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Electro-Services Ltd, a major plant hirer to the utility sector, has added mini excavators to its growing roster of specialist equipment with an investment of £1.2 million in market leading Kubota machines.

It is one of the largest single orders received by Kubota so far this year and is part of Electro-Services' drive to meet the demands of an ever-expanding utility sector.

The order for nearly 80 Kubota minis, across the weight range from 1.5 to 8 tonnes, includes 8 tonne KX-080 and 3 tonne KX61-3 machines, together with the new 1.6 tonne U17-3 model and other 2.5 tonne U25-3 and 5 tonne U50-3 zero tail swing machines.

It represents the largest slice of a total £1.7 million investment in new plant – the largest made by Electro-Services – as it celebrates its 21st anniversary.

The company is also buying 55 2.5 and 3.5 tonne trailers to deliver the Kubota minis to customers, as well as 25 Terex dumpers including 1 tonne high lift, 3 tonne swivel, 6 tonne swivel and 9 tonne straight models.

All of the mini excavators, which incorporate Kubota's unique key-based 'ANTI-THEFT' system, as standard equipment, are being supplied with a full range of buckets by Kubota dealer Shellplant, of Earls Barton, Northampton. The machines will also be equipped with Atlas Copco hydraulic breakers.

Said Electro-Services' Sales Director Chris James: “Adding mini excavators to our hire offering is a natural bolt-on as far as our utility customers are concerned. We chose Kubota because they are the outright market leaders.”

“Despite the current economic climate I am more confident about these purchases than any other that we have made. We pride ourselves in supplying the highest quality equipment, which is why we chose the Kubota and Terex brands.”

“Although they are both near the top end for us in purchase price, I feel their known quality and reliability amply justifies the investment cost and reinforces our commitment to providing our clients with the very best plant. A good 50% of the minis are already booked out to our utility clients, and we shall also be looking at the housing and construction hire markets.”

Said Shellplant's Julian Payne: “We are pleased that Electro-Services chose us for one of the largest single purchases of Kubota minis to be made in the UK so far this year. It’s extremely satisfying to partner such a successful company as they expand their business in such a big way during their 21st year of trading.”

Electro-Services is a family-owned and run business established in 1987, with its head office at Pulloxhill, Bedfordshire. It is a leading supplier to the utilities market across the UK of specialised equipment and plant, with depots in Luton, Tyne & Wear, Glasgow, Cardiff, Wigan and East London.

Kubota is the UK, European and world leader in mini excavators and its machines have a legendary reputation for quality, performance, reliability, versatility and excellent residual values, coupled with outstanding dealer support – providing unbeatable value for money, a vitally important consideration in the current economic climate.

With the widest range of minis available from a single manufacturer, Kubota offers 19 base models spanning the weight range from 850kg up to 8 tonnes and including the largest selection of highly versatile zero tail swing machines from 1 to 5 tonnes – all featuring world leading Kubota engines to provide economic and environmentally sound performance.

The compactness, productivity, versatility and cost-effectiveness of Kubota mini excavators make them ideal for many different applications and end-users; from building, construction, civil engineering, quarrying, demolition, recycling and landscaping, to plant hire companies, utilities and owner operators.

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ELGA LabWater has produced a new, comprehensive educational guide of water purification technologies and its relevance and importance to clinical analyzer equipment.

Poor water quality not only affects the chemistry of tests, but can also affect the operation of the analyzer. The guide clearly shows how purified water is used in such equipment.

Other important content such as validation, current trends in clinical monitoring, and advised guidelines from CLSI® are all discussed within this colour booklet.

The guide initially looks at the impurities commonly found in potable water before moving on to discuss the different methods of removing them, such as reverse osmosis and deionization.

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Coltman Precast Concrete has received a supply chain health and safety award from Mansell Construction Services Ltd, one of Britain's leading construction providers and a member of the Balfour Beatty Group Ltd.

The award was given to recognise Coltman's consistent excellence in health and safety processes and practices, reflecting the high priority the company places on the issue.

Coltman supplied Mansell with 870 sq m of 200mm thick x 1200mm wide prestressed hollowcore floor units for a £1 million project to build 15 apartments as part of the Lawley Village development in Telford, Shropshire. The work was carried out by Mansell's Stourbridge-based Partnership Housing Division.

The award was presented to Coltman Director, Nigel Gilbert and Contracts Supervisor, Andy Owen, by Simon Liversage, Manager of Mansell's Partnership Housing Division.

Mr Liversage said: “There is nothing more important than health and safety on our sites across the country. We are delighted to recognise Coltman for the very high priority the firm gives to health and safety issues.”

Mick Thurman, Coltman's Health & Safety Manager, said: “We are very pleased that a major construction company such as Mansell has recognised us with this coveted award. We are heavily committed to health and safety, both within our factory and on every one of our customers' sites.

Coltman is one of the UK's largest independent manufacturers of structural precast concrete products.

Established in 1972, Coltman Precast Concrete's product range includes prestressed hollowcare wide slab and solid prestressed wide slab for flooring and roofing. Staircases, landings, balconies, terracing and wall units are also available as bespoke products.

As a major independent supplier to the housing, commercial, industrial, health and leisure sectors nationwide, Coltman produces in excess of 250,000 square metres of prestressed hollowcore flooring and 4,000 cubic metres of bespoke concrete products each year at its 10 acre West Midlands site.

Customers include some of the leading names in architecture, construction, civil engineering, house building and property development. The company has been involved in numerous prestige projects, ranging from multi-million pound city centre redevelopments and quality housing, to civic cultural centres and premier sports arenas.

Coltman provides a complete supply and fix service, from initial design through to installation by its own CITB trained site teams, fully compliant with all the appropriate regulations, including CDM, and utilising the very latest safety equipment and procedures.

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REHAU is building its reputation in the railway industry by successfully developing contemporary polymer based solutions to replace and improve existing products.

The company’s approach of reinterpreting the demands of the industry for the 21st century and applying advanced, innovative product development techniques is helping it to win significant new contracts.

A typical example is REHAU’s protective boarding produced at its own factory in North Wales from high visibility UV-stable PVC and offered as an improvement over the traditional wooden version.

REHAU’s protective boarding offers personal protection against coming into contact with the live conductor rail as well as providing a barrier against the use of a short circuit bar. It has full product acceptance for use at S&C locations and at sites where tamping or rail grinding is not undertaken such as in sidings, depots or stations. It can also be simply and safely installed on both 106lb/yd and 150lb/yd conductor rails.

REHAU protective boarding has already been used in the successful fit out of the high profile Ashford Rail Depot – its distinctive bright yellow finish is visible in many of the publicity shots taken of both the depot and the new bullet train; and more than 10,000m are currently being fitted for South Eastern trains by Gamble Rail at the Ramsgate Rail Depot in Kent.

REHAU’s protective boarding has significant advantages over the wooden alternative, largely as a result of the light weight and durability of the polymer used in its manufacture.

For example, as well as being high impact resistant, the PVC is also self extinguishing and is flexible enough to be installed on curved track where required. It can be positioned on quick, easy mounting clips developed by REHAU which halve the installation time compared with wooden rails and eliminate the need for power tools to be used.

A custom designed protective board removal/installation tool which has an insulated shaft and board adaptors has been developed to increase installation and removal efficiency.

REHAU emphasises that the new protective boarding is a practical, long life and low cost solution. As one of the world’s leading polymer producers, the company has developed the ideal polymer formulation for use at track side and can quote a life expectancy for the boarding in excess of 30 years.

This latest new product development from REHAU follows on from its successful reinvention and improvement of the live rail insulator and the replacement of porcelain originals with a new GRP version.

More than 250,000 REHAU insulators have now been installed throughout the live rail network as they have proved to be more cost effective, lighter and easier to handle and more impact resistant than the existing product.

REHAU welcomes enquiries from customers keen to develop new alternatives for other traditional products.

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The 18th century Inveraray Castle on the banks of Loch Fyne in Scotland has been fitted with central heating for the first time in its history using REHAU’s PE-Xa flexible pipework.

REHAU’s 32mm, 25mm, 20mm and 16mm RAUTHERM pipe has been used for parts of a new heating system on the castle’s three floors and for a refit of the domestic pipework to many of its bathrooms.

Consultants Irons Foulner chose REHAU’s flexible polymer system because it could be installed with minimum disruption to the flooring in the classical Gothic style castle and, using long pipe runs, could successfully negotiate the many obstructions within the floor void.

In many sections of the castle, the copper alternative would have taken much longer to install because of the large number of joints which would have been required and would have meant lifting large sections of the two hundred year old flooring.

Due to the age and structure of the building, the client in conjunction with Irons Foulner also asked REHAU to provide a solution for protecting the pipe in some areas from rodents. Its international resources meant REHAU was able to supply a product it had originally developed for use in the Southern Hemisphere called RAUGUARD. This is a galvanised steel sleeve available to suit most pipe sizes.

The REHAU system was installed by specialist contractors Taylor and Fraser, supported by the team at REHAU’s regional sales office in Glasgow.

Irons Foulner preferred the REHAU system to other polymer pipework because it has been proven in use for so many years across Europe and the UK. The BS7291 and WRAS approved RAUTHERM pipework is resistant to thermal ageing, cracking and scale build up and, along with the patented Everloc compression sleeve jointing system, is fully warrantied by REHAU.

Inveraray Castle is home to the 13th Duke of Argyll and his family, Chief of the historic Clan Campbell. Many parts of the picturesque castle’s ground floor and extensive grounds are open to the public, but the upper floors where most of the RAUTHERM pipework has been installed remain a family home.

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Weatherite Building Services has provided a new boiler system for King Edwards VI Girls’ School, Handsworth in Birmingham.

The school is a voluntary aided grammar for girls aged 11-18. When it became evident the boiler system was in need of complete replacement, the consultant engineers, Briars Associates, chose Weatherite Building Services to project manage the installation work.

In a contract worth over £154,000, Weatherite supplied and installed three new Hoval Cosmo 660kW boilers, complete with associated flues, Grundfos circulation pumps and a new pressurisation unit. The company also modified pipework and provided all the electrical installation wiring work and management controls for the system.

The work also involved the installation of a new external mains pipe linking the boiler house to the sports hall and science blocks. New thermostatic radiator valves were also fitted within the main school buildings.

Briar Associates chose Weatherite because of the group’s excellent reputation for reliability and its ability to carry out the work with minimum disruption to the normal running of the school. Its solution also met the strict budget requirements of the project.

WBS is part of the £40m Weatherite Group, one of the UK’s leaders in air conditioning and air handling equipment.

WBS has expanded its activities to cover other sectors of the building services market including heating, ventilation, boiler house refurbishment, water, control systems and electrics as well as all aspects of commercial air conditioning systems, offering a single source choice to its customers which includes full project management, design, installation and commissioning capabilities.

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21st Century Contract Services Ltd, the electrical contractor for a major Thames-side Business Park in South East London chose Eaton?s new clip-on plate wiring accessories to satisfy a requirement for switches and socket-outlets that meet modern disability requirements.

The Dagenham-based contractor was faced with the challenge of finding a cost-effective range of switches and socket-outlets that would satisfy the demands of the Disability Discrimination Act in 24 industrial units on the Crossways Business Park in Dartford, Kent. After looking at several manufacturers? offerings, it was shown Eaton?s new COPA Clip-on Plate Accessory range. This is offered with a choice of different coloured clip-on face plates to conceal the fixing screws.

COPA accessories with a grey face plate were presented to the client who readily accepted the solution, says Stephan Halls, 21st Century?s Project Manager. The grey plates stand out against the light colour of the walls, without being obtrusive, while the white moulded rockers are easily located. The price difference between these and traditional moulded accessories was significantly less than for other accessories considered.

The clip-on plates offered a number of additional benefits, says Stephan. The accessories were installed at the second fix stage, without the face plates, and the installation was safe to energise. The walls were painted without the face plates, so avoiding getting paint on the plates. The plates were then clipped into place shortly before handover.

?When using conventional accessories we always have issues with the decorating, with either paint being left on the face plate or painters unscrewing the face plates to avoid paint getting on them? he says. ?With Eaton?s new COPA Clip-on Plate Accessory range the decorators can go right up to the accessories. So the amount of work required in clipping on the COPA plates was no greater than it would have been.?

?The use of clip-on plates also means that tenants can choose to change the colour of the plates if they wish, without changing the accessories. Plates can also be removed safely when re-decorating.?

21st Century Contract Services Ltd is so pleased with the COPA accessories; it is recommending them for future major projects.

Crossways Business Park is a mixed-use business park owned by Legal & General and occupying a 128ha (315 acre) site alongside the M25 and Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in Dartford, SE London. 21st Century Contract Services Ltd has carried out all the electrical work, including mains distribution, containment, lighting and power, and fire alarm systems, on six major buildings which house a total of 24 industrial units of varying size, each with associated offices. The main contractor was Fitzpatrick Contractors Ltd.

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First impressions count for a lot, which is why Heckmondwike FB is using their popular Entrance Area range to incorporate Bespoke Logo Designs. The heavy contract fibre bonded carpet and carpet tiles, which don’t ravel or fray when cut into, are ideal for cutting in a logo, design or image into a flooring installation.

Bespoke Logo Designs can be incorporated into both tile and sheet materials and can be installed to suit you. They can be inlaid direct into the flooring or produced as a loose lay mat, complete with rubber edging. With its cobbled design and bright accent colour range, Diamond from the Entrance Area range at Heckmondwike FB, is proving to be a popular choice for the designs. Like the heavy contract carpets within the range, Diamond is designed to be tough, durable and easy to maintain, which makes it especially suitable for entrance areas.

Bespoke Logo Designs from Heckmondwike FB can also be cut into their popular Supacord material, which is available in 40 different colourways and suits a wide range of environments.

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Mira Showers has introduced an improved and redesigned version of its popular Advance electric shower aimed at the growing domestic healthcare market and the ageing population.

The new Advance ATL (Advanced Temperature Limit) will have new ‘softened form’ aesthetics, is thermostatic and will be available in the same four options as the existing model – Standard, Memory, Extra and Flex. New fittings will also be available. Suitable for retrofitting to the current Mira Advance range, the Advance ATL is still regarded as one of the safest showers on the market, and one of few electric showers to achieve the BEAB Care Mark (British Electrotechnical Approvals Board).

The Advance is predominantly a premium end merchant electric shower, with 25% channelled into the private RMI sector that is generally selected and supplied by the installer, and the bulk of sales being contract driven into adaptations via local authorities. Whichever channel it is specified through, the Advance ATL is favoured for its strong installation and maintenance benefits, high level of safety, performance and reliability.

All four models will be complimented with new Advance fittings, including a new style extrusion track that can be fitted close to the wall or mounted in the corner of the shower enclosure. A newly designed Friction Clamp Bracket allows easy height adjustment with one-handed operation and is considered to be ‘inclusive’ by Occupational Therapists.

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Megger has launched a new webstore for the purchase of lead sets and accessories for all Megger test instruments. The webstore offers a quick and convenient service for all electricians, contractors and electrical engineers.

For ease of use, products can be selected by model number, free text search, popularity or new items. The webstore offers an overview of each accessory, accompanied by compatible test instruments, part number, price, ordering information and colour photographs.

After registering on www.megger.com, or using existing login details for those customers who have pre-registered, visitors to the site can make purchases simply by using debit or credit card.

Julian Grant of Megger says, ?The new webstore is fulfilling a demand for customers to be able to choose how they purchase their accessories. It is intended to reduce the amount of time and effort needed when ordering accessories for Megger test instruments. We understand that our customers? time is very valuable and we want them to be able to source their products from either the webstore or distributors, whichever is most convenient to them?.

The webstore is accessible 24/7 at www.megger.com/uk/webshop.

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