Chinese expansion.

Specialist in enclosure climate control strengthens its position in China.

LtoR: STEGO Managing Director Elmar Mangold, Branch Manager Junxiao Hu, Managing Director Michael Dehnert

The STEGO Group has opened an independent subsidiary with sales operations and warehouse facilities in the megacity of Nanjing (CN) As one of the leading providers of sustainable electronics protection and climate control solutions for enclosures, its technical installations safeguard sensitive electronic components throughout the world. To complement its existing eight subsidiaries, STEGO is converting its former sales office in Nanjing, a major economic hub in China, into an independent subsidiary with its own office organisation and warehouse. This transformation will ensure the consistent availability of STEGO products in the important Chinese market and enables invoicing in the local currency, Renminbi (Yuan), simplifying billing and transaction processes.

“We have been successfully operating in China for several years with our sales office and through trade shows. Establishing our own subsidiary is a logical next step. It allows us to be closer to our customers in China and respond even more effectively to the specific needs of this important market,” explains STEGO Group Managing Director Elmar Mangold. The designated head of the new subsidiary is Junxiao Hu, who studied engineering in Hanover, Germany, and lived there for several years. Since 2019, he has been working in sales at STEGO. With his experience in both cultures, he understands the differences between Germany and China, making him well-equipped to lead the new subsidiary successfully.

The new subsidiary in China not only facilitates access to the Chinese market but also serves as a strategic base for the broader Asian region. This move strengthens STEGO's international business and lays the foundation for future growth in this dynamic market.

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@UkStego @stego_de @PresseBox #PAuto #Manufacturing

Beating the heat!

How providing the correct PPE equipment is essential in reducing the risk of heat stress.
Though not strictly instrumentation we thought that this is a safety topic which is relevant to control & automation professionals in many process industries.

The issue of heat stress is a real concern for employers and their workforce across the world and it is easy to understand why. According to The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), June 2016 was the hottest June ever recorded worldwide, and marked 14 consecutive months of record heat for the globe. High temperatures are a cause for concern for outdoor workers and increase the risk of heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion, heat stress and heat stroke. Exacerbating this issue is the increasing trend between rapid development in hot countries and the number of labour intensive industries such as construction, mining and oil and gas operations in these countries.

According to the British Health & Safety Executive (HSE), heat stress occurs when the body’s means of controlling its internal temperature, such as sweating, starts to fail. Symptoms of the condition can include: fainting, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, heat rash and severe thirst.

In addition to climatic changes, heat stress can be induced by other factors such as work rate, worker’s clothing and PPE compatibility. Therefore it is imperative that manufacturers develop equipment that uses lightweight, breathable fabrics and materials where possible. There is a responsibility too on employers to choose the most appropriate equipment for the work and to ensure the correct training is given so that the worker wears the equipment properly.

“We invest a considerable amount of time in the development of our personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure we design lightweight products. We use the best performing materials that offer the correct level of protection,” explains Chris Ellerby, Senior Global Product Manager with Scott Safety.

Ensuring workers wear PPE is an on-going challenge, especially if the pieces are not designed to work together. PPE incompatibility makes the equipment uncomfortable and can lead to the worker getting unnecessarily hot; “Our range of PPE has been specifically developed so that it complements each other and can be worn comfortably, regardless of the heat. There is much research to show that good product compatibility will improve the overall comfort for the wearer, regardless of their working environment and therefore ensure that the products will continue to be worn without detriment to the wearer.”

Scott Safety’s range of PPE includes the multiple application bump cap FirstBase 3. This innovative bump cap is designed to provide protection to the wearer against the effects of head striking against hard, stationary objects. It is made from a breathable fabric that allows high levels of ventilation that will reduce heat stress and improve wearer comfort. Additional features of the FirstBase 3 which works to reduce the effects of heat stress include the wide moisture wicking sweatband.

Chris Ellerby who has worked on the designs of this product since its inception explained: “Reducing heat and humidity on the head is a key customer need when it comes to bump or head protection in general. Scott Safety has done a huge amount of work in terms of analysing relative humidity on the head and implemented several improvements to improve airflow and permit moisture to be expelled; making the FirstBase bump cap collectively one of, if not the lowest, relative humidity bump caps on the marketplace. ”

However compatibility does not just centre on weight and comfort. There is no governing body that dictates that all equipment must meet certain compatibility standards making it harder for manufacturers to develop product compatibility. Ultimately what this means is that unless equipment is purchased from the same manufacturer and therefore designed to work together, good fit and optimum comfort cannot necessarily be guaranteed. And equipment designed and supplied from one manufacturer will most likely have been approved to work together too.

Working in environments where more substantial personal protection is required such as confined spaces or contaminated air environments is a growing trend in many countries. In these situations increased respiratory protection may well be required and this will involve wearing more complex equipment that could, if not designed well, add to heat stress levels. However, Scott Safety, renowned worldwide for its respiratory protection range, recently launched a new powered respirator specifically designed to reduce weight burden. Wearing a respirator over a period of hours can create a great physiological burden on the wearer because the sheer weight of the kit could increase the effort required to breathe. However, this new design incorporates a curved backplate and lightweight battery ensuring user comfort for long periods of use.

Scott Safety has developed a range of solutions that allow users to work comfortably in intense climates, safe in the knowledge that they are properly protected at all times.

@ScottSafetyEMEA #Safety 

Mobile access to critical asset health information.

Emerson’s new ATG View application allows quicker and easier access to critical asset health information by putting data from Emerson’s CSI 6500 ATG machinery protection and prediction monitoring system in the palm of users’ hands.

With a mobile device, users can scan a quick response code (QRC) located on the CSI 6500 ATG cabinet and immediately view the status and health of all cards and measurements from the associated rack on their mobile device. This enables quicker maintenance rounds and reduces unnecessary trips to the control room, helping maintenance teams be more productive and responsive to changes in equipment health.

“Having protection and prediction data from the same cards and measurements available on a mobile device is a real time saver,” said Bjoern Mueller, product manager sensors & systems, of Emerson’s Reliability Solutions business. “The new app was designed to make it easier for users to track equipment and process health to ensure they operate reliably and profitably.”

The app is built to be intuitive and easy for users to get started quickly. ATG View is available in both the Apple Store and Google Play.

@EmersonProcess #PAuto

Prediction data for protection system.

CSI 6500 ATG system utilises wireless technology and embedded OPC UA server to communicate prediction data and simplify installation

The CSI 6500 ATG protection system, from Emerson Process Management, is a stand-alone machinery protection solution that also allows users to cost-effectively introduce prediction monitoring of critical assets from the same system. Predictive intelligence is a key component to increasing availability and improving the reliability of plant assets.

New CSI 6500 ATG multi-functional cards can be easily reconfigured for a wide range of measurements, including the impacting or peak-to-peak data used in Emerson’s unique PeakVue™ technology. In addition to monitoring the start-up and coastdown of critical turbo machinery for safe operation, users will be able to utilise PeakVue technology to identify the earliest indications of developing faults in gearboxes and bearings.

With this system it is no longer necessary to return to the control room or open cabinets in the field to view or analyse data. It can be networked over wired or wireless Ethernet to deliver asset health information to authorised users through a PC or phone application.

To facilitate easy system integration with third party systems, CSI 6500 ATG is the first protection system to include a secure embedded OPC UA server.

“Studies show that it costs 50% more to repair a machine after it has failed versus predicting the failure and thus planning for the repair costs,” said Thomas Wewers, director of technology for Emerson’s reliability solutions. “For users whose budget doesn't cover the cost of both a protection and a prediction system, getting prediction data from a protection system is an incremental step towards improving the insight on asset health.”

The CSI ATG system complies with the traditional API 670 certification and is certified for installation in demanding environments where Class 1 Div2/ATEX Zone 2 approvals are required.

Protecting fragile portable instruments!

In Wild Water Racing, Great Britain has a long established history of competing with distinction at an international level. 

GB Wild Water Racing (WWR) have chosen to transport their timing equipment, to and from races throughout Britain & Europe, in the safety of a Nanuk portable waterproof protective case from Leafield.

The kit, which incorporates costly and somewhat fragile components, such as photocells and timing displays, is valuable and the team were keen to provide it with optimum protection.

It was imperative that all the kit, including tripods and cables, be kept and transported as a single unit because it was not unknown for items to be lost in transit when shipped individually. Total weight of contents was some 30 kilos so a case with integral wheels and pull handle was preferred.

The Nanuk 960 meets the requirements exactly with an internal dimension of L559mm x W432mm x H328mm. The case was supplied with several layers of “pick and pluck” foam so that each individual contents item could be cushioned effectively.

Waterproof and dust proof to IP 67 and manufactured from impact resistant, NK-7 resin, NANUK durable, hard sided cases are built to absorb the shocks without damaging the case or more importantly its contents.

The patented PowerClaw latching system used on all Nanuk cases is engineered to keep the case closed during the toughest of missions, yet open easily with one hand.

“"In the waterside environment in which we operate, its reassuring to have a completely waterproof case,"” said Jon Finch of Wild Water Canoeing. "“It keeps the kit ‘all together’ and makes set-up quicker and easier. I'’m sure we couldn’t have chosen better protection.”"