A new pipe fitting which provides free orientation for hydraulic and pneumatic hoses and tools across a wide range of industrial applications has been introduced by spray nozzle specialists BETE Ltd. The patented Variacor® coupling ensures hosing can be flexible and multi-directional and so brings important benefits to users. For example, the innovative design of the coupling ensures optimum flexibility which results in less wear on hoses and so reduces costs. Also, increased manoeuvrability of the hose means easier handling for the user while the lower pressure and flow losses compared to conventional couplings, results in a more consistent and improved flow. 

Reducing costs associated with unplanned maintenance and achieving significant savings on energy consumption were the important benefits achieved at a Severn Trent Water facility, following the installation of Vaughan Chopper Pumps, supplied by P&M Pumps.

LIVING IN THE PLASTIC AGE…

Georg Fischer (GF), one of the world’s leading providers of plastic piping solutions to the construction and public sectors, is celebrating the completion of its work at the new Portsmouth Queen Alexandra Hospital together with the new pathology centre, having been chosen to provide water piping systems to the project. Services included not only providing product but also technical expertise, installation and training capabilities in the use of ABS pipe fittings and valves, prefabricated PE sections and ELGEF electrofusion systems. 

The PermaNet system transmits leak data collected from Permalog+ loggers directly to an office computer wirelessly via network radio or SMS repeater. The effectiveness of Permalog® technology has been proven all around the world – from Las Vegas to Beijing – and in some of the harshest conditions on earth. Easily installed on pipe fittings, the loggers listen for the noise made by water leaking from pipes and, when a potential leak is detected, they enter an alarm state and transmit a radio signal to indicate a "LEAK" condition.

ATEX certified semi-automatic liquid filling system

Weightron Bilanciai Ltd have installed a bespoke ATEX certified semi-automatic liquid filling system at Leighs Paints’ plant in Bolton. Based around two articulated arm gravimetric filling machines, the installation is helping the company keep up with demand for its extensive range of industrial paints.

Sanitary pumps, sanitary drum and bin unloaders and pressure washers

Any food or pharmaceutical manufacturing company will be aware of the stringent standards laid down by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  In the modern world, quite rightly dictated by a culture of health and safety, processors will ignore the rules at their peril because, given the chance, a wide range of micro-organisms such as e-coli, salmonella and a regime of other germs alongside food residue particles will harbour on the cleanest surfaces and within fine creases and corners of steel fabrications.  

A new brochure issued by John Crane has focussed attention on the expanding range of advanced hydrodynamic bearings which the company offers. These bearings are able to satisfy the most stringent of today’s performance requirements and complement John Crane’s wider offering to the global rotating equipment market. That offering also includes mechanical seals, fluid control systems, power transmission couplings and advanced filtration systems.

Sealless drum pumps is designed for light to medium duty

In many liquids handling applications, especially those occurring in surface treatment and finishing processes, safe and efficient transfer of acids, chemicals and corrosives from tanks, drums and carboys is best achieved using a drum pump. Finish Thompson are acknowledged as a leading manufacturer of these type of pumps and their new EF Series is claimed to be the most competitively priced and highest quality drum pump in its class.

Radio Module Integration - What do I need to do for compliance?

Technology is advancing at an incredible pace and this is particularly evident in the world of radio technology. Radio devices are being incorporated into all manner of products to provide a wide range of benefits and applications; from smart metering so that a consumer can monitor the amount of electricity they (or members of their family!) are using, to medical devices sending remotely gathered patient data, to a near field device that allows you to pay for your train ride.

And this isn't even scratching the surface. So clearly radio technology is permeating all facets of life and makes us wonder what we would have done without it!

We as consumers now take this for granted. We think nothing of what really operates the keyfob for our cars, the wireless controller

TRaC help to HALT reliability problems on military vehicles

Confidence in product reliability, above and beyond meeting conventional "qualification testing" is becoming increasingly more demanding across defence land systems.

As product designs evolve through functional enhancements or obsolescence, accelerated life testing plays an increasingly important role in assuring reliability where conventional field proven data does not exist.

As part of an on-going series of technical training seminars, TRaC hosted a successful HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Testing) and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screening) training day to a wide section of the defence land system community in May, ranging from the MOD, prime contractors through to LRU manufacturers.

"HALT/HASS technical seminar held at TRaC Warwick, May 2010" (right)

As a reliability tool, HALT is rapidly emerging in military land systems as a recognised means to dramatically cut equipment development timescales through a process of accelerated aging. This