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Leading European pump manufacturer Wilo has celebrated the opening of its transformed UK head office in Burton-upon-Trent following the official opening of the extended facilities by Boris Lombard, Senior Vice President for Wilo’s EU region recently.

The £500,000 extension has transformed the UK head office providing a new and welcoming reception area, extending the office facilities significantly, extending the warehousing areas and adding a new and enlarged Training facility.

The Managing Director of Wilo UK is Gary Mannus: “We’ve seen impressive growth year on year in terms of market share here in the UK and it became clear a while back that we were out-growing our existing head office facilities here in the Midlands. We have expanded our team quickly in the past year or so and we needed additional space to provide an enhanced level of comfort to our employees. We also needed to respond to the increasing requirement for product training from our customers and it was clear we needed more space to do this in the way we wanted to do it. After looking at all the options we decided that expansion here on our current site was the best option and the results of the work we’ve done speak for themselves. We were delighted to be able to welcome some of our senior colleagues from Wilo SE in Germany – Boris Lombard – Senior Vice president Region EU+ – and Marc Stiebing – Senior Vice President Market Segment Building Services – for the official opening. ”

Boris Lombard enjoyed the occasion and was pleased to be able to be on hand to cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the new offices: “These new facilities for Wilo UK are excellent and it was a privilege to be here to declare them officially open,” he said. “Wilo UK continues to make great strides in its marketplaces and these larger premises will play a key part in the further expansion of our business here in this country.”

Gary Wheatley is Wilo UK’s Technical Training Manager and he’s delighted with his new training facilities: “The new training area gives our visitors the opportunity to see Wilo products being operated within a classroom environment in a simulated ‘real life’ installation arrangement. Here at Wilo, we believe strongly in the concept of “learning by doing” – classroom teaching is all well and good and part of the process, but nothing beats actually being able to get your hands on the products and learn how to operate them in a real life scenario.”

Wilo UK offers a wide range of pumps for all applications from small domestic circulators to large commercial pumps. Pumps for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration, water supply and sewage pumps and lifting plants – the range is massive. Wilo also provides a comprehensive servicing capability.

For more information on Wilo pumps and pumping system solutions, click on to www.wilo.co.uk or call 01283 523 000 to talk to the Wilo experts.

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Hep₂O, the professional plumber’s push-fit plumbing system from Wavin, is showcasing its next generation of products at the PHEX Show this Winter.

Visitors to stands two and three at Stamford Bridge on 8 December, will be able to trial the latest evolutions in the Hep₂O flexible plumbing range for the very first time and find out how the technological advancements within the new products will give professional installers unparalleled security for any plumbing job.

Backed by a 50-year guarantee, the revolutionary new Hep₂O range features a unique and patented system called In4Sure™ joint recognition technology. The profiled end of the re-designed SmartSleeve™ interacts with the castellations inside the Hep₂O fitting – enabling the user to simply push the pipe in, twist and feel the ‘rumble’ to make a fully secure connection, meaning the installer knows for certain when the pipe is fully inserted.

Visitors will be able to test the Hep2O next generation range and see for themselves how easily pipes can be released using the HepKey™ demounting system. Available in two types, the HepKey Plus™ tool will clip onto the fitting, depress the inner sleeve and hold the grab ring open while the smaller pocket size HepKey™ clips around the pipe to release the system with minimum effort – preventing any accidental release or tampering with the system.

Hep₂O experts will be on hand throughout the event to offer advice to those interested in trialing the range for themselves.

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Equally at home in the laboratory, the workshop or in the field, on the bench or on the ground, Megger´s new heavy duty DLRO10HD low resistance ohmmeter combines rugged construction with accuracy and ease of use. It features an internal rechargeable battery and can also operate from a mains supply, even if the battery is completely flat.

• High or low output power selection for condition diagnosis
• Rechargeable battery or line power supply, continuous operation, even with dead battery
• 10 A for 60 seconds, less time waiting to cool, great for charging inductance
• High input protection to 600 V, inadvertent connection to line or UPS voltage will not blow a fuse
• Heavy duty case: IP 65 lid closed, IP54 operational (battery operation only)
• Rotary switch selects one of five test modes, including auto start on connection, giving ease of use

Tough work horse
Equally at home in the laboratory, the workshop or in the field, on the bench or on the ground, Megger´s new heavy duty DLRO10HD low resistance ohmmeter combines rugged construction with accuracy and ease of use. It features an internal rechargeable battery and can also operate from a mains supply, even if the battery is completely flat. Like all models in the DLRO10 range, the DLRO10HD, when used with optional terminal insulating test leads, is rated CATIII, 300 V in line with IEC61010.

This versatile new test set is built into a tough but easy–to–carry case that provides an IP65 ingress protection rating when closed and an IP54 rating when the instrument is in use and operating from battery power.

Easy to use with gloved hand
The instrument´s rotary switch controls are convenient to operate even with gloved hands, and it incorporates a large backlit liquid crystal display that can be easily read from a considerable distance.

With 0.1 µO resolution, 0.2% basic accuracy, and a dedicated mode for use with inductive loads, the DLRO10HD is ideal for applications as diverse as checking the integrity of welded joints and verifying winding resistance in large motors and transformers.

To provide maximum versatility, this innovative test set not only features high compliance but also offers user–selectable high or low power ranges. The high power < 25 W ranges (measuring up to 250 mO at 10 A , or 2.5 O at 1 A) are ideal for heating a weakness or charging inductive loads. The low power ranges are power limited to 250 mW for applications where it is desirable to avoid heating the item under test.

Choice of test modes
The instrument offers a choice of five test modes. In normal mode, the test is initiated by pressing the “test” button. The instrument verifies continuity of all four connections, and then applies the test current in both forward and reverse directions before displaying the result. In automatic mode, the test starts as soon as the probes make contact with the item under test.

Automatic unidirectional mode is the same as automatic mode, but the test current is applied in one direction only. This reduces the testing time, but thermal EMFs from contact between dissimilar metals may reduce the accuracy of the results.

Continuous mode makes repeated measurements at three–second intervals on the same sample. Inductive mode is, as the name suggests, optimised for tests on motors, transformers and other inductive loads, supplying a full 10 Amps for 60 up to seconds.

DLRO10HD heavy–duty low resistance ohmmeters from Megger are supplied, as standard, with a set of test leads fitted with high–quality duplex hand spikes featuring lights to remotely indicate when a test is complete or inadvertent connection to live supply. Test leads with Kelvin clips are also available as an option.

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The next generation of Hep₂O is about to hit the market – providing professional installers with a technologically advanced range of white push-fit fittings which give unparalleled security for any plumbing job.

Following several years of research with professional plumbers which highlighted the key issues they face, the revolutionary new range features a hidden advantage – a unique and patented system called In4Sure™ joint recognition technology. This means the installer now knows for certain when the pipe is fully inserted. The profiled end of the re-designed SmartSleeve™ interacts with the castellations inside the Hep2O fitting – enabling the user to simply push the pipe in, twist and feel the ‘rumble’ to make a fully secure connection.

Another design feature of the next generation Hep₂O range is the ease with which pipes can be released. The new demounting system uses a HepKey™ to make releasing quicker and easier. There are two types of HepKey™ available – the HepKey Plus™ clips onto the fitting, depresses the inner sleeve and holds the grab ring open while the smaller pocket size HepKey™ clips around the pipe to release the system with minimum effort. HeyKeys™ will be included in all pipe coils and packs of popular fittings to ensure the installer always has one to hand.

“Next generation Hep₂O meets the criteria set out by installers during our research and development phase,” explains Gareth Samuel, Product Manager. “During our research, installers told us that if there was a way they could easily tell that a secure joint has been made, it would be a real benefit. We wanted to develop a system that would give installers total confidence, and we believe next generation Hep2O offers this and much more.

“In4Sure™ is the hidden advantage. It’s been designed so installers have no doubt when the pipe has been inserted correctly. The system allows installers to actually feel when the joint has been made so that on busy and often noisy sites, fitting the product is intuitive. It’s very simple to use but ingenious at the same time. The clever HepKey™ demounting system helps to prevent any accidental release or tampering with the system, giving further peace of mind.

“We also received feedback from plumbers that a slimmer, white range would be more attractive in areas that are highly visible. By listening to what they wanted and providing solutions to their common problems, we feel confident installers will see next generation Hep₂O as a major step forward in plumbing. Our confidence in the product is further illustrated by our industry leading 50-year guarantee.”

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The Lopak II is a welcome addition to Thorn’s LumExpress contractor range, providing a sleek low bay for factories, warehouses, sports halls and DIY outlets all in one box. Taking either HST or HIT (250W/400W) lamps it provides 20 per cent more light than its predecessor, is easy to install, has low running costs, and offers years of reliable performance.

By mounting the lamp horizontally, and siting the gear at one end of the fitting, the overall depth is kept to 163mm, making it suitable for ceilings as low as five metres and more portable for the installer and stockist. A quick-fix bracket and detachable gear tray simplifies electrical connection and maintenance.

Optional ‘tool less’ accessories include a wire guard, plastic cover and rack reflector and added safety comes via a timed ignitor and integrated auxiliary lamp options.

With Lopak II the economies of lower energy consumption and fewer fittings to be bought and maintained become available to users who want a simple, inexpensive but compact discharge luminaire.
www.thornlighting.co.uk

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The new £60 million flagship operations centre of Severn Trent Water, built by BAM Construct UK, has recently been opened for business in St. Johns Street, Coventry. The prestigious 170,000 ft2 complex, which features air conditioning fan coil units manufactured by Ability Projects Ltd, will eventually house around 1700 staff.

Ability Projects supplied a variety of 2 pipe cooling only horizontal ceiling recessed EC-DC VE”70 and vertical EVOVERT fan coil units to the general office accommodation areas with capacities between 1.68 and 6.3kWat an NR35 operational noise environment of 35 Pascals resistance. The vertical units, installed in a number of meeting rooms, are all fitted with special rectangular spigots and some also have special split access panels for easy maintenance. EC-DC Evolution fan coils are state of the art units offering reductions in electrical input of 75% and above compared to similar capacity AC driven equivalents plus infinite speed control and minimal heat generation.

Considered to be one of the most significant commercial projects in the region, the highly energy efficient building features a range of advanced technologies including thermal adaptive cooling, biomass boilers, photovoltaic panels, solar panels, underfloor displacement ventilation and rainwater harvesting. Designed to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standards, the centre will enable Severn Trent Water to close a number of its less carbon and cost efficient buildings. The 38 metre high unit in fact, is said to possess one of the lowest carbon footprints for any UK commercial office building. Contractors for the project were Balfour Beatty Engineering Services.

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In terms of security a product has to be tested to virtual destruction to determine whether it truly performs. Even so, the ultimate proof is a real life situation and in the case of FAKRO’s topSafe® system the results of an attempted burglary speak for themselves.** 3 FTP-V windows in conservation style were targeted because views of the roof were obscured from the ground. The burglars were doubtless aware of the ease with which many well known roof windows can be opened but attempts in this case met with total failure despite the evident use of a crowbar. Though the damage was clearly significant, repair was possible as FAKRO’s windows are all designed to be broken down for ultimate recycling.

The patented, topSafe® system is not used by any other manufacturer and provides the highest standard of security and safety currently available as standard (Class 3 – EN 13049). It employs a combination of additional steel reinforcement built into the lower part of the sash, improved lock security and longer screws driven in at an angle to prevent hinges being ruptured. U.K. Sales Director Phil Adams commented, “topSafe enables the window sash to withstand even the weight of an individual jumping on it. As a result, a number of FAKRO windows achieve EN13049 Class 4 when many competitors’ products barely meet basic standards of lock security”.

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U1000 – Permanent/fixed clamp-on flow metering solution

Sub-metering of hot and chilled water services to monitor, control and manage water and energy consumption is an area of growing demand in building services and energy management. But the installation process including system drain down, pipe cutting etc has always been a significant cost and barrier to wider application of sub-metering. At last a solution from the longest established manufacturer of clamp-on, ultrasonic meters has arrived, the U1000 from Micronics. Building on their many years of experience and success in this area, Micronics has now developed a cost-engineered, factory configured water flow measurement solution to facilitate the wider use of water sub-metering and flow measurement for energy monitoring.

The U1000 is a simple out of the box, onto the pipe meter or flow measurement solution with no programming or specialist engineering required! Simply tell Micronics your pipe size and they will send you a factory configured meter, ready to clamp-on and produce flow information in minutes. All you have to do is clamp the unit to the pipe, release the sensor clamps, connect power and enter the pipe size. Yes it really is that simple because Micronics have listened and simple installation is a key design feature. Another cost-effective alternative to expensive in-line meter installation from Micronics, plus dry servicing, providing minimum downtime and maximum availability!

The U1000 is a transit time ultrasonic flow meter designed to work with clamp-on transducers, to provide accurate measurement of liquid flowing within a closed pipe, without the need for any mechanical parts to be inserted through the pipe wall or to protrude into the flow system. It takes just a few minutes to install and there is no need to shut down flow or drain the system!

So if you need a stand-alone water meter or sub-metering of hot and chilled water services as part of your aM&T or BEM’s system the U1000 should be a must consider solution.

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Marshall-Tufflex’s new ‘Trunking for Education Environments’ brochure provides a one-stop-shop cable management information source for all those involved in delivering the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

As the UK’s largest manufacturer of cable management products, Marshall-Tufflex has been supplying its perimeter trunking and underfloor systems to educational facilities for more than 30 years, giving it unrivalled knowledge and understanding of the sector.

Its new clear and concise literature explains the benefits and technical details of different trunking profiles (from Compact 2 Trunking where installation space maybe an issue to Odyssey, the only all-curved profiled trunking system on the market). The brochure also discusses which systems are available in aluminium and steel as well as PVC-U, and those that offer Part M and Cat 6 compliance.

“Trunking for Education Environments is aimed at design teams and architects, plus main and electrical contractors, all of whom are tasked with delivering projects to the required functionality,” said Chris Scott, Marshall-Tufflex product manager. “We have 30 years of experience in this field and a range of tried and tested products and systems that meet these needs. Importantly, we can also cater for bespoke requests, for example long sections of curved trunking or multi port data and power modules for computer suites, laboratories and design technology facilities, or creating one-off designs in order to meet more imaginative architectural aspirations.”

As well as a comprehensive range of systems available in PVC-U, steel and aluminium, Marshall-Tufflex also offers the latest technology in plug-and-play power connection to reduce installation time on site through its MT32 system, a rapid-fit power distribution system for underfloor, perimeter containment, dry wall installations and lighting layouts. It is ideal for projects that have limited timescales as MT32 minimises ‘on site’ installation time.

In addition, the company has developed Bio Trunking Solutions which have an antimicrobial solution integrated into the PVC-U during manufacture to prevent 99.9% of harmful bacteria growth on the cable management system. Bio Trunking has been tested to ISO 22196:2007, is compliant with the European Biocidal Products Directive and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

The new schools brochure contains technical details, dimensions and cable capacities, standards and approvals, compliance with Part M and Cat 6, together with exploded drawings and details of the systems’ many features and benefits, compatibility with the MT32 Power Connection System and Marshall-Tufflex’s commitment to environmental excellence.

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REHAU will shortly become the first manufacturer to extrude pre-insulated polymer pipework in the UK for use in biomass and district heating applications.

Production of REHAU’s RAUVITHERM pipework will start at REHAU’s factory in Blaenau, North Wales in May and will offer UK based contractors and specifiers a local source of pipe with a lower carbon footprint and improved lead times.

Martin Hitchin, REHAU’s Chief Executive, commented on the move: “We have invested in new manufacturing technology at our largest UK factory in order to meet growing demand from the market for a UK produced pipe.

“It will be produced to exactly the same specification and quality as the RAUVITHERM pipework which we currently supply from our factory in Germany but will have a much lower carbon footprint.”

This is the latest positive indication of REHAU’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions across the entire supply chain and will start to have an impact almost immediately. The carbon savings will be ongoing and are expected to increase significantly as demand for the product continues to surge in the UK.

Steve Richmond, Business Team Leader for REHAU’s Renewable Energy products, added: “In the past year, REHAU has seen sales of RAUVITHERM increase by 100%. This is being driven by the booming UK biomass and district heating markets and, more recently, by the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme launched in November 2011.

“By transferring production to the UK, we will have greater flexibility to meet this growing demand and will be able to offer customers shorter lead times.”

RAUVITHERM is a pre-insulated PE-Xa pipe constructed with layers of cross linked PE insulation and a robust HDPE outer jacket which is longitudinally watertight. It is popular in the UK market because of the high degree of flexibility it offers which simplifies and speeds up installation and because it uses REHAU’s renowned EVERLOC compression sleeve jointing system – proven millions of times in heating and plumbing applications to deliver a permanent leak free joint.

REHAU provides design support for RAUVITHERM installations, assisting specifiers and contractors with pipe sizing, heat loss calculations and drawing up bill of materials from heat network drawings.

RAUVITHERM is part of REHAU’s package of solutions for the district heating market which also includes closed cell RAUTHERMEX pre-insulated pipework, RAUGEO ground source energy solutions and underfloor heating systems.

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