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Estimation’s QuoteMaster quotation management module now incorporates advanced tools for managing Net Price Agreements (NPAs), increasingly used by suppliers to fix prices on key items for a pre-agreed term.

QuoteMaster provides an interface between the supply chain and Estimation’s Central Price File of materials used throughout Estimation’s software as well as to their Estimating and Procurement modules. This enables contractors to quickly prepare a list of materials, and then submit it electronically to suppliers as a request for quotation.

QuoteMaster interfaces to everyday tools such as Microsoft Excel and Word, into which suppliers can enter their prices for the contractor, so any need for proprietary item or vendor codes is eliminated. This also means there is no need for special product data or software. This overcomes the headaches from lack of industry wide unique product references.

As quotations are returned by suppliers, these are imported electronically into QuoteMaster, where the inbuilt adjudication screens assist the contractor in making easy comparisons and adjudicating between quotes received from multiple suppliers.

Once the contractor has finalised the choice of supplies, QuoteMaster posts the Net Prices from the supplier into the Estimation software, ready to be used when preparing estimates and raising purchase orders.

To make life even easier, Net Price Agreements are stored, ready to be refreshed at any time. So as the current agreement is drawing to a close, it is quick and easy to resend the Request for Quotation to suppliers and refresh the Central Price File with their latest Net Price Agreement.

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Vaisala has introduced new versions of the ultrasonic wind sensor, the Vaisala WINDCAP® Ultrasonic Wind Sensor WMT52, and the weather transmitter, the Vaisala Weather Transmitter WXT520. Both instruments use ultrasonic technology for measuring horizontal wind speed and direction. In addition the WXT520 measures liquid precipitation, barometric pressure, temperature and relative humidity – all in one instrument.

The maintenance-free ultrasonic Vaisala WINDCAP® Sensor, in both the WMT52 and WXT520, ensures accurate readings from any horizontal wind direction avoiding blind angles and corrupted readings. In the WXT520 the Vaisala RAINCAP® sensor measures precipitation, providing data on accumulated rainfall, rain intensity and duration, all in real time.

Both the WXT520 and WMT52 have a housing and mounting kit that is water resistant with an IP66 classification. The transmitters have new interface cards and they are ROHS compliant.

A number of optional features are offered, such as, heating, a bird-deterrent spike kit, a USB connection, and a new surge protector. The wind and rain sensors can be equipped with heating to improve the availability of correct measurement data also in severe weather conditions. The USB connection facilitates the connection to a PC as a service connector, or when the PC is used as a terminal device. The Vaisala Surge Protector WSP152 is designed to protect the host PC against surges that may be entering through the USB port.

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A wide range of Mapei products have recently been used in the construction of The Braid, Ballymena’s new Museum and Arts Centre. Consarc Design Group, Belfast, designed this prestigious flagship project, which has been developed with support from the Heritage Lottery fund and the Arts Lottery Fund. The new Museum explores the history of mid-Antrim from earliest times to the present day.

A system of Mapei products including levelling compound, adhesives and coloured grout was selected to prepare substrates and install and finish ceramic and porcelain wall and floor tiles. Tiling contractors, J & R Keys Tiles Ltd of Ballymena, supplied and installed the tiles on behalf of the main contractor, Patton Construction.

Mapei Latexplan, a premier two-component levelling compound was used to smooth mechanically abraded screeds to receive the tiled floor finishes. The low odour, protein-free product is self smoothing and suitable for levelling differences in thickness from 1-10mm.

A variety of tile types and sizes were specified for the project and Mapei were able to provide perfect product solutions for all of these. In the reception area and other ground floor locations 550m² of Imola Time Porcelain Tiles 1200×600 were installed with Mapei Granirapid in grey. A two-component, rapid setting adhesive, Granirapid is particularly suitable for installing large format porcelain and stone material which are subject to heavy traffic.

Mapei Keraflex Maxi white was used to install 700m² of Kronos 600×600 Lux white porcelain floor tiles on the first and second floor areas. Keraflex Maxi is a super single part flexible S1 adhesive suitable for thin or thick bed fixing of ceramic, porcelain and stone materials.

Mapei Keraquick, fast-setting flexible S1 adhesive was used in the toilet and bathroom areas including shower stalls to fix Pilkington Matrix tiles in cream to floor areas and Vogue tiles in a vibrant purple on the walls.

The most challenging areas to be tiled were the staircases and lift interiors which were all based on a steel frame. For this application Mapei Keralastic proved the ideal solution, the two-component polyurethane adhesive is particularly suitable for installing ceramic and stone materials on metal substrates.

All tile joints were finished with Mapei Ultracolor Plus fast-setting and drying cementitious grout for joint widths from 2-20mm which was suitable for both walls and floors. It’s DropEffect® Water-repellent and BioBlock® anti-mould properties make it ideal for wet areas including power showers. Available in 26 different colours there was a shade of Ultracolor Plus for all of the tile applications.

Mapei is the world’s largest manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for building. With over 70 years experience, Mapei is a specialist in the production of quality products for the installation of all types of wall and floor coverings, and has a vast range of admixtures and repair products for concrete and building materials.

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Uponor have appointed Peter Roberts as the new Vice president of their UK & Ireland operations. Peter joins Uponor from Kingspan where he was Managing Director of the Pollution Control businesses. He has also held senior positions in other market leading building materials companies and an extensive knowledge of the construction industry.

Uponor Housing Solutions is the flexible plumbing and underfloor heating provider, specialising in producing systems for liquid transfer within the domestic and commercial markets. During the last five years Uponor has experienced continual growth, and 2008 will be no exception, despite adverse market conditions. The recent growth is linked to a number of key factors mainly centring on changing attitudes towards the speed, convenience and affordability of plastic plumbing. Peter joins the company at a time of significant UK investment, which will result in Uponor UK providing improved flexibility and availability to its UK distributors and customers.

Peter is looking forward to his challenge of increasing the awareness of the Uponor brand and products; further improving customer service and driving market share in flexible plumbing and underfloor heating sectors.

“Uponor is a strong market leading brand across Europe, with innovative and competitive products. The experience gained through a market and manufacturing presence throughout Europe and North America allows us to present tried and proven solutions to our underfloor heating, plumbing and housing connection customers.”

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Eaton has extended its Mempower MP medium power busbar range with a new 800A rating. This means that it is able to offer the 800A rating in either its air-insulated MP range (previously offered in 125A-630A ratings) or its 500-6300A Mempower XP low impedance range. The full Mempower range is described in a new 38-page Product Guide.

Mempower MP is a versatile, cost-effective busbar trunking system used extensively in residential blocks, hotels, department stores, hospitals, offices and industrial installations. It is often used for vertical risers and offers tap-off units every third of a metre. These include switch disconnectors, fuses, fuse combination switches, moulded-case circuit-breakers or miniature circuit-breakers.

The new 800A rating offers a competitively-priced option at this rating. Short time withstand rating is 25kA for one second. It is offered in four-bar and five-bar options. The five-bar option provides an integral earth conductor which avoids the necessity to use the casing as an earth conductor.

Meanwhile Mempower XP is a low impedance system for higher power ratings (500-6,300A). It has a 40kA short time withstand rating. A ?sandwich? construction of conductors and solid insulation results in a compact, high-performance system with low heat loss. The unique Mempower XP ?velocity angle? dispenses with the need for a separate 90° angle joint and the radial velocity can be specified where an edge angle is required between 0° and 90°.

?The new 800A MP rating enables us to offer a genuine choice between a competitively-priced air-insulated system at the top end of the medium-power range and a compact, high-performance system with a higher fault rating? says Steve Witham, Eaton?s Product Manager for busbar trunking.

The entire Mempower busbar trunking range, including the new 800A MP rating, is detailed in a new Product Guide that is available from Eaton or downloadable on www.memonline.com/publications. This includes the 23-63A Lux lighting trunking range, 40-125A low power, 125-800A medium power and 500-6,300A XP low impedance busbar trunking systems.

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As one of the foremost loading bay equipment suppliers, Easilift Loading Systems continues to win major contracts from some of Europe’s leading companies.

The Kirkburton, Huddersfield-based company, part of the Loading Systems International Group, provides everything necessary for the safe, efficient and profitable operation of loading bays. This includes dock levellers, shelters, seals, dock pods systems, industrial doors, high speed doors, vehicle restraints and lifting platforms, together with an extensive range of accessories and safety aids.

Easilift was also one of the first loading bay equipment suppliers to achieve the prestigious SAFEcontractor Health and Safety Accreditation. SAFEcontractor is a scheme that independently assesses the health and safety competency of contractors in a variety of fields and, as such, confirms to prospective clients that effective policies and systems are in place.

The company, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2006, has a customer base that is a roll call of some of the biggest names in UK manufacturing, retailing, logistics, distribution and the service sectors.

Including organisations such as Arla Foods, Boots, Cadbury Trebor Bassett, Innovate Logistics, Instore, Laura Ashley, Londis, Morrisons, Next, Nisa-Today’s, Power Logistics, Ryvita, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Viking Direct and Walkers.

Sales Director, Dave Whyatt, said: “Easilift is now firmly established as one of the top loading bay equipment suppliers in the UK and sales have consistently increased as our customers continue to build new warehouse & distribution centres, as well as refurbishing existing premises.”

“Our continuing successful business development is testament to the extremely high levels of customer satisfaction being achieved, reflected in the fact that around 60 per cent of new orders are from our existing clients.”

Mr Whyatt considered that the company’s success was due in no small way to the positive commitment of its staff, coupled with its comprehensive resources, including an in-house design team, together with experienced engineers available to advise on the most efficient and productive installation.

This is complemented by a full installation and after-sales service, including preventive maintenance programmes designed to avoid costly loading bay down-time.

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AMTECH Power Software has launched HeatSmart, providing heating installers with all of the benefits of the popular and respected Mear Calculator on a Pocket PC.

Included in AMTECH’s GasCert Plus package or available as a stand-alone product, HeatSmart includes two easy to use calculators –Central Heating for calculating radiator sizes for individual rooms and Boiler Sizing for calculating the boiler size for a whole premises. Simply enter customer’s details, then enter dimensions and select variables from the dropdown lists to generate the radiator or boiler size required.

All calculations are displayed immediately on the Pocket PC and can also be saved for generating and printing reports later. Company details are stored on the Pocket PC to save entering them for each report.

HeatSmart also provides a complete audit trail to demonstrate compliance with relevant regulations and best practice procedures.

M. H. Mear director David Mosley commented: “We have spent a long time looking for a software partner that would complement our own strengths and add value to the physical calculator. AMTECH’s expertise and impressive track record provide very strong synergies to the M H Mear offering.”

“Our GasCert program has shown us there’s a huge appetite for mobile solutions among heating engineers,” added AMTECH sales director James Cooper. “Mear’s First Principles calculator is an essential tool for heating engineers so we can be confident the enhanced electronic version will be very warmly received by the trade,” he concluded.

HeatSmart is an ideal complement to AMTECH’s GasCert software. GasCert is designed for producing landlord/home owner gas safety records, gas warning advice notices and minor electrical works certificates. GasCert and GasCert Plus are available in both desktop and mobile versions.

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We are all aware of the current economical crisis the UK is suffering at the moment. House prices are falling and estate agents are selling less than one property a week. With this in mind consumers are looking to update their existing homes to increase their value. A wetroom makes a statement and adds real value to any property.

Impey’s innovative Aqua-Grade wetroom floor former is the perfect product to use when fitting a wetroom into a new build or extension. The design allows for it to be laid at the same time as the concrete floor and produces a perfect 1:40 gradient. You simply fit the colour coded sections of the Aqua-Grade matrix together to form a pattern and then screed over the top. The modular construction of the matrix system means that the wetroom area can be as big or as small as necessary. It is suitable for use with insulated floors and compatible with underfloor heating.

Impey can provide you with everything that is needed to install a wetroom, saving you time and money. Please visit www.impey-showers.com to see our full range of pumps, drainage, waterproofing, underfloor heating and shower screens. Impey is also a wetroom training Centre of Excellence.

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Faster vehicle loading and unloading with less manhandling is being achieved at Firebox.com as a result of using Thorworld loading bay equipment.

The on-line retailer, which specialises in toys and games for boys of all ages, recently moved to larger 47,000 sq ft warehouse premises in Croydon which has four loading docks.

Thorworld supplied counter-balanced drawbridge type dock levellers to two of the docks used by courier vehicles. During the busy pre-Christmas sales period, which runs for three months starting in October, as many as 15 collections are made each day.

The levellers are ideal for fitting to existing docks as they eliminate the need for any structural work, with any height differences between the vehicle and dock self-compensating.

Strong springs counterbalance the levellers during lifting and lowering, and safety side curbs are fitted as standard. When not in use the levellers are stored and locked in the vertical position.

Both bays with counter-balanced levellers were also fitted with a steel goalpost and protective bumper supports.

A third bay used to unload containers bringing in products from overseas has been equipped with a Thorworld hinged ramp combination unit that sits inside the warehouse doors.

The unit consists of a hinged type ramp and a hinged bridge plate, with additional dock bumpers and associated vehicle protection equipment.

Thorworld hinged bridge plates are manufactured from high tensile aluminium alloy and are available in capacities from 500 to 4,000kg. They have a safety tread finish and 75mm guidelines painted on the edges.

The combination unit is easily moved via cuts-outs under the ramp, built to suit fork lift or pallet truck design. Optional locking pins and a handrail are available for increased safety.

The fourth bay was fitted with a dock plate, for more lightweight applications in busy periods.

Steve Low, Operations Director for Firebox.com said that considerable time savings were being achieved now that they now longer had to manually load and offload vehicles.

Thorworld is firmly established as a leading, one-stop, single source supplier to the loading bay and materials handling sectors, and is recognised as both a leader and innovator in the provision of quality engineered equipment.

BSI registered with ISO 9002 accreditation since 1992, as well as CE mark certification, it was one of the first companies in the industry to achieve the ISO 9001:2000 international quality management standard.

The company provides a comprehensive selection of high quality loading & unloading equipment and loading bay accessories & safety aids, such as: dock shelters & seals, dock levellers, modular loading docks, dock plates & boards, dock & vehicle bumpers and wheel chocks, as well as the Truckloada mobile yardlift and the Dockloada scissor lift platform.

The Thorworld product range also includes their market leading mobile yard ramps.

Ideal for the fast and efficient loading and unloading of vehicle trailers and containers by fork truck, particularly where there is no raised loading dock, the ramps are CE marked and conform to all European quality & safety standards and legislation.

Available as Standard, Deluxe and Super Deluxe (light, medium and heavy duty) models, with 7,000 kg, 10,000 kg, 12,000 kg or 15,000 kg capacities and in lengths from 11 to 12.2 metres, Thorworld mobile container loading ramps are ruggedly built of solid beam construction, with a serrated open grid deck for positive traction in all weathers.

In addition to outright purchase, a ramp rental facility is also provided through the company's RentARamp operation, with a sale or return option.

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