Bespoke hydraulic ring main and multiple air blast coolers installed at leading Aerospace Engineering company

Rotec Hydraulics Ltd was chosen by leading aerospace and engineering business to complete a 3-phase upgrade project to its existing Structural Test Lab (STL) hydraulic ring main. The team at Rotec successfully completed the project on time and to a high level of quality.

A global leader in Aerospace, Defence and Security, our client is a key supplier of defence and security equipment to the UK MoD, employing over 7,500 highly skilled personnel across 7 main sites throughout the UK.

A crucial asset at their Somerset facility is its Structural Test Laboratory (STL), which is responsible for mechanically testing critical aircraft components to destruction. As part of an ongoing development programme, the client wanted to create a dedicated and permanent hydraulic supply to its expanding fleet of testing equipment.

Rotec Hydraulics Ltd added several significant upgrades to the current system in three stages; install 4 air blast coolers, design and install a custom sub ring main within the new Fatigue Lab and finally to design and install a major upgrade to the existing distribution ring main.

As part of the second and final phases of the project, Rotec designed and built a number of bespoke pipework brackets, stands and manifolds all of which were FEA tested by our in-house design engineers to ensure they exceed the minimum design requirements set by the customer.

More than 21.5 metres of pressure and return pipework was manufactured on site using Parker’s unique High Pressure Flange system making for a very quick and efficient installation. The 80 x 10mm 6k steel pipework is capable of operating at 420 bar maximum working pressure and was connected using Rotec’s in-house designed “X-Blocks” which distributed the flow to numerous outputs.

Rotec’s capabilities are that of significant breadth meaning, unlike many competitors, Rotec is able to design, build, install, commission and maintain systems in-house to a consistently high standard. To find out more, visit our services page.

Rotec hosts Remote Monitoring Technology Discovery Day

Rotec Hydraulics Ltd hosted their first ever Technology Discovery Day in August, with a focus on cutting-edge remote monitoring technology.

Guests were invited to the home of Somerset County Cricket, and after a opportunity for networking listened to a short presentation from Phil Ingate on the benefits of the Parker Tracking System (PTS). Proven to significantly reduce equipment downtime, PTS is a tagging and tracking solution to store, access and monitor critical asset information.

Following this, the focus of the Technology Discovery Day turned to Rotec’s remote monitoring offer. Guests listened to a presentation from Parker’s IoT expert, Tim Harris, ending with a demonstration using an intelligent demo kit linked to a mobile and laptop.

The ability to remotely and reliably monitor assets, collect data and receive service alerts is becoming increasingly desirable for clients from all sector industries. Rotec is proud to have been the first in the UK to offer Parker Internet of Things (IoT) Technology.

Parker IoT is the latest monitoring cloud-based solution specifically designed to provide sophisticated data, monitoring and performance control capabilities.

IoT makes it easy for businesses to collect and analyse data to identify usage trends and system maintenance concerns with unparalleled intellectual design and operational insight. Smart sensors and telematics help manage assets and prevent failures by optimising performance across multiple sites. By investing in IoT, you can reduce asset downtime, eliminate unnecessary spend, ensure compliance and safety as well as gain critical performance visibility. 

Continuous remote monitoring allows you to track key parameters and gauge the health of your assets. Parker IoT technology delivers an integrated, automated monitoring solution that uses the internet to enable you to monitor your assets from anywhere remotely.

With IoT technology, users can:

  • Review data anywhere, anytime and make informed decisions
  • Improve safety
  • Gather data without interrupting production
  • Schedule service events
  • Receive alert notifications
  • Optimise machine performance and service life
  • Maintain production quality

Data, provided by Parker, has shown IoT to increase productivity by up to 20%, reduce fuel consumption and recordable accidents by up to 20% and reduce diagnostic time by up to 70%.

For more information, please visit our remote monitoring technology page.

Rotec supports new immersive visitor experience at the Fleet Air Arm Museum

The Fleet Air Arm Museum will be wowing visitors with their new state-of-the-art, immersive Carrier Experience after a £1million refurbishment.

Rotec Hydraulics Ltd were pleased to carry out works on the hydraulic and electrical systems that are integral to the simulator experience at the museum, which houses aircraft and artefacts from the flying arm of the Royal Navy.

In addition to replacing over 50m of hydraulic hose, all hoses were uniquely identified using the Parker Hannifin PTS bar-code labelling system to ease traceability and future renewal. Rotec engineers also refurbished all hydraulic cylinders and repaired the two hydraulic pump units to ensure pressure and flow performance are maximised. Other works included replacement seals, filters and directional valves, strip and clean manifold assemblies and reservoir cleans.

Adjacent to the hydraulic works, Rotec carried out electrical works on the customer experience feature at the museum in the main pump room, remote control room and on the scissor lift which raises and lowers visitors during the simulation.

In the main pump room located control panel, Rotec removed existing obsolete Toshiba PLC unit hardware, and installed a newly supplied 24VDC 10A switch mode power supply module plus protective devices. A rewire the existing safety monitoring control relay and circuit was required to provide a dual channel redundant protective emergency stop circuit.

Rotec designed, supplied and installed replacement PLC hardware to replace the Toshiba module, which was then fully programmed with the required application specific logic code to ensure the scissor lift would rise and lower in time with the attraction’s audio-visual experience.

In the remote control room, Rotec supplied and installed an operator’s control station and local 24VDC power supply. The control station included a nominal 8” full colour touchscreen HMI device fully programmed with all existing and planned operator controls, indicators and alarms.

The works Rotec has completed in part of an overarching Carrier Experience. The new experience, which is dedicated to the memory of generous benefactor Vice Admiral Sir Donald Gosling KCVO, Vice Admiral of The United Kingdom, combines digital technology with the scale of a carrier flight deck to transport visitors from the pioneer years of the First World War, all the way to the modern HMS Queen Elizabeth class carriers of today.

Adam Gosling, of the Gosling Foundation comments,

“Vice Admiral Sir Donald Gosling KCVO, Vice Admiral of The United Kingdom founded the original Carrier Experience that opened in 1994 and has welcomed over four million visitors.

 

“To see the Experience reinvigorated and made meaningful and relevant for today’s audience is the perfect way to celebrate my late father’s enduring support of the Fleet Air Arm Museum. It reflects a mutual vision to preserve and showcase the proud history of British naval aviation. His generous legacy gift has enabled, once again, the illustrious tale of Britain’s aircraft carriers to be told, and enjoyed, for many more generations to come.”

Professor Dominic Tweddle, Director General of The National Museum of the Royal Navy says,

“The re-imagining of the Carrier Experience to include the Queen Elizabeth Class, the pride of the British fleet, demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the history of naval aviation and telling the story of the contemporary navy. This mix of heritage and modernity mirrors the projects that Vice Admiral Sir Donald Gosling KCVO, Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom so generously supported over the years.

 

“I am certain that the work of the staff team, contractors and corporate partner Lockheed Martin has brought to life the Carrier story in the way that Sir Donald had in mind when he made his legacy gift.  It is both an honour and a pleasure to recognise his lifelong support with this exhibition, which is housed in The Gosling Hall.”

Rotec were chosen to complete the works due to their impressive ability to combine hydraulics with complex electronic control systems. The works were completed in a matter of weeks, on schedule and to a high standard.

For further information on the expansive range of services Rotec offers, including case studies of other works, visit www.rotec.net.

Ground-breaking Project successfully crosses the Atlantic Ocean

A pioneering project, supported by Rotec Hydraulics Ltd, has achieved a fully autonomous ship sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

Solo and unaided, the Mayflower Autonomous Research Ship (MAS) set sail from Plymouth harbour in the UK and reached its end destination of Plymouth USA on 30th June 2022 after 36 days at sea and 3,900 miles, having made two stops in Horta (Azores) and Halifax (Canada).

The futuristic vessel was powered by AI and powered using renewable solar energy technology, and a backup diesel generator for night sailing. Throughout the journey, the vessel collected data that researchers hope will provide critical information in the battle to safeguard the future of our oceans. A challenging project relied on a diverse team that spanned 10 countries and 3 continents, including Rotec Hydraulics Ltd.

ProMare, a US based non-profit organisation with a branch in Plymouth UK, teamed up with IBM to build the third Mayflower and asked Rotec to supply a range of hoses and hose assemblies to support the project. Rotec was also pleased to be able to help spread the word of crowdfunding efforts at the start of the project.

Brett Phaneuf, Managing Director of the MAS Project, commented:

 “[The Mayflower Project is] ushering us into a new phase of oceanographic and climatological research with state-of-the-art technology.”

Paddy Dowsett – Project Manager, MSubs says:

“This project brings a number of new  technologies together in a way that hasn’t been done before. There are some smaller autonomous crafts in existence, however nothing anywhere near this scale in terms of size and technicality.”

Find out more about the project, including live video stream when the vehicle is on a mission and footage from previous journeys at https://www.mas400.com/.

Rotec helps Bristol Dragons Powerchair Football Club

Rotec recently had the pleasure of supporting Bristol Powerchair Football team, the Bristol Dragons at the Bristol Ignite Festival 2022.

Powerchair Football is the fastest growing disability team sport, which enables severely disabled people to play football using electric powerchairs.

Ignite Bristol is a movement to get more Disabled people active in Bristol. The festival provides the perfect place to showcase inclusive activities, such as powerchair football, and allow attendees to benefit from participating and creating a new network of friends, clubs and organisations. 

The event is particularly important as Disabled people are half as likely to be active as non-disabled people. 

Rotec helped Bristol Dragons PFC attend the Bristol Ignite Festival by transporting their electric powerchairs to site. Once they arrived at the event, the players had a chance to show off powerchair football to everyone who then could have a go and try it. All the Bristol Dragons PFC players and coaches had a great day and overcame the hot weather to play and demonstrate what a great sport powerchair football can be.

Bristol Powerchair Football Club (PFC) was formed back in 2016, with help of the Bristol Rovers Community Trust, the GFA and Goals Beyond Grass. To find out more, visit Bristol PFC – Goals Beyond Grass.

Pictured below, player representatives from the Bristol Dragons PFC.