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aM&T (Automatic Monitoring & Targeting) the combination of automatic meter reading and M&T are high on the list of requirements for Energy Managers and Building Services designers and Clamp-On, Ultrasonic metering can make a significant contribution. However, whilst major projects including BAA Terminal 5 and the ExCeL exhibition centre in London have taken advantage of the associated benefits, general uptake in Building Services design has been slower than expected. Micronics offer a wide range of fixed Clamp-On metering solutions as an alternative to traditional in-line meters, which offer the following benefits:

? No disruption of services or problems associated with system drain down for maintenance
? Minimum downtime and maximum availability
? Significant reductions in meter supply and installation costs for larger meters and retrofit applications.
? No in-line pressure drop and energy losses

The meters can be applied in a stand-alone mode and provide instantaneous flow, totalised energy and volumetric values, communicate selected alarm conditions via relay outputs or be integrated with BEMS, aM&T or Billing systems via M Bus and other industry standard communications.

At Terminal 5 London Heathrow Airport they were incorporated into the design to minimise system downtime and maximise availability of critical environmental systems in both the Terminal and the Energy Centre. Providing a cost-effective metering solution with the benefits of high availability and simple non-disruptive maintenance.

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Substandard work by contractors and the need for properly installed passive protection in hospitals

Over the years, British Fire Consortium member Envirograf, specialists in passive fire protection products, has experienced a number of hospitals with serious shortcomings in their fire safety provisions. Two recent examples, listed below, show how a fire could have easily and quickly spread to other sections of these hospitals.

Safety failures

In the first case, a hospital in Manchester had an inspection by the fire and rescue service. Its report highlighted that the laundry rooms were a key area of concern. The rooms are situated one above the other and have both large and small plastic pipes interconnected to each other. In the event of a fire in one of the rooms, the pipes would be a fast-track route for the fire and smoke to travel. In addition, the laundry is passed by motorised hangers to access chutes from upper floors, and these are left completely open at all times witout an integral fire barrier.

The second case involved a hospital in Kent that failed an inspection by the fire service. The brigade recommended that the hospital make a significant number of improvements or face potential prosecution. Its main cause for concern was that a number of contractors over the years had fitted and replaced services and had left large holes and gaps around the srvices in which a fire could travel. Examples included cables and cable trays passing through fire rated walls with no fire-stopping products being used, and pipes and services in open risers without protection.

The room next to the operating rooms had no fire break walls above the suspended ceilings, while in other rooms the fire barriers that had been fitted had either been damaged by unskilled contractors or completely removed. Holes in previous fire barriers were large enough for a person to crawl through. Temporary partitions that had been in place for many years needed upgrading. The services through the partitions need to be fire-proofed. Electrical trunking passing through escape corridors had no fire breaks.

Many hospitals face similar problems because many of the contractors doing the installation work are not aware or have not been trained in the need for passive fire prevention products.

Installation rigour

The Passive Fire Training Centre in Dover, Kent is a unique facility that highlights the urgent need for life-saving products such as Envirograf products to be used on all new-build and refurbishment properties. The centre also informs tradesmen about the dangers of ignoring this protection and, through the services of the Nationwide Association of Passive Fire Installers and Specifiers (NAPFIS) installers can then become accountable for their work, helping to avoid sloppy workmanship which could later prove to be fatal.

Many building control departments now require properly trained installers to carry out fire-stopping work and as NAPFIS members, these installers can show that they have the knowledge and have been independently assessed.

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The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has entered into an exclusive agreement with AMTECH Group to provide CIBSE members with access to the new LUCKINSlive.com directory of building services products and services.

LUCKINSlive.com is the first online information centre for the UK building services industry that provides a single source of comprehensive, accurate and up to date information for hundreds and thousands of products. The centre boasts a clear, easy-to-use design, with consistent product presentation, is accessible to all as no log-in is required and includes regular newsletters which are sent to subscribers.

CIBSE Chief Executive, Stephen Matthews commented: “CIBSE members are becoming more and more focused on the need to provide building users with buildings which are as excellent in operation as they are on the drawing board. The only way they can achieve this is to ensure that they specify the right products and that they are competently installed.

“I believe LUCKINSlive.com, which will be accessible via the CIBSE website, will be a resource to which industry professionals will turn on an almost daily basis.”

AMTECH Group Managing Director Mark Tindall added: “LUCKINSlive.com is set to revolutionise the way that building services specifiers and installers access product and industry information. CIBSE’s endorsement is the latest development in a relationship between our organisations that continues to facilitate the work of building services engineers and enhance the service they provide to their clients.”

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A new tool has been introduced by Klauke into the highly successful ‘Mini’ range of battery-hydraulic operated tools. The new EBS12 is a powerful cutter for security seals/ bolts/ solid bars. The hand held tool generates 3.5 tonnes of force to easily cut through materials up to 12mm diameter stainless steel – all at the touch of a button! Providing obvious H&S benefits over traditional manual methods, the tool is supplied in a neat carry case with mains charger and rechargeable NiMH battery pack. With the tool not much larger than a hand held torch, it’s easy to handle. The head of this unique tool can rotate 360o for ease of positioning, and features a battery display indicator to advise when charging is required.

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Heatrae Sadia’s market leading Megaflo HE unvented water heating cylinders are providing powerful energy efficient hot water for hundreds of homes at Poundbury, the new mixed use development on Duchy of Cornwall land in Dorchester, Dorset.

Bringing together a community of shops, businesses and housing, Poundbury is a pioneering and well known example of sustainable urban development. Quality of design and workmanship across Poundbury is carefully controlled by the Duchy of Cornwall and follows principles originally laid down by Prince Charles. All new residential properties, whether in the private or social housing categories, are built to exemplary standards and are required to incorporate energy-conservation features

Poole based Morrish Builders is one of three housebuilders developing at Poundbury. The company has been installing Heatrae Sadia’s Megaflo HE unvented cylinders in a large proportion of properties across the development, ranging from one and two bedroom apartments to five bedroom family homes.

A spokesperson for Heatrae Sadia, said: “Unvented systems are now regarded as the preferred water heating solution for new build homes – MODUS (The Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Unvented Systems) has reported increased sales of around 15 per cent every year since 2000 and Megaflo HE is currently our most popular product.

“An unvented hot water storage cylinder is fed directly from the cold water mains, and provides fast filling baths and powerful showers without a loss of performance if more than one tap is used simultaneously. Unvented systems are ideal for modern homeowners who use several bathrooms at the same time and who want frequent showers and constant, but cost effective, hot water on demand.”

Morrish Homes’ marketing manager David Tharby said: “As one of three house builders at Poundbury we have a responsibility to ensure any appliances we install not only match our customers’ expectations but are also energy efficient, in keeping with the principles laid down by the Duchy of Cornwall.

“Megaflo HE incorporates several energy saving features, such as a high performance ‘coil in coil’ heat exchanger, which is placed low in the cylinder to give the maximum amount of stored hot water and fast recovery. It also has foam injected insulation to ensure very low standing heat losses from the cylinder.

“Hot water delivery is something that is important to every homeowner. It can be very disappointing to purchase a new home only to find the hot water supply doesn’t meet expectations. This is even more of an issue in larger family properties, where there is likely to be greater demand for hot water and several taps may need to be used at the same time.” Martin Northeast of Becks Heating & Plumbing of Bournemouth specifies and installs the heating and hot water systems for all Morrish Homes’ properties at Poundbury. He said: “Showers, baths and washing machines all place huge demands on a home’s hot water system, and in our opinion Megaflo HE is the best way to deliver the steady and uninterrupted supply that householders expect.

“Megaflo HE is also our preferred choice from an installation point of view. All connections are colour coded and accessible from the front of the cylinder, so it’s quite simple to achieve a tidy installation.”

Long term reliability is another important issue for Martin. He explained: “I need to know that all the appliances we install are going to be reliable, to ensure homeowners are completely satisfied with their hot water systems and any service calls are reduced. The materials Heatrae Sadia uses are extremely strong and durable, and the 25-year transferable guarantee on the Megaflo HE gives even more peace of mind, as does the level of technical and service support offered.”

Materials are an important concern to Heatrae Sadia. Being manufactured from Duplex stainless steel, Megaflo HE has high resistance to stress corrosion cracking, fatigue and erosion, and has no requirement for a protective coating or sacrificial anode. Other characteristics of Duplex stainless steel include high tensile and yield strengths and low thermal expansion. Heatrae Sadia further reinforces the quality of Megaflo HE by ensuring each cylinder undergoes comprehensive post-weld treatments, helping retain a high corrosion resistance in the welded areas.

In addition to these benefits, Megaflo HE is unique in the marketplace as it features an internal air gap and floating baffle system to accommodate expanded water. This means the cylinder is compact and self contained and the need for an external expansion vessel is eliminated.

The cylinder is designed to be straightforward to install, but Heatrae Sadia also offers a SystemFit option, designed to significantly reduce on-site installation time. Megaflo HE SystemFit models are pre-plumbed and pre-wired to offer simplified installation and consistent electrical and plumbing layout, thus eliminating on-site defects and costly call backs. With demand for unvented hot water systems continuing to grow, Heatrae Sadia has responded by expanding its range by launching solar thermal versions of its Megaflo HE – the unvented Megatech and vented Megalife Solar, designed to be used in conjunction with the solar collector panels and evacuated tube systems available for the UK market.

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Mira Showers – the UK’s leading manufacturer of showering products and accessories – has improved its Verve Bath Shower Mixer (BSM), which has now been certified to BuildCert TMV2. This ensures that it complies with BS EN 1111 and/ or 1287 and so meets the amendments of Part G of the Building Regulations that set maximum temperature limits for water delivered to baths.

It is ideal for those looking for a straightforward, easy solution to adding a shower facility to an existing bath, with the added benefit of providing thermostatic bath fill too. The Verve BSM will also help the new build and social housing sectors obtain building control approval for bathroom installations.

There are two version of the Verve BSM, one designed for wall mount installations, and the second includes deck mount connectors so the BSM can also be mounted on the bath. Highly durable – as a result of a full brass body and metal handles – Verve will work at all pressures from 0.5 to a whopping 5 bar; and is available in a perennially popular chrome finish. It comes with a 5 year guarantee too for added piece of mind.

Controls are also very simple: with one knob controlling flow and another temperature; while a diverter switches water from bath fill to shower. TMV2 approval is the icing on the cake, ensuring that Verve meets new Part G amendments requiring thermostatic temperature control for bath-fill in all new houses.

The Verve BSM valve is sold excluding fittings; which allows for a wider choice of fittings combinations depending on style, function and price requirements.

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A new double deck scissor lift modular dock pod designed, manufactured and installed by Easilift Loading Systems Ltd – the UK’s leading supplier of total loading bay solutions – has significantly increased loading/unloading efficiency for the TIC Retail Accessories Group.

The TIC Group is a major international business providing retailers and vendors with a range of innovative and world class services to manage the movement of merchandise backwards through the supply chain.

Often referred to as ‘reverse logistics’, the types of goods that are brought back include high-volume, re-usable retail accessories such as coat hangers and security tags.

TIC Retail Accessories pioneered the concept of hanger re-use, which is now becoming increasingly accepted internationally, particularly by more enlightened retailers, because of the financial and environmental considerations.

In addition to the supply of new ‘virgin’ hangers to the UK market, in early 2009 TIC Group Europe Ltd began to handle returns of used hangers that are then sorted, reprocessed and fed back into the supply chain – thus reducing the need for new hanger manufacturing.

In order to solve the loading/unloading problem with a new used hanger processing contract, on behalf of a major retail customer whose vehicle fleet was moving over to double deck trailers, the TIC Group approached two loading bay equipment suppliers, including Easilift, to advise on the most suitable double deck solution.

Now increasingly being used for goods transportation, double deck trailers provide significant cost saving and environmental benefits – optimising operational flexibility, increasing load volumes, cutting unnecessary journeys and mileage and reducing fleet sizes.

It is claimed that, typically, a fixed double deck trailer operating in a retail environment can carry around 70 per cent more goods than a conventional single deck version, achieving up to 40 per cent transport cost savings.

The subsequent decision by TIC to choose Easilift Loading System’s purpose-designed double deck scissor lift modular dock solution was clear cut.

TIC Group Operations Manager, Mark O’Sullivan, said: “Selecting Easilift for this project was made even easier for us by the very positive approach of their people – they were highly professional, demonstrating integrity, enthusiasm and a real interest in what we were trying to achieve; as well as portraying an in-depth industry knowledge, together with an extremely strong belief in their product.

“During meetings with Easilift Sales Director, David Whyatt, and his team we felt that they made a real effort to determine exactly the right solution that would benefit us most. Cost for us was not the only factor to be taken into account,” Mark O’Sullivan continued.

“Like Easilift, we wanted to develop a long-term relationship built on trust and mutual respect. We quickly discovered that they have a similar up-front ethos to ourselves and knew that we could work together,” added Mark O’Sullivan.

The third party processor selected by TIC to undertake the refurbished coat hanger contract had to be in a position to make the earliest possible start at their premises in Sheffield and therefore needed a very quick project completion from Easilift.

Due to its modular construction, the double deck scissor lift dock pod solution developed by Easilift took less than two days to install – far exceeding customer expectations and ensuring that the hanger contract was able to start on time.

Quick and easy to erect, without disruption to the company’s on-going business operations, it did not require any major civil engineering work or building modifications (visit: www.easilift.co.uk to view the installation process).

Easilift was one of the pioneers in the design and installation of dock pod systems and is therefore highly experienced with an established track record in this specialist area, having supplied dock pods in all shapes, sizes and finishes to many discerning “blue chip” customers over a number of years.

A dock pod is a complete stand-alone loading bay enclosure which can be installed directly onto the external face of a building. Typically fitted with a dock seal, dock leveller or scissor lift and a sectional insulated overhead door, they are suitable for new buildings, extensions and refurbishments.

They can also be quickly and easily repositioned, if required, and are a highly cost-effective retrofit option for an existing building.

In today’s challenging economic climate dock pods are experiencing ever increasing popularity. They do not take up valuable internal warehousing space and maintain the loading/unloading function within a separate and distinctly confined area. With no cross traffic to worry about, this is a significant health and safety benefit.

Their lightweight but exceptionally strong structure provides an insulated, weatherproof enclosure – with resulting energy-saving potential and enhanced working conditions for the internal environment, making them ideal for ambient and temperature controlled buildings such as cold stores.

The TIC dock pod is equipped with an Easilift Double Deck PowerLift 12 cage 6,000kg capacity scissor lift loading platform – suitable for use with double deck trailers, smaller vehicles with low body height or conventional single deck trailers. The solid steel scissor lift is manufactured to the highest quality and safety standards to achieve maximum rigidity and provide superior platform support and guidance.

Also fitted with an Easilift PowerShelter 403016 collapsible curtain type dock shelter forming a seal between the loading bay and the docked trailer, the pod features LED low energy dock lights incorporating movement sensors.

The new concept double deck scissor lift dock pod developed specifically for TIC was based on well-proven, tried and tested Easilift technology, with design, installation and subsequent on-site training carried out by the company’s highly experienced in-house team.

Mark O’Sullivan said: “We would not have been able to meet the specialised loading/unloading requirements of this particular new contract without the double deck lift and it should now provide us with a very strong competitive advantage for any similar future business opportunities.

“The Easilift team just got on with the job, whilst always keeping us fully in the picture at all stages – but, importantly, without demanding too much of our valuable time,” added Mark O’Sullivan. “Our processing partner was also extremely pleased with the speed and efficiency of the short two day installation process, which did not impact in any way on their business operations and they were able to continue completely as normal whilst the work was being carried out.

“The new double deck scissor lift dock pod is the perfect solution to our needs and the staff are now confident and very happy using it following an extensive day's on-site training from Easilift. It means we can now service any vehicles and trailers in our customer’s fleet. I would therefore have no hesitation in recommending Easilift and using them for any future projects,” concluded Mark O’Sullivan.

As one of the UK’s foremost loading bay equipment specialists, Easilift was one of the first in its sector to achieve the prestigious SAFEcontractor accreditation.

SAFEcontractor is a scheme which independently assesses the health and safety record and competency of contractors and, as such, confirms to prospective customers that effective policies and systems are in place.

Easilift Loading Systems is a member of the Loading Systems International Group, one of Europe’s leading specialist manufacturers of loading bay equipment. The Group has over 450 employees across Europe and a total turnover in excess of 60 million Euros.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the provision of total loading bay solutions, Easilift offers a complete design, installation and maintenance service through its highly experienced in-house team and now has an extensive customer list that is a roll call of some of the biggest names in UK retailing, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, warehousing and the service sector.

The company is a leading member of the Association of Loading & Elevating Equipment Manufacturers (ALEM) and the Confederation of Construction Specialists. Operating to the international ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard, it has Investors in People accreditation and is also an active participant in the Construction Skills Certification Scheme, with all its engineers fully qualified under the CITB Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS).

As well as dock pod systems, such as the one for the TIC Group, Easilift provides everything necessary for the safe, efficient and profitable operation of loading bays. This includes dock levellers, dock shelters, dock seals, industrial doors, high speed doors, vehicle restraints, lifting platforms and a range of safety aids and accessories such as dock plates, dock bumpers, wheel guides, traffic lights and integrated control systems.

Easilift Sales Director, David Whyatt, said: “Our continued successful development is due in no small part to our extensive experience and industry knowledge, together with the positive commitment of our staff and extensive resources available, including an in-house design team, working alongside experienced engineers, able to advise on the most productive and cost-efficient installation – whether for a new build or refurbishment project.

“These facilities are complemented by a full installation and after-sales support service, which incorporates the provision of preventive maintenance programmes designed to ensure compliance with statutory obligations under UK and European legislation, as well as avoiding costly loading bay down-time,” he added.

“We work in close collaboration with all our customers, enabling us to develop an in-depth appreciation of their business, its processes and procedures, so that we are then in an ideal position to develop individually tailored total loading bay solutions,” David Whyatt concluded. “This approach is reflected in the extremely high levels of customer satisfaction achieved, resulting in a significant extent of repeat business, with more than 60 per cent of new orders coming from existing customers.”

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WITHAM, UK – August xx2008 – Tyco Electronics has launched a higher rated version of its Crompton Instruments three phase module direct-connected kilowatt hour energy meter. The DRK-3P-400-D90 now has a maximum input of 100A, matching the current ratings of distribution boards.

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