Clips from the Fluid Power & Systems, Air-Tech, Drives & Controls, European Offshore Energy & the Plant & Asset Management Exhibition held at the NEC, 12-14 April 2016.
Atlas Copco, provider of sustainable productivity solutions, has agreed to acquire Fiac, an Italian manufacturer of piston compressors and related equipment with a global sales network.
More than 35 jobs have been secured as the management team at Lincoln-based Pearson Hydraulics successfully purchased the company.
North Sea oil & gas companies are being asked to maintain their support for technical apprenticeships available to young people in the UK oil and gas industry during the current downturn. The call comes on the relaunch of the industry’s apprenticeship programme – now known as the Oil and Gas Technical Apprentice Programme (OGTAP).
Hydraulics and manufacturing specialist Hydraquip Hose & Hydraulics recently opened a new branch in Widnes. Located on Foundry Lane, just off Ditton Road, the branch offers easy access to customers in Liverpool, Runcorn, Warrington, Ellesmere Port, North Cheshire, Deeside, Wirral and of course Widnes.
Clean, contaminant-free oil within hydraulic systems is well known to be vital in prolonging the service life of components. However, what is less commonly understood are the factors which determine the appropriate level of cleanliness for a given system. Terry Davis, national technical manager at Brammer, introduces ISO 4406:99 and the seven steps that help establish targets and in turn optimise the longevity of hydraulic systems.
Universal Hydraulik recently introduced a new enhancement to its SCM heat exchanger/cooler range; the SCM/FS. Based on the company’s existing hybrid heat exchangers from the SCM-Series, this new highly efficient ‘failsafe’ heat exchanger is the product of a year’s research and development in collaboration with a well-known offshore equipment supplier.
Clean Fuel & Lubricant Solutions, a business unit within Donaldson Company, Inc., recently introduced its Reservoir Air Dryer for fluid tanks and reservoirs. The new product is designed to eliminate the need to continually replace conventional desiccant breathers or to dry fluids with vacuum dehydration units.
The Kollmorgen AKMH range of stainless steel servo motors has been enhanced with a host of new feedback device options and new connector options.
The CBI reports that it is keen for India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to continue efforts to improve the climate for international investors, and for EU-India Free Trade Agreement talks to resume in the wake of his first visit to the UK since becoming PM.
Moog Industrial Group, a part of Moog Inc., has opened a brand new purpose-built production facility in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, UK. The new facility will support existing high performance motion control engineering, design, manufacturing and service both globally as well as in the UK.
Exitflex has relocated to a new facility on the Airfield Industrial Estate, Christchurch in Dorset. The warehouse & workshop reconstruction and office renovation project had been funded and project managed by the company.
Hydrapower Dynamics, the UK distributor for Finnpower crimping and cutting machinery, has supplied a second 24” King Crimper to W.E. Couplings of Chorley in the North West of England. According to Hydrapower Dynamics, this makes W.E. Couplings the first company in the world to have both machines (1200 ton and 2000 tons) on one site.
MP Filtri staged a free training seminar titled: ‘Learn to win against the cost of contamination’ at the National Fluid Power Centre (NFPC) in Worksop, Nottinghamshire earlier this month. The day, which focused on contamination control within fluid power systems, attracted 190 attendees from 22 countries; representing a wide range of sectors – from industrial, mobile, oil & gas, agricultural, aerospace and power pack manufacture, as well as a number of large OEMs.
With high-performance lubricants capable of increasing hydraulic pump efficiency by 6 per cent, ExxonMobil aims to help address the plastics industry’s primary concerns and contribute towards optimum efficiency and durability.
Filtertechnik’s new range of Neptune oil dehydration units are claimed to be ideal for returning oil contaminated with water back to health in an efficient and cost effective manner. The units can be used for cleaning oil in a fixed or mobile plant situation.
The Hydrotrac GFT series 8000 is a rotating planetary gearbox developed by Bosch Rexroth to offer increased power density and torque for wheel and track driven equipment, such as subsea crawlers, bulldozers and agricultural sprayers.
As equipment and technology advances, it has never been more important that modern fluid power systems perform safely and precisely. However, partnering one manufacturers hose with another’s coupler can seriously jeopardise this. Andrew Dawes, hydraulics product manager at Eriks, explains how to avoid the common pitfalls of specification and why solid connections hold the key to true system efficiency.
Many industries use steam and compressed air as sources of heat and motive power and need to be managed properly in order to be used efficiently. By assessing an existing process control structure and looking at alternatives, it is almost always possible to identify areas for improvement and start a programme of worthwhile energy saving initiatives, writes Neil Saunders, general manager at Bürkert Fluid Control Systems.
Webtec, the Cambridge (UK) based hydraulic measurement and control specialists have launched a brand new range of hydraulic high-pressure, zero-leak, CETOP3/DIN3 compatible directional control valves specifically designed for use on marine and offshore hydraulic control / power units. Typical applications include drill rigs, deck machinery, lifting equipment and grease injection units.
The aching limbs and blisters didn’t stop Martin Potter, general manager at Beko Technologies, from completing a 40km run along with 35 runners from the Redditch running club to raise money for Acorns Children’s Hospice. The recent run consisted of 8 park runs, each 5km starting at 7.30am at Cannon Hill in Birmingham, then onto Brueton Park at 9.00am, 10.30am Perry Hall, 12.00 Walsall Arboretum, 2.00pm Kingsbury Water, 15.30 Coventry, 5.00pm Leamington before arriving at Arrow Valley Park at 7.00pm in the evening for the last run. When they arrived at Arrow Valley Park in Redditch, the home of the running club they were met by over 200 supporters to see them on their final race of the day.
Merseyside-based V&A Hydraulics has completed a vital system cleaning project to support a site modification at one of Britain’s biggest polymer manufacturers.
International construction equipment manufacturer Chicago Pneumatic has appointed CE Rental OY as its new authorised distributor in Finland. With nearly 20 years’ experience in the Finnish rental industry and a wide service network covering the whole country, the company will support Chicago Pneumatic by distributing its range of RX hydraulic breakers, RC compactors, compaction plates and hand held hydraulic tools to customers seeking short or long-term hire options.
Warren J Smith Esq. JP, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, recently presented Holroyd Precision Ltd with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – the UK’s highest accolade for business success. The presentation took place at Holroyd Precision’s Rochdale HQ and was made in recognition of the company’s achievements in International Trade.
Global flow control company Rotork has announced the acquisition of the Bifold Group Ltd. (Bifold), a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and hydraulic instrument valves and components.
Boge Compressors’s senior service technician, Gary Jowitt, has been awarded the Diploma in Compressed Air Management (DipCAM), recognising his high level of compressed air expertise and knowledge. By achieving the DipCAM qualification, Jowitt can offer an even higher level of support during training and advising customers and Boge Distributors in the specification and installation of compressed air systems and operation. Gary is the fourth member of staff currently at Boge that holds the DipCAM qualification, further enhancing the high level service and support offered by the leading compressed air systems provider. “I am extremely proud of my results in completing the DipCAM,” said Jowitt. “Since joining Boge over ten years ago, I have been able to develop my skills and gained valuable experience that enables me to support our customers and distributors in the most effective manner possible, ensuring they are supplied with the support and sound technical advice that boosts the performance and efficiency of their equipment.” “As a long standing member of the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) Boge is committed to the ‘Be Compliant And Safe’ (BCAS) message, which is why we equip ourselves with the best possible knowledge and expertise,” commented Mark Whitmore, general manager at Boge Compressors. “In several separate disciplines within our business, we have four staff with DipCam and a further three staff currently studying for it. This enables us to offer customers not only the right advice and solutions for their compressed air needs but also to ensure that they consider the most up-to-date issues of compliance and safety.”
The Industrial Group of Moog Inc. has launched a contest to find the oldest operating Moog servo valve. The company will also be sponsoring monthly drawings to give people with newer valves a chance to participate. This contest is part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Moog’s operations in Europe.
Power management company Eaton has located the assembly and testing of its Char-Lynn Low Speed High Torque (LSHT) orbital motors in Havant, UK, and now offers lead times of as little as three weeks.
M+S Hydraulic has launched a new range of competitively priced high-pressure axial piston fixed displacement swash plate hydraulic motors. Key features include:
A Midlands hydraulics specialist is calling for industry hazards to be more widely acknowledged as it expands its product range with the launch of its new accumulator safety blocks, which are immediately available from stock.
Fluid handling equipment may suffer from multiple problems including physical and mechanical damage as well as general or localised erosion and corrosion. These problems are linked to decreased efficiency and poor performance, leading to increasing operational costs. Minimising performance deterioration is therefore an important factor for pump manufacturers and end users. Indeed, hydraulic losses account for most of the efficiency decrease (9 per cent for a mixed flow pump to 20 per cent for radial flow). Coating technology can help in decreasing these losses, increasing the pump’s performance and reducing operational costs.
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions claims to have “pushed the barriers of science” to produce a “highly innovative” seal for a valve designed by Schoolhill Hydraulic Engineering for BP’s Shah Deniz field.
