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ST ANDREWS SCORES A HOLE IN ONE – SIMULTANEOUS HEATING AND COOLING WITH HEAT RECOVERY FROM A SINGLE GROUND SOURCE

St Andrews, the home of golf – where the game evolved and where the spirit and traditions of golf have been safeguarded for over six centuries – is set to benefit from a clubhouse with an eco-friendly heating and cooling system from Mitsubishi Electric.

The St Andrews Links Trust is undergoing a sustainable heating and cooling project, with the assistance of Specialist Mechanical Services (SMS) who specified and designed the new heat pump system.

“One of the main benefits in having the system is that there will be a considerable heat rejection from the kitchen area which will be recovered through the system to provide heating in other areas of the building, either directly through the VRF system or indirectly through the ground loops. Running costs for the heating system should, therefore be very low,” said Graeme Fox, SMS Managing Director.

“We have built a strong relationship with St Andrews and understand the demands that its courses and clubhouses require, having worked together for nine years,” said Mr Fox. “The location is known for its natural beauty and everybody involved is dedicated to preserving this environment.”

The clubhouse is part of a new development – a brand new seventh ‘Castle Course’ being built on the outskirts of the town, of approximately 1,000 sq m. The facilities will include changing rooms, a restaurant, a shop and a caddie office. It is a circular construction overlooking Kinkell Ness and is built over the site of the original Kinkell Castle, which gives the course its name. Both the course and clubhouse are due to open in June 2008.

“We originally planned to fit a ground source heat pump feeding under-floor heating only. We visited Mitsubishi Electric’s Hatfield office to see the City Multi ground source units working, and decided that simultaneous heating and cooling, with heat recovery all supplied by ground source was the best option,” Mr Fox added.

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Global polymer group REHAU will be exhibiting its range of renewable energy products at EcoBuild and highlighting its experience and expertise in this burgeoning sector.

The stand will feature REHAU’s AWADUKT Thermo ground-air heat exchanger, ground-source heating and cooling systems, RAURAIN and RAUSIKKO rainwater management systems and Biogas systems.

The products have all already been proven in use across Europe where the market for renewable energy systems has been established for many years allowing REHAU to quote real rather than predicted performance figures.

The AWADUKT Thermo ground-air heat exchanger is currently being installed in both domestic and commercial projects in the UK. It provides a constant source of fresh, filtered air which is drawn through a network of underground pipes to pre-warm it in winter or pre-cool it in summer.

The system can achieve a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 50 compared with a typical COP of 3-4 for a ground-source heat pump making it a very efficient source of renewable energy.

Alongside AWADUKT Thermo, REHAU is displaying its RAUGEO ground-source range which extracts energy from the ground via pipework used in conjunction with a heat-pump. It can be combined with the company’s low-flow temperature underfloor heating system to provide optimum efficiency.

The RAURAIN and RAUSIKKO rainwater management systems are REHAU’s response to the twin challenge facing the UK of conserving and reusing scarce water supplies whilst also managing storm water surges. Both products will be on display along with details of recent successful installations.

REHAU is proud of the polymer expertise which drives its ability to deliver such diverse solutions. At EcoBuild it will be focusing on the favourable whole life costings of its products thanks in part to the long term performance of the polymer materials used.

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In line with its ambitious green agenda, environmental control systems manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric has announced that it has phased out all R407c, fixed-speed models on its Mr Slim range and replaced them with new R410A, inverter-driven models which deliver much better energy performance especially at partial loads.

Four new outdoor models have been introduced to the line-up, in 19 and 22kW sizes. All four are three-phase, 415 volt models and come in the new compact twin-fan, side-blow design. Replacing the larger single-fan vertical blow models, the footprint has been reduced by more than 50% and the weight by 33%, allowing the new models to be wall mounted. Both sizes are available in Power Inverter or Standard Inverter models.

“All the new Power Inverter models deliver a 10% improvement in energy performance over 2007 models to help customers reduce the amount of energy their buildings consume,” explained Peter Cole, Product Manager.

Pipe runs for the Power Inverter range have also increased to up to 120m. The new lower-cost, Standard Inverter units replace the 2007 fixed-speed models and have a pipe run of up to 70m.

To coincide with the launch of these new outdoor models, Mitsubishi Electric has also introduced four new large capacity ducted R410A indoor units which connect to either the Power Inverter or Standard Inverter.

The new compact design models are more energy efficient and quieter than the R407c models they replace and enable Mitsubishi Electric to offer customers R410A large capacity ducted systems from 19 to 44kW in both inverter options.

The new outdoor models can also be connected to the current range of Mr Slim indoor units, in twin, triple or quad systems for flexible solutions for larger applications and spaces. Some of these combinations will also meet requirements and qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowance.

“These latest additions to the Mr Slim range now herald the end of R407c products for Mitsubishi Electric with both the 2008 M Series and Mr Slim ranges being all R410A products for the first time,” added Cole.

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With a number of safety alerts already having been issued by the HSE in connection with quick hitches, and increasing concern in the construction industry, as well as with manufacturers and other organisations, it now appears certain that legislation will be tightened and new directives applied which could result in the banning of certain types of quick hitch.

The HSE's investigations have centred upon the failure, by the operator, to follow set operating procedures; more specifically the requirement to manually insert a safety pin when using semi-automatic hitches. Tragically, there have been four fatalities in the past year alone due to excavator buckets or other attachments becoming accidentally detached from quick hitch devices.

Ireland based Hill Engineering Ltd are confident that they can offer a potential solution to this problem. The advanced, market-leading design of their fully automatic 'Safety First' Auto-Loc quick hitch enables the operator to visually confirm from the excavator cab that the bucket or other attachment is securely locked in position – a vitally important and potentially life saving safety feature.

The Auto-Loc has been purpose-designed to put operator safety first and foremost, and is unique to Hill Engineering. In addition, it not only fully complies with existing safety standards but also meets imminent new European legislation – which, surprisingly, most other hitch manufacturers fall short of.

In particular the Auto-Loc conforms to the British Standard for Earthmoving Machinery Part 5, Paragraph 4.1.9 of BS EN 474.5:1996, which was a key factor in the design brief for the development of the 'Safety First' range.

This states that …”it shall be possible to verify the locked position of the attachment bracket and the attachment from the operator's position, or from the location where the locking control is operated.”

As the Hill Auto-Loc hitch is fully automatic in its operation, there is no requirement for the operator to leave the cab, to remove or insert safety pins, when changing from one attachment to another. This eliminates the risk of the safety pin being inserted incorrectly or not being inserted at all.

The Auto-Loc's innovative design goes beyond the BS Standard, in that it ensures that attachments can only be released when the boom is in a safe working position. Additional safety features include a check valve fitted to the ram and a certified lifting eye fitted as standard.

Delivering exceptional flexibility, the Auto-Loc offers the option to fit a non removable safety pin to provide an extra safety feature.

For the safety conscious operator all these built-in safety features help guarantee complete peace of mind.

Ian Hill, Managing Director of Hill Engineering said “With the Auto-Loc providing what I consider to be the safest and best engineered quick hitch on the market today, there’s no need for lives to be put at risk.”

Having been enthusiastically received by the industry, more than 6,000 'Safety First' hitches are already now in regular use, with continuing excellent feedback from users.

Hill Engineering also produces a range of excavator buckets fabricated from heavy duty steel and featuring a box beam for increased strength, enabling them to provide a complete hitches and buckets package for their customers. All Hill products are ISO 9001 and CE compliant.

Originally established in 1994, Hill Engineering moved to new £4.5 million, 85,000 sq.ft, purpose-designed, state-of-the-art premises in 2006, whilst retaining its original nearby premises in Newry, Co.Down, as a dedicated research & development facility.

In this highly competitive market, where outsourcing to lower cost labour zones has become the norm, Hill have looked for alternatives so that they can more closely monitor and control the overall quality, performance and safety standards of their products and are currently investing £2 million in the robotic automation of their entire bucket production line.

And, as a forward thinking company, Hill Engineering also continues to invest heavily in research & development in order to provide top quality, highly reliable, world-class attachments.

The company's products are now sold extensively in the UK and Ireland, as well as across Europe and the USA.

Customer focused and with a flexible approach Hill can tailor their equipment to meet individual customer requirements.

This flexibility, the drive to succeed and the mutual respect of customers has seen Hill Engineering positioned at the forefront of the attachments industry.

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When Roger Pearce set up his one-man plant hire business in April 2004, customers were offered a single piece of equipment; a Kubota mini excavator.

Three years on, Exsel Plant & Tool Hire has taken delivery of its 15th Kubota, a 2.8 tonne KX61-3, the latest model in its growing mini fleet – without the necessity for any warranty claims during this period.

Starting with £5,000 in his pocket, Roger Pearce has built up the Bishops Waltham, Southampton, company into a highly successful hire operation. In addition to Kubota minis it offers dumpers as well as a wide range of tools.

The go-ahead plant hirer has ploughed all the profits back into the business, spending over £300,000 on plant and tools without the need of external finance.

At 2.8 tonne the KX61-3 becomes the largest machine in his all-Kubota mini fleet, which up to now consisted of a mix of 800kg K008-3 and 1.5 tonne KX36-3 models.

The KX61-3 has a 4270 mm long arm fitted as standard to provide a maximum digging force of 14.7 kN (1500 kgf). The digging force of the bucket is 21.5 kN (2190 kgf).

Like all the models in Kubota's popular KX Series it has advanced hydraulic systems to improve its response and reduce energy wastage and can outperform larger and more costly competitive machines. It features an ergonomically designed control lever layout for smoother operation with reduced driver fatigue.

It was supplied, like all the other minis, by Kubota dealer Grant Plant (Maidenhead) Ltd., equipped with 12″, 18″ and 24″ diameter standard buckets plus a 48″ diameter grading bucket.

Roger Pearce outlined the reasons for sticking with Kubota and not mixing and matching his mini fleet, despite checking out other makes. “They are reliable machines – I have had no warranty claims at all in three years – they are ruggedly built to withstand an often tough working environment; are easy to operate; and have modern styling with good clean lines, which customers like.”

He said that the unique Kubota 'ANTI-THEFT' security system, the first and still the only one of its kind fitted as standard equipment by a mini excavator manufacturer, was an added bonus. “It has saved me from having machines stolen while they were out on hire a couple of times.”

The KX61-3 was delivered by Grant Plant to a site in Maidenhead where BSP Project Developments Ltd, which is building 12 luxury apartments, immediately put it to work.

Said Grant Plant's Andy Grant: “Roger Pearce is a hard worker who has built up a profitable business after starting out on his own. We are pleased that together with Kubota we have helped contribute to his well-earned success.”

Kubota is the world leader in mini excavators and provides the largest range of minis available from a single manufacturer. Customers can select from 18 base models, spanning the weight categories from 850kg to 8-tonnes, and including the widest choice of the increasingly popular zero tail swing machines.

With a legendary reputation for quality, performance, reliability and excellent resale values, together with unbeatable support from a nationwide network of specialist dealers, their market leading productivity and versatility make them the ideal tool for many different applications and end-users, from civil engineering to landscaping, and plant hire companies to owner operators.

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Pre-fabricated valve assemblies from Marflow Hydronics have helped to speed up installation and commissioning of fan coil systems at two office blocks in the Royal Court development in Winchester. Marflow Governator assemblies, which have been developed for use with fan coils, were selected by M&E contractor Dodd Group after technical appraisals by the company’s in-house designers.

Royal Court is a new development on a brown field site near Winchester, comprising three 3-storey office blocks. Heating and cooling in two of the buildings is provided by four-pipe fan coil systems, linked to Marflow’s pre-fabricated assemblies. Each Governator assembly comprises a complete terminal valve arrangement for fan coils, including an automatic balancing valve, flushing bypass, isolation valves and Y pattern strainer.

“This was the first time I’ve worked with pre-fabricated assemblies and I’ve been very impressed. I would definitely use this approach again,” commented Alan Horton of Dodd Group.

In combining all of the necessary valves in a single compact assembly, the pre-fabricated approach greatly simplified the on-site installation and also helped to reduce commissioning.

“Marflow also provided comprehensive cross-referencing of the assemblies to specific fan coils which made it very easy for the fitters and virtually eliminated the opportunities for errors, so the commissioning went very smoothly,” Alan Horton concluded.

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Uponor are celebrating 25 years of designing underfloor heating systems for the UK market. In an ever growing marketplace; Uponor believes its wealth of experience together with its world class proven innovative products, help it to maintain its number one position for underfloor heating (UFH) solutions in the UK market. The head office located at Lutterworth in Leicestershire still maintains the largest dedicated heating technical and sales teams in the country, to pass on the 25 years experience few others in the marketplace can match.

As a concept the idea of underfloor radiant heating is not a new one and in most cases quotes throughout the industry often reference the Romans as pioneers of the industry. Yet without question it was the development of flexible plastic piping that has led to market boom we are experiencing today. As one of the very first manufacturers to introduce UFH to the UK market, Uponor have association with innovation and quality that has been employed since 1620; but now in 2008 a new landmark has been reached by the Leicestershire based company. Uponor are the only company who have carried a 30 year real time cycle test on its PEx A pipes, something a majority of its competitors cannot come close to matching, with most relying on computer generated performance figures to backup their sales claim.

Offering customers peace of mind based on its 25 years of UK design experience, Uponor are frequently seen as a benchmark to which the standards are set, but when it comes to Uponor’s products and customer service, as so often in life, imitation is the best form of flattery.

In celebration of the 25 years Uponor have redesigned their website to give installers, specifiers and architects an even more comprehensive experience with flexible plumbing and UFH. Uponor website goes live in February, with a number of additional features to make the world of flexible plumbing and UFH easier to negotiate. Included in the new look website will be a number of content additions including a the budget estimator; giving all registered users the chance to choose their desired system based on their floor construction, control options, no. of zones etc.

Also the Uponor loyalty scheme (launched last February) has been developed to incorporate and invoice submission scheme alongside the website, allowing users to check point totals and view the gifts online. The homepage itself will also look considerably different with an e-learning (video clip) playing training clips actually on the homepage, plus an easier login procedure has been added. Of course all the existing information and links will still survive but in a useful or ‘user-friendly’ format. An advanced website gives us opportunity monitor customer activity, reduce printing costs, and supply quality information; all adding to our customer service.

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Stertil Stokvis has appointed Andrew Georgiou as General Manager of its Loading Bay Division.

Andrew has previously worked for one of the company’s competitors and has over eighteen years of experience in the loading bay equipment industry. His new role at Stertil Stokvis provides him with the chance to build on the company’s past achievements and he’s looking forward to the challenges ahead: “Stertil Stokvis has an enviable reputation for high quality products with innovative design features. I’m fortunate to be joining a market-leading company with many successes under its belt, but I’m certainly not complacent. Modern business is constantly changing and to meet the challenges it throws up, a company must be constantly striving to improve and move forward. I intend to build on the strong foundation at Stertil Stokvis and ensure that we are ready to meet those challenges.”

Stertil Stokvis has always emphasised the importance of manufacturing quality and Andrew Georgiou believes this is more crucial than ever: “The requirements placed on loading bays and dock levellers are greater than ever before and so it is vitally important for equipment to be robust, reliable and safe. We see many suppliers reduce their manufacturing costs and hence their prices by compromising the quality of their equipment and that’s something that Stertil Stokvis will never do.”

Stertil Stokvis is increasingly asked to replace equipment from other suppliers which is not up to the job. Dock levellers can be particularly vulnerable with broken welds, damaged lips and hinges and dished platform tops just a few examples of the problems encountered. Stertil Stokvis’s own dock levellers are manufactured from high-tensile steel for strength; platform tops are made in a single piece so as to eliminate weak spots; and increased weld contact makes lips and hinges more robust.

Always forward-looking, Stertil Stokvis has launched a brand new range of dock levellers to the market, including the first ever parallel-lip model which eliminates the problems associated with lip crown angles and hence improves health and safety for users. The new models were over two years in design and required an investment in production facilities of more than ?1 million. Extreme testing at prototype stages means that by the time a new model gets to production, Stertil Stokvis is confident enough of its quality to be the only company to provide a lifetime guarantee for its open-hinge lip system.

“The most important thing in this and many other industries is to delight your customer,” says Andrew Georgiou. “I have two rules: work hard and keep your promises, on time. These rules may be simple, but I believe they should still be the basis of doing business.”

Stertil Stokvis is a market leader with over 40 years’ experience in loading bays and dock areas. A comprehensive range of products includes inflatable shelters and dockseals; wheel guides; mobile yard ramps; dock bumpers and vehicle restraint systems, as well as both mechanically- and hydraulically-operated dock levellers. Stertil Stokvis was the first company in the industry to implement ISO9001 quality systems, SafeContractor health & safety systems and, in February 2007, became the first in the industry to achieve the ‘green credentials’ standard of ISO14001 for environmental management systems. During this process, the company has significantly reduced its energy consumption and reduced its landfill waste by 50%.

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Pressure has never been greater for businesses to perform efficiently and at speed. With the time constraints you have to work within, the last thing you need is a breakdown in your loading bay.

If you can’t get raw materials into the production cycle, it means you can’t take finished goods away. And if you’re not delivering, you’re probably not invoicing. The impact on your bottom line can be swift and serious.

You need to prevent costly breakdowns and thus avoid inefficient working – but how? Let Stertil Stokvis provide you with a proactive and well-planned maintenance regime, designed specifically around your operation. A regime like this will not only guard against breakdowns, but also keep you abreast of the latest regulations and health and safety requirements.

Using Stertil Stokvis as your service supplier will ensure:

• Fast response when you need it
  • We know that breakdowns don’t usually occur between 9 and 5, Monday to Friday, so we’re there when you need us.
• First time repairs
  • It’s no good to you if a supplier can respond quickly but, once on site, is unable to carry out the necessary repairs. All Stertil Stokvis engineers carry an extensive range of parts with them at all times.
• Flexibility
  • You need a service supplier who is flexible and able to adapt the service offered to your requirements. If your operation is busy at set times of the day, Stertil Stokvis will work outside of these hours, ensuring minimum disruption to your business.
• Legal compliance
  • Your service supplier needs to comply with all the current health and safety requirements for the equipment. Stertil Stokvis has strict compliance procedures in place and is externally audited by SafeContractor, an industry-recognised body.

Whilst it’s crucial initially to have a well-designed and installed loading bay incorporating quality products, ongoing efficient and reliable operation can only be ensured by effective service and maintenance. At Stertil Stokvis, we recommend you adopt a properly-planned maintenance strategy to make sure, not only that your dock equipment performs at optimum efficiency levels, but also that all necessary health and safety regulations are being met.

Call Stertil Stokvis on 0870 770 0471 for advice on maintaining your loading bay or to arrange a free, no-obligation site visit from a technical representative.

Stertil Stokvis – service you can trust.

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A little over a year ago, Daikin Europe launched its air to water Altherma heat pump heating and domestic hot water system in response to increasing energy prices and the growing movement towards the use of renewable energy sources.

The system has nominal heating capacities between 5.75 and 16kW, is some 3 to 4 times more energy efficient than traditional fossil fuel boilers and has been extended for use in conjunction with solar heating panels for the supply of domestic hot water.

Altherma produces hot water in a purpose designed stainless steel tank and the new Daikin solar kit enables this tank to be connected to a field supplied solar collector. The kit can be connected to current solar heating systems and incorporates special control software, which enables it to prioritise hot water production via the solar collector. If the solar collector is not able to provide sufficient energy, the system switches automatically to heat pump operation or to the booster heater in the water tank. This arrangement allows between 30 and 70% of the energy required for annual domestic hot water to emanate, free of charge, from the sun. In warmer climates this primary energy source can produce water temperatures as high as 90°C on the sunniest days of the year.

The Daikin solar kit comprises a heat exchanger and an insulated circulator pump, which is mounted onto the existing 200 or 300 litre Altherma water tank plus an electronic card providing the necessary communication between the various elements within the system.

During heat pump operation Altherma delivers hot water to the lower part of the water tank at 55°C, which can be boosted to higher temperatures by the electric heater in the upper part of the tank.

Benefits

Solar energy is, of course, free and available to some degree or other throughout the year. The running costs of a solar heated domestic hot water system are therefore, minimal. Furthermore, the system requires little or no maintenance after set-up and no extra room space is needed to achieve the additional increase in usable energy.

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