BETE’s ability to engineer and design quality nozzles for any spray application is not only an advantage; it’s a resource for customers. BETE offers a world-class spray research laboratory to help customers solve challenging and critical problems or validate research and development. With tools like physical spray testing, computer modeling, and in-house manufacturing and fabrication abilities, BETE’s Spray Lab helps to ensure solution confidence for industrial processes.

BETE’s Lab Services can handle every step of the process when designing a spray system. Working with the customer to determine objectives and constraints, BETE Engineers utilize their extensive knowledge of fluid dynamics to identify the ideal solution. Using physical testing, they analyze factors such as droplet size, spray reach and spray angle. Afterwards, the engineer will model solutions using their computational fluid dynamics software to understand how it would work in a customer’s process. And with manufacturing next door to the lab, design will work hand in hand with manufacturing to build custom solutions from the ground up.

BETE’s Advanced Spray Engineering Services is one of the many resources available to customers. They can test everything from how a misting nozzle would help a process to designing fully automated spray systems for massive industrial processes. Take advantage of BETE’s expertise by contacting their spray laboratory and scheduling a visit to learn more about the products and services their performance spray engineering has to offer. https://exair.co/190-blab

Industrial process heating equipment and solutions specialist Babcock Wanson Group has launched the PowerPack firetube boiler series which combines the latest technology in boiler design with very high efficiency, resulting in low operating costs and reduced emissions that not only meet the latest European environmental legislation, but can exceed it when fitted with Babcock Wanson combustion equipment.  Babcock Wanson manufacture the boiler, burner, combustion control system and boiler controls providing a single point of responsibility and perfectly matched design. 

Available for steam outputs from 10,000 kg/h to 34,000 kg/h, PowerPack’s high performance is attributable to the precise match between the combustion head and burner for meticulous control of excess air throughout the modulating range and minimum start/stop cycles.  It has also been designed for low electrical consumption, thanks to the very low gas side pressure drop which dramatically reduces the electrical consumption of fans, further enhanced by the variable speed combustion air and feedwater drives. Efficiency can be further enhanced by up to 103% (on LHV) when a PowerPack boiler is specified in conjunction with a Babcock Wanson economiser and heat recovery system.

A further environmental benefit to the PowerPack range of boilers is their long life, thanks to robust construction.  Featuring a three-pass design with a flue gas tubular reversing chamber, unique to Babcock Wanson, these new boilers are not only highly efficient but remarkably reliable. PowerPack boilers do not require furnace tube tie rods which require regular replacement, and minimises boiler refractory requirements.  This design allows high variations of steam demand whilst minimising mechanical stress on the pressure body for a long, reliable operational life.

When maintenance is required, PowerPack boilers provide easy tubeplate and furnace tube access via large, easy use doors on the boiler front and lateral openings. A rear inspection port also provides enhanced access. A two-level platform provides safe access to boiler mountings and ease of maintenance and operation.

PowerPack boilers are fitted with high quality instrumentation and controls for easy and economic operation.  These include the Navinergy system which allows local operation via the boiler HMI and remote monitoring through a web interface, plus Babcock Wanson’s exclusive unattended operation modes (three days, seven days and even 30 days of continuous operation within authorised limits).

Highly versatile, PowerPack boilers come with a range of options including economisers, combustion air pre-heaters, O₂ and CO trim and even superheater variants.

The PowerPack firetube boiler is the latest addition to Babcock Wanson’s range of firetube boilers.  In addition to these, Babcock Wanson offers a complete range of products and services for boiler houses and other process heating needs, including coil type steam generators, thermal fluid heaters, hot water boilers, water tube boilers, VOC and odour treatment by thermal oxidation, water treatment and process air heating solutions.  The company aims to help optimise customer’s energy production with high quality products and efficient service.

For more information, please contact Babcock Wanson on 020 8953 7111 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to https://www.babcock-wanson.com/products/fire-tube-steam-boilers/powerpack/

Previous editorials have highlighted the unwelcome effects of unbalance in rotating machinery. Basically, unbalanced machines require a lot of additional energy to run and at the same time cause damage to their bearings. This is because an unbalanced rotor results in a large RADIAL force that effectively crushes the bearings.

However, another equally damaging and power hungry machine fault is misalignment, such as could arise in couplings between pumps and their motors. This is because mislignment also results in large RADIAL forces that effectively crush the bearings.

Clearly, both unbalance and misalignment need to be avoided but how can they be detected?

As explained in previous editorials, a high level of vibration at the machine’s running speed is a good indication of unbalance. This is because in an unbalanced rotor the centre of gravity does not coincide with the centre of rotation. This results in the CofG acting as a “heavy spot” that produces a vibration as it spins around the centre of rotation. The more out of balance the rotor, the larger the resultant vibration.

In adition, a high level of vibration in a frequency band centred at TWICE the running speed is a good indication of misalignment. This is based on the fact that shaft misalignment usually results in double peaking in the waveform due to there now being TWO different centres of gravity (one from each shaft). In other words a vibration sensor (accelerometer) will detect a peak as each CofG passes by. Hence there will be TWO positive and TWO negative peaks for each revolution of the shaft. This typically results in a waveform shaped like M’s and W’s (as illustrated) giving a vibration signal at double the running speed of the machine.

How misalignment might appear on the screen of a typical low cost, handheld vibration analyser, such as the TPI 9070, is shown in the screenshot alongside the waveform. In this example the presence of a high vibration of 5.5 mm/sec at 2X run speed is a good indication of misalignment. It is this ability to analyse vibration, so that its likely cause can be identified, that sets apart vibration analysers like the TPI 9070, from simple vibration meters.

So, having identified the existence of misalignment, what can we do about it? The answer is to re-align the coupling, typically by using shims under the mounting bolts. Fortunately, low-cost, easy to use precision alignment tools are now readily available, such as Easy-Laser’s XT series of laser alignment systems.

Test Products International (TPI) manufactures a complete range of low cost, high performance, and easy to use vibration analysis tools for maintenance engineers. All are incredibly easy to use, from the £570 one-button-to-press, TPI 9070 (illustrated) to state-of-the-art units that include easy to use rotor balancing. 

For more information, please contact TPI Europe on +44 1293 530196 or www.tpieurope.com or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BETE Fog Nozzle, a global leader in spray nozzle engineering and manufacturing, announces the successful development of its first engineered system with partner EXAIR, a leading manufacturer of compressed-air solutions. This milestone marks the first integration of an EXAIR product — a Super Air Knife — into a BETE system.

The jointly engineered Super Air Knife Slide Mount System, consisting of a modular framework fit to the customer’s process area, compressed air controls, plumbing, and a custom-engineered heavy-duty ball bearing slide system, is specifically designed to efficiently remove excess flux from radiator cores during radiator manufacturing. It seamlessly integrates with the plant’s existing lines and offers easy operation.

To learn more about BETE’s automated systems, visit https://exair.co/bsakslide.

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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