With more companies looking to hit the magic net zero target by 2030, Fulton’s Leigh Bryan asks what options there are for those businesses with processing facilities that are off grid and having to rely on sometimes ageing heat transfer solutions using high-carbon, oil-based fuels for firing.
According to official statistics for England and Wales, there are over 1.6 million non-domestic buildings, with nearly 300,000 of those located in areas not linked to the gas grid and many using fossil-based fuels for various heating purposes. Why? Because their location makes connection to the grid too expensive or, in some case, not even possible.
So, with heat transfer solutions in mind, what are the options for those operating a business that is situated off-grid and facing the challenge of sourcing a reliable and efficient source of energy?
Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)
When it comes to off grid, LPG is considered the cleanest, most efficient and effective fuel compared to traditional fuel types, including coal, oil and electricity. It emits almost no particulate matter, with oil emitting 10x the value and coal a massive 100x. Additionally, LPG emits 35% less carbon than coal and 12% less than oil; and, for those struggling to meet current MCPD regulations LPG can, utilising the correct burner equipment, also significantly reduces NOx emissions compared to traditional off-grid fuels, with oil seeing 50% more emissions.
Aside from the environmental benefits of LPG there’s also cost benefits to consider, with the UK government scrapping fuel duty on Class D Red Diesel from April 2022, which could see fuel costs for those operating oil-fired heat transfer solutions rise by as much as 50%.
For a recent installation at leading British condiments maker Tracklements, production capacity has been boosted and the company’s environmental credentials enhanced by replacing its existing oil-fired steam boilers with modern, efficient liquid gas-fired Fulton VSRT vertical steam boilers.
With a relationship exceeding 40 years, Tracklements approached Fulton when specify a cutting-edge system that would help minimise its environmental impact. With a requirement for an off-grid solution, Fulton initially suggested a packaged system comprising of its Europack electric steam boilers but, following a site audit, it was realised that the infrastructure wasn’t in place to support a solution. So the company instead specified its award-winning VSRT steam boilers with LPG burners and recommended Flogas as the liquid gas supplier.
By modernising their steam raising equipment and changing their fuel type to liquid gas, Tracklements can expect an impressive 21% financial saving and a near 25% reduction in carbon emissions, with the cost savings being based on current oil prices before the planned withdrawal of tax relief on red diesel in April 2022 so, looking forward, they are actually far more favourable.
These savings, along with improved carbon emissions, can be improved further by up to 30% when combined with the potential steam system efficiency savings by running the latest fully-modulating, high-turndown boilers – each genuinely capable of a 10:1 turndown – resulting in the production of high-quality steam at up to 99.75% dryness. What’s more, our liquid gas-fired VSRTs will help minimise other pollutants, with NOx levels at commissioning reduced by 75% compared to the previous oil-fired steam boilers.
Based on the current cost of 32 second oil combined with the planned increase in production and efficiency of the VSRT steam boilers, the customer expects a return on investment within 18 months. However, if the planned duty increases on fuel are factored in, that period will be significantly shorter.
The installation at Tracklements is also supported by both service and water treatment contracts from Fulton, who have also provided certified boiler operator training for several employees at the facility.
However, changing fuel type doesn’t always mean a completely new boiler. Following a site survey and steam load distribution analysis by Fulton and Weishaupt at a brewery in the South West in 2020, the steam boiler and burner specialists 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 thanks to the upgrade, the RBC2500 is now also fully MCPD compliant.
The result of the partnership between Fulton, Weishaupt and Flogas (as the off-grid LPG 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 between nine and ten months and will go a long way in assisting the company’s Road to Net Zero efforts.” says Fulton’s Leigh Bryan.
Electricity Grid
Some experts believe that electric steam boilers are superior to fuel-fired steam boilers in a few ways. They believe that using electric boilers may be less expensive than using a fuel-fired boiler in the long term, whilst also being more environmentally friendly.
Using Fulton’s portfolio of electric steam boilers as an example, less ancillary equipment is required than a traditional steam boiler, therefore helping to reduce the installation costs that come with a fuel-fired boiler. Electric boilers also generally have a smaller footprint and can therefore fit into smaller areas thanks to the way they are constructed and the lack of ancillaries that a fuel-fired boiler needs to operate. And thanks to their small footprints and the fact there are no flue requirements to consider, they can often be used for point-of-use steam requirements, making them a good choice for many smaller operations, including small-batch distillery, micro-brewery and autoclave applications.
Electric boilers are sometimes overlooked as a potential solution to steam generation due in part to the higher cost of electricity versus the cost of traditional fuels such as LPG, kerosene (gas oil), etc. However, with the UK government scrapping fuel duty in April 2022 and the cost of gas oil set to increase dramatically as a result, many companies are now turning to more sustainable methods of generating electricity, including solar or wind generation, with such schemes offsetting, or at least partially offsetting, the higher fuel costs.
Traditional fuel-fired steam boilers generally require multiple elements to operate successfully. In contrast, electric boilers are relatively simple devices. Additionally, because electric steam boilers do not use complicated forms of heat exchange, they do not contain many of the potential hazards that are commonly present in a fuel-fired boiler. Electric boilers are also generally easier to maintain because they don’t require tube replacements, burner maintenance or statutory non-destructive testing (NDT), all of which fuel-fired boilers often require.
Electric steam boilers are more efficient than fuel-fired boilers because they require less energy to be put into them for operation at capacity. This is because there is little energy lost when the transfer of heat from the heating element to the water occurs, unlike traditional fuel-fired boilers where there is a substantial amount of energy loss from the air flow required to supply oxygen to the flame.
Additionally, because electric steam boilers can be fitted, in some cases, with as many as 12 electrical elements (dependent on model), they have a high turndown – up to 12:1 in the case of Fulton’s electric steam boiler range – so are able to modulate efficiently to varying steam loads.
Electric boilers are, as already stated, more efficient and recognised as having smaller carbon footprints than their fuel-fired counterparts, but for large generating capacities are frequently impractical to install due to large supply cables and infrastructure requirements. However, with no burner service and no NDT inspection required every five years, the actual maintenance costs can be up to 50%* less than those of fuel-fired steam boilers. Generally, the only major parts that are periodically changed are the electric elements themselves, yet these are often replaced quickly and cost effectively. This balances lower life cycle costs against the high maintenance requirements of fuel-fired boilers, including refractory repair/replacement, 5-year NDT requirements, burner maintenance, flue maintenance, and the requirement for highly-skilled and often highly-paid plant operatives.
Blended Fuels
With the UK government scrapping fuel duty on Class D red diesel in April 2022, many companies unable to invest in upgrading existing or installing new plant are looking to equivalent blended fuels to fuel their steam boilers which, at present, are not subject to the implementation of the fuel duty scrappage.
The use of blended fuels requires little change to an existing boiler setup, with only minimal re-commissioning of the burner required. However, blended fuels burn at the same calorific value as Class D oil, there will also be minimal benefit from the reduction in carbon emissions or NOx levels achieved from switching to electric or LPG.
Compared to Class D oil, there is also a shortage of blended fuels in the marketplace. Additionally, like many other fuel types, there are winter and summer grades to be aware of. So, if you’re still running a summer-grade fuel in the winter, you need to be conscious of potential waxing of the fuel pipes, filters and other burner components.
Many blended fuels also required agitation to ensure the fuel mix remains consistent. This can be achieved with a simple two-pipe system that runs back to the tank to achieve circulation, but without this type of system, the installation of an in-tank agitator is recommended to ensure there is no stratification of the fuel.
Finally, there’s the residue found in boilers from blended fuels and their associated bio-components not burning as efficiently. Any residue will impact the overall efficiency of the boiler and we have seen cases where we estimate at least a 12% loss in efficiency due to the insulating properties of the residue in the boiler causing an increase in flue gas temperatures of around 90ºC.
What does the future hold?
We have of course only looked at three firing options for operating steam boilers off-grid in this article, but there are others. And what about the future?
At Fulton, we are already developing hybrid steam boiler solutions that combine a LPG-fired boiler with electric, where the base load of the process is picked up by the electric boiler and seasonal swings and high loads by the traditional boiler; all of which helps to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. We are also working with partners, such as Weishaupt, and looking at the future of hydrogen, although a move to 100% hydrogen-fired steam boilers is unlikely for off grid solutions.
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.
Example of Fuel WaxingThis 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.
Example of Fuel Polishing. Image courtesy of Crown OilsFor 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 Soot buildup in a horizontal boiler.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.”
As Balfour Beatty decommissions its Hinkley Point C Marine Works concrete batching plant at Avonmouth, two-and-a-half years after their installation and commissioning, we look at the processes and arduous operating conditions that the three Fulton VSRT steam boilers (amongst the first to be delivered and installed in the UK) have endured.
Embarking on one of the most complex marine engineering projects in the world at the time, Balfour Beatty excavated and constructed three cooling water tunnels under the seabed (two 3.5km intake tunnels and one 1.8km outfall tunnel) that will supply EDF’s two nuclear reactors at the 3,200 MWe Hinkley Point C with cooling water from the Bristol Channel.
In 2017 Balfour Beatty took ownership of a large, purpose-built concrete batching facility at Avonmouth Docks, which saw the beginning of a multi-year contract to supply 38,000 concrete tunnel segments destined for the nuclear facility. The batching plant is responsible for producing concrete segments for the reactor tunnels, with each tunnel ring consisting of six 6m x 4m sections and each of the two 3.5km intake tunnels comprising approximately 2,300 rings and 14,000 segments each.
To meet the target of producing the huge number of segments for the tunnels within the contracted period, a 24h concrete batching process was required, with steam from Fulton’s VSRT vertical steam boilers used to expedite the process by reducing the concrete curing time from a typical 24 hours to just 8 hours per segment. This allowed for 120 segments to be manufactured per day, all of which are cured in four, steam-filled automated curing chambers.
Consistency and quality are paramount in the manufacture of the tunnel segments, with engineers working on the high-performance concrete mixes since 2012. And while the design of the nuclear mix is itself not particularly special, the way it must be handled during the moulding and curing of each segment is extremely important.
The Fulton designed steam boiler system, which was specified by Avon Combined Electrical Services of Bristol and installed and commissioned by Fulton in February 2019, consists of three skid-mounted VSRT boilers packaged with feedwater tank, water treatment and chemical dosing plant and automatic blowdown.
The steam system uses over 45m3 of treated feedwater and operates at 7.5 bar to provide steam for the four curing chambers at between 55C and 60C. As approved Flogas partners, gas from six large liquid gas tanks is piped to the gas-fired Fulton VSRT steam boilers, which use 4,500 litres of liquid gas per day and are located in a plant room adjacent to the batching plant.
To ensure the boilers operate in accordance with manufacturer guidelines throughout the contract, Balfour Beatty also has water treatment and service contracts in place with Fulton who, given the Avonmouth-based location of the batching plant, can respond to any demands and be on site extremely quickly.
The VSRT steam system has operated throughout the entire batching contract on an N+1 configuration (one boiler on, one on setback and one boiler off), ensuring two of the three boilers are always operational in any 24h period.
The VSRT is the first steam boiler to emerge from Fulton’s new ‘PURE Technology’ approach, an initiative that’s resulted in a world-first design that is durable, long-lasting and boasts the highest efficiencies and ultra-low NOx emissions as standard.
With over 15 patents pending in three continents, the VSRT’s spiral-rib heat exchanger is a world first. It attains industry-leading heat transfer rates thanks to its unique spiral design, which achieves low stack temperatures by passing the flue gases through a spiral-wound heat exchanger that is fully immersed in water.
Commenting, Fulton’s Carl Knight says: “PURE Technology aims to enhance heat transfer, provide class-leading efficiencies, improve steam quality and reduce NOx emissions.
“Rather than further-improve products like our J Series to achieve these goals, PURE Technology – the culmination of Fulton’s clean slate approach to design – challenges the industry status quo on conventional boiler design by engineering solutions that are fit-for-purpose and fully-optimised for all applications.” says Carl.
In 2015, with business improving but original process equipment reaching end-of-life, Rebellion Beer Company bucked the trend and, with impartial advice from heat transfer specialist Fulton, replaced its ageing steam boiler for a thermal fluid system. Now, six years on, we approached Rebellion’s Mark Gloyens to update us on how brewery life has coped with the switch.
Anyone running a brewery will tell you just how critical the boil phase of the brewing process is; and when Rebellion set out on its journey from steam to thermal, they were warned that they’d never succeed in getting that clean flavour achieved from a steam-driven rolling boil.
“The move from steam to thermal was a leap of faith on our part, but the warnings received from other breweries have been proven to be incorrect!” says Rebellion Beer Company’s Mark Gloyens. “Product quality has improved because we now have more control over temperature for the wort boiling process than ever before. We’re getting a very good quality boil that is controllable and we have achieved everything we wanted from the move from steam to thermal fluid”.
Thanks to the control and flexibility that the thermal system affords Rebellion, the brewery has had the ability to achieve various size batches as and when required. Until recently, this has enabled them to process research and development batches and has been especially useful throughout the pandemic when, at the beginning, throughput was decimated because pubs were forced to close. However, as lockdowns came and went, Rebellion successfully pivoted its business and started selling direct to the consumer via a home delivery service, which meant throughput very quickly returned to pre-pandemic levels, currently two to three batches per day, with each boil lasting up to 90 minutes.
“The beauty of the thermal fluid installation is its flexibility and ability to very easily adapt our changing brewing strategies.” says Mark. “Historically we would have been doing two brews per day to achieve maximum output, but because of its flexibility, we are now able to shut the thermal fluid heater down for a day per week to deep clean the brewhouse and increase output to three brews per day for the remainder of the week. Something that would have been very difficult to achieve with steam.”
Beyond the control and flexibility, there are many other factors that have had a positive impact on Rebellion Beer Company, as Mark explains: “A steam boiler is essentially a pressure vessel and regulations state that pressurised systems must undergo an annual insurance inspection. This inspection would often take the steam boiler offline and mean our brewing processes were down for a day or more, with disruption from the downtime potentially being felt for several days after. Additionally, with even the best water treatment programme in place, steam at pressure can be very corrosive, leading to problems with steam traps, flanges and pipework, which we always seemed to be maintaining and was always therefore another potential for process downtime.
“With thermal being more of a closed loop system, we’ve not experienced the same issues with leaking gaskets, flanges, etc., making the whole installation not only look but also feel so much more reliable than steam!”.
In putting a figure on the annual cost savings of maintaining a steam system – including servicing, water treatment, chemical dosing, etc. – compared to thermal fluid, Mark Gloyens estimates that the thermal fluid system is much lower and could be at least half that of the previous steam boiler installation. And six years on, Mark estimates that the savings made compared to maintaining the old steam system – and despite the thermal fluid installation being a more expensive capital outlay initially – has certainly contributed significantly to the return on investment, with the investment now fully paid for.
Expanding on the flexibilities of the thermal fluid system, Mark has also announced that Rebellion is about to tap into the existing brewhouse line to create a small-batch development brewery and yeast propagation plant on the site. “It’s been such an easy expansion to achieve. We’ve just been able to tap into the existing thermal fluid line and use the system for another duty without impacting on everything else.” says Mark.
The new development line is capable of brewing five hectolitre (500 litre) batches and will enable development or commercial batches – such as strong beers or one-off batches that may not appeal to the wider consumer – to be processed without having to invest in a full 4,000 litre brew.
Summarising, Mark Gloyens says that whenever he’s asked if Rebellion is happy with the thermal fluid installation from Fulton, he simply tells them to come and take a look because it speaks for itself. “It’s just a neat, compact installation that’s relatively maintenance free and extremely flexible!”.
And when asked about his advice to anyone considering a new brewhouse or complete overhaul of existing plant; and perhaps sitting on the fence when it comes to considering steam versus thermal? “You obviously need to consult the experts as we did when we approached Fulton over six years ago. They were completely unbiased because they manufacture both steam and thermal fluid solutions.”. says Mark. “But for Rebellion Beer Company, a thermal fluid solution was a no brainer. It’s more cost-effective, more reliable, relatively maintenance free and a much neater, more compact system that still provides the quality of heating needed for brewing. It’s just a better way of doing it!”
With a requirement for new steam boilers with increased capacity, higher efficiency and more eco-friendly emissions when expanding their operations at a second facility in Romania, Universal Alloy Corporation had no hesitation in turning to heat transfer specialist Fulton, the supplier of steam boiler solutions already installed at its facilities in Romania and Vietnam.
Heat transfer specialist Fulton has supplied, assisted with installation and commissioned two gas-fired, horizontal RBC3000 steam boilers for Romania-based Universal Alloy Corporation (UAC), a manufacturer and fabricator of high-strength, hard alloy extrusions for aircraft structures or where precision-engineered products are critical. This is UAC’s second Fulton installation in Romania – at an all-new facility built to cope with increased demand from the airline industry – and third installation across its sites in Europe and Vietnam.
In accordance with strict Romanian regulations on the installation of new plant equipment, including steam boilers, as the OEM Fulton had to be in attendance at the system testing stage, ensuring reliable, maintainable steam could be provided ahead of a planned visit by several prestigious UAC customers. This meant that Fulton’s engineering services supplied support from the UK and, in line with current COVID-19 guidelines, had to self-isolate for two weeks following the test-fire visit.
Under normal operating conditions, the two RBC steam boilers at the new Romanian facility are setup for N+1, with steam being used to heat water in several large vessels via coils, with the water being used for quenching purposes during component processing. Steam is also being passed through coils for a heater-dryer system at the end of the same processing line.
For the steam boilers supplied to UAC, Fulton partnered with renowned burner manufacturer Weishaupt and supplied the RBCs with two low-NOx, fully-modulating burners and reconfigured the boiler steam outlet nozzles to run at just 2 bar. The use of a Siemens high integrity digital burner management sytsem means the boilers are capable of achieving at least 7:1 turndown, something not always achievable from large horizontal firetube boilers.
Additionally, unlike typical gas pressures in the UK of approximately 20 mbar or 60 mbar on the continent, the supply at UAC’s site in Romania was 1.6 bar, so Fulton and Weishaupt provided an over-protection rig for the gas components in the gas train. While the gas supply to the gas train is now regulated to 95 millibar, the over-protection rig ensures that a slam-shut system is enabled should the gas pressure exceeds 180 millibar, completely negating any possible component damage.
In addition to November’s test-firing visit, two of Fulton’s engineers visited Romania in September to service the RBC boiler at UAC’s original facility and commission the two boilers at the new plant. Again, both engineers followed COVID-19 guidelines on self-isolating when returning to the UK.
Both visits also provided an opportunity for the training of key boiler operators at UAC’s new manufacturing facility which, as well as the usual instruction and guidance, also ensured that operators were educated on the start-up procedures in both low fire hold and auto modulation modes for these particular boilers
Offering higher capacities than the 2500 kg/h maximum for its VSRT range of vertical boilers, with outputs to 4787 kg/h and a maximum working pressure of 10.34 bar, Fulton’s RBC range can be specified with matched multi-stage oil, modulating gas or dual-fuel burners as standard, with other burners available on request. The boilers are constructed to BS12953 standard, meet current and anticipated legislation and have been engineered to provide a substantial performance margin.
For further information on Fulton’s horizontal RBC and vertical VSRT steam boilers, call +44 (0)117 972 3322, email sales@fulton.co.uk or visit www.fulton.co.uk.
Advanced Insulation (www.aisplc.com)
Since its formation in 2007, Advanced Insulation has become a single source provider for insulation and fire protection systems to the oil and gas industry, and represents one of the most respected and progressive names in topside and subsea insulation worldwide.
Advanced Insulation offers a wide range of products to meet the growing demand for fire protection and thermal insulation systems adaptable for elevated service temperatures and pressures.
AL-KO Kober (www.al-ko-co.uk)
Since 1931, AL-KO Kober has been manufacturing premium, high quality components used in the Automotive, Commercial and Leisure industry.
The extensive range of chassis components, premium accessories and spare parts are engineered to last, ensuring whatever product you have purchased, you will benefit from the generations of development and enjoy a lifetime of service.
Arc Energy Resources (www.arcenergy.co.uk)
Arc Energy Resources is one of the UK’s leading specialists in weld overlay cladding and fabrication for the oil & gas industry. The company’s expertise provides protection against corrosion and wear for a variety of process and pipeline equipment for use in any hostile environment.
The company recently made a major investment in two new Rotating Head welding machines costing £500,000. This has increased productivity and extended the size and scope of work it can handle, which now includes complicated component geometries for the full or partial cladding and fabrication of a huge range of component sizes weighing up to 15 tonnes. The company’s in-house designed cladding workstations feature state-of-the-art control systems developed to suit its customer’s specialised engineering requirements, and can clad bores up to four metres diameter and areas of restricted access within bores as small as 20mm diameter. Arc Energy also offers in-house test weld, heat treatment, PMI and NDT facilities.
Industry certifications include ISO 9001:2008 quality management, ISO 3834-2 fusion welding of metallic materials, and the internationally renowned ASME U and R Stamps, as well as ISO 14001:2004 environment management, Investors in People and OHSAS 18001:2007 Health & Safety management system.
Curtiss-Wright Industrial Group, which includes the legacy brands of Arens Controls, Penny & Giles, PG Drives Technology and Williams Controls, is a recognized leader in providing components and sub-systems which enable customer specific solutions for on- and off-highway vehicles. These include medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses and motor coaches, construction and agricultural vehicles, materials handling, and other specialty vehicles, as well as sophisticated wheelchairs and scooters for medical mobility.
We are a leading provider of electronic throttle controls, transmission shifters and sensors for commercial off-highway equipment and heavy trucks, so helping to address the long-term trend towards attaining higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions. We also supply operator controls and advanced motor controllers for hybrid and electric vehicles, such as buses, forklift trucks, pallet stackers, wheelchairs and rehabilitation chairs.
With a proud legacy spanning more than 85 years, Curtiss-Wright is a global innovative company that delivers highly-engineered, critical-function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, we have a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships.
Further information is available from the Curtiss-Wright Industrial website (www.cw-industrialgroup.com) or by calling +44 (0)1202 034000.
Euchner (UK) Limited (www.euchner.co.uk)
Safety for people, machines and products has been the maxim of this family-owned company since 1953. Stefan Euchner is the third generation to take the helm.
As specialists in industrial safety engineering, Euchner develops and manufactures products and solutions tailored to the requirements of customers from a wide range of sectors. Using its guards on machines and installations helps to minimise hazards and risks, which in turn protects people and processes. For its 800 employees around the world, safety is the watchword.
Further information is available from the Euchner (UK) Limited website (www.euchner.co.uk) or by calling +44 (0)114 256 0123.
Industry Superstore (www.industrysuperstore.co.uk)
Industry Superstore is a one-stop-shop for a wealth of budget-friendly, high-quality products tailored to industry!
Further information is available from the Industry Superstore website (www.industrysuperstore.co.uk) or by calling +44 (0)1892 664499.
Exmac Automation Limited has many years experience in the design, manufacture, and installation of unit conveyors, conveyor systems and associated materials handling equipment for most industry sectors.
Exmac Automation is part of the MacDonald Humfrey group of companies and are market leaders in the supply of automated materials handling equipment to the automotive, aerospace, white goods, warehouse & distribution, nuclear, pharmaceutical and food & beverage industries.
The group supplies to most industry sectors and have over 250 employees with many years experience in the design, manufacture and installation of unit conveyors, conveyor systems and associated materials handling equipment.
Projects have ranged from individual standard conveyors and bespoke handling applications, through to complete turnkey contracts involving conceptual and process design, installation and commissioning.
We are ISO 9001 accredited and constantly strive to achieve continuous improvements in the overall quality of our products and service.
Exmac Automation has has established a reputation for supplying high quality, robust systems at competitive prices.
In-house resources enable us to provide clients with a single source for complete systems integration including simulation, engineering, machining, fabrication, assembly, controls, installation & commissioning and after sales service.
Our 70,000 sq ft facility in Worcester has extensive design, manufacturing and assembly resources. Our skilled team of customer focussed automation professionals offers a broad base of knowledge and experience in a wide variety of industries.
A large workshop enables us to carry out comprehensive pre-installation assembly and factory acceptance tests on all projects.
Fulton Limited (www.fulton.co.uk)
The Fulton name has been synonymous with steam since the company first introduced the vertical tubeless steam boiler in 1949 and Fulton was established in Bristol in 1966. Fulton is still one of the world’s leading manufacturers, producing an unrivalled range of multi-fuel steam boilers. But increasingly these are ordered by customers as part of bespoke turnkey systems designed to meet exacting specifications.
Today Fulton Limited is an important design and manufacturing base in Fulton’s global network that also includes production facilities in the USA and China. The company’s UK facility makes it possible to manufacture products more efficiently and assemble completed units for whenever and wherever they are needed throughout the UK and in export markets.
Once just a steam boiler manufacturer, Fulton now specialises in ready-to-ship skid mounted and fully packaged boiler plant rooms to meet the current demand for off-site fabrication. The company puts great emphasis in providing sales and application advice and a full commissioning and after sales service to a growing customer base in hospital and healthcare facilities, food and beverage processing, laundries and other applications.
Design and manufacturing resources are shared and coordinated around the world, but no matter where your product originates, it will always be produced to the highest quality in a facility that is wholly owned and managed by the Fulton Group, which remains a privately owned family business.
Fulton’s heating and hot water systems can be delivered as fully prefabricated plant rooms or complete skid-mounted units, built to fit a prepared location and connect direct to your services.
Using the latest CAD equipment its design team can accommodate the most sophisticated engineering specifications in surprisingly compact spaces, locating components in the best possible position to suit the installation.
In every sense, today’s Fulton boiler systems are solutions that fit the requirements of the modern age of steam.
Gast Group (www.gastmfg.com / www.jun-air.com)
Since 1921, Gast Manufacturing, Inc. has been designing and manufacturing quality air-moving products. Our vacuum pumps, compressors, air motors, gear motors, vacuum generators, regenerative blowers and Smart Air technology meet the many challenging applications of OEMs and end-users worldwide.
For industrial manufacturing, health care lab, or environmental cleanup applications, Gast provides a full range of ideally suited and cost-effective solutions to any pneumatic problem.
Monodraught (www.monodraught.com)
In the current climate of soaring energy prices and the fear of global warming, increasing attention is being focused on Monodraught’s range of energy-free products.
Monodraught has always sought to invent, explore and develop innovative technologies that harness the wind and sun. Products include Windcatchers, Sunpipes, Suncatchers, Sola-vents, Sola-boosts and Cool-phase.
Nexen Lift Trucks (www.nexenlifttrucks.com)
Disillusioned with the ever-increasing complexity of new forklift trucks and the failure of the major manufacturers to provide a high level of support to their dealer networks, the decision was taken to develop its own range of forklifts.
In 2003 Nexen Lift Trucks was established with the vision to design and manufacture its own range with a combined 70 years experience of the lift truck rental industry. Nexen's ultimate goal is to build worldwide brand recognition based on its product's design and build quality as well as outstanding reliability at competitive prices.
In 2007 Nexen completed the purchase of the second largest lift truck manufacturer in Taiwan, creating the Nexen Motor Corporation. Initially the existing models were improved whilst a European based design team was established to develop a completely new range of trucks from the ground up to meet Nexen's standards.
Q8Oils (www.Q8Oils.co.uk / @Q8OilsUK)
Q8Oils has become a major player in the global lubricants market. Our success is founded on significant corporate resources, a commitment to product development and uncompromising standards of quality and service.
Q8Oils has a unique and innovative approach producing some of the world´s finest quality lubricants. Manufactured in its state of the art plant at Leeds, West Yorkshire, Q8Oils represent the very best and latest in lubricant technology. With over 1000 grades of finished lubricants, base oils, process oils, extracts and waxes.
We are dedicated to serving the needs of our customers by striving to understand, anticipate and satisfy their needs faster and better than our competitors. To achieve this our objective is to develop and supply products and services which reflect customer demands in each of our market sectors.
TLV Euro Engineering (www.tlv.co.uk)
TLV Euro Engineering UK is part of TLV, an internationally-established designer, manufacturer and provider of steam traps, condensate recovery pumps, pressure reducing valves and other specialist steam solutions. The company plays a leading role in the promotion of efficient energy systems and increased environmental conservation on a worldwide scale through its products and consulting and engineering services.
Rockatek (www.rockatek.com)
Cheltenham-based Rockatek Ltd is an engineering consultancy that offers design, analysis and physical testing services that set it apart from others. Its directors have over 40 years’ experience in complex engineering product optimisation and development; and its engineers specialise in engineering solutions for harsh environments and value improving reliability and performance.
Verco (www.ver.co.uk)
Founded in 1965, Verco quickly built a reputation for supplying quality refrigerated glass door and open chill cabinets to supermarkets, convenience and forecourt stores. Verco is now a leading supplier of retail refrigeration and the largest UK manufacturer of glass door cabinets.
