| Archive News 2005 |
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November 2005 007 High temperature switchboxes specified for use in rail tunnels at London Heathrow Airport- Terminal 5 Construction of the Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 (T5) started in September 2002 and is scheduled for completion in April 2008. Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in Europe and Terminal 5 will have the capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually. In order to link Terminal 5 by rail to the centre of London, four tunnels are being built to extend both the Heathrow Express (the rail link to Paddington station) and the Piccadilly Line (the London Underground). The tunnels will be lined with pre-cast concrete rings containing polypropylene fibre for fire resistance. The 007HT’s will be used to monitor the position of 80 safety dampers that are designed to direct smoke away from passengers in the event of a fire. |
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October 2005 We have recently updated a document on the “Training Resource” page of this web site. The title is: Zoning, methods of protection and equipment marking in hazardous areas Subjects covered include: The ignition triangle, area classification, gas groups, temperature classification, methods of protection, flammable dusts and the ATEX Directives. |
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September 2005 Switchboxes and position transmitters can now be double or triple mounted
This approach can be considered when: Low powered intrinsically safe circuits need to be segregated from higher power monitoring or solenoid control circuits. (For example: Partial stroking of emergency shut down valves). The total number of monitoring circuits required exceeds the capacity of a single enclosure. (For example: A total of up to 12 switches or sensors or a combination of a 4-20mA position transmitter and two D.P.D.T switches). Each enclosure can be EExia or EExed certified for use with hazardous gasses or combustible dusts. They are dust and watertight to IP67 and available in stainless steel or polyester coated aluminium. Position transmitters are available for 4-20mA, HART®, PROFIBUS® PA or FOUNDATION™ FIELDBUS systems. |
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August 2005 007 HT specified for use in the Hong Kong road tunnels and underground incineration plant
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July 2005 K44 “Checktite” Valves – more special options The K44 three piece swing check valve has been designed to complement three piece ball valves. It can now be supplied, to special order, with the following options: FDA* approved PTFE seats and seals *(US Food and Drug administration) EPDM seat and seals (standard PTFE or Viton ®) Metal seat (with PTFE, Viton ® or EPDM end seals) Chemically polished internals 3.1.b certification Non standard butt weld ends |
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June 2005 New versions of the EExi 007 switchbox are now certified for operation at -50 degrees C.
Until recently the only intrinsically safe solution for temperatures below -20 degrees C was a version for -40 degrees C that used inductive proximity sensors. We are pleased to report that K Controls EExi 007 switchboxes in both aluminium and stainless steel have now been certified for use at temperatures as low as -50 degrees C. In addition this capability is available with special versions of all three switch types: mechanical microswitches, magnetic reed switches and solid state inductive proximity sensors. All protection concepts, EExd, EExed and EExi are now available with ATEX certified options for use with hazardous gasses or combustible dusts at ambients as low as -50 degrees C. |
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May 2005 New improved tooling for the EExd Control Monitor K Controls have recently invested in new tooling that will reduce manufacturing lead times enabling K Controls to provide an improved service to clients. Demand for the EExd Control Monitor has increased significantly during the last two years. Special versions have been developed that are ATEX certified for use in an ambient temperature range of -50 to +80 degrees C. The same enclosure is also used for safe area applications where submersion to depths of 15 metres is required. Our clients should experience improved lead times from June onwards. |
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April 2005 006 IP68 (Sub-sea) Position Transmitters under the Caspian Sea More than 300 IP68 (sub-sea) 006 Position transmitters have now been specified for use at a depth of 135 metres in the Caspian Sea. They are used to monitor the position of hydraulically actuated valves that flood the jackets on the legs of oil rigs. The legs of the rigs are positioned and then submerged using global positioning satellite technology. K Controls 006 range of IP68 (Sub-sea) valve actuator monitoring equipment has also recently been extended to include the options of a stainless steel enclosure and the possibility of ATEX 11 2 G EExia certification should the unit be required for intermittent submersion in a hazardous area. The standard unit is available in coated carbon steel and units are pressure tested to the depth equivalent of 150 metres. A standard M20 or ˝” NPT conduit entry is provided or the base can be machined to accept a customer specified sub-sea connector. A variety of hermetically sealed solid state or reed style proximity switches can be fitted in the device together with 4-20mA, HART®, PROFIBUS® or FOUNDATION™ fieldbus position transmitters. The 006 range has a design life of at least 25 years and the option of component redundancy is available. |
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March 2005 008 Positioner used on diesel engine “hot” test facility A major UK manufacturer of diesel engines is using 008 positioners on 6” globe control valves that are part of a major new manufacturing line. The valves are used on a “hot” test facility where newly assembled engines undergo 100% power tests. To save energy the manufacturer has installed regenerative dynamometers providing electricity back to the national grid. After the test sequence has been completed engines are then sent to another department where they are painted and finished ready for despatch. 008 “Smart” Electro –pneumatic positioners have now completed more than two years successful service in a variety of different applications. Simple to use, the loop powered 008 self calibrates in less than 3 minutes and then gives very accurate control. It monitors its performance continuously and changes the control algorithm should the characteristics of the valve or actuator change significantly during service. |
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February 2005 K4-20 position transmitters specified for power station refit in Kuwait 180 K4-20 position transmitters have recently been supplied on a power station refit via our agent in Kuwait. The K4-20’s are being fitted to existing diaphragm control valves on boiler control systems. They replace position transmitters from another manufacture that were supplied 15 years ago. Prior to receiving the order two units were tested for six months on critically important superheated steam temperature control loops where they performed faultlessly. Our agent reported that the main reasons the K Controls K4-20’s were selected were: Ease of installation on a variety of actuators sizes, compact overall dimensions, accessible internals, simple calibration using a push button, accuracy and a competitive price. The power station is being upgraded in stages and further orders are expected. |
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