The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) welcomes the arrival of Champion Forklifts owner Derek Martin to its board, who has issued an immediate rallying call to independent forklift dealers: “Join our association and save thousands of pounds.”

With over four decades of hands-on experience in the material handling world, Mr Martin is urging independent dealers to join the UKMHA and take advantage of the collective strength and guidance on offer, which he promises will also save hours of time, whilst easing the stress associated with running a small business.

“The benefits of a UKMHA membership are immeasurable,” said Derek, whose career in the material handling sector began in 1972. “It’s your support system, your time-saver, and in many cases, your money-saver too. I’ve joined the board to make sure smaller businesses get the recognition and help they deserve.” “Forklift dealers can’t afford to work in isolation; they have to have access to good, practical advice.

Derek is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of his Champion Forklift business, is perfectly placed to champion the interests of small dealer members and to help the association with its campaign to attract more of them to join.

“Health and safety can be a challenge for business owners of all shapes and sizes.  It’s one area where forklift dealers need help. Via the services that UKMHA provide, especially the dealer member audit, you have the support to navigate through the legal requirements and other matters.

Rob Fisher, CEO, UKMHA said it benefits our board and association no-end to appoint such a respected industry professional who understands the needs of our members:

“Derek is a strong advocate for dealer members and will help us in our drive to represent the forklift dealer community across the UK.”

Derek concludes “Business is about people. You can’t take away rivalries and while we have competitors, we do talk to them; life’s too short not to get on with people.”

For more information on UKMHA, visit www.ukmha.org.uk

Ampol's Lytton Refinery in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 

Wood, a global leader in consulting and engineering, has secured a $50 million contract extension to provide maintenance solutions at Ampol’s Lytton refinery in Brisbane, Australia.  

Under the two-year agreement, Wood will continue to ensure safe, reliable and efficient fuel production at the refinery by providing maintenance management as well as multi-disciplined technical and brownfield modification field services.  

In addition, Wood will deploy maintAI, its proprietary digital maintenance technology, to optimise maintenance strategies at the refinery through AI-powered data analysis. maintAI will identify and prioritise critical activities, reduce non-essential tasks and enhance asset reliability.  

The Lytton refinery is critical to Australian domestic energy security and has the capacity to process 6.5 billion litres of crude oil per year.  

Ralph Ellis, President of Asia Pacific, Operations at Wood, said: “We’ve proudly worked alongside Ampol for over a decade, delivering quality maintenance solutions at Lytton to ensure the reliability of this nationally significant refinery.  

“This contract extension is testament to the strength and expertise of our team and their continued commitment to supporting Ampol’s critical refinery operations.” 

The reimbursable contract is supported by more than 150 local employees and executed by Wood’s Operations business. 

www.woodplc.com

Landia has won important new orders to provide its proven pumps and mixers to two major biogas and biomethane plants in Estonia.

For a 0.7MW biogas and cogeneration plant, 11 Landia mixers (all 11kW) are to be installed in primary and post-digestion tanks that have a feedstock of wet manure and food waste.

Meanwhile at a plant that produces clean sustainable biomethane from a biomass that includes animal by-products, six Landia Chopper Pumps will play a vital role in reducing the particle size of feedstock. Two Landia mixers will also become a crucial part of the blending process.

Thorkild Maagaard, Landia’s Global Sales Director, commented:

“These new pumps and mixers will provide unrivalled performance and superior total cost of ownership for these challenging applications.

“Our GasMix digester mixing system for biogas plants also continues to be in strong demand throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.”

www.landiaworld.com

In data centres, uptime is crucial. Uninterrupted operation is essential for all critical services. A key factor in maintaining this, often underestimated, is a standardized and reliable identification system for all infrastructure components. Discover how a leading automotive manufacturer revolutionized their operations and minimized risks by implementing a robust identification system. Learn how Brady's innovative labeling solutions delivered clearer infrastructure, fewer errors, and rock-solid reliability.

The Challenge: Reducing Downtime Risks

Datacentre professionals constantly aim for high service levels. A significant risk to continuous operation is human error, particularly disconnecting the wrong cable. The complexity of modern datacentres, with dense cabling, makes this risk higher. To minimize the risks of incorrect cable disconnection, clear, reliable, and consistently applied labels for racks, servers, and cables are vital.

The Solution: Durable Labels and Efficient Processes

One of important automotive manufacturer recently addressed this by implementing a comprehensive identification approach. They used industrial-grade labels designed for datacentre demands. These labels, like Brady's B-425, B-427, and B-461, use specially developed materials and adhesives, ensuring they stay attached even to curved surfaces like UTP cables.

Beyond the labels, the solution included advanced design and printing capabilities. Brady Workstation label design apps let technicians create and customize labels easily from various devices. For on-site printing, the handheld M610 Label Printer is practical. For larger volumes, the BradyPrinter i7100 Industrial Label Printer provides efficient batch printing.

Crucially, the implementation included on-site consulting to help standardize labels and support the datacentre's overall identification strategy. This ensured the new labeling system integrated smoothly with existing operations.

Results: Preventing Errors and Enhancing Uptime

Brady labels and identification solutions have delivered clear benefits. By ensuring labels remain securely attached, the risk of cable patching mistakes has significantly decreased. This directly contributes to improved datacentre uptime and service levels. Additionally, the streamlined process for designing, printing, and applying labels has made standardization practical and easy to implement.

In an industry where uptime is crucial, a reliable identification system is not just good practice; it's one of the fundamental elements of operational resilience.

Discover how Brady can optimize your data centre's uptime. Find out more about dedicated identification and labelling solutions for datacenters >>

Ready to enhance your datacentre's reliability? Speak with a Brady expert to discuss your data centre's specific needs.

Brady Corporation

www.brady.co.uk

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Enerpac announces new mining toolbox sets for handling tough mining maintenance jobs.
Complete with specially selected Enerpac tools, the toolboxes ensure workers arrive on-site fully equipped to remove jammed wheels, adjust crawler tracks, and expertly handle other maintenance tasks, quickly and efficiently.

Easy to transport and organise, the Enerpac toolboxes come in three sets: Compact Force Toolbox, Compact Force Toolbox Wheeled and the 100T Aluminium Cylinder Cordless Pump Toolbox. Each tough lockable toolbox includes foam inserts to hold the tools in place and heavy-duty off-road wheels on the wheeled toolbox. The tool selection is designed for fast setup and controlled lifting in tight spaces for equipment maintenance whether changing a wheel, adjusting crawler track tension or lifting heavy equipment both underground and onsite.

Compact Force Toolboxes

The Compact Force Toolbox Set features a lightweight P142 Enerpac Hydraulic Hand Pump together with three low-profile 5-ton, 10-ton and 20-ton capacity hydraulic cylinders for fitting into tight spaces during heavy-duty, off-road vehicle wheel maintenance, for example. The toolbox also includes essential ancillaries such as a pressure gauge, hose, and fittings allowing instant access to the right tools for the job.

In the Compact Force Wheeled Toolbox Set, the hand pump is replaced with the more powerful Enerpac SC-Series Cordless Hydraulic Pump together with two 54-Volt batteries and charger. With a max. operating pressure of 10,000 psi, the SC-Series pump takes cordless convenience to another level for high-pressure applications.

100-Ton Aluminium Cylinder Cordless Pump Toolbox

The new 100T Aluminium Cylinder Cordless Toolbox Set includes a 100-ton aluminium hydraulic cylinder, powerful Enerpac XC2 Cordless Hydraulic Pump, two 54-Volt batteries and charger, two 10-foot hoses, couplers, and a pressure gauge - all supplied in two stacking robust toolboxes for convenient storage. Designed for demanding maintenance tasks, the toolbox is a high performance, portable solution adjusting crawler track tension and lifting heavy equipment.

“We’ve designed the toolbox sets based on our many years’ experience of mining equipment maintenance”, says Carley Korte, Jr. Product Manager – Pumps and Cylinders, Enerpac. “The all-in-one, Enerpac hydraulic tool selection is designed to streamline maintenance, repair, and operations in the field. Packaging them as toolbox sets make it easier to transport, organise, and protect these essential hydraulic tools, ensuring engineers arrive on location with everything they need.”

For more information on the Enerpac Toolbox Sets for Mining Maintenance, visit www.enerpac.com.

EXAIR’s 3/8 NPT High Temperature Threaded Line Vacs convert hose, tube, or pipe into a powerful in-line conveying system suitable for use with high temperature materials or in areas of high heat up to 900ºF (482ºC). Fitted with NPT threaded ends, it's easily mounted onto threaded pipe and offers an efficient solution for fine material conveyance, sampling hot flue gases, exhausting fumes, conveying soot, ashes, salts and other hot debris.

            The High Temperature Line Vacs utilize a small amount of compressed air to produce strong vacuum and flow. This model offers a durable construction from either Type 303 or Type 316 stainless steel to resist high temperature, corrosion and contamination while maintaining a compact design for fitting into tight areas. Regulating the compressed air pressure provides infinite control of the conveyance rate and allows for precision when planning applications. EXAIR High Temperature Line Vacs features no moving parts to ensure performance over extended use.

            High Temperature Line Vacs are CE compliant and available in nine sizes from 3/8" to 3". Other larger models for hopper loading, scrap trim removal, small part transfer, and packaging are available in both smooth “clamp type” options or NPT threaded versions. High Temperature Line Vac prices start at $575. https://exair.co/190-tlvhtss

A new cutting basket macerator from Borger is successfully homogenising a challenging effluent in a grease trap at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the south of England.

The Borger OrbitGrinder, which is designed with pivoted cutting blades that adjust automatically, is operating at an even cutting speed, with a star-shape knife holder & circular cutting basket formation to maximise the shredding of fats, oils and greases (FOG).

After the FOG first passes through the OrbitGrinder, where it is shredded and homogenised, the energy-rich liquid is then transferred to the facility’s AD/biogas plant.

Easily integrated into almost any existing system, the OrbitGrinder is achieving consistently good and even cutting quality. The design of the baffle plate also ensures that the suction force of the pump is evenly distributed

.Despite the confined space at the WWTP, the very flexible installation options offered with this latest Borger product meant that the piping system at the plant did not have to be adjusted.

While macerators with round perforated disks typically see excessive wear of the cutting plates’ outer edge, the OrbitGrinder’s design and durability provides a significantly prolonged service life.

Consistent with all proven Borger equipment, the Maintenance-In-Place design (with a gas strut assisted quick-release cover) makes servicing much easier than laborious alternatives.

Borger UK

01902 798 977

www.boerger.com

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Leading PR and marketing agency, Clear B2B, has announced the appointment of Allyson Higgins as its new Managing Director, marking the start of an exciting new growth chapter for the agency.

 Established 35 years ago, Clear B2B is a specialist in business-to-business communications, delivering PR and marketing services to major UK and international brands across key target sectors – aerospace and defence, construction and built environment, and automotive.

Ally, who first joined the agency in 2010 as an Account Manager, has steadily risen through the ranks, holding a Director role for the past four years. Her appointment to Managing Director is testament to her commitment, talent, and clear-sighted leadership. In her new role, she will drive Clear B2B’s strategic vision and lead the agency into its next phase of growth and transformation.

With over two decades of industry experience, Ally is highly respected for her deep expertise in PR and media relations, as well as her ability to inspire teams and build lasting client relationships. She brings a rare combination of strategic insight and creative energy that has consistently delivered meaningful results for both clients and the business.

“I’m incredibly excited to be taking on this role,” she commented. “Clear has been an integral part of my professional journey, and I’m immensely proud of everything we’ve achieved. We have an exceptional team, a powerful track record in delivering results for global clients, and a laser focus on the B2B sectors where we excel. I’m looking forward to a really exciting future.

In addition, Director Chris Wall will take on an expanded role, leading the agency’s creative output across all client work. With over 15 years’ experience delivering standout campaigns, Chris brings a deep understanding of how to blend strategic thinking with bold, imaginative execution. His new remit will see him working closely with teams across the agency to elevate creative standards, inspire fresh thinking, and ensure Clear B2B continues to deliver distinctive, award-winning work that drives real impact for clients.

Julie Clare, Chief Executive of Clear B2B, added:

“I’m absolutely thrilled for Ally and Chris. Their dedication, professionalism, and passion have made a huge impact to Clear over the years. Ally’s promotion is so well deserved, she’s the ideal person to lead the agency into its next phase. Clear B2B has grown into something very special - with passionate people and world-class clients - and I’m excited for what lies ahead.”

www.clear2b.com

AirBench Ltd are pleased to announce the release of their new tramp oil skimmer system; PFOS.

PFOS is a mobile unit designed to clean oil from most machine tool sumps in around 2 hours. Cleaner coolant results in reduced contamination and odour; less maintenance for other systems; less wear; and less oil smoke; it helps create the better working environment we all want.

PFOS

Profluid Tramp Oil Separator

AirBench PFOS is a mobile oil separator designed to remove oil contamination from coolant.

Oil-contaminated cooling water has many harmful effects, on health, product quality, machine life as well as on life-time and disposal costs of coolant. The pro-fluid oil separator is mobile and can be taken from one machine to the other; requiring only a compressed air supply to operate.

This separator cleans your machine sump in less than 2 hours and is suitable for lathes, milling machines and grinding machines.

• Clean, optimised coolant
• Remove or reduce coolant smells
• Prevent coolant related health problems
• Reduce corrosion
• Reduce wear on machine parts and tooling
• Reduce bacterial growth
• Reduce oil smoke inside workshop

Contact us today for a demonstration!

The unit runs from a compressed air supply so is easily set up for use; it can also be installed centrally, with coolant pipes to each machine.

On site demonstrations are available – contact AirBench Ltd for more details or visit

www.airbench.com/pfos.

The newly released EEMUA 250 (Edition 1), ‘Guide to the Management of Pressure Equipment Defined-life Repairs’, supports users in managing defined-life repairs by offering guidance on when to shut down pressure equipment versus applying a temporary repair. It highlights risk-based decision-making, life cycle considerations, and strategies for maintenance and inspection, especially where existing industry guidance on repair duration, extension, or conversion is limited.

In the event of an actionable inspection finding, an in-service leak or in-service damage, users typically must decide on whether to install a defined life repair or shutdown and install a permanent repair. The purpose of EEMUA 250 is to provide an overview with respect to the life cycle management of defined-life repairs. It provides guidance for users to consider when deciding if it is safer to shutdown and perform a permanent repair as well as providing key points to consider when selecting a defined-life repair, assessing the risks and when developing their maintenance, inspection, and replacement strategies post installation.

The primary function of a defined-life repair is to allow the system to return to or remain in service with limited interruption to production until a planned permanent repair can be installed. Although there is industry guidance available on the selection of defined-life repairs (e.g. ASME PCC-2, ISO 24817 and EI composite repair guidance), at the time of publication there was limited known industry guidance covering the life cycle management of defined-life repairs, for example:

•             How long can a defined-life repair remain in service?

•             How to extend the life of a defined-life repair?

•             How to make a defined-life repair permanent?

Each company’s organisational structure will vary in terms of maintenance, engineering, and inspection departments. As such, it is the responsibility of the user or pressure equipment owner to determine the strategy for defined-life repairs within their organisation. The strategy should be endorsed by the relevant technical authority for the company. EEMUA 250 advises that a risk-based approach is adopted to allow flexibility in application of defined-life repairs to the relevant situations, to ensure correct prioritisation based on the overall repair life cycle, and to ensure that the selected defined-life repair does not adversely affect the safe operation of the system.

It is expected that the reader has a basic competency in static equipment design and as such the level of detail has been set appropriately.

EEMUA 250 was developed by engineers who work in the power generation, chemical production, and oil and gas sectors. Although originally targeted for static pressure equipment, it is recognised that the publication may be applicable to a range of other industries, such as shipping, mining, steel, nuclear, water and wastewater, and food and beverages. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure specific details relating to their industry are considered when applying the guidance from EEMUA 250.

EEMUA 250 is available to purchase directly from EEMUA.