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Leading cable management manufacturer Marshall-Tufflex’s Odyssey trunking system’s curved profile and smooth lines have ensured a sleek look at new office development, Kings Ash House in Torbay.

Supplied by Newey & Eyre in Plymouth, Odyssey was installed as part of a £1million makeover of Kings Ash House, comprising of a full internal fit-out to create 30 modern, multi-use offices, completed by the Torbay Development Agency (TDA). Out of operation for a number of years, the repurposed building is now providing a much-needed resource for local businesses; a significant contribution to Torbay’s ongoing regeneration, implemented to encourage investment in the town.

A three-compartment PVC-U cable management system, Odyssey boasts the only all-curved profile on the market, enhancing the look of an installation and ensuring easy cleaning, while delivering all the practical features that make for fast and efficient installation.

“We chose Odyssey for its looks and capacity,” said Nick Clemens, Principal Services Engineer for TDA’s Property Services. “It seemed a good fit for the building and its requirements. We’re very pleased with the result. For the right project I would definitely use Odyssey again.”

Adrian Rowntree, of Dodd Group Electrical, which installed Odyssey, added: “I am impressed with the product. It’s easy to install and very good quality – something I’d definitely recommend. The client is very happy with the finish too. Odyssey blends seamlessly with the overall look of the building’s interior.”

Data compliant Odyssey trunking has a built-in cable tray for fast and easy installation and three-part tee to provide full cable segregation. EMI screening is available with no reduction in cable capacity. Adjustable bends mean Odyssey is suitable for difficult angles and building intolerances, and it complies with Part M of the Building Regulations thanks to a range of coloured accessory boxes. The boxes feature Odyssey’s unique flange design which contrasts with the trunking and standard white plate accessories to meet the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) regulations for visual impairment.

Liam Montgomery, Head of Asset Management and Housing at TDA, concluded: “The refurbishment of Kings Ash House provides quality office accommodation for businesses across the region. The project further supports the TDA’s continued efforts to regenerate Torbay and encourage investment into the area. It adds another vibrant facility to the TDA’s property portfolio.”

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REHAU has posted a new animation on its dedicated YouTube channel to show specifiers that, while its Polytec composite curtain walling system might look just like aluminium systems from the outside, its real secret lies underneath.

The animation literally lifts the aluminium exterior off the curtain walling to reveal the steel sections which are at the core of the system and the PVC-U which is on the inside.

It explains the structural benefits which come from using steel, which is up to three times stronger than aluminium sections with the same geometry, and the fact that the PVC-U interior is low maintenance, warm to the touch and available in any RAL colour.

Malcolm Taylor, REHAU’s Product Manager, explained: “REHAU Polytec is a triple strength glazed curtain walling system which is unlike any other on the market. It combines the inherent benefits of three materials to deliver real performance benefits over conventional aluminium systems but retains the slim sightlines and huge range of colour options which specifiers demand.

“For large spans in particular, it offers huge benefits and this quick one minute animation perfectly illustrates that.”

REHAU Polytec is a Passivhaus Trust A Plus certified product and has successfully been tested to the CWCT (Centre for Window and Cladding Technology) standards for severe weather performance.

Further information is available at www.rehau.uk/curtainwalling

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The fully equipped LG Training Academy in Weybridge, Surrey, has celebrated 6 months of operation since it was launched, and it’s seen encouraging numbers of engineers and specifiers passing through its doors taking advantage of the huge amount of LG HVAC equipment, including Air Conditioning, Heating, Heat recovery, Ventilation and the high-end central controls zone that are permanently sited in the academy.

LG Electronics is passionate about training – and having the right balance of theoretical and hands-on practical experience ensures everyone is fully capable of specifying, commissioning and troubleshooting across all the company’s impressive range of products.

This is achieved through having essential exposure to LG equipment and LG’s technical advancements, including its design packages – LATS HVAC and LATS CAD. LG also offers significant benefits to Engineers who attend its training courses – especially the two day Multi V VRF course – where customers will be benefit from the ‘Approved Installer Scheme’. For those that attend and pass the course, LG Engineers will support installers throughout their first 2 VRF projects with on-site commissioning assistance.  This includes a pre-commissioning visit to ensure the installation and commissioning process is trouble free.

Mark Richardson, LG Technical Manager, comments: “The Academy really is impressive and showcases LG products extremely well. We will be running CIBSE accredited CPD seminars and other events here as well as the courses.

“New for 2016 is the introduction of our ‘Flexi-courses’. We understand that it’s not always easy to take time-off to attend manufacturers training. Our new flexi-courses mean that we can provide on-site training and bespoke training if required.”

To make it as simple as possible to attend a course, these courses run throughout the year. To book a course, go online and visit partner.lge.com/uk to find out more, or request a copy of the LG Academy brochure, then, simply email aircon.training@lge.com or complete the form at the back of the brochure and return it to the address on the form.

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ETAF Management (Energy, Training and Facilities), are experts in the specialist field of Energy Management. In February 2015 they were confronted with the need to verify for tax claim purposes the ‘useful heat’ used for a 778kW combined heat and power unit in a major hotel group. Alvaro Alvarez, ETAF’s Architecture Technician searched the internet for a solution and discovered the Micronics U3000 which seemed to fit the requirements exactly. The Wiltshire-based company aims to optimise plant operations to achieve proven energy savings of as much as 30% in hotels throughout Europe, working for major groups such as the Carlson Rezidor Group, Jury’s Inn, Marriott and Hyatt as well as smaller groups, and their contribution to the bottom line is highly valued by their clients. The Micronics flow meter allows accurate flow measurement from outside the pipe so there is no need to cut into pipework making measurement quick and simple. The Ultraflo’s easy to follow menu and simple set up makes the calculation of liquid flow effortless and reliable. The whole Micronics range of fixed and portable clamp-on flow meters provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional in-line meter installation for a wide range of applications. In addition, dry servicing means minimum downtime saving both cost and time. Compact, rugged and reliable, the Ultraflo has been designed to provide sustained performance in industrial environments and was ideal for Alvaro’s needs.

“I wanted to try an alternative flow measurement and have been delighted with my choice of the Micronics U3000 which offered exactly what I was looking for. We deal with very big volumes so wanted relatively easy, surface mounted installation. The U3000 offered exactly the features we needed and I would have no hesitation using it in other projects where precise flow measurement is required.”

The potential for similar use is significant and ETAF’s experience is an example of how Fixed Ultrasonic technology can be successfully implemented to gather information on water and energy use.

For further information on this project or the Micronics range call Micronics on +44(0)1628 810456, or visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com.

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Crittall Windows, in partnership with Firmdale Hotels, has produced a striking new brochure to illustrate the upmarket projects that can be achieved using high quality steel windows, screens and doors. From new build to refurb, traditional to contemporary, Crittall products meet the architectural specification and design of hotels, restaurants and leisure centres.

The glossy 18-page ‘coffee table’ brochure presents ‘rooms with a view’, a collection of dynamic colour photos taken from Firmdale’s hotel portfolio. Through interior, exterior and close-up shots, the brochure offers a tour of the hotel company’s various properties and the Crittall windows chosen for each project.

With over 160 years in the business, Crittall is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steel-framed windows. Its working partnership with Firmdale, a company recognised for its growing collection of chic boutique hotels, began several years ago with the hotelier’s first new-build project, London’s Soho Hotel.

The two companies have since worked together on two additional developments – London’s Ham Yard Hotel and Manhattan’s Crosby Street Hotel – with another new-build currently underway in New York City.

The Kit Kemp effect

Firmdale owners, Tim and Kit Kemp, are determined that their hotels should be “living things, not stuffy institutions,” with each manifesting a distinctive style to complement its particular setting.

Through her skilful blend of vibrant palettes and contrasting varieties of pattern and texture, design director Kit creates her own personal mix of “light, fresh, colourful and carefree” interiors. The result is a warm, eclectic look – a harmonious balance of traditional and contemporary, effectively offset by the Crittall units chosen for each property.

From guest bedrooms and suites to lobby areas, restaurants and lounges, the window and door units installed by Firmdale show how the right choice can really bring the outside in and lend a feeling of light and space throughout each hotel. Whilst the windows add distinction, “they are not intrusive,” Kit points out, and allow her the creative freedom to bring her design flair to life.

The Crittall portfolio: strength and function

Crittall windows combine the elegance of slim-frame design with the strength of steel to deliver maximum unobscured views. For example, the new brochure illustrates how full-height windows with curved heads from Crittall’s Corporate W20 series allow daylight to flood in at the Soho Hotel.

Likewise, floor-to-ceiling Crittall doors at the Ham Yard Hotel open the restaurant to the outdoor terrace, whilst full-height glazing provides guests with ‘a window on the world’ from the comfort of their rooms.

Crittall also uses slender steel profiles to create ‘screens’ which can add an element of definition to open-plan spaces, or to create a threshold between rooms. Given the size-to-strength ratio of their steel glazing bars, Crittall screens not only maximise the space available: they also allow light to flood into the interior to convey an even greater feeling of space, even in smaller areas. At Ham Yard Hotel, Crittall screens installed in the restaurant and reception areas complement the various textiles lining the walls and floors.

Images of the Crosby Street Hotel illustrate how expansive double-height dark green coloured steel windows convey an inviting warmth to the hotel from the street, whilst the storeys above feature innovative 24-pane windows for a more traditional look.

From architects, specifiers and designers to hotel groups, leisure centre operators and the hospitality sector, the new Crittall-Firmdale brochure provides a highly visual reference tool full of ideas for the creative yet practical use of steel windows and doors in various projects.

To view the brochure online go to:

http://www.crittall-windows.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/rooms-with-a-view-.pdf

Visit the Crittall’s main web site for information on its complete range of products.

www.crittall-windows.co.uk

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Just as Saniflo and Kinedo products make life easier for installers and customers, the team at Saniflo acknowledges that taking products to the customers’ location also saves them time and money.

So, from May to October this year, the Kinedo by Saniflo ‘Building better bathrooms’ roadshow will be touring the UK; parking up daily at merchant customers with the aim of inviting installers along to installation demonstrations and product showcases. Saniflo technical and sales teams will be on hand to answer questions and discuss how installers can improve their earnings by fitting Kinedo cubicles – often in just a couple of hours.

The brand new, purpose-built roadshow truck will make its way from the south to the north of the country over the next few months. The latest Kinemagic Serenity cubicle and a customisable Kineduo shower bath are permanently installed in the truck, whilst the team will demonstrate the simplicity and efficiency of installing a Kinemagic Design.

A practical, smart Kinedo jacket can be won at each event by entering a simple competition whilst all those staying for the full demonstration will receive a complimentary gift bag full of goodies as a thank you for their time. Refreshments will be served from the truck following the demonstration giving customers further time to ask the questions about the full range of Saniflo and Kinedo products.

Any merchants wishing to book the truck for a day at their premises can contact their local Saniflo Sales Manager or ring Rajinder Ghatora on 020 8842 0033.  For a full list of current venues please see the Saniflo website .

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Among its market-leading vapour permeable roofing underlays Klober Permo® forte SK2 is the only 4-layer product designed to help prevent falls through the roof. Its mesh reinforcement gives a degree of strength vastly superior to lightweight 2-layer products while self-adhesive edge tapes provide a lasting airtight seal at laps. As one of the most widely specified underlays for more than a decade it can be used on fully supported or unsupported tile, slate or metal roofs. Permo forte has been independently tested by the BRE for wind uplift in relation to BS 5534 wind speed map.

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When upgrading thermal inefficient rooflights, FAKRO’s new range of flat roof windows offers a choice of flat or domed profiles. All have a contemporary style, utilise a multi-chamber PVC sash and frame and come in sizes designed to match those being replaced. The triple-glazed DRF DU6 has a window U-value of 0.74W/m²K while the DRC-C P2, which offers added burglary resistance through use of a laminated internal pane, is only slightly less impressive at 0.88. For smoke evacuation, the DSF DU6 and DSC-C P2 open automatically to a height of 50cm through activation of motors on each side of the frame.

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Leading air conditioning manufacturer LG Electronics is working with Bristol based contractor Sugoi Solutions to fulfil a contract they won from B&Q for an R22 refrigerant replacement programme. It’s a programme that is seeing air conditioning equipment in more than 250 stores across the country replaced with new equipment that meets the ‘F’ Gas regulations.

It’s a significant contract worth in the region of £1.4 million, and one that has had complex logistical ramifications. B&Q will not only end up with fully compliant air conditioning systems in all their ‘back of house’ store areas – the staff areas and administrative offices – but with a full asset list with every detail they need for the future. For each branch Sugoi has provided a list of the replacement units, a signed permission to undertake the work, a risk assessment, a health and safety assessment, an F Gas Logo Sheet, pressure test sheet, evacuation test sheet, a commissioning record sheet and photography of each unit, internal and external before and after, so B&Q has a photographic record of every one of the more than 1000 LG air conditioning systems installed in their stores.

Sugoi director Ben May says it’s been the most comprehensive package of information they have ever provided as part of a replacement equipment contract: “We’ve undertaken the work in B&Q stores across the UK from the north of Scotland down to the Channel Islands! We’ve attended all the sites and organised access to the air conditioning systems, organised for the safe disposal of the R22 refrigerant in each case, sorted the removal and disposal of the existing kit and reinstalled like for like equipment. We’ve audited the work throughout the process and achieved 96% scores on the on-site audits of our work and as a result of the work we’ve done we’ve secured the maintenance contracts on all the equipment we’ve installed. We’ve provided comprehensive documentation for every store and for every piece of equipment we’ve installed.

“This is the biggest single contract we’ve ever undertaken and we’re very proud of the outcome. LG equipment is excellent to work with and the support we’ve had from LG has been first class.”

Andy Reed, Head of Air Conditioning and Energy Solutions at LG says he’s been impressed with the work Sugoi Solutions has undertaken: “We were delighted to win this contract from B&Q but clearly needed an installation partner who was up to the task. We’ve been impressed by the work Sugoi has undertaken in two phases of the project either side of a period when B&Q did not want any contractors on site working in their branches. The information packs they have provided to each and every B&Q branch and their head office have been excellent.

The equipment selected by B&Q for its stores included a selection of split and multi split systems, wall mounted units and ceiling mounted cassette units. The contract was won by LG due to the company’s technical capability, the product energy efficiencies, along with the ability to supply the units to a very tight time schedule and the agreement to an extended warranty on the products.

Visit http://partner.lge.com/uk for more information on the extensive range of LG equipment and services.

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Saint Gobain PAM UK has extended its range of cast iron Vortx roof outlets to include two-way outlets suitable for parapet wall applications.

The new range of two way outlets has a cast iron body with a 100mm BSP threaded joint and a stainless steel angled, boxed or flat grating design. A spigot adaptor allows the outlet to be attached to either a 50mm, 75mm or 100mm spigot.

Says Mike Rawlings, marketing manager for Saint-Gobain PAM: “With an epoxy coated cast iron body and stainless steel grate, these new outlets provide a hard wearing and anticorrosive finish for a long life. In common with other Vortx roof outlets, the new range has been flow tested and will connect to most drainage systems on the market.”

The Vortx range consists of floor, roof and shower drainage products and a range of stainless steel channels and gullies.

For further information about Vortx roof outlets. Visit www.saint-gobain-pam.co.uk.

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