Global Success Through Innovation
Issue 63 2023 £4.95
www.pecm.co.uk
LEIBNIZ-HKI & ANALYTIK JENA - 6
Leibniz-HKI and Analytik Jena develop facility for automated testing of drug candidates
MESTEC - 76
Acquisition leads to record year and recruitment drive for MESTEC
FANUC - 34 FANUC places education centre stage at inaugural Automation UK show
Inside Issue 63
VIDEOJET
Key hires and promotions as Videojet strengthens its position in Ireland
BURKERT
New coils increase solenoid valve energy efficiency by 80%
MAN GROUP
Manufacturing collective launches
MANifesto as wait for Industrial Strategy goes on
CLPA
Delivering cutting-edge solutions is the goal of any customer-driven, ambitious company
CBE+ LTD
Multi-million-pound investment in new manufacturing plant
MICRO-EPSILON
Inrotech A/S chooses 2D/3D laser profile scanners from Micro-Epsilon to optimise the quality of weld seams
EMS
Motorisation drives transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment
WEG
Quarter of a century of innovation, growth and customer satisfaction
SULZER
Tackling inefficiency through costeffective solutions for pumps and mixers
RENISHAW
Domin chooses Renishaw AM system for ultra-efficient hydraulic valve production
Leading coding and marking specialist, Videojet Technologies, is celebrating five years of continuous growth in Ireland with new hires and promotions.
Sustained customer and sales growth has led to an increased headcount, and the most recent to join the team is Steven Sterritt as Service Manager for Ireland. He will be responsible for leading the service team, managing customer relationships, and ensuring the highest levels of customer satisfaction.
Commenting on his appointment, Valerie Cunningham, regional sales manager at Videojet, said: “We are delighted to welcome Steven to the Videojet team. His extensive experience in service and support will be a great asset to our operations in Ireland, and we are confident that he will make a significant contribution to our continued growth and success in the food, drink and pharmaceuticals sector.”
Steven added: “I’m excited to join Videojet and to work with such a talented and dedicated team. My focus will be on ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of service and support, and I look forward to working closely with them to deliver expert solutions that meet their requirements.”
Steven will lead a team of six multidisciplinary service engineers who are based in Ireland and offer countrywide coverage that includes northern and southern territories.
Exhibiting at the upcoming National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition in Dublin, Videojet is looking forward to showcasing its range of coding and marking capabilities. Used for printing identification and traceability information including expiry dates, batch codes, barcodes, logos, and company names on products or packaging, its innovative range includes thermal transfer, thermal inkjet, print and apply labelling and laser marking.
Founded in 1990, the Tallaghtheadquartered business has a raft of prestigious commercial and consumer goods manufacturing customers. Videojet is proud to include Irish brands such as Bushmills and Baileys on its roster.
Videojet acquired UK-based coding and marking business, Clearmark Solutions, in September 2022 which doubled the size of UK and Ireland operations. The merger allows for the provision of endto-end solutions and system integrations capability across the two countries.
For further information, please visit https://pages.videojet.com/
My focus will be on ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of service and support,
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A new robotics platform was inaugurated at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in the presence of Thuringia’s State Secretary for Research, Innovation and Economic Development. The highly modular facility serves the institute to accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics and is unique in Germany’s academic sector in its combination of size, degree of automation and flexibility. The robotics platform was designed and built in close cooperation with Analytik Jena GmbH+Co. KG.
The antibiotics crisis is one of the greatest medical challenges of our time. Increasing resistance means that people are once again dying from bacterial infections that
were long considered to be easily treatable. At the same time, the pharmaceutical industry has largely withdrawn from the less profitable development of new antibiotics. A major reason for this is lack of profitability: antibiotics are used sparingly, sold at low prices, and also have short treatment durations.
Publicly funded research is trying to close this gap. “As a state, we provide targeted support for application-oriented research in order to take the results all the way to value creation in Thuringia,” said Katja Böhler, State Secretary for Research, Innovation and Economic Development at the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society. She referred in particular to the innovation umbrella program “Thuringia
MOTIVation,” which bundles all related funding instruments. “Future-oriented cooperation between science and industry makes Jena and Thuringia a high-tech location with many highly qualified jobs. The new robotics facility is an example of how well this interplay between public and private players works here in the state.”
“Antibiotic development with the help of public research funding is a major challenge that our institute is taking on,” says Pierre Stallforth, deputy director and project leader of the new robotics platform at LeibnizHKI. This was achieved most recently with the tuberculosis agent BTZ-043, which was discovered at Leibniz-HKI and further developed in cooperation with academic partners and industry.
In the future, the new robotics platform set up at the HKI Biotech Center should be able to perform experiments faster and more accurately, as repetitive steps are always carried out in exactly the same way. “The combination of automation, data analysis and innovative research approaches increases the chances of success in identifying new antibiotics,” explains Luzia Gyr, head of the facility.
The technology platform was designed in close development cooperation with Analytik Jena. The most important requirement of the future users was that the system should be as flexible as possible. “Industrial plants are normally characterized by a fixed process sequence. Here we have a platform that is equipped for the future and can respond to the high variability of the research topics of the institute and its partners,” explains Matthias Fischer, team leader of automation at Analytik Jena. And Lars Böttcher, Vice President of Technology at Analytik Jena, adds: “The project was technically very demanding, but due to the short distances and the very intensive coordination of all participants directly on site, it could be realized in a relatively short time.”
The construction of the modern facility
was only made possible by extensive public funding. It was largely funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Zwanzig20 consortium InfectControl and its follow-up projects. Additional funding was provided by the German Research Foundation as part of the Balance of the Microverse cluster of excellence and by the state of Thuringia with money from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The total volume of the investment is three million euros. In addition, the Free State of Thuringia is funding the RoboThür research group, which has applied jointly with
Luzia Gyr (right), head of the robotics platform, shows State Secretary Katja Böhler the various elements of the system and how it works.
Source: Anna Schroll/Leibniz-HKI
the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, with one million euros, thus enabling the recruitment of highly qualified personnel for the platform.
The new robotics platform will not only be available to the Leibniz-HKI research groups, but also to the University of Jena and other research institutions and industrial partners with which the institute cooperates. The commissioning of the system, which has just taken place, will now be followed by a phase of setting up the first test series and validating the results, which will take several months.
For further information, please visit www.leibniz-hki.de/ or www.analytik-jena.com/
The combination of automation, data analysis and innovative research approaches increases the chances of success in identifying new antibiotics.The robotics platform carries out laboratory work fully automatically - from the preparation and execution to the analysis of an experiment. It can perform a large number of steps or even several experiments simultaneously.
New coil technology for solenoid valves can increase energy efficiency by up to 80%. Bürkert’s Kick and Drop valve coils save significant cost by reducing energy use and extending service life. The increased efficiency also optimises environmental sustainability. With a low maximum operating temperature, the coils enhance safety and remove the potential of electrical overheating. The 3-in-1 design, covering various voltage inputs, also streamlines inventory management.
The new Kick and Drop coils can be used across a range of Bürkert solenoid valves, including pneumatic, plunger, servo-diaphragm, and servo-piston, as replacement demand or retrofit. Covering a variety of inrush and holding powers, each 3-in-1 coil covers DC, AC 50Hz and AC 60Hz, spanning 24V to 240V inputs, this flexibility reduces storage and handling requirements.
The device optimises energy efficiency by utilising a high initial voltage to move the valve into position. After just 500ms, the desired position is reached, and the coil wattage is reduced to a lower level that holds the valve position. This makes the coils well-suited to applications with long duty cycles. The increased ‘kick’ force is also useful for applications where the valve is required to open against a high-pressure differential.
The design includes two coil windings encapsulated in a single epoxy coil, with both coils powered in series. The first winding delivers the ‘kick’ that moves the plunger, while the second winding ensures the ‘drop’, and holds the plunger in position. The overexcited inrush winding generates a very high starting power, creating a strong magnetic field using 85% power to quickly move the plunger, but just 15% to hold it in position. In contrast, a standard valve coil produces a continuous magnetic field to move the valve into position and hold it over time. As a result, Kick and Drop coils can minimise the overall energy demand by up to 80%.
The new Kick and Drop coils can be used across a range of Bürkert solenoid valves, including pneumatic, plunger, servodiaphragm, and servopiston, as replacement demand or retrofit.
can also make a significant contribution to improved sustainability. Taking an installation of 8,000 solenoid valves, Kick and Drop technology can save 114MWh per year and a CO2 reduction of 830 tons, based on 485 g/KWh.
Decreasing the continuous current requirement also extends the coil’s lifespan, reducing the total cost of ownership. For water applications, the Kick and Drop coils can also help to prevent the challenge of calcification, caused by hard water with high lime breakdown. Higher temperatures speed up the lime breakdown process, but
below 60°C, the process is so slow that it doesn’t create a problem. The Kick and Drop coils only heat up to a maximum of 55°C, which removes the challenge.
As the coils only heat up to this lower maximum temperature, this increases safety by reducing the risk of burns. Kick and Drop coils can be used in insulated systems or housings, and the low operating temperature also prevents electrical overheating, with testing according to EN 60730-2-8.
The coils provide these advantages within a compact footprint, comparable to a standard coil, and they can also be used in close proximity to other electrical equipment as a result of noiseless EMC (electromagnetic) compliance.
For further information, please visit www.burkert.co.uk
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Suncombe, pioneers in the development of innovative solutions for cleaning in place and bio-waste decontamination, has recently added new features to it range of Effluent Decontamination Systems (EDS) incorporating connectivity, sustainability and efficiency improvements required for the mid 2020’s and the post-COVID era. As a result the systems, which utilise the batch methodology, and have been supplied for over 25 years under the EDSPlus™ brand, have been renamed EDSbatch®.
These are heavy duty, validateable batch biowaste decontamination systems used for biological hazardous effluent decontamination and growth media sterilisation for BSL levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. The new EDSbatch branding is a registered trade name and applies to the entire range of larger EDS supplied by the company. They are used for the treatment of effluent and waste generated by research, laboratory, production and bio-containment facilities from a single laboratory to a large multi-user facility, as well as for production and process waste decontamination. The new name was chosen as it is more representative of the product and highlights the developmental changes in the new equipment.
Using proven design principles, the Suncombe EDSbatch biowaste decontamination kill systems use a combination of thermal and elevated pressure processes. These are designed to deactivate and sterilise waste, while securing absolute containment and protection of the external environment, to ensure that the target microbiological agents in the effluent are inactive before release.
The fully automated batch processing functionality now includes additional control facilities for user passwords, active directory, audit trails and electronic batch reports for local or network storage. Larger interface screens for operators have been incorporated to make process visualisation simple, intuitive, clear and comprehensive,
says the company. Advanced features include the ability for remote monitoring and software complying with FDA 21CFR and EU GMP regulations.
Redevelopment of EDSbatch has enabled further seamless integration with the Suncombe SUNpH™ neutralisation systems, often used for neutralising acids and alkalis and to buffer and control the outgoing effluent stream. A single, dual redundant, self-diagnostic connection is made between the two systems to allow them to operate together.
The entire suite of systems have been developed so that they can be preconstructed off site into containerised units. This can improve space utilization and reduce the commissioning, validation and maintenance periods as the modular equipment is supplied in a “ready to operate” state, needing only utility connections on site. Containerised units can speed up projects and reduce capital costs by minimising the infrastructure requirements, whilst enabling easy relocation.
Commenting on the new branding Suncombe’s technical director Steve Overton said, “The new EDSbatch name
reflects the many developments that have been made to the EDS and exactly what it is handling. The integration with other systems now means there is a seamless process to achieve the result our clients require in an efficient, integrated, cost effective, and sustainable way.”
For further information please contact:
Dave Adams – Director Suncombe Ltd
Tel: +44(0) 208 443 3454
E-Mail: mail@suncombe.com
Web: www.suncombe.com
For further information, please visit www.suncombe.com
Using proven design principles, the Suncombe EDSbatch biowaste decontamination kill systems use a combination of thermal and elevated pressure processes.
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ViSWIR Hyper APO Features:
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Eight manufacturing SMEs have responded to the lack of a coherent industrial strategy in the UK by launching their own MANifesto today.
The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), which comprises seven sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency, has responded to the Government’s faltering strategic vision for industry by delivering their own blueprint for making the country globally competitive.
Bosses believe the four pillars of Investment, People, International Trade and Sustainability & Net Zero should lead the overarching approach and will form the guiding principles for the individual businesses inside the collective.
They’re now calling on the powers in Whitehall to do their bit to facilitate growth by providing tailored support and in removing some of the bureaucratic barriers currently in place.
Austin Owens, founder of Grove Design and Co-Chair of MAN, commented: “UK manufacturing has come through Brexit and Covid-19 in remarkably good shape, but this is more to do with our innovation, our technical expertise and our quality than it has to do with a clear Industrial Strategy.
“We got tired of waiting for Government to develop a vision like they benefit from in other countries, so decided to create our own MANifesto that will guide the future development of the eight firms and, in our opinion, the sector as a whole.”
He continued: “These four pillars have been developed in partnership with members and focus on People (developing skills, attracting the next generation of engineers and ensuring safe and supportive workplaces) and boosting International Trade through easier access to funded export support, a Government commitment to boost reshoring and ringfencing infrastructure spend so the UK benefits.”
The third pillar of the MANifesto is a commitment to Investment, and this covers specialist assistance to accelerate
automation, digitalisation and technology, not to mention more funding support for R&D/product development and dedicated assistance to aid energy intensive industries to upgrade equipment.
Sustainability and Net Zero is the final element of the vision and arguably the biggest talking point in business at the moment.
There are two main strands to this pillar, including supporting UK manufacturing to commercialise greener products and technologies and the potential for a specialist fund to make factories more sustainable and to accelerate decarbonisation.
Peter Davies, CEO of James Lister & Sons and Co-Chair of MAN Group, went on to add:
“This isn’t eight manufacturers coming out with a begging bowl for Government to fill, in fact it’s the opposite.
“We believe the MANifesto outlines clear, short and long-term objectives and many of these we can achieve on our own. We’re just asking for a level playing field to compete on and some simple enablers to ensure our competitiveness.
“In fact, we’d love nothing more than Ministers to get in touch and work with us on developing some of our pillars into something more sustainable for industry as a whole.”
The Manufacturing Assembly Network works together to encourage collaboration, best practice sharing and to promote UK manufacturing.
It is made up of Alucast, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, KimberMills International, Muller Holdings, Nemco and PP Control & Automation.
Collectively, the group boasts annual sales in excess of £95m, employs more than 1000 people and exports products to over 50 countries from its 20+ factories.
MAN can also call upon the R&D and technological expertise of Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), who has been an associate member since 2014.
This leverages the best in academia with the best in industry and is an important partnership in helping companies develop new markets and explore new opportunities, as well as providing a ready-made proving ground for WMG’s business support offering.
For further information, please visit https://www.man-group.co.uk/assembly-proposition/manifesto/
Heatsense Cables, www.heatsensecables. co.uk, established in 1984, is regarded as the UK’s leading specialist high-performance thermocouple and signal cable manufacturer. Its manufacturing capabilities cover a broad range of specialist cables that operate in extreme environments, -196°C to +1250°C. The company is a technology leader in fluoropolymer extrusion, high-performance taping and cable wrapping. Related processes include cover sintering, colouring, etching and the application of various specialist coatings. The range covers cables that are resistant to flame, oils & chemicals and which operate in ultra-high vacuum, cryogenic and high radiation environments.
The company offers a bespoke advanced technical design and manufacturing service and undertakes development work on new cable designs and materials.
PFA, FEP, PTFE, ETFE, EFGLAS, SILICONE, PE, PU, PVC, Taped & Sintered PTFE, Polyimide & Aramid Yarns, PTFE impregnated yarns and Mica. Braiding materials include glass, quartz & ceramic fibres, other specialist yarns and various metals.
The high-performance cable range includes thermocouple cables, RTD cables & PRT
wires, sensor wires & cables, micro-wire & miniature cables, cryogenic cables, heat resistant cables & wires – the INTEMP™ range of cables, glass fibre, quartz, ceramic & pure nickel cables, radiation resistant wires & cables, equipment wires, UHV & low outgassing cables, high-voltage wires & cables, micro-coaxial cables, bespoke cables, multicore cables, high flex braided cables, PTFE yarns and PTFE cable tapes & cords.
See our base online catalogue https://www.heatsensecables.co.uk/products/ heatsense-cables-product-catalogue
Heatsense continues to add and upgrade specialist plant & equipment, build on internal
systems & software, add accreditations and undertake development work on new materials and processes to support customer needs and requirements, including keeping abreast of changes in legislation.
Markets include aerospace, space, nuclear, automotive, medical, R&D, oil & gas and general industry.
Heatsense is EN9100:2018, ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015 Accredited, F4N (Fit for Nuclear) Approved, Cyber Essentials Plus Certified, JOSCAR Approved and a Member of ADS
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High Flex & Braided Cables
PTFE Yarns, Lacing Tapes & Cords
Helapet knows that no single filter can be suitable for the varied filtration applications that are used across industries.
Our new online design tool provides customers with a simple-to-use design wizard, combined with enhanced information to guide customers through the 100’s of available filter combinations.
MIPC® helps practitioner-level engineers stay on top of the latest industry developments and reinforces good practice in primary containment of hazardous substances, including in pressure systems
Using a blend of live, online classes, one-to-one sessions with expert tutors, and e-learning, enhanced by a mentor’s support and guidance, EEMUA’s Mechanical Integrity Practitioner Certificate course delivers in-depth training to engineers where they work – giving flexibility to learn on-site, on-call, or working from home
Registration open now for the next MIPC course. Learning starts 23 October 2023.
Induction of 2 hours to fit diaries from September 2023 adapts coursework to the engineering needs of each learner and their site/s.
For more information please contact EEMUA online-learning@eemua.org +44 (0)20 7488 0801 www.eemua.org
Vision Engineering, the world-leading provider of innovative inspection, metrology, and digital 3D visualisation solutions, today announced the launch of Mantis 3rd Gen, the latest addition to its best-selling and award-winning range of ergonomic optical stereo microscopes.
Mantis is in use in tens of thousands of R&D, manufacturing and analytical sites around the world. Mantis 3rd Gen incorporates the latest developments in optics, digital cameras and fully adjustable LED lighting, to keep Mantis at the forefront of stereo imaging.
Mantis is designed for precision engineering, electronic engineering, medical device manufacture, and a wide range of other applications that require high-quality images and superior ergonomics. It features a unique, patented, eyepiece-less design that delivers a large, high-quality optical stereo image directly into the user’s eyes, making it more comfortable and easier to view than traditional microscopes.
Manipulative, rework and restoration tasks need stereo images, to allow easy hand to eye coordination and depth perception.
Mantis 3rd Gen combines stereo optical images, with high resolution camera options for manipulation and recording.
Mantis 3rd Gen features long working distance and excellent depth perception, now with a choice of 3 magnifications, making it ideal for a wide range of applications. It also now comes as standard with five different ways to illuminate your subject, giving you the flexibility to adjust the lighting to get the perfect image for your needs.
In addition to its outstanding image quality and ergonomics, Mantis also features a powerful digital imaging system that allows you to capture, review, and share high-resolution images. This makes it easy to share your work with colleagues,
Mantis 3rd Gen features long working distance and excellent depth perception, now with a choice of 3 magnifications, making it ideal for a wide range of applications.
document your findings, and train new employees.
Substantial R&D has resulted in a new range of stand options, to allow flexibility, stability and reduced footprint
“As our customers have told us for the last 28 years, Mantis is an ideal solution for anyone who needs to perform precise
Managing Director at Vision Engineering. “We invest substantial R&D time and effort in exploiting the opportunities that fast moving optic, digital and lighting technologies offer our dedicated customer base. Mantis 3rd Gen offers the best of both worlds: superior ergonomics and optical image quality, combined with the latest digital imaging technology.”
Mantis is available for purchase now. For more information, please visit www.visioneng.com/mantis
Linear motors are ideal for fast and accurate motion in a machine.
Linmot, the leading manufacturer of cylindrical linear motors, has made them even more suitable for demanding products that require exceptional cleanliness in the production environment. This has always been demanding for machine designers, but has been made much easier by using the Linmot DM01 Linear motor modules.
The DM01 Linear modules provide high precision positioning while supporting high loading with the following features:
• Stroke up to 575mm and peak force up to 572N
• Direct load mounting up to 30kg
• Clean Design
• No Slider lubrication is required.
• Higher stiffness / lower bending
• Load balance (MagSpring) & pneumatic holding brake option
• Can be combined to form two-axis systems
• Are available certified for Clean Room Applications.
The latest option that has just become available is the addition of a force sensor combined with force control software.
This is an option that can be added to any of the DM01 modules.
Just to demonstrate how sensitive, you can place an egg between two DM01 modules, one equipped with the new Force sensor.
One DM01 module moves with a programmed movement while the other follows while maintaining a precise 5 N force at all times to hold the egg without breaking it as shown in the picture.
A video of this application is available on our website (see below).
Using a regular force sensor requires precision alignment or measurement error will occur.
Linmot’s special design provides excellent
measurement accuracy even with axially offset loads or with side loading from an attached load (such as a gripper for example).
Here is a section through the sensor to show how the load is guided combined with the special design of the sensor itself.
While handling such delicate tasks, it can also handle up to +/- 500N of force combined with an accuracy of 1%.
This exciting new option opens up many new applications and makes the Linmot DM01 a unique and powerful new tool for the machine designer who needs sensitivity as well as force and dynamic speed.
For more information, please contact Quin Systems on 0118 977 1077 or sales@quin.co.uk. Website: www.quin.co.uk/linmot
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Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd, leading manufacturer and supplier of corrosion prevention and sealing systems, recently supplied their abrasion resistant outerwrap (ARO), Denso Bore-Wrap™ for use on sections of a new 2.7km natural gas pipeline constructed to service Kilroot Power Station, situated on the north shore of Belfast Lough. The contract, secured by GMC Utilities Group with their joint venture partner Rayden Engineering, is part of a £600m decarbonisation scheme to transform the coal fired power station and create a new low carbon energy park.
The welded steel pipeline from Marshallstown Above Ground Installation (AGI) to Kilroot AGI was mainly installed by open cut methods, but at road crossings, including one on the A2, the pipe was installed by horizontal directional drilling (HDD). To ensure that the integrity of the anti-corrosion coatings on the pipe was maintained, Denso Bore-Wrap was applied to these sections prior to pulling the pipe under the roadways. Once pulled through, the ARO showed no signs of damage, indicating no damage to the coatings underneath and clearly demonstrating the exceptional mechanical protection offered by the system.
Denso™ Clear Outerwrap is applied whilst the ARO is curing, then removed once fully cured. The undamaged Denso Bore-Wrap™ is visible after the pipe is pulled (inset).
www.denso.net
Lanemark gas burner systems offer users reliable, high efficiency, process heating solutions.
FD Series Packaged Oven/Dryer Burners
•Speci cally designed for process air heating applications in convection ovens and dryers
•High turndown/short ame lengths providing accurate process temperature control
•High ef ciency gas + air modulation, gas only modulation and simple high/low control options
•Heat Input Range: 9 kW – 1550 kW
TX Series Gas Fired Process Tank Heating Systems
•High ef ciency (80%+) heating of all types of spray and dip process tanks
FD-E low cost high turndown oven/dryer air heating burners.
•Compact high ef ciency small diameter immersion tube heat exchangers occupying minimum tank space
•Accurate performance modelling using Lanemark TxCalc design software
•Heat Input Range: 15 kW (1½") – 1150 kW (8")
Midco HMA Series Air Replacement or “Make-Up” Air Heating Burners
FD-GA modulating gas + air process air heating burners.
•Direct red, high ef ciency burner systems, for high volume air heating applications such as paint spray booths, ovens and dryers.
•Supplied either as Midco burner heads for OEM system integration or as Lanemark DB or FDB complete packaged systems including modulating gas valve trains and controls
•Wide range of ring rates to suit alternative temperature rise and air velocity system requirements
Midco HMA high efficiency, high turndown, air replacement or “make-up” air heating burners.
TX high efficiency small diameter immersion tube tank heating systems.
Lanemark Combustion Engineering Limited
Lanemark House, Whitacre Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 6BW United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 24 7635 2000 Fax: +44 (0) 24 7634 1166 E-mail: info@lanemark.com www.lanemark.com
•DbCalc system design software
Short-circuit protection in any large scale building, such as industrial sites, enterprise or data centre needs a planned, structured, and implemented solution to ensure critical damage to power cables, building infrastructure and human life is mitigated.
Cable containment systems are crucial to reducing, and possibly eliminating, serious damage to cabling carrying high capacity power into the building’s grey space and to transformers. Cables can be in single, double, trefoil or quad configuration within these environments and they need to be contained.
When there is a short-circuit event, the cables repel each other with the force of an explosion. That force can cause damage to the containment system and the surrounding area, damaging or destroying equipment and structures and even causing death to anyone in the close vicinity.
There are various methods of containing the cables to reduce and even eliminate the risk of serious damage if a short-circuit occurs. Panduit’s solutions include the traditional cleat, which is a metal or polymer containment system, and can be bulky and heavy. The size of the cleat depends on the fault current of the cable, cable size and cleat spacing. However, there are also two alternatives, a stainless steel strap and a tie solution.
There are two key benefits to these new alternative solutions; they can be much faster to install and much cheaper. Additional benefits include the ability to secure cable more often along its length, so spreading the load and reducing the likelihood of a shortcircuit event breaking the cable free of its restraints.
The strap and tie solutions also allow double or possibly treble loops around the cable(s), to increase the security. Moreover, the versatility of the straps and ties allows multiple cables to be securely restrained, whereas due to cable-diameter variation a cleat may not be effective across multiple cables, so a new cleat is required, which may be on back order, causing delay. Also cushion
sleeving is available and often required between the cable and strap or tie (as shown in images). If a short-circuit occurs this stops the strap cutting into the cable.
Panduit metal ties are unique in that they offer either mechanical or have friction lock providing a highly secure, vibrationproof closure. Moreover, using the cable
tie installation tool ensures the cables are retained with predetermined tension and cut leaving a clean flush edge.
The straps and ties use far less material to produce than cleats, use far less packaging and weigh much less and take up far less space when shipping and storing, as well as offering reduced headspace when installed.
For further information, please visit www.panduit.com
The Huck® fastener range is used where high structural strength is required. Offering a clean and safe alternative to welding and a more efficient fastening method than standard nuts and bolts, Huck® fasteners offer benefits which other fastening methods cannot, including quick and easy installation, elimination of rechecking/replacement, and ultimately cost reductions. Each Huck® fastener has its own unique characteristics ensuring that there is a product for every project and that is where Star Fasteners with over thirty years as a Huck® fastener distributor can help. We are here to assist our customers to choose the best fastener and tooling combination for their application.
Huck® fasteners are widely used in various industries for their strength, reliability, and durability. They offer secure and permanent fastening solutions for a range of applications.
Common uses of Huck® fasteners in different industries:
Automotive and Transportation: Huck® fasteners are extensively used in the automotive, commercial vehicle and transportation sectors. They are used for applications such as attaching body panels, composite materials, securing chassis components, joining exhaust systems, fastening interior trim, and assembling heavy-duty trucks, trailers, buses and trains / carriages. Huck® fasteners provide strong and vibration-resistant joints, contributing to the overall structural integrity of vehicles.
Construction and Infrastructure: In the construction industry, Huck® fasteners are utilized for structural steel connections, bridge building, modular building assembly, and architectural frame applications. They provide robust connections that withstand high loads, seismic forces, and other challenging environmental conditions.
Aerospace and Aviation: Huck® fasteners find application in the aerospace and aviation sectors, where lightweight and
high-strength fastening solutions are crucial. They are used for aircraft assembly, attaching panels, joining structural components, securing interior fittings, and fastening composite materials. Huck® fasteners offer reliable and fatigue-resistant connections that meet the stringent requirements of the aerospace industry.
Manufacturing and Industrial Equipment: In manufacturing and industrial settings, Huck® fasteners are utilized for various applications. They are commonly used for joining heavy machinery components, securing equipment and in applications such as medical and food preparation. They providing reliable connections in high-vibration environments and for those looking for vandal-resistant options, Huck® fasteners offer quick installation, high clamping force, and long-lasting performance.
Marine and Offshore: Huck® fasteners are employed in marine and offshore industries for applications such as shipbuilding, offshore platform construction, and marine equipment assembly. They provide secure and corrosion-resistant connections in challenging marine environments, where resistance to saltwater, humidity, and harsh conditions is essential.
Rail and Transportation Infrastructure: Huck® fasteners play a vital role in the rail industry. They are used for track construction, fastening rail joints, securing signalling systems, assembling rolling stock, and joining infrastructure components. Huck® fasteners provide reliable connections that withstand heavy loads, vibrations, and continuous stresses.
Energy and Utilities: In the energy and utilities sector, Huck® fasteners are used for power plant construction, wind turbine assembly, pipeline installation, and securing heavy-duty equipment. They offer robust connections that withstand extreme temperatures, vibrations, and harsh operating conditions.
Huck® fasteners’ versatility, strength, and reliability make them suitable for a wide range of industrial applications where secure and permanent fastening solutions are required. Their ability to provide strong joints, resist vibrations, and withstand harsh environments has made them a preferred choice in numerous industries worldwide. Wherever there is a fastening application Huck® Fasteners have a fastening option.
What are Huck® Fasteners?
Huck® fasteners are a high-strength, vibration-resistant fastening system. Huck® LockBolts and structural blind fasteners
Star Fasteners are the UK’s largest Huck® fastener and tooling distributor with many added-value services; we take the uncertainty out of fastener and installation tooling selection, as well as the inventory management processHuck® BobTail®cross-section Huck® BobTail® installed in chassis application
have been designed to provide reliable and permanent fastening solutions for a wide variety of applications, they offer several advantages over traditional fastening methods, such as bolts, nuts, and rivets.
Huck LockBolts
HuckBolts® (or Huck LockBolts) are precision engineered two-piece fasteners that, once installed, no matter how vibration-intensive the environment, do not come loose. HuckBolts® provide direct metal-to-metal contact when installed, which eliminates the transverse vibration often found in conventional nuts and bolts. Engineered for a wide range of applications, HuckBolts® deliver superior joining, shear, and tensile strength for an unmatched fastening solution.
HuckBolts® can be used with virtually any metal; dissimilar metals, coefficients of thermal expansion, present no problems. Varying material thicknesses in a joint are readily accommodated, and surface finishes are not damaged. Most importantly, HuckBolts® have proven to hold up over years of service in demanding, high-stress, high-vibration environments.
Huck® LockBolt brand names include, BobTail®, Magna-Grip®, C6L®, C50L®, C120L® and Hucktainer®; each differing in design, diameter, grip range material, plating and purpose.
A structural blind fastener retains the pin in the rivet body (sleeve) post-installation for extra tensile and shear strength. Structural blind rivets are generally available in sizes ranging from 4.8 mm (3/16’’) up to 19.1 mm (3/4’’).
The primary benefit of blind rivets is that access is only required on one side of the application, meaning typically only one person is needed to install it. The single piece fastener design means the rivet is just placed into the prepared hole, and then installed using an installation tool. The process is very fast, clean, and safe, delivering consistent results across the board without requiring skilled personnel.
Huck® structural blind fastener brand names include, Auto-Bulb®, BOM®, FloorTight®, Hucklok®, Magna-Bulb®, Magna-Lok®, Magna-Tite®, and Penta-Lok™
Key characteristics and features of Huck® fasteners:
High Strength: Huck® fasteners provide exceptional strength and load-bearing capacity. They are designed to handle high tension and shear loads, making them suitable for demanding applications that require secure and reliable connections.
Vibration Resistance: One of the key advantages of Huck® fasteners is their ability to withstand vibration. The LockBolt design and the swaged collar create a tight and ‘locked’ connection that resists loosening or coming apart, even in environments with high levels of vibration.
Quick Installation: Huck® fasteners offer fast and efficient installation compared to traditional fastening methods. They can be installed using pneudraulic, hydraulic or battery tools specifically designed for Huck® fasteners, enabling rapid and consistent installation in a production environment.
Huck® fasteners’ versatility, strength, and reliability make them suitable for a wide range of industrial applications, where secure and permanent fastening solutions are required.Huck® Blind Structural Fastener Range Huck® LockBolt® Fastener Range Huck® BV17 / BV13 Battery Installation Tool Huck® Range Force™ Battery Installation Tool
Wide Range of Applications: Huck® fasteners are used in various industries, including automotive, construction, aerospace, manufacturing, transportation, and more. They are suitable for joining different materials, such as metal, composite materials, and plastics, in applications that require high strength, reliability, and durability.
Corrosion Resistance: Huck® fasteners are available in a range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, and aluminium, to provide corrosion resistance and durability in different environments. This makes them suitable for applications exposed to moisture, chemicals, or harsh weather conditions.
Maintenance-Free: Once installed, Huck® fasteners require minimal maintenance. Their permanent and reliable connections eliminate the need for regular inspections or tightening, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.
Versatility: Huck® fasteners come in various sizes and configurations to accommodate different applications and requirements. They can be used for structural applications, sheet metal assembly, fastening panels, joining components, and more.
What additional services can Star Fasteners offer?
Star Fasteners specialises in the sourcing, stocking, and distribution of quality fasteners and tooling. However, we also have the several services can add value to our customers. These services focus on enhancing efficiency, improving quality, reducing costs, and providing support throughout the supply process. Here are some examples:
An in-house powder coating service: allows any Huck® fastener to be coloured to meet customers’ requirements. The powder coating service has proved to be popular for matching the fastener to a project, colour coding for identification
purposes and offering additional corrosion / surface protection.
Custom colour encapsulated head: The growing trend for using composites as well as technological improvements has seen innovation in design. With this in mind Star Fasteners brought to the market a coloured encapsulated head Hucktainer®. This Huck® fastener was designed specifically for joining light weight composite panels, plastic and fiberglass reinforced plywood to a wide range of materials. With low minimum order quantities and a fast turnaround, the head of the Hucktainer® can be matched to any colour of the customer’s choice. Its neat appearance gives a professional look to their finished project.
Tool repair and hire service: Star Fasteners accredited Huck® tool repair and service department offers expert technical knowledge. We have a dedicated team of experienced engineers, fully trained to the relevant manufacturers’ recommendations on key brands such as Huck®, FAR® and Marson®, as well as many other popular brands. Star Fasteners has developed a reputation for providing a personal and reliable service, incorporating nationwide collection and return.
With a fully equipped workshop, Star Fasteners tool services are reliable and timely, so there is minimal down time for the customer and a quick turnaround for every job. Once the tool has been assessed, a quote detailing all parts and costs is raised. If required, Star can guide customers to help find the most economical outcome. Each tool gets a unique reference so Star Fasteners can view its full maintenance history.
Hire Tools: Every production environment, workshop and tool benefits from a regular maintenance program and Star Fasteners can help out with that too. We have a large selection of short or long-term hire tools to ensure that production isn’t held up. Advising customers on simple maintenance
procedures to help prolong the production life of tooling systems are all part of the service.
Inventory Management: Efficient inventory management services help optimize stock levels, reduce excess inventory, and prevent stockouts. This ensures that the right fasteners are available at the right time, minimizing downtime and improving operational efficiency.
Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI): Star Fasteners take responsibility for managing and replenishing the customer’s inventory by monitoring usage and forecasting demand, ensuring timely restocking. VMI can streamline the supply chain, reduce inventory carrying costs, and improve customer satisfaction.
Technical Support and Engineering
Services: we can assist customers with selecting the right fasteners for their applications, providing guidance on installation techniques, and offering design recommendations. This helps our customers to optimize fastener selection, improve product quality, and enhance overall performance.
Testing and Quality Assurance: We provide customers with sample fasteners and bespoke made test plates showing installed fasteners to enable customers to carry out their own tests for strength, corrosion resistance and dimensional accuracy. Certifications and documentation related to quality and compliance enhance customer confidence.
Training and Education: we can offer education programs on fastener selection, their proper usage, installation techniques, and best practices which can benefit production efficiency. Improved knowledge and skills lead to optimal use of resources. An awareness of health and safety can lead to safer work environment and fastener / safer fastener installation, reducing errors and increasing productivity.
For more than 60 years, the business Lou Huck® founded and the fasteners he designed are still solving the problem of coping with extreme stress and vibration, providing strength and facilitating lighter, stronger, more durable structures. Today the product range based on his original design has evolved to include both small and large diameter fasteners, medium and heavy-duty blind fasteners and associated installation tooling. Star Fasteners has extensive experience working with customers on a global scale and have successfully worked with some of the world’s leading businesses to develop unique and cost-effective solutions to fastening problems.
For further information, please visit For further information, please visit www.starfasteners.co.uk
When Orisol, a leading provider of automated systems for footwear production, wanted to futureproof its offering to drive its customers’ and its own competitiveness, CC-Link IE TSN offered the ideal technology. The resulting innovation delivers unprecedented speed and responsiveness as well as the connectivity required for smart manufacturing operations.
Orisol is a world-leading provider of smart, automated machines and systems for footwear manufacturing. The company is committed to delivering solutions that maximise interoperability, compatibility and scalability to support the digital transformation of its customers and advance their competitiveness.
In line with this aim, Orisol participates in key collaborations, such as Mitsubishi Electric’s smart manufacturing initiative, the e-F@ctory Alliance. In addition, it focuses on the development of future-oriented systems that can support the different stages of shoemaking.
After learning about the potential of TimeSensitive Networking (TSN), the footwear equipment specialist was keen to apply this technology to its solutions in order to help drive forward the digitalisation of its customers. In effect, TSN can provide the backbone for smart, data-driven operations by supporting the convergence of multiple types of traffic onto a single network. While doing this, TSN also ensures determinism by prioritising the transfer of time-critical messages, such as control data.
Orisol saw its OFA240 series upper to sole flash activator machine as an ideal candidate to benefit from the principles of TSN technology. This system, which is a key element of footwear assembly lines, uses heat activation to effectively and homogeneously cure adhesives that are applied to bond different shoe components together.
Successful bonding requires accurate and precise control of the heat applied onto the product. In effect, the challenge in this process is the heat energy distribution that is spread out on the surfaces. It requires the machine to have precise internal communications to regulate the heating energy being released. Also, it needs to
offer monitoring functions for the user to know if intervention is needed.
In terms of network requirements, optimum operations for the OFA240 demand suitable controller to device (C2D) communications, so that a single network architecture could be used for all the operational technology (OT) elements of the machine to self-adjust in real-time. These components include vision systems, temperature sensors, heat lamps, switches, indicators and alarms.
Moreover, since Orisol is focused on the digitalisation of operations to create a smart facility, a network architecture that could also enable controller to controller (C2C) communications, in addition to integration with higher level information technology (IT) systems, was required. This would allow machines to operate in parallel to share information and effectively collaborate to optimise product quality, efficiency and productivity. TSN provided a single solution to address all these requirements, ultimately supporting convergence of the OT and IT domains. It also offered the possibility for multiple machines to be integrated into Orisol’s proprietary production monitoring and remote maintenance systems, such as its Production Data Collection System (PDCS) and Remote Operation Maintenance Platform (ROMP).
technology. This is the first open industrial Ethernet to provide TSN functions, therefore ensuring convergence and determinism. In addition, it offers gigabit bandwidth to maximise the volume of data traffic that can be sent simultaneously. Furthermore, it is supported by leading global automation vendors with a range of compatible products.
Thanks to an established portfolio of CCLink IE TSN compatible industrial automation devices from Mitsubishi Electric and Moxa, Orisol could leverage a comprehensive application solution to meet all their requirements.
To leverage the power of TSN and meet Orisol’s requirements, CC-Link IE TSN was selected as the system’s network For further information, please visit eu.cc-link.org
The benefits delivered by this solution were significant. The network’s gigabit bandwidth led to internal communications speed increasing 220 times. This meant that execution time was shortened by 7 times and application time by12 times. CC-Link IE TSN also enabled machines to be synchronised to an accuracy of 1 millisecond. This delivered almost instant data sharing, delivering precise communications within the machine itself, to other devices and to IT systems, such as Orisol’s PDCS and ROMPS. These provide remote monitoring and control, allowing operators to have a real-time overview of the process as well as promptly intervene, if anomalies are discovered. The end result was a system that fully addresses the demands of Industry 4.0 by using TSN technology.
John Browett, General Manager at CLPA Europe, concludes: “Orisol’s OFA240 series flash activator machine is an excellent example of how TSN has been applied in a real-world application to deliver significant machine performance improvements. We are extremely proud to see CC-Link IE TSN being used to enable significant productivity increases and therefore deliver an enhanced competitive advantage to Orisol and their customers. We look forward to seeing many more companies apply CC-Link IE TSN the near future to realise similar benefits for their own machines and customers.”
We are extremely proud to see CC-Link IE TSN being used to enable significant productivity increases and therefore deliver an enhanced competitive advantage to Orisol and their customers.
RMIG is the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of perforated metal and its related products.
We know our customers’ requirements for price and quality and meet their demands with uncompromising service.
Not only do we offer standard and bespoke perforated metal sheets, we are able to offer you a range of secondary operations as detailed below.
we make ideas come to life
Cutting
We can cut and shape perforated sheet to meet the needs of your nal application.
Levelling
For some applications a high degree of atness is required, we have processes in place to ensure our perforated coils and sheets meet with your most demanding requirements.
•Gain or renew your 5-year Certificates of Competence*
•Courses based on EEMUA 159
• English, Dutch, German and French language options
•Select from courses throughout 2023, including:
TankAssessor courses*
4-7 September 2023 – in English
– live online
2-6 October 2023 – in French
classroom – Près de Lyon, FR
9-12 October 2023 – in Dutch
– classroom – Rotterdam, NL
6-9 November 2023 – in German
–live online
On-demand – in English or in Dutch
TankInspector courses*
18-19 September 2023 – in Dutch – live online
16-18 October 2023 – in English
–live online
TankBasics courses
25 September - 3 November 2023
–in English – live online
In-house courses
By arrangement for your choice of: time, language, location, or live online
More choices, information and registration at www.eemua.org and events@eemua.org
Patterson & Rothwell are injection moulders based in Oldham in the Northwest, providing state of the art injection moulding and toolmaking facilities. Specialists in partnering with companies to supply trade moulding work and bring new products to market.
With a fleet of over 70 injection moulding machines ranging from 30 to 1,100 ton housed in a purpose constructed 130,000 sq ft facility on a 7 acre site, 180 employees and >500T of polymer processed monthly, they offer customers a completely flexible injection moulding solution. Their toolroom commissions over 80 injection mould tools every year and their engineering department works tirelessly on adding automation for projects where manual labour is deemed unsuitable according to their health and safety policies.
Supplying products into a wide range of industry sectors including electrical, healthcare, horticultural, food & beverage, windows and roofing. Due to the diversity of their product range, P&R have recently introduced a dedicated assembly area extending their capabilities to their customer’s requirements.
Their business is well invested, profitable and their owners continue to invest; 6 new moulding machines were added in 2012/2022 and a further 3 in Q1 of 2023. Their continuing strategy is to invest in and grow their own product ranges, to continue to partner with entrepreneurs/start-ups to bring new products to market and to continue to supply ‘good’ trade moulding work (high-growth/attractive markets).
They provide both large and small scale plastic parts, either from supplied specifications or alternatively they offer the complete manufacturing solution including design, prototyping, tooling and moulding. They offer customers a professional yet flexible approach providing attention to detail at every stage.
In May 2020 they achieved certification to ISO14001: 2015. This accompanies their
existing certification of ISO9001: 2015, IATF16949: 2016 and BRCGS (For food packaging).
Patterson & Rothwell take their environmental responsibility very seriously and are a zero landfill site. They calculate GHG emissions by monitoring SCOPE1 and SCOPE2 requirements and can therefore identify
areas to reduce their carbon footprint and work towards net zero.
Customers say about Patterson & Rothwell
“We couldn’t be more satisfied with the service provided by P&R. Fantastic on all fronts from tooling to production” and “Some of the best problem solving ability I have ever experienced. The staff are keen and capable of finding solutions at all levels from CAD design to logistics etc”
For further information, please visit www.patterson-rothwell.co.uk
Patterson & Rothwell take their environmental responsibility very seriously and are a zero landfill site.
Attention to detail at every stage
Product Design Tool Design Toolmaking
Product Design Tool Design Toolmaking
Production
Production
Patterson & Rothwell Ltd
Patterson & Rothwell Ltd
Bee Works, Shaw Road, Royton, Oldham, OL2 6EH enquiries@patterson-rothwell.co.uk
Bee Works, Shaw Road, Royton, Oldham, OL2 6EH enquiries@patterson-rothwell.co.uk
T 0161 621 5000
T 0161 621 5000
patterson-rothwell.co.uk
patterson-rothwell.co.uk
Stand
As part of its campaign to inspire the next generation of robotics engineers, automation experts FANUC UK will showcase a suite of education-themed initiatives at the first ever Automation UK event (stand B14, 20-21 June 2023, Coventry). With a fifth of manufacturing workers set to retire over the next decade, engaging with young people is crucial to plugging the skills gap and ensuring the UK remains internationally competitive. Recognising its responsibility to help inspire a future talent pipeline, FANUC is placing education at the front and centre of its activities throughout 2023. The Automation UK event will serve as the perfect springboard to highlight the benefits of a career in robotics, as well as demonstrate to visitors the myriad applications of FANUC’s robot and cobot
solutions across sectors as diverse as food & beverage, pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace, FMCG and general manufacturing.
Giving visitors the chance to get up close and personal with working robotic systems, FANUC UK’s stand will host its standard education cell, an easy-to-use, plug-andplay solution. Featuring a FANUC ER-4iA industrial robot at its core, this is a popular choice at schools, colleges, universities, training centres and OEM training facilities around the world, providing hands-on learning for the development of skills in robotics. Also on display will be a collaborative solution, the CRX educational package, featuring a FANUC CRX-10iA cobot and all the functions required to teach core programming skills.
Organised by BARA, Automation UK will bring together over 50 leading robotics and auxiliary components suppliers and system integrators, enabling visitors to see first-hand the latest industry innovations and receive expert advice on how to implement the right solutions for their projects.
As a founder exhibitor and longstanding BARA member, FANUC UK is committed to increasing UK uptake of automation through educational outreach, as BARA Council member and FANUC UK’s Head of Sales, Oliver Selby, comments: “Automation presents a solution to several challenges facing manufacturers today, from unskilled labour shortages and increasing product quality to waste reduction. If UK manufacturing is to remain internationally competitive, we need to heavily embrace automation and at FANUC UK, we are determined to be a key driving force
Above, FANUC is deeply committed to supporting automation education through both our Training Academy and the delivery of robotic equipment to training locations such as schools and technical colleges. Below, Satty Cole, FANUC UK’s Education Business Development Manager, who will present with Oliver Selby at the Automation UK seminar theatre.
for change. From our partnership with WorldSkills UK and our accredited Training Academy at our Coventry HQ to the delivery of robotic equipment to training locations such as schools and technical colleges, we are committed to inspiring the next generation towards a career in robotics and automation. We look forward to sharing our vision with visitors to stand B14 at the inaugural Automation UK Show in June.”
Oliver Selby and Satty Cole, FANUC UK’s Education Business Development Manager, will present on the importance of reducing the skills gap to support growth in automation adoption at 2pm on 20th June at the Automation UK seminar theatre.
For more information, go to https://www.automation-uk.co.uk/seminar-program/
As a founder exhibitor and longstanding BARA member, FANUC UK is committed to increasing UK uptake of automation through educational outreach
Do your products tip over or float on the belt conveyor at high accelerations? Do your short cycle times not allow you to stop and handle the products with a gripper? Do you want to coat, scan, label or laser your products on their base? Do your products have to be continuously elevated or bridge a gap?
When transporting with a vacuum belt conveyor, products are fixed to the belt conveyor by a vacuum. This means that the products can, for example, be accelerated quickly or transported vertically, overhead or alongside the conveyor. Intermittent handling tasks can also run continuously with vacuum belt conveyors.
Vacuum belt conveyors are typically used to secure lightweight/large-area products at high accelerations or speeds. Goods of this type are often transported in the packaging, consumer goods and paper industries, or in battery production.
mk offers all of its belt conveyors and timing belt conveyors as vacuum belts. Only the conveyor frame and the belt are modified to implement the vacuum function. Unlike the belt conveyor, the timing belt conveyor has a positive drive mechanism that allows it to run without slippage. If an image processing system is used, the individual images can be matched to a specific distance travelled.
Our engineers will design all the necessary components, from the belt conveyor and suction line to the pump. Alternatively, you can request a complete vacuum belt conveyor that you can integrate into your production environment.
Benefits of the vacuum belt conveyor
• Fixed position transport without gripping or pallets
• Secure transport of lightweight products at high accelerations – no tipping over or floating
• Products can be transported overhead or alongside the conveyor
• Products can be processed or checked while moving
Basic structure of a vacuum belt conveyor
The conveyor frame is equipped with suction fittings for a vacuum pump (e.g.
industrial vacuum cleaner or side channel blower). This creates a vacuum inside the conveyor frame. The conveyed products are gripped through holes in the slide bed and in the belt located above it, and then conveyed with the belt.
To find more contact mk Profile Systems on (01949) 823751, email info@mkprofiles.co.uk or visit www.mkprofiles.co.uk
Easy Product Handling with Vacuum Belt Conveyors
Easy Product Handling with Vacuum Belt Conveyors
Fixed position transport without gripping or pallets
Secure transport of lightweight products at high acceleration
Secure transport of lightweight products at high acceleration
Products can be transported overhead or hanging alongside the conveyor
Products can be transported overhead or hanging alongside the conveyor
Products can be processed or checked while moving
Products can be processed or checked while moving
Chesterfield based family-owned manufacturer CBE+ Ltd have made a major £2 million investment in plant to assist in their continued impressive growth journey, by developing and installing Europe’s first robotic automated Electroless Nickel Plating line. This new manufacturing capability will allow the company to undertake a range of innovative projects at its Chesterfield base, including the processing of small, precision-engineered components in high volumes and the ability to deliver high-quality parts at a consistently high standard.
The automated line from Sidasa Engineering will also facilitate a highly
repeatable surface treatment process, reducing the time taken to complete and send large orders to customers and significantly increasing CBE+’s Electroless Nickel production capacity, utilising a FANUC robot system.
Chief Executive Officer, Marie Cooper, said, “This is a significant investment for CBE+ and one that will bring many benefits to the business and our customers. The new plating line reduces the scope for human error by automating dosing control and deposition monitoring and measuring. This results in a consistently high-quality finish on the products we process.”
This is the latest of significant investment in the business, indeed a sum of £4m has been invested over the last 3 years including a new EDM line and merger with Nitec UK at the back end of 2022. The confidence exuded by dynamic CEO Marie Cooper in her vision for the business has seen the firm double its turnover during this period with future growth to £10m forecasted over the next few years.
“Automating these tasks means we can redeploy skilled employees to projects that require higher levels of expertise. As well as freeing up time from the plating line, we are also automating parts of the jigging process in partnership with the
Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). This will enable the team to use their skills and expertise on projects that will interest and challenge them, as well as helping to drive the business forward” continues Marie.
The CBE+ offering now includes Precision Engineering, Gear Cutting, Assembly and Test Facilities as well as the new EDM plant and Electroless Nickel Plating - taking the headcount at the 70,000 sq ft site in Chesterfield from 65 to 88.
This investment continues CBE+’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, the new nickel-plating line will be linked with the newly commissioned effluent water treatment plant and combined heat and power (CHP) system. The CHP system captures heat generated as a by-product of electrical power generation which is then used to provide heat energy for the surface treatment processes. The effluent plant filters and neutralises all waste chemistry on-site and allows for environmentally safe disposal and recycling.
The new line has now been tested and commissioned to be fully operational from May 2023.
For further information, please visit https://cbeplus.com/
This is a significant investment for CBE+ and one that will bring many benefits to the business and our customers.Aboce. Marie Cooper CEO of CBE+M (left) with team members Steve Whitehead and Katie Andrews, celebrating opening of the new electroless nickel plating line The new electroless nickel plating line at CBE+ Below. Marie Cooper, CEO of CBE+ marking new investment
Inrotech, a designer and manufacturer of automated welding solutions for shipbuilding, renewables, offshore and heavy industries, has chosen 2D/3D laser profile scanners from Micro-Epsilon for use on its ‘Inrotech-Crawler’ welding robot, which calculates welding processes in advance before carrying them out.
A scanCONTROL 2900 laser profile scanner from Micro-Epsilon is mounted on the Inrotech-Crawler and measures the geometry of the seam to be welded before the actual welding process starts. Only these high precision profile measurements enable the welding process to be automated. Due to its compact, lightweight design with integrated controller, the scanCONTROL 2900 is ideally suited to this measurement task. In this particular application, the laser scanner has a measuring width of 100mm, a measuring rate of 300Hz and a resolution in the Z-axis of 12µm.
Various connectivity options offered by the SDK (Software Development Kit) enable Inrotech to directly transmit the profile data, from the sensor, calibrated to their own software via the scanCONTROL DLL. The Weldlogic technology from Inrotech then calculates, among other things, the number of weld passes, the position of the weld seams, the weld speed and the oscillation width required to produce a quality weld. Directly after the calculation, the InrotechCrawler automatically performs the welding process.
The welding robot enables the scanning of weld geometries such as plates or curves with various characteristics. Based on the optimal exposure time control and high resolution, the laser profile scanner reliably measures almost any measurement object.
Designed for mobile applications, the Inrotech-Crawler is ideal for different environments, for example, for pipeline welding tasks in the oil & gas industry, offshore, shipbuilding, wind turbines and building construction. A resistant sensor
is the base requirement in this and many other environments. The scanCONTROL 2900 laser profile scanner is ideally suited to these requirements and is integrated into a protective housing by Inrotech.
The scanCONTROL 29x0 series of 3D laser profile sensors are designed for industrial measurement tasks where compact design and high accuracy are required. Due to their high resolution, selfcontained housing, versatility and excellent price-performance ratio, the scanners are particularly suitable for static and dynamic applications, for example, on robots. The scanners measure and evaluate a variety of geometrical features such as angles, steps, gaps, distances and extreme values.
For more information on the scanCONTROL 29x0 series of 3D laser profile sensors from Micro-Epsilon, please visit www.micro-epsilon.co.uk or call the Micro-Epsilon sales department on +44 (0)151 355 6070 or email mailto:info@microepsilon.co.uk
For further information, please visit www.micro-epsilon.co.uk
The welding robot enables the scanning of weld geometries such as plates or curves with various characteristics.
Around one billion people are currently suffering from a mental health disorder, according to statistics from the World Health Organisation. Many patients are prescribed medication or counselling sessions to treat their condition, but not all patients find relief. Increasingly, alternative treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are being researched for such cases. Here, Dave Walsha, sales manager at DC motor supplier EMS, explores TMS and its underlying technology.
Rates of ‘common’ mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety rose by more than 25 per cent in 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic hit. In the UK, the presence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms in adults increased from ten per cent prepandemic to 19 per cent by June 2020.
Common treatments for mental health conditions include medication, as well as therapy and counselling services. But not all patients find the relief they’re seeking in traditional treatments, and as such, more novel methods are being researched to help those with mental health conditions get the care they need.
One example of such a treatment is TMS. During treatment, the patient sits on a chair and a treatment coil is applied to their head. A TMS machine passes an electric current through the magnetic coil to generate a magnetic field, typically around two Tesla — a similar strength to an MRI scanner. This magnetic field is used to either stimulate or inhibit neurons in the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain.
Exact locations and frequencies used for treatment vary depending on the condition being treated. When used for depression, the coil is placed over areas in the brain responsible for emotional control. For patients diagnosed with depression, these areas are often ‘underactive’ — by stimulating the neurons, this part of the brain can be reactivated, alleviating the negative symptoms experienced by the patient.
Repetitive TMS treatment can influence brain function, resulting in positive effects lasting
long after the treatment has finished. In fact, some studies of patients with depression have reported the clinical benefits of TMS are still present months after completing a course.
Crucial to the success of TMS treatment is the precision of the coil positioning. A course of TMS treatment typically comprises of one session daily, over a period of four to six weeks. Repetition is key in achieving the best possible patient outcome, but in order to do this, the machine must be able to accurately position itself each time.
Such accurate positioning is difficult to achieve manually. As a result, robotic arms have been developed to precisely position the coil, based on previous scans and measurements of the patient’s head.
An optical monitoring system can be used to detect any head movements made throughout the treatment and allow the TMS machine to compensate accordingly.
Motors used within these robotic arms must meet stringent requirements. For those motors closest to the coil, high
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) immunity is required. This is due to the strength of the magnetic field emitted, and to minimise any interference caused by the equipment.
A high starting torque is desirable for the machine to adjust quickly to sudden head movements. With the repeated nature of TMS treatments, it’s likely that the machine will be running for extended periods every day. As a result, the motors must also be able to work reliably, and without overheating or any loss of precision.
To achieve this, gearheads with a reduced backlash should be chosen, with encoders to guarantee precise positioning. A variety of small brushless DC motors can provide the high levels of torque required in the arm for it to adjust quickly, while still being compact enough to allow the machine to fit comfortably within a treatment room and move around the patient.
Finding micromotors capable of meeting such requirements while being compliant to medical regulations can be a challenge. FAULHABER motors, supplied in the UK and Ireland by EMS, have already been trialled and successfully implemented in a variety of medical applications, including TMS machines.
Motorisation is essential in many medical technologies, and TMS is no exception. Delivering treatments with high levels of precision time and time again is made possible with robotics. As the medical field continues to make advancements and explore other treatments, there’s no doubt that motors will continue to play a powerful and significant role.
For further information, please visit www.ems-limited.co.uk
Motorisation is essential in many medical technologies, and TMS is no exception.
OnRobot believes deploying robotic applications on the manufacturing floor has been too complex and time-consuming for far too long. Therefore OnRobot has been working hard to break down these complexities and enable easier deployment from just one unified, automated platform.
OnRobot believes deploying robotic applications on the manufacturing floor has been too complex and time-consuming for far too long. Therefore OnRobot has been working hard to break down these complexities and enable easier deployment from just one unified, automated platform.
With the advantage of OnRobot´s applications working with over 14 collaborative robots, OnRobot has achieved zero complexity and one-stop-shop. However, deploying/redeploying is still a time consumer.
With the advantage of OnRobot´s applications working with over 14 collaborative robots, OnRobot has achieved zero complexity and one-stop-shop. However, deploying/redeploying is still a time consumer.
The revolutionary approach with D:PLOY will simplify the installation process even more, allowing the end user to focus on what truly matters in their production line and business.
The revolutionary approach with D:PLOY will simplify the installation process even more, allowing the end user to focus on what truly matters in their production line and business.
D:PLOY will be the first automated, application-centric software platform for making cobots talk to each other. While the adoption of intelligent robots is growing, the installation and programming of these systems remains a time-consuming and complicated process.
D:PLOY will be the first automated, application-centric software platform for making cobots talk to each other. While the adoption of intelligent robots is growing, the installation and programming of these systems remains a time-consuming and complicated process.
The D:PLOY platform will enable the automated deployment of these collaborative applications to create, run, monitor and redeploy individual cobots from a single online environment. Configuration times can then be reduced by up to 90%.
The D:PLOY platform will enable the automated deployment of these collaborative applications to create, run, monitor and redeploy individual cobots from a single online environment. Configuration times can then be reduced by up to 90%.
Contact details
Contact OnRobot to find out more about what we can offer you: north-europe@onrobot.com
Sign up to learn more about this revolutionary platform
Sign up to learn more about this revolutionary platform
Or visit our Learningsite on Collaborative applications know-how to all learn.onrobot.com/en
Leading motor and drives manufacturer, WEG is celebrating the 25 year anniversary of its WEG Scandinavian branch. As one of 13 successful European WEG branches, the Scandinavian branch launched back in 1998, and since then has celebrated a quarter of a century of successful innovation and growth.
The Scandinavian branch of WEG is well placed to serve a region with a high demand for electrical motors and other industrial equipment, making it an important part of the company’s global network.
Functioning as a distinct entity of WEG, WEG Scandinavia registered a phenomenal growth rate of 83.6 per cent in the sales of electrical motors in 2022. This success marked it as the highest performing branch on a global scale.
The branch is subdivided into several divisions, with electrical motors standing
as a key one. Looking ahead, WEG Scandinavia’s managing director, Anders Näzell, expressed his intent to concentrate on bolstering other Scandinavian divisions. Specifically, he highlighted the VFD division and the gears division as focal points for growth and development.
“VFDs are now widely used in Scandinavia to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions,” said Näzell. “I am particularly proud to see a trend where world-leading manufacturers in their respective fields are starting to use our products. It serves as a testament to the exceptional quality and reliability of WEG Scandinavia’s offerings. Our Carbon Neutral Program aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 52 per cent by 2030 and achieve netzero emissions by 2050. WEG Scandinavia is already on track to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions of between 50-60 per cent in the next couple of years. One of WEG’s main focuses is on sustainability and we want to be a leader in this field.”
In a bid to bolster future growth, WEG Scandinavia has also significantly invested in both its internal and external sales departments, bringing on board an expanded team of qualified engineers and seasoned professionals. This expansion includes the addition of three new senior hires, which is expected to enhance operational efficiency and support the managerial team in their efforts to steer their divisions to new heights.
As WEG Scandinavia celebrates its 25 year anniversary, the company is continuing to grow and expand. New sales offices are set to open in Kolding, Denmark, in July 2023, with plans for a similarly-equipped facility in Oslo, Norway, on the horizon.
For more information about WEG Scandinavia and its innovative products, visit its website. The company is actively recruiting new team members to support its ongoing expansion in Scandinavia. Visit the website to find out more.
For further information, please visit www.weg.net/institutional/US/en/
Distributed by Switchtec, Sirena’s SE120 new alarm sounder offers one of the highest levels of sound propagation available on the market, allowing the installation of fewer units to cover a larger area. In addition to being one of the loudest alarm sounders in its class, the SE120 is versatile and adaptable. It is available in different voltages, functionality, and colour versions.
The SE120 has been designed to meet the needs for industrial applications where robustness and high performance are required. It features 64 pre-configured sounds each with 8 volume levels and a power range up to 120dB. Thanks to internal memory integrated on the PRO version, it is also possible to use customised messages on the 4 available channels, allowing the sounder to be fully configured to the individual needs.
The SE120 can withstand the toughest working conditions with a protection rating of IP66 / IP69K and impact resistance rating of IK08 ideally suited to the factory and industrial settings. The SE120 has been designed to operate in extreme temperatures with an operating range from -40˚C up to +60˚C. The SE120 is available in Red or Grey and approvals include CE and UKCA.
Thanks to the integrated NFC module and the dedicated MySirena app the SE120 is easy and quick to configure sounds and volumes. The selfdiagnostic function allows the user to report any malfunctions to ensure continued safety in the workplace.
Fast and easy installation the SE120 is secured with just 2 screws and thanks to the convenient chain safety system that connects the base to the top, the sounder can be safely maintained even when the operation is performed at height.
SIRENA is a leading manufacturer of Audible & Visual signalling devices. Sirena has been designing, developing, and producing high quality audible and visual signalling devices for over 40 years. Tradition, passion, and innovation are core fundamental values of their long history. The constant research and development of new products allows Sirena to supply updated solutions in terms of quality, performance, and economic efficiency. All this, thanks to their in-house R&D centre, allows them to develop ranges of product that satisfy all demands that make Sirena synonymous of reliable signalling worldwide.
As with all products from Switchtec, the company’s experienced technically qualified field sales managers are available to discuss specific needs and support in product selection.
www.switchtec.com
Whippendell specialises in providing electrical solutions for harsh environments such as the Rail, Naval and Commercial Marine Industrial Sectors. This includes design, manufacture, in-service support and maintenance.
For example, the company has been supporting the Royal Navy since the 1930s, with equipment on all current surface ships and submarines.
We offer a range of electrical panels, motor starters, control systems, power conversion equipment and aircraft ground power support systems.
Many of our solutions arise from a reverse engineering task to replace obsolete systems with modern alternatives. Typical applications include high pressure air control systems, pumps, steering gear, stabilisers, lifts, winches, mechanical handling equipment and HVAC systems. Solutions can be designed around Whippendell components or to customer preferred requirements and components – use of COTS and PLC technology is standard
www.whippendell-marine.co.uk
Handheld fibre laser welding technology is new to the UK welding industry, offering excellent welding performance, improving production efficiency and reducing operational costs. Up to 4 times faster than traditional welding methods, it offers high precision and neat welding seams on various materials. The Weld Star – Max Photonics system advanced air-cooling with self-adaptive fans ensures long-term stability and a neat, compact design. It is lightweight and ergonomically designed welding torch offers comfort and manoeuvrability to the user at only 680 grams and guarantees multiple safety precautions for welding operations.
A full colour 7-inch graphical user interface with synergic set up and the possibility to save up to 32 stored jobs offers easy set up and high repeatability to the user. Shooting mode offers controllable and repeatable tack welding and single sided spot welding, whilst pulse mode offers aesthetically pleasing welds similar to that of traditional TIG welding methods.
Quick training times with the laser process gives employers the opportunity to up-skill workers and increase production.
Laser safety is a big factor with this process being a Class 4 appliance. As such, it is imperative that the guidance is followed and this equipment is operated within a suitably approved class 4 enclosure. Wilkinson Star can offer a full package solution in compliance with EN 60825-4.
Machines come with a 2 year warranty and torches a 12 month warranty.
Available through Wilkinson Star’s authorised network of distributors
Quick training times with the laser process gives employers the opportunity to up-skill workers and increase production.
It is quite fascinating what can be learned from the company founders of STEGO. What did enclosure climatisation look like in the old times? More than 42 years ago, before STEGO came in to existence, enclosures & panels were heated with a lit light bulb that was, so to speak, in continuous operation. Those were the times before enclosure heaters were available. When the industry finally started using special heaters for enclosures and cabinets, STEGO, too, took part in the business with their first enclosure heaters called „Heiz-Igel” (meaning “heating hedgehog” from the look of the heater). These heaters were not regulated, thus ran in continuous operation, as there were no enclosure thermostats at that time either. This has proven to be a significant disadvantage, as there is no upper temperature limit in a panel if the heater runs non-stop: permanently high temperatures limit the service life of other devices installed in the cabinet.
Some enclosure manufacturers started using household or room thermostats at some point, due to the lack of adequate equipment. However, these were able to measure and control temperatures up to 25 °C only. This was the time when the idea of an enclosure thermostat by Hartmut Eisenhauer came into play. The first controller was a so-called “change-
STEGO Temperature
Regulator FZ
170 Series in an aluminium housing
over” contact and located in a metal housing.
Together with the manufacturer of the bimetal regulator, Hartmut Eisenhauer advanced a bimetal sensor used for temperatures above 120°C to the temperature range relevant for use in enclosures and cabinets. It was then possible to heat up an enclosure to a desired temperature, and when the desired temperature was reached, to stop the heater and to start a fan or filter fan ventilating or cooling the space.
However, Eisenhauer was not yet satisfied with this solution. He divided the “changeover” contact into two separate contacts –a “normally closed” contact and a “normally
STEGO Small Thermostats KTO 111 (red) and KTS 111 (blue) w/ Push-In connection terminal
open” contact and put them in two separate housings. Now it was possible to activate a heater for low temperatures, and to stop the heater when the desired temperature was reached. And then, only if necessary, to switch-on a fan or filter fan using the “normally open” contact that was set to a maximum temperature. This was STEGO’s first product launch of the mechanical small thermostats for enclosure climatisation on the market – back then they were called KTO 1140 and KTS 1140, see photo 2.
Does this mean that everyone else has just copied STEGO’s small enclosure thermostats? Let’s just leave this question at that …
STEGO are still selling re-designs of the original „change-over“ thermostat in large numbers, and have continuously improved the small thermostats with „normally closed“ and „normally open“ contacts, resulting in a major re-design, new thermostats KTO 111 and KTS 111, see photo 3, with Push-in terminals for tool-free connection – the Re-Design of our classics KTO/KTS 011.
Additionally, STEGO complemented the product range with other types of regulators, such as hygrostats, hygrotherms (a combination of a hygrostat and a thermostat) and electronic regulators. Experts at STEGO are happy to help you to choose the right thermostat for your enclosure application.
https://en.stego.de/products/regulating
full range can be found here at
We provide solutions that have enabled all manner of different fluids (including oils, fuels, corrosives, food) and/or air/steam to be transferred through awkward, and often, already established production infrastructure. With 40 years of experience, we have designed and manufactured swivels to withstand and perform effectively when faced with many tricky environmental factors: Overcoming issues with heat, pressure, size and material choice.
Swivel joints will allow the movement on a slowly rotating drum or remove the damaging effect of twisting on hoses.
We manufacture in Carbon Steel and 316 SS with “specials” in any grade of metal to suit customer specification: Titanium, Super Duplex, etc. With bores ranging from 0.25” to 40”; Vacuum duty to 20,000PSI and multi passaged designs allowing multiple flows of fluid though a single unit.
Rotaflow is a global leader in swivel joint design and manufacture. We engage with clients all over the world to produce swivel joints for a wide range of industrial uses, from drilling and mining, food and drink production, pharmaceutical, process and plant, to subsea oil and gas extraction.
We have off-the-shelf solutions that are ready to go, or we can redesign and in-house manufacture to enable a quick turn-around with minimal fuss and maximum design experience.
To find out more please visit our website and/or give us a call. Tel: +44(0)1663 735003 | sales@rotaflow.com www.rotaflow.com
Swivel joints allow pipework to pressure 1/4” to 40” and beyond. Vacuum to over 20,000psi
Stock and bespoke production. Unique bearing/seal design for longer life.
ISO 9001 CE marked where applicable.
Tel: +44(0)1663 735003
E-mail:
Self-contained mobile demountable skids for IBC delivery vehicles
Land based skids for loading and unloading of road tankers with fuels, oils and chemicals
IBC and barrel filling
PD or centrifugal pumps for handling all types of petro-chemical liquids
Highly accurate LC flow meters with mechanical or electronic registers
Dispensing systems designed to suit customers specific requirements in terms of liquids and flow rates
Electric, hydraulic or donkey engine drive options
Optional transfer methods, hose reels, loading arms custom hoses and couplings
Galvanized or stainless-steel framework for protection against the elements
Liquidhandlingsolutionsforthe petro-chemicalindustry
The new bar code reader. Perfect performance on the conveyor line.
Our new BCL 200i bar code reader is specialized for guided container and tray identification. Its especially compact design is optimally tailored for stationary use in confined spaces. Integrated industrial interfaces and simple configuration offer you perfect performance at the best price.
www.leuze.com/bcl200i
In processing plants that require the highest levels of hygiene, sterility and leak-tightness, excessive overpressure or vacuum can occur due to a wide variety of causes. In such cases, rupture discs protect both vessels and pipelines from deformation and further damage. Above all, they protect the lives of the employees who work in these plants. The primary goal here is to provide optimum protection for these systems, considering technical and economic aspects, while at the same time minimising system downtime.
Excessive overpressure can occur in almost all production areas and processes in the pharmaceutical and food industry. If the pressure exceeds or falls below the limits defined for the process, serious damage can occur to the respective plant components. Possible consequences include production stoppages and significant economic damage. Therefore, in situations where the pressure exceeds or undershoots the permissible operating range, a reliable and fast-acting pressurerelief device is essential.
Many operators hygienically demanding processes already use REMBE highperformance rupture discs in their processing plants – because the advantages of these pressure-relief devices ensure permanently safe operation:
• Thanks to their leak-tightness, these rupture discs prevent the escape of process media.
• The complete cross-sectional release of the burst element provides immediate pressure relief for the system.
• REMBE rupture discs have a response time of mere milliseconds.
In order to customise the design of the rupture discs for each customer, numerous factors must be considered ahead of time. Reliable and economical rupture discs are not standardised products. Instead, they are individually adapted to the respective process conditions, designed accordingly and then manufactured specifically for
the customer’s applications. Numerous parameters are taken into account to ensure optimal performance.
These parameters include for example: the medium in the system to be protected, the operating temperature for which the rupture disc is designed (room or max. operating temperature), the required resistance to vacuum, the mounting method, the required pressure-relief area and many more.
As well as pipelines, in hygienically demanding processes there are additional plant elements, such as reactors, filling plants and tank farms, which must be protected against overpressure and vacuum and equipped with safety-related components. However, protection against impermissible pressures is not the only
consideration. Leak-tightness and the sterility of the respective components are also critical factors. Finally, reducing downtime is a key requirement with regard to the use of rupture discs.
In order to keep costly system downtime to a minimum, it is essential that the rupture discs can be installed quickly and easily. REMBE’s rupture discs can be installed using a tri-clamp connection, which provides a sterile and extremely reliable seal. When REMBE developed the KUB clean reverse acting buckling pin rupture disc, one of its goals was to meet the requirements for sensitive processes, such as leak tightness and sterility. This reverse acting rupture disc is installed with the bulge facing the process and allows the operator to achieve an operating pressure ratio of up to 98%. Overall, this reverse acting rupture disc is an extremely durable and robust solution that virtually eliminates the risk of premature bursting.
The unique design of the KUB clean is based on a two-layer structure, whereby the side facing the process has a completely smooth surface, which prevents product build-up. The integrated seal ensures the required degree of tightness for the rupture disc. It meets all hygienic design requirements (FDA and USP Class VI compliant) and is suitable for both CIP and SIP. In addition, the seals can be replaced; the rupture disc can thus be reused immediately after an inspection or cleaning. Each KUB can be optionally equipped with a signalling function.
For further information, please visit www.rembe.de
The unique design of the KUB clean is based on a two-layer structure, whereby the side facing the process has a completely smooth surface, which prevents product build-up.Fig. 2: KUB clean rupture disc with integrated signalling. Fig. 1: The KUB clean can be installed inside the existing tri-clamp pipe connections instead of the existing seals.
WISEMAN THREADING TOOLS LTD
We have been supplying threading tools and gauges since 1987.
Together with supplying plain plug and ring gauges this is all that we do, we therefore consider ourselves to be specialists in this field.
We supply worldwide.
We hold extensive ready stocks that include all of the standard stuff that others offer, but also includes taps, dies, die nuts, die head chasers, thread rolls and gauging for threads not normally available 'off the shelf '.
Our real time stocks can be checked and purchased online at www.threadtools. com Just enter the thread details into the search box on the home page.
You will be directed to the item, if stocked, or to our specials, (custom manufacture), sales team. who will quote to supply at competitive rates, in good time.
As an account holder you can also order online from our listed in stock items, at your normal terms. We realise that you need the right item at the right price and quality, and in a reasonable time frame.
We are geared to provide that.
We can ship stocked items same day.
Our experienced sales staff can assist and advise you on any technical issues.
We welcome enquiries from resellers and can offer terms to suit.
WISEMAN THREADING TOOLS LTD
11 Padgets Lane
South Moons Moat
Redditch B98 0RA UK
+44(0)1527 520 580 sales@threadtools.com www.threadtools.com
HSS DIES & DIE NUTS
Large shelf stocks for all Standard and many Special Threads. Check our stocks online.
THREAD CUTTING AND ROLLING HEADS and parts and repair service
HSS TAPS
Huge Stocks for all Standard threads
CUSTOM MADE taps our SPECIALITY!
We stock taps for many non standard (SPECIAL) threads
All types; Spiral flute and point, Fluteless, Left Hand, etc, etc.
THREAD GAUGES all types. Large stocks for standard and SPECIAL threads. Any non stocked can be quoted for custom manufacture.
CHASERS FOR COVENTRY & LANDIS TYPE DIE HEADS
Ready stocks for most size heads most standard and some special threads Geometry available for most materials. Custom manufacture our speciality!
We design and manufacture disc-based gravimetric blending equipment as well as material loaders for all plastics processing. Our equipment is engineered to make plastics processing easier and more cost efficient.
We put our combined 75 plus years of experience in plastics processing to use in the development of Plastrac’s Auto-Disc™ systems to provide you with versatile and effective machinery that will exceed all of your blending requirements.
Plastrac was established in 1995 in order to provide the best, most affordable, most effective, easy-to-operate blending systems available to market. We continually strive to keep our customers online and producing only the best product which fully meets the requirements of their respective customers and consumers.
We surround ourselves with outstanding employees who take the utmost care in the assembly of all Plastrac machinery and take pride in their work. Our knowledgeable staff is available to provide assistance should the need arise. Plastrac is here to supply your company with the latest blending technology available and is committed to support it for years to come.
Plastrac offers a variety of gravimetric material blenders and loader systems that are ideal for a multitude of plastic processing methods. Our plastic processing machines and auxiliary equipment is engineered
and loading systems synchronize in real-time with plastics molding machines to provide an accurate and consistent material mixture with no mechanical mixing. The Auto-Disc™ material feeder is engineered for quick material changeovers to reduce downtime. Our gravimetric blending systems will handle just about any injection, extrusion, or injection blow molding application. Disc based metering allows our equipment to cost-effectively feed at a wide range of throughputs without compromising consistency. The Auto-Disc™ can be configured into self-contained systems with material feeders and loaders that are all operated from a single controller.
Our newest innovation – ColorStream™ –is a Blending Revolution.
ColorStream is not just another cart system. It feeds colors and additives from the plant floor in real-time and transports them to the machine throat to blend with the main resin still being flood-fed out of the central loading system. ColorStream eliminates the need for climbing to the top of process machinery to change canisters or perform maintenance. It increases safety, slashes capital equipment costs, saves time, labor, and energy, and allows even faster color changes. So no more climbing on top of presses to perform maintenance or move blenders! ColorStream can easily be moved from machine to machine, and is nearly 100% maintenance-free. It also works for almost all injection molding, injection blow molding, extrusion, and PET applications.
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 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 Swissstyle 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
Increase
TAKE YOUR MOLDMAKING OPERATIONS
a stepped bore, that introduces more setup operations and more risk of human error.
FURTHER WITH UNISIG TODAY
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, ondemand 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 high-performance deep hole drilling machine. Counter-rotation, specialized workholding and superior alignment and precision allow shops to confidently hold concentricity tolerances and minimize 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 labor 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 inprocess simultaneously to allow operators or robots to load and unload the machine without stopping. Alternately, this twinspindle 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.
Further information on all machines of the UNE series and the complete UNISIG machine program is available at: www.unisig.de or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter (@UNISIG).
For further information, please visit www.unisig.de
your mold manufacturing versatility using the power of gundrilling with the leaders in deep hole drilling, UNISIG. Offering complete solutions for everything from simple to complex mold components, UNISIG machines help moldmakers improve efficiency, throughput and precision with outstanding part-processing versatility at an exceptional value.
Gundrilling and BTA deep hole drilling for highly productive shops.
Whether your shop needs on-center or off-center holes, specialized job shop work or fully automated production, UNISIG has a deep hole drilling solution with the accuracy and performance you need.
Take your shop’s production further - learn more at UNISIG.COM.
Hall 13, C21
Pumping systems are responsible for over 20% of the world’s electrical energy demand, and in some industrial plant operations, they can account for up to 90% of energy usage. Improving the energy efficiency of pumping and mixing systems is crucial in reducing production costs and supporting a more sustainable future. Several options can be available and with energy prices reaching new heights, the return on investment is rapidly reducing.
Saku Vanhala, Head of Product Management at Sulzer, looks at how equipment operators can make positive changes to improve efficiency and help to meet corporate goals in sustainability.
Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important in industry applications due to rising energy costs. Improving pump and agitator performance can result in substantial savings, both in terms of reducing energy consumption and operational costs. The key to improving energy efficiency is matching the design of the pump, installation, process conditions, and operation to each other and taking into account any changes to process parameters that may have occurred over time.
With increasing demand, combined with global price rises, energy usage and how to reduce it, is rapidly becoming a priority for all countries. Among several initiatives, many governments are also supporting businesses with grants to upgrade equipment to more energy-efficient alternatives, to help reduce demand on national power grids.
Pump operators should have access to pump data and performance curves, which can be used to calculate current efficiency levels and identify areas for improvement. An expert appraisal of the pump can also provide information on the remaining service life of the pump and help make an informed decision on the best course of action to improve performance.
The most significant savings in energy consumption can be achieved by selecting the most appropriate pump technology for the application and optimizing the pump size. Using variable speed drives (VSDs) can also improve efficiency, allowing the rotational speed of the pump to be adjusted for optimal performance. Considering the use of control valves can also result in significant energy savings.
For larger pumps, retrofitting is often the most cost-effective method of improving performance. This can involve modifying the impellers to optimize hydraulic performance, enabling the pump to operate at the best efficiency point (BEP). For smaller pumps, it may be more cost-effective to replace existing assets with modern, more efficient, and reliable equivalents.
Aside from the pumps, agitators and mixers are used in many industrial processes and can be overlooked in terms of the potential savings they can achieve by optimizing their performance. All too often, they can be overspecified or operated beyond the point where optimal mixing has been achieved. In these situations, energy can be saved and operating costs reduced.
In combination with its industry leading pump designs, Sulzer also has a wide range of highly efficient mixers and agitators. Even better, the latest designs of SALOMIX propellers can be retrofitted to older models to improve hydraulic efficiency, reducing running costs. Depending on the application, replacing the MX4 propeller with the new, high-efficiency EX3 propeller can save up to 20% in power consumption.
In addition to upgrading existing equipment, further savings can be achieved by introducing intelligent process control and optimization tools. Wireless sensors that are attached to a pump, agitator, motor, or any rotating equipment can measure temperature
and vibration and send the data to the cloud. This enables the operating status of the equipment to be remotely monitored 24/7 and planned maintenance to be scheduled more accurately.
It is also important to look beyond the equipment and focus on the pipework and control valves as well. It is often the case that valves have been used to throttle flow from a pump to suit the process. This means that energy is being wasted all the time that the pump is operating. Improving the pipework layout and flow control devices surrounding the pump can make significant reductions in energy consumption.
With rising energy costs, the priorities of the key performance indicators (KPIs) within a company may need to change. Existing equipment should be assessed for efficiency and reliability, with options to achieve the best improvements. Buying decisions need to be based on the long-term savings that can be achieved and the time in which the investment will be recovered. If the focus throughout the business is targeted on improving energy efficiency, then major savings can be achieved while also meeting corporate goals in sustainability.
For further information, please visit www.sulzer.com
◊ Manufacturing up to 1450mm diameter
◊ Turning - CNC lathes, Vertical Machining Centres
◊ Gear Cutting - Hobbing, Shaping, Gears, Sprockets & Pulleys
◊ Bevel Gears, Helical, External & Internal cut Gears
◊ Rack Shaping, Broaching, Keywaying
◊ Vertical Boring, Centreless & Rotary Grinding
◊ Bore Honing ◊ Induction Hardening
◊ Drilling & Tapping ◊ Marking ◊ Blacking
◊ Toothed Timing Belts stocked and cut to size
◊ Roller Chain in carbon steel, stainless steel in stock
◊ Large stocks of all products ◊ CAD - CAM Design & Development
◊ Crossbore rework on all products - fast delivery
Three years time storage
3 years rolling data retention
Live dashboards Create real-time dashboards to analyze data and control devices
Events engine Keep operators on-the-ball and informed
Synthetic Variables Transform raw data into insights
User management Build applications to best fit the operator’s needs
• Load Monitoring and Automation Systems for manufacturing equipment
• Process monitoring and control for assembly machines
• Manufacturing Execution Systems including downtime analysis
• Production recording systems
• Bespoke control systems
• Calibration services
• Repair/Maintenance
Decade Monitoring Solutions Ltd Unit 3, Octagon Business Centre, Miller St, Birmingham, B6 4NH
Telephone: +44(0)121 359 3978
E-mail: sales@decade.co.uk www.decade.co.uk
The most competitive solution for marking large workpieces.
sic-marking.co.uk
In manufacturing, efficiency is key to success. Improved efficiency results in greater productivity, less waste, fewer hours lost to downtime and lower costs. This is why automated technology such as sack-filling machines and palletisers is so valuable – these machines feature specialist gripping heads to handle items with speed and precision.
The gripping heads found on palletisers are designed to hold bags, sacks and packages securely, allowing them to be moved quickly and efficiently without causing damage. Different gripping heads are available for handling different products and the most appropriate one will depend on the item’s shape, size, weight and handling requirements.
Common gripping heads may be vacuum operated, feature side clamps or magnets, or use a combination of all three.
Where there is a flat top surface, such as on boxes and cartons, a vacuum gripper is often used. However, at PALpack, we prefer to use a physical mechanical gripper, for reasons from changes in porosity to stability. All of PALpack’s palletisers are designed so that there are no change parts for different pack types.
World-leading manufacturer Lita offers gantry-style Cartesian palletisers which can pick and place items, often in complex pallet patterns. Several different gripping heads are available for handling different products. Because of the different gripping heads, both can handle RSC cases and shrink-wrapped packs of varying sizes and Robodue can also manage jerry cans.
Suitable for handling RSC cases, shrink wrapped packs, metal drums, bags, and sacks, Logico by Lita features a single arm with different gripping heads for different products. They can insert pads between
layers and handle empty pallets as well as move packages.
Different types of bags or sacks have different handling requirements and gripper heads can be designed accordingly. Europack’s rotating beam palletisers have a 360o rotating gripper head that can be changed to suit different packages, while combined heads can deal with more than one type of product.
Using sack-filling and palletising technology along with specific gripping heads improves processes, saving time, reducing manual labour and helping manufacturers to improve their overall operations. PALpack can supply not only sack palletisers, but also VFFS sack filling machinery.
For more information about PALpack’s automatic palletising solutions, please visit www.palpack.co.uk
Common gripping heads may be vacuum operated, feature side clamps or magnets, or use a combination of all three.PALPACK
PALpack work with our UK and Irish clients to offer practical, technical advice on automated palletising. With over 25 years' experience in the field, we understand all levels of food and beverage production, from low-speed, simple operations, to super high-speed, complex, multi-product manufacturing. PALpack are agents for top-of-the-range machinery supplied by European manufacturers
PALpack work with our UK and Irish clients to offer practical, technical advice on automated palletising. With over 25 years' experience in the field, we understand all levels of food and beverage production, from low-speed, simple operations, to super high-speed, complex, multi-product manufacturing. PALpack are agents for top-of-the-range machinery supplied by European manufacturers
Since our machine was installed, our line efficiency has improved dramatically, with little or no downtime recorded for technical issues, and their aftersales service is the best we have had from anyone in the 16 years of bottling production. I thoroughly recommend PALpack to anyone looking for some automatic palletisation on their production lines
Since our machine was installed, our line efficiency has improved dramatically, with little or no downtime recorded for technical issues, and their aftersales service is the best we have had from anyone in the 16 years of bottling production. I thoroughly recommend PALpack to anyone looking for some automatic palletisation on their production lines
UK premium gin manufacturer
UK premium gin manufacturer
Europack invented the rotating beam palletiser. Manufactured using only the highest quality components such as Siemens and SMC, these simple and easy-to-use palletisers have an extremely small footprint, with prices starting from as little as €60k
Europack invented the rotating beam palletiser. Manufactured using only the highest quality components such as Siemens and SMC, these simple and easy-to-use palletisers have an extremely small footprint, with prices starting from as little as €60k
VAI has designs, produces and supplies automatic and semi-automatic sack filling solutions, with machines that are used for decades. Their highly reliable solutions are made bespoke to customer requirements
VAI has designs, produces and supplies automatic and semi-automatic sack filling solutions, with machines that are used for decades. Their highly reliable solutions are made bespoke to customer requirements
One of the world’s most experienced and established manufacturers of automatic palletisers, Lita specialise in conventional medium to highpaced palletisers. These include Cartesian palletisers, layer palletisers and de-palletisers, as well as pallet de-stackers and layer card applicators.
One of the world’s most experienced and established manufacturers of automatic palletisers, Lita specialise in conventional medium to highpaced palletisers. These include Cartesian palletisers, layer palletisers and de-palletisers, as well as pallet de-stackers and layer card applicators.
As a leading global protective packaging supplier Storopack recognizes the importance of ensuring goods are protected during transit and arrive in perfect condition.
Damaged goods not only incur costs for replacement orders but also affect businesses’ reputations. So while costs need to be kept to a minimum it is vital to choose the correct protective packaging type.
Usually a void fill packaging medium will suffice. However when the product is more sensitive to shock and vibration, such as engineering, electronics, aeronautical, and many other expensive products then more consideration has to be given to using the right type of in-the-box protective packaging.
Storopack’s FOAMplus® range is a perfect solution for companies that manufacture or ship products that require this highest degree of protection eliminating transit and handling damage.
The success of FOAMplus® polyurethane foam is based upon its huge versatility as a packaging medium. The foam can either be dispensed directly into the carton where the expanding foam will mould itself to the contours of the product shape or can be made into pre-moulded cushions to enhance presentation. The product will satisfy the most rigorous cushioning demands for high value, fragile and awkward shaped products. The light weight foam packaging also ensures that shipping costs are kept to a minimum whilst providing customers with total product protection.
As a space saving solution FOAMplus®, polyurethane foam packaging is ‘on demand’ and mixes two components together which then expands up to 200 times its liquid volume negating the necessity for large storage areas required for pre-fabricated packaging.
The benefits for customers are numerous. As well as an ideal solution for protecting awkward and valuable products, customers with product
design changes and new product line additions are able to quickly adapt the packaging without the need to carry a large range of bespoke cartons or fabricated packaging.
There are two dispensing methods available for the insitu protective packaging solution. Either FOAMplus® Hand Packer, a manually operated system, with a fully electronic microprocessor control to maintain consistent quality that delivers the foam direct into polythene lined carton via a foam dispensing gun.
Alternatively the Bag Packer² Foam-in-Bag dispensing system is fast, easy to use, efficient and economical. The machine can produce up to 23 foam-filled bags per minute at the touch of a button. Polyol B 5504R, foam B component is made from 30 percent recycled polyurethane.
www.storopack.co.uk
PAPERplus® - Paper pads provide maximum performance, high density, and strength. Ideal in-the-box protection for heavy products.
100% recycled content and 100% recyclable
With CAPEX conditions restricting response time to unscheduled process and production downtime, Axium Process, specialists in liquid filtration solutions, have launched a new service that can now be funded through OPEX channels.
Designed to meet a range of liquid processing concerns, Axium’s UF & RO2Go rental plants meet industrial scale demand for many different industries including pharmaceutical, food, beverage, dairy and water recycling.
The systems are built on tried-and-tested technology and have been developed for rapid deployment with minimal operator training, allowing them to be up and running in a matter of hours following installation.
Offering great flexibility, and backed by extensive technical expertise, Axium’s rental range can fulfil high-priority requirements swiftly, while reducing capital expenditure risk by allowing the technology to be assessed over the long term.
For further information, please contact:
Derek Davies
Tel: 01792 883 882
Email: derek.davies@axiumprocess.com info@axiumprocess.com
As well as our industry leading condensate filtration range, SEPURA™ also manufacture high performance replacement filter service kits for all brands of oil-water separators.
PLUS our unique media provides a host of major advantages:
• Cleaner, lightweight handling
• Rapid installation
• Fast, easy servicing
• Outlet quality discharge down to 5ppm
Our latest case study discusses our design, development and construction of two 4” long coupled heavy duty Self-Priming Pumps we are despatching for dewatering on a current construction project. The pumps will be used for the removal of water during diaphragm wall and cofferdam construction.
A diaphragm wall is used for deep trench excavation which can be prone to the accumulation of nuisance water, and a cofferdam is a watertight enclosure allowing workers to locate equipment adjacent to waterlogged, flooded or bodies of water where construction may take place.
Once the diaphragm walls and cofferdam are constructed, the dewatering process can begin. This involves temporary lowering of the groundwater level by pumping from purpose-built bores fitted in the work area. Groundwater is removed from inside the walls of an underground structure and pumped back into the ground outside the structure, through a series of pipes and reinjection bores.
Here at North Ridge Pumps, we’re not tied to a single pump technology, so we can provide the best pump for a particular application and designed for the lowest lifetime cost. In fact, we can use our expertise to offer a bespoke solution, not something straight off the shelf.
For this particular project brief, we calculated that a robust design of a heavy duty self-priming pump was needed. This was because the project required pumps to be operating for long periods, prime quickly and handle fluids which might contain a variety of solids.
Our pumps are unlike other designs of self-priming pump as they are built with an armoured volute, which protects the main
casing from abrasive wear, as well as high speed impacts from solids.
What’s the difference between pump casing and volute?
A pump casing is often referred to as a volute. A volute is a spiral-like geometry with an increasing through-flow area, reducing the speed of the fluid and increasing the static pressure. The fluid exiting the impeller is then diffused towards the casing discharge nozzle.
We built our cofferdam pumps using ductile iron which ensures that each unit is durable, handles solids up to 50mm x 24mm in diameter without loss of flow, and will perform well for many years to come.
The pumps needed to meet a range of duty points from 50M³H to 150M³H at up to 60m head, so we fitted the pumps with motors suitable for operation via Variable Frequency Drive (VFD).
What’s more, as our cofferdam pumps needed to meet three duty points, we constructed them with two control panels in a metal enclosure with integrated Danfoss inverters. This not only achieves the three duty points, but also activates the pumps via float switches.
The enclosures were built in full metal enclosures with IP55 protection, for installation in rugged, hostile environments.
In addition, the panels were built with a variety of features for pump protection and automated dewatering. These include on/off pump control via 4ma to 20ma input, pressure switch and float control, motor overload and phase failure protection. There’s also a back-up battery with GSM connection, so that operators can monitor the operating status of the pumps 24/7.
In total, both dewatering pumps have three separate float switches for fully automatic control at Low level for Stopping the pumps, High level for Starting the pumps, and for Alarm and increased flow rate. Probes were also supplied to enable the pumps to operate in areas where float switches may not be suitable, such as in some tanks or narrow pits.
If you have a site you’re looking to dewater or are simply want a high volume transfer pump in an easy to maintain, low maintenance, reliable surface-mounted unit, speak to North Ridge Pumps to see how we can help.
For further information, please visit www.northridgepumps.com
Industry knowledge and application expertise across dispensing, dosing, full containment, gentle handling, blending and transfer, means whatever the problem, it’s likely we’ve seen it before. So we can help you solve it sooner.
+ Accelerated stator wear
+ Clogging
+ Changes to fluid consistency
+ Flow Reduction
+ Inconsistency in finished product
+ Inaccurate transfer of chemicals
+ Leakage | Liquid separation
+ Product Wastage
+ Seal wear or failure
+ Valve Blockage or unintended Opening
We’ve been engineering sanitary pumps for sectors such as distilling, brewing, food manufacturing/processing, and more, for 20+ years. We understand industryspecific processes and know what it takes to optimise performance through bettersuited pump design - giving you complete peace of mind.
EXPERT GUIDANCE:
Our expert engineers understand your process and guide you through the options, so you can confidently select the most suitable chemically resistant pump.
EXAMPLE PRODUCTS:
+ Acids
+ Alkalis
+ Coagulants
+ Corrosive
+ Chemical Sludge
+ CO2
+ Flammable
+ Flocculants
+ Oxidisers
+ Pyrophoric
+ Refrigerants
+ Solvents
+ VOC with low NPSH
+ Water Reactives
At Cat Pumps we can provide engineered pump packages that are bespoke to customer requirements. We have over 50 years’ experience of providing Cat Pumps pump packages to a variety of industries and can provide skid systems with the following options:
Continuing its mission to educate and support wider industry, The Sulzer Academy has opened registration for its latest 2-day seminar: Pumps in Theory and Practice. Taking place in German on July 25 2023 at 08:30 CEST at Sulzer’s Bruchsal and Mannheim facilities, the event will explore how operators can safely improve the reliability, profitability and availability of centrifugal pumps operating at their facilities.
You can register for the event by contacting Christine Dörffel at christine.doerffel@sulzer. com.
The Sulzer Academy offers online and in-person training courses to educate employees in operations, service and workshop departments who work with centrifugal pumps and systems. Sulzer experts share global pump OEM knowledge through engaging sessions, empowering pump users to improve equipment uptime.
Pumps in Theory and Practice will cover key topics such as the hydraulic basics of centrifugal pumps, operation and maintenance principles, the causes of pump damage and how to avoid them as well as the basics of mechanical seals.
Pump theory on day 1 is supplemented with hands-on practical sessions using training pumps on day 2. Furthermore, participants can expect a full guided factory tour as part of the event. You can register your interest and find out more about the seminar here: https://www.sulzer.com/en/shared/
events/pumps-in-theory-andpracticeopen-seminar
In addition, The Sulzer Academy also offers bespoke training courses tailored to customer requirements. This enables attendees to learn about the specific pumps or systems they operate, further improving the effectiveness of equipment on-site.
For more information, visit https://www.sulzer.com/en/shared/services/sulzer-academy-for-pumps-and-systems
Fourteen Rotary Lobe Pumps made by Borger have been installed for a membrane filtration application at a water treatment plant.
Achieving a total output of up to 10,000 m³/h, the Borger pumps extract water so that it can be purified through the membranes.
In addition to being extremely stable and practically wear-resistant, the pumps were chosen to suit the cleaning of the membranes by back-flushing with filtered water. This made it essential for the operator of the plant to have pumps that could be operated in reverse. The rotary lobe pumps from Borger also have a high suction capacity that allows the treatment plant to vary the quantity of water during the back-flushing phase.
Regulated by a frequency converter, the Borger Rotary Lobe Pumps (which have a rated capacity of 450 - 720 m³/h), are designed with maintenance-in-place for easy servicing, requiring only basic tools to keep downtime and costs to a minimum.
The BLUEline Nova sets new standards in pump technology. With or completely without casing protection – the BLUEline Nova achieves unrivaled volumetric efficiencies.
Made for one another – the newly developed DIUS rotors in combination with the flow-optimized pump chamber ensure perfectly smooth running at pressures of up to 12 bar.
One of the UK’s leading providers of cloudbased Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) has posted a record year – just twelve months after it was acquired by Eyelit Inc.
Bracknell-based MESTEC has seen sales grow by over 40% this year, as more manufacturing companies use its solutions to create smarter factories to improve labour productivity, overall equipment effectiveness, quality, and compliance.
The business has created more than 15 new jobs because of the growth, with the workforce now totalling 26 and plans in place to grow this figure again over the next twelve months.
One of the key drivers for future expansion will come through the footprint of its US-parent and its ability to deliver new opportunities in North America.
“We’ve already won our first three pieces of business in this part of the world since the acquisition and that is definitely something we want to build on,” explained General Manager Mark Carleton, who joined MESTEC in 2008.
“Our SaaS-based solution is configured for each client and works best where there is a level of production complexity and compliance required.
“This has seen us build up strong client bases within aerospace and defence, automotive, electronics, food and beverage and the medical sector, delivering operational performance benefits to the likes of Sheffield Forgemasters, Siemens, and Thales.”
He continued: “What makes us different is the time we take on the shopfloor to understand all the different processes and labour issues, building up a clear picture of where our technology can make a real difference.
“This is critical and gives clear transparency to both parties. It also allows us to deliver the fastest deployment times in our industry meaning our customers can be enjoying cost and time savings within a matter of weeks/ months.
“We provide the foundation for a journey to Industry 4.0. Even in environments with low levels of automation we can still deliver IIoT technology to drive the move to a paperless, modern factory.”
MESTEC’s Manufacturing Execution Systems have been designed to help manufacturers maximise their labour performance, their processes and their right-first-time quality scores.
The SaaS solution eliminates spreadsheets, paper-based operations, and manual data collection, helping firms achieve advanced planning and scheduling, asset performance management, quality and compliance,
manufacturing KPIs, inventory control and labour management.
It can be integrated into existing ERP systems so that improvements can be delivered from day one, with subscription-based charging fees ensuring no up-front costs.
Jason Adams, CEO of Eyelit, added his support: “One of our key strategic initiatives after the acquisition of MESTEC has been the launch of its cloud-based MES platform in the United States.
“We have invested in building a team of sales, service and support personnel to enable the first steps in that journey and are delighted that multiple North America customers are now on board.”
For further information on MESTEC, please visit www.mestec.net.
We’ve already won our first three pieces of business in this part of the world since the acquisition and that is definitely something we want to build on.
To help fluid power specialist Domin meet growing market demand for its highperformance energy efficient hydraulic valves, global engineering technologies company, Renishaw, has supplied its RenAM 500Q additive manufacturing (AM) system to Domin’s new Technology Centre near Bristol, UK. The hydraulic specialist will use the system to design and manufacture a competitive range of servo proportional hydraulic valves, aiming to save the industry one gigatonne of CO2 by 2030.
Metal AM allows Domin to design complex geometries with internal features, such as highly efficient, stiff structures, that would not be possible using conventional subtractive manufacturing methods. Now, Domin can produce single parts with a good strength-to-weight ratio, while also reducing waste. Domin has also combined AM with other innovations like high-speed motor control, modern electronics, big data and connected technology, to create a range of four servo proportional hydraulic valves.
Domin designed the new range of highperformance hydraulic valves to satisfy the rigorous demands of fluid control systems in industries including automotive, aerospace and manufacturing. Domin will
use Renishaw’s RenAM 500Q system to build the valves at its new Technology Centre in Pucklechurch, near Bristol, where it is consolidating its manufacturing from one Polish and two UK facilities.
“We designed these servo valves to achieve a better-performing, more sustainable product at a lower price point,” said Domin CEO, Marcus Pont. “The success of these valves in a broad range of applications means demand is outpacing what we can supply. Renishaw is the go-to choice for coupling productivity with quality, and we expect that the increased capacity the new AM system provides will allow us to maintain low production turnaround times and deliver consistently high quality to our growing customer base.”
“With four high-power 500W lasers able to access the whole powder bed surface simultaneously, the RenAM 500Q system achieves significantly higher build rates than previous systems, which vastly improves productivity and lowers cost per part,” said Bryan Austin, Director of AM Sales at Renishaw. “This productivity enabled Domin to take its range to market competitively. Their valves require high precision machining to achieve tight tolerances and accurate positioning, and
use high-grade materials to ensure strong chip shear and durability. Domin wants to manufacture them at scale and our RenAM 500Q system makes meeting these requirements possible.”
Renishaw’s RenAM 500Q system also features an intelligent gas flow system that provides superior removal of process emissions from the laser path, resulting in a stable processing environment that has measurably driven up quality standards to levels not previously achieved with metal AM technologies.
“Most hydraulic systems today only operate at 23 per cent efficiency, resulting in the wastage of billions of kilowatt-hours every year,” said Pont. “Globally, hydraulics produces twice the CO2e emissions of the aerospace industry. Over its lifetime, each of these game-changing valves has the potential to save multiple tonnes of CO2e, and with them we can spearhead the advance of the fluid power industry towards a sustainable future.”
Austin concluded, “Domin is a great example of cutting-edge British engineering, and exactly the kind of innovator that’s going to help ameliorate the climate crisis. These high-performance valves show how additive manufacturing is increasingly suitable for high-spec, high production applications where it was previously uneconomic.”
www.renishaw.com/en/renam-500-metal-additive-manufacturing-3d-printing-systems--37011
Domin wants to manufacture them at scale and our RenAM 500Q system makes meeting these requirements possible.
Founded in 1981 in West Sussex, Flotronic Pumps is a world-leading manufacturer of air operated double diaphragm pumps (AODP). With the invention of our ground-breaking ‘One Nut’ pump design, Flotronic have revolutionised the application of diaphragm pumps throughout the industry.
Over the last 30 years our ‘One Nut’ double diaphragm pump has proven its success in an incredibly diverse range of international industries including but not limited to
pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, cosmetics, personal and household care and chemical manufacturing.
Our global customer base can rely on our expertise in delivering the highest quality products as well as our abilities to provide engineering excellence, thus enabling them to achieve their competitive edge.
For more information please contact:
+44 (0)1444 881871 or email salesteam@flotronicpumps.com
GEMÜ introduces the new 652 Pulsation Damper, an innovative solution to compensate pressure and volume fluctuations such as water hammer or vapour pressure surges that often happen in many production plants. Developed based on the tried and tested diaphragm valve technology and reliable actuator design, the GEMÜ 652 is designed for use in sterile applications and therefore it is CIP/SIP and autoclave capable. Moreover, it is also suitable for use with corrosive liquid and gaseous media applications. The main function of the GEMÜ 652 is to dampen as much volume as possible within a specific operating range. Dampening larger volumes can be achieved by installing multiple pulsation dampers in the series. The body is designed without a sealing weir (full bore design), and for this reason, it won’t shut off the media, so the actual expansion volume is compensated by the moving diaphragm. The GEMÜ 652 is self-acting as its function is accomplished solely using a spring force, therefore it does not require an electric or pneumatic supply. This ingenious solution by GEMÜ will solve multiple problems in many varied applications –putting you in control of your plants.
For more details about GEMÜ 652 Pulsation Damper, please see below:
>> GEMÜ 652 product flyer
>> Technical data-sheet
>> Operation instructions
A COMPLETE SOLUTION FOR STEAM TO WATER HEAT EXCHANGE
A COMPLETE SOLUTION FOR STEAM TO WATER HEAT EXCHANGE
Designed to provide hot water instantaneously whatever the load conditions, up to 2100kW without the need for water storage.
Reliable, Efficient and Cost Effective
■ Reduced Heat Loss
■ Improved Temperature Control
■ Thermal Efficiency
■ Operational Savings
• Reduced Heat Loss
ARI-Armaturen UK Ltd steam systems, thermal oil and hot water and is a subsidiary of a large German engineering company, reputed to have the largest valve stock in Europe.
• Improved Temperature Control
• Thermal Efficiency
• Operational Savings
THE PREMIUM PROCESS VALVE
Reliably tight, durable and versatile triple offset valve with zero leakage, even in harsh industrial environments.
Changing from single to double isolation made easy with the small face-to-face dimensions of the ZETRIX®
ZETRIX® Double block and bleed arrangement Contact the UK sales office on 01684 275752 or Email: marketing@ari-armaturen.co.uk
inquiries@uk.ari-armaturen.com
www.ari-armaturen.com
Oliver Hydcovalves have announced the design and manufacture of three new valves for hydrogen transportation and refuelling. Using high performance polymer bearings and seals in partnership with DuPont™, valves have been qualification tested to 102,000 cycles of operation while maintaining a fugitive emissions leakage class of BH.
Another unique feature of the valves is their full-bore design. This avoids restrictive flow, which appears to be a common problem in many valves on the market. Nick Howard, Engineering Director at Oliver Hydcovalves stated; “By maximising the flow rate, it will deliver a more continuous and consistent flow of hydrogen medium. This will allow for hydrogen fuel to be dispensed and refilled onsite much more quickly, which will deliver dramatic time-saving benefits.”
As the world continues to move towards sustainable energy sources, hydrogen is emerging as the promising fuel option for vehicles and industrial transportation on land, sea, and air. The transporting and dispensing of hydrogen fuel in working environments such as fuel stations and onsite fuel storage facilities, require specialist valves that have been designed and engineered for continuous high cycle operative use and meet the requirements of ISO 19880-3.
When dispensing hydrogen fuel onsite, it generally requires a large area to be closed off while in progress, and can even involve a whole site closure, dependent on size of area. Therefore, the time it takes to dispense hydrogen fuel is crucial. Oliver’s full-bore valves deliver hydrogen much faster than other transportation valves that have a restrictive flow. This significantly reduces the downtime at a site, and in most cases, can be halved - minimising disruption to the forecourt and business operations.
Hydrogen fuel is stored and transported using pressurised tanks. Therefore, it’s of paramount importance that valves can handle extreme pressures too. Since 1979, Oliver has been synonymous with valve safety and reliability, even relied upon
by the world’s largest energy producers, suppliers, and end-users for its precision engineered solutions. As Oliver’s company
mantra suggests ‘Reliability Under Pressure’, they’re well-positioned to provide the necessary assurances required.
This latest engineering achievement firmly places Oliver Hydcovalves at the forefront for hydrogen transportation valves. Built to the highest specifications using premium quality materials, and tested to the highest standards, it’s logical to see how Oliver’s claim to offer the best valve solution for hydrogen transportation and refuelling applications, certainly holds up.
Bore sizes include; 10mm, 14mm and 20mm. To learn more about hydrogen transportation and for guidance on hydrogen specifications, applications, qualifications and pricing, contact Oliver Hydcovalves on +44 (0) 1565 632636 or visit their website at: valves.co.uk
For further information, please visit www.valves.co.uk
As the world continues to move towards sustainable energy sources, hydrogen is emerging as the promising fuel option for vehicles and industrial transportation on land, sea, and air.
World-leading
Valves for Hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Topside, Subsea, and Pipeline Applications.
Instrument & DBB Valves
• Manifolds, Needle, Check and DBB Valves to 22.5K psi
• Cryogenic
• Severe Service 650ºC, 10K psi
• Forged & Bolted Construction
Hydrogen & Carbon Capture Valves
• Instrumentation, Ball, Needle and DBB Valves for Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Applications
• Pipeline Ball Valves upto 18”
• 10K Ball Valves for Hydrogen Fuelling Stations
Pipeline Valves
Pipeline Valves
• 1” to 20” Bore Size
• 1” to 20” Bore Size
• High Temperature
• High Temperature
• High Pressure
• High Pressure
• Cryogenic
• Cryogenic
• API 10K Design
• API 10K Design
Subsea Valves
Subsea Valves
• Diver & ROV Operated Needle Valves
• Diver & ROV Operated Needle Valves
• Ball Valves Upto 15K
• Ball Valves Upto 15K
• Manual & Hydraulic Parallel Slide Gate Valves 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4” and 1”
• Manual & Hydraulic Parallel Slide Gate Valves 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4” and 1”
We Manufacture Valves for Global Energy Projects. To Find Your Local Supplier, Contact Us Today.
We Manufacture Valves for Global Energy Projects. To Find Your Local Supplier, Contact Us Today.
The Tooling Division team at Pentagon were excited to take delivery of the highly anticipated FORM E 600 last week.
This new EDM Spark Eroder is the second of three new machines purchased from GF Machining Solutions with delivery phased between March and May this year. To make way for the new plant equipment the Tooling Division has undertaken a major reshuffle of machines providing a new layout to ensure adequate working space and support LEAN manufacture processes.
Investment into the FORM E 600 will enable the team to deliver further efficiencies in tool manufacture and optimise production with an integrated six station Linear Tool Changer and our System 3R holders. The EDM’s C Axis delivers high positioning precision (0.001°) regardless of electrode weight (up to 25kg). The four axes simultaneous interpolation allows easy machining of curved recesses and undercuts by rotating the C axis and widening the 3D vector which will be a huge asset for our in-house toolmaking services with finite detailing.
The final machine that will be added to the facility is the FORM E 350, completing a combined £500,000 investment, and is the largest one-time machinery investment that the business has made to date. Driven by consistent business growth and planning for the future of Pentagon’s UK based tool making capabilities the machines will deliver significant advancement in technology.
Customers to Pentagon will benefit from this investment on all levels as lead times are driven down and high-quality precision engineering is driven up.
Pentagon’s unique offering of both full mould tool manufacture and plastic injection moulding production, all from on site of UK manufacture delivers seamless service to customers. The collaborative approach between both the Moulding and Tooling divisions ensure process optimisation is delivered at every stage, from design through to finished product.
Pentagon Tooling is building for a sustainable future through machinery investment and continued commitment to training and upskilling of the engineering team. If you are looking for the services of an expert UK Toolmaker for your next plastic injection moulding project or you have existing mould tooling in need of repair, servicing or maintenance contact pentagon at sales@pentagonplastics. co.uk or call the Tooling Team on 01403 264397.
For further information, please visit www.pentagonplastics.co.uk
Customers to Pentagon will benefit from this investment on all levels as lead times are driven down and high-quality precision engineering is driven up.
