Corrosion-resistant grab handle with safety lock

Elesa's new EBR grab handle in glass fibre reinforced technopolymer incorporates a spring loaded security lock with the operating pin in AISI 304 stainless steel. Consequently high corrosion resistance makes this handle applicable for environments where regulations, hygienic concerns or climatic/ environmental factors make it important to use corrosion-resistant materials.

Typical applications include sliding style doors, marine/building or furniture industries and for machine guards in industrial environments. Operation is by means of a pushbutton - recessed when closed for security and safety. Mounting is by 8mm hex machine screws concealed by push fit covers. Related products from Elesa include lobe knobs, grab handles, T handles, foldaway handles and a selection of enclosure handles in ergonomic design styles. For further information on Elesa products and services and to download a catalogue, view website: www.elesa.co.uk  Refer to page 197

EMKA concealed hinge for flush doors

Refinements flow from "everything but the enclosure" hardware specialists EMKA. A recent addition features the 1056 program externally fitted flush door hinge with concealed internal fixings and 165° opening. This is well suited to all kinds of street furniture and industrial electronic/electrical control rack-cabinets.

The 165° screw-on 1056 hinge features M5 stud fixing and a lift-off design (after opening the door), which greatly aids installation of large equipment such as server sub-racks.

As may be anticipated styling is similar to the rest of EMKA's modular 1056 range so as to enable a standard look and aesthetic presentation of equipment across a range of products or a large multi-cabinet installation.

EMKA's range of enclosure hardware includes electronic locking systems, stainless steel hinges, spanner locks, wing handle/locks, 19 inch cabinet locks, HVAC locks and profile sealing strips for enclosure sealing in natural rubber, EPDM, neoprene and PVC. Further information on EMKA products and services may be found at: www.emka.co.uk, where it is also possible to download our 3D CAD files and any part or the entire EMKA product catalogue.

For further information on EMKA products and services, view website: www.emka.co.uk   Refer to page 197

Camlab saves £100,000 in 12 months
with Balloon One warehouse integration

Laboratory products supplier Camlab has slashed inventory costs and achieved 99 per cent stock accuracy with warehouse management solutions from Balloon One. In 12 months, this saved Camlab £100,000 in stock costs. Camlab expects to use the software to reduce stock holdings further while maintaining customer service excellence.

Camlab has been trading for more than 60 years. In 2007, it acquired Patterson Scientific and increased its total inventory to 55,000 SKUs (stock units). This enabled customers to procure everything from a single source but it presented a major warehouse management challenge to the company's original computer system.
 
Camlab replaced its ageing computer system with a SAP Business One enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. Although the new ERP software offered a warehouse management module, Camlab recognised that it would not perform the job it needed for managing such a massive number of product lines.

"Our SAP partner recommended Balloon One as our warehouse IT partner. The company has significant and demonstrable expertise in integrating warehouse management systems with SAP. Its radio-frequency warehouse management system offered the flexibility, accuracy and speed we needed to automate the warehouse for maximising efficiency and reducing operational costs. The system quickly provided 95 per cent accuracy, which was a big leap forward for us and now we consistently achieve over 99 per cent accuracy. The annual stock take is a thing of the past as we now have a perpetual inventory allowing full and instant visibility of stock and stocking levels," said Rowan Maulder, Marketing Director, Camlab.

Camlab takes a scientific approach to inventory planning by using an artificial intelligence-based tool from Balloon One. Within six months, the software helped the company to reduce stock by almost 10 per cent, which paid for the software. It also reduced dead and inactive inventory by 50 per cent and increased weekly productivity by 75 per cent. The software analyses every single product line - numbers of items, turnover, buying patterns and supply.

"The software allows us to drive service levels and manage our costs. It has given us a clear view of our inventory and allows us to take firm control by helping to balance the stock and reduce stock holding. A year ago, we held £750,000 of stock and now it is nearer £650,000 while maintaining satisfaction levels. It is a brilliant piece of software," said Rowan Maulder.

For further information, e-mail: chris.barnes@balloonone.com or view website: www.balloonone.com

Balloon One in profile
Balloon One is an IT provider specialising in the distribution, implementation and support of business software and supply chain applications. The company has strong product knowledge and business know-how, which enables Balloon One to deliver real value to its customers. Balloon One's goal is to make large scale enterprise applications accessible to small and midsize companies. The company focuses on applications that are affordable and easy to implement that deliver a rapid return on investment.

With 20 years experience in the business application market the company has worked with hundreds of businesses. The company has customers in a wide range of markets, including: packaging, toy / gift, hobby, clothing, wholesale, retail, timber, DIY, furniture, education, leisure, IT, electronics, healthcare, medical distribution, water treatment, and chemicals and lubricants.

In 2002, Balloon One was appointed as the first business partner for SAP Business One and today it is widely respected as a worldwide Business One centre of expertise. In 2004, the company added the Accellos One Warehouse solution to its product portfolio. In 2007, Balloon One was awarded Partner of the Year by Accellos for its outstanding sales and implementation success.

For further information, view website: www.camlab.co.uk  Refer to page 234

OMS awarded end dimensioning for Jack & St Malo and Big Foot 20" SCRs

Specialist pipe measurement technology company Optical Metrology Services (OMS) Ltd has two contracts to provide dimensional measurement services on pipes that are destined for use as deepsea risers on Chevron's Jack & St Malo and Big Foot oilfield development projects in the Gulf of Mexico.
 
Welspun Corp Ltd, a leading global manufacturer of line pipe, awarded both contracts to OMS, who will measure the pipes on-site at Welspun's pipe mill in Dahej, India. Whilst OMS engineers have already carried out preliminary measurements at Dahej on test pipes, OMS will measure in excess of 700 production pipes for Jack & St Malo and 550 joints for Big Foot.
 
Lauren Lionberger, Business Development Executive at OMS' US office commented: "We are delighted to have been awarded these two contracts, particularly since the Bigfoot and Jack & St Malo projects are really the first two major oil field development projects that have progressed since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010."
 
For end dimensioning of pipes, OMS will utilise its own automatic Pipe CheckerÔ laser measurement tool, which is capable of measuring more than 2,000 IDs and 2,000 OD's. The tool is accurate to 0.05mm and enables just two OMS staff to measure a minimum of 200 pipe ends in a single shift. This means less time on site, minimising project delays and costs for the customer and reducing pipe fit up and welding issues.

 The Jack and St Malo fields are located within 25 miles of one another, approximately 280 miles south of New Orleans, in water depths of 2,100m. The project comprises of three subsea centres tied back to a hub production facility with a capacity of 170,000 barrels of oil and 42.5 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
 
The Big Foot oilfield is also situated in the Gulf of Mexico, on the Walker Ridge block 29 field approximately 360km south of New Orleans. The field lies at a water depth of 1,500m and is considered as the eighth largest deepwater oilfield in the Gulf of Mexico.
 
 For further information, email: denise@optical-metrology-services.com