Industry Update Issue 242

In the BC era (Before Collaboration), automation was the sole preserve of industrial giants with massive budgets. The emergence of collaborative robotic solutions, user friendly tools and intuitive software has changed all that. Nowadays, smart solutions are here to benefit businesses of any size.

Fast deployment at an affordable price point

Ready to use out-of-the-box, collaborative application solutions greatly simplify the deployment process, allowing companies to deploy automation with a minimum of costly downtime and at a fraction of the cost of traditional automation deployments.

Competitive advantages for your business

it an excellent candidate for collaborative automation. Despite this, many end of line palletising tasks are still performed manually.

And with traditional palletising robotic solutions coming with a high price tag, when the capital outlay is considered alongside long deployment time, the number

The competitive advantage conferred by automation range from increased productivity and throughput to enhanced reliability and improved quality. Collaborative application solutions hit that sweet spot between affordability, no-fuss usability, and flexible functionality that manufacturers demand.

Find out how automation can help you. Get in touch with an automation expert to start the automation journey! – sales@onrobot.com

Discover the OnRobot range of products and solutions, robot arm grippers and EOAT components: https://onrobot.com/en/ products-and-solutions

Read more about collaborative automation for your factory: https://onrobot.com/en/blog/ why-you-need-collaborative-automation

Find out how others got started with automation: https://onrobot.com/en/case-studies

Remove physical and financial pain out of palletising

Manual palletising is a labor intensive, repetitive and injury prone task which makes

solution for quickly deploying your

The OnRobot Palletiser is here to take

the combination of unprecedented affordability, performance and fast integration with a small footprint. OnRobot Palletiser is available as a complete out-of-the-box system or as individual components to create a mix-and-match solution that will work for your specific application needs.

Get in touch with one of our automation experts to find out how we can help you automate your palletising processes: sales@ onrobot.com

Read more about complete OnRobot Palletiser solution: https://onrobot.com/en/ solutions/onrobot-palletizer

Discover other OnRobot solutions: https://onrobot.com/en/ products-and-solutions?solutions

Collaborative palletising starts with your unique application needs

These days, workers are in short supply and product demand is high. Get ahead of your competition by automating you palletising processes.

Automating palletising provides fast return on investment even for smaller manufacturers and logistics organisations. It’s cost-effective, quick to deploy, and offers the flexibility needed for high-mix, lowvolume environments and peaks in demand.

You get better consistency and higher productivity without overtime or injuries.

Your business needs first

The OnRobot Palletiser is available as a complete or the individual components can be combined for your perfect mix-andmatch solution. This gives you the flexibility to define your system around your unique business needs, but with all the benefits of a single vendor:

t Faster deployment and easier changeovers

t Fits into existing layout and workflows

t Lowers total costs and speeds return on investment

t Future-proof for evolving business needs

t Fully tested, certified, and warrantied for reliability

Get in touch with one of our automation experts to find out what palletising configuration is right for your facility: sales@ onrobot.com

Learn how to build a palletising application: https://learn.onrobot.com/en/ palletizing-what-expect?area=8

Editor Recommends Autonomous science

Dr Moritz Kneipp reveals how developments in the automotive industry can predict the future of chromatography applications

What defines driving these days? Cars almost drive themselves and even remind you of the upcoming service in half a year, while emergency brake assistants can jump in at the last second to protect you and others from harm.

How did we get here? Following the invention of the car, the driver needed to understand the difference between diesel and petrol engines, monitor temperatures, and match the engine speeds when changing gears. Leaps in sensor technology, and automation have made driving second nature to us, and the owners can trust the car to do the job they expect of it: even autonomously.

Repeating history

A similar trend is revolutionising chromatography applications. Smarter systems and increasing data are creating new possibilities to automate, reduce unplanned downtime and predict maintenance schedules, thus widening the customer base to include a wider spectrum of professionals. These developments are in part fuelled by leaps in sensor technology that allow online liquid flow rate measurements down to single nanolitres per minute.

Artisan science

Early iterations of chromatography systems required their scientist operators to manually prepare each sample for the next experiment. Although an analytical procedure can be extremely short, typical sample preparation steps take hours to complete, and may include weighing, filtering, liquid extraction and homogenisation.

Each of these samples are loaded into the system one by one, requiring dedication during the entire process. Then the work continues in the form of number crunching the results - the potential for optimisation and automation is huge.

A new state of the art

Current systems are automated to higher degrees, offering full workflow integrations, from sample preparation to data analysis and visualisation. Automation systems differ in their design and range, from replicating manual methods, to closed systems that do part of the sample preparation. One key driver of increased automation is to reduce costs and manual workload, however due to technological advances, workflows can be monitored online to increase their speed, reproducibility and safety.

Versatile impact

The high value of the test results of chromatography workflows and analytical instruments will only increase their success. Current fields of interest include the food and beverage industry, where the results give insights into the safety of our nutrition. Every production batch reaches an increasing number of consumers, whose health and safety depends on the safety and stability of the production processes.

Pharmaceutical products aim to help the sick population, a group whose immune system is compromised, and the reliability of controlled production processes is key. Analytical instruments and workflows are already used to control these safety aspects, and the demand for them to be integrated into the production processes will increase further.

At the development stage of vaccines, for example, chromatography systems help identify the antibodies involved in fighting diseases, and enable fast production of compounds to combat the spread of life-threatening epidemics.

Hidden champions

The demand for automated and stable processes for completing the workflows around the actual analysis is increasing, and a large portion of these developments are enabled through smart sensor solutions.

Sensirion’s sensor products enable dispense validation, process control, and failure mode detection. Whether requiring the monitoring of environmental factors, such as humidity and temperature, CO2 concentration or particulate matter, or the control of liquid and gas flows, Sensirion’s fully calibrated and digital sensor technologies offer a reliable basis for process and workflow automation.

For more informaton visit: www.sensirion.com

Insulation specialist Actis aims to see all five of its manufacturing plants in South-West France fully solar-powered by the end of 2024 – two are set to achieve this by the end of next year The move will help Actis reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, create a circular economy and lead the way in minimising the negative impact of construction materials manufactured across the continent.

Solar power upgrades are well underway The first two plants to shift to solar power are its 25,000 sq m Hybris manufacturing operation in

Villeneuve d’Olmes, where upgrading is already under way, and another at Actis HQ in Limoux.

The remaining three factories – a second in Limoux, one in Chalabre and one in La Bastide de Bousignac, which produces reflective films for the whole Actis Hybrid range – will complete the fully solar-powered line-up by the end of 2024.

Actis recently received Cradle to Cradle Certification The announcement follows the recent receipt of Cradle to Cradle Certification for Actis’ honeycomb style insulation product,

Hybris, which has become the only reflective insulation in Europe to earn the international accolade.

In fact, C2C is the second environmental certification Actis Hybris has earned in the past year, with recent Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) emphasising Hybris’ impressive cradle to grave environmental footprint.

For more information, see below: www.insulation-actis.com

Foundation stone ceremony for new motor plant of Menzel Elektromotoren

Menzel Elektromotoren commenced construction of its new plant in Hennigsdorf on the outskirts of Berlin laying a foundation stone on 11 June 2022. This purpose-built headquarters will be erected on a 24,000 m² plot. All administrative and production workplaces will be relocated by January 2024. When complete, the plant, with an effective floor space of 8,500 m² will increase the production capacities, allow expansion of the workforce earning significant efficiency gains through optimized floor plans. A production area of 3,800 m² accommodates the assembly, metal processing, fabrication and winding workshops, paint shops and state-of-theart test fields. Ergonomic layout allows for future expansions of offices, logistics zones and storage areas whilst the plant will be easily reached via public transport, motorway or Berlin Brandenburg International Airport.

This heralds a new era for the motor company, originally founded in 1927. Under the management of Mathis Menzel, who runs the family business in the third generation, Menzel has experienced significant growth in recent years. The new building allows for streamlined production processes and thus a higher throughput. Significantly increased Crane capacities meet the demand for ever larger motor outputs from customers in all industries. Menzel manufactures three-phase squirrel cage or slip ring asynchronous motors up to 20 MW and DC motors up to 2 MW. Menzel offers powerful own-brand designs whilst specializing in customization and identical replication of existing motors. Menzel stocks motor designs up to 15 MW permanently adapting them at short notice for a wide variety of applications and locations. Furthermore, offering comprehensive testing services for motors, generators, transformer-converter-motor systems, gearboxes and frequency converters, routine testing up to 10 MW, load tests to 1.8 MW and multi-frequency heat load testing to 5 MW. New testing facilities will also be larger, to allow future expansion of the company’s testing services.

Updates on building phases: https://www.menzel-motors.com/news/

Editor Recommends

Medical aerosol can inspection

IDENTIFY DIRECT was commissioned by a major aerosol manufacturer to develop an on-line system to visually inspect laser-etched engraving on the bottom of aerosol cans manufactured for the pharmaceutical industry.

Issues:

t The bottom of the pressurised can is concave and of shiny aluminium.

t The writing and DataMatrix are laser-etched rather than printed meaning very low contrast.

European Springs & Pressings

We provide a full design and manufacturing service for bespoke & standard Pressings, Wireforms, Coil & Gas Springs, as well as offering Prototyping and full Tool Room support.

We understand that no two jobs are the same; often requiring different materials, treatments, variable tolerances or specific heat resistance. Investing in the latest technology and qualified toolmakers ensures that we can design and produce the very best stampings, springs and wire forms.

Our bespoke manufacturing process and in-house design service – complete with CAD/CAM software and systems – means we can help you realise a range of prototype ideas which can be individually cut using precision lasers for R&D testing or put into full production. Our fully equipped tool room is available to design and build any production tooling needed, assuring you of competitive pricing and consistent quality supply.

Our clients work across the aerospace, automotive, defence, domestic appliance, electronics, hydraulics, lighting, medical, nuclear, pharmaceutical, scientific and telecommunication industries, so we’re used to delivering a wide array of products that meet complex, client-specific requirements.

Whether you need a conventional compression, tension, die, disc or torsion spring, or the most obscure spring clip or wire form imaginable, we’re able to produce exactly what you need.

T +44 (0)208 663 1800 info.bec@europeansprings.com

t Inspection had to be 100%.

t The writing was in an annulus around the base of the can, not straight across.

t The cans are moving along a production line and vary in position across the track.

Solutions:

t We successfully developed an in-house ‘flat dome’ which, together with a classic dome and a ring light, gave a consistently good image on all the cans.

t We developed software based on a ‘polar unwrap’ tool, using the central DataMatrix mark as a ‘locator’ to position the Polar Unwrap Region Of Interest correctly on each can, using a DALSA camera to capture the images.

The result is an effective on-line system that can read every can, check the quality and automatically reject bad cans or stop the line for cans that could not be reliably read.

For more information, see below:

sales@identifydirect.com

www.identifydirect.com

New StopTite Industrial range

The NEW StopTite Industrial range has been launched to provide high-quality premium solutions for thousands of applications across industry. Products are available in colourcoded categories, and include threadlockers, retainers, pipe sealants, gasketing and adhesives for mechanical assemblies.

StopTite products offer outstanding mechanical properties with a temperature range of -50 to 200°C+. The threadlocker product helps to prevent the loosening of bolts, studs and screws, due to vibration and shock loads. It can also be used to permanently lock threaded components. The Retainer products offer excellent resistance to shear and compression and can be used for the permanent fixture of bearings, shafts, splines and keys.

The ST27 Pipe Sealant product offers an instant low-pressure seal on tightened fittings up to 150psi.

The ST31 Muilty Gasket offers resistance to low pressures after the assembly of mating flange faces. Seal joints between metal faces and flanges. Ideal for motoring and industrial applications.

The 007 and 006 high-strength adhesives have been designed to bond metal and composite applications, offering high-impact resistance while remaining quick and easy to use.

Made in Britain, the StopTite range has been developed by S2-lube, which has been formulating a wide range of industrial products with partner companies for over 40 years. The company’s products are popular with various industries,

including renewables, water, electronics, construction, military, aircraft, farming, leisure, automotive and all types of production lines.

Product is supplied to stockists as retail display boxes of 6 to 20 items. Free samples are available and can be requested by emailing sales@stoptite.co.uk or calling 01584 874220.

www.stoptite.co.uk

Custom actuated butterfly valves for iraqi oil refinery

When a major Iraqi-based oil refinery required custom actuated butterfly valves for a large-scale plant refurbishment, T-T Flow’s expert product knowledge, access to quality manufacturing partners and extensive export experience made us the ideal choice to deliver a robust, reliable and fully compliant customised solution both on-time and within budget.

The problem

During a major refurbishment project at a plant operated by South Refineries Company in Iraq, there was a requirement for custom actuated butterfly valves constructed of materials that needed to be fully traceable and certifiably of UK, EU or USA origin.

As the client specified non-standard materials, a completely customised valve build was required. To ensure full compliance, the valves underwent several independent thirdparty functional inspections and even the chemical analysis of components, along with the supply of extensive expert documentation including attested embassy origin certificates.

In addition to the non-standard materials, the client specified actuator connectivity to integrate with existing control panels and operating philosophy.

The solution

T-T's expert product knowledge, access to quality

manufacturing partners and extensive export experience made us the ideal choice to supply this actuated valve package within budget and on time.

Supplied indirectly through an Iraqi-based specialist engineering company, we assembled and supplied 30 lugged centric butterfly valves to EN598, rated to 175psi with limitset directly mounted non-modulating 230V/60Hz actuators.

To meet client specifications, the valves have a chemical resistant epoxy coated carbon steel body, acid resistant stainless steel (grade 1.4404 / SS316L) discs, EPDM liner, and are suitable for installation between ASME B16.5 Class 150 flanges.

Engineering Ingenuity Secures the Order

Oliver Valves Middle East distributor, GAS (Gas Arabian Services), won a half million-pound order but the sales value wasn’t the only significant highlight – it was Oliver’s Solution-Driven approach and distributor support that helped secure a second order in as many months.

Oliver’s strong working relationship between the end-user and engineering consultants meant that we were able to quickly advise on using a Double Block and Bleed Valve suitable for their application, and not a traditional tubing design.

When GAS received the second enquiry for 150 x Double Block and Bleed Valves, they contacted Oliver Valves and together we looked at ways to further reduce the cost to the end-user, Saudi Aramco.

With state-of-the-art Research & Development facilities in the UK, our

engineering team soon jumped at the challenge. The brief to R&D was simple –save the customer money, even if it meant re-designing a DBB valve. In just 2 days, Oliver’s engineers found the perfect costsaving solution; to reduce the face-to-face dimensions of the valve by as much as 17%. This equated to saving the customer an additional 10% – hugely significant for this size of order.

The ingenuity of the Oliver engineering team and our strong sales distributor relationship with GAS led to securing both orders from Saudi Aramco. We’ve been providing valve solutions to the global energy sector for over 40 years, investing heavily in R&D, and our distributor network.

Project Sales Engineer Eon Morrison, who worked with Haridas Embanath, Business Development Manager, to find the solutions, said “We’re well placed to provide world-class support to our distributors, and can react quickly to the needs of our customers with great products and the very best valve solutions”.

Valve distributors across the world rely on the support, knowledge and expertise of valve manufacturers, and Oliver Valves are testament to this. For more information on distribution and valve solutions contact Oliver Valves on +44 (0)1565 632 636 or email sales@valves. co.uk | www.valves.co.uk

Versatile actuators were selected, offering quarterturn reliability, weatherproof IP68 enclosure, feedback functionality and manual override. T-T identified proven partners that would ensure end-user acceptance and functional longevity.

T-T Flow were able to select, source, assemble, coordinate third party inspections, undertake comprehensive in-house hydrostatic and functional testing, and arrange global logistics, offering the end user full assurance. We also produced an instructional video detailing step-by-step actuator settings for trouble-free site commissioning.

T-T are experts in the design and manufacture of custom valves and associated ancillary equipment, utilising our expert product knowledge, manufacturing partners and extensive export experience to deliver solutions to even the most challenging projects. Our flexible approach allows the supply of just a single valve, a combination of stock products, or the ability to work with our clients to provide a complete engineered valve package, as was the case with this project.

Explore our range of valves or find out more about our custom valve solutions. For expert advice, chat to our friendly and knowledgeable team on +44 (0)1630 647200.

www.ttpumps.com

Print & Packaging Update

Gold Standard Service Stay fresh for longer – 3-in-1 food packaging system launched by Soken

At this year’s PPMA show Soken Engineering, a recently acquired subsidiary of Jenton International, will launch an all-inclusive range of heat sealing packing systems for ‘on the go’ food businesses wanting to improve presentation, product lifespan and handle a varied range of lunch products on a single system!

Deli’s, garden centre cafes, hospitals and garage forecourts that hand-pack lunch items in takeaway cartons/boxes with press-on lids will compromise product presentation and lifespan due to air leaks which fast-track spoiling. As the UK’s demand for lunch products continues to broaden, Soken has responded with a 3-in-1 Heat-Sealing System which perfectly seals packs of sandwiches, wraps and salads with only the need for a tool change. Now artisan businesses only need to invest in a single system to improve pack presentation, hygiene and preserve lunchtime foods by up-to three days, putting a stop to food waste and resulting loss of profit which is entirely preventable.

The 3-in-1 Soken range includes level 1 machines ideal for small cafes which want to seal a single pack at a time, level 2 machines – which seal up to 4 packs at the same time – ideal for caterers supplying mobile vans and local shops, as well as level 3 intermediate automated systems – which can output up to 48 packs per minute – perfect for medium sized businesses such as airline caterers or large garden centre chains.

All Soken equipment is manufactured in the UK and backed by a two-year return-to-base warranty. As all tooling and parts are designed and manufactured in-house, spares can be provided within very short time scales. It also means that if a caterer has any unusual packaging requirements bespoke tooling can be developed as required. In addition, Soken can supply all necessary consumables such as sandwich packs, ready meal trays with lidding film and salad boxes. Plans are in the pipeline to develop packaging options which are plastic free.

Stephen Hawes, Soken Engineering sales manager said: “If sandwich boxes and salad packs are not sealed properly the shelf life of the food is compromised leading to waste and reduced profits. Our versatile easy to operate 3-in-1 ‘fresher for longer’ packaging systems give catering outlets the ability to sell a wide range of foods in tamper evident heat sealed packaging which extends shelflife considerably. As a business we are always striving towards net zero so helping reduce food waste is a key priority.”

For further information please visit: www.sokenengineering.com

For over 25 years Allpack has been providing its ‘Gold Standard Service’ to warehousing & logistics customers, with the combination of high-quality products, and first-in-class service. Customers of Allpack can rest assured knowing they are using industry recognised products, designed specifically for stable loads on each vehicle they despatch.

Allpack employ unique manufacturing capabilities that offer unrivalled levels of precision over a diverse range of products. With a capacity of over 300,000 tonnes of film per annum, 600 million square meters of tape and 1,000,000 kilometres of strapping, coupled with

our highly efficient corrugated conversion machinery, producing millions of quality printed and plain cases, boxes and fittings, all ready for next day dispatch.

Our industry accepted high-clarity Vortex™ Cast film product has been specifically designed to meet the demands of the warehouse and logistic sectors, offering a consistent yield and maximum stability for each palletised load, with a silent unwind on application for optimum user-friendly wrapping.

Many of Allpack plastic products are manufactured from 30% recycled content and are 100% recyclable

making them Plastic Tax Compliant, which is better for you, your customers, and the environment.

Contact Allpack today for a free trial of Vortex™ film at your site: 01543 396 888

Timbermark offers print applications for every surface

presented their 5S workshop solution, ranges of standard and stainless steel tools and storage solutions. Companies search for ways to make continuous improvements to their operations that increase efficiency, eliminate waste and reduce downtime and costs whilst increasing profitability.

As operations adopt technology to meet these challenges in processing and packaging areas, a part that is often over looked is investment is the workshop. At some point equipment will need to be maintained whether this is planned or unplanned. Tools and workshop environments are an essential element that assist engineers to keep machinery running.

A tool control system provides additional benefits

as it reduces tool spend by boosting ownership and accountability. Tool control methods vary

SCS (UK) LTD exhibited at the PPMA Total Exhibition in September.

One of the most popular machines was our “Combo Unit” which integrates the Teltek C80 Checkweigher with the highly renowned Cassel Multi-Frequency Metal Detector for even those difficult products or metalized film packs. High precision meets high speed – this is the perfect solution for your inspection needs.

A range of reject devices are available to suit your product. It offers high sensitivity and high speeds up to 400 packs/min and is suitable for a range of products. It is fitted to full BRC and supermarket specifications.

The easy-to-use Windows embedded touch screen ensures minimum training for use; the unit is fully EEC approved for Average Weight. Control boxes are sealed to IP67 standards. Maintenance free brushless motors offer the highest reliability. The unit is designed and manufactured to the highest engineering standard with reliability and longevity for use in tough hostile environments. Variable speed comes as standard with unlimited storage for set programs.

This machine comes with a 2 year warranty, and service and parts from the UK. Very competitive prices and low

maintenance costs will make our Combo Unit excellent value for money.

www.scsukltd.com

Hayssen ISB and CM Verus – The Yin and Yang of hygienic vertical bagging and paper options

one of the most versatile, efficient, and competitive continuous motion vertical form fill seal machines on the market.

Contact us because we help improve your operational efficiency:

T +44 (0) 115 967 8787

service.notts@bwpackagingsystems.com

Timbermark Identification Systems Ltd has set a new standard for printing on difficult surfaces such as PE. A new installation for egeplast UK, which supplies highquality polyethylene pipes and fittings, prints with white UV curing ink to produce a mark on a curved surface that is both high-resolution and solvent resistant.

This innovative system was one of the products presented at this year’s PPMA show. Exhibiting under its e-commerce T-Mark brand, Timbermark was able to demonstrate this as one of the applications available to manufacturers wanting to mark either directly onto products or onto boxes and packing cases. It can save time and money by automating the marking process and eliminating the need for paper labels.

Timbermark has a range of fixed position and handheld inkjet printers to offer a print solution for every application. The piezo printer from Yeacode used in the egeplast application is one of the print systems available. Customers can also buy a range of highresolution thermal inkjet printers online at t-mark.eu.

Trading from the UK or its base in Belgium, Timbermark supplies customers across the EU with reliable, highresolution, low-cost printers.

Contact

T 0870 803 1877

www.timbermark.co.uk

www.t-mark.eu

sales@timbermark.co.uk

New HyperScope™ system enables smart seal detection by artificial intelligence

Engilico announces a new HyperScope™ system for seal inspection of plastic or cardboard trays, pots and other thermoformed packages. HyperScope™ uses hyperspectral imaging to detect seal contamination with high contrast, even with printed film. The inspection system features GPU-accelerated artificial intelligence, which enables high-precision seal area detection in realtime, regardless of the package orientation, packaging material, layout or size. Another new improvement is the (optionally) integrated conveyor belt that can be completed with an integrated reject unit. Combining these improvements, HyperScope™ serves as a fully integrated solution for high-accuracy rigid package inspection.

Hyperspectral cameras capture information from a larger part of the electromagnetic spectrum including infrared wavelengths that penetrate through thin plastic or paper top films. Hyperspectral imaging, therefore, unlocks new inspection possibilities where classic imaging often falls short, e.g. on printed film packages which are often used in luxury packaging, on packaging with opaque backings or in applications where the seal contamination is difficult to detect due to limited contrast. An example

of the latter are packages of the same color as the packaged product. The system can inspect up to 160 packages per minute, a speed that is well aligned with food production lines.

Contact Renaat Van Cauter, Marketing Director

T +32 16 498 139 Renaat.vancauter@engilico.com

FERCELL Introduce NEW WEIMA Presses for Economical

As the sole UK distributor of WEIMA Maschinenbau GmbH, FERCELL are pleased to announce the latest compaction equipment range, PUEHLER drainage presses.

Whether empty and dry or filled and wet, WEIMA has the right pressing solution for production and packaging waste as well as used labels. Packaging that is no longer usable is occasionally still filled with fluids. This may include beverage cans, PET bottles or milk cartons, among others. These filled items require proper separation, if only for reasons of volume reduction and cost-effective disposal. While aluminium, paper and plastic can be recycled rather easily, WEIMA

breweries, dairies, soft drink producers and bottling plants, but also by operators of biogas plants, plastic processors and food manufacturers. In addition, WEIMA offers the PUEHLER A series, a fully automatic and cost-effective compaction solution for used labels and caps. The pressed-out lye is collected and can be returned to the cleaning machine.

Contact FERCELL to discover how you can reduce the volume of your packaging waste and containers with WEIMA compaction solutions.

Contact

www.fercell.com

HVAC Update

Humidity in the winter

Humidity levels drop in the winter because cold air holds less moisture than warm air. Many large buildings, warehouses and factories use air handling units to ventilate and heat large areas. These units take the cold dry air from outside and convert it to warm air inside. The problem gets worse when the dry air heats as it loses even more moisture, resulting in lower relative humidity.

The Science

Relative humidity is the amount of water vapour actually in the air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount of water vapour the air can hold at the same temperature.

At any given moment an air molecule will hold a certain amount of moisture – more on rainy days than hot sunny days. In winter, cold outside air (whether ‘wet’ or ‘dry’) is brought inside and heated. As air heats it expands, but the actual moisture content of each molecule cannot change, and therefore the relative humidity falls.

It is widely acknowledged that maintaining relative humidity levels between 40-60% significantly improves human well-being and mechanical performance. Read more to find out how low humidity effects both human and mechanical production.

How does low humidity effect our wellbeing?

Low indoor relative humidity has a negative effect on human comfort. The adult human body is typically 60% water, so in a dry environment our bodies naturally lose moisture. Unlike temperature, low humidity is more difficult to detect.

Typical symptoms include:

t Dry and itchy skin

t Cracked lips

t Dry eyes (especially for those with contact lens)

t Sore throats

t Nosebleeds

t Headaches

In addition, low relative humidity dries our mucous membranes and inhibits our body’s natural defence against germs, viruses, and bacteria, making us much more vulnerable to catching common colds and flus. Maintaining relative humidity between 40-60% is scientifically proven to reduce the spread of airborne pollutants and viruses.

How does low humidity effect mechanical processes?

Moisture absorption also affects hygroscopic materials like wood and paper. The low humidity dries out these materials causing them to shrink, curl, crack or split. When these materials pass through machines, usually at high speeds, it causes paper jams and machine breakdowns. A list of common problems is listed below:

t Static electricity build-up and ESD

t Drying out of hygroscopic materials like wood and paper

t Paper jams and machine breakdowns

t Increased wastage

t Decreased productivity

The Solution There is a wide range of humidifiers and a variety of factors to consider in selecting the right humidifier for each building or application, such as energy use, water supply, cold water or steam, gas or electric, evaporative or spray, humidifier situation, control compatibility and maintenance needs. It is therefore important to seek advice from specialists who can provide guidance and design a bespoke system that will serve each unique specification. Installation, commissioning, spare parts, ongoing service and maintenance costs also need to be considered, and a planned maintenance contract is recommended to ensure equipment is kept in good

working order and the initial investment is not wasted.

Humidity Solutions have a team of experienced and highly knowledgeable engineers who can advise on a full range of applications and provide a complete turnkey solution, providing reassurance for the customer and protecting their investment in both their people and their machinery.

T 01372 571200

info@humiditysolutions.co.uk www.humiditysolutions.co.uk

Workwear rental and laundry service

In this issue of Industry Update, we are pleased to announce CLEAN as our Textile and Workwear Service Provider Company of the Month.

CLEAN was originally established in 1886 under the name Maidenhead District Laundry. Today, it has developed into one of the UK’s leading laundry company’s providing professional uniform and workwear rental services to the manufacturing, automotive, and engineering industries.

CLEAN has the expert backing from its parent company Alsco, a UTAH based international linen and uniform rental company who service over 335,000 customers across 180 locations worldwide. Giving CLEAN access to world class innovation, leading edge-technology and investment, CLEAN has a fleet of sales people who are

based in the following areas around the UK making them easily accessible to all customers. These areas include South East and South-West England, West and East Midlands, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Wales.

CLEAN offers a comprehensive end-to-end workwear rental service that enables your company to continue operating in safe, clean and smart workwear that is ISO 9001 accredited and compliant with all appropriate garment PPE safety standards.

“There are many key reasons to why renting workwear is better for organisations rather than buying direct and washing at home. As costs are spread over the length of the contract, it eliminates large upfront costs. Not many people know this but to ensure the protective quality of the garment is maintained it must go through a unique wash cycle. Particularly PPE workwear, it must be washed, dried and repaired correctly otherwise it is not fit for purpose in hazardous conditions and becomes less durable over time. Our hygienic standards remain high and by applying thermal disinfection in the wash process gives an even greater reassurance that clothing is safe and fit for purpose,” stated Kevin Pain, Sales Director for Workwear.

Furthermore, CLEAN offers the flexibility of personalisation for all workwear with a selection of

bespoke colours, embroidering or embossing of company logos, departments, and employee names. Following COVID-19 it is more important than ever for thorough and effective cleaning decontamination of workwear. As staffing can change over time, managing these garments from employee’s houses can be complicated and timely. CLEAN takes care of the washing, cleaning, drying, collecting and delivery of uniforms and gives the freedom to upsize or downsize garments as required.

Specifically designed for the engineering industry, CLEAN has a workwear laundry and rental service aimed at providing ultimate protection. CLEAN will supply from 5 - 5000 employees with garments for molten metal, ARC protection, chemical splash repellent, flame retardant, Hi-Vis and Industrial uniforms. Using its personal locker valet service also makes distribution of the workwear easily accessible to employees. “Many of our customers prefer this service because it eliminates the problems of theft, damage and complicated administration sometimes involved with providing workwear garments to your employees. It also means clean safe workwear is available 24 hours a day,” said Kevin.

Another notable service includes the rental of industrial floor protection mats that can be used across your business including branded mats, entrance mats, welcome mats, message and safety mats, and antifatigue mats. Through its regular collection, cleaning and delivery service, CLEAN’s professional drivers will lift dirty

mats and replace them with clean mats to an agreed schedule.

As CLEAN continues growing its services within the UK and implementing best practice across the board, it will soon be widening its product range to a wider range of garments to reach more industries and cater to more requirements. “We are excited to be partnering with Tranemo, a premium workwear manufacturer who will enhance our product offering,” stated Kevin.

CLEAN will be attending The Health & Safety Event at the NEC on the 25-27 April 2023 at stand 3/H30

For more information, see below: www.cleanservices.co.uk/workwear

Test & Measurment Update

Interface G-series load cells fly off the shelves through its new e-commerce website

“Our product portfolio is applicable to many industries. For instance, we are well known for our high-quality pressure mapping systems that are used by many of our automotive and motorsport customers. Our sensors deliver highly accurate, repeatable measurements and many of our load cells are used by calibration houses as calibration reference devices. Our high-quality, yet competitively priced 3 and 6 axis load cells are used for many R&D, renewable energy and robotic applications.”

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

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

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. These expos include Advanced Engineering 2nd & 3rd November 2022 Stand L150

at the NEC, Birmingham, and Instrumentation, Analysis & Testing Exhibition on the 16th May 2023 at Silverstone Wing, Silverstone Race Circuit.

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

Water, Energy & Enviroment Update

Delivering low carbon solutions with modular technology

EnviroChemie UK has recently signed a contract with Abbey Ecosse Ltd to design and build an Anaerobic Digestion system at the Forss Business and Energy Park in Scotland. The plant will treat waste products from whisky distilling, producing biogas, which will be converted to bioenergy, to be utilised in the site’s ‘decentralised smart energy network’. The plant is part of the Ecosse North Coast Energy Network (ENCEN) project working alongside other green technologies to produce low carbon heat and power for the business park.

EnviroChemie has established a reputation for energy and resource efficient technologies for water and wastewater treatment and recycling, specialising in developing and implementing sustainable customised solutions in different industries.

We offer a holistic range of ‘Made in Germany’ branded products and services based on biological, membrane filtration and chemical-physical processes, whose pedigree relies on its long list of research achievements and patents. EnviroChemie adopts a partnership approach in which client specialised needs and characteristics form the basis for individual design, planning, engineering, building and commissioning of treatment plants.

Plant solutions for water treatment and resource recycling or biogas production save valuable resources and energy. We continuously develop the technology lines for physico-chemical, biological and membrane technology water treatment, created in our own research department. Customer-specific solutions can be tested in our own technology centre or in pilot plants.

EnviroChemie is a member of the EnviroWater Group, a network of companies with specialists in the solution of a broad range of requirements for sustainable water treatment.

The EnviroChemie solution for ENCEN incorporates established anaerobic technology with innovative membrane separation. This will convert a high proportion of the organic waste to Biogas, and produce a high-quality water for discharge, both reducing the sites carbon footprint and minimising the environmental impact.

The solution will be delivered in a modular format, with the majority of the technology being built offsite. This will mean a quicker installation and commissioning phase but also allow for repeatability of the solution at other locations.

The project is being developed under the Scottish Governments Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) and will contribute to the region’s pathway to ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions.

Neil Robertson of Abbey Ecosse said, “We selected the EnviroChemie technology solution after an extensive technology assessment by Ricardo Energy and Environment based on the options available in the market at this scale. Working in partnership with EnviroChemie has produced a highly innovative solution to achieve our net zero requirements.”

The EnviroChemie WaterExpert digital platform will also be incorporated, as part of the ongoing plant operation.

The WaterExpert app offers an easy and convenient

way to help monitor and optimise plant operation. Using a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, you can get a remote overview of the status of the entire plant with:

t Real-time data monitoring, including trend graphs and performance analysis

t Remote monitoring (optional)

t Digitised plant inspection rounds and checklists

t Customised alarm and maintenance management

This means you can minimise the amount of work required on site, reduce costs and even optimise operation to make it more efficient.

To use your water resources more efficiently, seek practical advice from our advanced water treatment specialists.

For more information, please contact Lester Young at: lester.young@envirochemie.uk

Or visit our website at: www.envirochemie.co.uk

Biral to install its SWS-250 weather sensors across Greece after major project win with the Hellenic National Meteorological Service

Leading meteorological expert, Biral, will install 80 of its SWS-250 weather sensors across Greece after winning a major project with the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, a government agency responsible for making weather forecasts and observations across the country.

Working with Microstep, the two-year project provides comprehensive meteorological information to critical productive and developmental sectors, such as public bodies and educational and research institutions. It will also include the expansion of Greece’s existing network of Automated

New IDEXX SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance Controls introduced

Expanded IDEXX SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Wastewater Test Kit provides Validated Matrix Recovery Control and Human Faecal Measurement.

IDEXX has expanded the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance test kit range by incorporating a Matrix and Faecal Control Kit, which provides a validated matrix recovery control and human faecal measurement for normalisation in a single, multiplexed reaction.

The EU Commission recommends both of these controls for providing actionable SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance data to public health officials.

IDEXX has worked with laboratories around the globe to accelerate the implementation of wastewater surveillance. The SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test offers standardised methodology, consistent results, and is supported by comprehensive IDEXX quality-control procedures and supply chain expertise.

In 2021, a Water Research Foundation (WRF) study showed the IDEXX test outperformed most methods on consistency of detection.

IDEXX introduced the Water SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test in July 2020 to support wastewater surveillance to track the prevalence of COVID-19 in communities.

The Water SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test combines the company’s long history of developing PCR tests and over 20 years providing validated wastewater tests. The test gives consistent results that have been validated on real-world and geographically diverse samples.

To learn more about the Water SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test, visit: https://www.idexx.co.uk/ en-gb/water/water-products-services/ water-sars-cov-2-rt-pcr-test/

IDEXX Water UK wateruk@idexx.com

01638 676800

Weather Stations (AWS) for the measurement, recording and processing of meteorological data on a 24-hour basis.

Additionally, the project will upgrade existing upper atmosphere stations with Automated Radiosonde Systems (ARS) for the measurement, recording and processing of meteorological data.

Biral’s SWS-250 weather sensor is optimised for use in aviation applications where both visibility and extended present and past weather information is required. With its

ultimate visibility performance, the visual range can extend to 99.99km, allowing for use in meteorological observation networks and research applications.

Nathan Neal, Marketing Director at Biral, said: “Many companies now recognise our weather sensors as being the most sensitive and accurate on the market, so we’re pleased they have been chosen by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service.”

www.biral.com

Do more to protect against floods – there is ‘Noah alternative’

The

Kevin

“Climate

“Making sure site

is in as good condition as possible, in

and reduce capacity and in good repair, should be a priority in situations like this.”

Lanes Group is the UK’s largest drainage and wastewater specialist. It helps thousands of businesses across the UK protect their properties through planned and reactive site drainage cleaning and maintenance services.

The company also delivers sewer unblocking, repair and rehabilitation services for many water companies, including Thames Water, Severn Trent, Northumbrian Water and Scottish Water.

Lanes has put together a 7-step check list to support a site drainage resilience review:

1. Is your property location at particular risk of localised flooding?

2. Do you have an accurate and up to date map of your site drainage system and assessments of its condition and capacity? These can only be obtained by a drainage specialist carrying out a full site CCTV drainage survey.

3. Is the planned preventative maintenance schedule for the property’s drainage system up to date? Has the drainage system been cleaned in the last 12 months?

4. Are you already experiencing any problems with your drainage system? Does water pool on surfaces around your property after it rains? Do sinks drain and toilets flush properly?

5. Are water courses around your property in optimum condition? Are storm culverts serving your site regularly inspected and cleaned?

6. Has there been any extensive building carried out recently that might affect your site drainage system?

7. Do you have emergency preparations in place if a flood occurs? This may include access to an emergency response service from a reputable drainage specialist and plans to

protect assets and deliver services from a different location.

Just like clean water pipes, surface water drains and sewers can be affected by the seasonal contraction and expansion of clay soils, resulting in pipe joints being displaced, pipes cracking or even collapsing.

This problem is expected to become more commonplace due to climate change, with northern areas of the UK increasingly affected for the first time due to changing weather patterns.

During prolonged periods of dry weather, tree root systems grow more aggressively as they search for water and nutrients, increasing the risk of root infestation of drainage pipes.

Low flow rates in sewers and surface water drains during dry weather allow heavier solid material and debris washed into

the system to build up, compromising its capacity, increasing the risk of flooding.

Kevin Moon said: “Climate change is creating more volatile, more unpredictable weather. This, in turn, means the condition of site drainage systems can change more rapidly than in previous times.

“The only answer is to tighten planned preventative maintenance systems, with more frequent and thorough inspection and drain cleaning regimes, beginning with asking the questions detailed in our drainage resilience checklist. “The alternative may be to expose business sites to greater risk of serious flooding events and the far greater costs they incur.”

For more information, see below:

www.lanesfordrains.co.uk

Machinery Update

Make better moulds: Mill better, drill faster

Mould making isn’t easy. There are many intricate challenges that include: highly complex geometry with 2D and 3D features, managing a wide range of part sizes, and short lead times on small quantities and new designs with no room for error. Compounding these challenges is the pressure to keep up with the rapid pace of demand and technology.

But there’s a way to overcome those obstacles: Do better work with technology designed specifically for complex mould making.

Our USC-M series Milling and Drilling Centres allow you to drill faster and mill better with a single machine and fewer setups. These Milling and Drilling Centres meet the challenges of milling and gundrilling all types of metals with either a single universal combination spindle or dedicated milling and drilling spindles. Utilising high performance spindles that provide exceptional rigidity and power transmission, these machines deliver high-torque milling capability for aggressive metal removal and shorter cycle times. Additionally, 5-axis positioning enables mould manufacturers to tackle complex geometries with exacting precision in a single setup.

Many manufacturers claim to provide milling and drilling in a single machine, but the truth is those hybrid machines neither mill nor drill well enough to make a significant difference in either operation. In effect, one process is an afterthought of the other. Our USC-M series, however, was designed from the beginning to be a single machine with superior milling and drilling performance and accuracy. State-ofthe-art milling technology is embedded into a machine that has the power, thrust, speed and process monitoring competitors thought would be difficult to attain, or simply not possible.

In addition to superior quality and accuracy, the pay-off for single setup milling and drilling is efficiency and an improved bottom line. Mould makers cut delivery times to their customers with faster setups and production along with reduced overall labor costs. Once they move away from mould making operations with two machines, most of our customers find they can’t afford to manufacture without a USCM-series Milling and Drilling Centre.

The benefits of milling better and drilling faster with USC-M series machines do not stop at the spindle.

There are intangible benefits as well.

UNISIG USC-M series Milling and Drilling Centres allow mould manufacturers to approach their work differently and explore different approaches to mould making. With the entire manufacturing process streamlined, customers find their engineers and design teams enjoy

more freedom and flexibility with the expanded capabilities. Finishing and assembly are faster because the design is more efficient, and manufacturers can do things effortlessly that were a struggle previously.

Ultimately, it’s about setting the bar

high and keeping it there. UNISIG sets a standard looked up to by the competition. It’s a state-of-the-art mindset that takes mould finishing to a new level with a machine that allows you to mill better and drill faster.

www.unisig.com

UNISIG deep hole drilling systems: Perfection is never an accident

UNISIG produces deep hole drilling machines that are used around the world by nearly every industry imaginable – and at UNISIG, striving for perfection has never been an accident. To secure long-term success, the company decided to further invest in machining its own precision parts rather than subcontracting components, as some of the most critical parts they produced have tolerances and complexity that cannot be made by most machine shops.

To machine their own parts while continuing to grow and develop new products, UNISIG embarked on a new approach to machining which would allow for industry-leading CNC machine tool accuracy and performance to be

which required a change in thinking by the team’s engineers, programmers, and machinists. To harness this new direction, UNISIG put in the time and energy to secure the best manufacturing resources

coupled with new technology that would ultimately eliminate manual intervention in machining that prevails in many shops.

“The deliberate connection between engineering, design, and machining improves our product. Our ability to rely on very high accuracy and productivity from our internal machining capacity allows UNISIG to provide more advanced solutions and value to its customers,” quoted Anthony Fettig, CEO of UNISIG.

Automated machining was the goal,

available, including several Okuma machine tools.

To begin, UNISIG devised a plan to combine modular fixturing, offline tool setup, and full simulation of the machine, workpiece, and tools to provide a platform of innovation within their machine shop. The team’s intent was to radically improve spindle uptime and exploit the full potential of automated CNC machining, even when the batch size would be only one part.

The first step of the UNISIG strategy

was to move away from classic CNC boring mills and adopt the higher productivity potential of CNC horizontal machining centres with twin pallets. After consulting with credible industry sources and leveraging their internal team’s knowledge, the MB-10000H horizontal machining centre from Okuma was selected for medium-sized, high-accuracy part machining.

One of the most important factors in this capital investment was the need to trust the machine accuracy enough to program from its centre of rotation and let the machine run without stopping and manually verifying the machining process many times during the cycle. The Okuma MB-10000H installation was a success and reinforced UNISIG’s wisdom to focus on automated machining – and the benefits were so extraordinary that UNISIG continued to look to additional Okuma solutions to bring its strategic vision to life.

UNISIG’s next target was large-part machining. Previously, to hold the finished machine tolerances, extensive hand scraping was necessary which added a lot of time and expense to produce these machines. UNISIG established a set of machining accuracy parameters that would eliminate much of this handwork to achieve tolerances.

Working directly with the local distributor,

Morris Midwest, UNISIG was able to engage with Okuma America and Okuma Corporation’s technical leadership to tailor the specification of an Okuma MCR-A5CII 35x10 double column machine for the exacting geometry and overall volumetric accuracy needed.

The collective Okuma team ensured the MCR-A5CII machine tool specifications were defined and perfect for UNISIG’s application. A quick-change fixture system was developed by UNISIG to allow two parts up to 3m (10ft) long to be machined simultaneously and removed for setup offline. The results after installation were very impressive, allowing lights-out automatic machining of parts previously not possible for UNISIG to manufacture.

With two machines from Okuma running and performing to expectations, one more opportunity identified for upgrade resulted in the new MA-12500 machine.

The OSP Control common to these three Okuma machines was a big value to the programming and simulation group at UNISIG. “This baseline trust in Okuma is what allows UNISIG to excel at advanced manufacturing,” said Mr. Fetting.

In addition to offline tool presetting and modular workholding on all machines, UNISIG uses a variety of Okuma’s Partners in THINC suppliers including: Mastercam, Vericut® and Renishaw. Using a layered approach to technology and understanding the benefits of eliminating the gaps between engineering, design, and manufacturing, UNISIG has differentiated itself as a machine tool builder. The company’s long history of achievement is one Okuma and Morris Midwest are proud to be a part of –especially in helping UNISIG achieve their goal of capitalising on the full potential of automated machining.

For more information, see below.

T +49 7125 9687590 www.unisig.com

Electonics Update

Machine building solutions from Foremost

Foremost Electronics the engineering-led Essex based importer and specialist distributor of electromechanical components, is a key source of supply for machine builders looking for rugged and reliable enclosures, human machine interfaces (HMI) and secure cable entry systems.

Channel partners for the German manufacturer nVent Schroff, Foremost can supply their range of cabinets, desktop enclosures, 19” cabinets, and sub racks. Their wide range of products include rugged, waterproof, modular and user configurable enclosures to suit many

Watlow® completes acquisition of Eurotherm®

Watlow®, a designer and manufacturer of complete industrial thermal systems, is pleased to announce that it has completed its acquisition of Eurotherm® from Schneider Electric Company®, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, on October 31, 2022. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Eurotherm is a premier provider of temperature, power and process control, measurement and data management equipment, systems, software and services for global industrial markets. The company employs about 650 people worldwide, with headquarters in Worthing, U.K. and core manufacturing operations in Ledziny, Poland.

Rob Gilmore, Watlow’s CEO, said, “We are excited about Watlow and Eurotherm and all we will accomplish together. This acquisition aligns with our vision of providing innovative thermal products and technologies that help increase our customers’ competitive advantage. The combination of Watlow and Eurotherm products and technologies will create new global opportunities for our collective customers and allow us to focus our advanced thermal systems in important areas.”

Watlow will establish Eurotherm’s sites in Worthing, U.K. and Dardilly, France as Advanced Development Centers for its electronics and controls product offering and plans to invest in Eurotherm’s facility in Poland to become Watlow’s Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Europe. This additional capacity and capability also provide a path to growth in other parts of the world including the Americas and Asia.

www.watlow.com

industrial environments.

Just announced is the FIBOX NEO standalone enclosure featuring a modern design with a large viewing area reinforced against impact dust, snow and caustic substances. It is double insulated and has double walled base corners as well as integrated rain canopy.

Available from IDEC, Foremost can supply their wide range of machine safety products including the IDEC X-series E-stops with an exclusive “Safe Break Action” that turns the machine off if a failure occurs within

the E-stop itself. Other products include machine status LED indicator towers and the HT3P SAFETY COMMANDER™ which can convert a tablet computer into an industrial HMI with safety functions.

Comprehensive cable entry products available from icotek include water and dust proof and EMC shielding options as well as modular systems which can accommodate cables with connectors fitted.

For more information call +44 (0)1371 811171, email sales@4most.co.uk or visit www.4most.co.uk

Electronics Update

Why heater design is key in the abatement of waste gases

Semiconductor fabrication creates a number of waste gases, which can be corrosive, pyrophoric and potentially explosive. Often, diluting these gases with nitrogen (N2) is an early step in the abatement process to make sure the gases stay below the lower explosive limit (LEL) or reduce corrosive effects. However, the use of nitrogen can cause condensation and deposits, as well as leak out of the system. Here, Rob Johnston, director of the end

user business segment at industrial electric heater manufacturer Watlow, explains how this can be prevented.

Abating hazardous gases

One way to abate hazardous gases in process exhaust streams is to dilute them using a less harmless gas. In semiconductor fabrication, nitrogen gas is often used because it is readily available and effective at diluting more hazardous gases prior to other abatement steps.

A good example of this solution can be seen with potentially explosive gases, such as hydrogenated gases. These gases have an explosive range, a specific range of gas concentrations where explosion is likely to occur. Gas concentrations must be kept below the lower explosive limit (LEL), which is the minimum concentration of gas needed to reach this explosive range. But mixing with nitrogen lowers the ratio, making the gas too lean to pose an explosion risk.

That said, when introducing a new gas into the exhaust stream, condensation can cause issues by creating deposits in the system. This eventually creates clogging, leading to unplanned downtime. The addition of nitrogen poses a dilemma, forcing plants to choose potential line shutdown in order to ensure safety — a trade-off no one wants to make.

An alternative solution

If adding room-temperature nitrogen into a waste stream causes condensation problems, heating the nitrogen can be a sufficient remedy. However, getting nitrogen to temperature has proven to be a tricky engineering problem.

One of the biggest issues is with nitrogen leaks. Introducing a heater into the system can potentially create another place where nitrogen can leak, meaning that not all the nitrogen gets into the waste stream for abatement. If the leak is severe enough, the hazardous gases will not be diluted enough to ensure safety. This means that a potentially explosive gas might still be well within its explosive range.

There is limited space that can be taken up within an existing an abatement system, which limits the number of components, controllers and wires that can be added to the system, especially in multi-chamber setups.

The no-leak last resort

To overcome these challenges, a compact, no-leak heater design can ensure the reliability of exhaust abatement systems in semiconductor fabrication. For instance, Watlow’s FLUENT in-line heater is designed to allow movement of a fluid or gas over the heater surface without any loss of the fluid or gas through the outer shell.

A no-leak design not only includes a seamless stainless steel outer protection tube, but it also has the heating elements sitting outside of the fluid flow path. As a result, neither the elements nor the wiring penetrate the gas flow path, mitigating the need to weld components in place and thereby create areas where gas can escape. This design ensures that all nitrogen gas is passed along into the process, preventing any from escaping into the sub-fab.

With no leaks present, the correct mixture of gases can be assured, meaning that semiconductor manufacturers no longer need to trade-off between safety concerns and possible downtime caused by the need to flush clogged exhaust systems.

A first step in the abatement of waste gases in semiconductor fabrication should be dilution with nitrogen gas. However, engineers must consider the issues that can arise and consider opting for a solution that covers all potential issues associated with nitrogen heating. In this case, a design that is modelled around eliminating leakage can prevent clogging and downtime.

For more information about the FLUENT heater, go to watlow.com

3DPRINTUK @ TCT 3Sixty

At 3DPRINTUK our days are always busy on-site at our factory. This week, however, for some of our team, the last two days have been busy in a different way - at TCT 3Sixty.

As the UK’s largest dedicated 3D printing and additive manufacturing trade show, TCT 3Sixty has been an annual pilgrimage for us, and even though it has moved from its traditional Autumn spot on the calendar to early Summer, we returned to the NEC in Birmingham, to Hall 9 this time around, and set up shop.

Visitors to our stand were generally buzzing with anticipation and excitement. And not just because of our recently announced price drop for our MJF service - mostly it was because they were out and amongst like-minded people, with no restrictions placed on them. There were even a few hugs going on around the place too - and we were all in.

With this being our 10th year in attendance (let’s ignore the Covid years) we are able to compare our previous experiences over the years. In the beginning, our role at a show like this was always about education, often at a basic level, explaining the concept of 3D printing, its applications and where and why polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) fits within the industry landscape.

Across the last 11 years, this has changed dramatically. This week the conversations we have been having with visitors — both new and familiar faces — have been based on very direct questions about how we could potentially help them with clearly defined objectives and a broad knowledge and understanding of 3D printing was obviously already embedded.

The majority of visitors to TCT 3Sixty invariably attend in

Scott Bader, UK-based 3D printing resin manufacturer

Crestaform is Scott Bader’s first ever product range for 3D printing. The 3D printing market is a rapidly growing one that Scott Bader identified as an area for new product development using their vast experience and expertise in resin manufacture, dating back over 70 years. That expertise led to the development of Crestaform high performing 3D printing resins that exhibit superior mechanical performance and excellent reactivity.

Scott Bader’s Crestaform 3D printing resins can be used in most stereolithography 3D printers and are cured by laser or light. The level and quality of detail that can be achieved is staggering when using Crestaform resins to produce a 3D print. www.scottbader.com enquiries@scottbader.com

Electronics Update

an industrial capacity - looking for 3D printing solutions to industrial problems, whether for product development or for manufacturing, or somewhere in between. This is our area of expertise, and sharing this with our clients is our raison d’être.

Visitors asking questions at the 3DPRINTUK stand at TCT 3SixtyThe 3DPRINTUK team saw a noticeable increase in questions about 3D printing for manufacturing applications.

Low volume production has featured heavily in our conversations this week, when we have been able to demonstrate - with sample parts and material packs - exactly how the SLS and MJF 3D printing processes can bridge the gap between prototyping and injection moulding. This is achieved by delivering quality parts, in a timely fashion, that meet design function requirements in a cost-effective way. Our pricing structure and competitive costper-part are really what sets us apart as a service partner and we

Integrated solutions designed around you

MSL offers a wide variety of specialist products to aid a multitude of Design, Manufacture, and Inspection applications. From a design perspective, our nTopology software offering enables us to engage directly with CAD OEM’s, Additive OEM’s and design teams looking to optimise their design process, by introducing generative capabilities to overcome the complexities of advanced additive manufacturing, considering, light weighting, field driven data design and complex lattice material structures.

Our Creaform measurement and scanning products can then be utilised to perform dimensional and surface profile checks back to the Designer intended CAD model. Our Strategic level partnership with Creaform means we can cover a vast spectrum of design and manufacturing applications, with their handheld scanners tactile probing, and photogrammetry solutions, the HandySCAN3D, Go!Scan3D MetraSCAN3D and MaxSHOT3D, providing point cloud data capture for 3D printing, reverse engineering and quality control.

will continue to research and implement our findings to bring keep bringing costs down.

For this week though, thank you to everyone that visited the stand, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to reach out. If you couldn’t make it to TCT 3Sixty but want to know more - please let us know and we can set up a visit.

For more information: www.3dprint-uk.co.uk

Adding the Iris 3D from Virtek Vision International to the MSL solution portfolio, fits perfectly within the manufacturing process and means we can also support the production and build processes for composite lay-up, fabrication, and guided assembly. Projecting laser templates exponentially faster using innovative vision technology with laser projection in one system.

All of which results in the provision of multiple end-to-end Design, Manufacture, and Inspection solutions bespoke to each customers’ requirements. We believe that success is achieved with the full adoption of our solutions, and it is our experience that defines our solution focused approach for our 400+ customers across the UK.

01733 325252 sales@measurement-solutions.co.uk

www.measurement-solutions.co.uk

Handling & Storage Update

NSK bearings save costs when maintaining ship loading conveyor

When the need arose to replace the bearings supporting a bend pulley on a ship oading conveyor at an iron ore port in Australia, NSK designed a solution using spherical roller bearings that were not only made from its proprietary HTF tough steel, but also featured a detachable nitrile seal. The result was an extension in service

life leading to significant savings in downtime costs.

Due to the operating environment, the mining and quarrying industry requires highly reliable equipment that can withstand harsh conditions. So when the bearings on a bend pulley serving a ship loading conveyor had only six months of

Facilities Management

operating life remaining, the iron ore port called upon the expertise of NSK to devise a better solution.

NSK’s team of experts investigated the bearing failure, discovering that heavy iron ore particle ingress and water contamination in the failed bearing’s lubricant had compromised the

service life of the bend pulley. Any conveyor components exhibiting curtailed operating life will incur costs for maintenance hours and lost production.

To address the issue, NSK’s engineering specialists set about designing a new solution based on the company’s proven line of spherical roller bearings. In the first instance, NSK decided to manufacture the bearings from its unique HTF tough steel. Tough Steel is an effective countermeasure to the wear commonly found on the outer ring raceway, where the fixed load zone material is prone to wear when experiencing fine particle ingress.

NSK’s long-life HTF series bearings utilise advanced material engineering and heat treatment technology, thus facilitating superior resistance to wear, seizure and elevated temperatures. The outcome is dramatically longer service life and reduced costs for maintenance and unplanned downtime. Indeed, HTF series bearings can offer as much as 10 times the service life in contaminated lubrication conditions, such as those experienced at the iron ore port facility.

Another key design feature of the NSK proposal was removable nitrile seal (HNBR) garter sprung seals, which compensate for seal wear to further extend operating life. The lip contact maintains pressure even under misalignment. As well as the extension to service life – the NSK sealed spherical roller bearings achieved 12 months of trouble-free operation – the detachable seal provided the iron ore port facility with the ability to check radial internal clearances using feeler gauges during the fitting process.

In short, this notable design feature enables accurate management of the proper clearance as part of bearing assembly procedures. The concept centres on a seal mounted to a ring/ holder that is fully detachable (via bolts), providing sufficient access for feeler gauges to perform clearance measurements. Furthermore, this unique design offers complete interchangeability with existing solutions.

At the iron ore port facility, a reduction in lost production downtime was the major contributor to cost savings totalling €77,376 per annum.

For more inforamtion: www.nsk.com

NSK spherical roller bearing showing a seal mounted to a ring/holder that is fully detachable via bolts.

Facilities Managment Update

Efficiency and best practice in FM Procurement:

Introducing the NEC4 Facilities Management Contracts

Last year, NEC Contracts released a new set of contracts specifically designed for the procurement of facilities management services. NEC worked with the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) to develop the contracts, ensuring that they demonstrate and encourage best practice in the sector. The suite contains four contracts, six user guides and two flow charts. The contracts are suitable for “total FM” and single or multiple supplier FM contracts.

As with all NEC4 contracts, they are based on three core principles – ensuring they work to support good relationships between all parties; they can be used in a variety of commercial situations and locations; and they are written in clear, simple terms. The contracts are accessible and use recognisable terminology and processes. Practitioners can easily pick up a contract and use it, but some understanding of NEC will help, for which there are supporting materials and training available.

Background

As with many client/contractor industries, the facilities management sector can suffer from contract disputes, inconsistencies and adversarial contracting and procurement strategies. Additionally, with such a vast and diverse sector, there are varying levels of experience in the procurement and management of contracts. The NEC4 Facilities Management Contract represents the first up-to-date standard form of contract for the facilities management sector.

The use of this contract offers the opportunity to simplify and streamline the procurement process which can be troubled by inefficiencies. Adopting a common form of contract will strengthen the sector’s standing and raise confidence in delivery. It also offers the opportunity to mitigate risk as the contracts are designed to allocate risks to those best placed to manage them. The NEC4 Facilities Management Contracts embed processes to ensure that the parties co-operate to identify and manage problems as they arise.

Flexibility

There is a growing trend towards larger, often integrated, longer term agreements in the public and private sectors. These contracts are believed to encourage better relationships, drive innovation and encourage investment. Given the nature of these agreements and the complexities associated with larger contracts, understanding roles and responsibilities becomes vital in promoting transparency and good management practices.

Challenges can arise from the sheer range of services required and any standard contract covering these projects must be extremely flexible.

Procurement contracts also need to be flexible with industry changes. Procurement strategies need to take into account the impacts of COVID, with enhanced cleaning requirements and reduced building occupation. Legal changes, such as National Living Wage, also need to be allowed for within the contract clauses. Implementing the

Living Wage in NEC4 contracts is covered in a separate Practice Note.

The NEC format is already designed with flexibility built in. Processes such as early warning notices and compensation events give parties the ability to flex and change. While these practices may not be extensively used within the FM industry currently, they are supported by comprehensive explanations in the user guides and further training is available.

Collaboration

The new contracts are a great step in enabling the facilities management sector to offer more integrated and consistent procurement strategies, add value to the supply chain and develop stronger, more collaborative relationships. Uniquely, every NEC4 contract states that parties are required to “act in a spirit of mutual trust and co-operation”. This differentiates NEC from traditional contracts which follow an adversarial “us and them” approach.

To move towards improved efficiency, it is vital that the facilities management sector pushes the ethos of these client/contractor relationships towards partnerships or at least common objectives. This can only happen with transparency and trust being embedded as part of the procurement and project management processes.

Additionally, the need for greener growth within the built environment sector makes collaboration even more important. Across the whole supply chain, a concerted effort will be required to kick-start sustainability efforts. NEC has also recently released a new secondary Option clause, X29, which is designed to support climate change reduction aims and enable clients to engage their suppliers to drive towards net zero.

Social Value

NEC, IWFM and the Social Value Portal have also issued a practice note to accompany the NEC4 Facilities Management Contracts which highlights the importance of Social Value in UK public sector contracts. Social Value is now mandatory in Central Government procurements with a minimum 10% weighting requirement. Crucially, it is important to consider how facilities can create Social Value through the life cycle and how FM professionals have an important role to play in delivering benefits to local communities and wider sustainability objectives. The NEC Facilities Management Contracts offer Clients the option to detail their Social Value requirements, measures and/or targets.

Conclusion

As the facilities management industry becomes more open to change and eager to adapt to new ways of working, the NEC4 Facilities Management Contracts offer an opportunity to drive efficiency and best practice in procurement. With a foundation in delivering flexibility and collaboration through project management practices, the new contracts aim to improve the procurement and delivery processes.

More information about the NEC4 Facilities Management Contracts is available on the NEC website: www.neccontract.com/fm

Handling, Storage & Robotics Update

NSK innovations aid industry sustainability

Manufacturers across Europe are experiencing the economic pain of rising energy bills, which creates a dilemma: absorb the cost or pass it on to valued customers. Neither is particularly easy. As a result, now is the ideal moment for companies to reduce their running costs with correctly aligned machines and energy-efficient bearing solutions from NSK.

There appears to be little relief from soaring energy costs. For this reason, an increasing number of industrial companies are turning to the latest motion control technologies as a means to improve efficiency levels and cut bills. Bearings are a pertinent example of components that can directly enhance the energy efficiency of machinery, while the same goes for the optimised set-up of shafts and belts. Optimal alignment between a

machine and an electric motor, for instance, promotes more energy-efficient operation.

Alignment matters Estimates suggest that over 50% of machines and industrial equipment run out of alignment in reference to ISO standards.

But what is the cause of misalignment? Well, problems usually begin when coupled shafts are positioned so that their gaps or offsets are beyond acceptable limits. Shafts subsequently run off-centre, leading to higher loading, excessive heat generation and greater energy consumption.

Indications of misalignment include increased temperature, high vibration, loose coupling bolts and excessive lubricant leakage

at bearing seals. Any machines or systems showing these signs will almost certainly have a negative effect on bottom-line profitability through higher power usage.

NSK offers advanced laser alignment tools for shafts (LAS-Set) and belts (LAB-Set) that help to ensure quick and perfect alignment every time. LAS-Set uses dual line lasers for easy set-up, even at larger distances, along with high-resolution digital sensors for precise results. LAB-Set houses two line laser transmitters, making alignment far more accurate than single laser head solutions.

Adopting these tools not only contributes to energy efficiency, but also reduces wear on critical machine parts such as couplings and seals, subsequently minimising machine downtime and maximising productivity.

Plants leveraging the benefits of NSK laser alignment tools have recorded energy savings of up to 17%, leading to a rapid return on investment (ROI).

The net-zero challenge Energy efficiency is presently in the spotlight as industry faces pressure to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. While the road to net zero poses many challenges, the transition has the potential to drive investment, innovation, earnings and job creation. Electric motors and the systems they support account for more than 40% of global electricity consumption. With this thought in mind, some fairly easy wins are available.

NSK manufactures several energy-efficient bearings that not only save money via low machine running costs, but also cut CO2 emissions and contribute to more sustainable operations. A case in point is NSK deep groove ball bearings, which reduce energy loss by up to 80% when deployed in electric motors. In comparison with conventional deep groove ball bearings, NSK’s high-efficiency bearings demonstrate 60% less friction when using a steel cage and 80% with a plastic cage.

Another innovation is NSK’s EA7 grease, which reduces internal friction, increases energy efficiency and doubles the service interval of electric motors. Along with optimised grease fill, this low-viscosity and friction-reduced lubricant delivers the perfect solution for any plant looking to reduce torque, minimise power loss and cut carbon emissions. In addition, compared with conventional grease, EA7 offers better lubricating properties in the presence of micro-vibration.

A further contributor to energy-efficient bearing performance is NSK’s non-contact seal technology. When engineers set about designing energy-efficient drive systems, they should be attentive to rolling bearings because it is easy to compromise drive efficiency through the inherent friction that derives from conventional seal contact. NSK has products that deliver efficient sealing properties without increasing frictional torque or operating temperature.

Benefits for industry

Those that can benefit most include automotive manufacturers, which are always seeking further gains in the energy efficiency of their on-vehicle drive mechanisms. Further market demand for low-friction bearings arrives from segments such as washing machine production, where manufacturers achieving a favourable efficiency class tend to enjoy higher sales.

To indicate an emerging market, bearings from NSK are also in demand for improving the high-speed rotational performance of electric vehicle (EV) motors. Here, innovations such as plastic cages are lighter in weight than steel cages, offering reduced mechanical losses, excellent selflubricating properties and a low co-efficient of friction. All of these characteristics contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability.

Among the very latest developments from NSK is the world's first bearing equipped with a cage made of 100% plant-derived bioplastic for use in air conditioner fan motors. These ultra-sustainable bearings help the fan motor to rotate smoothly, reducing electrical use and saving energy.

Solutions that contribute to sustainability not only protect the planet for future generations, they also save money and boost bottom-line profitability. NSK, with its raft of environmentally friendly product innovations, is committed to realising a carbon-neutral society.

www.nskeurope.com

Handling & Storage Update

Loadhog reusable packaging

Loadhog designs and innovates its products to ensure that the plastic used is reusable for as long as possible, has the best carbon rating with a low number of additives. This enablesthe materials to easily be recycled so that the material can be repurposed into a new packaging design. Our expert design team has years of experience in innovation; from designing returnable packaging solutions for supply chains, to creating new innovative products to meet specific customer and market needs.

Loadhog have noticed a rising demand in the market to remove single use materials, especially as the price is increasing for these materials. This aligns with companies wanting support with the reduction of their carbon footprints due to an increase in pressure from governments and the public. This will not only benefit the environment greatly, but also will allow them to spread the positive message of improving sustainability to their customers. By making the switch now it will put companies at a greater competitor advantage compared to those making a last-minute switch when carbon reports are audited more closely.

Loadhog reusable packaging solutions eliminate single use packaging throughout the supply chain. The Loadhog Pallet Lid is one of the company’s most sought-after single-use packaging replacers, a perfect eco-friendly reusable substitute to stretch wrap and now it can be manufactured with recycled materials. The Loadhog Pallet Lid enabled Sky and Unipart Logistics to remove all single use packaging from their supply chain. This robust pallet lid securing solution, with retractable straps and an integrated tensioning mechanism, creates quick waste-free pallet security. This resulted in eliminating 10.2 tonnes of plastic wrap per annum, which is equivalent to 79,200 pallets of single use plastic per year.

Earlier this year Loadhog launched the Autotote. The Autotote is the next development in intralogistics containers. It is perfectly designed to offer smooth silent running, with its single shot double skin strengthen base and cantilever edges. The importance of automation is growing, with estimates suggesting the global intralogistics market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 15.5% from 2020 to 2030. This is pushing more organisations towards future proofing their supply chains. The Autotote advances all aspects of the supply chain from improving accuracy and speed, to reducing waste, and is suitable for all conveyors and transfer units, with an optimised base design that reduces deflection and noise. Loadhog can manufacture the container with a blend of recycled and virgin material, helping you to protect your supply chain’s carbon rating. A circular economy is now globally recognised and promotion of this within your supply chain will not only future proof your business but ensure a long-life investment.

As well as the Autotote, Loadhog introduced the Omnimax, an omnichannel container that can be used throughout the

MasterMover introduces LogisticsMover to support safe & efficient material handling

MasterMover, the award-winning global manufacturer of electric tug solutions, has announced the latest addition to its growing product portfolio with the introduction of the LogisticsMover (SmartMover LM100).

MasterMover has designed the LogisticsMover specifically for the needs of the logistics industry to move cages and trolleys where space, people and merchandise work closely together. It has the capability to move loads up to 1,000kg.

The LogisticsMover is also designed to move loads on ground with a gradient of up to 30% up or down, giving operators control when

operating in environments that are not flat.

“Logistics companies are naturally focused on safety and employee wellbeing, and the LogisticsMover is designed with that in mind,” said Andy Owen, Director and Partner at MasterMover.

“The LogisticsMover offers efficiency by ensuring loads can be moved easily and safely and with great manoeuvrability, reducing the risk of damage to loads and premises and keeping operators safe.”

www.mastermover.com

In this issue of Industry Update, we are pleased to announce DST Humidity Control Ltd (Part of the Newsome Group) as our Dehumidification and Humidification Solutions Company of the Month.

For over 45 years, DST has embraced the same principles of its parent company; providing efficient exceptionally well-engineered dehumidifiers to the UK and global market.

Supplying over 400 businesses with its advanced solutions, DST Humidity Control covers a broad range of applications including Defence, Ice Rinks, Confectionary, Cold Stores, Bridges, Museums, PVC Structures, Power Stations, Lithium Batteries, Silos and more. “The majority of our business involves working with clean rooms which is spread across pharmaceutical, process assembly, battery technology, food production, product handling and material handling,” stated Nick Szadbey, Sales Director.

Trusted and used by many worldwide large corporations, DST has worked with Tesco, Nestle, The British Museum, Centrica, and most recently Tesla in the USA and Germany. “We offer something completely unique. We are world leaders in industrial desiccant dehumidification systems, and the first company to commercialise the desiccant wheel. We have been in the industry the longest over all our competitors, so our product is incredibly well engineered and designed, and we can happily boast that we offer the highest efficiency across our entire market leading range of desiccant dehumidifiers,” said Nick.

Further to its services, DST Humidity Control also offer heat recovery in all its units, which is a benefit no other manufacturer offers. “DST have always approached their product development with the logic of best design and not necessarily lowest manufacturing cost. For years we have been chasing ever efficient solutions and DST Humidity Control is able to offer dehumidification units with a unique heat recovery

sector on the wheel. In recent years, as the cost of energy has increased, this early adoption of heat recovery has stood us out against our competition and now our customers are looking to review their energy usage, we are uniquely positioned to offer savings where our competitors cannot,” added Nick.

Because of its continuous investment in research and development for its desiccant rotor, it remains the most technically advanced in the world. Creating efficiency by design, its range of market leading products are the made to a superior quality that are reliable and trustworthy.

As market leaders in the design and supply of ultralow humidity air systems for battery manufacturing clean rooms, DST has seen a gap in the market for this emerging industry. “Lithium Ion as a business or as a product requires extremely low relative humidity in their clean rooms, so we at DST have a product that suits that market. We are confident our product can slot into this market very easily as we have a tried and tested record for our air systems,” said Nick.

Another range to note is its new humidification line that has historically never been done before by the company. “DST Humidity Control has always historically been involved in dehumidification but we are now extremely excited in being able to support our customers with both a dehumidification and humidification solution. The humidification side should harmonise with and compliment the services we already offer. Furthermore, the appointment of Newsome alongside DST Humidity Control puts us in a strong position going forward to improve

our marketing and broaden our catchment for new customers,” said Nick.

DST Humidity Control has the ability, skillset and experience to offer a full turnkey solution that applies the right logic and application for your needs. From conducting a site visit to meeting the end user, they will work with you from start to finish. To invest in every project to provide a solution, DST are not just a quote house, but a support house.

T 01422 312 562 sales@dsthumiditycontrol.co.uk www.dsthumiditycontrol.co.uk

Prototal UK showcase its latest additive manufacturing technologies

In this issue of Industry Update, we are pleased to announce Prototal UK as our Additive Manufacturing Company of the Month.

Prototal UK have produced polymer 3D printed parts for over 20 years both under its previous ownership and since the Prototal Group acquired them in 2020. “We have been trading under our new name, Prototal UK for two years now. We are based on Greenham Common in Newbury, Berkshire. However, the Prototal Group has sites in, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Italy, and Austria. We are an additive manufacturing (3D printing) service provider meaning we manufacture parts for our customers in various polymer materials using our suite of additive manufacturing technologies. Our most popular services are SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) and MJF (Multi Jet Fusion),” stated Victoria May, Sales & Marketing Manager.

Prototal UK also offer vacuum casting and injection moulding and its on-site finishing

workshop allows them to fully finish 3D printed parts including colouring, painting, assembly, and vapour smoothing. Being able to offer a complete service solution makes them the ideal one-stop shop solution for any polymer component production ranging from the prototyping and development stages through to final production.

From its state-of-the-art 3D printing facility that offers a vast capacity on-site and across Europe, Prototal UK have recently added two new technologies. The first being the Roboze Argo 500, to which Prototal UK is the first UK company to have, and the second addition to the fleet is the HP MJF 4210 machine.

Victoria expanded, “The Roboze Argo 500 is a machine with a print bed of 500mmx500mmx500mm, allowing us to print parts in PEEK, Carbon PEEK, Carbon PA6 and Ultem 9085. These are all high-performance polymers (HPPs) with strong mechanical properties and incredible temperature resistance. These HPPs can match and even surpass the properties of their metal 3D printed counterparts, lowering costs and lead-times without any compromise on part quality. So far, our most common applications are brake ducts for automotive industries, lightweight and strong parts for satellites in aerospace, and chemically resistant parts for the energy, oil, and gas sectors. Adding the HP MJF machine to our fleet is fantastic as it enables us to produce parts in TPU 95a. The shore hardness of 95a allows the manufacturing of prosthetics and orthotic parts that can be completely bespoke

thanks to the flexibility of the 3D printing process. As this material is an elastomer, the components produced offer a more comfortable fit for users who may be suffering discomfort with traditionally made prosthesis or orthotics.”

Of course it’s not just its technology that makes Prototal UK unmatched by its competitors, the company is also renowned in its sector thanks to over 20 years of trading and a team with decades of combined experience in the production of polymer components, finishing and model making too. Prototal UK may be a small company of only 20 employees but it has plans to further expand in 2023 and beyond, adding new machines and departments in the process.

“We recently exhibited at the EV Show at the NEC and the MIA CTS event at Silverstone. Our industry explores technology’s latest advancements and exhibiting and seeing them in person is the best way to build strong relationships with new and existing customers. We plan to continue this in the future,” stated Victoria.

For more information, see below:

T 01635 635855

info@prototaluk.com

www.prototaluk.com

Springs Update

Finding information on fastening, joining and assembly will be easier thanks to its new website: SPIROL.com

For over 74 years, SPIROL has been a leading global expert in fastening, joining and assembly.

The new SPIROL.com is a culmination of decades of engineering knowledge and experience that has resulted in higher quality products and the total lowest cost of assembly for our customers in all markets that we serve.

Via the website, it is possible to view or download resources specifically focused on fastening and assembly that are not available in any Engineering textbook or online library.

This is your new fastener and assembly resource centre!

The new SPIROL.com offers:

2D/3D Drawings SPIROL offers 2D drawings and 3D models of all of its standard engineered fasteners for your convenience. These can be downloaded in the format you need, or inserted directly into your assembly model. Information such as dimensions, tolerances, weight, material, and part number is included. However, if you’re not sure what you need, then you can contact SPIROL for complimentary technical support.

Explore SPIROL’s installation equipment with instructional videos SPIROL’s gallery of informative videos vary from quick ‘How-To’ videos, to product overviews and even in-depth Webinars – all focused on fastening, joining and assembly.

Why not browse through these ever-changing informative videos to learn more about how SPIROL can possibly help you!

Design guides & catalogues

Download SPIROL’s most up-to-date product catalogues, associated features and benefits, and product specifications. Bookmark design guidelines for common applications. Contact SPIROL at any time for assistance!

Application engineering assistance

SPIROL offers complimentary engineering support to help you design not only the engineered fastener, but to also make the critical recommendations for the interface between the product and your assembly.

In addition to 30,000 standard Engineered Fasteners and Shims, SPIROL also offers a standard line of Fastener Installation Equipment to facilitate

T

3D Printing and Equipment for a wide variety of tasks

In this issue of Industry Update, we are pleased to announce Pro 3D Shop as our 3D Printer Company of the Month.

Pro3D Shop Ltd was established in 2018 by Father and Son partnership Stuart and Stuart Radmore. Stuart (junior) began working for a jewellery company around ten years ago, and the company began 3D printing for the jewellery manufacturing industry, and the company then asked the Radmores to sell their products in the UK.

Pro3D Shop began as Blue Cast Jewellery selling resins in the UK, and it then rebranded in 2020 as it expanded its portfolio of printers and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) as well as other products. Stuart works mainly on the technical side, as the 3D printing industry is his passion, while his Father looks after the ‘business’ side of the company, due to his industry experience.

Earlier this year Pro3D Shop introduced new Polish products to its company portfolio, and the company has expanded into the EU market through Poland. Stuart told us, “When Brexit happened, we lost 38% of our business which hit us hard and took us time to re-evaluate. Since opening up our Polish branch, we have been able to supply EU orders from there which has been really successful.”

The company has expanded its work into the area of engineering and mechanical parts, having recently teamed up with Michael Hunt who has many links in the FDM industry. The most recent project that Pro3D Shop and Michael have worked together on is replicating old car parts that are no longer available to buy. Stuart continued, “We created a Lamborghini light fitting that is no longer made, by scanning the unbroken fitting which we then mirrored and printed – it could then just be fitted to the car! This reverse engineering is very popular, especially with vintage and older models where it is impossible to get replacement parts.”

Pro3D Shop does much of its work for the drawing industry. By using castable wax resins, the company does a print, and then another company turns this into gold, silver or platinum for the customer. These techniques show the potential for 3D printing, as Stuart said, “Anything that a customer can dream of, think of, or even get hold of can be reproduced, either by measuring up and drawing, or by the more popular 3D scanning of the relevant product.”

Thanks to these possibilities, Pro3D Shop has produced BMW wing mirrors, old Honda Civic parts, in addition to engine intakes.

One of the printers Pro3D Shop sells is the world’s first 5-axis 3D printer made by Polish company VSHAPER. These are precise machines which are successful in many industries, from prototyping in small manufactures to production work in large companies. Many years of experience have allowed it to develop technologies that ensure the reliability of 3D printers. VSHAPER 3D Printing systems are especially used in the automotive, aerospace, military, and medical industries, as well as in research institutions, universities, and design.

Pro3D Shop sell the leading Resin printers which use UV technology and a liquid, and these are flexible, heat resistant and castable meaning that it can be melted away and used to make things into metal.

The company also sells FDM printers on the market which uses spools of various materials, including Porthcurno which is a premium blend of 100% recycled Cornish Nylon, recovered from a single type of recycled, high strength, nylon fishing netting. When printed as thin sheets this works exceptionally well in applications where flexibility, translucency or dye-ability are useful attributes. Its light blue-green colour and highly translucent quality mean that it will take a wide range of off-theshelf dyes extremely well.

This product also promotes sustainability, and Pro3D Shop work hard with customers to encourage them to reduce their impact on the environment and re-use all waste from their printers too.

All of these innovations help Pro3D Shop to stand out in a busy marketplace,

but Stuart also said, “What sets us apart is the depth of support that we give to customers. For every product that we sell, we offer unlimited support. It is a major advantage to train customers as soon as they purchase a product on how to best use it, this stops anything going wrong when they begin using it.”

While the company’s main market at the moment is the jewellery industry, the recent expansion into FDM printers is beginning to open up new possibilities. The range of TRILAB printers can save customers thousands of pounds a year and weeks of time regarding the production and optimisation of prototypes, jigs, tools, moulds, promotional items and gadgets.

Indeed the TRILAB AzteQ 3D printer is equipped with interchangeable print heads, which makes it possible to choose the most appropriate configuration of the print head. E3D V6, Volcano or SuperVolcano hotends can be combined with specific types and sizes of nozzles. In addition, each printhead is equipped with an autocalibrated strain gauge to ensure a truly perfect first layer. AzteQ was built as a high-volume 3D printer. The maximum print size for the AzteQ Industrial model is 30 cm in diameter and 40 cm in height.

Stuart concluded, “This industrial printer with a heated chamber is the best on the market for its price – no other can compete with its specification. In the six months that we have had one, we have used it every single day, and every day we discover something new that it is capable of!”

As well as the help and support which Pro3D Shop offers to businesses, if they have something which they need printing and manufacturing, then Pro3D Shop can provide this service and can indeed produce a rapid prototype service of which they are very pleased.

Pro3D Shop have recently sold products to both Universities and Secondary Schools, and it is a terrific nod to the future that the company is enabling students to become as passionate about this industry as Stuart and Stuart already are.

For more information:

T +44 800 6890719 www.pro3dshop.com

Fire Safety &

Regulations for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms will change

The government has published the results of a consultation proposing amendments to the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 and Approved Document J.

There are several amendments to the requirements for CO alarms.

Private and social landlords must install a CO alarm in any room of a property that contains a fuel burning appliance. Cookers are excluded, however, the use of CO alarms in rooms with fuel burning cookers is still recommended within BS EN 50292.

New build and materially altered properties in England must have

Now with new accessories – slimline AZM150 solenoid interlock

The DHS-150 door handle system is especially suited to heavy swing doors

With the new practical DHS-150 door handle system, the slimline AZM150 solenoid interlock from Schmersal is now even easier to use. The ergonomic DHS-150 avoids the need for a separate door handle and is suitable for machine enclosures or fencing and for all standard aluminium profiles with a width of 40 mm. The robust door bolt is particularly useful on heavy swing doors and in for use in harsh environments.

One benefit of the new accessory is that the actuator is pre-positioned by the bolt in the DHS system, thus ensuring its optimal insertion into the device. This gives the system stability against lateral forces. In the event of lateral forces on interlocks that cannot be overcome, the safety door will not be opened –thus causing delays in the production process. In this regard, the DHS-150 door handle system, in conjunction with the AZM150 solenoid interlock, contributes to improved system availability.

In addition, the DHS-150 door handle system is also equipped with an integrated locking device (LOTO). This locking tag function protects operating staff from mistakenly being locked inside larger, walk-in systems and machines while they are performing servicing and repair work. The locking device ensures that the door of the protective device cannot be closed and unintentional machine start-up is prevented.

The AZM150 solenoid interlock has an interlocking force of 1500 Newtons and is characterised by a slimline, space-saving design. In addition, it can be combined with three different actuators for different attachment situations. A positive of the interlock is the rotating actuator head which can be locked with ease by simple placement on the cover, rather than being bolted into place. The rotating actuator head with its two insertion slots enables various installation positions and actuating options and makes the interlock particularly versatile in use.

The AZM150 solenoid interlock is electromechanical in design and can be combined with a high safety standard: the interlock is supplied with a low coding level as standard, or optionally with a high coding level in accordance with ISO 14119. The DHS-150 door handle system can be used with the B1 straight actuator for the standard version as well as for the individually coded version. The B1 actuator is supplied with the high coding level version of the device, but must be ordered separately for use with the standard version.

www.schmersal.co.uk

a CO alarm installed wherever a fuel burning appliance is present (excluding cookers), and any CO alarm installed must comply with BS EN 50291-1.

Landlords can use battery or mains-powered alarms; there is however no requirement for CO alarms to be interconnected with a property’s existing Smoke alarms.

Social landlords will be required to install at least one Smoke alarm on each storey of their properties, where there is a room used for living accommodation. Any Smoke alarms installed must comply with BS EN 14604.

Landlords will be required to repair or replace alarms once notified of a fault, however regular alarm testing will remain the residents’ responsibility.

Read more: https:// bit.ly/3I2dwgR

T 01691 664100 enquiries@aico.co.uk www.aico.co.uk

TYDE – A brand you can trust

and services intended to solve customers’ problems and ultimately make life in the plumbing and heating world easier.

application, product, or service, we can work with you to provide the perfect solution.”

Over

“We are committed to UK manufacturing and our state-of-the-art facilities produce innovative plumbing supplies for installers and end-users. Our approach is to remain the place to go for highquality, long-lasting plumbing products. Our motto is "One order, one invoice and one delivery," because if you buy something from us, you won't need to worry about coming back with any problems,” stated Paul Weddle, Business Unit Director.

As specialists in the plumbing and bathroom sectors across OEM, specification and installer markets, TYDE has a team of dedicated, passionate and innovative thinkers that provide the highest level of customer service and willing to work hard to meet all customers’ needs and budgets. Paul added, “We have developed a proven ability to solve customer problems. Whether you are looking to overcome a challenge associated with an

Two new products worth noting include the new Dudley OSMO® F1 and T1 Cisterns, to which TYDE is proud to say that the OSMO® F1 is the world’s first front access serviceable cistern.

Fitted with the Dudley Turbo Edge syphon, the Dudley OSMO® F1 guarantees leak-free flush mechanism. Made in Britain, and approved by WRAS, it has been designed for use with WC furniture and IPS panelling. Its stylish, versatile, easy to fit and service and is perfect for domestic and commercial applications where it can confidently be installed in fitted furniture, behind walls and to most partitioning materials.

The Dudley OSMO® T1 incorporates a reversible cistern body, achieving multiple inlet and outlet options and comes with

an easy top access with snaplock lid™. It also has a flushpipe stability system with SureLock bracket and is perfectly designed to be mounted behind IPS, within compact voids or on timber and steel framed pods.

Looking ahead, TYDE will continue developing new products and services for its customers as it also looks to enter new markets both here in the UK and overseas. But, at the heart of every successful business, the real value added so to speak, lies in its employees and loyal customers. Paul highlighted, “We have a dedicated team working at TYDE who are always ready to go the extra mile for our customers. We will always place our customers at the heart of everything that we do.”

For more information, see below:

T 0121 530 7000 www.thomasdudley.co.uk/tyde

Medical Shops achieve surgical precision with deep hole drilling automation

Medically speaking, cutting people open is dangerous. Today, physicians get around this problem by using modern surgical instruments to perform minimally invasive procedures, which make major operations into simple outpatient appointments. But to accomplish these feats of surgical science, manufacturers in the medical industry have to drill small-diameter holes through the entire length of slightly larger instruments. Thin part walls, intricate features, high surface quality and concentricity requirements, and extreme depth-to-diameter (D:d) ratios make these parts a challenge in production.

A typical laparoscopic surgical instrument is designed to direct tools, cameras and other devices into the body through the instrument using a guide wire. And to ensure smooth, reliable and accurate performance during procedures, highly precise hole concentricity is required at D:d depth ratios well above 100:1, a challenge even for dedicated deep hole drilling equipment.

With these challenges, it’s no surprise that many manufacturers try to

skip the deep hole drilling process altogether by farming out the work, but going to outside suppliers brings its own problems. Pre-drilled blanks might solve the deep hole drilling problem, but they have to be fed into the machine one by one, defeating the whole purpose of using automation-ready Swiss-style machines. Meanwhile, cannulated bar stock allows shops to continue using their bar feeders, but it’s very expensive –and the hole quality and O.D./I.D. concentricity rarely meet the needs of medical manufacturers anyway.

To overcome these challenges, medical manufacturers are turning to dedicated deep hole drilling equipment to finish instruments started on the Swiss-style machines. With an experienced gundrill operator, careful setup and a bit of finesse, the hole quality can be excellent, and it allows the Swiss-style machines to remain fully automated. The only remaining problem is part handling and transfer which introduces significant risks when the accuracy requirements are so high, and if the part has to be flipped to drill a stepped bore, that introduces more setup operations and more risk of human error.

What medical manufacturers need is a truly end-to-end automated process that allows for an efficient single-piece workflow for surgical instruments – and some deep hole drilling OEMs, such as UNISIG, have engineered all the technology required to meet this goal. The result is a complete system that offers easily automatable, on-demand deep hole drilling processes for the most demanding surgical instrument applications: the UNE6-2i.

As a twin-spindle machine with two independent drilling axes, the UNE6-2i inherently has the capabilities manufacturers expect from a highperformance deep hole drilling machine. Counter-rotation, specialised workholding and superior alignment and precision allow shops to confidently hold concentricity tolerances and minimise mismatches, even at the extreme D:d ratios common in the medical industry. In addition, the UNISIG Smart Control Interface simplifies operation, while an innovative flow-based coolant system automatically reacts to pressure changes for effective chip evacuation and high process security.

What allows the UNE6-2i to truly shine as a part of the surgical instrument production process, however, is the in-machine automation. After the front spindle drills the first hole, a robot takes it out of the spindle, puts the hole onto the second spindle, and loads another fresh blank into the first spindle. The robot’s perfect repeatability ensures the highest hole quality – and the only human labour required for the process is loading bar stock into the Swiss-style machines, preparing the blanks for the UNE6-2i’s robot and sending the finished parts on for post-processing.

The UNE6-2i’s capabilities also give manufacturers significant production flexibility. Two holes with two different diameters could be simultaneously drilled in a single part, or two parts could be in-process simultaneously to allow operators or robots to load and unload the machine without stopping. Alternately, this twin-spindle configuration can be used to drill halfway through a part from one end with the first spindle and allow the second spindle to finish the hole from the opposite end.

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Our proven process: How UNISIG leverages experience & expertise to solve customer challenges

F1.

our recommendations.

When it makes sense, our experienced sales team or engineers will visit a customer to see what is needed firsthand. Whether a site visit or just a virtual

meeting, this initial investment of time to clarify the need saves the customer money and provides them a truly valuable solution.

2. We first identify a standard solution from our product line that can be applied at the lowest cost and shortest delivery possible.

At UNISIG, our product development mindset is to systemise solutions from our experience in many different industries, make them automation ready and embed application flexibility whenever possible. We invest millions of dollars annually in our product line and related spare parts, giving us a strong starting point for new applications. Our standard product line encompasses much more than machines, including standard automation, workholding, accessories and tooling that we can offer as part of the solution.

Once we have identified a standard machine as a starting point, our engineers seek out smart, practical ways to meet the customer’s application needs. The goal is to innovate within the machining operation planning, work holding or automation, as opposed to engineering a completely special solution without first exhausting opportunities to solve problems with standard products.

For our customers, this approach provides them a reliable, standard machine that can be used for many years and that has the built-in flexibility for easy retooling to adapt to future needs. For us, initially working within the boundaries of our catalogue cultivates new ideas that can then be applied to improve our standard products as well as help us direct future research and development budgets.

3. If a standard solution isn’t available, we consider a customised solution and we stand behind it. UNISIG is very good at building customised machines, and we do so often. Once we and our customers agree that a special solution is needed, we move forward with a great deal of confidence and experience. We start by evaluating how we might approach the design using standard modules or proven concepts, thus eliminating long debug cycles and/or high costs. Then we use our mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines to virtually test the new machine before we build it.

One of the key reasons our customers are confident moving forward with a UNISIG custom machine is that they know we will stand behind it and that we have substantial capabilities to ensure it always exceeds their production expectations. We approach these special projects with the mindset that a custom machine will be used for decades in production, which is why we provide the same documentation and long-term technical support for all our machines whether standard or custom.

4. If a commodity solution is readily available, we recommend that rather than upsell a machine the customer doesn’t need.

We build machines that can gundrill or BTA drill deep holes that are impossible to drill on machining centres. Even if it may be possible to drill some deep holes on a CNC machining centre, our machines have the power, speed, dimensional accuracy, spindle density, coolant systems and process control that will improve productivity, tool life and reliability.

Typically, though, when a customer comes to UNISIG with a specific part need, at that point they’ve most likely already struggled with a conventional machine and realised that a deep hole drilling machine is obviously the way to go.

However, our team knows how to identify whether or not an application would truly benefit from a UNISIG solution. When it wouldn’t, we will suggest viable alternatives. It’s not that we don’t want to sell a machine. But the fact is that our experience has shown that at some point the alternative-solution direction becomes obvious, and we want to make that apparent early on in the process so as to avoid wasting a lot of our customer’s time.

Our customers expect the best from us, and we believe that our proven process ensures we never disappoint. Our goal is to leverage our core values to serve our customers as best we can and build strong, productive relationships for years to come.

Please contact us at: www.unisig.com