Magnet producer receives ATEX qualification
Goudsmit Magnetic Systems, based in Waalre, The Netherlands, has recently received the ATEX Production Quality Assurance Notification for the production of rotating magnets in dust explosion zone 20.
Goudsmit Magnetic Systems BV based in Waalre, the Netherlands, has recently received the ATEX Production Quality Assurance Notification for the production of rotating magnets in dust explosion zone 20. The certificate is granted by Kema. This enables the user of such magnets to carry out production more safely and in accordance with new guidelines.
These guidelines oblige the producer to take measures if there is danger of dust explosion during the production process.
Magnets are used to prevent dust explosions.
These magnets are often in a place where an explosion can take place.
Up to now magnets could only be provided in dust zone 22.
This often appeared to be unsatisfactory.
For this reason Goudsmit has proceeded with certification of the production workshop in Waalre.
Because the company makes client specific magnets, it was not possible to work solely with one classification.
By obtaining a classification only that type of magnet can be provided.
By gaining an ATEX certificate the company can continue to provide client specific products.
ROTATING MAGNETS.
Rotating clean-flow magnets are manufactured for products that flow poorly (e.g milk, coffee or cocoa powder).
With a slow rotating motion the magnets engage as it were with the product.
This ensures optimal contact with the iron particles and prevents build up of the sticky product on the bars.
Rapid shelf life study of hot and cold dispersions
The new LumiFuge 111 Universal Stability Analyser permits both QC and R+D departments to evaluate the shelf-life of products over the temperature range from 4 to 60C.
The new LumiFuge 111 Universal Stability Analyser permits both QC and R+D departments to evaluate the shelf-life of products over the temperature range from 4 to 60C, using the final storage and usage conditions whether in cold, warm or hot climates. This innovation will enable fast and flexible reaction to constantly changing customer requirements. The LumiFuge, which is based on an analytical centrifuge, has become a standard method for finger-printing and rapid formulation testing of dispersions.
It accelerates the demixing process up to 2300 times and simultaneously determines the demixing processes of 8 different dilute or concentrated suspensions/emulsions.
The results obtained correlate well with sample behaviour at normal gravity and the LumiFuge performs stability tests and shelf-life determination up to 5,000 times faster than tests carried out in a test-tube under earth gravity.
Explosion proof stirrers and agitators
xRadleys, specialists in reaction systems and laboratory equipment, will market and support the Gebruder Buddeberg range of explosion-proof compressed-air stirrers and agitators in the UK.
Radleys, specialists in reaction systems and laboratory equipment, have announced an agreement with Gebruder Buddeberg of Mannheim in Germany, to market and support their range of explosion-proof compressed-air stirrers and agitators in the UK. Drawing upon considerable experience in installing equipment and servicing applications in pharmaceutical R+D, fine chemicals and polymer production - Radleys is well placed to offer informed support to potential customers for the new products. Compact, and suitable for continuous operation, a compressed-air stirrer is available to provide optimised stirring operation for all tasks that occur in laboratories, process development areas and production facilities.
Buddeberg compressed-air stirrers are available explosion proof and certified in accordance with ATEX directive 94/9/EG.
Offering market-leading high power to weight ratio the compressed-air stirrers provide efficient mixing of even highly viscous liquids.
Robustly built the stirrers can be overloaded to a standstill without damage.
Through many years of development the stirrers have been designed to deliver smooth operation with minimal maintenance.
Agitator success at large bioethanol plant
HT agitators made by Chemineer of Derby in England are playing a significant role in the expansion of what is already the world’s biggest single bioethanol plant in the city of Jilin in NE China.
HT agitators made by Chemineer of Derby in England are playing a significant role in the expansion of what is already the world’s biggest single bioethanol plant in the far north eastern city of Jilin in China. Particularly suitable for large tanks where long shafts and 24/7, 365 days per year operation is required, the process at the Jilin Fuel Ethanol Plant successfully utilises the Chemineer agitators in the giant 3 million litre fermenters where the enzyme treated mash is fermented with the aid of specially formulated yeast. Rugged and extremely reliable, the HT agitators have shaft lengths up to 15m long and steadily concentrate the alcohol in a series of main fermenters, preceded by a pre-fermenter.
Chemineer agitators are also used in the mash preparation tanks where the grain is converted to a slurry and mixed with enzymes, and other locations in the plant where mixing is important.
Initially handling 600 million litres per year, soon increasing to a capacity of 1,100 million LPY, the higher bioethanol production at Jilin is designed to help provide a cost-effective and sustainable alternative supply to the massive rise in demand for petroleum in Cina, which expects to have a 200 million ton deficit by 2020.
Since 2001, when the Jilin fuel ethanol plant opened, China has been actively promoting ethanol-based fuel on a pilot basis across five cities in its central and north-eastern regions, in a move designed to reduce oil consumption and create a new market for its surplus grain.
Late in 2004, virtually every car in the North East China Liaoning Province had to switch to ethanol fuel, with only a handful of exemptions such as army and State strategic storage facilities.
In England, work started in January on what is set to become the first UK bioethanol production facility.
Based on Indian technology, the GBP20M plant near Downham Market in Norfolk, will utilise Chemineer agitators in the fermentation stages to help produce 70 million litres of biofuel per year, from sugar beet grown by farmers in East Anglia.
Mixing Solutions moves up to bigger facilities
Business growth at Mixing Solutions has led the company to expand into larger facilities adjacent to its existing premises in Newbury, adding full size test facilities for side entry mixers.
Business growth at Mixing Solutions has led the company to expand into larger facilities adjacent to its existing premises in Newbury, adding full size test facilities for side entry mixers and increased fabrication capability. Other new plant benefits include a 20-ton lifting crane and pit which allows assembly of much larger units and packages. Steve Watkins, Sales and Marketing Manager, said: ‘This has come exactly at the right time owing to much increased business over the past year, especially in export’.
SPX Process Equipment restructures mixer business
SPX Process Equipment has restructured its Lightnin and Plenty mixer business, to further strengthen its UK based centre of excellence for the Europe, Middle East and Africa operating territories.
SPX Process Equipment has restructured its Lightnin and Plenty mixer business to further strengthen its UK based centre of excellence supporting its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operating territories. All sales and management operations will remain at the Macclesfield, Cheshire offices with manufacturing continuing at the extensive SPX PE engineering facilities at Newbury, Brixworth (in Northamptonshire) and Glasgow. The restructuring programmes has resulted in several changes to the sales and management infrastructure, the most significant being the appointment of Steve Spreckley to the position of Sales and Applications Manager.
Steve, who has considerable sales, engineering and product line experience in the mixer industry, will be responsible for implementing a programme of strategic initiatives designed to increase the focus on the after market, standard products sales and engineered mixing solutions.
‘The changes that have been made will enable our sales and engineering teams to leverage the technical expertise in mixer design, application engineering and ATEX compliance that both Lightnin Mixers and Plenty Side Entry Mixers have in the international market,’ said Steve: ‘It is our objective to achieve ‘best in class’ on pricing, delivery and quality, and this restructuring allows us to capitalise on the vast experience that resides within the SPX PE mixing business group for portable, top entry, fixed mount and side entry mixers.’
Orthos in Action newsletter celebrates 50 years
A newsletter, ‘Orthos in Action’ has been published as a part of the company’s celebrations of 50 years experience in supplying machinery to the world’s leading manufacturers.
A newsletter, ‘Orthos in Action’ has been published which is part of the company’s 50 year celebrations of supplying machinery to the world’s leading manufacturers. The newsletter details products and application examples specifically in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Features include: the world’s biggest ‘gentle touch’ drum mixer from Lindor; Visco-Jet mixers at Pete and Johnny’s; Ventilex continuous fluid bed dryers at Castle Importing; plus a roller compactor from Alexanderwerk.
The newsletter also introduces the Firefly fire/explosion detector which will indicate a potential fire or explosion in dust or solids transport systems within 30 micro seconds.
Crude oil blender brings innovation on FPSO
Jiskoot has developed a solution for the blending of heavy crude oil for Bergesen Worldwide Offshore using the latest InSight blender system, to be used on the BW Enterprise FPSO in the Gulf of Mexico.
Jiskoot has developed a solution for the blending of heavy crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico for Bergesen Worldwide Offshore, using the latest InSight blender system on the BW Enterprise floating production, storage and offloading vessel, which will reportedly be the world’s largest FPSO when its conversion from the 360,000 dwt ULCC BW Enterprise at the Sembawang shipyard in Singapore is completed. The FPSO will serve as a hub in the nine-platform Pemex ‘KuMaZa’ development of the Ku, Maloob and Zaap fields, and act as an export terminal, receiving unstabilised oil for stabilisation and blending it with stabilised oil. First oil is scheduled for early 2007.
Accurately and economically blending the produced heavy 13 API crude oil with lighter 21-35 API crude to optimise the value and specification of the export crude, the system is a two-stream blender with on-line density measurement designed to accurately blend a 16-21 API crude oil at up to 800,000 barrels per day.
Providing user-friendly control, measurement and reporting of the whole blending process, the InSight blend controller uses on-line measurement to continually optimise final product quality.
By being integrated with the Emerson DeltaV control system used on the FPSO, the real-time non-PLC control system also achieves a second key project objective of implementing a ‘maintenance on demand’ system for the entire vessel.
To guarantee accurate density measurement and ensure that the final product is homogeneous, a JetMix system used in the blend header is unique in that it mixes across a wide range of flow rates with no pressure drop.
This, along with ultrasonic flow meters and careful component selection, allows blender design to be optimised for a maximum pressure drop of less than 1.5 bar.
Flow-weighted averaging and 3-term PID control ensure that the blended product is on specification at all times during the batch, with unique control algorithms responding instantly to changes in process conditions or quality.
The batch is continuously measured and feedstocks adjusted to optimise quality and minimise ‘give-away’.
The system is designed to ensure consistent quality throughout the batch: even during quality variations, feedstock starvation and loss of power - or the unlikely failure of a system component.
A facility to automatically increase throughput enables crude to be blended at the maximum available component rate to optimise the batch production time.
Bergesen Worldwide is one of the world’s largest maritime groups, with assets operating in Nigeria, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea and Russia, as well as the recent entry into Mexico and setting up a strategic cooperation in Malaysia.
A 50 year celebration so win an iPod nano
Orthos Engineering are celebrating 50 years of supplying high quality mixing and blending equipment from the world’s leading manufacturers: and want you to join in a FREE PRIZE DRAW for an iPod nano!
Orthos Engineering are celebrating 50 years of supplying high quality mixing and blending equipment from the world’s leading manufacturers. Keith Scott, MD of Orthos reports ‘Our customers demand, not only quality machinery, but good advice and long term commitment to keep the process operating. If there is a problem they expect spares, technical help and assistance fast.
It helps of course when the right equipment is installed in the first place, and at Orthos we are proud of the high reputation that we have achieved over the last 50 years.
We will take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their business over the years’.
To celebrate with Orthos over this milestone and win an iPod nano, all you have to do is request brochure information from this press release through the Processingtalk system - register you details - and that’s all! The winner will be drawn from a hat on 1st August 2006, from all the respondents, and informed by email.
Sales and Marketing Manager for Mixing Solutions
Mixing Solutions has announced the appointment of Steve Watkins as Sales and Marketing Manager with responsibility for its worldwide process agitation business outside the USA
Mixing Solutions names new Sales and Marketing Manager Mixing Solutions has announced the appointment of Steve Watkins as Sales and Marketing Manager with responsibility for its worldwide process agitation business outside the USA.
This is a new position as part of the company’s worldwide expansion plan: Steve is a qualified Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in rotating equipment and technical sales and management with leading companies.
Mixing Solutions provides fluid mixing expertise with standard and custom-designed agitator drives and equipment from 0.25kW to over 2000kW, along with an extensive range of impellers and application technology for all requirements and the most arduous environments.