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In Winfield, Kansas they know a thing or two about energy. Since 1904, it has been a Pubic Power Community. Its residents are stockholders, with profits going to support vital city services such as police, fire, streets, and parks.

At the local wastewater facility, Clint Gregor also knows a thing or two about the treatment plant. He’s worked there since it was commissioned in 1996.

“We’re a top three power user here,” says Clint. “Energy takes up thirty percent of our budget, and in today’s world, we have to look at power consumption more than ever”.

While energy costs are firmly in the industry spotlight, Clint’s driving factor for continuous improvement at Winfield is total cost of ownership. Return on investment has been in focus of late over due to the prohibitive costs of maintaining some of their mixers.

The 1.5MGD plant serves a population of 12,000. A 7.5HP direct drive mixer in a 26-feet deep tank continued to have issues, causing unwanted downtime. Repair bills were somewhat of a shock.

“Being quoted around $8,000 to repair a mixer that cost $10,000 gets your attention,” added Clint. “We did everything we could to keep it going, but eventually it was all chewed up beyond repair. The costs of having the copper rewound on a direct drive mixer or replacing an impeller seem sky-high, with it seems everything geared to make the mixer almost a throwaway piece of equipment. This can’t be right. The work couldn’t be undertaken by a local repair shop, which adds to our costs, and then we were given lead times of anything between 18 and 20 weeks, which is totally unacceptable”.

Keen to find an alternative mixer that would not only give the best value in total cost of ownership, but also be energy efficient, Clint found help from local supplier, Fluid Equipment, for whom Jeff Ubben recommended a Landia mixer that he said would give a good 20-plus years of reliable service.

‘Not all mixers are the same’

“It was a very different, but far better construction compared to what we had”, continued Clint. “The mixer that failed also had a 16-pole motor, but the new one from Landia was just a 4-pole, which would be much better for controlling speeds. These were just the first signs, that despite what some people say in the industry, not all mixers are the same”.

Although it has a much lower rpm and considerably less horse power than the previous mixer, Clint reports that the Landia mixer provides just as good mixing, if not better. Additionally, the existing guide rail could be utilized, so installation was also easy and extremely cost-effective.

“Direct drive mixers have their place” commented Clint,” but with such a high content of internal copper for the size of the stator, this had also become a factor in their excessive weight for servicing. The Landia propellers are sturdier and therefore heavier, but overall, without all that copper, the Landia mixer is far lighter and easy to service, with a motor that is almost half the size of the failed unit”.

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The City of Winfield was established in 1870 by the American military commander and political candidate, Winfield Scott (1786-1866). Known as ‘Old Fuss and Feathers’ for his insistence on proper military etiquette, he was also called ‘the Grand Old Man of the Army’ for his many years of service. That adherence to high standards and commitment to the job certainly seems to prevail in modern day Winfield. Clint and his team work tirelessly to meet ever stricter permit requirements (prescribed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment) to protect the Walnut River, which was declared an outstanding national resource water in the late 1990's.

‘This mixer will soon pay for itself’

One year on, and persistence in best practice is paying off for Winfield with the Landia mixer using half the energy of its predecessor.

“I’ll say it again” concluded Clint, “total cost of ownership is best. This mixer will soon pay for itself. We also know that because of the way it is designed and the way the company behind it operates, we won’t be held to ransom for heavy repair bills and very expensive replacement parts. The amp draw is less than half of the old direct drive mixer, so we were confident of making significant energy savings, just as we are in its longevity – so much so, that in our adjacent tank we have another mixer that is coming to the end of its days – and when it needs to go, we’ll be replacing it with a Landia mixer”.

www.landiaworld.com

Figure 1: André van der Graaf, Product Manager, Perspect Benelux, outside the new SuperWrapII Training Centre

Belzona, global manufacturer of polymeric repair and protection materials, has opened its fifth SuperWrap II Training Centre on the European continent in partnership withits Dutch Distributor, Perspect Benelux.

Belzona SuperWrap II is a composite pipe and tank repair system, primarily used on damaged pipes and tank walls for a fast return-to-service. The system comprises of a fluid-grade epoxy resin, a reinforcement sheet based on fibre glass and carbon fibre, and a release film to consolidate repairs.

The pipe repair kit is available in three enhanced resins for application at different service temperatures, meaning that the solution can withstand temperatures between -60°C (-76 °F) and 150°C (302°F) once cured.

 Figures 2 & 3: Before (left) and after (right) images of Belzona SuperWrap II being used to restore strength to corroded pipe walls

André van der Graaf, Product Manager at Perspect Benelux,responsible for training at the facility, said: “After an intensive course at Belzona’s training facility in Harrogate, I’m glad to share my knowledge on how to apply the Belzona SuperWrap II system as a fully certified trainer. We are working very hard to optimise our facility in Dordrecht, Netherlands, to receive interested parties on how to apply Belzona SuperWrap II incertified conditions.”

Perspect Benelux has obtained a wealth of experience inproviding for its customers in areas such as pipe repair and tank linings. The opening of the new certified Belzona SuperWrap II Training Centre will enable the Company to share its expertise with project leaders and maintenance colleagues.

In addition to the new centre in the Netherlands, SuperWrap II Supervisor and Installer Training is available in the European region at Beltech Solutions AS (Norway), Alliatech (France), Rodator (Spain) and B.S. Italia (Italy). An extensive range of courses is also offered at Belzona’s Corporate Headquarters in Harrogate (UK), Miami (USA), Ontario (Canada), Chonburi (Thailand) and Nanjing (China), ensuring consistently highapplication standards for Belzona solutions across the globe.

Meanwhile, Belzona recently opened its first training facility on African soil at AESSEAL, South Africa, ensuring that its Contractors can access a first class standard of training no matter where they are based.

Ian Wade, Belzona’s Technical Services Manager, said: “The opening of Belzona’s SuperWrap II Training Centres, which are an extension of Belzona Corporate training, will help ensure that Installer and Supervisor training is available in the region to ultimately grow the Belzona SuperWrap II systemwhile offering high end training and technical support.”

Since 2021, training standards are upheld by the Belzona Corporate SuperWrap II Trainer Committee which audits trainers and facilities, as well as internal staff, every two years to renew their SuperWrap accreditations.

All SuperWrap training is also carried out in line with ISO 24817 and ASME PCC-2, ensuring that applications are taught to industry recognised engineering standards, while the courses can be delivered in either English or the respective native language of each Centre to maximise accessibility.

Belzona’s Application and Training Programme promotes safe and successful applications of its products, building on over 70 years of experience by minimising failures and continuing to demonstrate innovation and expertise in industrial polymeric coatings.

For more information about Belzona’s Application and Training Programme, please click here: https://www.belzona.com/en/about/training.aspx

This article can alos be found in the issue below.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions exhibits its technical solutions in elastomers, high-performance plastics and composite materials at Global Industry 2023 in Lyon, France, from March 7 to 10, 2023.

Located in Hall 9 on stand 3A108, attendees can experience Trelleborg’s innovative technologies including high precision micromolded components; multicomponent technology which creates a single component from multiple assembled parts; and a wide range of Isolast^® Perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) materials. These are specifically engineered to meet demanding performance requirements including high temperatures and the presence of aggressive chemicals.

Also featured are Trelleborg’s HiSpin^® high-speed rotary seals designed to enhance the performance of the next-generation axles of electric vehicles, which are set to make up 30% of all traffic by 2030; FoodPro^® E75F1, a specially engineered material for universal use in food and beverage applications, which meets all global standards for food contact materials, and Advanced Composite Materials, custom-designed and manufactured to produce parts for a wide variety of applications.

Frederic Vitrat, Managing Director of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions France, says: "As a world leader in polymer solutions for sealing, damping and protecting critical applications in demanding environments, we provide customers with innovative solutions that accelerate their performance in a sustainable way. We work in partnership with our customers from the initial design concept to the development of the right solution for their application, enabling them to reduce time to market and adding value to processes and products.”

Pierre-Jean Guiho, Trelleborg Business Development Manager, adds: “Our unique digital tools allow us to share our in-depth knowledge and experience with engineers developing new systems or optimizing existing production equipment across a wide range of industries. Our five-step process includes specification, testing, optimization, validation and manufacturing, with specific tools created for each stage. This allows a customer to involve us at each phase of product development or equipment improvement.”

Trelleborg’s technical experts Jean-Philippe Perot, Pierre-Jean Guiho, Emmanuel Louison, Antoine Charrier, Eric Mary, Loïc Favre and Naren Sampath will be on hand to provide attendees with advice and expertise in sealing technologies, development and manufacturing.

For more information on Trelleborg’s latest innovations, go to: https://www.trelleborg.com/en/seals/products-and-solutions/latest-innovations

This article can also be found in the issue below.

Easy modular construction and environmentally safer than existing stressing systems

The Enerpac RP70A lightweight rail stressing kit for railway maintenance crews that is easier to transport and assemble and up to three times lighter than similar tools, is now Network Rail approved. The RP-70A hydraulic rail stressor and Enerpac ZC3-Series battery powered stressing pump provide a cordless, zero emission, rail stressor kit for rail track thermite welding.

Traditional fully assembled rail pullers are too heavy for operators to comfortably transport and deploy safely and quickly. The RP70A stressor uses modular components that can be assembled and installed on site without the need for tools, making preparation for rail stressing easier and safer. Assembly typically takes less than 2 minutes.

National Rail Registration

Registered with UK National Rail under Certificate of Acceptance PA05/06958, the Enerpac rail stressing kit is designed for railway maintenance crews who assemble and install the rail puller directly on site when adjusting the gap between rail ends for rail stressing, rail welding, repairing rail failures and servicing insulators. The durable, easy-to-assemble components, where each component is either a one or two man lift, including ZC3-Series pump and hose set, are up to three times lighter than similar tools. The complete kit can be transported in an optional specially designed steel transport frame.

The Enerpac RP70A stressor has a 70-ton pulling and 35-ton pushing capacity while holding the rail in neutral length during the thermite welding process. It uses aluminium, double-acting hydraulic cylinders enclosed within steel sleeves to protect the cylinder rods from damage, particularly weld splatter. For ease of handling and lifting, the RP70A includes certified lifting eyes.

The stressor is interchangeable with a range of powerpacks and is compatible with the cordless Enerpac ZC3-Series battery powered pump for a complete clean energy solution. This is especially useful when conducting rail stressing in tunnels and other enclosed spaces.

“For rail maintenance engineers faced with track that’s inaccessible without the cost and delay of using a crane to install a fully assembled rail puller, the Enerpac RP70A is the perfect solution,” says Patrick Frencken, Key Account Manager North West Europe, Enerpac. “What’s more, when used in combination with an Enerpac ZC3-Series battery powered pump you have a far greener and safer operation compared with a gas/petro-powered hydraulic pump.”

To learn more about the latest Enerpac tools, visit the Enerpac Innovations page on www.enerpac.com.

With some 20 projects completed in Hong Kong, Hart Door Systems arranged a visit to its head office and its production facility in Newcastle upon Tyne for staff from its Hong Kong distributor, AUB, which provides door access solutions for commercial, institutional and residential projects in south east China, in particular Hong Kong and Macau.

Hart’s export manager, John Loftus, says AUB’s experienced team’s in-depth market knowledge and product know-how “has been invaluable in the development of this part of the Far East as an important export destination for Hart”.

With Hart’s continuing development of new products “we felt it was timely to host a visit to Newcastle to learn more about Hart and its products,” says Mr Loftus.

He adds: “Hong Kong is a very interesting location given the extreme climate challenges and the restricted land availability which means many buildings have to be high-rise. As an example we recently completed the installation of Typhoon resistant shutters on an 18 storey building.”

Typical Hart products include its Terror Screen LPS1175 SR rated shutters for high security and its  Typhoon-grade roller shutter which withstands the extreme weather conditions. Examples of successful Hart contracts include 21 typhoon resistant shutters for the Terminal 1 Remote Transfer Facility and Midfield Baggage Hall for Hong Kong International Airport.

“Further orders include steel shutters for the Hong Kong Central Government and for the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the HK$3.5 billion replica of the capital’s celebrated Palace Museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District which opened last year,” adds Mr Loftus.

“By giving consultancy, design, manufacture, shipping and offering installation and maintenance training from a single source, Hart Doors simplifies project management and helps customers like AUB to feel confident in their industrial door purchase wherever they are in the World. 

“To be able to offer knowledge, advice and cradle to grave support is crucial when working on export projects.”

This article can alo be found in the issue below.

This rechargeable headlamp is cULus, ATEX, and IECEx listed Intrinsically Safe. A Lithium-Polymer rechargeable battery powers the XPR-5554G. The dual top-mounted switches provide high or low spotlight, high or low floodlight, and our exclusive Dual-Light, which gives users the ability to turn on both the spotlight and the floodlight simultaneously for maximum safety.

Rechargeable devices manufactured in the last five to ten years now offer the option to use a USB connector to charge the device. As USB connectors made their way into the commercial industry, specifically the hazardous environment industries, limitations of USB charging have become apparent. In an ATEX/IECEx or Intrinsically Safe (IS) environment, certified electronic devices are required to be sealed to prevent flammable gases and dust from entering the device. This requirement reveals the convenience of USB as a potentially dangerous liability when not designed to strict engineering guidelines. To solve this, manufacturers have added rubber caps or plugs into the exposed USB port to prevent exposure to outside contaminants. These caps serve as an adequate solution if they remain in place and are not torn off or damaged. However, the rubber cap solution exposes new limitations due to the rugged nature of working in IS hazardous environments. When you consider the expense of replacing or servicing a safety-certified device due to an inexpensive rubber cap being torn off and invalidating its safety rating, it became evident that a permanent solution was needed.

The solution engineers sought to create was a hermetically sealed IS device with a new connector that did not compromise the products exterior. Traditional USB connectors are designed to be pushed through a hole in the product and use the compression friction of the dongle pressing against the port to keep the cord connected. A magnetic coupler overcomes this weakness by placing a magnet in the charging cord head and a ferrous alloy metal disk inside the product. When held in proximity to each other, the magnet automatically snaps into place and seamlessly completes the charging circuit without allowing dust, gases, or liquids into the IS rated device. When charging is complete, the user can be confident that they can now reenter a hazardous environment with their safety rating intact. A sealed solution saves money on equipment service costs while boosting worker confidence and protection.

Because of the knowledge and expense required to engineer IS-certified magnetic coupled products, a limited number of companies can achieve this. Nightstick has developed a unique line-up of trademarked Magmate™ portable LED products with ATEX/IECEx Zone 0 and Class I Division 1 ratings.

Nightstick, a global manufacturer of over 50+ Intrinsically Safe professional, portable LED lighting products, exceeds industry performance, quality, and safety standards. Locate a dealer near you at www.nightstick.com

This article can also be foud in the issue below.

With the new VSE9xx diagnostic modules from ifm electronic, vibration monitoring and analysis can be carried out directly in the field, eliminating the need to route signals from accelerometers back to the control panel. The compact modules feature robust construction and an IP67 protection rating, allowing them to be mounted in almost any field location without additional protection. They use standard M12 connectors to facilitate speedy installation and retrofitting, and they are compatible with all commonly used acceleration sensors.

Modules in the VSE9xx range accept inputs from up to four acceleration sensors, and also have two auxiliary inputs – one pulse, one analogue – which can be used to collect additional information related to condition monitoring, such as speed and temperature. They can accept accelerometer inputs covering the frequency range of 0 to 12 kHz, with a sampling rate of 100 kHz. The modules evaluate the signals from the sensors in real time and will provide local alarm outputs. Additionally, they will provide full spectrum process data for further analysis by ifm electronic’s proprietary evaluation software or a third party analytics package.

Ideally suited for adding vibration monitoring to existing equipment as well as for use in new equipment designs, VSE9xx modules are available in four versions which differ only in their networking compatibility. The VSE903 is for use with TCP/IP systems, the VSE950 with PROFINET, the VSE951 with Ethernet/IP and the VSE953 with Modbus/TCP. All types provide robust separation between the automation and IT networks.

Harrowing statistics from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Workstate that quarry workers are twice as likely to be killed in an accidentthanconstruction workers, and thirteen times more likely than those workingin manufacturing.There’s no doubt the industry can be dangerous, but how can mechanical automation support health and safety in the sector?Here David Strain, technical director at integrated automation systemexpert, Technidrive,explains. 

Data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) shows that over 3,500 quarry workers have suffered an injury reportable to HSE since 2000, with 31 of those being fatal. There are several initiativesto improve safety in the sector, this includes Target Zero, a Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee (QNJAC) scheme that has helped to reduce quarry accidents by over 80 per cent since 2000.

While this invaluable scheme — which includes training conferences and the creation of informative material — hasachievedgreat things for the industry, the most effective way to minimisehuman risks in quarrying is to remove them from the most dangerousaspects. Automation is key to achievethis. 

Automated equipment is alreadywidely used to perform drilling, blasting, loading, hauling and sorting of materials. In addition to increasing speed and accuracyin these processes, automationcan remove the need for operators to work intimately with dangerous equipment.

However, one area that oftenrequires human intervention is the unblocking of jaw crushers. By nature, a jaw crusher must be incredibly strong. Rock enters the crusherfrom the topof the machine and gets compressed between two surfaces — the fixed and moveable jaw. The rock will continue to be crushed until it is small enough to fall through the opening. Unfortunately, these crushers occasionally get blocked by the rocks and stones. 

Naturally, prevention is better than cure. Every effort should be made by the quarryteam to prevent blockagesoccurring, for instance: designing quarry blasts to achieveoptimum rockfragmentation, reducing oversize material, and ensuring that filler buckets are appropriatelysized for the capacity of the crusher. However, occasional blockages are still inevitable.

In the past, operators have succumbed to dangerous methods of removing blocked stones. Questionable tactics include using a tooth on chain to get the jaw to bite — creating the possibility for the tooth to be ejected at high velocity. Or,using brute forcewith a jack hammer, sledgehammer or similar tobreak the stones or pry them from position. If you’ve ever seen a sling give way in this situation, you’ll think twice about this method.

Technidrive had witnessed these risks first hand and wanted to develop a system to remove human intervention in this dangerous job.The vision was an automatedsystem that unblocks a crusher using mechanical forward and reversing actions to shift the stones. The system would sense when the blockage had been freed and give anautomated signal to notify operators that the process was complete. 

Technidrive developed its innovativejaw crusher unblock systemin 2015, and it has since been deployed at quarries across Europe. The team began its design by carrying out torque and speed calculations to determine whatdrive system was needed. In addition to the motor, we needed a variable speed drive (VSD) that could control the speed and torque.

Crucially, the system couldoffer startupwhen starting the jaw crusher from full.To achievethis, the team developed its own innovativesoftwarewhich ensuredthe VSDcould be remotely activated in unblock mode and operators would be kept out of harm’sway.

Since theinitial development, Technidrive has created similar equipment for several other businesses in the quarrying industry. Treating each project on an individualbasis, the organisation has been able to design, manufacture and deliver bespoke turnkey systems to a number of different sites. 

When workingalongside earth-moving equipment, removing operators from the most hazardousaspects should be a nobrainer. While the quarrying industry will always be among the world’s most dangerous sectors, mechanicalautomation can play a crucialrole in reducing risk and supporting the industry’s efforts towards Target Zero.

For more information on Technidrive and the systems integrator’s jaw crusher unblock, visitwww.technidrive.co.uk or contact the team atsales@tec>hnidrive.co.uk. A video of the jaw crusher unblock system can also be found on the Technidrive YouTube channel.

National drainage and wastewater specialist Lanes Group plc is promising to transform the rehabilitation of vertical drainage stacks with a revolutionary LED pipe lining system.

The company has proven it can significantly speed up the previously difficult process of lining both rainwater and foul stack pipes, with less disruption, using far less energy and creating less material waste.

Laneshas become the first contractor in the UK to line tall building drain stacks using the BrawoMagnavityLED light cured in place pipe (CIPP) system supplied by trenchless technology specialist S1E.

It has lined six 47-metre cast iron rainwater stacks at a 12-storey block of flats in Birmingham, with five more blocks in the pipeline – and says the technology can be used to rehabilitate rainwater and foul stacks in office and factory buildings as well.

Mark Scott, Manager of the Lanes Birmingham depot,which is leading the company’s investment in the BrawoMagnavity technology, pictured,said: “We were able to install and cure each liner in just two hours, which is far quicker than is possible with conventional lining technology.

“This level of performance makes the technology a realgame-changer. It means stacks can be lined much more quickly, more sustainably, and to a consistently high quality standard.

“Property owners can now be confident, for the first time, that a significant maintenance headache can be resolved with a cost-effective,planned repair programme.”

Faulty rain and foulwater stacks are a prime cause of damp, mould and substrate damage in a wide range of high-rise residential, commercial and industrial buildings, which can trigger serious health problems for occupants and require costly repairs.

The BrawoMagnavityNano LED CIPP system provides a long-term cure for these problems by installing tough and waterproof liners insidedefective pipes, giving them a new design life of up to 50 years.

It can be used to line both vertical and horizontal pipes with internal diameters from 70mm to 250mm.Liners up to 50 metres long can be installed, including being ‘blind shot’ into a pipe from a single chamber. This means pipes runs of up to 100 metres can be lined between chambers.

A key innovation is the way the system’s LED light head is sent along the pipe, held in place by a powerful electric magnet, at the same time as the liner is inverted into it with compressed air.

The magnet is then switched off, allowing the LED light head, with its 96 individual lights, to be pulled back through the pipe while curing resin at a rate of up to 0.6 meters a minute.

Because the magnet guides the liner so effectively through the pipe, it can negotiate multiple bends of up to 90 degrees, something other CIPP lining systems fail or struggle to achieve.

The specialist 3D liners selected by Lanes for the high-rise stacks are flexible so accommodate the 70mm to 100mm changes in diameter in the pipes being lined.

The advanced odourless resin developed by Brawo is stable until exposed to LED light, giving the Lanes lining team all the time it needs to prepare the liner for curing. By contrast, ambient cure liners must be inserted in a specified time before the resin starts to harden.

Mark Scott said: “We can now line vertical stacks to a deadline and standard that would be impossible with hot water CIPP due to the weight of the water in the liner, and would be risky with ambient cure CIPP because of the unpredictability of curing times, and the production of toxic vapours.”

This artice can be also found in the issue below.