Rotec deliver custom upgrade and HPU builds for leading manufacturer

Recently designed and manufactured, engineers at Rotec Hydraulics Ltd have completed a bespoke project for a market-leading manufacturer.

The British-based company specialise in the manufacture of electronic valve actuators for large fluid flow applications, for example within the oil and gas, water and power industries. The actuators produced are a considerable size and as such, part of the development process includes dynamic load testing. The actuators connect to a test cylinder via a screw thread; as the actuators move the screw thread up and down, this in turn pushes and pulls a hydraulic cylinder.

 Full of hydraulic fluid, the operators were manually operating needle valves to restrict the flow of the hydraulic fluid within the cylinders in order to vary the amount of load on the actuator. Thus, Rotec design engineers developed two key upgrades to this current setup which were:

  • Electrify the load control valves so they can be operated by a computer.
  • Create a power pack which can induce a given pressure inside the test cylinder bores.

 The newly custom-designed system reuses the current cylinders that vary in size from 63mm in diameter to 203mm. To accommodate for this, different sized stands with varying tank sizes have been manufactured to accommodate the extra capacity whilst the control components remain the same. The stands consist of:

  • A custom powder coated steel frame.
  • An aluminium reservoir.
  • Dual electronic proportional pressure relief valves.
  • Dual manual needle valves.
  • Dual ball valves.
  • Quick connect ports for the power pack to connect to.
  • Output ports which connect to the test cylinder.

In addition to this, Rotec developed and built three identical standalone hydraulic power unit (HPU) systems which can create steady state pressures inside the test cylinders bores to eradicate erroneous pressure lag errors. Features include:

  • Powder coated mild steel tank construction.
  • 3 phase motor coupled to a gear pump.
  • Air blast oil cooler.
  • Direction control valve.
  • Dual proportional relief valve.
  • Electronic control box.
  • Stainless steel tool tray.
  • Whole unit is mounted on castors for easy manoeuvrability.

For more information on Rotec’s capabilities, including project case studies, visit www.rotec.net.

Rotec Celebrate as Double Finalists at the Somerset Business Awards 2022

Rotec Hydraulics Ltd celebrates being double finalists at this year’s prestigious Somerset Business Awards (SBAs) for ‘Best Use of Technology’ and ‘Somerset Manufacturer and Producer’ Award.

The awards, run annually by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, received a record- breaking number of entries and only the most outstanding businesses with a head office in Somerset were named finalists.

Our investment and integration of Parker Internet of Things (IoT) technology earned us a place at the grand final in the ‘Best Use of Technology’ award category. IoT enables engineers to remotely control and monitor various performance and safety parameters using strategically placed, wireless sensors to provide data and control systems over the internet.

Named finalist for the ‘Somerset Manufacturer and Producer of the year’ category is testament to the team’s innovative development of several bespoke winch systems for both leading regional and national names within the Utilities sector.

Somerset Chamber Executive Director, Emma Rawlings, said,

“These awards are the largest in Somerset and are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all that
is great about [Somerset’s] diverse business community.”

Paul Prouse, Managing Director, commented,

“Being named finalist in two categories is a testament to our team who have continued to provide solutions and outstanding products and services to our customers throughout a challenging period for all businesses.

“Investing in and utilising cutting-edge technologies and providing innovative solutions for our clients has always been at the heart of our business.”

The winners were announced at the Grand Final on 11th March, which celebrated the extraordinary organisations within the county of Somerset. Rotec finished as double finalists – a great achievement amongst such a high calibre of local businesses.

Pictured below (left to right): Roger Carne, Paul Prouse, Rachel Worth, Richard Lang, Mark Conniff, Josie Chamberlain, Richard Renfree and Andy Rimes.

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Rotec provides IoT technology for smart monitoring

Internet of Things (IoT) technology enables engineers to remotely control and monitor various performance and safety parameters using strategically placed, wireless sensors to provide data and control systems over the internet.

IoT technology can lead to a reduction in downtime, better response rates and speed of intervention for predictive maintenance.

Everyday examples of IoT include smart home security systems or wearable health monitors. In terms of engineering, the potential for IoT is staggering, from autonomous agricultural equipment to advanced monitoring systems allowing machinery to be monitored from any location worldwide.

With more than 7 billion connected IoT devices today, experts are expecting this number to grow to 10 billion by 2020 and 22 billion by 2025.

Rotec has invested in IoT devices to offer this forethinking technology to our new and existing customers, as part of the business’s strategy to maximise the use of the latest technology, data analysis and to find environmentally sustainable solutions for our customers. We are now the only company South of England to be offering a range of Parker IoT products suited to all sector markets that rely on hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical mechanical engineering solutions. 

This data centric and digital approach enhances both our own and our clients’ understanding of what really ‘works’ when designing hydraulics, pneumatics and electrical mechanical systems. It complements the other services delivered by of our brand such as bespoke design, custom builds, maintenance, repair and overhaul activities.

IoT can be applied to all sectors. Examples include IOS; an innovative solution to measuring the quality of hydraulic oils and hydrocarbon fuels. Lightweight, robust and portable, IOS features a laser detection particle counter, battery and pump plus memory with web page generator for data download onto any PC or laptop – enabling clients to sample oil on-site and gather results within 2minutes. The IOS’s ability to sample directly from a hydraulic reservoir, barrel, vehicle fuel tank or from a high pressure online hydraulic system with the addition of a pressure reducing adaptor makes it undoubtedly the most adaptable contamination service tool available today. 

Another Parker IoT product range Rotec are proud to offer is an extension to the IQAN mobile controller family of hardware; products we have very extensive experience and knowledge of . This product range permits clients to quickly write applications for the desired functionality of their machine, reducing programming time and expense for machine control systems.

We are currently researching and designing a custom-made, cutting-edge hydraulic system, with IoT for remote monitoring embedded into the design, for a prominent name within the UK marine industry. Using Rotec designed test case fitted with Parker IQAN and GPS hardware, our client will have the technology to remotely dial in to monitor the hydraulic system sensors. This ability to proactively monitor remotely has numerous benefits, including reducing severity of damages caused by contamination and temperature, as well as reducing downtime for non-remote monitoring activities.

To discuss your requirements, and speak to a member of our team about IoT, please contact sales@rotec.net or call 01823 348900.

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Rotec designs and builds a bespoke remote-controlled hydraulic roof window system

This unique, custom built hydraulic power unit and four cylinders was designed and made at our Taunton depot. Engineered in house, the system forms part of a remote-controlled hydraulic roof window system for a private residence. 

The hydraulic power unit, designed and built in house, incorporates a 4 Kw 415V Electric motor with a tandem Galtech gear pump, electrical solenoid operated pump unloading valves, electrical solenoid operated directional control valves and integral return line filtration.

Our engineers have also fitted a bespoke custom made electrical control system installed onto the power unit to enable our customer to control the roof windows remotely.

There are four hydraulic cylinders in total measuring 80mm bore x 40mm rod x 700 stroke. The cylinders, customer designed and made at Rotec feature integral adjustable cushioning both on the full bore and annulas side, self-aligning spherical bearings and dual load holding motion control valve fitted and hard piped to both the full bore and annulas sides.

Finished with a high build paint scheme in a colour choice of our customers, the cylinders are configured for additional external fitment of a string pot position sensor.

Custom made hydraulic winch system for the utilities sector

Rotec Hydraulics Ltd has recently completed works on a custom made hydraulic winch system for the utilities market.

Fitted to a fleet of National Grid vehicles, these bespoke winches have been designed, built, installed and tested by our in-house team of engineers and include a hydraulic system, electronic control system and mechanical components.

The Capstan winch is specifically designed for fast line speeds and has a 350Kg working load limit with a remote electrical foot pedal operation

Safety features include an integral fail safe static brake and integral dynamic braking.

The Capstan winch drum is made of stainless steel and the winch is deployed on a sliding system to allow the operator to move it from stored position to operational position easily.

National Grid is one of the world’s largest publicly listed utilities focused on transmission and distribution of electricity and gas. They play a vital role in connecting millions of people to the energy they use safely, reliably and efficiently. Rotec has worked with National Grid for several years and are proud of the strong, effective relationship they share.

At Rotec the team work on many different projects.  Much of the work undertaken requires the integration of knowledge and skills from across the Rotec team, to deliver all of the elements that make up a client brief. For more information on the services we offer, please click here.

 

Custom Designed Winching Systems

Isuzu Dmax

Rotec have been working with the Utility market for the last 20 years – designing and manufacturing winch systems for overhead line teams throughout the UK. Traditional vehicles such as landrovers were deemed the work horse and industry standard. Working with a number of organisation the challenge to replace the landrover centred on certain replacement vehicles – such as the Isuzu DMAX.

The bespoke system includes the following:

  • Electro-hydraulic PTO (Power Take Off) for the pump
  • Custom designed hydraulic manifold assembly, which uses an electronic proportional directional control valve
  • Dual pressure control which allows for pressure selection
  • Custom made hydraulic reservoir
  • Custom electronic control system, including a remote pendant with joystick control as well as a 2nd joystick located in the cab
  • Integrated electronic hand throttle for the engine
  • Quality winch and Parker hydraulic hose supplied with pressure test certification which can be traced throughout the Parker network using PTS system

The system operates in two work modes:

  • Lifting mode: capable of lifting up to 1550 Kg (SWL)
  • Self – recovery: capable of pulling 3600 Kg

The bespoke system is designed and manufactured completely in-house, fully – tested prior to despatch.