In the port city of Yeosu in South Korea, pump optimisation specialists Riventa have created significant savings at a global tyre manufacturer’s water pumping plant, including an annual energy reduction of 13%.
For a pressurised system that circulates cooling water for synthetic rubber processing, Riventa utilised its FREEFLOW technology and Green Pump Index (GPX) benchmarking system to simultaneously monitor five pumps. For 150 hours, system pressure was measured, together with flow rate and head combinations to pinpoint how effectively the pumps could meet the varying demands of the system.
Included in the tyre manufacturer’s objectives was the need to address pressure objectives for the system, which were operating at 4.5 kg/cm2, compared to the contractual minimum supply pressure of 3.8 kg/cm2. Although the five pumps had the same casing (in fact, two of the impellers were significantly different) Riventa found that by trimming the diameter of three pumps by 3.5%, an 11% reduction in pressure would be achieved.
By fully understanding the operation of the system and how the pumps interacted with it, Riventa were also able to calculate optimum performance and make potential GPX
Recommendations.
At the start of the project, the GPX index (which indicates the amount of power as a percentage that is successfully converted into useful work by the drive, motor, pump and system) was 54 – but after Riventa’s modifications, had improved to a GPX index of 64. So, for example, of the 100% of electrical power consumed by the motor, just 54% of that power was being successfully converted into net hydraulic output power.
Brammer Buck & Hickman, the UK’s leading supplier of industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services, has released a range of valuable resources on bearings aimed specifically at engineers operating in the food and drink sector; these include a webinar, a dedicated website section, a product brochure, a guide to the challenges faced in this sector, and several case studies.
In the food and drink industry, bearings are faced with some of the most demanding environments to be found, required to perform across a very wide range of temperatures, subject to frequent washdowns and guided by regulations that are becoming ever more stringent; and, of course, there are cost considerations. The choice of bearings therefore requires careful consideration. Brammer Buck & Hickman, which has extensive experience of working with some of the biggest names in the food and drink sector, has come together with bearings manufacturer SKF to produce a range of resources to assist food and drink producers improve the performance and service life of their bearings.
ISM (Integrated Service Management), a popular standardised management method, further expands its partnership with Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software provider Ultimo. The ISM method helps organisations in healthcare, industries and other sectors such as medical technology to better structure their services and way of working. As a result of the partnership, Ultimo’s facilities modules are integrated with ISM. This enables healthcare and industrial customers to benefit from better control over their operation, improved access to management information and streamlined processes.
Patrick Beekman, Partner Solution Manager at Ultimo, said: "Following many joint ISM projects, we developed a standard design for ISM. With the ISM configuration in Ultimo ITSM, we streamline the processes and increase control for customers. This way of working can be tailored to the needs of individual organisations to increase support and give more insight into the workload. Powered by modern Business Intelligence (BI) software and years of domain expertise in IT service management, ISM dashboards give better visibility and control over the company’s IT processes in Ultimo ITSM. Many customers, including the St. Antonius Ziekenhuis hospital, already use our joint services."
Robbert-Jan van Lippevelde, CEO of ISM, adds: "ISM and Ultimo are a great team that provides professional services efficiently and effectively. The way Ultimo works combined with the unique ISM set-up offers the support needed to provide services successfully. Because of this close collaboration, our compact description of the working method can be applied immediately with our prepared set-up of Ultimo and the supporting tools, such as dashboards and compliancy tooling for NEN 7510, MDR and more. Many organisations already benefit from our partnership."
The safety of food and beverage production in the UK is set to take another step forward in 2022 with the introduction of next generation oil-free compressors from leading industrial compressor brand, ALUP, which have also been designed to reduce operating costs.
From the packaging of eggs to baked goods and brewing to vegetables, the need for pure compressed air is a critical part of the production process, to ensure the safety of products from ‘farm to table’. With increasingly stringent legislation surrounding health and hygiene in the food and beverage supply chain, ALUP’s new OF 20-75 line of oil-free rotary tooth compressors delivers class zero 100% oil-free air and eliminates the risk of any contamination.
As there is no lubrication in the compression cycle of the machine, ALUP’s oil-free technology delivers ‘Class Zero’ compressed air, that is certified* to be 100% free of any traces of oil or other contaminants, which meets the stringent BRC (British Retail Consortium) Global Standards, as well as the Food and Beverage Grade Compressed Air Best Practice Guidelines issued by BCAS (British Compressed Air Society). Innovations made by ALUP replace previous generation oil-injected compressors, that rely on downstream filtration to achieve the required high levels of air purity demanded by food and beverage producers.
Miami Lakes, FL—February 23, 2022 – In numerous industries, concrete is used to build secondary chemical containment areas and bunds. The function of these structures is to retain spilled chemicals, facilitate product recovery, and prevent environmental contamination, as required by environmental and safety regulations. While concrete is a cost-effective and sturdy material, it is susceptible to physical and chemical damage due to its porosity. Concrete walls and floors are prone to damages caused by cracking, increased porosity, reinforcing bar corrosion, and chemical attack. If the deterioration is not addressed early, the structural integrity of the concrete may suffer, and even with the use of the bund, it can result in contamination of the surrounding areas and groundwater. Concrete also moves mostly due to thermal expansion and contraction. If expansion joints are not placed and spaced accordingly, this movement can lead to cracking, affecting the monolithic character of the concrete substrate and exacerbating ingress of chemicals.
Therefore, a great number of asset owners opt for containment areas coated with protective coatings. Some of these coatings are specifically designed for chemical resistance to aggressive chemicals whereas others are less chemically resistant but more flexible, hence ideal for crack bridging. Products like Belzona 4361, for instance, provide both outstanding chemical resistance and flexibility. However, it could be quite costly for secondary containment applications where the stored chemicals are rather benign. This was the main reason for launching Belzona 5815, a solvent-free containment grade coating with enhanced flexibility.
Alongside its wide portfolio of lifting and handling equipment for sale, Hoist and Winch Ltd is currently promoting its extensive know-how and experience in the hire market. The company is an expert in turnkey hire projects involving air- and electric-powered hoists, overseeing installation, commissioning, testing and certification tasks as part of a complete service package that provides genuine market differentiation.
Through its turnkey offer, Hoist & Winch expertly advises customers on the most suitable equipment for their lifting requirements, making precise arrangements to ensure safe and reliable operation. This advice is particularly important for air hoists, where the selection of a portable diesel compressor or the checking of plant air supply is necessary. Here, requirements will include specifying the optimal operating pressure, air volume, and hose length and bore size, as well as preparing and lubricating the air supply.
Ultimo and Mainnovation collaborate to launch a new version of Mainnovation’s VDMXL Control Panel (VCP) to give asset managers better visibility of their critical KPIs through an easy-to-read dashboard. Drawing from the data provided by Ultimo’s Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system, the updated VCP provides CFOs, maintenance managers and mechanics with the insight they need to improve operations, create new value and stay in control of their asset performance.
Built on a solid foundation of data provided by Ultimo’s EAM system, the new VCP makes it easy for managers to gain a holistic view of their operation through a sophisticated dashboard. The KPI-centred dashboard provides insight and transparency over assets, making identifying growth potential simple.
Guy Delahay, Managing Partner at Mainnovation, said: "The input we collect in our EAM system has value, but we don't utilise its full potential. The VCP is focused on creating value through maintenance, providing detailed insight into the KPIs. By using these, we can measure, monitor, and register the necessary data, and guide and improve operation.”
With Ultimo's flexible cloud platform, customers can increase uptime, manage costs, increase the life span of assets, comply with regulations, and guarantee a safe working environment.
Ewout Noordermeer, Chief Marketing Officer at Ultimo, commented: "Asset management starts with insight. The VCP calculates and visualises 12 KPIs in real time based on data from Ultimo. This gives managers a simple, up-to-date overview of how the organisation performs, what is under control and what requires further analysis, allowing the right actions to be taken to enable continuous improvement. That is how you can truly create value with asset management."
No extra actions To create the new VCP, the Ultimo EAM platform was integrated with the VDMXL Control Panel using Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Power BI technology. Drawing data from the EAM system, the dashboard displays the KPIs for the entire facility or a specific production line in a clear and transparent way. It is also possible to click through to the underlying performance indicators to analyse the results or compare data between sites.
The dashboard is generated automatically once Ultimo has been set up and is in use, with no additional actions required.
Advantages of VCP for Ultimo:
The VCP for Ultimo is based on a KPI pyramid, which makes it suitable for all layers in the maintenance and asset management organisation
Setting personalised filters is simple, making it easy to benefit from additional insight
The cloud environment simplifies knowledge-sharing. With Power BI, the charts and visualisations are exported to the Office 365 environment, making it very easy to share the insights.
Optimal ease-of-use through Ultimo facilitates the reliable entry of data
The whole team can easily gain insight into asset performances, enabling everyone to help improve the results
Drill down from 12 KPIs to the underlying PIs, and from there to detailed information in Ultimo
Organisations with multiple sites can compare the different locations, divisions or regions (internal benchmarking)
The dashboard is based on Mainnovation's VDMXL methodology; a powerful operating philosophy that has been proven internationally at both large and small companies in different industries.
With the withdrawal of fuel duty due in April, many businesses operating steam boilers have been considering the alternatives to red diesel/fuel oil.
A point of interest that Fulton has noted recently is that some fuel suppliers have acknowledged that a high percentage of light oil fuels tested on site (approximately 80% of samples) are contaminated in one form or another. Contaminants in fuel can include particulate matter and water that can affect the flow of oil and cause waxing and corrosion, which can lead to boiler lockout, incomplete combustion and/or wear on components, corrosion of fittings and pipework, etc., all of which affects a boiler's efficiency.
This is why with our current range of steam boilers, including the award-winning VSRT, liquid petroleum or natural gases are considered the optimum and most stable and efficient methods of firing a steam boiler because they avoid the use of potentially contaminated fuel oils, or the requirement for costly fuel polishing to remove moisture and debris from contaminated oil installations.
However, we understand that moving from oil to liquid gas can be cost and even geographically prohibitive, so steps should be taken to ensure that fuel oils remain stable. These include regular checks for moisture and particulate matter in the fuel and tanks; and ensuring the steam boiler itself is regularly maintained and serviced according to manufacturers' guidelines, which should include valve inspections and oil filter changes.
For those where cost and geography do not pose an issue, moving to a cleaner fuel (such as liquid gas from Flogas) and one that is easier to manage does come with huge benefits to businesses operating steam boilers. For example, following a site survey and steam load distribution analysis by Fulton and Weishaupt at a brewery in the South West of England in 2020, the two companies identified opportunities to reduce carbon emissions at the site and save money on fuel by upgrading the burner on a Fulton RBC2500 horizontal steam boiler that was installed in 2007.
The boiler was originally fitted with a high/low, conventional control box oil-fired burner, which was achieving a turndown ratio of less than 2:1. Partnering with Weishaupt, a micro-modulating LPG burner with integrated digital burner management system – air and gas servo motors accurate to within 0.1° – was specified and installed, with Fulton also specifying optional burner motor variable speed drive to reduce electrical power consumption and oxygen trim to maximise combustion efficiency. Additionally, with NOx levels reduced as a result of the upgrade, the RBC2500 is now also fully MCPD compliant.
Commenting for Fulton, Leigh Bryan says: “The result of the partnership between Fulton and Weishaupt, with Flogas also involved as the liquid gas supplier, is an upgraded steam boiler with turndown improved to at least 7:1 which, combined with the added burner options, is predicted to save the brewery in excess of 20% in fuel consumption alone. Impressive reductions in carbon emissions by changing to a cleaner, lower-carbon fuel like liquid gas will also be achieved and add to the efficiency savings.
“The cost savings predicted for the upgrade project at the brewery are expected to deliver a payback period of less than 12 months and will go a long way in assisting the company’s impressive Road to Net Zero efforts.”
Integrated Global Services, Inc. (“IGS”), a leading provider of thermal spray and other surface protection solutions and portfolio company of investment affiliates of J.F. Lehman & Company (“JFLCO”), is pleased to announce it has acquired international cleaning and inspections solutions provider, Tube Tech.
With more than 30 years’ experience helping customers evaluate and solve critical surface engineering challenges, IGS has the largest global footprint in the sector, delivering its proprietary solutions on six continents.
Tube Tech leads the market in the research and development of innovative fouling removal technologies, and its pioneering research and development program has included the launch to market of the world’s first robotic fouling removal solutions guaranteed to restore assets to design efficiency regardless of fouling.
“We could not be more excited to introduce Tube Tech to our global customer base,” said Rich Crawford, President and CEO of IGS. “This transaction significantly expands IGS’ portfolio of specialty services and enables us to directly address both fouling protection and maintenance to enable world-class asset performance for our clients. Our acquisition of Tube Tech represents another step in IGS’ mission to be the most valued provider of engineered surface solutions in the world for mission-critical equipment.”
“We are delighted to be part of IGS,” says Tube Tech’s managing director Jon Camp. “There is a vast amount of experience and capability between the two organizations, with aligned values and a shared mission to innovate and transform. This acquisition enables a sharing of people, products and services that will offer capability levels unique to the industry. The benefits and returns on investment for our customers are significant, from increased asset uptime and shorter turnarounds to enhanced reliability and seamless access to the most innovative and effective solutions on the market.”
Jones Day served as legal advisor to IGS and JFLCO. ReSolve Corporate Finance served as financial advisor to Tube Tech.
PEMAC, an Irish and UK-based software company provides a market-leading best-of-breed Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) that helps companies reduce equipment breakdowns by analysing the reasons for failure and informing decision making.
Through its premium CMMS solution called PEMAC Assets, PEMAC delivers powerful features and benefits. PEMAC also offers the option to integrate its health and safety software and paperless approval tools with its CMMS ensuring that client key assets, people and equipment are aligned in delivering a successful maintenance strategy.
PEMAC’s mission is to provide world class asset management solutions that are tailor-made to support any organisation’s needs whilst assisting a seamless transition into the digital age. PEMAC has over 35 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical, medical devices, utilities, and food and beverage industries and excels in compliance-intensive frameworks such as 21 CFR Part II and ISO 55000. The company has worked with some of the world’s top brands including Leo Pharma, Aga, and Heineken, who have used PEMAC to run their businesses better, faster, and more profitably.
Maintec is the UK's only dedicated exhibition for Industrial, Buildings & Supply Chain Maintenance Engineering taking place on 8-9 June 2022 as part of an exciting new event series during Manufacturing & Engineering Week (M&E Week).
Maintec is one of four live events that form part of M&E Week co-located with Design Engineering Expo, Engineering Expo and Manufacturing Expo. The shows cover the entire process from design, engineering, manufacturing and maintenance and seek to celebrate the sector sharing successes and future insight, raising critical discussion and is a destination for professionals to source products and services in order to keep them competitive.
Delivering the widest level of content, best practice and business engagement for the UK’s industrial sector, it brings huge added value to attendees and exhibitors, with visitors registering for one event gaining access across all shows.
Complete event solution
Maintec will be at the heart of this new series of events, which celebrate best in UK
engineering excellence and innovation covering all vertical sectors including Aerospace, Automotive, Consumer electronics, Defence, Food and beverage, Medical, Motorsport, Oil & gas, Energy & renewables, Pharmaceutical, Print and packaging, Rail, Space and FMCG. The event offers access to CPD content and leading suppliers providing important information on topics such as the demand on UK production, impacts of Brexit, pandemic recovery, green economy and industry 4.0.
Maintenance plays an important part of the product lifecycle, helping companies maintain their resources, control time and costs to ensure maximum efficiency of the manufacturing plant. M&E Week provides a complete and comprehensive offering for the entire supply chain, ultimately improving processes, optimising asset management and future strategy.
Whatever your current design, engineering or manufacturing challenge, this is an incredible opportunity to connect with experts and leave armed with ideas and solutions to apply.
What’s on
Exhibition Thousands of new products from hundreds of leading brands allowing visitors to see the UK’s leading maintenance engineering suppliers in one place.
Conferences High-level keynote presentations, panel discussions and debates covering a range of topics including digitalisation, regulation, predictive maintenance, analytics and digital twins, capital asset management, IT and OT, waste treatment and recovery and much more.
Workshops Supplier case study led presentations which will deliver practical solutions to immediate manufacturing problems such as how to avoid predictive maintenance project failure.
Innovation Zone See live demonstrations and discover the latest technologies that are shaping the future of the industry in this country.
The Great Egg Race A live challenge where engineers will compete to build gadgets to carry eggs the furthest possible distance with leaderboard and winners announced onsite.
Audit, Tax & Advisory Clinic
Run by MHA over both days. Drop in to speak to the experts and get advice on audit, tax & other business issues.
Drinks Reception Network and build strategic relationships at the drinks reception open to all attendees at the end of day one.
Visit the event website for more information www.maintec.co.uk
