Automation demonstrates best of breed drive equipment at Drives & Controls 2012

CP Automation will be exhibiting its RevCon regenerative unit, which allows the user to return braking energy back into the mains supply, at Drives & Controls 2012. The company will also have RevCon’s RHF two way harmonic filter units on show at stand number D1628.

A RevCon regenerative unit allows braking energy to be returned to the mains

Also on display will be the complete range of Roxburgh UL, CE marked EMI/RFI Filters from 1A to 820A. Typical industries include automation, machine tools, HVAC and gensets and common applications include machine tools, heating, motor drives, inverters and servos, compressors, lifts, escalators and cranes.

Another highlight of CP Automation’s stand will be external dynamic brake choppers rated up to 100KW, as well as universal regenerative braking units available up to 690V. These work with any manufacturer's inverter and feature options including RFI filters, harmonic filters, DC bus feed for systems and a DC to DC boost chopper.

Rounding off the display will be a slip ring motor controller rated up to 690V supply and 1850A. The Sprint JL/X range, which uses a thyristor stack to provide a firing angle controlled three phase output, is suitable for controlling slip ring motors in either two or four quadrant modes.

Specialising in supply, repair and field service for industrial electronic boards, PLC's, AC drives, resistors, DC drives and inverters, CP Automation’s workshops are fully equipped to rapidly identify faults and component failures and to provide a speedy professional service.

“Our experienced and highly trained engineers provide both in-house and on-site servicing of AC drives, DC drives and control systems,” said Tony Young, director of CP Automation.

“We have a vast stock of drives, motors, resistors and components available, borne of distribution agreements with Cressall Resistors, Electroplan Revcon gmbh, Alpha 3 Manufacturing and many other major automation equipment suppliers.”

EMC filters for machine tools, HVAC, servo drives, VSDs, generators and induction lighting

~ DEM Manufacturing and CP Automation strike technical partnership ~

Electrical and automation maintenance and repair specialist, CP Automation has agreed a distribution deal with DEM Manufacturing. CP Automation will sell the company’s Roxburgh inline electromagnetic compatibility and electro-magnetic interferences noise filter in the UK. The arrangement will complement CP Automation’s existing maintenance services and product range, which includes inverters, power resistors and PLCs. 

Roxburgh filters

DEM Manufacturing designs and produces cost-effective standard and custom solutions, including industrial filters and general EMC filters, for some of the world´s leading OEMs. The company’s Roxburgh industrial filters range includes single-phase filters, three-phase filters and neutral filters from 1A to 1000A.

DEM’s general EMC filters range includes IEC ( International Electrotechnical Commission) inlet filters, chassis mounting filters and PCB (Printed Circuit Board) filters. In addition, Roxburgh offers a wide range of EMC components including common mode and differential mode EMC chokes, spark quenchers and open toroidal chokes.

Typical applications for industrial filters include machine tools, HVAC, servo drives, variable speed drives, generators, renewable energy, marine and induction lighting applications. Roxburgh also offers EMC filters designed to meet military and defence standards MIL461E and DEF59-41.

All Roxburgh EMC filters are designed and tested to meet Directive 2006/95/EC and UL1283 rev 5 product safety standards. Approvals held include UL (Underwriters Laboratories) and CSA (Canadian Standards Association).

“DEM Manufacturing sells through a variety of channels,” says Darren Fuller, the company’s sales manager. “Adding CP Automation into that equation enables us to strengthen our presence further. The fact that our new partner already provides products and services used in variable speed drive applications makes them a good fit to supply and support our equipment.”

“The Roxburgh range is recognised in the industry as reliable and robust,” explained John Mitchell, business development manager of CP Automation. “Our current offering, which includes Cressall dynamic braking resistors and REVCON regeneration units, is applicable irrespective of the drive manufacturer. I think this level of independence is something that the DEM range genuinely compliments.”

“By adding EMC Filters to the portfolio, we are able to help further, as many of our customers are designing big systems where it’s not always economical to fit an individual EMC filter for each drive in the panel,” continued Mitchell. “What’s more doing so wouldn’t necessarily mean that the result would meet EMC tests. More and more we are seeing design engineers looking to install one EMC filter for the entire system. Equally with manufacturing lead times changing, we have seen an increase in demand for projects running late due to product availability.”

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

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).

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

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

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