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Trespa has announced the launch of its new Trespa® Meteon® Lumen range.  Architects and designers can now play with the composition of light reflection on exterior façades, allowing natural light to be creatively introduced as a design element. It can be reflected, scattered, enhanced or muted according to architects’ and clients’ wishes.

“Trespa® Meteon® Lumen changes the way designs are perceived, it changes how people interact with structures and how buildings interact with their surroundings,” says Lucas Stevens, Design Expert at Trespa. “With Trespa® Meteon® Lumen, you can play with the compositions of light reflection on your façade, within a single colour. This new diversity of finishes enhances design creativity and ensures façades will truly stand out.”

Bring your colour to life with reflections of light
Trespa® Meteon® Lumen is available in three variations across eight colours. Each of the three Lumen variations is available in grey, black and white and several terracotta tones.

‘Diffuse’ removes glossiness, reflection and texture, resulting in instant tranquillity. Scattered light gives façades a smooth, subdued appearance.

‘Oblique’ has a pleasantly uneven matt-and-gloss surface that brings a natural, weathered look to any façade.

‘Specular’ reflects its surroundings, adding liveliness with deep colours and gloss. Buildings become seamlessly integrated into their environment.

About Trespa® Meteon®
Based on decades of leadership and setting new trends in façade solution design and aesthetics, Trespa® Meteon® Lumen represents a logical next step for the Trespa® Meteon® family. Trespa is the first choice of exterior panelling for many leading architects, who insist on quality, reliability and durability.

Trespa® Meteon® is a decorative high-pressure compact laminate (HPL) with an integral surface manufactured using Trespa’s unique in-house technology, Electron Beam Curing (EBC). ­The blend of up to 70% natural fibres and thermosetting resins, manufactured under high pressures and temperatures, yields a highly stable, dense panel with good strength-to-weight ratios. ­Trespa® Meteon® stands out in vertical exterior wall coverings such as facade cladding, balcony panelling and sunblinds.

The entire Trespa® Meteon® product range is available with PEFC^TM or FSC^TM certification upon request, in restricted quantities and certain jurisdictions.

Experience the effect for yourself

See what Trespa® Meteon® Lumen can do: order your samples today on new.trespa.com. For further details regarding our delivery programme, please visit trespa.info.

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Upmarket regional supermarket chain choose Armstrong’s metal and mineral ceilings for flagship store.

Metal and mineral ceiling tiles from Armstrong were specified for a flagship supermarket for a multitude of reasons.

The dark grey Mesh Board metal tiles with Axiom Profile and grid in RAL 9007 feature in plasterboard margins in the lower sales area of the new £4.5million Booths supermarket in Lytham St Anne’s while Ultima⁺, the world’s first mineral tile range certified to Cradle to Cradle status, was used on the first-floor back-of-house areas.

The 3,210ft² of Armstrong ceiling systems were specified to meet a tight timescale and to help with acoustics as well as to help the upmarket chain move away from more traditional ceiling designs and comply with new brand standards and guidance.

The 37,000ft² “Heyhouses” project on a brownfield site in the genteel seaside town of Lytham St Anne’s in Lancashire took 20 months to complete. Built traditionally, the store features oak cladding to the internal steel frame and includes a café, butcher’s and cheese counters.

Armstrong’s 1200mm x 600mm metal Mesh tiles were installed by GWN Contracts and sit as rafts within variously shaped plasterboard margins. These were all laid on the diagonal to lead customers’ eyes through the 23,000ft² main sales area to the state-of-the-art deli counter at the rear of the store.

Regular Armstrong specifiers Leach Rhodes Walker, who were the architects for the shell construction and internal fit-out, working alongside main contractor Interserve, have partnered with Booths supermarkets to develop café concepts for their stores.

LRW architectural technician Rebecca Kenny said: “The Ultima⁺ product was a standard product specified by Booths. The main sales area ceiling was in response to the new brand standards/guidance from Booths for a new approach to the ceilings. They wanted to move away from a lay-in ceiling and introduced a more industrial feel that also met the access requirement for the services above.

“As well as the access requirements the Ultima⁺ ceiling system help with the acoustic issues and the open mesh design also helped with the flexibility of the locations for the feature lighting.”

With regards to any special requirements or challenges, she added: “On the fit out, the time scale was an issue to meet the deadline to handover to Booths for their store fittings/merchandising works, also acoustics within the double-height spaces including the café, the ceiling design and approval to café interior design concept.”

The store opened in September 2015, creating 90 new jobs.

Rebecca added: “The client was very pleased with the overall appearance. It meets the original brief and as the mesh panels were combined with perimeter details, and plasterboard margins to help break up the large area, it created a really striking design feature.

“As Armstrong was already specified on the project it was really just looking through what they had available to meet the brief. It was always preferred to keep all the ceilings with one manufacturer. The ceiling is one of the most successful areas on the project, it was really well received. The fact that it was a proprietary product was particularly appealing.”

Armstrong area sales manager Claire Ombler said: “The finished product looks amazing and everyone is thrilled with the result.  Graham Booth (Mr Booth himself) was said to be more than happy with the ceilings. This particular store is the flagship store for all the Booths stores hence it is great to hear that Graham Booth is very pleased with the look.”

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Marflow Hydronics has scheduled in a new date for its CPD training course on Pressure Independent Control Valves.

The CPD course is being held in Birmingham on 4^th May and is free for anyone to attend. The half day session provides delegates with knowledge on how PICVs work, innovative pipe layouts and how to make systems more economical, including the introduction of electronic balancing. It’s aimed at consultants, designers, specifiers and key influencers who want to learn more about the products, improve their skills and specify, purchase or commission a PICV.

Nick Martin, Technical Manager at Marflow Hydronics, says, “PICVs are growing so much in popularity due to their numerous benefits, but to really get the best out of them then a user needs to fully understand them. Our course is set up to provide delegates with the knowledge they need to truly optimise the many advantages of the product.”

Places are limited, strictly on a first come first served basis, so immediate registration is recommended. To register or for more information visit www.marflowhydronics.co.uk/events, call 0121 358 2012 or email training@marflow.co.uk.

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Whether you are a plumber, contractor, specifier, facilities manager or builder working on a small and simple domestic project or a large and complex commercial installation, Saniflo can help you overcome any plumbing hurdle so you can confidently offer your customers the perfect solution for anywhere in a building. And this is the real beauty behind Saniflo; you literally can have a bathroom, kitchen or utility facility wherever you want providing a water supply can reach the installations.

Let us look at a fairly typical domestic scenario. A family wants to convert a garage into a bedroom with en-suite accommodation. The main water supply is easy to connect but the soil stack is on the other side of the property meaning direct access to mains drainage requires major civils work, which the family wants to avoid from a cost, time and hassle point of view.

A Saniflo macerating pump such, as the Saniplus, works well in such situations. It is a simple, quick solution that takes the waste from a WC, a wash basin and a power shower – and a bidet if required – and then pumps it through 22mm small-bore pipework, vertically up to 5 metres or horizontally up to 100 metres or a lesser combination of both, so it is no obstacle if the en-suite you need to install is located on the other side of the property or at the bottom of a long garden.

Waste from the WC is dealt with automatically when the WC is flushed. Waste water is drained by gravity from the shower, bidet or basin to the Saniplus through inlets on either side of the unit.

If you are creating an inclusively designed en-suite then you can literally place the WC and the Saniplus anywhere in the room, giving you great scope for flexibility of product selection and bathroom design.

If a domestic application simply requires the removal of grey water waste then the Sanivite pump can help you provide a kitchen or utility room with great ease. Sanivite removes waste water from a sink, dishwasher or washing machine, even when below or distant from a drain. With four inlets it can connect to multiple appliances to pump waste water away through 32mm small-bore pipework, vertically up to 5 metres or horizontally up to 50 metres or a lesser combination of both. The compact Sanivite is usually concealed in a kitchen unit but can also be concealed behind a demountable panel to give access if required.

In commercial settings, continuity of business is key; whether that is for a B&B, a hotel, a night club, a restaurant, a hospital, a shopping centre or some other public building. The Sanicubic range offers solutions for pretty much all settings.

The Sanicubic 2 Pro, for instance, contains 2 separate pumps for absolute reliability and power. Each is fitted with a high performance maceration system and the 2 pumps operate alternately, ensuring even wear of the motors. In the event of inflow overload, such as a busy Saturday night in a city night club or a Sunday morning in a B&B, both motors run at the same time. And, if on the rare occasion one pump should fail, the other pump takes over, guaranteeing continuity of business and happy punters. An audible and visible alarm system is supplied as standard with the unit to provide early warning of problems – such as blockages from incorrect use.

This hard working, high performance macerator can take up to 340 litres of water a minute which can be pumped up to 11 metres vertically through 50mm pipework and 100 metres horizontally, or a lesser combination of both. With an inlet diameter of 110mm for WC waste and 40mm for waste water, the Sanicubic can take waste water of up to 70°C.

The Sanicubic XL is the largest lifting station in Saniflo’s vast portfolio. It features a huge 120 litre tank and two integrated non-return valves and four inlets. IP68 rated, this unit has two pumps and two alarms and is ideal for large volume commercial situations such as temporary toilet, kitchen and showering facilities for workers – on or off-shore and for projects that have a large waste throughput. Easy to install – the unit can stand on the ground and does not need to be positioned below ground, it can be connected to a Building Management System and has IP68 rating.

The Saniflo website has a wide selection of downloadable brochures, which explain all product information clearly in plain English along with installation guides and e-learning modules for more in-depth installation knowledge. Saniflo is unique in that it has  a nationwide network of official Saniflo Engineers who are available to answer every query and provide the best aftercare on the market. So, rest assured, by selecting Saniflo, you are not only selecting some of the best plumbing solutions available in the world today, you are also partnering a manufacturer who takes care of you and your customers every step of the way, forever.

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Chester Zoo is one of the world’s leading zoos with around 1.6 million visitors every year. And with more than 20,000 animals, set in 125 acres of award winning zoological gardens, it’s not surprising that the visitors just keep coming back for more.

To keep visitors amazed and entertained, the zoo has continuously invested in new attractions to showcase the animals to their best whilst maintaining its reputation for being a major force in conserving the living world. Step forward to the zoo’s latest attraction – Islands at Chester Zoo – a £40 million, 60,000 square metre development that aims to transport visitors to the South East Asian islands of Panay, Papua, Bali, Sumba, Sumatra and Sulawesi – it’s an inspired attempt and took over two years to build.

M&E Contractor for the development is Crown House Technologies – part of Laing O’Rourke – and they specified a wide range of pumps from leading pump manufacturer Wilo for the project. Overall in excess of £80,000 worth of pumps of various sizes and undertaking a range of roles have been installed to keep the new development running smoothly, providing a true South East Asian experience.

High efficiency pumps, cold water pressure booster sets and system pressurisation units have been utilised throughout the development to help keep animals as varied as Sumatran orangutans, Sulawesi crested macaques, Sumatran tigers and a huge range of rare reptiles including the Sunda gharial – one of the world’s largest crocodiles – warm and experiencing the levels of humidity that they would experience in their natural surroundings on the other side of the world. The humidifying air misting equipment powered by the Wilo pressure booster sets needs to be experienced to be believed and the Lazy River Boat Trip allows visitors to take a journey through the development and see the animals from the unique perspective of a boat, completing the jungle experience perfectly, in no small part due to Wilo’s pumps.

“It’s a privilege to have been involved in such a wonderful project,” says Wilo’s National Key Account Manager Peter Anthony. “We’ve worked closely on a number of successful projects with Crown House so it was good to be able to work alongside them again on a project of this importance. It’s a great example of just how important pumps are to every construction project – out of sight in plant rooms hidden across the project but providing the constant flow of water that the project requires to be successful.”

You can find out more about the full Wilo pump range and the solutions available at www.wilo.co.uk and more about Chester Zoo by visiting www.chesterzoo.org.

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Mitsubishi Electric has released a new video highlighting how the unique Hybrid VRF air conditioning system can remove the need for leak detection whilst still delivering all of the control and efficiencies associated with VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) systems.

The City Multi Hybrid VRF unit operates without using refrigerant in occupied spaces, whilst delivering high levels of comfort to a building, through the system’s modular two-pipe design.

“Hybrid VRF will give you levels of comfort normally associated with four-pipe fan coil technology, whilst providing the all flexibility of traditional two-pipe VRF”, explains Mark Grayston City Multi Product Marketing Manager.

Mitsubishi Electric has identified the need for a new approach to delivering comfortable heating and cooling to buildings as the industry comes to terms with the impact of F-Gas legislation and the move towards refrigerants with a low global warming (GWP) potential.

“We’ve prepared the animation to explain how the system works and show how it can help building operators comply with legislation such as BS EN378”, adds Grayston.

The animation can be viewed on the company’s dedicated YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/mitsubishielectric2 .

Further details on the Hybrid VRF system is available by emailing air.conditioning@meuk.mee.com

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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.

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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.

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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 U_f 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

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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

www.marshall-tufflex.com

www.businessnetexplorer.com

or find it on You Tube 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXyW9hGyQ9U&list=PLS18Zwd_iWhK0XB1QvL6dramB37rlp5Gu&index=2  

or SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.com/businessnetexplorer/bne-product-news-special-edition-marshall-tufflex-viewpoint-interview-december-2015

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