flowtalk - swagelok manchester | swagelok
TRANSCRIPT
As we enter 2019, it looks like it will be a year of uncertainty and change with the upcoming exit from the EU only a matter of days away.
While the political landscape of the UK appears unsettled, I would like to offer a degree of certainty from a supply chain perspective. You can learn more on page 8 about the steps we are taking to de-risk a disorderly Brexit.
We have a variety of developments scheduled for 2019 that will enhance our product and service offering.
This issue of FLOWTALK highlights advancements in our local advisory and technical services.
Should you have any feedback regarding our product or service offering I encourage you to speak to any one of our associates.
I thank you for your support and interest in Swagelok Manchester and look forward to working with you across 2019.
SWAGELOK MANCHESTER ISSUE 16. 2019
205 CAVENDISH PLACE, BIRCHWOOD PARK,WARRINGTON, CHESHIRE WA3 6WU T. 01925 822662 E. [email protected]
Swagelok Manchester Engineered to make a difference
Inside this issue...• Cognitive Chemical
Manufacturing PAGE 2
• 2019 Seminar Series PAGE 3
• Why choose Tubeover Pipe? PAGE 3
• How our customersaved over £100,000 PAGE 4
• Hose Advice PAGE 5
• Grab Sampling Tips PAGE 6
• Transportation Team PAGE 7
• ContinuousImprovements PAGE 8
• Brexit PAGE 8
We are delighted to present the latest issue of our newsletter, which aims to provide an update on the most recent developments in the product and service offering at Swagelok® Manchester.
FLOWTALK
Did you know...Swagelok associates are defined by their passion to make the best products, deliver the best service and develop the best solutions. We do this through a strong focus on our values, a close connection to each other and a shared inspiration to do the right thing.
JON HALL, Managing Director
MANCHESTER.SWAGELOK.COM
The £2m EPSRC research funded project looks to reduce the time scale for development of new chemical products to the point of reliable manufacture and entrance into the market place.
This exciting project combines the expertise of IBM in the development of computational optimisation and the use of automated mechanistic modelling with the experimental automation expertise within the Institute of Process Research and Development at Leeds and the use of advanced hydrothermal reactors developed at the University of Nottingham. This research capability will be used to develop new algorithms for machine learning based generation of chemical process design knowledge and coupling these algorithms to an experimental platform for automated experimentation. The combined cyber-physical system will be validated via in-depth case studies related to current manufacturing challenges faced by AstraZeneca at their Macclesfield facility, and Promethean Particles, an SME who have recently opened their first nanoparticle manufacturing facility in Nottingham.
Swagelok Manchester will be providing support throughout the four-year project, working closely with the project partners on system design, providing custom solutions assemblies and accessing specialist knowledge from Swagelok’s global network of subject experts and field engineers to assist in the scale-up of the automated flow systems from lab to pilot scale.
We are also part-funding two chemical engineering PhD students as part of the project, who will disseminate progress and results through presentation and publications as part of their studies. This activity represents a big step into the realm of academic research for Swagelok Manchester and we are very excited to be part of the team.
The anticipated impact of this approach will be demonstrated on real world manufacturing challenges faced by the pharmaceutical and nanoparticle producing industrial partners, who represent some of the customers Swagelok Manchester work with on a day to day basis.
For project details, please visit “Grants on the Web”, EPSRC project reference EP/R032807/1.
Cutting Edge Research COGNITIVE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURINGAt Swagelok Manchester we have embarked on a collaborative academic research project for the first time, working as a project partner alongside the University of Leeds, AstraZeneca (Macclesfield), IBM (Daresbury) and Promethean Particles (Nottingham) to develop cutting edge technologies for chemical manufacturing development and optimisation.
Over £15,000 donated...A sense of charity is ingrained in associates at Swagelok Manchester. Every year we support associate and customer nominated charities through various fundraising events such as chocolate boxes, raffles, bake-offs and sponsorship.
Last year we donated over £15,000 to various charities including:
If you have a charity or an event you would like us to sponsor, contact our charity team [email protected]
• MIND• PROSTATE CANCER UK• LIVERPOOL ROYAL HOSPITAL• MARY ANN HOSPICE
• CANCER RESEARCH UK• TEENAGE CANCER TRUST• IRLAM FOODBANK• ECZEMA SOCIETY
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Make the switch to simpler, safer and faster solutionsOur advisors often get asked “We have been using pipe for years, why would we change to tube?”. The short answer: Small Bore Tubing solutions are simpler, safer and faster.
EASE OF INSTALLATIONNo threading. No flaring. No soldering. Simply attach the tube fitting to the tube.
LOWER PRESSURE DROPThe gradual bends and smooth inside diameter of the tube helps to lower pressure drop by avoiding sharp bends and other discontinuities.
FEW CONNECTIONS NEEDEDTube can be bent to fit the space and avoid obstacles that may be in the system path. This leads to fewer end connections which in turn leads to fewer leaks.
BETTER STRENGTH TO WEIGHT RATIOThreading pipe can affect the fluid pressure. Tubing helps to eliminate this risk.
Staying a step ahead with education and training
We will be sharing the finer details with you soon. If you would like to ensure you have a reserved spot on any of the upcoming sessions or be one of the first to be notified of the sessions, email [email protected]
THIS YEAR’S SEMINAR TOPICS WILL COVER:• REGULATORS• MECHANICAL
EFFICIENCY• ADVICE ON WORKING IN
THE NUCLEAR SECTOR
Learn about our 2019 Technical Seminar SeriesThis year will be our third year of providing our series of educational and technical seminars for our customers. Led by industry experts, these technical seminars have provided our customers with a range of additional knowledge and skills - all of which can be recorded towards your CPD hours!
LEAK TIGHTThe cost of a leak and value of the fluid lost, can often outweigh the cost of the fitting. When installed correctly Swagelok tube and tube fittings are leak tight. No need for sealing compounds.
EASY MAINTENANCEWith the use of simple tools and techniques, assembly and disassembly are easy.
To find out more take a look at our brochure Small Bore Tubing Solutions (MS-04-145) or contact Daniel Ruane [email protected] to find out what cost and time saving this solutions can provide you.
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OUR SOLUTION:We provided an initial theoretical design and once this had been validated, we were able to propose a potential tubing alternative to the piping system involving:
• MODIFIED VALVES TO ENSURE NO SYSTEMCONTAMINATION FROM POLYMERS
• REDUCTION IN TUBING SIZE FROM THEPIPE SIZE BECAUSE OF THE REDUCEDPRESSURE DROP
• SAFER AND SIMPLER INSTALLATION INA COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT
• EASE OF FUTURE MAINTENANCE COMPAREDTO WELDED SYSTEM
As part of the project scope, Swagelok Manchester provided training on Small Bore Solutions to key stakeholders. Satisfied that switching to a tubing solution would provide them with a technically compliant solution, the customer changed their specification from pipe to tubing for this particular application.
We worked closely with the system designer and our factory to provide all of the documentation and product support required, ensuring the correct products were selected for this critical application. By utilising our global network, we were able to bring forward the deliveries by over two months to support the customer’s tight deadline.
Our Custom Solutions department set out a project delivery plan that highlighted the amount of resource required, delivery dates, zone packaging, documentation requirements and regular review meetings. We were then able to create sub-assemblies to further minimise installation time by saving over 300 hours of labour and reduce the risk of on-site leaks.
Our solution meant the customer’s operational shut down was kept to a minimum contributing towards a saving of over £100k and 1500 labour hours.
Get in touch if you think we can help you by providing a complete fluid system solution.
• HIGH PRESSURE SERVICE LINES• TESTING PRESSURES OF OVER 400BAR• SYSTEM INSTALLATION AT HEIGHT• WELDING SKILLS GAPS• TIGHT DEADLINES• PLANT SHUT-DOWNS
We helped one of our customers save over £100,000 by changing to a tube fluid system design over pipe.HOW MUCH COULD WE SAVE YOU?THE CHALLENGE:Our customer was upgrading their building services infrastructure to enable them to work on a new project. The project had a tight deadline for completion and downtime needed to be kept to a minimum. The existing application had been on site for some time and the customer was looking to learn more about the benefits of tubing vs pipe.
Whenever we take on a project, one of our guiding principles is to really understand in detail the challenges the customer is experiencing. This is key to being able to offer the best possible solutions to meet their exacting needs. This particular project had many potential safety hazards and high risk aspects:
• EASE OF MAINTENANCE ANDINSTALLATION
• LEAK TIGHT SOLUTION• LOWER PRESSURE DROP
• FEWER CONNECTIONS
The customer saw the benefits in using a tubing system, particularly the time savings and installation flexibility, which is backed by a series of test reports and certification.
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THE SWAGELOK STANDARDWorking in Partnership with National Grid
Swagelok Manchester are the only Tube Fitting/Valve Supplier that has achieved QVS (qualified vendor status) at National Grid. We supply all National Grid sites across our service territory from Northamptonshire to Cumbria and Derbyshire to Anglesey.
To find out how we can help you contact [email protected]
Coming soon...Low-torque. Medium-pressure. Cone and thread end connections. Available in orifice sizes 0.209 inch (5.31mm) and 0.375 inch (9.52mm). THE NEW CTB SERIES BALL VALVE.
HOSE ADVISORY SERVICEIf your role involves selecting, installing or maintaining hose products, you will be please to hear that Swagelok Manchester has a team of hose experts that can help you understand the life span of a hose, why hoses fail and how to extend the life of a hose.We have an extensive range of product solutions including 26 different hose types, 89 different end connections with 4:1 safety ratings—for an unmatched variety of applications, including yours.
We do more to help you deliver under pressure. Our advisors have the training and experience in the field, in facilities, all over the world. We don’t just understand hoses; we get to know your unique operation to help develop a solution.
This know-how is what enables us to quickly assess, efficiently solve, and properly execute your best hose solution. We know that hoses are often the most overlooked element—and among the most critical—of manufacturing operations. That’s why there is no team better equipped to help you prevent those costly problems from happening.
Our Reference Point blog hosts a number of articles that may help you with topics including:
• HOW AN INDUSTRIAL HOSE MAINTENANCE PLAN COULD SAVE YOUR PLANT THOUSANDS
• HOW TO PREVENT HOSE FAILURE
• 3 STEPS TO HOSE SAFETY & LOWERING PLANT COSTS
To find out how our hose advisors can help you contact our team today at [email protected]
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Visit manchester.swagelok.com/Services/Training-Services
Does your sampling system provide you with a repeatable and representative sample? Are sampling challenges costing you time and money? Ensuring your grab sampling system is suitable for your particular purpose is key. Temperature, Pressure, Phase, Container type, Materials of Construction and where the panel will be installed are just a few of the criteria to consider in order to properly specify a grab sampling system...PRESSURE: Each system has a maximum rated pressure, not to be exceeded. The use of a rupture disc or relief valve is recommended with chemicals that may rapidly expand and pressurize due to temperature changes.
TEMPERATURE: Each system has a maximum fluid operating temperature. Some models may have
reduced pressure ratings at elevated temperatures or may have minimum fluid operating temperatures, which can affect functionality.
PHASE: A cylinder sampler (GSM) can be suitable for either liquid or vapour systems. A bottle sampler (GSL) may not prevent the release of vapours and is better suited for most non-volatile liquid systems.
Here at Swagelok Manchester we have fully trained and certified field and project engineers who can work with you to evaluate your existing sampling systems and help determine what you need to achieve consistent and representative samples every time. To find out how we can help you, contact [email protected]
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For more than 65 years, the Swagelok offering has improved the operations of many critical applications across several industries. To support our customers with this growth Swagelok and Swagelok Manchester have a dedicated Transportation group. They are committed to advancing capabilities to provide products, customised solutions and field services to the customers’ continuously evolving needs; as well as focusing on challenging applications for vehicles, vehicle production systems and ground support systems.
Our track record extends to alternative fuels. We have served the industry in thousands of
CNG, infrastructure projects, passenger, and commercial vehicles and select LNG and hydrogen applications around the world for over 30 years.
We are continuing to develop and refine products that help our customers achieve their goals, like the Swagelok Assembly-by-Torque (AbT) fitting and improving the repeatability, accuracy, and speed of your tube fitting installation using a torque wrench.
We also understand the importance of certification, compliance and safety. Our NG series natural gas hose assemblies are certified for NGV3.1-2014 Class B (on-vehicle applications outside the engine
compartment) and NGV4.2-2014 Class A and Class D (dispensing systems). The Swagelok stainless steel tube fittings used with 316 stainless steel and 316 Ti stainless steel alloy tubing have been tested to the requirements of ECE R110 an approval for use on CNG powered vehicles. The stainless steel Swagelok tube fittings are also available with EC-79 certification, an approval for use on hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles.
For further information on how our transportation team can help you reach your goals, contact our Transport expert Kevin Walker, [email protected]
TRANSPORTATION TEAMFrom Alternative Fuels to Transportation, the Transportation Industry (CNG\LNG\H2 Infrastructure and Natural Gas and Hydrogen Vehicles) is predicted to experience exponential growth over the coming years, globally as well as in the UK.
Relief Valve Setting available AT SWAGELOK MANCHESTERWe can locally set all RL3 and RL4 Series Proportional Relief Valves.
We can set spring ranges A (3.4 to 24.1 bar), B (24.1 to 51.7 bar) & C (51.7 to 103 bar) for the R3A & R4 Series proportional relief valves.
We stock a large amount of relief valves to allow a faster turnaround time of 3-4 days!
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Continuously improving our customers’ experience...
Customer feedback also highlighted our need to improve our ability to provide customers with notifications on their order.
In order to do this, we have been working on many process improvements, one of which is our Advanced Planning Schedule for Assemblies (APS). APS has allowed us to proactively manage and provide a clear insight into our custom solution assembly orders. Using this internally designed bespoke scheduler, which integrates into our current systems, we now have the ability to plan and forecast assemblies based on available time, resource and customer requirements. This has better enabled our Custom Solutions team to keep customers up-to-date on the progress of their order.
We look forward to sharing further developments in our continuous improvement journey.
Continuous Improvement - Systematically doing things better!
BREXITWe regularly undertake risk assessments and update our business continuity plans where required to ensure continuity of supply to our customers. As a responsible business, we are further reviewing our position to accommodate the potential effects of the political events of the last few weeks, as well as a potential exit from the European Union on 29th March 2019.
As you will be aware Swagelok Manchester are an exclusive, authorised sales and service centre for Swagelok Company
based in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the products that we supply to our customer base are of North American origin; the products are either shipped directly from the United States or flow through a regional warehouse facility within the European Union.
To mitigate the effects of a disorderly BREXIT, we are proactively reviewing our local stock positions to ensure that we adjust appropriately to limit any disruption on the importation of products. We are also working with Swagelok during this period of uncertainty to
ensure that all product shipments are optimized for minimal disruption, including possible import directly from the United States for a period of time. We believe that these efforts will assist greatly in ensuring continuity of supply to our customers.
If you have any concerns or wish to discuss any circumstances that are pertinent to your business, please speak with us directly.
Email: [email protected] Tel: 01928 822662
Customer feedback often highlights responsiveness to enquiries as a key driver of satisfaction and is an area we continuously strive to improve.
To help us achieve this, in August 2018 we started the journey to introduce an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) cloud-based system Conexiom. Conexiom works by receiving emails from our customers, reading the purchase orders and correct part numbers, and if items are in stock, automatically creating an order. This transaction happens within minutes of receiving the email message. Although the process is still in its trial phase, we are seeing positive results with a small group of customers and look forward to sharing further details with you across 2019.
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