Story

Get the latest news about environmental measurement practice and theory from Vaisala. Find out more about your existing application solutions, instrumentation and measurement practices. Vaisala Knowledge NewsLetters will help you become an environmental measurement expert and provide more information about making reliable and proper measurements. Seven Newsletters to choose from; Humidity, Carbon Dioxide & Oxygen, HVAC, Cleanrooms & Chambers, Industrial Process, Air Dryers, and What's New. There is no cost for the Knowledge Newsletters.

View Vaisala's profile:

Story

Dock bumpers may be one of the smallest – and seemingly most insignificant – pieces of equipment in the loading bay, but they can increase safety and prevent considerable damage to both the vehicle and the infrastructure of the building.

Leading high quality loading and unloading equipment supplier Thorworld Industries Ltd has introduced its new sliding nylon dock bumper – not only does it last approximately four-times longer than standard nylon dock bumpers, but it also ensures that customers can enjoy years of cost-effective, shock-absorbing protection, with reduced vehicle repair and building maintenance costs.

So why are dock bumpers needed at all? Reversing a large vehicle up to a loading dock can be a difficult task, especially if the driver is unfamiliar with the particular premises and loading bay area. Misjudging the stopping distance is therefore an all too common occurrence, which causes the vehicle to ram into the dock and jolt the structure. And with a 30 tonne vehicle travelling at just 4mph, even reinforced docks can be damaged quickly, resulting in costly repairs – and that’s where Thorworld’s new sliding nylon dock bumpers come in.

The Thorworld sliding nylon dock bumper features a heavy-duty black powder-coated steel frame which is fixed to sound concrete or steelwork on the loading dock. The frame houses a solid block of nylon, and a unique fixing method (patent pending) enables the incorporation of a thick, heavy duty rubber packer at the rear to ensure maximum shock absorption. As a result the Thorworld sliding nylon dock bumper helps to reduce damage to both the building and the vehicle, as well as helping to protect any goods being carried.

What’s more, the innovative sliding design means that each bumper can be turned upside-down and back-to-front to ensure even wear, thus extending its lifespan by as much as four times that of a traditional nylon dock bumper and significantly more than that for conventional rubber dock bumpers.

Added to this, the sliding action helps to extend the bumper’s lifespan still further because the nylon can move with the vehicle thus minimising abrasion damage – making them ideal for use with air suspension trailers

The smooth front surface of the nylon, without any holes, also helps to protect both the vehicle and the bumpers themselves from potential damage that can occur when protruding objects on a vehicle get caught in the fixing holes on standard dock bumpers.

The standard 760mm (30″) long version is suitable to cover a wide range of vehicle heights for most standard applications, however they can be fitted above the loading dock with appropriate support and can also have corner cut-outs to allow unrestricted access to the vehicle in above dock applications.

Speaking about its new sliding nylon dock bumpers, John Meale, managing director of Thorworld Industries, said: “Without installing dock bumpers, an organisation with multiple loading bays could incur literally tens of thousands of pounds in repair bills every year and yet this damage is entirely preventable, simply by investing in a low cost piece of safety equipment.

“Our new sliding nylon dock bumper offers exceptional value-for-money and whilst the initial purchase cost might be slightly higher than for standard non-sliding versions, when the nylon wears in one area, you can simply rotate and reverse them, extending each bumper’s effective working life by up to four times. What’s more, once the steel framework is fixed in position, the nylon insert can then be easily changed or rotated in seconds – without the need for any special tools.”

Thorworld is firmly established as one of the foremost designers, manufacturers and suppliers to the loading bay and materials handling sectors and is recognised as both a market leader and innovator in the supply of quality engineered equipment.

The company provides a one-stop, single source for an extensive range of high quality loading bay and materials handling products, safety aids and accessories, including dock shelters and seals, dock levellers, modular loading docks, dock plates and boards, dock and vehicle bumpers, wheel chocks, vehicle restraints, traffic lights, wheel guides, alignment curbs and mobile yardramps (available for purchase or rental on a sale or return basis through the company’s RentARamp operation), together with the Truckloada mobile yardlift and the Dockloada scissor lift platform.

View Thorworld's profile:

Story

aM&T (automatic Monitoring & Targeting), the correct selection and application of meters combined with AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) and M&T (Monitoring and Targeting) is a key element in Best Practice Energy Management.

Micronics has combined its considerable experience in the Clamp-On – Ultrasonic metering field with its Reseller Partners expertise in AMR & aM&T to prepare this introduction or refresher paper for Energy Managers, which covers the fundamentals of developing an effective energy and water metering strategy, AMR communication options and an overview of the functionality and associated benefits of an effective aM&T system.

An aM&T system can be considered in three logical parts, which are

• Meters
• AMR (Automatic Meter Reading)
• M & T (Monitoring and Targeting)

Meters

Meters are the foundation blocks of an effective aM&T system, they are the primary measuring element and as such are fundamental to the accuracy of the overall system. They provide the basic data, which needs to be accurate and reliable. So the starting point when considering an aM&T system for an existing site or building is a Metering Audit to establish the extent and quality of the current meter installation. The Audit can be a daunting task but it is an essential first stage and may require the installation of temporary non-invasive, portable measurement devices to establish the quality of the existing meters. Temporary measurement instruments include Clamp-On Ultrasonic flow meters for liquid flow or heat/cooling energy measurements or Clamp-On CT’s for electricity measurements.

Having established the scope and suitability of the current meter installation both Primary and Secondary the next step is to develop an aM&T plan which supports the management objectives and operational needs of the organisation. This will identify Energy Accounting Centres (EAC’s) and the key water and process measurements required to manage the Energy and Water consumption for the building or site, which in turn will highlight the meter shortfall and new meters required.

The Audit has profiled the current meter installation and the aM&T plan has identified the additional metering requirements. Selecting the new meters is the next step and the first stage is to establish a specification for each metering point including the accuracy, range, repeatability, reliability and connectivity options required. There is a wide range of options available for measuring energy and water utilising different technologies. Selecting the correct meter for each measurement point will require professional guidance from a consultant and or advice from a range of suppliers or suppliers who offer a wide range of metering alternatives. There will be price/performance tradeoffs for different options and it will also be important to consider the installed price for a particular option, installation disruption and lifetime maintenance and service issues costs. For example in some applications the supply price of a Fixed Ultrasonic Clamp-On meter may be more expensive than a more traditional in-line mechanical meter, but the installation cost, installation disruption, life time maintenance and in-line energy cost will be considerably less with substantial savings!

AMR (Automatic Meter Reading)

A meter that cannot be automatically read and recorded is not worth having because experience shows that it’s very unlikely that it will be read and if it is manual reading and logging of meter readings is open to error! All modern meters have some form of connectivity or means to connect them to some form of AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) system or data logging device. However, whilst most existing meters will have or can be adapted for remote reading for some it will not be possible or cost viable and this should be identified in the Audit.

Having established that all meters should have the facility for connectivity to an AMR system or have on-board data logging the connectivity can take many forms. These range from a basic 1/2-hour pulse or analogue typical 4 to 20mA signal for continuous recording of actual flow or consumption to smart meters where all the meter information is available in a digitally encoded form for AMR by various means. The latter is preferable as it reduces the possibility of an error between the actual meter reading and the AMR signal; however, it is more expensive and not available on all meter types.

Given suitable connectivity there are AMR systems with a wide range of communication options including

1. A Twisted Pair of wires connecting all the meters together often termed a Daisy Chain. Each meter will have an integral communication ability e.g. smart or add-on interface unit, which will be linked via the Daisy Chain back to a master data-collector/logger. There are many variants with M-Bus a European AMR standard being the most sophisticated.

2. Internal and external PSTN networks where the telephone system provides the communication link.

3. Ethernet based systems where each meter is a LAN node on the network

4. Low power – licence exempt radio communications where each meter or small group of meters via a local data collector has a radio transceiver on a local network.

5. GSM – mobile radio communications where each meter or small group of meters via a local data collector has a GSM link to a master data-collector/logger.

6. Web enabled systems where a cluster or group of meters is read and the data is automatically transferred to an Internet service provider for remote access.

The above is not an exhaustive list and the actual AMR system for an individual Building, Campus (multiple buildings on a site) or organisation estate will depend on many factors and in most cases the best solution will be a combination of the above.

For some smaller site applications a Portable Clamp-On metering device such as the Micronics Portaflow 300 or similar may be sufficient to establish consumption trends and profiles of water and water based heating systems when combined with appropriate Clamp-On temperature sensors.

M & T (Monitoring and Targeting)

Having gathered the meter reading data e.g. 1/2-hour through whichever form of AMR system the next step or task is to automatically convert the data and that’s all it is at this point into useful information and exception reporting!

Current aM&T systems encompass a vast range of application programs including Monitoring and Targeting, which manipulate, analyse and convert the vast amount of metering data gathered by the AMR system into useful information.

These systems will be multitasking, multi-user utilising standard operating systems. The databases employed may also be standard or in some cases proprietary and the systems are often scalable from a desktop PC to an Internet server. Your aM&T plan will have clearly defined your requirements in this respect.

Generally provided programs will include

• Meter Profiles or Reports
• Virtual Meters or Group Profiles or Reports
• Utility Shadow Billing & Automatic Billing
• Benchmarking
• Budget Reports
• Bar Charts
• Cusum
• Pie Charts & Tables
• Period on Period Comparisons
• Degree Day Monitoring
• Environmental Report
• Climate Change Levy Reports
• M & T – Weather, Occupancy, Production variables, Signature, Theoretical
• Custom Management Reports
• Exception Reporting

At first site the above can appear rather daunting and it would be fair to say that the top end M & T software associated with some aM&T systems is over flexible and consequently over complex in the set-up and configuration. It’s important to strike the correct balance between flexibility or individual customisation and ease of use. And of course the IT skills or level of Energy Managers varies so the ideal solution is a system that offers a wide range of ready made templates or pre-configured reports but with the option for customisation of reports etc by the individual as and when required.

To conclude this brief introduction, aM&T systems are a valuable tool, which when designed and applied correctly will deliver the essential visibility and measurement information required for effective Energy, Water and Cost management!

View Micronics's profile:

Story

View Eaton Electrical's profile:

Story

The new 1 gang On/Off 10A (6AX) Hotel Card Switch from British wiring accessory manufacturer Hamilton Litestat has been designed to enable Hoteliers and Guest House proprietors to reduce energy wastage. Its attractive design styling, with a choice of plate finishes and insert surrounds, blends beautifully with the chosen dǸcor to provide a very practical and attractive solution.

Designed to accept most Hotel Room Entry Cards with sizes 44 x 80mm and 54 x 86mm, it only allows the connected circuits to be operated when the hotel room/suite is occupied. This facility can dramatically reduce energy costs by automatically turning off air conditioning systems and lighting circuits etc. Once the entry card is inserted into the receiver slot this accessory operates as a master switch automatically enabling lighting circuits, televisions and other electrical equipment to be utilised. This switch incorporates a time delay of between 10 seconds to 5 minutes to enable, for example, the exit route to remain illuminated for a set period of time, once the card has been removed. A Blue LED Key Symbol locator provides an attractive facility which enables the key switch to be located in the dark.

This new product range is available in both the Hartland and Sheer CFX plates each of which features Hamilton’s patented concealed fixing system. It can also be featured in Hamilton’s top-of the range Linea CFX plates including Linea Rondo, Linea Scala, Linea Duo, Linea Perlina and Linea Georgian. These plates feature dual finishes and concealed fixings to add an additional touch of class to the interior finish.

All the Hotel Card Switches can be matched with the other wiring accessories within the chosen Hamilton’s plate range to maintain design continuity throughout the project. The plate finishes include a choice of Bright Chrome, Polished Brass, Satin Brass, Antique Brass, Satin Steel and Black Nickel with a choice of white or black insert surrounds. With the Linea Ranges the specifier can choose a different finish for the frame from that of the plate to create attractive contrasting options.

View Hamilton-Litestat's profile:

Story

Swish Building Products has launched a new low carbon rainwater system made from 84% recycled material, that brings tons of post consumer PVC back into use.

These rainwater profiles are unique in the UK because the recycled material contains post consumer waste from old PVC window and gutter systems that have been removed from buildings when refurbished or demolished.

Greg Wilde, of Swish Building Products said: “Swish rainwater systems are ideal for designers who want to specify quality products that have a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Manufacturing a product that effectively marries a recycled core with a virgin skin saves 70% of the CO2 that would be produced by manufacturing with virgin material.”

These gutters and pipes have a two-tone appearance featuring a grey core and coextruded outer skin of virgin material to enhance the external appearance and aid colour matching. This technology gives it exactly the same weather resistance and longevity as products manufactured from virgin material.

The new gutter range comes in Round, Square and Ogee designs and each style is available in White, Black and Brown.

View Swish Building Products's profile:

Story

View Mitsubishi Electric's profile:

Story

Flag Soprema’s Flagon SFC Copper Art single ply membrane has been used in a highly unusual way on an exclusive 3-storey development of six apartments concealed within the heart of a conservation area. Vaega Family Homes’ development of Beech Hollow was faced with a planning directive requiring use of Yorkshire stone, natural slate, lead and copper. Its tower entrance feature was designed to be clad in copper, as a visual statement which hinted at the high quality of materials and finishes within. Flag-Soprema’s patented thermoplastic PVC system, Flagon SFC Copper Art, was used as precise amounts of copper incorporated into it enable the membrane to take on the natural patina of age. Added benefits include the avoidance of cold bridging, corrosion or leaks around details.

The fleece-backed membrane was fully-adhered to the insulation boards to achieve the necessary smooth finish, using the skills of Bradford based contractor Watershed Roofing. Profiles and embossed fascia detailing techniques re-created the traditional copper appearance to the highest standard.

The modern design approach provided the required focal point and, as Stuart Cochrane of Watershed Roofing commented. “We found the project very challenging but interesting. The full effect of the feature could not be appreciated until the scaffolding came down, but it can be seen from some distance”. – A truly unusual and innovative piece of design which illustrates the flexibility of single ply in every sense.

View Soprema's profile:

Story

Marflow Hydronics’ Single Station Balancing (SSB) methodology has been designed to provide a fast and effective approach to the balancing of variable volume fan coil and chilled beam systems. As such, it is a cost-effective and highly accurate alternative to proportional balancing, which is not suitable for variable volume systems.

Used in conjunction with manifold systems fitted with pressure independent valves, SSB uses a ‘subtraction’ technique to identify problem valves. This is based on knowing the design flow rates for each individual valve and, therefore, the total flow rate for that fan coil/chilled beam group.

Assuming all the valves are functioning correctly, isolating each valve will have a predictable effect on the total flow rate for the remaining valves. Where an unexpected result is observed it is a simple matter of elimination to quickly identify the valve that causes this, enabling the commissioning engineer to home in on the problem area.

In contrast, with conventional proportional balancing, the commissioning engineer needs to balance the entire system before problem circuits can be identified. Once those problems have been resolved the whole system then needs to be balanced again, leading to a lengthy process that can impact on the whole construction schedule.

View Marflow Hydronics's profile:

Story

Open Box

Open Box, Fagerhults Red Dot Design winning luminaire has been installed within Phase 1 of a refurbishment of the headquarters for clothing company Diesel situated in London.

The high ceilings and open plan offices required architects Leckenby Associates to find a product that would be unobtrusive but distinctive, provide no glare and suit the contemporary style of the client.

If you would like any further information or images please contact Scott Allen, Marketing Manager fagerhult Lighting.

View Fagerhult's profile: