July/ August 2020

Derbyshire-based filtration specialist AB Components Ltd has been appointed as UK distributor for the worldwide company, Argo-Hytos. This new arrangement strengthens the existing partnership between AB Components Ltd and Argo-Hytos, a company that has a history dating back to 1822. This means that UK customers will now be able to access the specialist Argo-Hytos filters directly from AB Components Ltd own dedicated stock held at their Ilkeston site. The new set up will enable UK customers to access technical advice and specialist expertise from the dedicated ABC customer services team, and to benefit directly from a quicker turnaround and reduced downtime, thanks to the shorter delivery times. AB Components Ltd, founded by James Edgar in 2007, began supplying the Argo-Hytos range of industrial filters, to supplement the company’s range of stock of more than 9000 different filtration products. This recent appointment confirms the growing collaboration between AB Components Ltd and Argo-Hytos and is in line with their ambitious growth plans for the UK market, despite the Coronavirus pandemic. Strengthened collaboration James Edgar, managing director of AB Components Ltd, comments: “Becoming a UK distributor for the Argo-Hytos industrial hydraulic filters is incredibly exciting for myself and all the team at AB Components Ltd. The strong reputation and the high quality of our industrial filtration range and accessories has always been important to us and to our UK customers. At ABC, we are absolutely committed to working in partnership with all NEWS AB Components Ltd becomes UK distributor for Argo-Hytos our customers and suppliers. Thanks to this new strengthened collaboration with Argo-Hytos and in particular our relationship with Kerry Mulholland, UK general manager, we are able to guarantee our high levels of service, improve on existing delivery times and still maintain a similar cost price. We hope that this is just the beginning of our collaboration with Argo-Hytos, as we continue to extend our range and develop our position in the UK market as the leading filtration specialist.” Kerry Mulholland, UK general manager of Argo-Hytos, comments: “This new appointment is a great way forward, giving us new routes into the UK market. We are extremely pleased to appoint AB Components Ltd as a UK Distributor, it was the natural next step in our plan for the UK, and we recognise ABC’s reputation for high quality customer service and expertise within the UK filter market. We are delighted to be reinforcing our relationship with James and his team, as we also recognise the demand within the UK market for our specialist filters. We are confident that our clients will receive outstanding technical advice and a high level of customer service every time.” Ecoplant, provider of industrial IoT solutions for optimising compressed air systems, has partnered with Atlas Machine & Supply Inc, a Kentucky-based distributor and service provider of industrial air compressors and related products, to bring Ecoplant’s advanced technology to US factories. Armed with US$8 million raised as part of a Series A funding round, Ecoplant aims to help companies become greener and produce more effectively. Some 90% of factories use air compression, but they often experience drops in pressure, air leaks, and equipment breakdowns, as well as significant loss of time and money in delayed response and unplanned production downtimes. According to the US Department of Energy, 50% of the energy for air compression is wasted due to leaks and other inefficiencies, costing companies hundreds of thousands of dollars per factory every year. Ecoplant’s SaaS solution continually monitors and dynamically controls air compressors through a connection to their controllers and pipeline sensors. The solution enables managing either individual compressors or the entire system under changing conditions, such as shifts in production and compressed air consumption. The predictive Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine uniquely optimises energy consumption and is claimed to offer up to 30% in energy saving and reduce unplanned production downtime by 50%. Integration According to Ecoplant, its solution is system-agnostic, meaning it can integrate with any compressor’s technology or brand. As such, the solution is compatible with more than 100,000 factories in the US and Europe. This partnership with Atlas Machine gives Ecoplant access to more than 3000 factories across the Midwest. Currently, Ecoplant’s system is deployed in a few dozens of factories in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East and services leading brands such as Ecolab, Danone/Strauss, Nestle, Sano, Polycad and Elbit. Aviran Yaacov, CEO, and co-founder of Ecoplant, comments: “With their team’s deep experience in the US compressed air market, extensive network, and comprehensive offering, Atlas stands as an ideal partner for us. While we are starting with compressed air, our vision is to move into chillers and pumps, as well as offer a full suite of utility resource planning tools.” Richard Gimmel III, president of Atlas Machine, adds: “Partnering with Ecoplant is an exciting opportunity for us. Compressed air is a critical, and often overlooked, aspect of every manufacturing facility. Ecoplant’s IoT solution combined with Atlas’s decades of experience in compressed air provides an opportunity to solve the emerging challenges of the industry in new ways. We really do see this product as becoming a staple in each and every manufacturing facility in the future.” Ecoplant partners with Atlas Machine to bring green IoT solution to US factories 16 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS July/August 2020 www.hpmag.co.uk James Edgar, managing director of AB Components Ltd (left), and Kerry Mulholland, UK general manager of Argo-Hytos.