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One of Europe’s largest single sale of ‘close control’ systems has just been installed in the Data Centre of Internet Facilitators Ltd (IFL) to provide an additional 600kW cooling capacity ensuring the server operating environment is maintained at optimum temperatures.

The 12 City Multi PFD-P500VM-E downflow systems were supplied by wholesaler Kooltech and installed by Manchester based design, installation and maintenance contractor Charmeldon Ltd.

Charmeldon engineers worked closely with Kooltech’s Manchester office to co-ordinate the installation and commissioning works to a tight 10-week programme. Over 2,500 metres of refrigerant pipework was installed within the live data processing environment with minimal disruption to the client.

“IFL operates a Business Class Data Centre and has grown to become the largest provider of carrier neutral colocation services in Manchester,” explained Gary Hall of Charmeldon. “The facility operates 24/7, 365 days a year and provides resilient cooling and power to meet the demands of this state-of-the-art server environment.”

The Mitsubishi Electric PFD units deliver COPs of between 3.83 and 4.14 and met the client’s brief for a highly efficient, environmentally intelligent and scaleable cooling solution. The inverter-driven PFD units accurately and consistently control the temperature to within one degree and are capable of high sensible cooling (SHF) of up to 1.0 – dependant on conditions.

“The free-standing PFD downflow units were selected for their efficiency, reliability and ease of installation. The compact indoor / outdoor unit footprint utilises minimal floor space which is always a key consideration within these environments,” added Gary Hall.

IFL offers unrivalled facilities to businesses looking to outsource their data infrastructure with multiple Tier 1 telecommunications options and an extensive range of bandwidth suppliers offering drastically reduced costs to their customers. The 12 PFD units form part of an ongoing infrastructure investment and provide enhanced cooling efficiency to meet the demands of modern high density server applications.

“These models have other unique advantages over equivalent units such as not needing a goose neck oil trap and they also offer a starting current that is up to ten times less than other models on the market,” explained Kooltech’s Applications Engineer Alan Clarke, whose engineers stripped down the indoor units and reassembled them on site and incorporated inverters for soft start. These reduce the unit start current to just 5 Amps instead of 68 Amps which provides a significant reduction in running current representing a further energy saving for IFL.

Power resilience to the Data Centre is provided by standby generators and the PFD units also offer quick and sequential auto-restart as standard to ensure they are quickly back online should there ever be a utility power failure. The systems are networked / group controlled by a G50 controller providing the client with on site and web based status monitoring.

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Fakro GB’s new website includes information on a product range which has grown significantly each year since the company’s entry to the UK in 2000. The site contains a wealth of design ideas and specification information such as downloadable detail drawings and 3-D visualisations. Advice is also available on product selection, sizing and colour matching as well as step-by-step installation. An online shop is available for purchase of the company’s extensive choice of internal, external and installation accessories. With a 17% market share of the global roof window market, Fakro is still the only roof window manufacturer in the UK to have achieved both FSC accreditation for its timber sources and BBA certification.

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Anyone involved in the sport of scuba-diving knows the importance of having a dive buddy by your side with a complete set of secondary equipment on standby for use should the unexpected happen, well this summer the Mr Slim range of Outdoor units gets a dive buddy too, by the name of Duty-Standby.

Should the unexpected happen to the Mr Slim Master system, the Standby system will jump into action to ‘save the day’ providing an almost seamless transition between the primary and backup system.

This new Mr Slim Duty-Standby function is particularly suited to critical systems such as IT Server rooms. It can be used in three ways:

• The Back-Up function – if the Master systems fails then the Standby system takes over to provide continued service until the Master system can be restored to full operational status.
• The Rotation function – allows the two systems to operate alternatively switching every 1,3,5,7,14 or 28 days, this time period is user selectable. In this scenario the Master system operates and then after the preset time has expired, operation switches to the Standby system and this switching of operation continues back and forth every time the preset time expires. The ability to share operation and loads between two systems can increase time between maintenance visits as well as reducing downtime.
• The Join-In function – if the Master system is unable to reach the set temperature in cooling mode for example on a very hot day, the Standby system can join in to assist the Master system and to achieve the required temperature faster.

Selecting and configuring the Duty-Standby operation and settings can be achieved easily from the PAR-21 Wall mounted controller, supplied as the standard controller for the majority of the Mr Slim air conditioning range from Mitsubishi Electric.

These new functions are unique to the Mr Slim range and the Split system marketplace – for other systems more complex and expensive control solutions are required just to offer the same functionality that is offered by the new Mr Slim range as standard.

This new feature strongly reinforces the Mr Slim range as market leader in the split system marketplace, and increases the appeal of these systems for high availability critical system applications.

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As part of Hodgson Sealants’ drive to help the roofing & cladding industry more easily meet regulations for air tightness and thermal performance, the company has phased out its HP400 NFRC Class B sealant to establish its high performing, industry recognised, GCA NFRC Class A butyl sealant as the new minimum market offering.

“Sealants play a critical role in ensuring the tight standards of the Building Regulations are met”, comments Noel Burke, roofing specialist at Hodgson Sealants. “All too often this small but critical component is forgotten or selected based on price”.

“This is why we feel the GCA Class A sealant should be the minimum standard we put out to the marketplace. Contractors and Specifiers can have complete confidence that any Hodgson sealant that is specified will keep their building air tight and weatherproof”.

GCA can be used for a number roofing and cladding applications, including sealing external metal sheeting, end and side laps, rooflights, gutters and flashings, penetrations and roof and wall membrane sealing.

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In Brief,

• Investment in Decoiling Machine for Pre-Insulated Pipe
• Machine delivers a more professional service
• Significant investment into infrastructure

In a period of uncertainty surrounding manufacturers of construction based products, Uponor Housing Solutions is ‘bucking the trend’ in what has been a successful first six months of the year. One area in particular that has seen significant investment is Uponor Pre-Insulated pipe range, with the introduction of a new decoiling machine and its warehouse facility in Lutterworth. Uponor Housing Solutions are the leading suppliers of Pre-Insulated pipework in the UK priding themselves on both innovations and their willingness to adapt to modern methods of construction.

The decoiling machine has simplified the process of straightening out the pipe, cutting it to length, and recoiled it to be delivered to site, providing much needed assistance for the Uponor staff. Uponor were the first to offer the ‘cut to length’ service, however the demand for the product is such that a process needed to be implemented to ensure all the orders carried out in professional manner. Fixed lengths save money on costs by reducing unnecessary waste and time lost on site by cutting the pipe manually.

In a range containing seven different pipe configurations, Uponor’s Pre-Insulated pipe is able to transport a variety of liquids both inside and outside of buildings with minimal temperature differentiation. The system also comprises of a complete range of products for ‘heating’ and ‘hot and cold’ water supplies. Its material properties give long service life and as the pipes are low weight and highly flexible, they can be installed easily and quickly, even over obstacles and round corners.

“The new machine is a huge investment for us (Uponor), allowing us to provide a more professional service and to me it is a clear indication of our ambition to be a leading supplier of pipework in the UK. The decoiler is only one aspect of the warehouse design, as we have endeavored to increase the flow of traffic around the facility and making the best use of the addition 10,800ft2 we acquired this year. We have seen a lot of investment into our infrastructure the last couple of years; including installers training facilities for all our pipework systems, additional staff, and significant marketing support.” – Steve Randon (Supply Chain Manager)

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Eaton is introducing a completely new range of moulded thermoplastics wiring accessories to sit alongside its existing MEM ranges. The new EMA (Eaton Moulded Accessory) range features plates moulded from polycarbonate, making them extremely robust and resistant to cracking. This is matched by a stylish, modern appearance that will grace a wide range of residential and commercial interiors including homes, hotels, hostels, shops and offices.

Along with the pleasing modern appearance, tight fitting caps can also be fitted to conceal the fixing screws, rendering them inconspicuous and secure.

The range includes all the accessories likely to be required in normal applications including one- to four-gang lighting switches, retractive (bell-push) switches, intermediate switches, 20A and 45A double-pole switches, dimmers, 13A switched and unswitched socket-outlets and connection units, shaver supply units and three-pole isolator switches for extractor fans. It also includes matching communication outlets (TV, satellite, telephone master and slave outlets, RJ45/Cat 6 data outlets etc.)

A 16A key-card operated switch for hotel rooms is also offered as is a small range of grid plates suitable for use with Eaton?s MEM Spectra grid switch components. This makes it possible to produce custom-made plates incorporating special combinations of switches and other components including key-operated switches, emergency lighting test switches, neon indicators, slider dimmers and 20A DP switches with pre-printed legends (?Dishwasher?, ?extractor fan?, ?hob?, ?oven?, ?water heater? etc.) 15A round-pin switched socket-outlets and 16A universal 2-pin sockets are also included in the range.

Two spare screw cover caps are supplied with each accessory in case of loss or damage. The tight fit means that the caps cannot be removed easily by children; they have to be broken out using a small screwdriver or pointed tool.

EMA accessories are offered as a smart, robust, cost-effective alternative to Eaton?s existing ranges of moulded and metal plate accessories. The polycarbonate moulding is colour matched to suite with existing ranges. Features such as double-pole switching of switched socket-outlets and provision of two earth terminals in socket-outlets are again offered with the EMA range.

EMA accessories are independently approved to the appropriate BS and IEC standards.

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TENSAR INTERNATIONAL has taken an industry initiative to invest in the development of specialist software that enables engineers and contractors to calculate CO2 savings arising from the use of TriAx™ geogrids on specific ground stabilisation projects. In addition, using Tensar’s revolutionary TriAx™ geogrids in ground stabilisation applications can enable reductions in aggregate thickness of over 40% for the same load bearing performance, compared to traditional methods.

Developed in conjunction with consultants Coffey Geotechnics Limited, Tensar’s newly launched Carbon Calculator is an interactive tool available to all at our website that demonstrates the savings in carbon dioxide emissions that can be achieved by using Tensar TriAx™ geogrids in ground stabilisation applications.

“We believe we are the only geosynthetic manufacturer and supplier to have committed time and resource into exploring in detail the environmental impact of geogrid technologies used in ground stabilisation,” says Tensar’s David Cashman, Commercial Manager for Stabilisation Systems. “The innovative software shows that savings of up to 50% of CO2 emissions can be achieved on a typical road foundation project by using Tensar TriAx™ geogrids over more traditional designs.

“For example, our new TriAx™ geogrid can enable reductions in aggregate thickness of over 40% for the same load bearing performance. The CO2 reductions generated by reduced aggregate volume and associated transport, together with less excavation and disposal of spoil are then only partially offset by the carbon cost of the geogrid, offering a net saving of up to 50% of CO2 emissions. This clearly conforms to the Chartered Institute of Building’s Draft Strategy for Sustainable Construction.”

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With space at a premium in many homes, dual-purpose items are a boon. Clipper from the Aeon Collection is a radiator that not only looks fabulous, it doubles as a coat or towel rail, too!

The stainless steel masterpiece would look equally at home in the hallway, bathroom, kitchen or living room either as a statement piece in its own right or as a functional heating accessory.

Inspired by the barbers’ tool of the same name, Clipper incorporates Aeon’s unique patented Twister technology to twist the radiator bars through 90 degrees. The resulting bars reveal contrasting brushed and polished surfaces to striking effect. These are topped with a series of tapered points which can serve as hooks for towels or coats as required.

Clipper is available as a 1500mm length only, with 5,7 or 9 bars and outputs of 500-900W, suitable for electric or hot water systems. Price from £635 +VAT for the 5 bar model. (The 9-bar model, pictured, is £950 +VAT)

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Thorn Lighting today announces the re-launch of a faster and easier-to-use website – www.thornlighting.co.uk – featuring an electronic catalogue complete with lighting software downloads. The new site, which went live at the beginning of June, allows the visitor to view performance data on more than 6,000 luminaires with the ability to download up-to-the-minute product information, photometric data files, line drawings and photos.

Whether you’re an existing Thorn customer or a first time user the website is a one-stop shop for all your lighting needs. The user can navigate swiftly from initial ‘selection’ through design – immediately transferring the photometry provided into an opened DIAlux or Relux lighting calculation programme – to studying detailed installation guidance.

The much-improved site also features new product highlights, customer newsletters, a comprehensive events schedule and allows customers to request or download marketing materials.

Thorn’s newly-appointed Head of Electronic Media, Jon Butler, said: Following research that showed that lighting customers require two things from a website – speed of use and accuracy of product information – we have invested in the creation of an online product catalogue and redesigned our website to take full advantage of it.”

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