IS IT REALLY?

... of course it is

12 months ago, I was wishing everyone a 'Happy New Year' and, without any warning, the year is up. At least, that's how it seems to me.

I suppose that part of the reason is that all the offices have been so busy. Not just working on our own projects here in the UK but working in different ways, especially developing new strategies in the US at Enviropeel USA and Alocit USA who, as we mentioned earlier this year, are playing a far greater role in the Alocit and Enviropeel brands. But, as well as changes in the US, this year has also seen a great new relationship developing within Europe and our new friends at Energy Coating in the Netherlands, renewing old friendships in Australia, as mentioned in our post earlier this month and, in a blog to come, working with old friends at IMG in New Zealand with a new training programme and a very interesting look at the problems they will be helping to resolve in the local salt mining industry.

None of which compares with the work that has had to be undertaken in Malaysia where, because much of the technical development and machine manufacture is moving to Indianapolis, the office has moved from the factory development to a new administration centre. Everything had to be moved and they haven't finished yet ... they will need the new year just to recover! Phone lines etc have still to be assigned ... we will keep you updated.

CHRISTMAS AT ENVIROPEEL USA

It wouldn't be Christmas in the USA without a Christmas tree, some fairy lights and some flanges covered in Enviropeel ... at least that's what Ann seems to be telling us with this photo from a corner of the EUSA office.

We love it ... the more lights (and Enviropeel) the merrier.

All of us hope that 2016 will bring you peace and good fortune wherever you may be.

BEFORE I GO ...

We are great supporters of the Australian Corrosion Association ... they know a thing or two about rust prevention. So I visit their website from time to time, just to see what's going on. At the moment, they have a great little movie featured on their home page on 'winning the fight against corrosion'. It's very informative and enjoyable to watch and it has some interesting ideas on new technologies ... have a look, you might recognise one or two of them.

BEST WISHES FROM ALL OF US

WINDOWS 10 - NOTHING IS FREE

Okay ... so Windows 10 has very little to do with rust - except, for me, it is the medium I use to interact with my PC so, when it lets me down - I let others down, because I can't do my work. Right now, I am working on my laptop (which keeps asking me to update to Windows 10 - NO CHANCE!) and gazing at a blue screen on my PC which seems to have failed during an update for W10 - the little blue dots go round and round - an eternal warning that for Microsoft, like with everything else, getting something for free doesn't mean it doesn't end up costing a great deal.

FIVE PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

12 years of bearing protection ...

We have talked before about the early days of Enviropeel in Australia and how it was first introduced and pioneered there by Vas Dziombak, a UK engineer working in Australia for his family business – Robil Engineering. A lot has changed since those early days - but recently we had a reminder of how far ahead of the game we were back then - and, of course, still are!

Our CEO, Arthur Haycox recently met Vas, whose business has now become part of the Orontide Group, a much larger specialist Engineering and Asset Maintenance group who are heavily involved in advanced asset protection technologies such as Enviropeel. During their conversation, Vas mentioned that he had recently removed some Enviropeel from pulley bearing housings and shafts coated in the very early days of Enviropeel  - so early that some of them were from before we had learned how to colour or properly UV protect the material. Vas was very pleased and satisfied to see how brilliantly the pulley parts had been preserved, despite being outside for at least 12 years in a tropical coastal environment.

He sent us some photos which you can see here. The first shows the original honey-coloured Enviropeel material which, although the outside looks like it was knitted by my great aunt, is in perfect condition on the inside and the bearing housing is still in great condition. The second and third show two grease nipples - one with protection and one without. Then below, material cut away from the end cap area of another conveyor pulley housing shows the excellent condition of the parts but specifically the 'shiny' bright grease nipple in 'as new' condition. Finally, as a word of warning, the last pic shows what is left of a bearing housing that did not have the benefit of Enviropeel protection.

These pictures show why, sixteen years after he first heard of Enviropeel, Vas is still so committed to the system.

Thanks Vas ...

FASTER, SMALLER, BETTER!

New minibatch units prove themselves in the UK and USA

We have been making Enviropeel for just over sixteen years and have been continuously developing the material and our manufacturing technology throughout that time. More recently, we have been developing plans to decentralise production - to introduce minibatch manufacturing plants for the production of Enviropeel on a more localised basis - both to shorten supply lines and provide a faster, more adaptable service. Now, the new system has been tested and and proved both in the UK and the US and, in a major step forward, is ready for implementation in all regions.

Because the raw materials are pre-mixed, greatly simplifying the manufacturing process, regional centres can now have the capacity to produce the majority of their local requirement  - even if they only have limited space. Of course, strict quality controls have to be maintained but the process has streamlined to ensure this can easily be achieved with suitable training.

The system also means that the colouring process can be applied at the final production stage - so non-standard colours can now be available at short notice and in small quantities, providing a much faster and more customised service to our customers.

The minibatch system will also be available to qualified distributors - which can be of major inportance in areas where local manufacturing can play a very important role in reducing costs and increasing acceptance of new technologies.

The photograph shows the E170 Minibatcher in the UK. The entire process can be operated by a single person and, despite its small size, this unit can produce a tonne of material every week.

BAKING THE SPEED LIMIT ...

... travelling at 264,000 BPH

That's bagels per hour - and if you think that's a lot of bagels, it's only one of several production lines in a single factory - a factory that uses eight railroad cars of flour every day!

One thing you know about flour, it gets everywhere. So it probably won't surprise you to learn that it gets into the production machinery too. And, mixing flour with moving parts means trouble. So much trouble, in fact, that the bearings working on the flour sifter failed regularly from the effects of the incredibly dusty environment.

If this sounds familiar ... you're right. Enviropeel has saved bearings from sand, salt, coal dust and bull dust ... now it is working its magic on flour dust.

The bearings in the photograph on the left are just two of those that were protected using Enviropeel. The material was applied to prevent ingress of contamination into the bearing's moving parts; by applying it around the housing and down on to the rotating shaft it guarantees a long life for the bearings and makes sure those bagels keeping on coming.