News

Senior-level executive with a PhD in Computer Science

Hamburg, Germany – The global IT solutions provider and digitalization specialist for the energy industry, Implico Group, has welcomed a new senior-level executive among its rows. In October 2021, the studied computer scientist Dr. Volker Braun joined the company as CTO and Managing Director. In his new role, the 52-year-old IT expert from the Rhineland will focus on the following key objectives: To refine and expand Implico’s diverse product portfolio. To help the company achieve its standardization and cloudification goals. And to drive and shape Implico’s ongoing transition towards becoming a strong product company. The latter, he will do alongside Tim Hoffmeister (CEO) and Thomas Ernst (Managing Director) as part of the management team.

“I am really excited about my role at Implico,” says the new CTO and Managing Director Dr. Volker Braun. “Within our industry and beyond, we are known as innovation drivers and visionaries. We have a talented team, a top-tier line-up of clients, and a high-end array of products. That is a fantastic foundation to further build upon! The timing is ideal for me to join Implico and commit my experience, know-how, and dedication to this well-established yet go-getting company’s future development and success.”

Industrial and safety leaders never faced so many challenges before.  Such challenges include handling a diverse workforce (all of whom have different ways of working and communicating); contending with transitions, training, and turnovers; and managing disparate devices and data sources. In addition, there’s also the challenge of dealing with compliance issues for every aspect of the safety program, not to mention the personal protective equipment (PPE) itself. For safety professionals like you, the combination of these factors makes for a highly complex worker safety scenario.

TÜV SÜD today launches its ATEX Directive certification service for both CE marking and UKCA mark compliance.

From 1st January 2021 new products being released onto the UK market have had to apply the UKCA mark. CE marking compliance certificates, previously issued for the EU’s ATEX Directive for products already available on the market, will cease to be valid after 1st January 2023 and must instead apply the new UKCA mark.

As TÜV SÜD now holds dual accreditation as an ATEX Directive Notified Body and UKCA Approved Body, it can continue to support manufacturers in maintaining CE certification for EU markets, as well as gain UKCA approval.

The ATEX Directive covers all explosion-proof equipment and systems, including anything used within, or in conjunction with potentially explosive atmospheres. This includes safety, control and regulation devices, as well as protective components, equipment and systems.

Paul Taylor, Business Development Director for Industrial Services (UK) at TÜV SÜD, said: “Manufacturers of explosion-proof equipment and systems must conform to standards that apply to the market into which they are being sold. By maintaining our EU ATEX Directive Notified Body status and becoming a UKCA Approved Body, TÜV SÜD can help businesses to seamlessly comply will both requirements. We will support them in ensuring that it remains ‘business as usual’ as they can carry on supplying EU and UK markets.”

While EU Exit Statutory Instruments enable the UKCA Marking requirements to replace CE Marking, the UK’s standards will remain the same as EU harmonised standards, to maintain a single model. After 1st January 2021, end-users in the UK will already have started to see a UKCA mark appearing on compliant products.

www.tuvsud.com/uk

Safety io's Grid safety software platform recently won the 'New and Innovative Solutions' award at this year’s World Health and Safety Asia (WHSAsia) Award 2021. The WHSAsia Award, in its 12th year, honours the innovation of the safety sector in solutions that can improve safety and health at work.

Safety io’s Grid services, using world-class MSA Safety equipment, break down the obstacles standing between businesses and their broader safety goals. Both Grid services – Fleet Manager and Live Monitor – empower safety managers, allowing them to regain control and drive worker accountability using data insights.

Matt DeLorenzo, Business Director comments: "At Safety io we're dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation – both of which, all importantly, contribute to increased worker safety. This is what drives us, day in day out. We've made a number of improvements to our services recently. This award win is a testament to the quality and significance of those improvements."

Grid Live Monitor shares hazard and compliance concerns with safety managers and their team in real time so that action can be taken when seconds count. It's also an effective field manager, providing location awareness, satellite and street view options and detailed incident reports. Grid Fleet Manager is a web-based service that streamlines gas detection fleet management, allowing fleet managers to effectively act on safety and maintenance concerns. Now, they're available in five languages: English, German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Designed for industrial use

For process automation specialist Endress+Hauser, the Field Xpert SMT70 plant asset management tablet has become an indispensable mobile workstation for customer applications. The hardware basis for this intelligent mobile device is provided by the Pad-Ex® 01 from Pepperl+Fuchs brand ECOM Instruments, an intrinsically safe Windows tablet for industrial use. Thanks to the combination of this hardware and the cloud-based IIoT ecosystem Netilion, Endress+Hauser was able to master a tricky diagnostic task at a customer company and resolve previously inexplicable plant downtimes.

Certain industries such as the chemical industry are more challenging in terms of smart plant asset management than others. Sprawling manufacturing sites suggest mobile solutions instead of permanently installed terminals to extend the range of movement for employees. At the same time, the special conditions in the chemical industry, especially hazardous areas, place specific demands on the mobile devices used. These must not only be robust and intrinsically safe, but must also be able to display complex diagnostic applications in a comprehensible and intuitive manner. Last but not least, the appropriate communication protocols must ensure digital communication in the industry 4.0 and IoT context.

In a milestone moment, tugboat uses computer vision and autonomous tech to circumnavigate Denmark and gather essential data on waterways

 – Sea Machines Robotics​​​​, the leading developer of autonomous command and control systems for the maritime industry, announced today that it has completed the world’s first 1,000+ nautical miles autonomous and remotely commanded journey of a commercial vessel at sea. Under the project name The Machine Odyssey, the autonomous tug Nellie Bly completed its journey in just 129 operational hours over 13 days. The program was commanded by U.S. Coast Guard-licensed mariners remotely stationed 3,000 miles away in Boston, many of whom are also members of the American Maritime Officers union. 

Brunnthal/Munich, Germany, October 21, 2021 - SFC Energy AG a leading supplier of hydrogen and methanol fuel cells for stationary and mobile hybrid power solutions, significantly expands its distribution network. With PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), SFC Energy gains an essential producer of ultra-high purity methanol for its customers in the Asian region.

From now on, customers of EFOY fuel cells in the region can be supplied much more efficiently with methanol in commercially available fuel cartridges. The hub is the production site on the island of Labuan (Malaysia) with an annual volume of 2.4 million tons. Its proximity to customers not only simplifies logistics and consulting, it also reduces costs by skipping conventional trade routes and reduces the carbon footprint. Thus, SFC Energy customers and above all the environment benefit.

REMBE Inc., the American Branch of REMBE GmbH Safety + Control, headquartered in Brilon, Germany has just moved into its new premises in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

The brand name REMBE is worldwide renowned for superior quality and performance in industrial safety solutions such as Turn-Key Dust and Gas Explosion Protection Systems and Pressure Relief Devices like rupture discs or breather valves.

REMBE has successfully protected numerous sites across the U.S. and Canada ranging from wood manufacturing factories to critical processes in chemical, food and pharmaceutical industry.

„When we started our operations in 2006 we faced tough times to convince American Prospects to rely on a non-American product“ reflects Stefan Penno, CEO of the parent company in Germany.

„However, the REMBE Quality convinced not only multi-nationals but local producers as they quickly recognized how much money they save with a tailor-made solution that keeps their process running without unwanted interruptions“ adds Stefan Penno.

REMBEs approach is not just selling commodity items but develop bespoken solutions and engineer total safety concepts including full service from Start-up to regular maintenance.

The company had a first breakthrough end of the 80s when introducing the technology of flameless venting. Most famous product those days was the Q-Rohr, a quench pipe with incorporated vent panel that retards not only explosion flames but reduces heat emission. Allowing operators to vent an explosion wherever they want allowed OEMs to position their equipment according to efficiency criteria rather than placing filters, hoppers or bins close to a wall to vent the explosion to outsides but compromising with unnecessary pipe length.

„Guaranteeing both, a safe process and maximum business continuity is worth a few bucks more than just installing something and hoping for the best“ underlines Dr. Gerd Mayer, President of REMBE Inc.

Today REMBE also offers a complete range of rupture discs. Applications such as FPSOs or infrastructure critical Power Supply Stations like Transformers are protected by the German engineered products named STAR or SFD, so-called forward acting rupture discs that are produced from noble alloys and with the REMBE typical passion and precision.

With office, Assembly, Warehouse and Manufacturing Space of more than 1000 sqm and a total 23,000 sqm Ground, REMBE Inc. has enough room for expansion over the next years.

Currently employing 17 Engineers and Workers the company is constantly exploring new fields of Business in North America whilst serving its existing Customer Base.

Located only 20 Minutes away from Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, NC and with mobile Senior Consultants all over the continent, REMBE Inc. is ready to support their clients with on-site Consultancy and Engineering within hours. Spare parts are stocked in Fort Mill and same-day delivery now is just another Pro to protect equipment with REMBE Technology.

www.rembe.us

With immediate effect, the operations of the biogas plant manufacturer AD AGRO have continued under the umbrella of the WELTEC Group in Germany. "Through the merger of the business fields of AD AGRO and WELTEC, we establish promising synergies in the entire value chain of biogas and biomethane", explains Jens Albartus, Director of the biogas specialist WELTEC BIOPOWER.

"AD AGRO was faced with the decision of implementing a suitable succession strategy. The goal was to perpetuate the successful use of the expertise and experience gained in almost 200 biogas projects. The profile of AD AGRO fitted snugly in WELTEC BIOPOWER's spectrum of products and services", explains Uwe Heider, Managing Partner of AD AGRO.

ASAP Innovations will feature its X-TRA Thick Black glove at the world’s biggest Health and Safety Event 

 ASAP Innovations, a leading global PPE manufacturer, has today announced that its X-TRA Thick Black glove has been approved for use throughout the EU and in the UK; the glove offers the highest protection against exposure to many commonly – used chemotherapy drugs. 

 The X-TRA Thick Black glove has been tested in accordance with ISO 16604:2004 (resistance to penetration by blood – borne pathogens) and has passed to meet the requirements of EN ISO 374-5:2016.