The 2019 PPMA Group Industry Awards will be held at the National Conference Centre (NEC), Birmingham, on the evening of the first day of the PPMA Total Show 2019 – Tuesday, 1 October 2019. Award entry submissions are FREE and now open to all PPMA Group members (PPMA, BARA and
Any work at height carries risk. Preventing accidents from falls relies on all stakeholders using an informed, joined-up approach to practices and systems. Specifiers, contractors, system installers and end-users all play a part in risk mitigation. James Sainsbury, Fall Protection Sales leader for MSA Safety, explains why a holistic approach
Industrial plant personnel will need the help of industrial dust collectors to ensure that employees and the working environment is safe for general working conditions and to meet policies set by the regulating bodies. These devices can be quite pricey thus it makes it a prime concern for most businesses
The construction of new apartments in Birmingham is being supported by a funding deal worth £21 million. The new capital has been received by Cedar Invest, who will use the funding to support its project to build 140 new apartments in Digbeth. The five-storey development, named The Forge, consists of a
Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have succeeded in robotically 3D printing an unfurnished bathroom pod in 12 hours or less. The technique uses a 6-axis robotic arm equipped with print nozzle for the special concrete mix and it could help firms build prefabricated bathroom units, or PBUs,
The final details have been safely negotiated for the construction of the new Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital this summer in Highland. Signed off by the Scottish Government, the plans also include an overhaul of healthcare services in the strath. “My visit to Skye and Lochalsh today has been an
The 2019 PPMA Group Industry Awards will be held at the National Conference Centre (NEC), Birmingham, on the evening of the first day of the PPMA Total Show 2019 – Tuesday, 1 October 2019. Award entry submissions are FREE and now open to all PPMA Group members (PPMA, BARA and UKIVA) and others involved in the industry. The deadline for submissions is 17 July 2019. Now in its eighth year, the PPMA Group Industry Awards 2019 brings together more than 300 industry professionals and stakeholders to celebrate the finest examples of innovation, smart manufacturing and entrepreneurship. There are 12 Awards categories, ranging from most innovative technologies in processing, packaging, robotics, vision systems and ancillary equipment, to achievements in sales, export and the environment. The ‘Apprentice of the Year’ Award serves to acknowledge the most promising young talent within the processing and packaging, robotics and automation and industrial vision industries. Companies that have developed a comprehensive apprenticeship or training programme have the opportunity to be recognised too through the PPMA BEST Award. All entries will be judged by a panel of eight independent industry experts, including academia, end-users, editors and engineers. This year’s Awards, featuring a three-course gala dinner, will be hosted by UK television presenter and magician, Stephen Mulhern, who has appeared as host on Britain’s Got Talent, Catchphrase and Big Star’s Little Star. For further information on the Awards and details on how to enter, visit: https://www.ppmatotalshow.co.uk/awards/ppma-group-industry-awards. Notes to Editor: The PPMA Group Industry Awards 2019 The PPMA Group Industry Awards are organised by the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA). https://www.ppmatotalshow.co.uk/awards/ppma-group-industry-awards. About the PPMA Group The PPMA Group of Associations comprises the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA), British Automation & Robot Association (BARA) and UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA). Its mission is to actively help its 550-plus members through services, tools and initiatives to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Its PPMA Show and PPMA Total Show exhibitions are hailed as the UK’s unmissable, free-to-attend, processing and packaging machinery events. In 2017, the Group also launched the first UKIVA, Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition, which is now in its third year. More information of all of these events can be found on: www.ppma.co.uk Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Any work at height carries risk. Preventing accidents from falls relies on all stakeholders using an informed, joined-up approach to practices and systems. Specifiers, contractors, system installers and end-users all play a part in risk mitigation. James Sainsbury, Fall Protection Sales leader for MSA Safety, explains why a holistic approach to safety is needed, and highlights the potential risks of making ill-informed changes to a defined safety system specification. Gravity is a an ever-present force. It doesn’t offer second chances. And however diligent safety planning and preparations may be, a fall is always a possibility. With workers’ lives at stake, there’s simply no excuse for inadequate fall protection systems and personal safety equipment. Accident prevention: the UK picture Despite the fact that almost all falls from height can be prevented, it’s a sobering reminder that they still remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities. The most recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show that in 2017 alone, falls accounted for 28% of all UK fatalities in the workplace. Digging deeper, between 2013/14 and 2017/18, falls from a height accounted for more than a quarter of all fatal injuries to workers. That’s an average of 37 deaths a year. In addition, a staggering 43,000 non-fatal accidents involved falls from height too. Over 60% of deaths when working at height involve falls from ladders, scaffolds, working platforms and roof edges and through fragile roofs. It’s no wonder that HSE research has also revealed 19% of people think their health and safety is at risk at work (2010). Whilst the UK, like much of Europe, is a mature market, with comprehensive regulatory standards for safety systems and practices, there is still much room for improvement. Setting realistic safety system budgets, honouring specifications, understanding the suitability and quality of different equipment, accurately assessing risk and training users to be competent are all on the agenda. Creating the plan: specifiers As the first link in the chain of creating safer working at height, the value of consulting specifier professionals cannot be overstated. The decisions, assessments and recommendations they provide result in the most appropriate fall protection system specification for the building at the outset: one that will maximise protection for users and allow work at height to be carried out more safely and efficiently. A system specification can be defined by architects, consultants or engineers, or by safety system industry professionals, such as professional installers. A thorough specification takes account of both the unique risks posed by the structure and the practical access requirements needed for safe works. It will also mean full compliance with all local and national health and safety and regulatory conditions. Manufacturers, too, can provide consultation and system design, helping to make sure that the very best equipment and system is installed. Controlling the project: contractors One of the most important elements of the specification – at least for contractors – is the independently-calculated budget allowance required to procure and install the recommended system. Unfortunately, specification-switching down-the-line by UK contractors seeking to reduce costs can be problematic. This worrying trend has the potential to put workers’ lives at risk. Simply changing or substituting elements for alternatives that are perceived as less costly can be short sighted and dangerous. Any specified system for working at height, and any attendant cost, is usually proposed for sound safety reasons. High-quality equipment benefits from advanced engineering and rigorous testing, both of which contribute to full compliance and reliable performance. Lesser products may wear, degrade or fail more quickly, requiring premature replacement and increasing Total Cost of Ownership. When equipment is well designed and easy to use, the risks of equipment failure are naturally lower. Putting it all in place: Installers The performance and safety of fall protection equipment depends on correct installation, testing and commissioning. Quality installers have a responsibility to check that only technically-competent professionals install equipment. Leading companies are fully familiar with the leading manufacturer systems, are usually accredited, and will have undergone specialist training to be certain systems are installed exactly in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines, including all compliance checks at sign-off. Once equipment is installed, the installer will be responsible for commissioning, testing and ongoing maintenance and, in some cases, arranging user training. Experienced installers are also used to quickly overcoming any unexpected challenges a building may pose – for example, undertaking a retrofit system installation within an older or historic building. They will also spot and highlight any new risks or findings that may impact the effectiveness of the fall protection system. Confident and capable: end users There’s no value in provisioning fall protection equipment if workers are unable, or are unwilling, to use it properly. Whilst overseeing safety, risk assessments and method statements for those that work at height falls to the site manager and/or health and safety officer, all equipment users should be ‘competent persons’. That means expert PPE and or fall equipment system training from a qualified provider. Can users check equipment before use? Do they know when and how to use it correctly? Do they possess the expertise and confidence to make the right decisions at the right time? Can they execute an agreed rescue plan if needed? Safety and accountability: inextricably linked If UK working at height safety statistics are to improve, the sequential chain from specifier through to user requires close scrutiny. At every stage each party has a duty of care to respect the integrity of what should remain an optimal safety system. Specification-switching and making arbitrary changes to carefully chosen solutions may have serious implications. Equally, users deserve to feel confident using systems, and must be supported with quality training and rigorous equipment checks. Most falls from height are preventable. All parties engaged in fall protection should be aligned and accountable to keeping workers safe.
Industrial plant personnel will need the help of industrial dust collectors to ensure that employees and the working environment is safe for general working conditions and to meet policies set by the regulating bodies. These devices can be quite pricey thus it makes it a prime concern for most businesses to take care of them to avoid any unnecessary part replacements. This article will present some tips to make sure that the industrial dust collector is operating at top safety performance level. Use deflagration Protection There are times wherein a dust collector handles dust that may combust. In cases such as this the industrial dust collector must be equipped with deflagration protection. A common, inexpensive and passive method is by use of venting. When predetermined pressures are reached inside the collector, an explosion vent opens which will then allow the extra pressure and fireball from the deflagration to exit to an area that will not disrupt operations nor will damage any devices. There exists flameless vent which consists of a casing that will include a panel of a mesh that can withstand high temperatures while also absorbing heat and flame. The way it will be used is by installing it over a standard explosion vent. Whenever a combustion happens, the vent will open while lowering the pressure and direct the fireball into the casing mentioned earlier. There will also be mesh layers whose job is to absorb the heat and flame while and then allowing a bigger portion of the pressure wave to pass easily towards a safe zone outside the working environment. The mechanism will allow venting in the conventional sense to be completed indoors. Otherwise, it may be able to endanger staff or add unpredictable secondary explosions. It is worth noting however that there are indeed other protection devices that currently exist in the market. Ultimately, the best recourse may be to work with your industrial dust collector expert or representative to search the best that fit your requirements. Study capabilities of your collector It is vital for plant staff to be able to understanding the levels of pressure that the industrial dust collector is capable of. Other important decisions that should be pondered upon are the specification and selection of vent sizing. By comparing these venting vessel sturdiness and matching it to the deflagration strength and vent burst pressure you will be able to effectively protect your industrial dust collectors from deflagration. Check the ductwork Fire protection agencies around the world will often have the same opinion. They will require that should be protection for all the ductwork and the safety processes upstream of the industrial dust collector. Configure the ducting in such a way that it will be equipped with a flow-activated isolation valve that will then function as a protection of downstream work areas and processes. It will be protected from the propagation of flames and the excess pressure ported from inlet duct when deflagration occurs in a dust industrial dust collector. During the occurrence of such deflagration, the pressure wave will shut the valve off which will then prevent any passage of fires, flames, and smoke up to areas far upstream from the valve. In this case, the valve will then latch shut and can only be manually opened. If the mechanism is activated, there will be components in the valve which can be damaged and only with a thorough inspection can suffice before returning the valve back into service. The hoppers should not be used to collect dust A rookie mistake that can be often done by most that are starting out in manufacturing is the use of hoppers as a means to store dust. It should be understood that the hopper’s sole purpose is for funnelling process dust towards the storage bins. The dust that would soon fill up the hopper will surely create a potential fire or deflagration risk. Another point to remember is that the dust in the hopper can also deflate the industrial dust collector’s performance by obstructing the system and preventing the pulse-cleaning from completing the task it was intended to. The self-dumping hoppers can be an easy dust disposal mechanism all the while protecting against unwanted dust leaks among the collector and hoppers. Pulse-cleaning controls is an option The industrial dust collector’s system for cleaning is designed to work in hand in hand with filter design. There are some cleaning controls that can provide an easy way to keep filters clean without the added hassle of having to maintain it on a daily basis. The continuous cleaning option can be used for the porous kind of dusts, that may included silica and other minerals, high dust loading applications like thermal spray or plasma cutting, or some of the lighter ones such as paper fines and fumed silica. There are also on-demand cleaning which are recommended for almost all of the dust types. There is a setting monitor that causes a difference in pressure from the clean-air section all the way to the dirty-air filter section of the collector. This will allow the operator to set a small range of pressures to be used and pause the cleaning of the cartridge. This setting can also use the smallest amount of pressurized air and can afford you the optimum filter cleaning efficiency and will allow the filter to last longer than usual. When all else fails, you can opt for down time cleaning which can allow for pulsing at timed intervals at the end of each operational sting. This can also be done after completing a batch process or after an disruption in the system that may diminish the performance of the filters. After the period, the unit can now be turned off completely. This is a vital capability because cleaning cartridges beyond what is necessary, especially during operation can not only cause higher emissions but can also shorten the life of the cartridges and force you to spend more on energy simply because of overusing of the
The construction of new apartments in Birmingham is being supported by a funding deal worth £21 million. The new capital has been received by Cedar Invest, who will use the funding to support its project to build 140 new apartments in Digbeth. The five-storey development, named The Forge, consists of a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and a 42-space car park and is set for completion by the end of 2020. Providing new homes for more than 226 residents, Cedar Invest said it had already sold 107 of the 140 homes at the site in Bradford Street. “The Forge Digbeth is set to be a transformative development in the city, regenerating a currently underutilised piece of land to provide a range of luxury new homes. By securing backing from Frontier Development Capital and Coutts, we have been able to get spades into the ground – a significant milestone for Cedar but also Birmingham as we contribute to its ongoing growth,” said John Whateley, director at Cedar Invest. The new investment comprises a £17.5 million loan from Coutts and £3.5 million from Frontier Development Capital, with Cedar Invest investing £6 million. The funding has allowed construction to commence at the previously disused ‘Park Works’ brownfield site, supporting more than 300 jobs in the construction phase. “This investment in Cedar Invest will be crucial in allowing the developer to deliver this flagship development, a strong platform from which it can bring forward more schemes across the Midlands and wider UK. The volume and quality of residential development in Birmingham is on the rise, driven by developers like Cedar Invest. We look forward to working with the team as this scheme takes shape and delivers much-needed homes in the city,” added Nick Oakley, head of property investments at Frontier Development Capital. Working alongside Cedar Invest on the regeneraion project are GJL Property Developers and BJD.
Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have succeeded in robotically 3D printing an unfurnished bathroom pod in 12 hours or less. The technique uses a 6-axis robotic arm equipped with print nozzle for the special concrete mix and it could help firms build prefabricated bathroom units, or PBUs, about 30% faster. PBUs are in high demand on government land Sale sites in Singapore, however the conventional method for these is concrete casting. With the new method, PBUs are 30% lighter than conventionally cast ones, but still as strong as conventional concrete. After printing, the bathroom pod is then furnished with toilet fittings, tiles and concealed drains and piping, which takes five days. The technique was developed by a joint research team led by Assoc Prof Tan Ming Jen from NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, in partnership with Sembcorp Design and Construction, and Sembcorp Architects & Engineers. They will now seek approvals for trials from the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore, and will investigate commercialising the technology through licensing or a spin-off company. “The complicated shape of a PBU and its walls can be developed and printed at a faster pace to satisfy the needs of individual customers as no formwork or moulds are required, whereas conventional construction of PBUs with concrete or lightweight wall panels always limit the possibilities of design,” said Er Lie Liong Tjen, team lead from Sembcorp Design and Construction, and Sembcorp Architects & Engineers. Researchers said 3D-printing PBUs could help manufacturers halve their production time, while lowering transport costs, carbon emissions and materials wastage. “By being able to print-on-demand, companies can save on their inventory costs as well as manpower costs, as they don’t have to hold as much stock and their workers can be redeployed to do higher-level tasks. This approach improves the safety of the workplace, since robots are doing the construction of the bathroom unit,” Prof Tan said. The printing of the bathroom pod was carried out in a single build using a 6-axis KUKA Robotic arm, which has a reach of about 6 metres in diameter. The concrete was then fed to mixers and pumped out of a nozzle mounted on the robotic arm, depositing the material layer by layer according to the digital blueprint. To save material and achieve weight savings of up to 30%, the walls of the PBU were printed in a W-lattice shape, which lent additional strength to the final structure. The research team printed and outfitted two PBUs: one measuring 1.62m (L) x 1.5m (W) x 2.8m (H), which was printed in nine hours, and one PBU measuring 2m (L) x 2.6m (W) x 2.8m (H), which was printed in 12 hours.
The final details have been safely negotiated for the construction of the new Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital this summer in Highland. Signed off by the Scottish Government, the plans also include an overhaul of healthcare services in the strath. “My visit to Skye and Lochalsh today has been an opportunity to find out more about the work underway to deliver the recommendations in Sir Lewis Ritchie’s report on out-of-hours services,” said Health Secretary Jeane Freeman. “Reading the latest report and hearing from members of the community, the clinicians and other partners has reassured me that NHS Highland are moving in the right direction. I have been particularly impressed with the level of commitment and drive shown by the community and their representatives working with NHS Highland and their partners to develop solutions together.” The plans are part of a joint £48 million full business case submitted to Scottish Ministers to modernise community and hospital services for two NHS Highland localities – the other area being Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross. The Government’s Capital Investment Group has now approved the full business case submission; which means construction of the two community hospitals will begin this summer. “This investment represents a major step forward for NHS services in both Skye and Badenoch and Strathspey. It supports our efforts to modernise and transform the delivery of healthcare and, in terms of our promise to improve out-of-hours care on Skye, it is very much in line with the recommendations of the Ritchie Report,” said NHS Highland’s chief executive Iain Stewart. “We are delighted to be able to turn this vision into reality and I would like to recognise the huge contribution made by local communities, staff and partner agencies in reaching this stage. The redesigned services will be more stable, more sustainable and will deliver a better experience for our patients and wider communities,” he added. £4.6 million will be used to refurbish and retain existing facilities in Grantown, Kingussie, Broadford and Portree. However, both Ian Charles Hospital in Grantown and Kingussie’s St Vincent’s Hospital will close when the new Aviemore hospital opens its doors.
