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Snickers Workwear’s Kneeguard™ is a market-leading, fully certified^[1] system for protecting knees against kneeling injuries and knocks at work.

Combining trademarked Kneeguard™ pads with the Kneeguard PRO positioning system in Snickers Workwear trousers is one of the most ergonomic solutions for effective knee protection.

Snickers Workwear has a range of 8 Kneepads to fit different types of trousers to suit different jobs on site. Such as the specialist Squarefit™ Kneepads for the Floorlayer trousers and the slim-fit Kneepads for street-smart slim-fit trousers. Or the D30® Ergo kneepads that mould around your knee to provide enhanced impact protection. They’re great for tradesmen and women who spend a lot of time working on and off their knees and who want to ensure maximum long-term comfort and wellbeing.

Snickers Workwear trousers come in 5 different leg lengths as standard and what’s more, the design of the kneepad pocket allows you to adjust the kneepads to different heights to ensure the correct positioning to maximise protection.

https://www.snickersworkwear.com/list/product-guide/all-about-our-kneepads  

The long-term effects of working on your knees could cause a lifetime of discomfort and restricted movement without proper protection. Even the most innocuous bumps to the knees can result in reduced working efficiency and time off work so, check out Snickers Workwear’s Kneeguard PRO system, the market-leading alternative to help prevent long-term discomfort.

^[1] Snickers Workwear, Protective Standards, Knee Protection, https://www.snickersworkwear.com/list/protective-standards/en-14404-knee-protection

Halving your energy bill is quite an eye-catching achievement, especially in an energy crisis (!), but in Herefordshire, it’s just part of the journey to self-sufficiency; including the handling of slurry as an asset, not a liability.

“There’s so much value in it,” says Harry Davies at Hopes Ash Farm, near Ross-on-Wye, “so now, and looking ahead to the future, we must look at how to get the best out of it.” After achieving a BSc (Hons) Agriculture degree at Harper Adams University that included his dissertation about stripping nutrients out of slurry, it is no wonder that the enterprising 23-year-old is keen to implement solutions and dig deep to find more answers.

The core of the Davies’ fifth-generation family business remains its 130-head dairy herd, but with beef, sheep, poultry, arable and 100kW of solar, there’s a very bold tick in the box of diversification as Harry, with input from Dad (Rob), and Grandad (Bryan) determinedly push forward with sustainable solutions.

Latest addition to future-proofing the Davies’ business is a new Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant. Not that Harry wants to deter any dairy farm from making the same investment, but his experience so far shows that getting a biogas plant up and running never seems to be straightforward!

“I never thought it would be simple,” he said, “but the benefits we’re already seeing make all the effort very worth it. I might have given you a slightly different answer when we were trying to deal with the pipework, planning issues, pumping and road closures! For all of the complexities and nurturing of the biological process, the biggest challenge initially was how to transfer slurry from one side of the road to the other.”

‘The long-term well-being of the farm’

With robotically-milked cows (who bed on dried, recycled paper crumble), an automated scraper system, and a standard slurry pump all ticking along nicely, one could be forgiven for sitting back and admiring the view, but for Harry, all those slurry nutrients just had to be captured for the long-term well-being of the farm; not to mention his passion for the agricultural sector to not just survive, but prosper.

From the underground slurry reception pit (approximately 120m³), the existing pump had no issues, but it wouldn’t have had enough pressure to send it more than 200m over the road to the farm’s new AD plant. So, the Davies family sought advice from their long-standing dealer, Midland Slurry Systems (MSS), who had previously supplied the scraper system. Their recommendation was a long-shaft chopper pump from Landia, which they’d installed on numerous farms, as Giles Russell, Director at MSS, explains:

“This would be the furthest distance we’d asked a Landia pump to move slurry, but we were confident. In over 20 years, we’ve never had to take a Landia pump out of commission; they’re fully repairable, but the pressure was well and truly on. This was our largest value job of the year, including getting all the pipework installed under the road and making sure that the installation was bob-on for Hopes Ash Farm.”

The new 6” pipework successfully linked into the new AD plant, taking in slurry sent from the 15kW Landia long-shaft pump, which runs four times per day. From the AD plant (maintained at 43 degrees), the processed slurry is then mixed in a 30m³ pit before being pumped up to the screw-press separator (also supplied by Midland Slurry Systems, together with a control panel for all the equipment by the 290m³ AD plant). As the important nutrient-rich solids are collected in the bunker beneath, the separated liquid goes into a 10,000-litre above-ground tank, before being pumped via a 4” pipe back under the road to the main slurry store.

“Everything is joined up and working away, fully automated, from the moment it falls out of a cow,” continued Harry Davies, “but, the challenge is to now fine-tune the whole system to make it as efficient as possible, though the weather can take some of that out of our control. We had a few initial foaming problems with the AD plant, but that’s now sorted.

“Another learning curve is the very fine line of managing the thickness of the slurry, especially when rainfall can affect the viscosity. On the one hand, we want to keep it as liquid as possible, but then the thicker the slurry, the greater the calorific value. The Landia long-shaft pump can run from just 100 seconds to up to 5000 seconds, depending on the thickness of the slurry, but at 15kW, with a 22kW AD plant, we obviously want to minimise the run-time.

“I know some farmers who are paying 50p per kWh for their electricity, whereas the numbers add up here with it only costing 30p per kWh from our new AD plant. Plus, we have solar, which makes us pretty much self-sufficient in renewable electricity.

‘Recognising the nutrient values and applying them appropriately’

“Our aim wasn’t to export energy, but there’s a 30kW export limit anyway, due to restrictions on the grid. Typical politicians, unable to look into the future, so their underinvestment impacts on us, and I’m sure many other farms who’ve made investments and are trying to do the right thing with renewables. This also includes our efforts here with the purchase of the separator; adding value by putting most of the phosphorus in the solid, where it is needed, and most of the nitrogen in the liquid. In our part of Herefordshire, we have fragile, sandy, hungry soil, so we need organic matter to bind it together. We don’t want it to end up in the brook, so again, a very careful balancing act, maintaining organic manures, but recognising the nutrient values and applying them appropriately. Exporting the solid creates some lively debate between, me, my Dad and Grandad (!), but I’d just say that it’s all part of our very carefully considered nutrient plan!

‘Biogas is a learning curve.

One size doesn’t fit all’

He added: “Working with some suppliers in biogas is also a learning curve. Despite what some say, one size doesn’t fit all. A rigid approach does not work, whereas with Midland Slurry Systems, they did what they said they were going to do, and did it when they said they would. If only all suppliers were like that! Just before Christmas, we had a small, non-critical issue that I told Giles about. He said he’d be there between Christmas Day and New Year to sort it out. I said: ‘Giles, for goodness’ sake, I don’t want to be in the bloody slurry pit over Christmas, and I certainly don’t want you in there either, so, ‘Merry Christmas’, but now, please…… go away!!!!

“We’ve already come a long, long way with our AD plant, which we knew made total sense to include as part of our business. Looking ahead, we also need to learn how to best harness the heat from it.

“Dealer back up is vital with this investment, and we have exactly that with Midland Slurry Systems. There’s never any waiting time for spares, and since installation, the Landia pumps and mixers (five in total) just keep on working, with no issues whatsoever. Solid support and long-lasting, reliable equipment play a significant part in helping us create ‘a new known’ with real stability moving forward.”

Landia 01948 661 200

www.landia.co.uk

Midland Slurry Systems 01608 664219

www.midlandslurrysystems.co.uk

When dealing with large-scale physical infrastructure, maintenance isn’t just a formality, it’s a necessity. The challenge? Minimising downtime and spotting problems early to avoid damage.

Though they play a crucial role in ensuring safety, traditional maintenance processes are often reactive, expensive and time-consuming. For instance, structures and assets that require routine preventative inspection can be difficult or hazardous to reach, exposing technicians to a degree of risk of falling and injury.

But as we enter the era of ‘the eye in the sky’, high-resolution camera-equipped drones are becoming more accessible, transforming the way the maintenance industry handles routine inspections.

High speed, low cost: Soaring toward a new maintenance era

Lightweight, remote-controlled, airborne devices open up a world of opportunities for predictive maintenance. Drone-mounted, or integrated cameras provide the visual data that allows technicians to assess large, difficult-to-reach structures quickly and safely. This technology can be used on anything from bridges and tall buildings to wind farms and beyond, allowing technicians to nip issues in the bud before they snowball.

Without drones, organisations often rely on manual inspections, which are prone to human error and require a long list of resources — technicians, cherry pickers, scaffolding and large-scale machinery, to name a few. That’s where drone imagery has enabled a paradigm shift from reactive to efficient predictive maintenance, reducing costs and supporting safety in the long run.

With the ability to zoom into the small details and pull back to observe the bigger picture, inspectors can capture minor structural defects in HD while gaining a comprehensive overview of structures. Electricity grids are a key example of complex maintenance significantly simplified by drone technology. Consider Pedernales Electric Cooperative’s power-line inspections. With the assistance of drones, each pole was fully inspected within 10 seconds, smashing the 15 minutes it took for a lineman to examine. Not only did this approach boost overall time efficiency by an astounding 88%, but it was also 80% cheaper to run, with less CO2 output, reduced risk of downtime and a 97% return on investment for the first year.

Since then, drone camera quality has skyrocketed, as exemplified by HHLA Sky’s critical crane safety inspections. The sheer scale of cranes typically distorts radio signals during inspection, requiring images to be captured from a minimum distance of 15 meters. In such cases, high-resolution camera quality is crucial for collecting accurate data. With Sony cameras, the maintenance team could cover a larger area with a single image, detect even the smallest scratches, and complete their inspections with fewer shots. As such, it’s clear that a new standard for time efficiency and cost-effectiveness has been set for maintenance operations.

Beyond the human eye: The power of drone data

Technicians can only address what they’re able to see. In routine maintenance checks, it can be easy to miss smaller issues, such as leaks or installation faults. But these undetected problems can cause serious damage. While drone cameras are ideal for providing a wide range of data without compromising on quality, they can do much more than magnify visual data. Captured images can merge together to form detailed 3D models of structures and assets. Aerial photogrammetry is a fantastic way to achieve this.

In a nutshell, aerial photogrammetry is the process of stitching together a cascade of images captured from an airborne device. These pictures comprehensively cover all sides of the target object. Then with this data, technicians can obtain a drone-captured 3D replica of the structure or asset, allowing them to get insights that surpass what’s possible with manual maintenance. The outcome? Precise defect detection and effective progress monitoring.

Furthermore, drone imagery can be used in conjunction with other tech, such as thermal imaging sensors, which highlight temperature anomalies to uncover issues such as condensation, dampness and water ingress. And of course, we couldn’t have this conversation without mentioning the integration of AI.

Let’s explore how drones can push the boundaries of efficiency even further.

Marrying drone-captured imagery with ML and AI

AI and machine learning (ML) are complete game changers when it comes to drone-captured imagery. With AI, drones can identify and flag minuscule details such as cracks, chips and general wear and tear. They’re also able to adapt their navigation paths to avoid collision, which is integral for keeping the hardware intact when observing confined spaces.

How is this possible? Using data from images, flight logs and 3D models, AI can be ‘aware’ of its surroundings and spot patterns and anomalies taught through ML – an ongoing training process that allows the AI model to continuously enhance its ability to recognise and interpret data. These advanced AI/ML algorithms support proactive maintenance by facilitating data-driven decisions, reducing the likelihood of unnoticed faults and increasing the overall reliability of the drone fleet.

Not only are AI/ML-enhanced drones great at sleuthing out issues early on, but they’re also impressively scalable. AI-based systems can process vast volumes of data from multiple drones and sites, giving technicians the freedom to conduct and complete multiple inspections of varied project scopes within a remarkably short time frame. This time efficiency translates to cost savings, reduced labour and minimised disruption. Drones can be employed for a diverse range of projects, from small plots of land to vast landscapes.

Flying high with drone-enhanced maintenance

The shift from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance marks a momentous change, driving a more proactive and reliable approach to maintenance strategies. And drone capture technology is only getting more advanced, with cameras like the ILX-LR1 offering exceptional imaging capabilities and enabling custom applications for specialised tasks. Designed specifically for drone payloads, this camera comes with an SDK that’s compatible with Linux, Windows, and MacOS, giving programmers a comprehensive software library to control the camera, API specification, and demonstration code.

With AI thrown into the mix, the outlook for drone-based image capture is becoming even more promising. This synergy not only enhances the precision and efficiency of operations, but also sets the stage for a smarter, safer and more cost-effective future in maintenance.

Article written By Matthew Swinney, Head of Image Sensing Solutions at Sony Europe 

AirTower AT is designed to clean ambient factory air, removing the remaining pollutants that existing extraction is failing to capture.Full hall extraction assists extraction systems, removing coolant mist, smoke, and weld fume from the workplace.Designed to extract at high level, where weld fume and atmospheric pollution settles; returning clean air to the working space at low level to create a healthier working environment.AirTower from AirBench uses high power, energy efficient EC fans alongside a filter system selected to suit your application, to clean high volumes of air.Alongside our dust, fume, and mist extraction systems, the new AirTower AT helps you create the right working environment.

Contact us to arrange a site survey.

www.airbench.com

We all know what happens to a spin drier with unevenly distributed washing (i.e. an unbalanced load). It will vibrate, which often results in the spin drier jumping all over the place! Let’s think about that for a minute. To bounce around a 70kg washing machine requires quite a bit of effort (i.e. force) and all that force has to go through the bearings!  They’re not going to like it!

Imagine the situation where the machine is running 24/7, as with an exhaust fan or a continuous process pump for example. It won’t take long before you’re replacing those bearings! But it’s even worse than you think. To bounce around that unbalanced washing machine also requires a lot of energy, in other words it requires more electricity. So, by running machines even slightly out of balance, not only are you unnecessarily wearing out your bearings faster, you are also paying extra for the privilege!

But how do you know when a machine is unbalanced? Well, in theory a perfectly balanced machine would not vibrate. But in practice there is no such thing, so all machines vibrate. The more unbalance, the more vibration and bearing damage. Fortunately, the International Standards Organisation (ISO) has drawn up a set of guidelines for acceptable levels of machine vibration. Modern low-cost vibration analysers like the TPI 9070 (pictured) are available, pre-programmed with the ISO levels, to give a traffic light system of colour coded vibration readings. Basically, if it’s in the red it needs balancing!

There are two techniques commonly employed in balancing. The no-phase balancing technique (a.k.a. the 4-run method) allows you to approximately balance a machine by using a series of four runs, three of them with a trial weight attached to the rotor. By positioning the trial weight around the rotor’s circumference in 120 degree increments and measuring the resulting vibration, the balancer automatically calculates the location and magnitude of the “heavy spot” around the 360 degrees of the rotor‘s circumference. It also then calculates what weight, and at what position, will re-balance the motor, pump or fan. This is then done either by adding the weight to the rotor at a position opposite the heavy spot or easier still, by drilling holes to remove the equivalent weight at the heavy spot.

The 4-run method works well enough for cases where an approximated balance is all that is required. However, for larger machines that require more precise balancing or for dual-plane balancing (e.g. for longer rotors that need to be simultaneously balanced at both ends) we generally require more precise measurement of the unbalance. This is done by providing a reference position on the rotor’s circumference, known as a “key-phasor” input. Often this can easily be obtained from the machine’s tacho signal or alternatively, simply by affixing a piece of reflective tape to the rotor and using a low-cost laser tacho to give a reference pulse, once per revolution. This reference pulse is then used by the balancing software to accurately determine the location of the “heavy spot” around the 360 degrees of rotor circumference and calculate precisely how to counterbalance it.

It doesn’t take very much to unbalance a machine, e.g. dirt build-up on fan blades or a chipped pump impeller. Thankfully, it also doesn’t take much to re-balance it either, provided you have the right instrument. These days that’s not a problem, as simple to use, low-cost field balancers are now available that take you through the process on an easily followed step-by-step basis. For example, TPI’s Ultra III vibration analyser is now available with both built-in no-phase and single/dual plane key-phasor balancing. For the latter, the included laser tacho (TPI 505L) can be used by the Ultra III to calculate precisely what is required to re-balance the motor, pump or fan.

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.

Given the expected and necessary growth of the hydropower industry over the upcoming decades, it could be argued that polymeric technology has a valuable role to play in supporting this growth. Applications, such as the one identified below, demonstrate how assets that would otherwise be decommissioned or sent to landfill can be given a new lease of life thanks to a combination of epoxy repair composites.

In a landmark move set to revolutionise water safety across Asia, Switzerland’s bNovate Technologies SA, which provides rapid monitoring and analysis of water, sealed its very first partnership in Asia, appointing Singapore’s MattenPlant as its official Asian distributor.

This significant collaboration was cemented during the Singapore International Water Week. bNovate CEO Serge Gander and MattenPlant CEO Victor Lim joined forces to bring cutting-edge, automated solutions for industrial microbiology to new markets, especially in the food and beverage sectors in the Philippines and Vietnam.

“We are thrilled to partner with MattenPlant,” said Serge Gander, CEO of bNovate. “Their expertise in integrating water technologies and their strong presence in Asia align perfectly with our global ambition of making water safer with our automated and digital monitoring solutions. This agreement marks a significant milestone for bNovate, enabling us to reach new markets and better serve our customers.”

Using state-of-the-art flow cytometry technology, bNovate’s BactoSense instrument measures cell concentrations in just 20 minutes, proactively addressing abnormalities and deviations from baseline microbial profiles. This technology ensures swift, accurate, waterborne microbe detection, safeguarding public health and industry standards.

Victor Lim, CEO of MattenPlant, shared his enthusiasm: “We are very impressed with what bNovate brings to the market in their range of monitoring equipment. This is an exciting opportunity for our companies to work together and bring highly effective water safety solutions to our customers, particularly in the food and beverage industry. We will leverage our local presence to provide training, service and pilot testing. This is to enhance customer’s engagement and experience of BactoSense”

Asia faces significant water challenges in many regions, including contamination from industrial and agricultural activities, rapid urbanisation and inadequate water infrastructure. The partnership with MattenPlant addresses these critical issues by introducing advanced Swiss water monitoring technologies that provide real-time, precise data, enabling proactive management and remediation. By leveraging bNovate’s innovative solutions, communities and industries across Asia can achieve safer, cleaner water, ultimately enhancing public health and supporting sustainable development. This collaboration represents a pivotal step in transforming regional water safety standards, ensuring that every drop meets the highest quality standard.

For more information about MattenPlant and bNovate Technologies, please visit their websites at www.mattenplant.com and www.bnovate.com.

Landia has won a series of new orders in the municipal wastewater industry, including the supply of 16 Axial pumps to a wastewater treatment plant in Ireland.

Specified in acid-proof stainless-steel to protect against corrosion in a coastal environment, the 16 Landia pumps were chosen for their capability in a demanding high-volume, low-pressure application.

Landia has also gained an order with Scottish Water to provide four new pumps for one of the water company’s main facilities that produces biogas from sludge. The pumps are part of a very successful digester mixing system, which has no moving parts inside the tank, so maintenance is made much easier, with no costly emptying of the vessel required.

In addition, in the north of England, Landia has won an order for its acclaimed chopper pumps at a sewage treatment facility that was having problems with its existing units (made by a different manufacturer) that were continually blocking.

Paul Davies, Landia’s Key Account Manager commented:

“For performance, and importantly, total cost of ownership, we are pleased to see more water companies and contractors identifying the many benefits of our pumps and mixers. They really do get stuck in with difficult, hard-to-handle applications, where solids can cause major headaches for less robust equipment.”

www.landia.co.uk

Introduction:

Traditionally known for its high performance repair and maintenance solutions, Belzona is expanding its reach into the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) market.

With an extensive range of coatings, Belzona can provide cost-effective alternatives for protecting and finishing OEM equipment such as pumps, tanks and heat exchangers.

One of 14 OEM Heat Exchangers coated with Belzona

Rather than waiting until the damage is done, a large Manufacturer of heat exchangers in the Czech Republic specified the use of Belzona to enhance the durability and performance of their newly manufactured equipment. The Customer reached out to Belzona Authorised Distributor, STROJCONSULT Litvínov s.r.o. for a solution.

Why Chose a Belzona Coating?
After learning about the benefits of Belzona 1593, the Company decided to coat all 14 newly fabricated heat exchangers to prevent corrosion and prolong the equipment's lifespan.

Each heat exchanger was lined with two coats of Belzona 1593, a high temperature brush-applied epoxy coating which provides corrosion protection for equipment operating under continuous immersion conditions. The team at Stroj Consult not only supplied the Belzona solution but also provided an expert team of applicators to complete the lining. The application was completed over a 14-day period offering the customer a comprehensive turn-key service.