November 2019

Hills Quarry Products says it has reduced pump failures and cut maintenance and energy costs using an ABB variable speed drive. Up to 1,200 tonnes of aggregate per day can now be consistently extracted by avoiding pump failures following the conversion of a fixed speed motor to variable speed control. Aggregate production at Hills Quarry Products’ Cerney Wick site in Gloucestershire demands a high volume of water which returns to a sump for pumping to a settling bed. Float level switches in the sump activate a fixed speed pump. However, the fixed speed could be too high for demand, leading to the sump running dry and the pump failing. In addition, because the motor only runs at one speed, the stress on the pump set could lead to broken transmission belts, motor overcurrent or blocked pumps, leading to costly failures, typically every two weeks. “The pump could be out of action for a few hours to a full day, depending on if it was a simple belt change or if the pump needed to be raised from the sump,” says Olly Thompson, quarry manager. “We extract between 1,000 and 1,200 tonnes of aggregate every day at Cerney Wick, so any downtime is extremely costly in terms of lost production and related expenses.” Following recommendations from ABB Value Provider, APDS, a 55 kilowatt (kW) variable speed drive (VSD) and level control device were installed to automatically adjust the pump motor’s speed according to demand. A pressure transducer, installed in the sump, monitors water pressure. The VSD then calculates the water level that corresponds to this measured pressure, adjusting the pump speed to avoid overflows or the sump running dry. t | 01925 741517 e | layla.hewitt@gb.abb.com Critical fire and blast protection barriers for new electrical transformers have been provided by passive fire protection specialist DunbarWallace Fire Protection for a leading energy provider using PROMAT DURASTEEL. Transformers are a critical part of electrical distribution; however, they often contain oil as an insulator and coolant, fire and blast protection is required in the unlikely event of a malfunction. Due to the configuration of numerous transformers located in very close proximity, high performance barriers were required between each transformer to contain damage and prevent cascading failures. DunbarWallace, who are one of the UK’s leading passive fire protection contractors, installed the DURASTEEL E240 system from Promat UK and says it was ideally placed to work with main contractor Marshdale Construction on the most effective way to achieve assured ‘fit and forget’ protection. w | www.promat-industry.co.uk/ AQUAMETER has announced it has designed an electronic device to save time and money for British food manufacturers. Using pails or hosepipes to add water to a powder or granular mix is time consuming and open to accident and operator error. Aquameter says its ABACUS digital device delivers exact, pre-selected quantities of water from a single pipe straight into the mixing vessel. This precise metering of the water means the operator can exactly re-create batch consistency each time Operation of the meter is simple: the quantity of water required is keyed in, the ‘start’ button pushed, and the water flows. A water solenoid valve located in the water pipe closes the flow at the completion of the cycle, when the pre-set batch quantity is reached. Temperature- controlled models are also available. t: 01992 442861 e: john@aquameter.co.uk W: www.aquameter.co.uk Saving time and money KONECRANES has announced the launch of three new lifting products to reinforce its comprehensive range of material handling equipment. The new products are aimed at industrial customers in a broad range of sectors, including general manufacturing and various process industries. Konecranes says the S-, C- and M-series represent the next generation of products, bringing new technology and innovation to areas including motor drives, rope, reeving systems, clutches and brakes to deliver safer equipment which performs better, lasts longer and delivers greater operational savings. All new S- and M-series cranes are equipped with sensors and the capability to collect and send data. Every customer purchasing an S- or M-series crane will have access to the yourKONECRANES portal, which is a digital service for operators, technicians and management, allowing customers to take full advantage of their crane. t | 01295 676100 e | sales.uk@konecranes.com w | www.konecranes.co.uk Three new lifting products Fire and blast protection Quarry company halts production stoppages The new IMAS-CONNECT adapter system by ICOTEK is a modular designed grommet system for mounting metric connectors, keystone couplers, hose fittings, pressure compensation elements and much more. The company says by using the modular adapter system, the cable entry becomes a hybrid system. Pre-terminated and standard cables or hoses can be routed and, with the use of the IMAS- CONNECT grommets, you can now integrate various types of connectivity ports into the frame system. Additional knock-outs are no longer required. The elastomer-made grommets of the adapter system with a body made of polyamide or nickel-plated brass, fit perfectly into existing icotek cable entry frames, such as KEL-U, KEL-ER, KEL-FG and meet IP54 or IP65 protection levels. W: https://www.icotek.com/en-uk/product-catalogue/imas-connect/ 30 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk November 2019 Process, Controls & Plant Modular designed grommet system