March 2020

WES a leading UK manufacturer of chemical dosing systems for a wide range of industrial process applications, says it is taking action to bridge the skills gap with the launch of the WES Academy. WES says it is addressing the situation by taking positive action with a series of proactive initiatives. These include working with Southampton Engineering Training Association (SETA), running a highly regarded apprenticeship scheme and, through its recently launched skills programme, to upskill its current workforce with the WES Academy training programme. The Academy includes technical and commercial training documents, modules and seminars held at WES’ inhouse training facility. New starters can get to know the basics such as understanding the use of chemicals, through to more specific technical training. e | info@wes.ltd.uk w | www.wes.ltd.uk WITH the release of Inox versions of its GR6 rectangular and GR18 cylindrical sensors, SICK says it has delivered rough, tough, high-availability photoelectric performers for detection duties in harsh environments such as chemical washdown or the presence of aggressive oils, lubricants and dust. Designed for universal compatibility and easy installation in industrial machines, the SICK GR6 Inox and GR18 photoelectric sensors are ECOLAB-certified and feature corrosion-resistant V4A (316L) stainless steel housings rated up to IP69K, combined with specialist screen coatings and seals that ensure high resistance to corrosive chemicals. While the GR6 Inox is no bigger than a sugar cube, the GR18 Inox offers standard M18 thread-mounting, so the sensors together present versatile options for through-beam, retro-reflective or proximity sensing duties. t | 01727 831121 e | andrea.hornby@sick.co.uk w | www.sick.co.uk Spray nozzle specialist THE SPRAY PEOPLE GROUP (SNP) reports it has made moves to bolster its support for the UK’s food processing industry. With increased pressure on prices and the ongoing uncertainty over supply due to Brexit, SNP says it is reconfirming its commitment to supporting UK food producers with advanced spray technology. Ivan Zytynski, marketing director of SNP comments, “In these uncertain times the last thing our customers need is to have to worry about whether a key component is in stock”. Sometimes a 2 week lead-time is unacceptably long so SNP has taken the followings steps: improved UK stock levels; improved information and improved product range. Ivan continued “The food industry faces more uncertainty than most sectors so our efforts are a small, but important contribution to help our customers”. t | 01273 400092 e | ivan@spray-nozzle.co.uk w | www.spray-nozzle.co.uk/spray-nozzles DIRECT AIR has announced its appointment as Elmo Rietschle’s newest distributor for vacuum and low- pressure solutions. Headquartered in Coventry and with a branch in Cheltenham, this partnership provides coverage across the Midlands and South West regions. The company says having been a distributor for other Gardner Denver brands, such as CompAir and Hydrovane, the commitment to quality service and knowledge was understood from the beginning. Direct Air will be providing full-service support to vacuum pumps and systems, as well as delivering new plant and installations. Elmo Rietschele solutions cover a wide range of technologies including both oil lubricated and dry running. To support the expansion into this new service area, Direct Air have appointed a sales engineer for vacuum, Alex Place. t | 024 7668 8890 w | www.directair.co.uk New distributor announced FLUKE PROCESS INSTRUMENTS has announced it has extended its Thermalert 4.0 spot pyrometer series, adding new shortwave versions and various additional interface options. The compact, extremely robust infrared thermometers provide noncontact, automatic temperature monitoring. The company says three new spectral models measuring at wavelengths of 1 μm, 1.6 μm, and 2.3 μm have been primarily designed for high-temperature applications and are particularly suitable for monitoring metal, steel, and glass. The full Thermalert 4.0 lineup covers measuring temperatures between -40 °C and 2300 °C and offers various different spectral models and focus distances. All models are now available with connectivity options for Ethernet, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET IO, in addition to analog or RS485 interfaces. Voltage can be supplied via Power over Ethernet (PoE). t | +49.30.478 008-0 e | marcom2.emea@flukeprocessinstruments.de w | www.flukeprocessinstruments.com Pyrometers for high temperatures Supporting the food industry Tackling the skills gap Tough stainless-steel sensors BABCOCK WANSON reports it has supplied flour millers Whitworth Bros. with two TPC Thermal Fluid Heaters for its flour heat treatment process at its Selby site. Whitworth had been using another manufacturer’s thermal fluid heater, originally installed in 2004, “Support from the other company had been very poor over the years” states Alan Boyce, Whitworth Bros. engineering manager, “and in August 2018 the heater suffered a catastrophic failure of the heating coils rendering it useless.” With the incumbent company unable to supply a swift solution, and with productivity directly affected, it turned to Babcock Wanson. Babcock Wanson’s Thermal Fluid Heating System rental service proved an invaluable solution. Two ‘plug and play’ TPC 400B Thermal Fluid Heater were delivered to site and set up by Babcock Wanson’s experienced commissioning engineers. t | 020 8953 7111 e | info@babcock-wanson.co.uk w | www.babcock-wanson.co.uk 32 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk March 2020 Process, Controls & Plant Process heaters for flour miller “Jamie Cole, operations director”