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Montague L. Meyer, a trading brand of MLM Distribution Ltd, the market leader in wood-panels, has won a top industry award for a third year. Montague L. Meyer, Barking Depot, was awarded the prestigious 2008 TTJ Plywood Trader of the Year Award at the Award Ceremony held at the Park Lane Hotel, London, on 18th September, 2008.

These awards are made as a result of votes cast by readers of the TTJ (Timber Trades Journal). Consequently the awards are a true reflection of customer satisfaction. The award was presented to Mr David Siggins, Depot Manager for the Barking Depot, by Rt Hon Charles Kennedy M.P.

William T Eden, another brand operated by MLM Distribution Ltd, was awarded 2008 TTJ Panels Trader of the Year – a double win for the Montague L. Meyer Limited Group.

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Fort Dunlop, Birmingham’s iconic listed building, visible to the thousands of commuters as they journey along the M6, has been transformed into modern offices and contemporary retail space; all of which will be benefiting from the latest heating and cooling technology from environmental controls system manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric.

The landmark building, historically the location of the construction of spitfire planes during World War 2, was transformed by award winning property developer, Urban Splash, who had the challenge of bringing the building up to modern standards of comfort and technology without compromising the existing features and unique architecture.

The specification included over 120 Mitsubishi Electric water cooled WR2 systems making it the largest in the UK. Installed by Skyline Air Conditioning Ltd, the WR2 units meet the heating and cooling demands of the building utilising multi port BC controllers which enable the building to benefit from heat recovery, using waste energy generated from one part of the building during cooling, to be used to heat another area.

To keep the internal air fresh without wasting energy, the project also includes over 120 Lossnay heat recovery units, which recoup energy from outgoing air to heat or cool incoming fresh air.

Skyline Air Conditioning, which is a strategic Mitsubishi Electric Business Solutions Partner, was engaged in the complete air conditioning installation throughout the entire building, providing controls and remote zone controllers for each floor.

The WR2 condensing units are ‘housed’ in internal plant rooms, of which there are four per floor, providing heating and cooling to each floor via a total of over 700 Mitsubishi Electric ducted fan coils.

“To preserve the integrity of the original architecture, the internal floor was raised and we used the void below as a pathway for concealing all of the air conditioning system’s distribution, electrical power and control cables,” explained said John Bradshaw of Skyline, who led the project. “The combination ensures the highest total building efficiencies, as well as lower running costs and excellent CO2 emissions reductions.

“Lossnay ventilation units working in conjunction with the water cooled systems provide effective ventilation and total heat recovery, ensuring a comfortable air temperature within each room,” he added.

With large numbers of air conditioning units, control is paramount in a building of this complexity and size and Skyline Air Conditioning installed 24 Mitsubishi Electric G50A centralised controllers per floor in addition to 180 wired remote zone controllers.

This allows Urban Splash and their tenants to closely monitor and control each individual unit within the system to match separate room requirements.

With the installation of what is the country’s largest installation of WR2 systems, Skyline Air Conditioning have helped Urban Splash convert Fort Dunlop into a building fit for modern use and ensure that this prestigious building remains a central part of Birmingham’s heritage for years to come.

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BonaKemi has just issued an updated version of its product catalogue, featuring the complete Bona range of products for wood flooring contractors. The catalogue includes finishes for wooden floors, stains and fillers, abrasives and the complete range of Bona sanding machines, including the unique Dust Care vacuum system for contractors working in highly dust sensitive areas. Maintenance products for commercial and domestic use complete the catalogue.

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A family home of Mr and Mrs Fox in the small Wiltshire village of Collingbourne Ducis, Marlborough, is setting the standard for eco-friendly housing.

Mrs Fox estimates that by converting to Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan system, the family should save around £500 a year on fuel bills, and reduce CO2 emissions from their house by 50%.

“We decided to look for an environmentally friendly alternative to our oil-heating system because it was proving costly, and as our village doesn’t have gas, we looked at alternatives such as wood, solar power and biomass-based systems, but many of these proved difficult to operate,” she explained.

“We are an environmentally aware family and try to do our bit, recycling as much as possible and insulating the house to the highest standards to preserve energy; so when we found Ecodan it made environmental sense, promising energy savings and lowering our carbon footprint.

“The Ecodan unit that is kept outside the house is a similar size to an old-style boiler, but it’s much quieter than our old oil-fired one and doesn’t blow out foul-smelling fumes,” said Mrs Fox.

“Since converting, we have a much more even temperature throughout the house and no longer suffer from drafts. The heat seems to be much gentler and there are copious amounts of hot water – even for my two teenage children who seem to live in the shower!”

By using free energy from the outside air to provide space heating and hot water, Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan, the easy to install, low carbon alternative to a traditional gas or oil boiler, can dramatically reduce home running costs and CO2 emissions.

With a conventional gas boiler, one kilowatt of energy delivers less than one kilowatt of heat to a building. With an Ecodan heat pump boiler, one kilowatt of energy delivers a heat output in excess of 3 kilowatts – that’s a 300 per cent increase in energy efficiency – and that is set to grow as the technology develops.

The Ecodan unit runs off a normal domestic electric circuit and is easy to install, although Mitsubishi Electric stresses the need for modern levels of building insulation within the property to ensure the greatest efficiency, which is one of the reasons why the Fox household has worked so well.

The unit was installed by Wiltshire-based Ayres Plumbing and Heating who were one of the first to achieve Accredited Ecodan Installer status.

“Replacing our 15 year-old heating system with an Ecodan system meant that we were able to get rid of all the old water tanks and pipes in the loft, which also freed up a lot of space.

“To aid the system, we fitted large radiators throughout the house and have found that we haven’t needed to top our heating up with log fires as we would previously have done. We changed to Ecodan around five months ago and are expecting it to halve our bills.

“Our new system has created a lot of fascination and intrigue in the village as the majority of residents rely on oil-fired central heating systems which are proving more and more costly with fuel prices ever rising. I think it is highly likely that other houseowners will convert in the next few years,” Mrs Fox concluded.

The average UK household produces over five tonnes of CO2 per year with space and water heating accounting for more than 73% of this – Ecodan can cut these emissions by up to 50%. However, this energy that surrounds us – a key sustainable resource – doesn’t currently factor into many people’s thinking.

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Installation of a four pipe fan coil system at Royex House in the City of London included the use of 900 pre-fabricated valve sets, supplied to Axima Building Services by Marflow Hydronics. The valve sets were Marflow’s innovative Xterminator units, which combine a Filtermate isolation valve and Universal Xtra fitting with the company’s versatile Terminator commissioning valve.

Constructed for Scottish Widows as a speculative development, Royex House is a new 16 storey, 35,500m2 building in Aldermanbury Square, comprising predominantly office space with food and drink retail outlets at ground level.

In order to maximise onsite productivity, M&E contractor Axima Building Services decided to have the valve sets for the fan coil system fabricated off-site.

“Adopting a pre-fabrication approach enabled us to make optimum use of onsite staff and save a considerable amount of time on the installation of the fan coil system,” explained Axima’s Mark McManus. “As well as providing excellent value for money, Marflow worked closely with us and the other suppliers, providing expert advice and ensuring that deliveries were on time,” he added.

Pre-fabricated copper bends were supplied to Marflow’s production facility, where the Xterminator units and chilled and heating valve sets were mounted in tandem on a single bracket. The assemblies were then supplied to the fan coil manufacturer complete with a 2-port control valve and copper tails for direct connection to the fan coil units.

A further benefit of using Marflow’s Terminator Commissioning valve derives from its exclusive inter-changeable venturi system. This facilitates any future changes that may be made to the system, thus adding value for the end user.

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Hamilton Litestat?s Hartland wiring accessory plate is featured at the City Lofts Roberts Wharf development in Leeds. This major regeneration and new build project, cleverly combines residential use with commercial space to create 198 one and two bed apartments with 11,700 sq ft of office area, forming a living and working community and a more sustainable approach to the development. The scheme provides high quality residential and office accommodation in a prime waterfront location, which enhances and complements the existing mill buildings and local architecture.

These high quality accessory plates were chosen by the electrical contractors, Longcross Engineering, which was employed by the main site contractors Gleeson Building, as they were able to satisfy the developer?s requirements in terms of design, aesthetics and quality. ?In design and build projects the client is always looking for a Rolls Royce product? said Richard Arthurs of Longcross Engineering. ?With Hamilton?s product we have given them the type of product that they are looking for, at a competitive price. This not only meets their specification requirements but also provides all the switches, sockets and general accessories that we needed to address the installation demands of this application.?

Featured in a brushed stainless steel finish, to complement the contemporary feel of the development, these products were supplied through Leeds based electrical wholesaler WF. According to WF?s Christie Bate, Internal Sales, ?We offered the client the Hartland plate due to its high quality and contemporary feel. The combination of the satin chrome and the white insert looked stunning and created just the right sort of feel for this project.

?The client loved the product and so it was specified throughout this residential development. These products are of a very good quality and so there have been very few returns despite the large numbers supplied. Deliveries from Hamiltons have also been good, so the job has been able to run smoothly.?

The scheme, which has been designed by DLA Architecture, comprises the refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Roberts Mart ?Banks Mill? and the construction of two new residential blocks. Located overlooking the River Aire, the mill buildings have been sensitively transformed incorporating the existing brick vaulted ceilings, cast iron structure and timber roof trusses to create spectacular open plan living spaces. Elements of the new build blocks echo the rhythm and form of the existing mill, whilst offering a contemporary aesthetic utilising lightweight rainscreen cladding and glazing. The new build blocks are linked back to the existing fabric by lightweight glazed extensions, offering minimal interventions onto the existing elevations, whilst creating a coherent whole.

Since 1997 City Lofts has become a leading developer of urban mixed-use property schemes, mainly outside London, with a primary focus on residential apartments, usually involving the regeneration of brownfield sites in or close to city centres. Their marketing focus is on developing high quality apartments with strong brand recognition enhanced by the company?s close association with Conran & Partners (the architectural design service for Sir Terence Conran). This concept is creating well-designed residential and mixed schemes for a price conscious and discerning owner occupier or investor. The popularity of city centre living is growing and there is strong demographic and lifestyle evidence to support the view that this will continue.

?Due to the Hartland?s slimline plate and system versatility it is ideal for this type of development,? said Alison Hamilton, Director of the Hamilton Litestat Group. ?Unlike other ranges, this plate can be featured as box fit, or grid fix and has the option of secret screw fixings all of which are available in a whole range of finishes to create the ?look? that the developer requires. As grid fix is available we are able to manufacture special plates to suit the developer?s exact requirements. These plates can include power centres that feature switches and fuses for various pieces of kitchen equipment including dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, fridge freezers etc., as well as media plates for Satellite TV installations.

?The availability of a suite of products that enables the cover plates to be matched across a whole scheme allows the specifier to choose less expensive box fix items in low profile areas and screwless plates in the more prominent areas. This type of wiring solution also enables the contractor to satisfy the developer?s requirements for the latest hi-tech devices, particularly as these plates can feature Eurodata outlet sockets which can be used for sound distribution and lighting control systems.

?All in all we believe the Hartland plate is well placed to address most of a developer?s requirements not just because of its extensive range, but also because of its good looks which addresses both the contemporary and traditional market sectors. We believe that its growing popularity in the market place does indeed justify this conclusion.?

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Roto’s range of roof windows and solar systems are covered in a new 40-page brochure which introduces the unique 7-Series roof window and the low profile Sunroof solar system. The 7-series provides all the benefits of traditional centre-pivot operation with a high swing axis in windows available in either PVC or pine. The low profile Sunroof solar system, due to be introduced in early 2009 has a high energy yield and is usable for hot water, auxiliary energy or electrical power. It can be used individually or as part of a modular system to combine performance with sleek, contemporary appearance.

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Space Airconditioning plc, the Guildford based Daikin Distributor, is re-launching its main website www.spaceair.co.uk as part of a package of corporate profile updates and enhancements. Commenting on the changes, Space Air’s Marketing and Business Development Manager, Mike Nankivell said, “the original website has held up well against its contemporaries, but the time had come to introduce a number of improvements, so we took the opportunity to redesign the whole thing. We were also conscious that over time we had developed a total of four very individual websites, we needed to create a common style, which indicated they were all from the same Space Air ‘family’, as a result our other three sites – www.daikinaltherma.com, www.siestaair.co.uk and www.ventyourhome.com are also undergoing a degree of re-working.

The new main Space Air site has a cleaner, fresher appearance more in line with our corporate image. The website still contains a wealth of information about Space Air, Daikin products and industry matters, however, the navigation process has been simplified and we have introduced comprehensive search and archive facilities for those with access to the area restricted to regular customers, greatly simplifying download facilities for our extensive library of Daikin product data”. Mike Nankivell continued “The updates to our other websites, includes www.siestaair.co.uk the website dedicated to the Daikin Air Purifier range.

Essentially this is a consumer site that visitors can use to make on-line purchases of this impressive product. We recently announced that on-line purchases can be made using PayPal, the global leader in on-line payment solutions. PayPal is the safer, easier way to pay and get paid online. The service allows anyone to pay in any way they prefer, including through credit cards, bank accounts, and buyer credit or account balances, without sharing financial information. Although we have never experienced payment security issues, our customers can now take comfort in a payment procedure that enjoys the status of the worldwide web’s most dependable service. All the revamped sites go ‘live’ toward the end of July and we hope that our clients will approve of the new look and improved contents.”

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Eaton has supplied about 500 of its new Halyester glassfibre reinforced polyester enclosures for use in low voltage electrical feeder pillars on the M1 motorway. The pillars will supply power to lighting and communications systems between Junction 6A (the M1/M25 interchange) and Junction 10 (Luton) where a major widening programme is in progress.

The lighting feeder pillars provide power for carriageway, interchange and underbridge lighting. A typical pillar is a 100A or 200A, nine-way three-phase unit feeding up to 27 single-phase lighting circuits. The pillars have been manufactured for the lighting sub-contractor, J. McCann & Co., by Tofco Limited, a leading manufacturer of street lighting and traffic furniture.

Halyester enclosures are also used in pillars manufactured by Tofco for DW Projects ? a division of David Webster Ltd. – who are responsible for installing the motorway communications systems. These include the gantries which provide variable speed controls and variable messaging systems (?Don?t drink and drive? etc.); communications and data links with the North and South transmission stations; traffic counting mechanisms and emergency roadside telephones.

The feeder pillars are produced in various sizes in 5mm hot dip galvanised steel. EDF power supplies are brought into a chamber with a separate rear access door. Separate enclosure of components such as isolators, contactors, fuses and terminals is required to give IP66 (dust-tight and water-tight) protection of these devices and to provide electrical separation for electricians working on the feeder pillars. Eaton?s recently-introduced Halyester range of glass reinforced polyester enclosures proved the ideal solution.

?It?s a very flexible system? explains Kevin Doherty, Tofco?s National Sales Manager. The modular design means that different box sizes can be mounted neatly side-by-side, or one above another, with openings for interconnecting cables in the top, bottom or sides. For example the lighting feeder pillars typically have a 100A or 200A main switch in one Halyester enclosure, this feeds three contactors (one per phase) in a second enclosure. These then feed fuse banks in separate enclosures and a terminal chamber in yet another enclosure. There is also a separate auxiliary services box which supplies the pillar lighting, anti-condensation heater and ancillary power outlet.

Visibility of the devices and wiring within each enclosure is a major advantage according to a McCann engineer. It is frequently possible to trace a cable from one component to the next without having to open both boxes. There is no need for steel cable trunking outside the enclosures. The availability of brass gland plates that will provide adequate entry for the large 25-30mm2 single-phase outgoing cables is also important.

?Eaton?s Halyester enclosures help us build a smart, safe, high quality panel that meets all the environmental and safety requirements of our clients? says Kevin Doherty. ?The flexibility of the modular design and the range of accessories such as gland plates is a major plus-point while the cooperation of Eaton?s own engineers has contributed to a satisfying end result.?

The M1 improvement programme between Junctions 6A and 10 is being carried out for the Highways Agency by Balfour Beatty Skanska Joint Venture.

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