News

A pressure scanner manufacturer has announced their partnership deal in the EU’s Clean Sky 2 Project.

UK based, Evolution Measurement, will supply its EvoScann P-Series pressure scanners to assist in the testing phase of Clean Sky 2, the largest European research programme developing innovative, cutting-edge technology aimed at reducing CO2, gas emissions and noise levels produced by aircraft.

Clean Sky 2 technologies will enable future aircraft to cut fuel burn and related CO2 emissions by 20-30 per cent whilst cutting noise levels (compared to 2014) by a similar amount. EvoScann P-Series pressure scanner will be used in aerodynamic testing phases to increase fuel efficiency.

“We are really excited to be part of Clean Sky 2,” said Managing Director, Paul Crowhurst. “The P-Series pressure scanner will support the aerodynamic testing programme which aims to improve wing design efficiency, and subsequently help to reduce CO2 emissions.”

Clean Sky’s projects are helping to dramatically slash the air industry’s CO2, other gases and noise footprints by developing new engine architectures, improved wing aerodynamics, lighter composite structures, smarter trajectories, and more electrical on-board energy. Funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, Clean Sky contributes to strengthening European aero-industry collaboration, global leadership and competitiveness.

Arrow Electronics, Panasonic Industry, and STMicroelectronics (ST) have introduced a low-power wireless multi-sensor edge-intelligence solution for smart factory, smart home and smart life applications.

The IoT Solution Module combines Arrow’s engineering and global distribution capabilities with Panasonic Industry’s IoT modules based on the ST BlueTile (STEVAL-BCN002V1B) multi-sensor development kit. This combination enables customers to test their ideas easily and bring new IoT products to the market faster.

The IoT Solution Module features ST’s latest BlueNRG Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 system-on-chip paired with numerous inertial, environmental, and audio sensors. The onboard sensors enable the cost-effective delivery of a broad range of compact and valuable IoT applications for smart factory, smart home and smart life scenarios.

Comprehensive services and validation processes enable a reduced BOM that combines an accelerometer and gyroscope with Time-of-Flight, pressure, and humidity sensors in an efficient low-power design with Bluetooth communications. This combination enables OEM customers to dramatically slash time-to-market and reduce design expense and complexity using certified modules.

“Building on the outstanding features and design of the ST BlueTile sensor-node development kit, the modules now available from Panasonic Industry through Arrow Electronics are ideal for speeding creation of a wide range of edge-node sensors for all kinds of Internet-of-Things applications,” said Philip Lolies, EMEA Vice President, Marketing & Application, STMicroelectronics.

”Panasonic’s IoT Solution Modules inspired by ST BlueTile support customers by cutting down their time to market in this fast paced era,” said Dr. Sara Ghaemi, team leader, IoT, Panasonic Industry Europe. “Panasonic Industry is able to offer an unrivaled customer service throughout all stages of the product lifecycle ranging from design, development and validation to aftermarket. The modules support customers in reducing their development efforts and overall product costs while guaranteeing the highest quality and required certifications. This new solution will serve the customer’s needs in smart factory, smart home and smart life applications.”

“The modern embedded design requires sensors and wireless connectivity. This is accelerating based on the breadth of wireless standards being integrated into products”, said Matthias Hutter, vice president of product management and supplier marketing at Arrow Electronics in EMEA. “However, using sensors and designing the supporting circuitry for the task would take a lot of time and resources to develop. Additional certification time is needed on top. Using pre-qualified wireless sensor modules in the system design is saving development time and budget which speeds up time to market for our customers. By working with ST and Panasonic we are bringing the fundamental sensor and wireless building blocks in a great package for accelerated design.”

ProGlove is responding to customers’ needs in manufacturing, distribution and logistics for a smart solution to help workers maintain proper social distance. Leveraging its MARK family of wearable barcode scanners and ProGlove Connect app for Android, ProGlove announces today a product upgrade that activates proximity sensing for frontline workers. With production lines resuming operations, safety and efficiency are top of mind.

“Our key customers are sharing with us the challenges they’re facing as they rethink and retool to restart operations,” says Andreas Koenig, CEO of ProGlove. “We faced similar challenges as we reviewed our own processes for safety and efficiency. It is our natural tendency, as humans, to want to go back to doing things the way we did them before, however, it’s not possible. Proper social distancing is now key to a successful return to work.”

To help workers — on the assembly line or in the distribution centre — maintain proper distance from each other, the new ProGlove Connect Proximity app provides an additional layer of feedback on an Android device alone or when paired with a ProGlove MARK barcode scanner which rests on the employee’s hand.

When personally equipped with the MARK wearable scanner and paired Android device, workers coming within close proximity of each other are alerted. The alerts come to the workers via a full array of options on the wearable scanner including audio sound, optic LED light, and haptic vibration signals. This is important in a busy or noisy shop floor environment where an Android alert in a pocket could be easily overlooked.

“We tested the MARK upgrade in-house and it works beautifully. We’re now rolling it out on our own assembly line,” notes Konstantin Brunnbauer, VP of Production for ProGlove. “For my team it is easy to want to fall back into old patterns of working together but with this extra reminder we can maintain safe distance.”

ProGlove Connect Proximity is in beta and is phase one of the company’s software initiative to help its customers manage safe social distancing in the workplace. In phase two, device-level proximity data will be made available in ProGlove’s software application. Managers can then easily identify bottlenecks in the warehouse with this information and plan for modifications to layouts, schedules or workflows.

The app upgrade is available for free to current ProGlove customers. For new customers, starting in June, the app is a valuable feature on top of the advantages of a rugged lightweight wearable barcode scanner for safety and efficiency.

Highly reliable automation and machine-control systems are used to eliminate assembly faults and improve efficiency in an assembly operation. Whilst the repetitive assembly tasks are well-suited to being done by robots, these robots can be too slow at picking and placing the assembled parts and therefore a rotary indexing table is used to move the assemblies between the robots.

The rotary indexing table speeds up the transfer of PCBs between assembly robots and also on and off conveyors, increasing the production throughput and reducing the number of assembly robots required – Sensors are used to automate these processes and these sensors must be able to operate continuously at high speed, performing tasks including: presence detection to initiate the cassette-change cycle in a stack feeder; position control for a rotary indexing table; pick-and-place gripper control; and presence monitoring on a conveyor system.

Stack-feeders deliver base plates, electrical printed circuit boards and other planar components to the assembly lines. In each stack-feeder, a vertical cassette holds as many as 50 individual parts and a single inductive sensor monitors the status of each cassette. Once the final part is discharged from the stack, the cassette moves to its end position, triggering the sensor and initiating the cassette-change cycle.

Contrinex C23 embeddable inductive sensors, featuring a one-piece stainless-steel housing, are both robust and highly reliable. A 7mm sensing distance allows ample operating clearance, minimising the risk of mechanical collision. Their implementation into the assembly equipment is made easier by the choice of industry-standard PNP or NPN outputs with either a PUR cable or an M8 pigtail connector. Additionally, IO-Link, a standardised point-to-point serial connection protocol for sensors and actuators, is provided at no additional cost, offering the advantages of digital communication without the need for special cabling, making them ideal for Industry 4 applications.

Designed for demanding applications, Contrinex’s rugged C23 inductive sensors offer best-in-class switching frequency of 180Hz and exceptional robustness including impact and abrasion resistance, making them a versatile, cost-effective and highly reliable solution. These uniquely robust sensors are typically demonstrated by Contrinex as being able to repeatedly being used to hammer in nails. Even when their front face is dented, the sensor continues to operate correctly.

Conveyors deliver a continuous stream of parts to the rotary indexing table, which transports them in sequence to each assembly station. As the table rotates, sensors located at precise intervals around its periphery detect its exact angular position, bringing it to a halt once parts are correctly positioned for the next operation.

At each assembly station, automated pick-and-place equipment add components to the assembly. Dedicated transport mechanisms – including vacuum lifters, electromagnetic clamps and mechanical grippers – insert items swiftly and accurately in their designated positions. Embeddable inductive sensors play a key role in confirming the secure closure of custom-designed grippers before fragile, high-value parts are lifted.

Manufactured in V4A/ AISI 316L stainless steel and rated to IP68/ IP69K, these small inductive sensors can be fully embedded into a steel surface such as part of the rotary table or an assembly jig or bench, further reducing the potential for mechanical damage.

On completion of the final assembly stage, finished PCBs are discharged to a linear conveyor system. They travel to subsequent processing stages, including testing and packing. C23 Full Inox sensors mounted directly above these conveyors, detect each unit as it passes below. This check not only confirms the presence of the assembled item at the expected height above the conveyor but also measures throughput by activating a counting circuit in the customer’s control system.

Continuous operation is the norm in automated assembly plants. However, minor adjustments or tool changes may be required from time to time. In non-safety-critical areas, access hatches allow maintenance technicians to carry out these tasks without needing to interrupt production across an entire plant. Multiple sensors, mounted at intervals around the periphery of a hatch, ensure that appropriate warning signals are activated whenever the opening is not fully secured.

The Contrinex C23 series of Full Inox inductive sensors have the capability of communicating remotely with a plant-wide control system, thanks to the implementation of the IO-Link protocol. In a typical automated plant, each assembly line runs continuously throughout the day, with remote diagnostics eliminating the need for manual intervention in almost every situation.

Designed to simplify integration, IO-Link sensors are compatible with all IO-Link master versions, allowing set-up and diagnostics to be conducted centrally. Interrogating a device returns its manufacturer ID and product ID, allowing systems integrators to determine remotely that the right sensor is in the correct location. Contrinex C23 inductive sensors additionally feature an on-demand self-test function that confirms full capability at all times.

For the C23 inductive series, alternating between normally open and normally closed functionality via remote output-mode configuration is a standard feature of the IO-Link protocol. Systems designers also can modify the output signal. Delaying the switching pulse accommodates any travel time between a sensor and its corresponding actuation point, while stretching the pulse ensures that slave devices with lengthy response times trigger reliably, even at high throughput rates.

Finally, each sensor provides an output-status check derived from its factory calibration data. If the output signal from a sensor falls outside a range that corresponds to a sensing distance between 80% and 100% of its nominal value, an alarm flag is triggered, highlighting the need for investigation. For plant managers under pressure, peace-of-mind is a valuable benefit.

The no-cost option of the industry-standard IO-Link protocol ensures that best-in-class performance is coupled with ultimate ease of use in even the most demanding circumstances.

Contrinex sensors and more information are available from PLUS Automation.

FLIR Systems announce the FLIR C5 Compact Thermal Camera with new built-in FLIR Ignitecloud connectivity and Wi-Fi features for professionals in the building maintenance, manufacturing, and utility industries. The FLIR C5 is designed as a pocket-portable thermal camera, providing easy sharing tools and reduced diagnostic time for commercial electrical testing, mechanical engineering, home and building inspection, energy auditing, and general contracting.

The C5 is the first FLIR Cx-Series thermal camera to offer the FLIR Ignite cloud-based solution. When connected to Wi-Fi, professionals can directly upload, store, and back up images and videos to FLIR Ignite. Professionals can also manage and share the data via email from any mobile device or desktop computer. With all images and videos in one place, sharing data with team members and creating reports for customers is convenient and simple.

Featuring FLIR Lepton thermal imaging sensor and FLIR-patented MSX (Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging) technology, which embosses visible scene details onto thermal images to create a crisp image, inspectors can pinpoint hidden problems instantly.

“The FLIR C5 helps professionals troubleshoot faster and more safely by guiding them to the source of problems including electrical faults, hot fuses, air leaks, plumbing issues, and moisture,” said Rickard Lindvall, General Manager, Solutions Line of Business at FLIR. “The compact C5 is an ideal size to carry in a pocket or tool bag, enabling faster inspections.”

The FLIR C5 is available for purchase today for £588.72 (Ex. VAT) on FLIR.co.uk and through FLIR authorized distributors. To learn more, please visit www.flir.co.uk/products/C5.

AMADA WELD TECH has announced increased strategical partnerships with manufacturers of battery modules, used in vital life support systems, as part of the effort to meet the increased demand for ventilators and their component parts during the current global health crisis. AMADA WELD TECH is a key supplier to both the medical and battery industries and has been additionally listed with the UK government as a supporting manufacturer for the production of ventilators and medical systems. As a result, the company has increased production in recent weeks, all whilst maintaining the safety and health of employees and customers.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and governments work to contain the spread of the virus, hospital electrical power failure represents a more significant challenge than ever before. While backup generators offer the first line of defence, in the case of total or extended power failure, battery technology is critically important to life-sustaining care. Life-support equipment, such as the ventilators in such high demand during this crisis, must have a reliable battery back-up solution to ensure continued patient care in the event of a total power failure. Battery technology is also necessary to ensuring continued operation of vital equipment between a power failure and the switchover to backup generators. In addition, battery power ensures that essential support and monitoring can be maintained safely as patients are moved between wards and departments.

AMADA WELD TECH has provided technology such as its High Duty DC Resistance Welding Power Supply DC2013‑T and parallel gap weld heads to battery pack manufacturers who are rushing to increase production at this critical time. AMADA WELD TECH has also increased its own production in line with industry requirements in order to continue providing the most advanced welding solutions for the production of battery modules.

In the meantime, AMADA WELD TECH has taken measures to ensure that as many members of staff whom are able to work from home do so. Most of the company’s regional sales and service offices are now closed, with staff members available remotely to assist and support its customers with minimal disruption. In the production facilities that are manufacturing the equipment and systems crucial for continued production of ventilators and other critical technology, the company has introduced many measures to protect both its valued workforce and customers who receive their products.

In early March, the government announced it was looking for businesses with the capability to support in the supply of ventilators and ventilator components, as part of its plan to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, now sweeping the UK.

Dr. Iain Crossingham, Respiratory Consultant at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital’s Chest Clinic, contacted a group of businesses that had come together to act as a fast-response consortium following the government’s call to arms.

Dr. Crossingham had identified the need to increase available ventilator capacity by commissioning the design and production of a single-use, consumable exhalation valve – the type required to aid patients with breathing difficulties.

Specialists in mechanical component design and 3D additive manufacturing, Mackart Additive, were ready to respond. Following correspondence on the evening of Friday 27 March, a sketch of Dr. Crossingham’s idea for a life-saving valve was sent to Mackart Additive for consideration.

In a matter of hours, Mackart Additive developed a detailed 3D CAD model of the component, which was approved by Dr. Crossingham for production to begin the very next day. Barely 12 hours later, on the morning of Saturday 28 March, the first 3D printed part had been completed and was soon on its way to The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital.

On receipt, Dr. Crossingham began to test the part using clinical equipment. With strict flow and pressure standards to meet, the exhalation valve passed successfully first-time without any issues.

Steven McCarthy, Managing Director at Mackart Additive, said: “Mackart Additive is no stranger to tackling technical challenges against tight schedules. With in-house engineering, design and 3D printing capability, we are used to developing and manufacturing bespoke components and precision tooling for aerospace clients and Formula One teams, using 3D printing techniques.

“Working with Dr. Crossingham on the ventilator project has been a privilege. Being able to contribute has meant we have been able to put our skillset to good use at a time of national emergency – a challenge we knew we had to rise to. The fact we were able to turn the exhalation valve around so quickly, and for the component to meet medical requirements, was a huge achievement.”

Dr. Crossingham said: “When the part arrived from Mackart Additive it worked perfectly. Over recent days we have used the new exhalation valve to successfully ventilate a test lung, which is amazing. The fit on the connectors was perfect and held pressures to 40cmH20 while the intentional leak from the port passed the ventilator circuit test algorithm without any warnings. Brilliant work.”

The combined effort between Dr. Crossingham and Mackart Additive is just one example of how 3D printing technology and engineering expertise, when combined, can achieve remarkable real-word results and make a tangible difference to people’s lives.

The Secure Edge Data Centre (SEDC) is an all-in-one plug and play industrial data centre solution that is specifically designed to run in industrial environments, bringing enterprise-grade IT capacity closer to the point of data collection and machine control.

Developed in partnership by Rittal, Hewlett Packard Enterprises and ABB, the SEDC supports all the critical systems of a full-size data centre in a 19-inch server rack to reduce environmental and power-outage risks.

The manufacturing customer

ABB is a Swiss-Swedish multi-national corporation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.  The company operates primarily across robotics, power, heavy electrical equipment, and automation technology.

The 40,000 m² ABB Smart Buildings factory in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, manufactures several million miniature circuit breakers per year (among other products). It not only hosts production machines but also a warehouse where imported goods from other ABB factories are stocked and distributed to ABB’s Swiss customers.

The challenge

The factory has frequently upgraded its production and logistic systems to achieve a higher degree of automatization; this includes robots that are fully integrated into its production lines, as well as autonomous storage systems.

While the new technologies enable shorter lead times and higher product quality, they also require appropriate IT infrastructure and systems to operate smoothly, as well as to store and back-up relevant data.

However, in common with many other manufacturing sites which pre-date the development of IT systems, the factory lacked any dedicated space on-site in which to host the IT equipment for their machines.

As a consequence, it was forced to repurpose underused rooms for its IT systems.

The room for the factory’s main IT was fully fitted out to accommodate its IT infrastructure.

However, the back-up IT equipment only comprised a few servers, so upgrading another entire room wasn’t practical or cost-effective, even though the space wasn’t fit-for-purpose.

The main issues with the room were:

1. Limited physical security and resiliency against external influences
2. The air conditioning systems were not sufficient to ensure stable climate conditions
3. No UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems to ensure continuous availability in case of a power outage
4. No fire extinguishing system in the room to protect equipment and plant against fire hazard and damage
5. No remote monitoring of environmental conditions inside the room

All these issues collectively placed unacceptable risks on the system.  For example, the back-up of the SQL storage system and the factory’s production records ran on the back-up servers, providing a detailed analysis of its production performance, to enable managers to monitor and improve the factory output and its quality scores.

In addition, data pertaining to 80,000 stock items was continuously synched and updated as required to the back-up server. Details such as the relative position of different stock items were compared with the order pipeline, allowing the system to automatically rearrange items as needed to minimise delivery times.

Besides these two systems, there was also a secondary network connection and a redundant core switch to ensure network continuity and availability for the factory.

The solution 

The decision was taken to install a SEDC – effectively a room within a room – to store the back-up IT systems.

The SEDC is a secure enclosure, which has been designed and manufactured by Rittal to provide a safe environment for sensitive electronic or electrical equipment.

It has an IP55 rating, ensuring protection against dust and water jets.

A Rittal cooling system maintains optimal climate conditions inside the SEDC any condensate is automatically pumped out.  A Rittal monitoring system gives users remote access to climate conditions and provides data on the status of the systems within the enclosure.  Rittal also provided the integrated smoke detection and a gaseous fire extinguishing system to protect the IT equipment against fire damage.

To ensure a continuous power supply for the IT equipment, the SEDC features an ABB PowerValue UPS as well as the SMISSLINE touchproof power distribution system (optionally in a redundant or non-redundant configuration).

The power distribution includes an overvoltage protection against surges. In the event of a power outage, the IT systems can run up to seven minutes on the UPS battery. The UPS will also send a signal (via SNMP) to the IT equipment to shut itself down correctly before the battery runs out of power.

All this means the SEDC provides an ideal solution for on-premise IT equipment and systems, even within harsh environments such as a production floor.

The result 

By deploying a SEDC, the Smart Buildings factory could provide a secure environment for their back-up IT equipment and systems and addressed all short-comings of their previous IT installation at once.

It also benefited from:

1. Lower investment costs: the facility saved c.$25,000 by installing a SEDC, compared to the cost of upgrading another room with individual systems to achieve the equivalent level of protection of the IT equipment. Added to which, project management and system engineering to install these individual systems weren’t necessary, resulting in further savings.
2. Faster deployment: because it is a standardized and pre-configured, yet modular and scalable solution, the SEDC could be delivered sooner and deployed faster than that achieved by individual systems. Commissioning the system only required power and data connections, plus the installation of an external chiller.
3. Lower operating costs: air conditioners had to cool down the whole room and could not guarantee the stable climate conditions required by IT equipment. The SEDC, by contrast, only needs to manage the contained air inside the enclosure and so both humidity and temperature can be tightly controlled. Its internal, state-of-the-art cooling unit is also more efficient, which results in around 15-20% energy savings for cooling.
4. Lower CO2 emissions:  the reduced energy consumption for cooling directly translates into 15-20% lower CO2 emissions by lowering the electricity requirement, so the SEDC also improves the ecological footprint of the Smart Buildings factory.
5. Increased security:  while the previous server cabinet was half-open, the SEDC represents a contained environment and provides physical protection against external impacts (including ingress of dust and water). Meanwhile, the integrated alarm function informs the factory’s IT team about unauthorised access in real time. To ensure optimal fire protection, the integrated fire detection and extinguishing systems are connected to the factory’s fire detection system and immediately send out an alarm to key stakeholders when it is triggered.
6. Lower risk of failure of the IT equipment: the remote monitoring systems provide live data about the status of the SEDC and send warnings about any changes to the enclosure’s internal environment. This enables predictive intervention and maintenance to be carried out, and gives the owners more opportunity to respond, while at the same time, reducing any downtime of the IT equipment. In addition, the uninterruptable power supply system ensures the IT equipment continues to work in the event of a power outage.

Why choose the SEDC? 

The SEDC combines all the core elements of a full-sized data centre within one rack, making it the ideal, off-the-shelf solution to upgrade the factory’s on-site IT infrastructure and systems to optimal standards.

It allows the Smart Buildings factory’s systems to safely process data at the edge – instead of in the cloud – and protects the facility against issues related to latency, bandwidth, security, regulatory compliance etc. This enables real-time analysis and rapid, automated response, and reduces the factory’s external network traffic.

Ultimately, the SEDC ensures a higher availability of, and increases safety around, the IT equipment, improving the factory’s performance.

Secure Edge Data Centre specifications 

• International protection IP55
• Infrastructure redundancy: 1N IT
• Cooling capacity: 5 kW
• Number of enclosures: 1
• Usable space: 41 U
• UPS autonomy time (full load): 7 min
• Environmental monitoring
• Fire detection
• Dimensions (with casters): 800x1200x2250 mm
• Automatic dispensing of cooling condensate

In order to cultivate young technology-motivated talent, Cambridgeshire-based contract manufacturer Prima Electronic Services has established a multi-faceted apprentice program. Working in conjunction with Cambridge Regional College, this program is designed to give participants a solid foundation in manufacturing-based engineering.

The initial apprentice intake at Prima’s St Ives plant began back in January, with additional trainees starting a few months earlier. Splitting their time between the college (1 day a week) and the production site (4 days a week), they are all due to complete their respective programs in the mid 2022 timeframe.

To give them a taste of various different engineering disciplines, the Prima recruits spend consecutive 4-month periods working in a range of departments within the company. The objective of this is to give them an overview of all aspects of manufacturing, and allow them to decide which particular area they might want to eventually specialise in. During these periods they get to carry out functional testing, mechanical assembly, fault finding and debugging, as well as learning how to operate surface-mount placement machinery and to interpret data from AOI/machine vision inspection systems. In addition, they will also get involved, to some extent, with improving processes to boost operational efficiency and assist in product development activities.

Over the course of the training program there are also planned visits to other manufacturing facilities and customers’ premises – thereby exposing them to different working environments and business practices. Another important aspect is that Prima apprentices are given projects that will challenge them and help to build their confidence. Each is given an engineering project, as part of their college education, but on top of that they also have the opportunity to take ownership of a particular part of an ongoing customer-led project at the plant.

By the time the Prima apprentices finish the program, they will have gained a Level 3 qualification in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. Following on from that, there is also the potential for them to take a HNC in this subject.

Having started his career as a Prima apprentice, Charlie Colbert is now the company’s Engineering Services Manager. In his view; “This is a great route through which school leavers can progress into becoming well-rounded manufacturing technicians, and kick-start their long-term professional development. “Among the essential skills they will pick up are working as part of a team, problem solving and keeping to deadlines,” he continues. “Following on from this, there is even the possibility of the company funding certain candidates to continue their studies at university.”

Pipe and cable safety seal manufacturer Roxtec UK has moved to increase its presence in Britain’s maritime sector with the appointment of a new marine and offshore manager.

Mark Whelan joins the Swedish-owned company having spent 10 years at another international manufacturer, most recently as a project manager for naval and commercial shipbuilding sector contracts. At Roxtec, Mr Whelan will have responsibility for business development in the south of England.

Roxtec’s transits are used to seal cables and pipes aboard a wide variety of ships including naval vessels (see: Roxtec naval), cruise liners and ferries, superyachts, offshore support vessels, carriers and cargo ships (see: Roxtec commercial marine). They are designed to protect people and assets from multiple hazards including fire, flooding, the risk of explosion and electromagnetic disturbances.

Mr Whelan said: “Roxtec is a worldwide leader within the marine sector and this opportunity represents an exciting challenge. I will be bringing my contacts to the fore and looking to educate the market about the impact Roxtec’s products can have on cost-saving, time management and the overall cost of labour.

“The firm’s cable and pipe transits are safe, secure and well suited to the harshest environments. Their flexibility and long life-cycle also ensure they offer value over the lifetime of a ship, and can play a key role in future-proofing vessels.”

Rigorous testing programmes and a broad collection of standards and accreditations with the likes of ABS, DNV GL and Bureau Veritas have helped Roxtec become a pioneer in the marine and offshore markets.

Mr Whelan added: “The UK’s naval sector is in growth, with a focused plan for the build programme of the Type 26 frigates and the Type 31 coming through. Additionally, Britain’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers will continue their maintenance and enhancement programmes towards 2021. Naval projects are run under strict budgetary requirements and Roxtec is ideally positioned to provide solutions that offer innovation and opportunities for cost reduction.

“Specialist shipbuilders are looking at continued improvement on GRP products and Roxtec fits into that arena as well. We work with the smallest to the largest of the yards, getting involved in the specification and build stages, as well as the reduction of costs through maintenance. I’ll be working to increase awareness of Roxtec’s varied solutions and educating businesses as to how we can bring those cost savings to the front line.”

Roxtec’s seals are also an industry standard in the offshore sector, used in a broad range of oil and gas infrastructure, in some of the biggest projects in the world, including on drill ships, FPSOs, jack-up rigs, offshore support vessels and semi-submersible rigs (see:Roxtec offshore).

Roxtec entered the marketplace in 1990 and is now active in more than 80 markets worldwide. The British subsidiary of the £173million Swedish group recently reported a record financial year with turnover surpassing £6million for the first time.