News

A leading ventilation specialist is urging contractors to play their part in ongoing improvements to indoor air quality (IAQ) by ensuring ventilation systems are future-proofed.

One of the main challenges for those in the industry is the ever-changing regulatory landscape, particularly as air quality continues to dominate the news agenda. With consultation documents for Parts L and F of the Building Regulations hinting at stricter guidelines on IAQ, building to meet compliance in the present will not ensure systems are suitable in the near-future.

David Millward, Group Product Manager at Elta Group, comments: “It’s never easy to specify and install with one eye on the future, but the rapidly changing air quality landscape means contractors must aim to do just that. It isn’t just regulatory compliance either, as any changes to occupancy levels, purpose of a building, or internal layout can affect the level of airflow required.

“This is something that is especially relevant at the moment as hybrid working models become more commonplace in offices, with a quarter of UK businesses intending to use some form of homeworking going forward^[1]. There needs to be the capacity to adapt ventilation to these changes, and that’s where contractors have a massive role to play.”

One of the most effective ways to do this is to install demand-controlled ventilation (DCV), which facilitates the adjustment (whether that’s automatic or manual) of ventilation rates according to what is required. DCV is a flexible approach that can help to increase the lifespan of a system, because if regulations tighten and there is a requirement to deliver even greater ventilation rates, this is achievable provided the system was originally installed with additional capacity. 

David continues: “I think this is where there needs to be a change of mindset – from what is compliant and suitable now, to what will continue to be compliant and suitable moving forwards. This is why there is inclusion in Part F of the Building Regulations that systems should have the means to increase their performance by 50%, to encourage future-proofing of ventilation.”

Attention has also been drawn to some of the common mistakes that can impact the lifespan of a system. Amongst the most prevalent is overuse of flexible ducting, which can add pressure to a fan by limiting airflow, and ultimately increasing the risk of poor ventilation.

David concludes: “How a fan is installed can be just as important as specification in terms of ensuring longevity of a system. There are a wide range of factors that can affect how well ventilation performs, from vibration and noise control, through to not adhering to manufacturer guidance.

“That’s why we have created our Give a Fan a Chance guide, to provide some top tips for those tasked with delivering effective ventilation.”

To download the Give a Fan a Chance guide, please visit: https://www.eltafans.com/resources/

^[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/businessandindividualattitudestowardsthefutureofhomeworkinguk/apriltomay2021

A leading ventilation expert has hailed recent guidance from the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) as a turning point for IAQ.

Alan Macklin, Technical Director at Elta Group and Chairman of the FMA (Fan Manufacturer’s Association), has welcomed the provision of authoritative guidance for IAQ professionals. The document is designed to assist anyone involved in identifying and subsequently addressing air quality issues within both existing and new builds.

Alan comments: “The importance of IAQ is rapidly gaining prominence, as the adverse health effects of pollutants becomes more widely known. Equally, the positive impact that high-quality air can have on health and productivity is increasingly informing internal building design.

“The IAQM’s new guidance document is a great supplement to existing protocol and legislation. It is indicative of a steady improvement of awareness of IAQ, with ongoing consultation around Part F of the Building Regulations including proposals for increasing ventilation rates and monitoring air quality.”

Historically, there has been a reliance on natural ventilation to provide fresh air to indoor spaces, especially in public buildings such as offices. However, there is now a general acceptance that mechanical ventilation is the primary means by which acceptable levels of ventilation can be achieved.

Alan continues: “Mechanical ventilation is the only certain means of ensuring that the correct ventilation rates are always maintained and facilitates the usage of suitable filtration to remove external contaminants. A correctly functioning ventilation system is dependent on correct commissioning as well as adequate maintenance.

“Air quality monitoring through appropriate sensors is an essential part of the ventilation management system, which is something that the IAQM’s new guidance document stresses. As an industry, we are on the right path in promoting the critical role of ventilation in ensuring our buildings are fit for purpose, and the more we can emphasise the importance of good IAQ, the healthier our structures will be.”

For more information, please visit: https://eltagroup.com

Pepperl+Fuchs shows first switch with Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer

Ethernet reaches the field within process plants

Ethernet-APL will look familiar to users in process industries. It combines two well-known technologies: Ethernet for seamless, parallel communication - and robust two-wire technology combined with explosion protection for the field within the process plant. Ethernet-APL thus enables the digitization of the instrumentation.

Ethernet-APL upgrades network communications in this special environment. This standardization for Ethernet on the familiar two-wire cable, driven by twelve well-known suppliers, enables long cable runs, power supply and explosion protection with intrinsic safety as integral components. Ethernet-APL eliminates barriers to data flow, helping all stakeholders in the plant lifecycle to simplify designs, get plants up and running faster, keep them up and running better, and thus better manage risk.

With standardization complete, the technology is available to suppliers and users alike. The collaboration has also resulted in conformance tests to which manufacturers are subjected. This ensures interoperability and generates a high level of reliability. The first infrastructure components are available, such as the Ethernet-APL Rail Field Switch. This DIN rail-mountable field switch can be installed in Zone 2. The connections for field devices can be 200 m long and are intrinsically safe for Zone 2 (Ex ic). FieldConnex stands for highly reliable digital communication in the field of the process plant and first-class support from the experts at Pepperl+Fuchs.

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Hart Doors has completed the installation of two Speedor Storms at the Middlewich, Cheshire, plant of British Salt adding to the range of Hart doors already on site.

The Speedor Storm is an external high-speed fabric door designed for frequent use in high traffic situations and where exceptional wind resistance is required up to class 5 as defined by DIN EN 12424, on larger openings up to 6m x 8m.

Brian Woodcock, Hart’s area sales manager, says a wide range of Hart’s doors have been installed at the plant over the years including two types of Speedors and several roller shutters and pedestrian doors.

“The latest Speedor Storms have stainless steel canopies and conduits to extend resistance to corrosion,” says Mr Woodcock. “The air is corrosive so the use of stainless steel gives the doors additional robustness.”

Established in 1969, British Salt has been manufacturing, storing and supplying salt for over five decades, from its state of the art plant in Middlewich, Cheshire. Now the premier supplier of salt within the UK, British Salt has been part of the Tata Chemicals Europe family since 2011.

www.hartdoors.com  

Wearables for industry rethought: The Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments, together with its cooperation partner Iristick, is introducing Visor-Ex® 01 smart glasses for industrial use in hazardous areas. The intelligent wearable combines high camera quality and reliable communication features in an ergonomic design for user’s utmost comfort – with a weight of just 180 g, making them the optimal solution for mobile workers for all tasks that require hands-free use as well as continuous communication. This can include many digital workflows like maintenance procedures under the guidance of a remote support expert, who can give instructions and guidance with precision seeing what is happening through the eyes of the technician. In addition, pick-by-vision is a common scenario especially in logistics.

The intrinsically safe smartphone ECOM Smart-Ex® 02 as a computing unit, combined with a pocket unit with replaceable battery for power supply, creates an intelligent ecosystem for a wide range of applications. The distribution of functions across the individual system components helps to minimise the weight of the headset unit – without sacrificing performance, connectivity or battery life. By connecting to the Smart-Ex® 02, users can continue to use their tried-and-tested smartphone for hazardous areas without restriction and benefit from all the advantages and security features and controls of the Android 11 operating system: the simple integration and use of apps via the smart glasses as well as the possibility of pushing out updates easily over-the-air.

A project to upgrade a harbour wall at Ireland’s premier fishing port has proved the important advantages of hydrodemolition when modifying concrete structures.

Killybegs Harbour Centre, in County Donegal, is the newest sheltered deep-water port on the west coast of Ireland. It is a major fishing harbour and is developing a major commercial cargo port.

As part of this strategy, a €30million improvement programme is underway, funded largely by the Irish government, which includes construction of a new 120-metre harbour wall.

This resulted in a civil engineering contractor commissioning UK-based water jetting contractor Hydroblast, a member of the Water Jetting Association, to carry out hydrodemolition on a pier wall.

Peli Products (UK) offer the Peli™ brand of ATEX approved lighting products for professionals working in hazardous areas.  Each torch in the Peli safety range is certified to current ATEX requirements for Zone 0 or Zone 1 and they all are ideal for industrial and offshore use.

The range includes small compact torches through to large rechargeable hand lamps and worklights.  

A wide area light is produced from the 9455 Zone 0 model, this rugged LED work light is maintenance-free and rechargeable.  Weighing 7.3kg, it is compact, portable and can be set up in seconds. The unit has a retractable mast; the head can be rotated 360° and it also pivots to angle the light directly where required.  A ten hour runtime ensures light duration for a full shift, there are no trailing cables and the 9455Z0 is silent running,

Wolf Safety have introduced a powerful new range of ATEX certified LED installed lighting, designed for permanent use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

The world’s leading manufacturer of portable and temporary ATEX and IECEx certified hazardous area safety lighting, Wolf have been keeping people safe for almost 120 years.

The company’s designers and production engineers have used their expertise to develop a new range of highly effective LED installed lighting, safe to use in hazardous  Zones 1 and 21.

The range includes:

• Linear luminaires featuring revolutionary Directional Linear Optics (DLO) or standard Forward Facing Array LED configurations (with battery back-up emergency versions also available);
• Floodlights with a market leading maximum light output of up to 25,932 lumens;
• Bulkhead lighting, also featuring DLO (with battery back-up emergency versions also available);
• High bay lighting.

DLO directs light exactly where it’s needed so is ideal for use in specific, close-up workspaces, reducing glare to avoid people being ‘blinded’ by  emitted light, while its superior colour definition facilitates safety critical hazardous area tasks.

www.wolfsafety.com

Nickel Cadmium (Nicad) is the oldest type of rechargeable battery and is known for being durable. If correctly used it technically has a longer life cycle than other battery types. Its primary disadvantage is the charging problem commonly referred to as the “memory effect.” This occurs from partially discharging and recharging the battery, limiting it to the highest charge level of the last cycle. This effect drastically shortens the lifespan of the battery.

Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries offer a higher energy density than Nicad, but this comes at the cost of increased weight. NiMH batteries are nearly twice as heavy as Nicad, but they do not suffer from the memory effect. Instead, they sometimes have a condition called “weak-cell syndrome” where some of the cells can no longer hold power and appear to be charged but die almost immediately when used.

Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) are the preferred type of battery in modern devices because of their high energy density. They do not suffer from memory effect or weak-cell syndrome, but come with an extra cost in engineering. Without properly designed safety circuitry they can experience “thermal runaway” causing a fire. This is the worst possible situation for a product designed for use in explosive environments. The protective features of the safety circuitry must protect against all types of short circuit, excess temperature, and electrolyte leakage. The circuit is designed to immediately shut down if any of these faults occur in the system. Because of the knowledge, expense, and time required to engineer explosive environment products, a limited number of companies achieve this. Nightstick, a global manufacturer of portable LED lighting products, has 50+ products rated for use in explosive environments.

Locate a dealer near you at www.nightstick.com

Are you looking for smart, affordable solutions to ensure safe working in areas filled with hazardous gas or dust? There is only one answer to that question: Artidor Explosion Safety in Geldrop, the Netherlands. The specialist in the development and production of explosion-proof products for 35 years. As company director Marc Moolenaar says proudly, “With our extensive knowledge of explosion protection and years of experience in engineering and R&D, we are among the most innovative companies in the market.”

What motivates you?

“Flexibility, quality and unburdening our customers with customized solutions are our top priorities. In this way, we often arrive at more practical or less expensive explosion-proof solutions. These solutions are developed by our specialists in our own workshop, often based on existing products, while retaining the original features as much as possible. Furthermore, we can also arrange ATEX and IECEx certification. Our passion for technology and for beautiful, high-quality products results in durable products that meet expectations. A good example is our new series of explosion-proof signal lights.”