Supplying precision instrumentation and monitoring solutions across a wide range of industrial sectors

Comark Instruments is a leading international manufacturer of high quality, precision thermometers, pressure and humidity meters, data loggers and wireless monitoring systems. With 50 years’ experience in instrumentation, Comark now supplies over one million instruments per annum, ranging from economy catering products through to sophisticated wireless temperature and humidity monitoring systems.

Formed in 1961, Comark manufactured the first of many of its electronic measuring instruments in 1963 and continues to provide class leading products that can aid compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements. The majority of the business aimed at the food industry although Comark also supplies other industrial sectors including healthcare, scientific research, laboratories, HVAC and refrigeration.

Our RF500 wireless monitoring system enables real-time, 24-hour monitoring of temperature and humidity, especially important in high risk areas in the food chain, blood banks and laboratories where the loss of product or brand reputation could be disastrous. Fully automated data collection saves on labour time too.

The range of handheld thermometers together with an extensive range of probes caters for diverse temperature applications with combinations to suit all budgets.

To maintain quality standards, and to demonstrate to regulatory bodies and customers alike that adequate safeguards are in force, Comark believes that accurate calibration of instruments is vital.

As part of Fluke Group, Comark offers a choice of repair and calibration services from their UKAS accredited temperature and humidity laboratory at the Norwich facility. For customers who do not want their operations disrupted by having to return instruments, there is a dedicated service team to provide national coverage for UKAS accredited on-site certification.

The Comark head office is based in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, UK with a manufacturing facility located in Norwich, Norfolk, UK. The Hitchin office handles sales throughout the world, via a dedicated UK sales force and a network of authorised distributors.

Sales and distribution throughout USA, Canada and Latin America are handled by Comark Instruments located in Beaverton, Oregon.
»Comark Instruments website

Based in Birmingham, Reynaers Ltd have been selling aluminium systems throughout the UK for over 20 years. Products include aluminium windows, doors, curtain walling, sunscreening and systems that can incorporate photovoltaic panels.

Throughout its 20 year history Reynaers has built an enviable reputation in the residential, education, healthcare and commercial markets with numerous projects spanning all sectors. High profile projects include the Athletes Village in London, Oxford University, Heathrow Airport Walkways and on an international level the Coca Cola Headquarters in Madrid and Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi.

Sustainability is always at the top of the agenda for Reynaers as demonstrated by the recent ISO14001 accreditation. Furthermore Reynaers products are always being developed with optimum sustainable performance in mind. The latest product to be released is the Concept System 104 (CS104). This window system has unparalleled thermal performance allowing Uw values down to 0.77 W/m2k, reducing heat loss from the building and allowing maximum comfort for the building occupier. Other systems include our Unitised Curtain Wall system CW86. The top end façade system allows modular construction off site, minimising on site installation time and giving a unique visual appearance.

As well as our innovative product range Reynaers offers technical and sales support to both specifiers and fabricators through each stage of the process, from design through to installation. Our 20 years of experience in the UK is backed up by support from our head office, based in Belgium. Reynaers group was established in 1965 and has grown substantially throughout the years. Reynaers now employs over 1100 employees worldwide and are present in 60 countries with business premises in at least 28 of these markets.
» Reynaers website

Advanced Gas Sensing Technologies

Ion Science is a UK manufacturer of leading edge gas detectors for the rapid, accurate detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), SF6 leaks and many other gases. The range of handheld, portable and fixed detectors include; PhoCheck Tiger VOC detector, Tiger Select for benzene and total aromatic compounds (TACs), GasClam ground gas monitor, MVI mercury vapour analyser, FirstCheck multi-gas detector and TVOC fixed VOC detector.

Ion Science photoionisation detection (PID) technology has received independent verification as the best performing on the market, outperforming all competition for speed, accuracy, reliability, quality and optimal performance within humid environments.

The dynamic detection range of the PhoCheck Tiger is capable of detecting VOCs from 1 parts per billion (ppb) to 20,000 parts per million (ppm), offering the widest measurement range of any other PID/VOC detector available.

The portfolio of gas detection instruments is distributed globally and widely used within applications such as landfill, environmental, petrochemical, industrial hygiene, and many more.

The UK head quarters can be found near Cambridge, UK, with operations in the USA and Germany and distributors around the globe.
»Ion Science website

Free Safety Guide: Principles of Machine Safety – Safebook 4

For a complete guide to machine safety, the definitive guide is free, and downloadable instantly without registration. The Rockwell Automation Principles of Machine Safety (Safebook 4) is a 150-page authoritative publication, covering Regulations, Standards, Safety Strategy, Protective Measures and Complimentary Equipment, Safety Distance Calculation, Prevention of Unexpected Power-up, Safety Related Control Systems and Functional Safety, System design according to EN ISO 13849-1:2008, System Design According to IEC/EN 62061 and Safety Related Control System Structure Considerations.

You can download your copy of Safebook 4 here, and there’s the opportunity to request a hard-copy edition too.

» Rockwell Automation website

Unbeatable customer benefits, high reliability and precision at low cost

Sensirion is a leading Swiss high-tech company with headquarters in Stäfa in Canton Zurich as well as sales offices in the USA (California), Japan, South Korea and China. Its highly skilled team of over 230 employees develops and produces CMOS-based sensor components and systems for a variety of OEM applications. The range of high-quality products includes humidity sensors (RH&T), liquid flow sensors, mass flow meters, mass flow controllers, and differential pressure sensors.

The company was founded as a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in 1998. Within a short period of time, Sensirion has become a reliable partner for the global OEM industry, providing millions of sensors each year. Today, Sensirion’s humidity sensors and flow sensor solutions are successfully used in the medical field, in process automation, and in the automotive, HVAC and consumer goods industries.

Sensirion owes its success to its unique and innovative CMOSens® Technology (30 patents). This technology integrates sensor elements and evaluation circuitry within a single semiconductor chip. In the highly competitive global market, this system integration offers unbeatable customer benefits, in particular its high reliability and precision at low cost.

The worldwide sales are backed by a steadily growing international sales network. In addition to the Swiss headquarters and four branch offices, Sensirion is covered by eight independent representatives and four distributors. The vast technical know-how of the sales and development teams guarantees competent support and efficient customer service.

Sensirion makes every effort to ensure that its products and services satisfy the most stringent quality specifications. An important step in this process was certification of the company’s quality management system to the ISO/TS 16949:2002 standard in March 2008. This enhances and supplements the certification to the ISO 9001:2000 standard received in October 2003. The ISO certifications are a reflection of their ongoing efforts to design processes that achieve the highest possible customer satisfaction and to maximize the support of their customers’ value-added processes.

» Sensirion website

Sensors and instrumentation for the hydraulics industry

If you’re looking for a hands-on, independent sensor and instrumentation supplier, particularly in the hydraulics industry, start with us. Northamptonshire-based Control Integration Ltd can help you with everything from choosing the sensor to installation. We can find the best sensor for your application, using over 30 years’ experience. We deal in temperature, rotary position and speed, load weighing and force, pressure measurement, linear displacement, level sensing, magnetic, capacitor sensor/switches and all the associated fittings, readout and control equipment.

For sensor testing and qualification we use independent calibration houses to ensure that what we claim is correct. As the business owner, Morten Moller is directly involved in the front-line and any issues will be resolved quickly and swiftly – there’s no middle management to negotiate. We have contacts throughout the industry and are able to draw on a lot of knowledge and information.

» Control Integration website

As a distributor for four major speciality chemical companies in the metalworking and finishing industry Stowlin Croftshaw are in an enviable position in the UK with respect to choices of cleaning methods and products available to offer their customers.

Apart from our own cleaning and treatment technologies of Vaposol® AMC and Cool-Phos® Stowlin Croftshaw have products available from Petroferm, Mykal, Henkel Technologies and Hubbard Hall.

Looking at solvent cleaning we have vapour and immersion types together with safe wiping solvent products from Petroferm, and Mykal. Many of these products hold important approvals.

When it comes to alkaline cleaners there is a broad range available to us from all four of our principals. We can offer products based on caustic alkali or silicates or blends of both together with nearly neutral materials for more delicate metals. There are products suitable for dip and spray applications and even blends specifically designed for ultrasonic cleaning. We can prescribe products that are compatible with subsequent processes like pre-treatments for ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Some materials are highly approved by the aerospace and electronics industries.

Neutral cleaners are an important area for machine shops where it is important to clean components between machining operations and at the completion of the component where it is also important to protect the metal – for example, rust prevention. Here again we offer a range of ambient and elevated temperature cleaning products.

Within our general chemical range we have acidic cleaners and de-scalers, paint removers, pre-treatments, metal blacking and colouring products for most metals together with metal protectives and many maintenance cleaners for vehicles and other applications.

» Stowlin Croftshaw website

Your source for thermography cameras and industrial videoendoscopes

Crimson Industrial Vision Ltd supply premium products from select manufacturers, to service the full spectrum of Industrial Inspection from the Ultra Violet to the Infrared, and as an adjunct we also supply a simple equipment health monitoring system that despite its simplicity of installation, can deliver precise information about the condition of equipment driven by 3-phase electric motors, and help identify the rate of change in machine condition – in effect a health plan for machinery.

Remote Visual inspection products enable the user to inspect areas that are hidden from normal inspection – if you can reach it with a hand and mirror, or direct line of sight, then we can provide a solution. We supply video endoscopes for industrial inspection, with lengths running from 3m to over 15m for long range probes, at diameters of 8.4mm or 6mm – the INVIZ VUMAN range has proved very popular in Power Generation, Oil and Gas and Chemical industries, as well as in Food and Beverage and Pharmaceutical, where features such as remote focus and articulation provide significant improvements to the way operators work, speeding up the inspection, and reducing the risk of probe damage.

We also supply a range of cost effective Pipe and Tube inspection cameras, and specialist inspection cameras to fit into narrow openings, or for use with UV LEDs in NDT inspections. Suppliers include viZaar Industrial Imaging AG from Germany and FORT SA from France. So if your application is an inspection of an orbital weld in a 12mm pipe, or corrosion inspection of a 500mm pipe, we have a product to deliver the best image, enabling you to focus on the determination of the problem.

We carry the fully range of portable Infrared Imaging and Thermography cameras from FLIR Systems, including the range topping P660 as well as the tool-box tools such as the FLIR i5 and FLIR i7. Thermography applications for Electrical and Mechanical Inspection – identifying problems with both static and rotating equipment, overloaded electrical installations and damaged insulation are well known.

More recently Thermography has been used in the built environment to speed up restoration of water damage caused by Floods and Fire, diagnose problems with damp and mould-growth and inspect buildings for energy loss and air tightness. In the medical field the use of infrared cameras is well known in studying the effects of circulatory problems and perfusion, but also has applications in mass population screening for infections such as Avian Flu, SARS etc. More recently there has been an increase in interest in oncology applications with considerable research in this area.

Our range of equipment is available to purchase or rent, and we are able to provide back-up service to support your requirements. With over 20 years experience working with both academic and industrial research organisations, as well as the Predictive Maintenence, NDT and Reliability sectors, our team has a wealth of experience and knowledge to help you get the most out of our range of Visible and Thermal Imaging equipment. Don’t delay – call Crimson today!

» Crimson Industrial Vision website

Cask Marque: the sign of a great pint of cask ale

The ‘Cask Marque’ is a sign that appears outside pubs guaranteeing that inside you will get a great pint of cask ale.

The Cask Marque scheme is operated by an independent body called Cask Marque Trust which is a limited company, limited by guarantee, and a non profit making organisation. The company is run by a management committee elected by its members. The members who pay a subscription include representatives from brewers, retailers, trade bodies and consumer groups.

Pubs that join the scheme are visited unannounced by an independent assessor twice a year. The assessor checks all cask ales on sale for – temperature, appearance, aroma and taste. There are currently 45 Cask Marque Assessors, who have between them spent over 1,000 years working in the beer industry either as brewers or working on quality standards. All have had extensive taste training before joining Cask Marque and are regularly examined at Brewing Research International to ensure that they are able to recognise the various flavours necessary to be a Cask Marque assessor.

If all beers reach the required standard, then the pub passes and it receives a plaque, framed certificate and merchandising material to inform its customers of the award and their rights.

Consumers are encouraged to comment independently on the quality of cask ale in the pub to the Cask Marque organisation and further visits will be made if required.

There are over 6,500 pubs showing the Cask Marque plaque meaning you can find pubs selling great cask ale anywhere in Britain.

CaskFinder is designed to help you enjoy and appreciate Cask Ale wherever you may be in the UK! Combining data from The Cask Marque pub quality inspection scheme and The Cyclops® Beer standardisation initiative, both industry sponsored bodies, CaskFinder uses the location-awareness of your phone to show you nearby pubs, brewers and events.

Ever been out driving and fancied a cracking pint of cask beer but not known where to go? Now there are a host of ways you can find Cask Marque pubs using iPhone, sat navs or regular mobile phones.

Annually, Cask Marque run over 200 training courses teaching bar staff and managers how to look after their cellar.

» Cask Marque website