July 28, 2011

Lessons from Nan’s pantry – why labelling ‘jars’ could help manufacturers save millions, a letter to the editor

I fondly remember my Nan’s pantry as a highly organised place, filled with neatly stacked and labelled jars. I’m often reminded of this, when I visit manufacturers, in my role as a maintenance or inventory management specialist. However, it’s not always the high levels of organisation that make me reminisce; in fact it’s often the opposite.  

I’ve often turned up on site to help a customer with a breakdown, only to find a host of spares out of their antistatic packaging and a confused client, not knowing whether or not the parts are functional.
Good inventory management solves this problem and gives maintenance teams confidence when replacing faulty gear. It also increases their ability to resolve equipment failures and reduces unnecessary downtime whilst increasing production performance. However, manufacturers can eliminate excess inventory from their books, and thus get better return on net assets, by not purchasing the inventory until it’s needed. Methods of achieving this include Just in Time (JIT) inventory management, sometimes referred to as the Toyota Production System. Keeping its ‘pantry’ in order in this way could save UK manufacturing millions.


John Mitchell
Business development manager


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July 22, 2011

Maintenance specialist launches bespoke inventory evaluation service

~ New offering helps manufacturers make use of their assets and reduce capital expenditure ~ 

Field service and maintenance specialist CP Automation has launched an inventory evaluation service for UK manufacturers. The system represents a solution to warehousing problems, providing engineering managers with a report on the condition and quantity of shelved spares. The system can help cut costs by reducing waste and giving manufacturers the option to manage their assets more efficiently. 

Inventory Evaluation Service can significantly reduce capital expenditure
Managing a warehouse, as well as keeping a firm grip on the associated manufacturing processes, isn’t an easy task. Furthermore, because they are rarely the top priority for most manufacturing directors, spare parts and standby equipment are usually forgotten on a dusty shelf until the next application failure.

Not knowing whether spares are fully functional can lead to costly additional downtime and increased maintenance expense. As a result, correctly testing and labelling working equipment as it goes into storage is crucial.

CP Automation’s new solution ensures that critical inventory is tested and returned to the shelf ready to go. “Our Inventory Evaluation Service gives maintenance teams confidence when replacing faulty gear and increases their ability to investigate equipment failures,” explained John Mitchell, business development manager at CP Automation. “Furthermore, new parts can also be sourced on request, while broken ones can be repaired.” 

The system has already been successfully tested by companies ranging from blue chip manufacturers to smaller, specialist businesses. In all instances, the evaluation service aims to help when budgets and engineer’s time are stretched to the limit. 

“Knowing that the part is ready to go into your application when needed is crucial for both maintenance and production teams,” continued Mitchell. “The savings made this way can be significant.  Furthermore, to compliment this, our workshops are fully equipped to rapidly identify faults and component failures”, he concluded.

The Inventory Evaluation Service can also be used to successfully scrap an entire line or large quantities of obsolete parts. The CP Automation evaluation team will assess the parts and, if required, dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way and in accordance with regulations such as WEEE (The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive).

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May 20, 2011

Appointment set to help industry mitigate for maintenance knowledge and skills shortage

~ New CP Automation business development manager has a passion for sustainable growth ~


Business development specialist John Mitchell has joined electrical supply, repair and field service provider CP Automation from Rockwell’s customer support and maintenance division. Mitchell’s objective at CP Automation is to help companies mitigate for a skills gap and labour shortage that he believes is costing European industry millions every year.

European manufacturers are estimated to spend over €400 billion on maintenance activities per annum. However, approximately 30% of failed items can be repaired at half the cost of buying replacements, creating a potential 15% saving.

Furthermore, only five new appointments are made for every ten maintenance workers who retire. This leaves maintenance teams over burdened and creates an ever increasing skills gap, as knowledgeable and experienced workers leave industry.

The new business development manager says, “The average age of the maintenance workforce is 48 so the pace of retirement is likely to increase in the mid-term future.”

Thanks to his apprenticeship at Texas Instruments, Mitchell understands how vital it is to keep plant downtime to a minimum. “Manufacturers spend 40% of their time on reactive maintenance with little left to get to the root cause of the problem. The irony is that 60% of preventative maintenance activities are actually unnecessary, so getting the right plan in place is essential.”

Mitchell, who is expecting a baby girl in summer 2011, enjoys cycling and other sports. He spends much of his spare time on the family’s allotment where he grows vegetables and passionately believes that quality energy sources are crucial for a healthy lifestyle.

Mitchell believes that CP Automation is in a mode of growth and that his experience in engineering, marketing and sales, across all major industry sectors will bring additional
know-how to an already established team.

Ends: 312 words

Editor’s note: The statistics in this document are sourced from Maintenance Technology, Plant Services and ARC Advisory Group.

For further information contact:
Tony Young, CP Automation
Unit 8, Ashley Industrial Estate, Exmoor Avenue,
Scunthorpe, DN15 8NJ
Telephone: +44 (0)1724 851 515
Fax: +44 (0)1724 851516
www: http://www.cpaltd.net/ and http://www.euroservltd.net/
e-mail: tony.young@cpaltd.net

Press enquiries: Richard Stone or Oana Baetica
Business Innovation Centre, Staffordshire Technology Park,
Beaconside, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST18 0AR
Telephone: +44 (0) 1785 225416
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk or oana@stonejunction.co.uk
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/ 
Blog: http://www.stone-junction.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/richiestone
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/technicalPR
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/technicalpragency

About CP Automation: CP Automation is a specialist in the repair and replacement of automation equipment including electronic boards, PLCs and Ac and DC drives. It was established to provide an independent maintenance service, without exclusive ties to any manufacturer. However, it does have strong relationships with the principal inverter, encoder, resistors and motor manufacturers.

Ref: CPA048/05/11


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April 18, 2011

Maintenance specialist offers extended range of braking resistors

~ Extended range ideal for automation, general electrical and elevation applications ~

Field service and maintenance specialist, CP Automation has added Cressall Resistors’ extended range of ES Series dynamic braking resistors to its portfolio. The comprehensive range of compact dynamic braking resistors, which was launched by Cressall in April 2011, is available at short notice and easy to install. The series provides continuous power ratings from 0.6kW to 8kW and has a maximum operating voltage of 1000V DC.


The resistors are ideal for automation, general electrical engineering and elevation applications. They can be easily applied to motor control, variable speed drive control systems, lifts and elevators, cranes and winches, conveyors and test loads.

The ES series feature high overload capacity and close tolerances as well as low inductance and a temperature stable element. They are rated for repetitive duty and are noise-free, making them ideal for use in built environment applications.

“Cressall’s ES braking resistors are based on HP coils, spiral wire-wound on ceramic formers,” explained Tony Young a director of CP Automation. “These elements have a high overload capacity and cool rapidly. The resistance material is a high grade stainless steel with no more than seven per cent resistance increase over the whole temperature range. This is in contrast to cheaper designs, which can increase in resistance during the heating cycle by as much as 50%, resulting in lower current and less effective braking,” he enthused.

There are eight standard enclosure sizes in the range, made of galvanized steel, although other sizes can be built on request. Enclosure lengths range from 288mm to 500mm and weights extend from 1.4 to 11.5kgs. Options include a thermal switch and terminal cover.

Ends: 288 words

Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from CP Automation, paste the following link into your RSS reader http://cpa-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml.

For further information contact:
Tony Young, CP Automation
Unit 8, Ashley Industrial Estate, Exmoor Avenue,
Scunthorpe, DN15 8NJ
Telephone: +44 (0)1724 851 515
Fax: +44 (0)1724 851516
www: http://www.cpaltd.net/ and http://www.euroservltd.net/
e-mail: tony.young@cpaltd.net

Press enquiries: Oana Baetica
Business Innovation Centre, Staffordshire Technology Park,
Beaconside, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST18 0AR
Telephone: +44 (0) 1785 225416
e-mail: oana@stonejunction.co.uk
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/
Blog: http://www.stone-junction.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/richiestone
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/technicalPR
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/technicalpragency

About CP Automation: CP Automation is a specialist in the repair and replacement of automation equipment including electronic boards, PLCs and Ac and DC drives. It was established to provide an independent maintenance service, without exclusive ties to any manufacturer. However, it does have strong relationships with the principal inverter, encoder, resistors and motor manufacturers.

Ref: CPA047/04/04

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March 18, 2011

RevCon reaches 200 installed units in the UK


~ Energy saving technology has huge potential in testing engines, transmission and braking industry ~


CP Automation, the UK distributor of Elektrotechnishe Anlagen’s RevCon system has completed its 200th UK application using the system. RevCon’s global installed base is now in excess of 10,000 units and the product can be found in industries from testing for engines, transmission and braking to the built environment.

Amongst CP Automation’s installations in the UK are One Canada Square, the tallest elevator in Europe, and the newly re-opened Express Lift Tower in Northampton.

RevCon, which returns the energy produced when a motor slows down to the grid, has proven hugely popular in the testing for engines, transmission and braking industry. Because the motors driving such applications are required to brake constantly as the application slows down and stops, the potential for saving with the unit is much larger than in some other sectors.

“The 200th installed unit isn’t just a milestone for us, it’s a demonstration that there is a huge market for RevCon in the United Kingdom,” explained Tony Young, managing director of CP Automation and its sister company Euroserv. “Sometimes technology makes perfect sense; because it saves more money and energy than it costs; making it the very definition of ROI. This is one of those times.”

RevCon can use a feed-in tariff, similar to those found on domestic and semi commercial wind turbines, to allow the customer to charge the electricity supplier for the returnedpower should the building or factory not use the energy locally. RevCon will work with any AC drive and is much more cost efficient than using two inverters to achieve the same effect. The product can be retrofitted to any inverter, irrespective of design or manufacturer, thanks to its versatile non-software driven installation protocol.

Ends: 350 words
Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from CP Automation, paste the following link into your RSS reader

http://cpa-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I can recommend the following free package Sharp Reader.

For further information contact:
Tony Young, CP Automation
Unit 8, Ashley Industrial Estate, Exmoor Avenue,
Scunthorpe, DN15 8NJ
Telephone: +44 (0)1724 851 515
Fax: +44 (0)1724 851516
www: www.cpaltd.net and www.euroservltd.net
e-mail: tony.young@cpaltd.net
Blog: www.cpa-pr.blogspot.com

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, Business Innovation Centre, Staffordshire Technology Park,
Beaconside, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST18 0AR
Telephone: +44 (0) 1785 225416
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk
www: www.stonejunction.co.uk
Blog: www.stone-junction.blogspot.com

About CP Automation: CP Automation is a specialist in the repair and replacement of automation equipment including electronic boards, PLCs and Ac and DC drives. It was established to provide an independent maintenance service, without exclusive ties to any manufacturer. However, it does have strong relationships with the principal inverter, encoder, resistors and motor manufacturers.

Ref: CPA043/10/10
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February 16, 2011

Online buying for automation and control engineers

Online buying for automation and control engineers. VSD maintenace.
~ CP Automation and Euroserv launch new Web sites with e-commerce functionality at their heart ~


Independent Service Company CP Automation has launched new, e-commerce enabled, industrial repair and field service web sites for itself and its sister company Euroserv.


The two new sites cover the two company’s twin areas of focus; the supply, repair and field service of industrial electronic boards, PLC's, AC drives,resistors, DC drives and inverters. Both CP Automation and Euroserv provide an independent supply chain fulfilling their clients MRO needs; simply choosing the most appropriate product from any manufacturer for each job.

As well as online buying, the sites feature a host of information on technologies ranging from regenerative braking, dynamic braking and energy efficiency to electronic and electrical repairs and maintenance.

The two Web sites went live early in 2011 and the company's managing director Tony Young believes they are a reflection of the transformed purchasing methods in British industry. "Engineer's buying habits have changed hugely in the last decade," explained Young. “It’s now not unusual for automation companies to receive component orders without ever having spoken with the person buying the equipment. This is a huge contrast with the way the automation industry did business in the past, when salesmen’s visits, posted catalogues and reams of printed datasheets were the norm.”

One of the most innovative products on the two new sites is RevCon, a system which returns the energy produced when a motor slows down to the grid. RevCon can use a feed-in tariff, similar to those found on domestic and semi commercial wind turbines and can be retrofitted to any inverter, irrespective of design or manufacturer, thanks to its versatile non-software driven installation protocol. Because many motors, in applications such as pumps, fans, elevation and conveying are required to brake constantly as the application slows down and stops, the potential for saving with the unit is huge.

CP Automation’s Web site can be found at www.cpaltd.net, while Euroserv’s equivalent is www.euroservltd.net.

Ends: 337 words

Editor’s note: If you want to stay constantly up to date on the latest news from CP Automation, paste the following link into your RSS reader http://cpa-pr.blogspot.com/atom.xml. If you don’t have an RSS reader, I can recommend the following free package Sharp Reader.

For further information contact:
Tony Young, CP Automation
Unit 8, Ashley Industrial Estate, Exmoor Avenue,
Scunthorpe, DN15 8NJ
Telephone: +44 (0)1724 851 515
Fax: +44 (0)1724 851516
www: www.cpaltd.net and www.euroservltd.net
e-mail: tony.young@cpaltd.net

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Business Innovation Centre, Staffordshire Technology Park,
Beaconside, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST18 0AR
Telephone: +44 (0) 1785 225416
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk
www: www.stonejunction.co.uk
Blog: www.stone-junction.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RichieStone

About CP Automation: CP Automation is a specialist in the repair and replacement of automation equipment including electronic boards, PLCs and AC and DC drives. It was established to provide an independent maintenance service, without exclusive ties to any manufacturer. However, it does have strong relationships with the principal inverter, encoder, resistors and motor manufacturers.

Ref: CPA045/12/10

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