birmingham.

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

The new e-commerce website offers G-Series load cells on short

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Powder Processing Solutions Company of the Month

Used as new since 1908: Reuse to reduce I

n this issue of Industrial Process News, we want to congratulate FOETH for being selected as our Powder Processing Solutions Company of the Month.

Award-winning Foeth is one of the largest dealers of high-end used process equipment in the world.

The company has an illustrious history dating back to 1908, when it was founded by Arie Foeth in Zaandam, in the vicinity of Amsterdam. Working essentially as a scrap dealer, he scrapped inland vessels and machines but later realised, there was more value in trading the machines.

Three-generations of the Foeth family continued running the company, expanding the process machinery trading further in the chemical, food and pharmaceutical sector.

In 2017, the company was acquired by current owners focussing on further expansion into Europe and provides it’s customers with a complete regeneration solution; by removing, dismantling or relocating process equipment or a complete process plant.

We spoke to Stefan Modderman: Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to find out more about this Dutch Powerhouse, “We celebrated our 100th birthday in 2008 and this year have reached our 115th anniversary milestone. We have come a long way from Arie Foeth’s brief foray into the scrap metal market: we are now global-dealers in the purchase and sale of used process equipment from top quality brands, and are contributing to a more sustainable industry by offering a complete regeneration solution for our customers.”

“Under the guidance of our CEO: Erik Saat, we are committed to providing premium refurbished process machinery to our global customers in the pharma, specialty chemical and food & feed ingredient sectors.

We have grown exponentially and now have sales offices across Europe: Germany, Poland, Spain, UK, Serbia and France. These are affectionately known as our ‘Boots on the ground’ – expert sales officers, proficient

in the mother tongue of the country and offering comprehensive, technical consultancy on our machinery.”

“We acquire top-quality process machinery, primarily from the pharmaceutical and food and feed ingredients industry, which are meticulously cared for over their life span. We often buy whole plants from companies relocating or restructuring, including tanks, process equipment and filling and packaging lines. Our Unique Selling Point (USP) is that we thoroughly test and refurbish our equipment before re-sale, so our customers are always assured of certainty of direct redeployment.”

“Every machine sold saves 4, 43 ton CO2 equivalent emissions, in comparison to new machines, drastically reducing carbon footprint and supports the circular economy by reusing quality machinery.”

Foeth is based in Barneveld, in the centre of the Netherlands.

It is only an hour from Schiphol Airport, one of the world’s biggest international airports, making it the perfect location for the large 30,000sq. m corporate office and stock-holding warehouses. The range of 2,800 used process equipment is extensive and includes the following popular products: ■ Dryers, such as these refurbished paddle dryers we have on stock: – https://www.foeth.com/en/drogers/paddeldrogers/ drais-t-1200-fm-paddeldroger-r0234 ■ Mixers, such as these inline high shear mixers we have on stock: – https://www.foeth.com/en/ mixers/inline-high-shear-mixers/ ika-werke-dr-3-9-p-inline-mixer-208u081 ■ Processing vessels, such as these inline high shear mixers we have on stock: – https://www.foeth.com/en/ processing-vessels/processing-vessels/ becomix-rw-1000-s-processing-vessel-201u005 ■ Reactors, such as these glass lined large reactors we have on stock: – https://www.foeth.com/en/reactors/glasslined-reactors/tycon-italy-ce-6300-ltr-glasslined-reactor-221s092 – Nutsche Filters – https://www.foeth.com/ en/filters/nutsche-filters/ meili-bex-acmv-759-nutsche-filter-360t1081 ■ Extruders, such as these extruders we have on stock: – https://www.foeth.com/en/ extruders/double-screw-extruders/ clextral-bc-45-double-screw-extruder-354t966

customers. For the last three consecutive years, Foeth has been awarded the coveted Financieel Dagblad (FD Gazelle Award) for its impressive speed in market growth.

Furthermore, the judging panel also selected Foeth alongside a smaller group for displaying exemplary fast growth on an international scale.

The Dutch heavyweight has also been awarded ‘Climate Actor’ by the decarbonisation platform: Greencast for its steadfast commitment to carbon emission reductions.

By buying and then re-selling process equipment, the company has prevented machinery going to landfill, saving tonnes of carbon emissions and contributing to the circular economy.

“We aiming to be carbon-neutral across our direct operations by 2025. We have already invested in 252 solar roof panels to power our warehouse and office facilities and provide hybrid and electric vehicles for our team.

Each pre-owned machine sold saves 4, 43 tons of harmful carbon emissions, we are whole-heartedly committed to environmental sustainability,” concluded Stefan.

Foeth will be at Exposolidos: 6th-8th February 2024: Barcelona.

Contact Jo Petrie, Sales Manager at Foeth UK & Ireland for UK sales and website for European sales: +44 (0)7760 755097 petrie@foeth.com https://www.foeth.com

The machinery is available to buy online through the company website and via appointed European sales officers.

Foeth is a trusted dealer across the globe, with 30% of its sales outside of Europe, primarily in Asia. With such a long history in the industry, spanning back 115 years, the Dutch company is considered gold-standard among

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Expansion Joints

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Pressure Measurement

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Security Cages

Gas Cages

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Laboratory Equipment

Continuous Screen Changer SiloScreen

The Siloscreen is now the first choice for the production of: blown and cast film, thermoformed products, expanded sections, oriented tapes, twines, rope, tubing and other products which benefit from uninterrupted extrusion and steady process conditions.

Please visit: www.siloteq.com Mobile: +44 (0)7733 111929 Email: trish.siloteq@gmail.com Registered in England – GB No: 862 8924

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Adhesives & Sealants

Look for the original green and white QUADRO mixing tips lead to double work correcting misapplications, doubling the cost. Using original systems for dispensing 2-component materials from certified manufacturers ensures greater economy and dispensing safety for people and the environment. medmix’s strict quality controls, detailed know-how, and supporting consulting service are important for professionals.

Figure 1: Original Quadro™ mixer from medmix used for hoof repair

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llegal copies can be dangerous AND costly. Knock-off products are usually inferior, and misapplications can be dangerous to humans and animals. At a minimum, using unverified copies can

Today, medmix mixing systems cover the entire industry of 2-component adhesives and sealants. Years of development and co-operation with material manufacturers and their customers in the industrial and DIY sectors allows medmix systems to boast top of class reliability at optimum prices. Copies

medmix invests millions in the development of its products to ensure safe and economic use. Long-time investments in mixer system technology allow for economically viable 2-component adhesive/sealant systems.

From the dispenser to the mixer, genuine medmix products provide a best-in-class total system for application of 2-component adhesives and sealants.

Buying cheap copies risks damage to users and the reputation of the entire industry.

Accordingly, medmix invests heavily to protect and educate the market to successfully detect and deny risky, cheap copies.

Recently, medmix prosecuted distributors of a large shipment of illegal copies of the well-known Quadro™ brand mixers. These dangerous copies of agricultural sector mixers, used in hoof care, can cause great damage. Every misapplication results in unrecoverable money lost to the farmer.

Customers and users can trust that medmix Switzerland AG will continue to defend their rights, their health, and their economic safety.

Figure 2: Original Quadro™ mixers are recognisable by their square shape, green & white colour and logo

can never achieve medmix’s high level of reliability because they are not developed to be compatible with an entire system. Every misapplication due to cheap copies can lead to high repair and correction costs. Cheap also means no guarantees – all misapplication costs are borne by the customer.

Cheap copies can lead to cheap seals and bonds – these are accidents waiting to happen. medmix focuses on maximum safety for people, animals, and Figure 3: Easy to recognise the original Quadro label the environment.

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Contact +41 41 723 73 00 sales.industry@medmix.com www.medmix.swiss

Figure 4: Most Quadro™ mixers feature the logo on their housing

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