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!”
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 this article, Fulton’s aftercare and business development manager Jeff Byrne takes a look at technical boiler house risk assessments, from their legalities to the potential savings that can be achieved.
It is strongly advised that all companies with a steam boiler have a technical risk assessment in place for its boilers and boiler house. It is required by law under the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and is necessary to comply with the requirements of SAFed document BG01, HSE INDG 436 and HSE INDG 417 Rev1, under which steam or hot water plant should be operated.
Why do you need a Technical Boiler House Risk Assessment?
Besides the legal requirement, a faulty steam boiler brings with it the risk of a steam explosion. With significant stored energy, failure of steam (or pressurised hot water boiler plant) can produce a similar level of destruction and/or devastation as a bomb, potentially causing catastrophic damage, serious injury and possibly multiple fatalities. With around 100 pressure vessel failures and at least one fatality per annum in the UK (HSE RIDDOR 2014), the importance of a technical boiler house risk assessment (TBHRA) cannot be overstated.
So, a TBHRA is therefore essential for owners, operators and managers to ensure that staff are aware of the risks and their responsibilities for the safe operation and management of industrial steam and hot water boiler plant. It is also likely to be the first thing a HSE inspector would ask to see in the event of an inspection.
A TBHRA is also a vital link in the safety chain to identify risk and develop measures to mitigate those risks, thus ensuring the safety of all involved with the plant.
We simply cannot stress the importance of the TBHRA enough, because non-compliance with the law can result in substantial fines and the likelihood of a custodial sentence in the event of serious injury or a fatality.
The Fulton approach to TBHRAs
Fulton’s method with the TBHRA requirement is to take a very collaborative approach with its clients; and use only experienced steam boiler and steam system engineers with over 60 years’ knowledge of not just steam boilers, but steam, water and condensate systems.
This highly-experienced team will scrutinise and photograph every area of risk and will produce a full report proposing and prioritising mitigation measures. This will give owners, operators and managers peace of mind that their plant may be operated safely and that all relevant guidance and legislation is supported once any identified hazards are rectified.
What are the typical findings of a TBHRA?
Unlike a vehicle MOT, a TBHRA does not pass or fail a steam system, but instead highlights hazards and the potential risk and then proposes measures to rectify any issues.
According to INDG 436 “a risk assessment does not need to include excessive detail”, but issues highlighted can include boiler specification, location, operation and condition, poor record keeping, lack of suitable/relevant training or trained operator absence cover, shortage of plant drawings and manuals, control system reliability, ventilation issues, poor/no suitable operational procedures, water quality issues, etc.
Beyond the TBHRA?
Once its assessment is completed and delivered, there is no commitment by the customer to involve Fulton in any post-assessment remedial works. But the document does highlight areas of the steam system that require attention and will prioritise the risk they pose from high priority (red) to lower priority (green). The assessment must also be made available to the boiler operator and, in the event of the sale of equipment, the new owner/operator.
However, unlike a MOT, a TBHRA is a live document that should be updated on an ongoing basis when any changes or modifications affecting the operation of a boiler occurs. This can include personnel changes, additional training, physical changes including boiler/burner upgrades, legislation amendments, etc.
Fulton can offer support to the customer once the TBHRA has been completed, or during or after the annual review. This support can be provided onsite or via telephone or video conference assistance once the review is completed.
A TBHRA also offers excellent value for money because it not only highlights areas of potential risk for owners, operators and managers, but can also identify where enhancements to the steam system could lead to improved energy efficiency. For example, the cost to replace an old, inefficient or dangerous burner could easily be offset within a few years by the fuel savings achieved through the upgrade.
For further information on Fulton’s technical boiler house risk assessment package, call the office on +44 (0)117 972 3322, email aftercare@fulton.co.uk or visit www.fulton.co.uk.
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.
Process steam and heat transfer specialist Fulton has launched SCOPE, an all-new, PLC-based boiler sequencing control system that can optimise installations to ensure energy efficient operation and improve boiler longevity.
With many facilities operating multiple boilers for their processes, SCOPE is a universal control system suitable for sequencing up to four steam boilers, which can be retrofitted to existing vertical and horizontal fuel-fired boiler installations, including Fulton’s own range of existing and planned products and those manufactured by other boiler OEMs.
Commenting for Fulton, managing director Carl Knight says: “Using SCOPE’s intelligent sequencing to provide redundancy and reliability, significant savings can be made by automating start-up and shut-down procedures, controlling and optimising main steam header pressure or temperature, ensuring steam supply is controlled precisely for the required process and balancing the load distribution across the boilers, thus eliminating extensive losses from repeated start/stop cycling of burners.”
At launch, SCOPE features a high-definition touch screen used for system programming and displaying boiler status, with values presented including firing rate, fault history, TDS value logging. SCOPE also allows remote access so service engineers can review boiler status and/or alarm conditions and control system functionality according to process demand.
Additional features include lead/lag control of up to four boilers; multiple setpoints for lead, assist lag and banked control; steam header pressure monitoring with low/high alarm warning facility; automatic changeover of banked/lag boiler in the event of a fault or increased steam demand; automated slow-opening steam valve control to assist safe operation of boiler priority, emergency steam valve and/or boiler shutdown; hot-well temperature control; and boiler status, steam flow and hot-well tank temperature logging.
For further information on SCOPE email sales@fulton.co.uk, call +44 (0)117 972 3322 or click www.fulton.co.uk.
With its management team constantly reviewing the performance of the wider market and current economic climate – which are showing signs that capital expenditure has dropped by approximately 40% [Monetary Policy Report August 2020] – heat transfer specialist Fulton has taken the unprecedented decision to introduce an initiative to cut the gross margin on its VSRT steam boiler to ensure that customers from key sectors, including the NHS and food & beverage processing, will benefit from its scheme.
Commenting for Fulton, managing director Carl Knight says: “Given the exceptional nature of recent events and the struggle many businesses find themselves in, we have decided to launch an initiative designed to help the many key sectors that have themselves been assisting the wider population during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know from a recent surge in demand for servicing and maintenance that many of our customers in these sectors are operating steam boilers that are ageing and, in some cases, need replacing; and others who need to expand their capabilities and facilities to meet current demand. However, we also appreciate that current trading conditions mean capital budgets have been affected, so opportunities to purchase new capital equipment is restricted.
“To assist these key sectors, Fulton has therefore taken the decision to sacrifice the gross margin on all models from its VSRT steam boiler range for the remainder of 2020. Additionally, with many other businesses struggling as a result of other sectors being impacted or shut down since March, we are extending these discounts to all of our customers!”
Fulton’s new scheme and the discounts on offer do come with some caveats, which include:
- Discounts apply to the cost of the VSRT steam boiler and excludes ancillary equipment and/or the full project value
- The order must be placed and paid for in full before 31st December 2020 with a Vesting Certificate being provided on receipt of the Final Payment. The discounted amount will be taken from the final payment balance
- The ordered boiler must be delivered or collected before the 31st March 2020. However, we will provide warehousing free of charge until this date
With outputs from 160 to 4,000 kg/h, Fulton’s VSRT is claimed to be the most radical change to vertical steam boiler design since the company pioneered the vertical tubeless boiler in 1949! It boasts industry-leading performance with up to 86% gross efficiency from a fully-water-backed design with no refractory; its architecture makes it durable and reliable, with up to 10:1 turndown through its fully-modulating burner; and, with a mesh burner and furnace designed as a single component, achieves typical NOx emissions of less than 20ppm.
For further information on the offer, please call the Fulton sales office on +44 (0)117 972 3322 or email sales@fulton.co.uk.
As a leading heat transfer specialist, Fulton is all too aware of the effect that COVID-19 has had on its customers and the wider industry and appreciates that many steam boilers have been shut down during this period. So, when operations are ready to resume, businesses need to make sure its boilers and steam systems are ready too and meet the Health & Safety requirements and operational demands required of its processes.
Fulton’s advice prior to restarting is that an initial steam boiler and system assessment is undertaken to ensure that steam processes or manufacturing operations restart without risk to personnel or the business in general.
To assist its customers, Fulton is therefore offering a Restarting Workplace Pressure Systems Safely package consisting of:
This service is available for all fuel-fired and electric steam boilers, including those from and installed by other manufacturers, but Fulton needs to consider boiler and system size before quoting. A discount is available for new and existing service contract holders.
For further information, please email service@fulton.co.uk or call the office on +44 (0)117 972 3322.
Having moved from a facility that was too small and would have been uneconomical to upgrade, the overriding requirements for Elis’ new, state-of-the-art Southampton-based facility were to increase and future-proof throughput by increasing capacity as and when required. Protecting their investment was also paramount, so manufacturer-backed aftercare solutions were also key to the long-term plan.
The existing facility used a combination of indirect steam from a horizontal steam boiler and steam-heated ironers and dryers during the laundry process. But with the new multi-service flat linen plant – which services the Southern region hospitality and healthcare industry – came a new approach for Elis and, because the company processes laundry for the healthcare sector amongst others, they instead opted for a heat transfer system that would pre-heat water for the washing machines to a minimum of 72 degrees centigrade by directly injecting steam into the water supply.
A number of steam raising methods and manufacturers were considered in the original tender, but, with a requirement for an energy-efficient boiler with a small footprint, Elis subsequently placed an order for a skid-mounted, 2 x VSRT-60 gas-fired steam boiler solution from heat transfer specialist Fulton, which was packaged with ancillary items including automatic blowdown, water treatment and a TDS energy recovery system.
Commenting for Elis, senior engineer Slawomir Barczewski says: “The old facility was capable of processing 60,000 to 70,000 items a day but, with Fulton’s skid-mounted VSRT vertical steam boiler solution and the new line in place, we are currently processing approximately 90,000 items with the ability to double throughput as required.”
The skid-mounted solution features two 600kW (960kg/h) VSRT-60 steam boilers, which boast ultra-low NOx emissions of less than 20ppm, achieve up to 10:1 turndown capabilities and industry-leading performance of 86% gross thermal efficiency and 99.75% steam quality at 8 bar. It features a multi-award-design design that is durable, long-lasting, enhances heat transfer rates and improves steam quality. Additionally, for applications where contaminated air can reduce boiler uptime – such as laundry and dry cleaning facilities – the VSRT’s cyclonic air filter effectively separates debris and damaging particles from the combustion air and, because it won’t clog over time, eliminates the need for replacement filters.
To protect its investment and ensure the steam boiler installation continues to operate efficiently, Elis also opted for a number of solutions from Fulton’s aftercare portfolio, including a service contract, water treatment package and boiler operator training, a requirement of Elis’ insurance provider.
Commenting for Fulton, aftercare and business development manager Jeff Byrne says: “Considerable investment has gone into this new super-laundry and Elis is keen to ensure that their return-on-investment is improved as much as possible, hence supporting the installation with manufacturer-backed service contracts and training.”
The service contract for Elis consists of two service visits per boiler per year, with one visit coinciding with the annual insurance inspection. As well as providing discounts on any spares and the regular chemicals orders, the contract also ensures 24h phone-based technical assistance from a dedicated boiler/service engineer and a 48h call-out response where required. The water treatment package consists of monthly feedwater quality inspections and an annual system inspection and report.
Fulton’s one-day boiler operator training courses – accredited by the globally-recognised City & Guilds of London – has satisfied the boiler operational training requirements of hundreds of clients and bridges the gap between straightforward ‘toolbox’ training and the more expensive courses that can cost thousands per employee. Carried out on-site and supporting both BG01 (SAFed) and INDG-436 (HSE) guidelines, the course looks at the practical operation of controls and test equipment using a customer's own boiler, introduces the principles of steam and boiler operation in the form of a presentation and includes both theory and practical assessments.
For further information on Fulton’s skid-mounted solutions, the multi-award-winning VSRT or its aftercare portfolio, call +44 (0)117 972 3322 or visit www.fulton.co.uk.
Fulton is delighted to announce the appointment of Stephen Finch as applications engineer. Stephen joined the leading steam boiler and heat transfer specialist just as the UK government announced its lockdown measures to combat Covid-19, but that hasn’t prevented Stephen, who has a degree in mechanical engineering and background in design engineering, from absorbing himself in his new role.
Commenting for Fulton, managing director Carl Knight says: “As we continue to innovate and look at new heat transfer solutions, like the multi-award-winning VSRT steam boiler, Stephen will play an essential role in product development. He will also be assisting the quality department in ensuring compliance for the company’s latest range of heat transfer equipment, including our fuel-fired and electric steam boilers; and providing engineering support for customers requiring bespoke skid-mounted boiler solutions featuring ancillaries including water treatment, chemical dosing and blowdown.”
Stephen’s career started as a project engineer at Eriks, but he joins Fulton from Renishaw where, as design supervisor, he was responsible for a team of engineers designing air preparation systems and automation projects for the metrology industry.
Outside of his work life, Stephen’s interest in automation means he likes to build his own machines and is also a keen woodworker. However, he is currently using his design engineering background and skills to assist a local community of engineers that are producing 3D printed face shields for essential workers at local hospitals and care homes in Bristol.
Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial Group has today announced that it will be attending the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo Europe 2020 where, joining a wide range of innovations for hybrid and pure-electric applications, the company will be promoting its World Traction Inverter (WTI) series, electronic throttle controllers and transmission shifters.
Drivetrain electrification is a trend Curtiss-Wright is at the forefront of, with the company designing and manufacturing vehicle-grade traction inverters since 2003. In fact, Curtiss-Wright estimates that its inverters have covered over 1.8 billion kilometers of on road use. The kilometers covered by these traction inverters have helped during the development of its WTI, which offers state-of-the-art technology and innovative design for use in hybrid and pure-electric vehicle applications.
Curtiss-Wright’s WTI operates with multiple motor technologies – including AC induction, permanent-magnet synchronous (PMS) and interior permanent-magnet (IPM) types – and offers a high level of self-protection with both current and transistor temperature measuring locally to the IGBTs. A torque motor-control mode is available for hybrid applications, speed mode for pure-electric applications or DC bus voltage mode. In DC bus mode, the inverter can moderate adverse and damaging voltages resulting from situations including regenerative braking. The WTI offers a versatile connection to master control systems via either J1939 or CANbus protocols; and a customizable, discrete interface also supports digital, analog and solenoid-drive control options.
Joining the WTI is Curtiss-Wright’s range of electronic throttle control systems, which are designed to meet the most demanding specifications. Ergonomic designs include floor and firewall mounting configurations; and optional kick down and customizable treadle covers. In addition, the company manufactures a standard range of electronic throttle controls that can minimize tooling costs for many applications; and take basic ergonomic, dimensional, electrical and aesthetic requirements from OEMs and provide a complete custom design service.
Also on the stand will be the company’s range of transmission shifters, including a range of cable-operated and electronic shift-by-wire transmission controls; as well as systems for automatic, automated manual, and hydrostatic transmissions. Curtiss-Wright’s transmission shifters are available in pushbutton, single- and dual-lever configurations; and are suitable for use in on- and off-highway applications; including construction and agricultural vehicles, materials handling and other specialty vehicles.
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.
