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Amtech, the market-leading software developer for the UK Building Services Industry, is expanding its product offerings to include intelligent data content for Autodesk® Revit® MEP via Building Data™ SysQue™ (“SysQue”), pursuant to a recently announced strategic product and technology partnership between Amtech and Building Data, LLC.

SysQue managed data content, powered by the Building Data database, is a cloud-based software as a service that enables designers, engineers and contractors to design in Revit MEP using real-world, manufacturing-specific content that’s ready for fabrication and meets the detailing, fabrication, manufacturing, and installation requirements of MEP contractors.

Amtech’s new partnership with Building Data will extend Amtech’s lead in MEP Design, Estimating and Project Management software and its Information Services (Luckins) to include Building Information Modeling (BIM) with Revit MEP content — available directly through LuckinsLive, the online portal for price and labour data used by the majority of UK contractors’ estimating and purchasing systems. Using SysQue, Revit MEP 2013 is enhanced to model systems with materials and sizes based on actual manufacturer products by name and part number. SysQue web services offered by Amtech will extend the Revit MEP BIM data to include Luckins material cost, labor values, submittal documents and procurement part numbers, and also includes Excel reporting – making the model data-rich and ready for a multitude of additional functions – including cost analysis, prefabrication, manufacturing and installation.

“Providing this additional level of real-world, manufacturer BIM data for creating detailed, constructible models directly in Revit furthers Amtech’s unique advantage of fostering product integration for improved customer productivity and efficiency,” commented Amtech’s CEO, Mark Tindall. “Going forward, our customers will be able to compile detailed Estimates or generate Bills of Material directly from their Revit MEP models – while still using the Luckins data services they’ve depended on for years.”

For additional information, visit: www.amtech.co.uk and www.sysque.net

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Widespread damage to roofs following winds often of gale force intensity provides a timely reminder of the value of protection against falling tiles, slates and other débris. The Klober Snowguard provides the twin benefits of preventing snow slippage and that of potentially lethal tile fragments. 3-metre, galvanised steel grids in powder-coated black, tile red or brown can be fitted over either profiled or flat interlocking tiles and slates. Klober MD David Arendell commented, “We have seen increasing interest being expressed in Snow Guard as a means of protection against falling tile, slate and mortar fragments. They are easy to fit either to homes or buildings with long roof spans as the grid sections are light and use support brackets which are positioned over the batten and tile”.

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TROX UK has cemented its place in the air handling market with the launch of the X-CUBE Compact range of ready-to-use and pre-configured air handling units. The move means that TROX now has an air handling unit solution for almost every project from the very largest to the mid-range and the smallest application.

The arrival of the X-CUBE product range, during 2012, heralded TROX’s arrival as the only company in its sector capable of supplying, from a single source, virtually all components required for installing a complete air conditioning system. The new X-CUBE Compact, for volume flow rates up to 1.7 m3/sec extends the capabilities to encompass a wider range of applications. The high-efficiency unit has a heat recovery performance of over 80% and an even smaller physical footprint.

X-CUBE range

With the TROX X-CUBE range of freely configurable air handling units, TROX defines new standards in the air handling unit market and sets considerably higher standards for quality, flexibility, reliability, energy efficiency, and hygiene. The units in the standard X-CUBE range cover an air volume flow rate range up to 24 m3/sec with unlimited configuration options. They are designed for supply or extract ventilation of rooms and buildings, incorporating filtering, heating, cooling, humidification, dehumidification, and heat recovery. A special hygienic design is also available, ideally suited for hospitals and laboratories, and a weather-resistant version is included in the range for outdoor applications.

The outstanding performance of the range is underpinned by the very highest levels of independent assessment. Both the X-CUBE air handling unit and the X-CUBE Configurator design programme have been successful in achieving Eurovent certification providing independent assurance of the accuracy of the data and the stated performance criteria.

Energy efficiency is a vital feature of the range and the X-CUBE has been assessed by Eurovent as A class (the highest possible). This is due in part to the fine tolerances of manufacture. In contrast to other commercially-available air handling units, which have evolved incrementally over time, the X-CUBE has been created from a ‘clean sheet’ by a dedicated design team and with investment to create a new manufacturing facility purposed-designed for this product line. The X-CUBE’s enclosure incorporates a number of special construction and insulation features to ensure low leakage and optimised heat recovery. In addition, the TROX attenuators, with aerodynamically profiled frames achieve 30% less pressure drop than conventional silencers. Distance pieces in variable widths can be used to individually adjust the distance between the splitters. These also function as handles to enable the splitters to be removed when the casing requires cleaning. Intelligent control and highly-efficient IE2 (with options of permanent magnet IE4 compliant) motors also contribute to outstanding energy performance.

Hygiene of the unit is unparalleled as a result of the special design of the casing, its smooth surfaces and the way in which the components are installed. X-CUBE meets the VDI 6022 guidelines and the DIN 1946/4 requirements as standard, and an optional version of the unit, which meets AHU Guidelines 01, is available for even more demanding environments.

Highly flexible, the X-CUBE can be supplied with a choice of energy-efficient heat recovery systems, such as regenerative thermal wheel technology with hygroscopically coated thermal mass, plate heat exchangers or composite circulation systems to suit the application.

Installation and maintenance is simplified by the modular structure of the units. In addition the extended use of field BUS technology (communicating with virtually all building management systems) has simplified wiring. During commissioning and on-going operation, the intuitive design of the X-CUBE touch panel means that virtually all status information is available at a glance to assist safe, comfortable and error free operation.

The new X-CUBE Compact

The launch of the new X-CUBE Compact extends the range by bringing to the market a range of ready-to-operate and pre-configured air handling units that deliver the same excellent performance characteristics of the X-CUBE in the smallest of spaces.

Nine different units and a choice of two heat exchanger systems provide an extremely flexible range of solutions for volume flow rates of up to 1.7 m3/sec in small and mid-range applications. The units feature the same casing design and manufacture criteria as the X-CUBE for maximum energy efficiency, such as a seamless foam seal on each panel to ensure the low leakage class is maintained. High efficiency IE4 compliant EC motors and Eurovent-certified energy class A minipleat filters also contribute to energy savings. The X-CUBE Compact is pre-configured and ready to operate (plug and play), simplifying installation and maintenance, and the operating side of the unit can also be changed quickly and easily by simply exchanging the panels.

Dedicated Centre of Excellence for design and manufacture

Ahead of its move into the air handling unit market, the TROX Group built a new dedicated 15,000m2 production facility in Anholt, near the German-Dutch border, specifically for the X-CUBE. The new production facility is pupose designed and built for this purpose; it therefore offers the necessary flexibility for manufacturing air handling units in all common size ranges. The new advanced manufacturing technology with which the factory has been equipped has been selected with the high quality requirements of the air handling units in mind, and allows for a very efficient production process. For example, laser cutting of profiles, plastic profile machining, punching and sheet forming have been automated. New powder coating equipment and sealing foam application equipment have also been customised specifically for the requirements of AHU manufacturing.

TROX has defined a process which takes all factors into consideration: its new configurator software, the ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning), the production equipment and also each individual worker. This process enables the company to provide customised, unique units of the quality and also at the price of a standardised production unit.
The total investment for the X-CUBE project amounted to € 20 million which, thanks to the excellent liquidity of the TROX GROUP, was completed without requiring credit lines.

“So often in our industry, new models are launched which are just an incremental improvement on a previous product, but with X-CUBE we have a completely different situation” explained Paul Wenden, Technical Director of TROX UK. “Here the designers have started with a completely clean sheet and created a product based on levels of performance, energy efficiency, flexibility and practicality that have not been available to customers in the past. The resulting product ranges re-write the rules and set new standards for air handling. This is an extremely exciting launch for TROX UK and will ultimately be an important stepping stone for our customers as they move forward with their energy efficiency and carbon reduction ambitions.”

‘One stop shop’

TROX is the only company in its sector capable of supplying, from a single source, virtually all components required for installing a complete air conditioning system. By providing a single point of accountability, TROX can bring additional peace of mind for customers, and remove risk from projects. During the design phase, the TROX sales and design engineers can advise on an integrated solution that captures the needs of their customers.

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The Brick Development Association (BDA), the body that represents the clay brick and paver industries in the UK and Ireland, has strongly rejected claims by the Royal Institute of Surveyors (RICS) that a fall in UK Construction Output is due to shortage of bricks.

Simon Hay, Chief Executive Officer for the BDA, commented: “You only have to look at the statistics and forecasts from the Construction Products Association (CPA) to prove that these claims from the RICS are completely unfounded. Housing starts in Great Britain during 2013 are estimated to have increased by 24% and forecast to increase further in 2014 by 16% and 10% in 2015. Clearly house builders have been able to acquire sufficient brick supplies to significantly increase house building. Construction output is expected to rise by 3.4% in 2014 and by a further 5.2% in 2015, so there is no anticipation of supply problems causing problems in growth. If the brick industry was in ‘crisis’ as suggested by some areas of the media last year, this recovery would simply not have been possible.”

The CPA has also reported that the largest constraint to industry recovery continues to be public sector construction. Public non – housing output fell 27.2% between 2010 and 2012 with recovery not anticipated until 2015 when the impacts of capital investment growth begin to feed through.

“The lack of investment in public sector projects is what is really affecting the industry, not a shortage of bricks,” continues Simon. “The initial success of the government’s Help To Buy scheme and the growing pace of the economic recovery has meant that the construction industry has faced an upswing in demand. However, there is absolutely no suggestion that brick manufacturers will be unable to cope with the increased demand.”

The BDA reports that many manufacturers as well as stepping up production have continued production right through the winter to meet demand, but demand is being met. It urges builders to work closely with manufacturers and merchants to plan their deliveries and place orders in advance as was standard practise prior to 2008 and the credit crisis.

“The construction industry is in a phase of growth and optimism,” concludes Simon. “We are seeing a much needed lift in activity which is a really positive development and something our members are well placed to manage.”

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The immediate visual aesthetic of the new £27m, 1515m2 Stonehenge visitor centre stems from its combination of glass and timber facades. At closer quarters, however, the 36 x 78.4 metres canopy and its 211 canted steel supports undoubtedly take the eye. 3600m2 of VMZINC Composite panels in QUARTZ-ZINC® have been used for the underside soffit area, the edge of which has an elaborate pattern of perforations. The multi-layered panels are made up of two 0.5 mm thick zinc sheets bonded either side of a mineral-rich polyethylene core. Though only 4mm thick overall, they offer exceptional smoothness, rigidity and dimensional stability and as a result can be used in lengths of up to 6 metres.

Australia’s Denton Corker Marshall won the competition to build the centre twice. Their first scheme was dropped when government budget cuts forced abandonment of a plan to build a tunnel to hide the A303. They responded to the World Heritage Site requirements by designing another building of contemporary style at ‘Airman’s Corner’.

A natural palette suited to the rural landscape was a key element of the brief and zinc was chosen for its sustainability, colour retention and self-protecting patina. The building has been designed to sit lightly in the landscape and to be demonstrably reversible. Its position in one of the lowest lying areas and remote location, distant from residential development, minimises any visual intrusion in the landscape. The contemporary steel structure and lightweight framed walls require minimal substructure so that, if removed, residual environmental impact will be minimal.

Attention of up to 1,000,000 visitors each year will undoubtedly be drawn to the zinc by the height of the building which, at up to 8 metres is comparable to the tallest trilithon stones. In addition to being visually distinctive, the canopy is considered to be one of the most notable architectural elements of the design.

The building has been designed to achieve high sustainability targets so local, recyclable and renewable materials were used wherever possible. A sustainable, fuel-efficient approach to heating and cooling greatly reduces energy use and carbon emissions while VMZINC was able to demonstrate that over 90% of material used in construction projects is already being recycled. Energy consumption in zinc manufacturing is also by far the lowest of any metal faÇade or roofing system. Not only can it be rolled at a lower temperature, less than half the energy is used in the manufacturing process compared with copper, stainless steel or aluminium. Air emissions are as little as 0.05mg/m3 while analysis of zinc concentrations in the Rhine, which passes through one of Europe’s areas of greatest industrial intensity, confirms that the balance is well within accepted environmental limits.

Such was the interest in zinc that the pod beneath the roof which provides ticketing and guide facilities is also clad in it. It provides a notable contrast to the timber and glass without suggesting that the divergent materials clash. With its range of colours now extending to blue, green, red and brown the scope it provides has never been greater.

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As the demand for virtual reality in drawings increases, especially in the cruise ship sector, Chelsom continues to invest heavily in interactive 3D design technology, further strengthening its position as a market leader in the field of hospitality lighting design and bespoke manufacture.

To offer clients a fully integrated design service, a dedicated skilled technical project team has been created at the Chelsom head office. Through the use of e-drawings, sent electronically to clients worldwide, all parties working on a project have the chance to view designs on screen and make comments and amendments on the actual drawing which is automatically updated, revised and renumbered.

The visual language of the 3D drawings is understood worldwide, giving less chance for misinterpretation and error. Detailed views can be shown of any area of the fitting and the model can be rotated around 360 degrees in any direction. The use of 3D technology takes out all the guesswork out of viewing complicated design proposals, as the client can see the proposed product in much finer detail. Errors and design modification requirements are caught early rather than after samples have been made.

The benefits of 3D modelling are vast; the images are more realistic, with the addition of colour, texture and lighting effects; the virtual product can be displayed against a specific background, an in-situ backdrop, or dropped into a 3D model of a building; manufacturing timescales can be drastically reduced as conventional sampling is no longer required.

Said Bob Neville, Operations Director, “Chelsom is a major supplier to the worldwide cruise industry. Some of the feature luminaires we are quoting for are spectacular in terms of design and enormous in scale, so this technology really puts us ahead of the game.”

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TROX chilled beams and flow rate controllers are ensuring that an impressive new sixth form college in the north east of England achieves the ideal indoor environment for learning without costing the earth.

The £22 million project to create the Newcastle Sixth Form College has provided a state-of-the-art world-class learning environment. The 11,000 square metre building is the only dedicated sixth form college in the city of Newcastle. Designed specifically to meet the needs of 16 – 18 year old students, it incorporates specialist facilities including dance and drama studios, science laboratories and art/design workshops in addition to large social spaces such as a bistro and internet café.

Achieving the optimum indoor environment for learning was a key requirement for the new college. Equally important was the energy efficiency of the building, which has been designed with a number of sustainability features, including a ‘green roof’. A key challenge was how best to cater for widely differing occupancy levels in zones across the site throughout the day. Optimum comfort conditions for students and staff needed to be maintained whilst ensuring that the HVAC system could adjust to match demand to prevent wasted energy.

The HVAC products supplied to meet the demanding requirements included TROX Multi Service Chilled Beams (MSCBs) and variable volume flow rate controllers. The MSCB’s are based on the energy-efficient air-water technology of the popular TROX model DID632 active chilled beam. These units are ideally suited to areas with high cooling loads, combining the aerodynamic properties of ceiling diffusers with the energy benefits of load dissipation using water. They are suitable for both recessed and exposed installations in new buildings and for the refurbishment of existing buildings with clear room heights between 2.6m and 4m.

The chilled beams installed at Newcastle Sixth Form College supply heating, cooling and ventilation throughout the building as well as incorporating lighting. As the units are extremely easy to maintain and do not require cleaning they offer significant benefits for the demands of a busy academic site such as this.

In addition, TROX variable air volume flow rate controllers have been installed to ensure that energy usage can ramp up and reduce down in line with changing occupancy levels in each zone. The products supplied are TROX TVR and RN Models. The TROX type TVR is a circular flow rate controller for variable supply or extract air, suitable for almost all control, regulation and shut-off tasks in room air conditioning systems. The unit incorporates factory-fitted and tested mechanical and electronic components, and contains an averaging differential pressure sensor for air flow measurement, and a control damper. The control damper, with plastic seal, complies (when closed) with the air tightness requirements of EN 1751. The flow rate control is a closed circuit system with external power supply.

The TROX type RN is a mechanical automatic controller for constant volume flow systems which operates without external energy. Volume flows are set with an external pointer.

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TROX has launched Version 2 of its extremely popular design tool – Easy Product Finder – which is faster and easier to use, and includes additional product ranges.

Easy Product Finder has become a vital tool in the building services industry, helping system designers and specifiers to identify system components and collate all the necessary costings and technical material. TROX has now announced the arrival of Version 2, which features a new intuitive design concept.

This latest generation of the product selection tool enables users to design and configure the workspace in the way that best suits them. In addition, keyboard entries and shortcuts can be set up to enable users to work faster. The improved direct access to the product selection and project structure, the easy adding and changing of project items, enhanced navigation, and the newly integrated product search, speed up the design and specification phase of the HVAC project. In addition, the interactive room wizard has been completely revised, and is now available for control systems, enabling users to work faster, with greater accuracy and creativity.

As with Version 1 of Easy Product Finder, the user can generate and export a comprehensive range of supporting materials, including technical data and bills of materials for all designed products. With Version 2 however, the range of TROX products has been expanded to encompass TROX LABCONTROL control systems and the TROX HESCO Switzerland range of air diffusers.

Installation download, set up and additional information on the new Easy Product Finder can be found at www.easyproductfinder.com

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‘Hillcrest’, an oak frame self-build designed by owner and Chartered Building Surveyor Simon Kettle, occupies five acres of open countryside in a quiet corner of South Cheshire. The traditional masonry construction was designed for super-insulation levels with dense, solid internal walls and tiled floors for thermal mass. In terms of materials selection, the design focus was on quality, long term performance, sustainability and suitability of material for the rural environment.

A variety of FAKRO roof windows were used to maximise natural lighting and encourage solar gain. A passive solar gain and ventilation design along the lines of established Passive House principles and Passive Stack ventilation principles was opted for. Conservation style units were used for the front aspect to enhance the traditional cottage style while standard profiles were installed using FAKRO ridge flashing as part of a system of passive ventilation control. Eight windows were used in combination, electrically operated and thermostatically controlled with the support of an external rain sensor and self-cleaning glass. FAKRO worked alongside Simon to ensure that specific aspects of technical performance were achieved. He explained, “The passive ventilation aspects were understandably extremely challenging due to an absence of established design information, standardised procedures or effective modelling to confirm its effectiveness. Ultimately, Fakro provided a quality product that was finished to an extremely high standard. This was achieved through their excellent support service which organised the exchange of design drawings and details of my required standards of performance with their research and development team in Poland”.

In addition to the creating a stylish and individual family home that blends into its rural surroundings the design was shortlisted for ‘Best Technological Innovation’ and ‘Best Sustainable Development’ in the Local Authority Building Excellence Awards.

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Global electrical test equipment expert Megger has acquired SebaKMT, a leader in power cable fault location and testing and in pipe leakage detection. The acquisition will allow Megger to greatly enhance its existing cable test product portfolio, elevating it to a world-leading position. SebaKMT will benefit from access to the exceptionally strong technical and financial resources of the Megger organisation.

Improved customer service

Following the acquisition, business will initially continue as usual for both organisations while a full evaluation is carried out of the exciting opportunities created for moving forward with product development and manufacturing operations, and for enhancing customer-facing sales and support services. Customers of both companies will for the foreseeable future, continue to obtain sales, service and support through the same channels they are currently using.

Outstandingly positive

“This acquisition is an outstandingly positive development for both companies and for their customers,” said Peter Frank, Chairman of Megger Group, “not least because there’s a high degree of synergy between the Megger and SebaKMT product ranges, but very little overlap. The new organisation will therefore, be able to offer a truly comprehensive family of power test products, backed by unmatched technical expertise and strong readily accessible customer support in virtually every country of the world.”

Empowering SebaKMT to strengthen its market position

Dr Max Iann, the former owner of SebaKMT said, “It was important for us to find a partner that would enable SebaKMT to continue to grow successfully, and to strengthen its market position. Megger is the perfect partner, as the companies ideally complement each other in terms of product range and geographical coverage.” Following the acquisition of SebaKMT, Dr Max Iann has joined the board of Megger Group Limited.

The Vivax-Metrotech Group, formerly part of SebaKMT, has not been acquired by Megger. However, the current sales co-operation in Europe and the United States between Vivax-Metrotech and SebaKMT will continue.

Increased manufacturing base

Megger has major development and manufacturing facilities in the UK, Sweden and the USA, and is already one of the world’s largest suppliers of test equipment for the electrical power sector. The acquisition of SebaKMT, which has its main development and manufacturing bases in Germany and the USA where it operates principally through its subsidiary HDW Electronics, will increase the turnover of the Megger Group substantially, and firmly establishes it as a pre-eminent provider of test solutions for the power industry.

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