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Hydraulic tools specialist, Enerpac, announces the new PPH-Series Hydraulic Pin Puller, providing an efficient, safe, and versatile method for removal of joint pins during the maintenance of heavy machinery. These complete kits use hydraulic power to remove joint pins on vehicles, excavators and heavy machinery used in construction, mining, wind turbine gearbox pins, bogie and truck pin removal for rail and in stationary equipment found in manufacturing facilities.

Until now, operators have relied on pin removal using unsafe methods, such as torching, lancing, or hammering, all of which risk irreparable damage to the joint pin, resulting in extra costs and leading to longer downtime. With a pulling capacity of 40 to 67 metric tonnes, the PPH-Series Pin Puller provides a safer and more efficient removal of joint pins up to 302mm long. It uses a powerful, Enerpac hydraulic cylinder to extract pins with precision and minimal damage, allowing a single operator to remove a multitude of joint pin sizes easily.

Safer Pin Pulling

Supplied in a portable, wheeled carry case, the PPH-Series Pin Puller Kits, PPH40 and PPH66, are ideal for mastering a diverse range of pin-pulling tasks. Each set includes three stacking and locking patented C-Sleeves, with the option of adding an extra two for longer pins up to 508mm long. The C-shape design creates a fitment around the flag of heavy machinery pins, providing a precise and safe pin removal. Improving operator safety, each kit contains a shackle for lifting via a crane or lifting system. The column sections have multiple hoist points, designed to give the user more control over the balance of the tool while it is suspended. The kit also contains a Quick Nut for fast attachment to threaded rods, with alternative thread sizes available to purchase separately.

‘Quick Nut’ for damaged nut threads

With existing solutions using regular threaded nuts, that require time to run down the rod and cannot be used on damaged treads, the PPH-Series kits are engineered to streamline even on the most demanding pin pulling projects. The innovative split Quick Nut makes it easier and faster to manipulate damaged threads. The easy one-handed closure is quick to assemble around a rod and avoids running the nut over damaged threads. 

“Safety on the job site is paramount, which is why these kits offer a safer alternative than old-school, traditional methods involving sparks, heat, hammering, and loose parts. We wanted to provide a safe and efficient way for a single operator to extract pins from construction vehicles that eliminated damage to parts, but also provided a lightweight and potable tool that was practical to move about on-site. The transport and assembly of the PPH-Series Pin Puller Kits is made easier by the robust aluminium construction of the Enerpac Hydraulic Cylinder,” said Ejnar Christensen, National Accounts Manager, Enerpac.

Each PPH-Series Kit includes three column sections that lock together. Multiple column sections can be stacked together depending on the length of the joint pin. Up to maximum 5 Column Sections can be locked together.

For more information on the Enerpac PPH-Series Hydraulic Pin Puller visit www.enerpac.com.

Digitize data capture and automate your workflows with ease and accuracy with the V4500 Barcode Reader.

The V4500 barcode reader offers intuitive functionality in an rugged industrial design to automate workflows with digital data capture. Its patented scan engine helps you conquer the tiniest barcodes, even when printed on shiny or hard to read surfaces. Able to endure challenging conditions, the V4500 is ideal for warehouse and manufacturing environments.

Overview:

• High-speed, omnidirectional barcode scanning made simple
• Ideal for inventory management, kit verification, scan and print, and packout applications
• Proprietary Cortex Decoder technology allows reader to easily read tiny barcodes as well as shiny and hard-to-read surfaces
• Automated keyboard device and dynamic user interface lets you go from setup to first scan in seconds
• Data parsing feature lets you sort and arrange data exactly how you want – start with a simple scan and easily connect to the cloud and your ERP system
• Withstands 1.8 m drops (MIL-STD-810G)
• Inductive-charging battery lasts a full shift with over 75,000 scans

Watch the V4500 in video and explore the V4500's features now >>

Brady Corporation

www.brady.co.uk

In the heart of the Netherlands, two large tank farms chose cold bonding to face a daunting challenge: over 1100 brackets needed to be installed on live, fully operational tanks filled with highly flammable liquids. Traditional welding was impossible as taking the site offline and emptying the vessels would have required a costly shutdown which was not a viable option. So, seeking a welding alternative, the Customers chose Belzona’s innovative cold bonding solution.

Belzona on site, ready for cold bonding

What Was the Problem?

The first Client, a renowned global infrastructure provider, wished to make their operations more sustainable by installing solar panels on the top of their tanks. However, before the panels themselves could be implemented, cable ducts and supports needed to be installed across the entire structure. Such a large number of panels required around 500 brackets be cold bonded on to the live oil tanks, as hot work was out of the question.

The second Client, a global leader in tank terminal operations, required the installation of 660 brackets on to live kerosene tanks. This was required due to recent legislative changes which mandated the installation of extra fire extinguishing pipes. With safety as their top priority, the Client sought a swift and dependable solution. It was crucial that the chosen method could install the required brackets without disrupting the facility's operations or incurring the unnecessary expense of a shutdown.            

Why Was Belzona Chosen?

For both sites, a hot work permit was out of the question and so a cold bonding solution was required. The kerosene tanks were filled and had an internal coating, meaning hot work was not an option at the first site. Similarly, at the second site the tanks were fully operational, so a welding alternative was also required in this case.

Belzona offered a cold work solution which could be applied whilst the tanks were full and operational. Epoxy composite Belzona 1111 (Super Metal), was chosen for its high adhesion properties, as it can be applied and cured at ambient temperature using simple tools, making it ideal for this in-situ application. In addition to being less hazardous, this method also ensures greater contact across the surface area of the bonded bracket, compared to the limited contact of weld seams.

Application of Belzona 1111 (Super Metal)

First of all, the surface was suitably roughened to Swedish Standard Sa2½ (near white metal finish) with a 3 mil (75 μm) profile in order to achieve maximum adhesion. By utilising ATEX closed-loop vacuum grit blasting, optimal surface preparation was achieved whilst mitigating the hazards of airborne grit and debris. This method not only ensured safety but also maintained operational continuity by eliminating the need for temporary structures like tents and additional scaffolding which would have been required for conventional grit blasting. Therefore, the closed-loop system proved to be the most efficient solution for surface preparation on a live site.

Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) mixed and applied

Following completion of surface preparation, the team bonded the brackets onto the substrate using Belzona 1111 (Super Metal). Once the product was mixed, a layer was firmly applied to the prepared surfaces of both the tank and the underside of each bracket. The brackets could then be pushed into place with force, secured, and left to cure.

Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) was used to bond the brackets, then they were left to cure

Cold Bonding Success

Both applications were successful, leaving the Clients thrilled that the brackets had been securely installed without the need for welding, thereby avoiding the expenses and hazards associated with a costly shutdown or dangerous hot work.

The first Client has successfully installed their solar panels after cold bonding over 500 brackets with Belzona 1111 (Super Metal). This application was imperative to their successful implementation, helping the Customer achieve their sustainability goals. Similarly, the second client is now fully compliant with the new fire safety regulations. In each case, choosing Belzona as a welding alternative allowed for a safe and efficient installation, without the need for hot work.

Successful cold bonding of over 1100 brackets at the two sites

About the Distributor:

Perspect Benelux B.V., based in the Netherlands, has an impressive 29-year history as a Belzona Authorized Distributor. Since its inception, Perspect has expertly utilised Belzona's innovative solutions to repair, protect, and enhance machinery and equipment across a range of industries. With such a wealth of experience, they have a earned a stellar reputation as Belzona’s sole distributor in the Netherlands. To learn more about Perspect Benelux B.V. please visit their website here.

Want to learn more about Belzona’s cold bonding solutions?

Learn more about Belzona 7311

Perfect Workwear – for less than perfect days.

Snickers Workwear’s new range of lightweight Mid-layers are a Fusion of style and performance - built for active work in the Autumn.

Crafted for full flexibility on site and optimal comfort and built for active work, they’re fully flexible and can be worn as an outer layer when it’s warmer or a mid-layer when it’s a bit cooler.

They’re full of handy technical features and innovative fabrics to tame the wind, plus brand new energising colours to brighten your spring-time workday.

Choose from new street-smart styles such as the Windblocker Half-zip Hoodie or the Lightweight Flexiwork Mid-layer Jacket – creative workwear solutions designed to make your job easier.

Whatever Snickers Workwear Mid-layer you choose, you can be sure that they all have body-mapping designs for a great fit, outstanding functionality and long-lasting comfort – all day, every day.

www.snickersworkwear.co.uk

For many years the scarcity of in-house engineering ability has been one of the leading workplace concerns among engineers in the public and private sectors. Post covid redundancies, economic factors including Brexit, a plagued industry perception of spanners and dirty overalls, an aging workforce, and a new generation of snapchat and Instagram filter lovers, has left a shortfall of up to 59,000 core engineering roles. This especially puts small to medium companies at risk.

Inefficiency in small company operations leads to reduced productivity, waste of time, loss of resources and prevents business managers from focusing on their companies’ core services. Couple this with small and medium companies who lack the financial capability to hire professional experts, many find themselves trapped in situations where employees do not possess sufficient technical expertise to counter the advancing technology in the industry. This expertise gap puts them and the businesses they work in at a disadvantage against competitors.

We see this far too often in mechanical engineering, particularly the integration of fan engineers in technical applications where the fan is predominantly the work horse of the system. If an air movement system isn’t performing correctly, the first place to look is the industrial fan. Does it achieve the duty required for optimal performance, does the wheel type allow the right pressure development, does the motor produce enough power to drive the impeller to generate the airflow required?

Training employees with the relevant skills is an option, but an expensive and time consuming one, and those small or medium companies, as we’ve already established do not have the time or finance to invest without immediate gain. Outsourcing the level of expertise is another option. The demand for outsourced technical services is rising continuously in the IT sector, with full or partial services that allow companies to obtain access to technical expertise when they need it without the hassle of full-time departments. So, what about the integration of single components, fans in this instance, where the knowledge is so niche that companies don’t need a service agreement, or a monthly retainer, they simply need assistance to use the product they want to buy, to make their system better, so they can make their customers happy?

Choosing a company that offers a service and sale with a consultative approach is hard to come by. Typically, specialist consultants charge based on time or based on the nature of the visit, and component suppliers, typically charge for the product with limited warranty periods, not extended integration support. Working with a company that offers a hybrid of both, I’ll be specific and say the air movement, specifically fan integration, small to medium companies get access to high levels of focus, years of experience and a deep knowledge of motor and impeller technologies gained from comprehensive training, certifications, and personal growth. Having one foot in with a company that has access to the latest industry advancements equally allows businesses to remain relevant and competitive in their sectors instead of sticking with what they know and getting left behind.

Don’t get me wrong, technical product manager, project engineer and robotics engineers are all in high demand and in most parts occupied. These roles would have topped the engineering position list even ten to fifteen years ago, but with an ageing workforce these roles have had to adapt as industry 4.0 and beyond technology has evolved. Upskilling and continued personal development are crucial if companies don’t want to open themselves up to skills gaps. That diamond in the rough company that offers the sale and service that larger companies don’t appreciate widens the talent pool, solves a skill short market, that smaller businesses cannot afford to overlook. The question is, are you getting that from your current supplier?

Author: Andrew Jones – Technical Director, Axair Fans UK Limited

www.axair-fans.co.uk

In short, regular servicing and maintenance is essential to maintain the optimum operating efficiency and safety; and ensure long-term reliability.

However, a key issue that is often overlooked are the consequences of a boiler not being available due to maintenance or breakdown. Like any piece of equipment, steam boilers will be more reliable when serviced on a regular basis and fortunately a minimum level of annual maintenance is required due to the legal need to inspect a boiler every year. Hopefully this opportunity will be used to undertake all service tasks, but it should be borne in mind that, depending on the level of use, a boiler may require more regular maintenance tasks.

An easily overlooked yet important aspect of operating a steam boiler is the need to ensure good water quality. This, at minimum, requires a water softener and regular checks on its performance. Just 1mm of scale inside a boiler will increase your fuel bill by 7-10% due to the poor thermal conductivity of scale deposits. Unfortunately, scale will accumulate on the hottest parts of a boiler, so these parts will gain the thickest layer of scale, leading to localised overheating and permanent damage to the boiler.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that regular blowdown will remove scale either because it won’t! Blowdown will discharge loose particles and sludge, but cannot detach scale from inside the boiler. Of course, only servicing the boiler once a year may mean that scale accumulation will not be realised until it is too late, but regular servicing will pick up evidence of scale and enable you to remedy the situation before it is too late.

With properly managed maintenance your steam boiler should give excellent service for many years (we still service Fulton boilers that are more than 30 years old!). Even water quality, the most common cause of nuisance failures on steam boilers, shouldn’t be a problem.

As well as a design and build service – and as a safeguard to end-users – many boiler manufacturers should be able to manage the installation and commissioning of its boilers and systems and provide regular servicing and maintenance contracts and training. There should also be proper after-sales support available, which should be backed by service technicians and/or service contractors offering national and international service support.

To ensure that boilers are correctly maintained and serviced, especially for sites operating a number of boilers, companies should also consider training for its service engineers and boiler operatives. Training also proves invaluable to employers, as operators handle more of their own maintenance and repair and avoid call-outs to ‘boiler breakdowns’ that require no more than the simple flick of a switch to resolve. Real examples like this prove that operator courses could potentially save the cost of many expensive and unwanted engineers’ visits.

Hands-on training should be available on-site or at a training facility and include all aspects of service including product information, day-to-day operation, servicing and maintenance and be structured to the needs of individual’s or companies. For example, if a boiler is to be serviced by a dedicated service company, its engineers can be trained. However if it is owner-maintained, and as no two boiler facilities are the same, many boiler manufacturers may prefer to run courses at customers’ own facilities so that technicians and engineers learn on the equipment they will be monitoring day-to-day.

Explains Carl: “When you buy a steam boiler, commissioning should be included, as well as a provision for training site operatives on routine operating and maintenance procedures.”

www.fulton.co.uk

As the global demand for lithium continues to surge, driven by the rise of electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies, the maintenance challenges faced by lithium mining operations have become increasingly critical. Belzona, a leader in industrial protective coatings, headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida, is addressing these challenges head-on with its innovative polymeric solutions. Designed to combat corrosion, abrasion, and chemical damage, Belzona's coatings are playing a pivotal role in extending the life of critical mining equipment, supporting the industry's efforts to meet growing demands while promoting sustainability.

Polymeric Solutions for Maintenance Problems for Lithium Mining

Batteries are a highly sought-after product due to the ever-growing need for green electric appliances and devices. Phones, solar panels, and electric vehicles (EVs) all need batteries to operate, and this has led to an increase in the need for materials used to manufacture batteries. Lithium is one material whose need has increased tenfold. Some of the already large lithium mines in South America, Asia, and Australia have had to expand to meet the high demands of energy and tech companies.

Lithium-ion batteries play an important role in reducing climate change. EVs reduce the need for gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, energy companies use lithium-ion batteries to store electricity generated from wind and solar farms to mitigate the use of energy generated from coal and natural gas. However, lithium mining does have its drawbacks. It is responsible for over 1.4 million US tons (1.3 million metric tons) of carbon annually. For every one US ton (0.9 metric ton) of mined lithium, 16.5 US tons (15 metric tons) of CO2 are released into the air (earth.org).

Figure 1 An example of a lithium-ion battery for mobile devices

The Environmental Impact of Lithium Mining

Additionally, the lithium mining process is very intense in the surrounding environment. Part of the process involves extracting lithium from saltwater reserves. It risks polluting the local water sources, threatening humans and local animal and plant biodiversity. The batteries themselves can also be harmful to the environment. They can leech damaging chemicals and other byproducts into the environment when they are discarded. It can cause fires, water pollution, air pollution, and health problems. Despite the negatives, the current process is the most cost-effective way to obtain lithium; however, other materials are being researched to manufacture greener batteries (earth.org).

How is Lithium Mined?

The current lithium mining process involves drilling underground to access mineral-rich brine found under salt flats. Then, the brine is pumped into large evaporation pools on the Earth’s surface. The Sun slowly evaporates the brine pools over months or years leaving behind minerals like potassium, sodium, and lithium. The lithium is then extracted in different ways but usually involves a chemical process by which reagents are incorporated to form a saleable compound of lithium at a processing facility that can be transported to customers.

There are other less common lithium mining processes such as extracting directly from mineral ore. During this process, the mineral is extracted, heated, and pulverized. Then, it is combined with reagents to create a slurry that is heated, filtered, and concentrated via evaporation to produce a saleable lithium form (Samco.com).

Figure 2 Evaporation pool used during lithium mining

Solving Corrosion During Lithium Mining

Corrosion is a common maintenance problem found in lithium mines due to the presence of brine, a water-based solution high in minerals, especially salt. Brine accelerates corrosion because of an increase in dissolved ions, which allows electrons to move freely between the brine and metal substrate causing rust. A metal object does not need to be submerged for corrosion to occur as increased moisture in the air and salt spray can also rust metal substrates (sciencing.com).

A manufactured paint or coating can stop corrosion because it can prevent the ions from interacting with the metal substrate. Belzona polymeric coatings are applied on various substrates from aluminum, steel, iron, and more to stop the materials from corroding.

During lithium mining, equipment, and assets often find themselves in the presence of brine or moisture. A pump is used to transport brine from the underground reservoir to the evaporation pools. The pump can suffer from rust and corrosion due to the mineral-rich water; however, a Belzona 1000 Series coating can prevent the piece from corroding. The coatings also repair the piece as specific products such as metal repair epoxy paste, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal), and corroded metal repair material, Belzona 1121 (Super XL-Metal) can help rebuild metal loss. Rebuilding can reduce the need for a new part especially the downtime from waiting for a new part.

Figure 3 Pump repaired with Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) suffering from corrosion due to saltwater medium

Other equipment in contact with water or moisture such as froth flotation cells, pressure leaching tanks, filters, centrifuges, evaporators, mixers-settlers/ extraction columns, and electrolysis equipment can all potentially be coated with a Belzona 1000 Series to protect them from further corrosion and replacement.

Solving Abrasion and Physical Impact During Lithium Mining

The equipment may become physically damaged also as they deal with rough materials like mineral particles of varying sizes. The particles can slowly deteriorate the surface of metal or rubber equipment. Pumps are an example of equipment that is physically damaged by solid particles, but conveyor belts and loaders are also a great example of two pieces of equipment made of different materials that suffer from similar damage. Both assets carry and transport lithium and other solid materials. During this phase of the lithium mining process, the assets endure harsh wear and tear, damaging their integrity. Holes will appear in conveyor belts and metal loss will slowly abrade the surface of the loader.

Belzona can provide a quick return-to-service with the Belzona 2000 Series, a product line engineered to repair flexible components. Tears and abrasions on conveyor belts are repaired without the need for hot work with Belzona’s elastomer products which provide a much-needed increase in durability, elasticity, and tear resistance.

Figure 4 Conveyor belt back in operation after repaired with Belzona 2311

Additionally, loaders and other metal equipment such as filters, haul trucks, drills, crushers, and grinding mills can be coated with Belzona 1000 Series to rebuild metal substrates that have abraded. Belzona 1311 (Ceramic R-Metal) and other products in the range can rebuild the equipment’s surface while safeguarding it from further abrasion. The coating creates a sturdy barrier between the rough material and the substrate, and it is reinforced by the composition of the coating.

Chemical Resistant and High-Temperature Coatings for Lithium Mining

Reagents are an important part of lithium mining. Usually, these reagents are strong chemicals like sulfuric acid. Additionally, depending on the mining process, it can involve high-temperature reactions. Coatings in the Belzona 1000 Series and 4000 Series include products to protect assets during high-temperature operations or with chemicals. If there is a high concentration of sulfuric acid (98%) then Belzona 4311 or Belzona 4341 would be an appropriate choice. Lower concentrations can be resisted with other Belzona 4000 Series coatings; however, any coating performance is highly dependent on temperature.

Belzona 1511 (Super HT-Metal) or Belzona 1813 offer high-temperature resistance of up to 150 °C (302 °F) and 200 °C (392 °F) respectively. They have been formulated to protect metal surfaces from abrasive attack (Belzona 1813) and corrosive attack (Belzona 1511) at high temperatures and are resistant to a wide range of chemicals.

Figure 5 Chute coated with Belzona 1813 for high-temperature resistance

Belzona’s Importance to Greener Lithium Mining Practices

Lithium mining is integral to the production of batteries that power a variety of essential green technologies, from EVs to renewable energy storage systems. Despite its significant environmental footprint, including carbon emissions and potential water pollution, advancements in mining processes and material science are making strides toward mitigating these impacts. One of the critical challenges faced by the industry is the maintenance of equipment exposed to harsh conditions, such as corrosion, abrasion, and chemical attack.

Belzona's range of polymeric solutions offers robust protection and repair options for mining equipment. By preventing corrosion, repairing physical damage, and providing chemical and high-temperature resistance, these solutions not only extend the lifespan of critical assets but also enhance operational efficiency and safety. As the demand for lithium continues to rise, the application of innovative maintenance solutions like Belzona's will be crucial in supporting sustainable mining practices and the transition to a greener, more sustainable future.

Figure 6 Electric vehicle

www.belzona.com

New to the AD/Biogas industry, Ross Mingotti could have been forgiven for walking away from a plant that had already had major mixing issues in its final storage tank. Within two months of him joining the business in December 2021, one of the paddle mixers in the secondary tank failed.

The mixers had worked well since being commissioned in 2017 at AMPGREEN ESTATES’ Greengill Farm AD Plant (near Penrith, Cumbria, in the far north of England), but now came the problem of retrieving them. This wasn’t possible without emptying the tank; in this case from the final storage tank, which holds close to 3 million gallons of digestate.

“The final storage tank had already been offline for 12 months,” said Ross. “But at least we were still able to run our primary digester, which is the outer ring of the site’s tank-within-a-tank design.”

Jamie Seggie, appointed as AD Plant Manager in February 2022, must have also wondered what he’d walked in to – and then to make matters even worse, the invasion of Ukraine shortly afterwards created a delay in the replacement mixers that had been ordered. As a 2.4MwH plant, supplying power to the grid was a considerable problem in downtime and loss of income.

“After a three-month wait, with still no word on the delivery of new parts,” added Ross, we decided to look elsewhere. Our final storage tank had become very crusted over, but we managed to get it moving temporarily with a very basic propeller mixer that we could mount on the back of a tractor. We went to ADBA’s World Biogas Expo in Birmingham, where we looked hard at some new mixing systems to see what might suit us.

“Potential suppliers then came to visit, and could immediately see that this was a site in distress, but whilst price always comes into it, Jamie and I knew we needed to feel comfortable with whom we were going to work with, and not be taken advantage of with all sorts of add-on sales. We may have been new to the AD industry, but we were learning fast. It was clear that there hadn’t been much focus on preventative maintenance, but then the original design, with these paddle mixers trapped inside the tanks, made servicing, repair or replacement very time-consuming and costly.  Nobody in the business wants to empty the tank. You can’t just then switch it back on and be back to where the plant should be. It takes around 20 to 40 days, and even then, the gas isn’t at its best quality.”

Jamie Seggie, Plant Manager, at Greengill Farm AD Plant, added: “We soon saw large increases in hydrogen sulphide, and unwanted spikes in gas quality, so you’re then having to focus less on the actual digesters and more on protecting the engines. There’s also the knock-on effects of having to do more oil changes. Parts were wearing much quicker on downstream equipment. With a thermophilic system, there are also significant fuel and boiler costs in heating the tank to bring it up to and keep it above 50 degrees C.”

‘We needed a reliable mixing system that could be looked after, major disruption to the process’

“Ross and I knew that moving forward, we needed a reliable mixing system that could be looked after, without such major disruption to the process, and a company that would support us. The challenge facing us and our new supplier was the sheer size and volume of our final storage tank (with tanks partially buried underground), and how to get it mixing properly.”

After very careful consideration, Ross and Jamie went ahead with mixers from Landia.

“We knew Landia had a proven track record, and importantly, that they had people on the ground and spare parts readily available in the UK, so we could get the local support that we needed. It was clear from the outset that they were totally committed to what we were trying to achieve, and importantly for us, everything was flexible. They were open, honest, and listened; not trying to sell themselves as process engineers, but wanting everything to work, understanding that everything is connected; unlike some that just want to come in and say ‘yes, that’s the one bit that we’re responsible for,’ and not seem to care about whether they’ve actually delivered a solution. Likewise, we weren’t oversold to. For example, with the electrics – Landia said they could do it, but that it wasn’t their bread and butter, so if we had a trusted local supplier, then that would be fine.

‘Create several mixing patterns within the tank’

“Again, some suppliers might have tried to sell us as many mixers as possible, but starting with our inner annulus tank (our second digester), Paul Broadhurst at Landia came back with a design of four 22kW submersible mixers. And slightly later, for our final storage (46m by 8m) tank, a total of six mixers (four 11kW, two 22kW), positioned at different heights and running at different speeds and times to create several mixing patterns within the tank, to achieve the desired effect. Now, with the Landia mixers, both of these tanks get mixed properly, but with minimal power consumption.”

From the Penrith site’s 2500 acres, maize, grass silage and sometimes rye or wheat are utilised as feedstock, feeding in at around 104 tons per day, with approximately 8% total solids for the second digester (30m diameter by 8m height) and around 5% total solids for the final storage tank, from which most of the gas is pulled to run the CHP engines. In Ross and Jamie’s steep learning curve, they’ve understood that whilst a higher dry solids content means more gas, it can also lead to a point when the tank can’t be mixed. And to further help the consistency of the tank’s contents, AmpGreen is now ensuring that across the estate, all crops/feedstock are chopped to no more than 5mm, so that everything breaks down properly in the AD process. After using around 15% of the power generated for its own needs at the AD plant, an impressive 85% is sent straight to grid.

‘Always prepared to help’

Ross Mingotti added: “About six months after we’d tried to order the parts from our original supplier, we were finally told that they were ready! – but of course, out of necessity, we’d long since moved on – to a key position now that with preventative maintenance and known factors, we can control our costs. We now have a maintenance contract with Landia for them to service the mixers every six months. Once again, they didn’t pressurise us to take this on or insist it was part of some inflexible deal. They offered to work with and train our own maintenance people, but I have to say that the Landia guys who come here are fantastic. They obviously take a lot of pride in what they do, and want their customers to be happy.

“We can’t deny that during the switchover to the new mixers, it has been fairly complicated and stressful at times (!), but the Landia install team really shone. Things have a habit of changing during a project, but Paul Broadhurst (Landia) and ourselves were always in contact, working together to find the very best solutions, living with the job as it developed – and we still have the peace of mind now, knowing that they care, and will always be prepared to help.”

www.landiaworld.com

One of the perennial problems faced by production line maintenance engineers is how to diagnose faults in slow running bearings. Food production lines are a particular example, where in addition to motors running at relatively high speeds, there will also be much slower running assets such as conveyors, mixing vessels, roasters etc.

Low-cost vibration analysers, like the TPI 9080 for example, are designed to use an accelerometer to pick up vibration from motors, pumps and fans typically running above 600rpm. The TPI 9080 detects the high frequency bearing noise or “whine” of a worn bearing and displays it in BDU (bearing damage units). Where the BDU value is roughly equivalent to “percentage wear” of the bearing.

The problem is at very low run speeds there is virtually no bearing noise. You might get a few “clicks” from a badly worn bearing but those are likely to be very low level and infrequent, so you would have trouble picking them up with a low-cost instrument.

Until now the only realistic way to monitor low-speed bearings was to use expensive, permanently installed systems that employ various proprietary algorithms to detect bearing clicks. In addition to the high cost of these systems there is also the problem of choosing the right alarm levels for each bearing. There are no industry standards for the different algorithms.

Nowadays however, there is the alternative of using a relatively inexpensive, high resolution vibration analyser like the TPI 9043/Ultra III. Basically, by setting the TPI 9043 to a very high resolution and taking a long enough reading of say 5 to 10 seconds, it is possible to capture enough bearing “clicks” to diagnose a “bad” low speed bearing.

By comparing the readings from known “good” and “bad” bearings, it’s possible to set some suitable alarm levels. This allows low-speed bearing faults to be identified well in advance of them becoming a problem!

The time waveform plots shown below show the vibration signal captured with a 5 second reading for a “good” bearing (upper plot) and a “bad” bearing (lower plot). The signal spikes produced by the bearing clicks are more frequent and of higher amplitude for the “bad” bearing. (Note that the two plots have been auto scaled by the display software).

The difference between the two bearings becomes more apparent though when we look at the overall average (RMS) vibration readings for both. The TPI 9043/Ultra III displayed an overall g value of approximately 0.25g for the “bad” bearing, compared with 0.025g for the “good” bearing, a factor of 10 difference between the two. This makes setting some alarm levels relatively simple, a good starting point being perhaps 0.1g for a warning and 0.2g for a critical alert.

The trick is of course to set the TPI 9043/Ultra III to a high resolution and therefore a longer sampling time. This is where a very powerful feature of the instrument comes to our aid, in that it can download “routes” of assets to be monitored. Each measurement point in the “route” is stored with its own instrument settings, so there is no adjustment of settings required between readings. The TPI 9043/Ultra III automatically adjusts its settings to those pre-chosen for each individual bearing. The benefit is you can measure both low-speed and high-speed bearings in the same route!

The TPI 9043/Ultra III is available with included C-Trend II PC-based trending and reporting software featuring everything needed to implement a full CBM strategy, including automatic email notification of alarms and report generation.  Routes and readings can also be transferred to/from the TPI 9043/Ultra III via Bluetooth using a smart phone or tablet running the free TPI Cloud Bridge App. This allows service personnel to be sent routes and return readings over the Internet, no matter where they are in the world. 

For more information please contact TPI Europe’s head office on +44 1293 530196 or take a look on the website at www.tpieurope.com or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.