Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) have long been considered a great innovation in the transportation of dry flowable material since their introduction in the sixties. Commonly referred to as a “bulk bag”, “big bag” or “tote”, FIBCs have a body made of flexible woven material, typically the high strength thermoplastic, polypropylene, along with a linear insert. FIBCs are efficient, and transportation of dry bulk goods such as sand, fertilisers, plastic granules, seeds, resin and powder coatings, to name a few, can be unloaded at a fast rate, with anywhere between 300 – 500kg typically in 30 seconds or less.

NMiTE (New Model in Technology and Engineering) the project to create the engineering university of the future, has announced three new appointments to its Board of Trustees; Martin Hitchin, Rowena Innocent and Richard Lindsay-Davies which will come into effect on 1 July 2019.

Nominations for the annual UK Construction Week (UKCW) Role Models initiative have quadrupled since last year, according to event organisers Media 10.

Dozens of construction professionals were among the entrants this Spring, attracted to a scheme which provides a schools contact programme and public platform to professionals of any age and background to share inspiring stories of how they came into their career and why they love what they do.

Businesses from all parts of the construction supply chain are set to benefit from a new collaboration between the Construction Innovation Hub and UK Construction Week (UKCW), in a move designed to boost take up of innovation in the industry and realisation of the Government’s sector deal ambitions.

Static electricity introduces a broad spectrum of operational problems during manufacturing and handling processes in flammable and combustible atmospheres across a wide-range of industries.

It comes as no surprise that there are common problems associated with the harsh natures of conditions in the marine industry. For the most part, issues are caused by corrosion or erosion after years of operation. Usually, types of marine maintenance can fall into two categories. The first being at sea, typically with a small-scale repair or an emergency repair such as a leak. The other category being in dry dock. The characteristics of dry dock maintenance tend to be larger applications, in areas that can’t be accessed whilst out at sea, such as the propulsion system. On rare occasions however, we can also find problems occurring during the manufacturing stages.

Pneumatic conveying systems have the ability to generate vast quantities of electrostatic charge via the movement of product through the plant equipment. The most common method of electrostatic charging on such process operations is due to tribo-electrification, which is simply the contact and separation of the powder with the walls of the processing equipment, the powder molecules itself or other factors that can cause charging, like surface contaminants.

10-15% of fatal workplace accidents occur during maintenance operations according to EU-OSHA. Occupational diseases and health problems such as asbestosis, cancer, hearing problems and musculoskeletal disorders are also more prevalent among workers involved in maintenance activities. Brady proposes 3 solutions to help make maintenance safer and more efficient.

Compressed air systems can lose a significant amount of air through leakage. For example, according to the United States ‘Compressed Air and Gas Institute’ (CAGI), the average compressed air system loses 30 percent of its air through leaks. Locating those leaks has been a time-consuming and tedious process. The new Fluke™ ii900 Sonic Industrial Imager enables maintenance teams to quickly, and visually, pinpoint the location of compressed air, gas, and vacuum system leaks even during peak production periods. Leaks can be detected in a matter of minutes. More information can be found at www.fluke.co.uk/ii900

Safety company Pyroban will be exhibiting at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, an exhibition devoted to the advancement of scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources between 6 – 9 May 2019.