WET News

U K-based water specialist Aqu- alogic has become the distrib- utor for the Trimble Unity smart water software platform for UK water companies. Trimble Unity is a cloud-based, GIS-centric SaaS solution that offers a suite of applications and tools for the water, wastewater, stormwater and environmental water industry. Already being successfully employed by the US water industry and one UK water company, it sup- ports companies to implement smart technology to save costs, reduce water loss and enhance the performance of their assets. It provides situational awareness of water and wastewater utility asset W ater management spe- cialist GRAF UK has increased its workforce by a third, in a bid to further expand its nationwide reach. The recruitment drive follows the expansion of the firm's Oxfordshire headquarters in 2017 to accommo- date rising demand for its range of stormwater, wastewater, and rain- water harvesting solutions. A subsidiary of German water management giant Otto Graf GmbH, the now 41-strong GRAF UK team has expanded by 32% in just eight months, with ten new hires forming part of plans to M orrison Utility Services (MUS) has invested in three bespoke jetter/vacuum vehicles to support teams working on its Welsh Water contract. The Isuzu 7.5t FlexCom jetter/vac- uum vehicles will provide high per- formance suction and jetting power for MUS teams clearing blockages on behalf of Welsh Water. The single resolution vehicle will enhance the customer experi- ence by eliminating the require- ment for repeat visits. With a bal- anced payload between waste performance, offering a single view of remote monitoring data, performance measurement reports, GIS, operational data, asset conditions and events. Customers can leverage its con- figurable web and mobile work management, analysis and data collection workflows for respond- ing to alarms or events, assessing the condition of the utility network assets and collecting authoritative asset data in the field. Trimble Unity allows custom- ers to integrate the solution with their existing back office cus- tomer service and asset manage- ment systems and provides a sin- gle GIS-centric field solution across an entire workforce. strengthen GRAF UK's existing customer offering and sales net- work and to expand into new product markets later this year. Matthew Rolph, managing director, explains: "As well as enhancing our on-the-ground sales presence in key growth areas like the South, Midlands and North of England, Wales and Scotland, we've responded to demand across the board by add- ing to the customer service and technical teams for our full rain- water harvesting, stormwater management and wastewater treatment portfolios." and clean water, it has capacity for a full 3,000ltrs of clean water for large descaling or cleaning tasks, and vacuum/suction capa- bility to enable on site waste removal and prevent potential negative impacts for household- ers and property owners. The vehicles were supplied to MUS via sister business M Group Services Plant & Fleet Solutions (MGSPFS) and were built by spe- cialist JetVac supplier Rioned, according to a bespoke MGSPFS specification. WHAT IS IT FOR? Double check valves are specifically designed to protect water supplies from contamination and are used to safeguard the water supply to millions of domestic and non-domestic properties nationwide. Albion's new, WRAS- approved range is compliant with stringent water regulations. WHO NEEDS IT? UK water regulations specify five fluid categories, from '1' for the cleanest potable water to '5' for water posing a significant risk to health. Water industry engineers find many contraventions in fluid category 3 areas, often where unsuitable valves and fittings are found in domestic settings – for example outside taps. WHAT DO THEY SAY? David Keys, managing director at Albion Valves Ltd, says: "We work closely with water companies like Severn Trent to identify the common problem areas in water contamination. As a result, we are able to offer this insight to our distributors to help support and inform their purchasing decisions. We are committed to helping the water industry ensure the supply remains clean and uncontaminated due to waste by backflow from third party plumbing systems. Therefore, we believe it is crucial that WRAS approved products are fitted in these grade 3 category situations. The approval goes a long way to ensuring the functionality of the valves, and guaranteeing peace of mind that continued protection is given in these applications." Bonomi Vball Bonomi (UK) Ltd has introduced a V-notch option called Vball to the best-selling ball valves in its range, enabling users to achieve even greater stability and accuracy in terms of flow control. A wide variety of valves are available with a Vball including Inox-val, Radiamont, Wafer, Split-body and Wafer-split. Virtually any customer requirement can be catered for using V30-60, V60 and V90 patterns with additional special patterns available on request. Available from 1/2" in all new sizes, the Vball can be used with liquids and gases, enabling an accurate and precise flow control with a range up to 500:1. Each valve's design has been validated using FEA Software (finite element analysis), CFD Software (computational fluid dynamics) and Flow Loop testing. CV and KV curves are also available. Badger Meter Smart Electric Valve Actuator To obtain the precision required of many PLC flow control systems, Badger Meter has launched its next generation Smart Electric Valve Actuator (SEVA). Available through Pump Engineering, the actuator is built with military-grade components to withstand extreme conditions, while the microprocessor-controlled linear stepper motor provides exceptional positional accuracy to give the reliability, accuracy and repeatability needed. Two models are available with 100ft-lb (135Nm) and 200ft-lb (270Nm) thrust options suitable for 1/4"-2" Badger Research Control valves. The actuators utilise the Industrial Ethernet Protocol and are certified by the Open DeviceNet Vendors Association. SEVA actuators feature a dual-port Industrial Ethernet card and can be set-up via the built-in firmware or via a USB port. AUMA SAVEx and SARVEx Electric actuator manufacturer AUMA has launched explosion-proof variable speed valve actuators for use in potentially hazardous environments. The new SAVEx actuators for open-close duty and SARVEx multi-turn actuators for modulating duty, combined with intelligent ACVEx actuator controls, provide full control of the motor speed at any time. Variable speed offers significant advantages for challenging valve control tasks, since it allows the optimum operating speed to be selected for each change of valve position. High positioning accuracy and optimised setpoint control considerably increase the effectiveness of pressure control valves in gas pipelines, for example. On multiport valves, variable speed actuators aid rapid and accurate switch-over between ports. Aqualogic to distribute Trimble Unity smart water platform in UK GRAF eyes •rther UK growth with 30 per cent expansion Morrison introduces bespoke jetter-vacuum vehicles to Welsh Water contract NEXT MONTH: Pumps and pumping systems PRODUCT OF THE MONTH Albion Valves Ltd double check valves ● WRAS-approved double check valve range ● designed to protect water supplies from contamination and ensure compliance with regulations ● available with ½'' to 2'' screwed fittings, 15-28mm compression and 2'' to 10" flanged ends ACTUATORS AND VALVES 26 WET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | wwtonline.co.uk WHAT'S NEW OTHER TOP PICKS FOR ACTUATORS AND VALVES

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