Story

If you are responsible for specifying which make of wiring accessories is used on your commercial building projects you ought to visit your local INSTINCT road show and take this opportunity to see the products that are setting new standards in the wiring accessories market.
The range is packed with innovations such as full contact cable clamp terminals, in line & upward facing terminals integrated LED indicators & multi-pin safety shuttered sockets, etc.
At each event there’s also a free CPD course that looks at some of the recent regulation changes that affect the selection & specification of wiring accessories. To register simply contact the event organiser shown alongside your local event on the map We look forward to seeing you soon.

View Crabtree's profile:

Story

Cable management market-leader Marshall-Tufflex has introduced a new range of power and data Desk Modules that perfectly complement its existing Underfloor to Desk range.

The new high strength, fire retardant polycarbonate moulded modules are ideal for under desk mounting and, importantly, incorporate twin 5Amp USB points that charge up to five times faster than standard PC ports, with far less power wastage through heat generation.
The pre-wired, pre-tested power modules can be used individually or linked to serve multiple workstations using the latest Wieland GST18/3 connectors. With additional circuit protection via a selection of aluminium RCBO units there is the ability to connect direct from powertrack up to single or multiple configurations, delivering a complete system from underfloor to desk.
The new Desk Modules offer maximum installation speed and flexibility:

• Feed directly from an underfloor busbar through a floor grommet to an RCBO unit to then feed single or multiple modules as required
• Feed from wall trunking, floor boxes, grommets or PowerPoles
• RJ45 data sockets in Cat 5e, Cat 6 or blank configuration options

The unswitched individually fused 3.15Amp or 5Amp units have been specifically designed to withstand the rigours of the commercial environment. They are available in 2 and 4 gang options and comply with BS 6396 for Electrical Systems in Office Furniture when powered from a plug socket outlet and with BS 7671 when powered from a power distribution network.

View Marshall-Tufflex's profile:

Story

The new Condair DL in-duct adiabatic humidifier offers the accurate humidity control normally only available from steam humidifiers, but with the low energy performance and evaporative cooling benefit of a cold water system. It also incorporates many anti-microbial features that make it one of the most hygienic humidifiers available.

The Condair DL is a hybrid humidifier that combines spray and evaporative technologies to maximise moisture absorption and provide humidity control at ±2%RH. A water treatment system provides pure water to a grid of nozzles located inside the duct. The nozzles spray towards a ceramic droplet separator, which has the dual action of preventing aerosols from travelling down the duct and offering secondary evaporation through its porous surface. This increases efficiency of the system with 95% of the spray water evaporating during both processes.

The spray nozzles initially operate in stages to meet a required output and humidity demand. Following the initial stage control, fully modulating control is then achieved by increasing the water pressure to the nozzles. By responding to humidity demand and output control in this way, the humidifier can deliver the type of humidity accuracy typically only available from a steam humidifier.

The humidifier incorporates an RO water treatment system that ensures only pure water is introduced to the AHU. It then treats the pure water with a patented silver ionisation process that actively inhibits microbial growth and has a residual effect throughout the humidifier. Flush and drain cycles prevent water from remaining in the system to stagnate and optional compressed air drying guarantees moisture cannot remain in the humidifier’s water lines. In addition to these features, optional H2O2 disinfection can be incorporated into the system and initiated via the control panel.

All these features make it one of the most hygienic humidifiers in the world and have earned the unit accreditation by the SGS Institut Frensenius in Germany for hygienic operation. The system was independently tested under real-life operating conditions for a six-month period. Part of the investigation included purposeful microbial contamination to assess the effect. Throughout the test the Condair DL fulfilled all requirements and outperformed the VDI 6022 industry standard for microbial growth, achieving a maximum CFU/ml microbial count 85% less than the recommended limit.

The Condair DL offers both the control accuracy of electric steam humidifiers and extremely hygienic operation but without the high electrical energy costs. By pre-heating the airstream prior to the Condair DL with gas-fired heating, the same volume of moisture can be absorbed by the air as steam humidification provides, but at one third the energy cost due to the economy of gas. If a building’s waste heat can be used for the pre-heating process, the humidification energy savings are even greater.

As with all adiabatic humidifiers, the Condair DL also offers the additional benefit of evaporative cooling during the warmer months. As 1kg of absorbed moisture provides 0.68kW of evaporative cooling to the air, the Condair DL can provide over 680kW of cooling per hour from as little as 1kW of consumed electrical energy.

View Condair's profile:

Story

JS Air Curtains has supplied twelve Mini Optima air curtains for the doorways at the prestigious British Airways i360 observation attraction in Brighton to maintain the internal temperature for visitors and staff.

The stylish Mini Optima air curtain was specifically chosen as the best fit for both the curved inner and outer doorways to keep the cool conditioned air in during the summer and the cold air out during the winter. Each air curtain supplies up to 2,150m³/hr of air and up to 9kW/h of heat making them ideal for protecting the 2.6m high doorways. Units were required in both 1m and 1.5m lengths to cover the various entrance widths, while a grey RAL9006 colour was picked out for the zinc plated steel casing, to blend in with the interior design. A British Airways i360 spokesperson said: ‘‘We are very happy with the performance of the air curtains.”

The slim design of the Mini Optima air curtain makes it an ideal choice for many applications including shops, offices and restaurants. Installation is simple as it is available as a single or, as in the case of the British Airways i360 project, three-phase option. With the power connections situated on the top of the unit, it avoids the need to open the casing to wire it in. Heating can be via LPHW or an electric heater and it is also available as an air only model.

A micro-perforated inlet grille will filter the air entering the unit, avoiding the need to routinely replace or clean internal air filters. All the inlet grille requires for maintenance is a wipe or vacuum occasionally. The air curtain is supplied, as standard, with a manual controller with two fan speed selections or two heater stages for electrically heated models or units. Seven metres of control cable and an infrared hand held remote are included. The unit can also be connected to a BMS.

British Airways i360 is situated on Brighton seafront and is the world’s first vertical cable car. At 162m high it is also the world‘s tallest moving observation tower and offers panoramic 360-degrees views across Brighton & Hove and the spectacular Sussex coastline.

JS Air Curtains, the UK’s leading air curtain specialist, supply an extensive range of air curtains for all commercial and industrial applications. You can find out more by visiting the company’s website at www.jsaircurtains.com

View JS Air Curtains's profile:

Story

This year, Saniflo, the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of macerators and pumps is taking two stands at ISH, in Frankfurt, Germany from 14-18 March allowing the team to welcome more visitors than ever to get a first look at the company’s range of new products for the domestic and commercial sectors. ISH attendees can find Kinedo shower cubicles, including the bath replacement Kinemagic product plus the latest Kineduo bath, in Hall 3 Stand C93; and the full range of all Saniflo pumps, macerators and lifting stations in Hall 9 Stand G29.

The experts at Saniflo – inventors of the macerator with more than 50 years’ experience and the number one in the UK macerator market – have been hard at work behind the scenes revamping and upgrading the company’s portfolio of domestic and commercial products to deliver the most innovative and comprehensive range of macerators and pumps to date. The new domestic ‘Up’ range of macerators is designed for easier access and maintenance, whilst also giving great performance with even quieter operation.

“As market leaders, we continually innovate,” says Saniflo UK Customer Services and Marketing Manager, Ann Boardman. “We have invested very heavily in improving our product range because the industry changes and evolves, and one solution does not fit all as no two jobs are ever the same, which is why we offer a simple solution for every situation, whilst keeping it really easy to replace an old Saniflo product for a new Saniflo design when the time comes. We’re very excited about showcasing our new products at ISH and this is our biggest presence there to date.”

The Saniflo range of new products includes eight improved designs for the domestic market; available from April 2017 and seven for the commercial market, available later in 2017.

“Industry professionals will notice many improvements but as pipe centers are identical to the existing ranges, making upgrades and replacements will be swift and simple. It’s a hassle-free, plug and play range designed to be the best on the market featuring ease of installation and maintenance with new and improved styling and vibration reduction.”

To order your copy of the new Saniflo domestic and commercial product catalogue visit www.saniflo.co.uk

View Saniflo's profile:

Story

Aluminium systems specialist, Sapa Building System, has launched a new commercial door which offers improved product performance.
The Stormframe ST II Commercial Door has been designed to complement the existing Stormframe thermally broken framing system and can also be used with Sapa’s Dualframe Si windows and Elegance curtain walling systems. Using advanced polyamide thermal break technology, the ST II can achieve U values as low as 1.9W/m²k, with double glazing. It has also been successfully tested to the PAS024 security standard which is widely specified across a number of sectors.
“We have designed the ST II to use our standard hardware and door closer options to guarantee a consistent look and feel, across our product range,” said Mark Robinson, Technical Director at Sapa Building System.
“STII can accommodate glazing up to 46mm, and with its 65mm profile depth provides stronger overall construction making the door very robust and suitable for high traffic areas,” concludes Mark.
Recognising the demands of the Equality Act 2010, the ST II incorporates features such as adjustable power door closers and colour contrasting hardware for ease of access. With simplified manufacture, no additional tooling or training is required beyond that for the ST system, avoiding extra costs for the fabricator. The ST II is available in single and double door configurations; open-in and open-out, rebated and pivot options including anti finger traps and low thresholds.

View Sapa's profile:

Story

Keeping innovation at the top of its agenda, high integrity structural fixings manufacturer, Ancon, will further expand its wide product range with new product launches at the UK’s largest event for specifiers in the built environment, Ecobuild 2017.

With four key product zones, the Ancon stand B135, will feature the innovative Nexus brick-faced support system for prefabricated soffits, structural thermal breaks for balcony locations, KSN Anchors for quicker, safer reinforcement continuity at construction joints and a comprehensive range of low thermal conductivity wall ties.

Nexus Brick Soffit Support Systems

Creating architectural brick features including soffits, deep reveals and flying beams has never been easier thanks to the lightweight, brick-faced Nexus® system developed by Ancon and cut-brick specialist Ibstock Kevington.

Combining a specially developed brick faced steel unit with Ancon’s tried and tested MDC stainless steel bracket angle support system, Nexus is quick to install as no mechanical lifting is required, is lighter and easier to handle than precast concrete soffit systems and its two-part design allows full adjustment on site resulting in perfect alignment.

Insulated Balcony Connectors
To help designers meet their thermal performance aspirations, Ancon has once again expanded its range of structural thermal breaks for balcony locations to accommodate even higher loads. Typical applications for these high performance products include large cantilever balconies and situations where column layout or rebar congestion limits the number of connectors that can be installed.

Minimising heat loss while maintaining structural integrity, Ancon balcony connectors are available to suit concrete-to-concrete, steel-to-concrete and steel-to-steel applications. All solutions can also now be specified in stainless steel which is 3x more thermally efficient than galvanised/carbon steel.

KSN Anchor Reinforcement Continuity Systems
The award-winning CARES-approved KSN Anchor system allows engineers to design slab-to-wall connections in reinforced concrete frames without the restrictions on bar length and bar diameter of traditional re-bend continuity systems.

The system works by casting internally threaded anchors into a concrete wall which accept Bartec parallel thread reinforcing bars during construction of the adjoining slab. A new Ancon video demonstrates how KSN Anchors accelerate construction and improve on site working conditions by eliminating the dangers inherent with projecting starter bars and bar straightening required by rebend continuity boxes.

Low Thermal Conductivity Wall Ties
For visitors designing PassivHaus and Zero Carbon projects, a new product innovation from the award-winning Teplo range of basalt fibre wall ties will be unveiled at the show. Samples of Ancon’s low thermal conductivity ties will be displayed including the new Teplo-BF, a new build cavity wall tie with a thermal conductivity of just 0.7W/mK that has exceptional mortar grabbing capability, suitable for use with lime and other slow-drying mortars.

The Ancon stand gives visitors an excellent opportunity to talk one on one with our experienced technical and sales support team who will be happy to help with specific project or business requirements. Contact Ancon on 0114 275 5224, email info@ancon.co.uk or visit www.ancon.co.uk.

View Ancon's profile:

Story

Condair, formerly JS Humidifiers, has developed a new app that accurately determines how much energy could be saved by using in-duct exhaust air evaporative cooling and a heat recovery system, rather than just traditional compressor driven cooling.

Using worldwide weather data from Meteonorm, the myCoolblue app calculates how much energy is needed annually to cool a building. Then, taking into account 10 years of historic weather data from over 300 regions worldwide, the app projects how much cooling each month could be delivered using exhaust air evaporative cooling and how much would still need to be delivered using traditional mechanical cooling.

Exhaust air evaporative cooling uses an adiabatic humidifier to cool the return air from a room and a heat recovery unit to transfer the cool thermal energy to the incoming fresh air stream. The technique can provide several degrees of cooling from just a few kilowatts of electricity, reducing a building’s energy bills and carbon footprint.

By assessing how much of a building’s cooling can be delivered with exhaust air cooling, a HVAC consultant or AHU designer can accurately calculate the viability of an in-duct evaporative cooling system and show its return on investment potential.

For instance, Condair’s myCoolblue app shows that for a building in London needing to maintain an internal condition of 23°C during normal office hours, with 2m x 2m AHU and airflow of 2.6m³/s, the typical annual cooling load would be 33,532kWh. Given the 10-year historic weather conditions for London, myCoolblue app shows that, in an average year, an exhaust air evaporative cooling system could deliver 53% of the required cooling.

The app gives energy projections for hot or average summer conditions and takes into account a comprehensive set of variables to provide an accurate calculation for any project. These variables include the type and efficiency of the heat recovery unit being employed, the location of the fans and the humidifier

configuration inside the AHU, alongside the actual design conditions and operating parameters of the AHU itself.

A chart showing the monthly breakdown in kWh between mechanical and evaporative cooling is presented, along with a diagram of the system configuration and the temperature course supply/exhaust chart. Project details and calculations can be saved to the cloud and accessed later. An email option also allows reports with all the project parameters to be emailed in a pdf format for future reference.

Condair’s myCoolblue app can be downloaded from the App Store for free and is available for iPad only.

Condair Group is the world’s leading specialist in humidification and evaporative cooling, with energy efficient, hygienic and innovative technologies for commercial, industrial and heritage applications. Condair is represented in the UK by Condair plc, which offers system design, manufacture, supply, installation, commissioning, maintenance and spares. Condair plc is the new name for JS Humidifiers following the organisation’s rebranding in October 2014. You can find out more by visiting the company’s website at www.condair.co.uk.

View Condair's profile:

Story

Klober membranes have been used in a couple’s zero carbon eco-home which featured in the latest series of Grand Designs. The five-bedroom, 4,300sq ft timber frame building on the West Pennine moor has Wallint 50 on the warm side of the insulation to provide an air barrier and vapour control layer. By contrast, Permo forte was installed on the cold side of the insulation to enable moisture within the building to escape and provide a weatherproof barrier behind the timber cladding. Its vapour resistance value of 0.15 MN/sg is well below the 0.6 MN/sg requirement for walls.

View Klober's profile:

Story

Triton has extended its range of liquid applied waterproofing products to offer a wider choice of systems primarily for the reliable waterproofing of roofs and podium decks. Each of the three new systems provides Type A barrier protection waterproofing as defined in BS 8102 (2009). They are quick and easy to apply, very fast curing and suitable for application in cooler temperatures – therefore extending the season for application and reducing the downtime of areas treated.

TWS-Poly H produces a totally seamless waterproof surface on prepared concrete and can be applied by squeegee, brush, trowel or roller. The 2-component polyurea formulation is ideal for waterproofing pitched or flat roofs, decks and balconies and other areas where a degree of flexibility is required. The trafficable, cured surface also makes it suitable for waterproofing concrete floors in car parks etc. TWS-Poly H can also be applied to internal and external walls.
TWS-Poly S is another fast curing, 2-component polyuria formulation but designed for application by a twin nozzle, heated spray unit. Offering excellent bonding strength and crack bridging capability, TWS-Poly S can be combined with geotextiles to obtain on-site applied, seamless liners or coatings in tunnels or canals or used to waterproof pitched or flat roofs. The cured surface allows for building movement and is trafficable and highly resistant to abrasion.

Single component TWS Fastcoat cures as an elastic and seamless layer that offers excellent weather resistance and can withstand permanent water contact. A key feature is its ability to deliver a combination of root barrier and waterproofing layer, therefore reducing the number of layers required in green roof construction. Applied by brush, spreader or airless equipment, its cured surface can be lightly trafficked making it suitable for low pitch or flat roofs and balconies.

Liquid applied waterproofing systems can deal with complex shapes and contours where joints or folds in other waterproofing materials might cause a weakness. Technical support on the specification and installation of all Triton’s waterproofing systems is available from Triton’s technical team. Installation guidelines and data sheets are also available for download at tritonsystems.co.uk

View Triton Systems's profile: