A
new Centre of Excellence for process drainage is to be created by the UK’s
leading specialist, Alumasc Water Management Solutions (AWMS).
The
new Essex based facility will bring together the R&D resources of both
Harmer, AWMS’s established building drainage business, and Wade International,
a highly specified manufacturer of floor drainage systems, which was acquired
by Alumasc in February.
Set
to open its doors in summer this year, research teams will be given a greatly
expanded brief that will see more extensive collaborations with industry
experts, academic institutions and global best practitioners to realise
next-generation, sustainable solutions that enhance hygiene and operational
security whilst reducing overall water and energy consumption.
“Drainage
can deliver benefits way beyond the simple removal of surface water. The food
and beverage processing industries in particular offer scope for innovation
across the operational envelop,” says AWMS divisional managing director, Steve
Durdant-Hollamby (pictured).
“Pushing
these boundaries will be at the heart of the new centre. It will address
everything from materials specifications to integration with Production and
Building Management Systems, drawing on expertise from across the Alumasc
Group, our partners, customers and technology specialists.”
The
Centre of Excellence launch is seen as being timely, as complexity in food
processing facility water management increases. Wade International’s technical
manager, Andrew Becker, believes food processing is an extremely challenging
environment for factory drainage.
“The
specification of each component is critical with both the design and the choice
of material being highly dependent upon the traffic profile," he said.
"Even
slight changes in traffic contaminants and temperatures can affect the
performance of drainage components. The new centre will play a significant role
in bringing about economies in installation and running costs, developing
optimised products coupled to effective environmental controls.
"We
see it acting as a key reference source not only for engineers and specifiers
but also for legislators and inspectors. We have the right knowledge, the right
designs and the right expertise to make this happen”.
