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NEWS SUPPRESS SLUDGE BULKING THE TOP FIVE REASONS TO AUTOMATE D
e-Tech Process Solutions has installed and integrated te-ion advanced oxidation technology to suppress sludge bulking at Severn Trent Water’s Chipping Campden Sewage Treatment Works. The installation was straightforward, with two te-ion units being mounted within the RAS chamber and connected to a local control panel installed nearby. The te-ion units, wall fixings, and surrounding floor grating were all manufactured and assembled offsite in the workshop to reduce the duration and complexity of onsite installation.
T
The high levels of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) in the tourist season results in the proliferation of filamentous bacteria, principally Nocardia spp, which cause poor sludge settling. This phenomenon, called “sludge bulking”, can lead to difficulty in meeting the total suspended solids (TSS) consent.
Filamentous bacteria are particularly susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) like peroxide, ozone and free hydroxyl radicals. A single te-ion unit consists of an ionisation cell connected to a submersible turbine. As the turbine spins, air from the atmosphere is drawn through the ionisation cell where it passes over electrodes that generate a number of ROS in the form of a non-thermal plasma. This plasma is then distributed into the liquid in the aeration tank as fine bubbles via the turbine, where it then reacts with the pollutants to be removed. The non-thermal plasma removes the filaments in a similar way to the conventional chlorine dosing, but without the ongoing chemical costs and health and safety concerns. In addition, the energy consumption of the process is low.
www.te-tech.co.uk
INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION
o celebrate National Careers Week (6 to 11 March), EngineeringUK has launched a new careers resource designed to help entice young people into STEM careers. ‘From idea to career’ is a free, downloadable booklet for young people, teachers and careers advisors which showcases the breadth of rewarding careers available in engineering and technology. From aerospace and energy to manufacturing and software design, the resource is designed to educate and excite young people about careers in 12 engineering disciplines. The resource has been produced by EngineeringUK’s Careers Working Group.
https://neonfutures.org.uk/resource/booklet- from-idea-to-career/
T 6 MARCH 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL
aniel Carranco, Director, Continuous Improvement, Global Shop Solutions, outlines the top five reasons why manufacturers should automate their processes.
Manufacturers are looking to lower cost and increase speed without sacrificing quality. This means getting more done in less time, with less manpower, less scrap and fewer mistakes.
To do this, the manufacturing industry is investing more in automation. Specifically, automating the processes and tasks that machines can do quicker and better than humans and integrating them with a company’s ERP system etc.
If your manufacturing business hasn’t yet jumped on the automation bandwagon, it’s time, and here are the top five reasons why you should.
1. To reduce labour costs.
For most manufacturers, labour costs represent the biggest expense and hardest cost to manage (or reduce).
Automation is already replacing human labour in areas such as picking and moving parts, assembly, inspection and more. Other examples where automation is producing significant reductions in labour costs include: RFID, AUTOMATING PURCHASING, and HUMAN RESOURCES AND PAYROLL INTEGRATIONS. 2. To eliminate waste.
To err is to be human. In manufacturing, human error leads to wasted time and resources. Computers and machines can do many things faster and more accurately than humans – without making mistakes. • ACCURATE INVENTORY. Automating inventory processes such as picking parts and materials and lot tracking can turn accurate inventory into reality. • LIGHTS OUT MANUFACTURING. An unused manufacturing plant at night is a wasted asset. Yet, the cost of running 2nd and 3rd shifts can be prohibitive. Automating your manufacturing systems puts your biggest asset to full use without needing humans. • REDUCE SCRAP AND REWORK. Even highly skilled operators can’t match the repeatable accuracy automation produces on routine or less complex processes. • ELIMINATE PAPER. Paper documents slow down the production process by getting lost, misfiled or sent to the wrong person. With automated document management, you can stop shuffling papers and start focusing your human capital on making decisions and creating value.
3. For lightning fast turnaround times. Slow turnaround on jobs can be a deal breaker for many manufacturing customers. Automation lets you process orders faster, reduce setup and production times, and get your product out the door quicker. These are just some of the automations that should already be part of your production process: • CAD INTERFACE. Enables the building of huge BOMs in a few hours rather than days or even weeks.
• NESTING INTERFACE. Reduces setup times and material waste by automatically arranging part shapes on bulk pieces of stock material. • EDI. Cuts administrative time and costs for you and your customers with single-entry data transactions. • ECOMMERCE INTEGRATION. Saves time for your customers by allowing them to order and pay directly from your website while sending all job data to your ERP system. 4. To improve quality and safety. Rework due to poor quality impacts production time and lowers customer satisfaction. Workers’ compensation costs can put large dents in your bottom line. Automating processes in these areas can raise quality and make the workplace safer. QUALITY. Automating quality procedures can help improve quality and reduce its cost at the same time by:
• Simplifying management of rework, rejects and scrap
• Reducing the amount of time to produce and implement engineering change notices • Controlling every aspect of part revisions and inactivations through your ERP system • Simplifying the process of qualifying for and maintaining ISO and other certifications SAFETY. Automating production processes can help improve employee safety in three important ways:
• Removing workers from dangerous work procedures
• Enabling faster response to emergencies with real-time monitoring
• Using safety planning software to simplify safety protocol updates and emergency response plans
5. To future-proof your business. Success often depends on seeing where customers are going and getting there first. Automation improves the ability to forecast trends, see how customer needs will change, and prepare for them from a technology and strategy standpoint so you can get there ahead of the competition. Automating the data gathering process with Dashboards provides immediate access to accurate, real-time data while reporting or displaying it in any format you choose. This allows you to:
• Identify trends with customers, products and your industry segment
• Analyse your business health by drilling down to any level of detail
• Forecast future customer needs and products/solutions to meet them • Make faster, better decisions We can’t predict the future with certainty, but automation reduces the odds that the “next big thing” will catch you off guard. Global Shop Solutions continually upgrades its ERP software offering manufacturers new automation tools and technologies. If you’re struggling to automate key processes in your business find out how we can help.
www.globalshopsolutions.com
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