Monthly Archives: January 2016
Control your stress levels
Story
Dependable test results in an exceptionally wide range of applications are guaranteed with handheld insulation testers in the new MIT400 Mk 2 range from Megger. The new instruments feature feedback-stabilised test voltages that not only ensure tests are always carried out to specification, but also that the risk of overvoltage damage to circuits and components is minimal.
In addition to electrical installation testing, instruments in the new range are suitable for applications that include cable testing, motor testing, automotive maintenance, verification of electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions, testing of control panels and use in the avionics industry.
The range currently includes four models. The MIT400/2 is a competitively priced entry-level instrument with the capability to test insulation at 250 V, 500 V and 1000 V. The MIT410/2 adds test voltages of 50 V and 100 V as well as provision for polarisation index (PI) and dielectric absorption ratio (DAR) testing.
The MIT420/2 and MIT430/2 provide all the functionality of the MIT410/2, but add the invaluable new feature of variable test voltage, which can be set in 1 V steps from 50 V to 1000 V. This feature allows the instruments to cope with awkward insulation test requirements where standard test voltages may not be suitable.
The MIT420/2 and MIT430/2 also have facilities for internal storage of results, which can be subsequently download via a wireless Bluetooth link with the MIT430/2.
The MIT420/2 and MIT430/2 also include rechargeable battery capability, with chargers available for use from the mains supply, or from a vehicle accessory socket.
All models in the range offer an enhanced fast continuity test feature, with auto-ranging for measurements from 0.01 Ω to 1.0 MΩ. Continuity tests can be performed at either 200 mA or 20 mA, to suit the requirements of the application. The instruments also offer voltage measurement up to 600 V AC and DC, with AC measurements being true RMS (TRMS).
Megger’s new MIT400 Mk 2 insulation testers have been designed from the outset with safety in mind. They have a CAT IV 600 V safety rating in line with EN 61010, which means that they are suitable for use on all sections of low voltage electrical installations, and they incorporate live circuit detection and protection that automatically inhibits testing and provides a warning if the instrument is connected to a circuit where a voltage is present.
Like all Megger instruments, the new MIT400 Mk 2 insulation testers are built to withstand challenging on-site conditions without damage. They have a tough shock-absorbing rubber over moulding that provides excellent grip, and they feature weatherproof IP54 protection. In addition, the instrument has a bar at the top to allow the addition of future accessories, such as magnetic hanging straps and belt loops.
View Megger's profile:
Ancon to launch new products at Ecobuild 2016
Story
Double winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Ancon Building Products, continues to expand its range of high integrity structural fixings and will exhibit a number of new products at Ecobuild 2016 taking place at ExCeL, London from 8-10 March 2016.
On stand number E3080, Ancon will showcase its latest fixing innovations, suitable for new-build construction including low-energy residential developments. Products on show will include the lightweight Nexus® brick faced soffit system, a number of insulated balcony connectors and an exciting new development within the Teplo range of low thermal conductivity wall ties.
Developed in partnership with cut-brick specialist, Ibstock-Kevington, the new Nexus system is a lightweight simple-to-install solution to creating flawless brick soffits in any brick type. It combines brick-faced offsite-manufactured building modules with Ancon’s popular MDC brick support angle. Bringing together two industry experts in one product launch, Nexus provides quick and easy alignment on site without mechanical lifting.
Further reflecting the sustainability theme of the exhibition, Ancon will also be focusing on ways of helping building designers to meet their thermal performance aspirations.
A newly-extended range of Ancon insulated stainless steel connectors enable structural integrity to be maintained at steel and concrete balcony interfaces without compromising on thermal efficiency. Designed to create a thermal break in the construction, these connectors are proven through thermal modelling to help prevent condensation and mould growth.
For exhibition visitors involved in the super-insulated end of the market, including PassivHaus and Zero Carbon projects, EcoBuild 2016 will hold a special treat – the launch of an exciting extension to the award-winning Teplo range of ultra-low conductivity basalt fibre wall ties. By minimising insulation depth and wall footprint, these unique wall ties are already helping to shape low energy building design and this latest product development will see them become more user friendly for the installer, improving their all-round appeal.
Finally, visitors to the stand can get a taste of the company’s pro-active customer-focussed technical and sales support. Come and meet the Ancon team. If you would like to book an appointment with a member of staff to discuss your specific project or business requirements, please get in touch.
View Ancon's profile:
COMPOSITE CURTAIN WALLING TAKES ON ALUMINIUM – AND WINS
Story
REHAU Polytec 50 is an innovative composite curtain walling system designed to compete head on with aluminium offering improved strength and better thermal efficiency, without any compromise on slim sight lines or colour options.
The system was designed and developed by global polymer giant REHAU and has a high strength steel core which outperforms aluminium under load, an aluminium exterior face with slim 50mm profiles which can be powder coated in any colour, and a comfortable, ‘warm to the touch’ PVC interior.
It is also a traditional ‘Stick’ curtain walling system which uses the same profile for both transoms and mullions, making it easy to fabricate and easy to install with minimal wastage.
REHAU Polytec 50 has been Passivhaus certified and has a Uf value which can be as low as 0.74 W/m²K, so it is popular for use in public and private sector commercial projects, and in both new build and refurbed homes where the emphasis is on energy efficiency.
It has also recently been tested and certified to the CWCT standard test methods for building envelopes so can be used in new build developments where an NHBC certificate is required.
Recent installations at the newly opened St Marys student village at Bangor University, North Wales and in the Greenlaw Court apartment building in Ealing illustrate many of its strengths.
At St Mary’s village, for example, 23 REHAU Polytec 50 screens coloured anthracite grey on the exterior and white on the interior were installed at heights of up to 11.3m in new student halls built by Vinci Construction. REHAU’s composite system was preferred to aluminium primarily because it was more cost effective with no compromise on the aesthetics of the finished buildings, but also because of its better thermal performance and warmer internal face.
Similarly, at the high profile, eight storey 1960s Greenlaw Court, a 20m high curtain walling section in REHAU Polytec 50 was chosen to match the aesthetics of the steel section which it replaced and give the building’s residents better thermal performance with minimal requirements for maintenance.
REHAU Polytec 50 is on display in the new REHAU Hub in the Building Centre, London; and further information for architects and specifiers, including full technical specification, is available in a newly produced 16 page brochure which can be downloaded from the REHAU website via www.rehau.uk. -1-
As part of REHAU’s extensive support package for commercial specifiers which is branded ‘REHAU KNOWHAU’, the company also offers a RIBA approved CPD on high performance curtain walling.
This examines the different curtain walling options – ladder, stick, unitised and structural glazing and explains the differences between them and the most appropriate applications for each.
It also covers the key design criteria – from material, spans and fixings to finishes, glazing and ventilation; and there is a detailed focus on the load considerations which apply when calculating curtain walling designs.
The CPD can be booked via REHAU’s website at: www.rehau.uk
View Rehau's profile:
Podcast probes Marshall-Tufflex’s drive to support electrical installers
Story
Want to find out what market-leading cable management manufacturer Marshall-Tufflex is doing to make life easier for electrical contractors? Then tune-in to a new podcast that outlines how the British company is innovating and improving its products to save installers time and money on-site.
Marshall-Tufflex Technical Services Manager Nick Hayler talks about how they work closely with installers to improve products, giving an example of recent changes to the company’s best-selling and ever-popular Sterling range, which has been updated to offer 15% more cable capacity, is easier and quicker to fit and has a new clipping action to improve security.
Nick also discusses how Marshall-Tufflex is innovating the product development process through the use of 3D printing and strives to ensure it offers continuity of high quality trunking solutions and a wide range of products, sizes, colours and accessories, all backed up by the established and trusted Marshall-Tufflex brand.
To hear the podcast visit
or find it on You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXyW9hGyQ9U&list=PLS18Zwd_iWhK0XB1QvL6dramB37rlp5Gu&index=2
or SoundCloud
View Marshall-Tufflex's profile:
HAPAS-approved reinforcing bar couplers are another first from Ancon
Story
Ancon is pleased to announce its MBT mechanically-bolted couplers are the first reinforcing bar splicing system to be approved by HAPAS, the Highway Authorities Product Approval Scheme. This approval provides independent assurance of the product’s suitability for infrastructure work.
Ancon MBT ET-type couplers have been independently proven to have 100% strength of the bars being joined and exceed ‘Class D’ fatigue strength requirements (BS 5400-10C:1999).
The HAPAS certificate confirms MBT ET-type couplers meet the necessary requirements for proprietary mechanical joints in reinforcing bars given in the Manual of Contract Documents for Highways Works (MCHW)(1), Volume 1 Specification for Highways Works (SHW), Series 1700 Structural Concrete and Standard BD 24/92.
MBT-ET couplers are ideal for use when cutting out and replacing corroded reinforcement as part of a highway maintenance contract, where bar end threading or rotation would be impossible. They are available in sizes from 10mm to 40mm and join straight deformed high-yield carbon steel bars (grade 500) of the same diameter.
The two bar ends are supported within the coupler on two serrated saddles and are locked in place by a series of special lockshear bolts, the heads of which shear off when the predetermined tightening torque is reached to provide a visual check of correct installation.
The MBT-ET range has been rigorously assessed to a pre-agreed national approval arrangement that removes the need for individual UK highway authorities to carry out their own assessment of the product. The in-depth approval process involved laboratory testing, performance trials, material assessments and audits of Ancon’s manufacturing processes and quality controls.
Contact Ancon on 0114 275 5224 or email info@ancon.co.uk with details of your individual project requirements.
View Ancon's profile:
VMZINC – the only BBA certificates for warm roofs
Story
BBA certificates for the VMZINC ‘Compact roof using cellular glass insulation’ and ‘Structural roof using PIR or mineral board insulation’ have been updated and extended. The compact roof utilises Foamglas® cellular glass insulation to prevent the passage of water vapour and is therefore ideal for buildings with a high vapour drive such as swimming pools. Both systems are installed without mechanical fixings penetrating the insulation, thus greatly reducing scope for thermal bridging. VMZINC remains the only zinc manufacturer to have such accreditation and can additionally offer a BRE Green Guide A+ rating for the structural roof system.
View VM Zinc's profile:
FAKRO launches flat roof window in any RAL colour
Story
‘ColourLine’, an option with FAKRO DEF flat roof windows, enables outer cladding to be specified in any RAL colour from the Classic Palette. Whether to blend with a green roof, terrace landscaping or tiles on pitches up to 15°, thermally efficient glazing units provide an installed U-value as low as 0.76 W/m² – ideal for Passivhaus construction. White PVC interiors are ideal for bathrooms and wetrooms, while windows from 60 x 60 to 120 x 220 cm have a glazing area up to 16% greater than competitors’ windows of comparable size. All can be installed with an XRD upstand to add 15 cm height and on pitches from 2° to 15°.
View Fakro's profile:
NEW ONLINE RESOURCE FOR SPECIFIERS OF GROUND GAS PROTECTION SYSTEMS
Story
Triton has published a new website www.groundgasbarriers.co.uk dedicated to its new range of ground gas protection systems. The site is designed to help construction professionals fulfill the guidelines set out in the recently revised Code of Practice BS 8485: 2015, which explains how to prevent the entry of carbon dioxide and methane into new buildings, and which has been substantially expanded and revised to reflect changes in good practice and to reference recent guidelines produced by CIRIA and BRE.
The new site www.groundgasbarriers.co.uk introduces all Triton’s new gas protection products and includes liquid applied and sheet membrane systems. New Triton TGS-GM500 is a sheet membrane designed to prohibit the ingress of Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Radon. Where a barrier against explosive Hydrocardon gas is also required, new TGS-HCM1000 should be specified. Both membranes are highly puncture resistant and are designed to provide protection for the life of the building.
New TWS-EX100GM provides a solution when protection against ground gas as well as water/water vapour is required. This self-adhesive membrane is designed to provide protection against Methane and Radon as well fulfilling the requirements of Type A waterproofing as defined in BS 8102: 2009.
Where a liquid applied system is more appropriate, Triton’s established TT Vapour Membrane is available for retro-application as a waterproof and gas-proof membrane to concrete, masonry and brick substrates or as an alternative to sheet membranes in new construction.
A full range of ancillary products including fans, sumps, primers, tapes and components for sealing service entries is also available, as is training for specifiers and installers, and full back up and technical support. From the new site www.groundgasbarriers.co.uk , there are links to technical data sheets, NBS specification clauses and detail drawings.
View Triton Systems's profile:
New B2B communication options from BusinessNet Explorer
Story
Giant Peach introduces YouTube and SoundCloud options
The world of communications never stands still and as we enter 2016, there’s an exciting new option for companies looking to raise awareness of their products and services that makes that communication more powerful than ever before.
For UK Construction & Building Services and associated Manufacturing and Energy sector manufacturing and service provider businesses looking to communicate in a very targeted way with their trade target audiences, there’s a new option from an established internet portal that makes information gathering via the internet even simpler – and quite a lot more fun!
Giant Peach launched its first sector portal in 2001 and has since developed BusinessNet Explorer – a new multi-sector portal with a state-of-the-art customised search facility. BNE aims to significantly reduce the time taken for the business community to search for B2B internet options.
Giant Peach’s specialist team has already put together an impressive offering of product news and information access options via the BusinessNet Explorer portal, providing an easy to navigate and rewarding visit to the evolving BusinessNet. The company has now introduced a new BusinessNet Explorer YouTube channel and a SoundCloud podcast channel that makes trade news messages simple to listen to on the move and easy to gather information from.
The YouTube channel enhances the audio content from the SoundCloud channel based product news round and ‘special edition’ interview podcasts further by including supporting visuals. Both channels can easily be accessed via the BusinessNet Explorer home page www.BusinessNetExplorer.com
Both channel playlists include monthly product news round podcasts and a selection of ‘special edition’ podcasts featuring interviews with industry leaders covering topical industry issues, new products and product areas and new services available in the industry. The latest one available sees Nick Hayler, Technical Services Manager of Marshall-Tufflex, interviewed by Mick de Leiburne for BusinessNet Explorer covering a range of issues including the company’s investment in new manufacturing technology that assists them in bringing new product developments to market more quickly. The number of new podcasts available will grow in the weeks and months ahead to provide a library of interesting options available in an easily digested format that hasn’t been available in this sector before.
The initial podcasts are proving popular with the listeners and the companies involved in providing the information: “Our client Klober was extremely pleased to be contacted by us to determine whether they wanted to take advantage of BNE’s first podcast,” says Nigel Pittman at Pittman PR. “The number of individuals who listened in the first fortnight was very impressive, so we would recommend considering them as a worthwhile addition to extend marketing exposure.”
According to Mick de Leiburne, it’s all good news for Giant Peach: “It’s another new offering from Giant Peach that is a direct response from our customers to the need for new ways of sharing news and spreading messages in the sector. It’s a natural progression to the work we have been doing for several years and offers a value added service to the role we have performed successfully over that time. The value is more than doubled as the companies that are providing us with content for these podcasts are also making them accessible through their own web sites and communications processes. It’s just a way of increasing the exposure that companies can get for news stories, case studies and new product and services releases that they already produce and at the same time meeting the growing demand within the specifier and buyer community to have the option to access product news and information in audio and audio / visual formats.”
For more information on how you can spread the word through this exciting new medium, contact Mick de Leiburne via newmedia@BusinessNetExplorer.com or mobile 07971 081 620.
