Precision is the key ingredient for consistent product quality which is why an exact temperature measurement and exact temperature monitoring are given high priority when it comes to operational safety for machines and industrial plants. Consistent product quality can only be provided for through precise temperature settings and monitoring. Imprecise temperature measurements even increase the risk of accident or malfunction. This can mean a reduction in the lifetime of both machine and product. False measurements can even lead to an increase in energy consumption. This leads to undesirable results, such as increased costs, customer dissatisfaction and significant reputation damage.

Early problem identification

Problems can be quickly identified and fixed by regularly inspecting the temperature sensors, which are exposed to mechanical, thermal and chemical stress, especially during industrial use. The only way to gain accurate information regarding the difference between actual temperature and measured temperature is by regularly calibrating the sensors. Which is why the calibration of temperature sensors is given particularly high priority and is absolutely necessary, for both economic and safety reasons, as well as obligatory in many industrial areas.

At present, users finds themselves facing a wide range of very different models for this purpose. In-line and surface sensors are often used to measure temperature, and the number of touch-less IR temperature sensors in use is growing. This means the tasks at hand are becoming more and more extensive when it comes to calibration techniques.

The multi-calibrator – the right principle for any task

Temperature calibrators and calibration baths are already commonplace as part of the service technician’s standard equipment in many areas in developmental and research laboratories, testing bays, and production. With their diverse range of products, SIKA offers a wide-range of solutions for various measuring problems. Customers across the world rely on the technical standards of SIKA products. And to make sure they can always be called on to tackle fresh challenges, the North Hesse Company has introduced another innovative product to the market, the TP Multi-Series. The company continues to rely on high-quality products featuring long life, high precision, and simple and practical use. This goes for the multi-function calibrators, too, in their combination of precision and flexibility. These compact and robust calibrators are easy to transport, simple to use, and have all the operational features needed for on-site testing.

Equipment and technical information

With its excellent resolution of 0.01 degrees Celsius, the TP Multi-Series is available for use in three temperature ranges. One from -35 to 165 degrees Celsius, as well as for ambient temperatures up to 200 and 400 degrees Celsius.
The calibrators are equipped with a precisely regulated metal block or fluid tank, which is isolated and built into the housing, as a heat source. Various measuring sleeves or
calibrating liquids are used for different calibration tasks.

The temperature control is found on the front panel. The set temperature is indicated here on an LED display. The current calibration temperature and active calibrating function are shown alternately. This gives the user an overview of the current state of calibration at all times.

Thanks to its many uses and unsurpassed measuring precision, the TP Multi-Series is a
cherished tool among service mechanics and it has become impossible to imagine
monitoring an industrial plant without it.

Download SIKA’s original Press Release for this news story

Despite the current economic climate, Star Instruments Limited remains a shining success story for local industry with business continuing to grow and thrive both in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and internationally.

Commenting on the business expansion, Stephen Donnelly, Managing Director of Star Instruments Limited said:

“This expansion strengthens our market position and gives us the springboard necessary to further grow our business globally. We are already seeing success in the Republic of Ireland, Europe, USA, Asia and Australia and through the efforts of our skilled management team and dedicated workforce, we have been able to grow in a sector that has been particularly hard hit in recent years. The new premises will include improved IT and communications infrastructure and will make our business more accessible, while the creation of jobs will provide additional sales support to our Dunmurry Headquarters.”

Star Instruments Limited was formed in Dunmurry in 1965. Having held and maintained the ISO:9001 Quality Management System since April 1989, the company has gained the reputation as one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of high quality instrumentation,  including such products as pressure gauges, temperature gauges and flow control instruments. Their customers include: BSS Industrial, Warmflow Engineering Co Ltd., Firebird, Dean & Wood and Abbey Seals International Ltd.

Despite the current economic climate, Star Instruments Limited remains a shining success story for the local industry with business continuing to grow and thrive nationally and internationally.

Commenting on the business expansion, Stephen Donnelly, Managing Director of Star Instruments Limited said:

“This expansion strengthens our market position and gives us the springboard necessary to further grow our business globally. We are already seeing success in Europe, USA, Asia and Australia and through the efforts of our skilled management team and dedicated workforce we have been able to grow in a sector that has been particularly hard hit in recent years.”

“The move from Barkway, Royston to new premises in St Neots, will include improved IT and communications infrastructure and will not only make our business more accessible but will also facilitate our recent expansion plans along with future job creation in the region.” Mr. Donnelly added.

Star Instruments Limited was formed in 1965. Having held and maintained the ISO 9001 Quality Management System since April 1989, the company has gained the reputation of a leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality instrumentation including such products as pressure gauges, temperature gauges and flow control instruments. Their customers include: BSS Industrial, Dosing Solutions Ltd., Dean & Wood, Safety Industries Ltd. and Maxon International.

A combined heat and power (CHP) unit is used to produce heat and electricity. The principle is based on combined heat and power (CHP). The plant is usually operated at the point of consumption. This can be, for example, a biogas plant, an industrial plant, a public building or a private residence. Systems with combustion engines that power a generator are the most widely used. The heat from the exhaust gas and the cooling water circuit of the engines can be used, for example, for the heating of industrial water, for heating the fermenter of a biogas plant or as process heat. The fuels most often used are fuel oil, vegetable oil, biodiesel, natural gas or biogas.

Optimal operation of a combined heat and power unit requires a reliable temperature sensor system. The temperature must be controlled precisely and reliably at several measuring points. Thus the exhaust gas temperature, which varies in a temperature range of 600 to 800°C, is measured at the cylinders as well as before and after the exhaust gas turbocharger. In view of the increasingly stringent exhaust gas standards, the feedback control of the engine is becoming more important in the measurement of the exhaust gas temperature. SIKA thermocouples are particularly well suited for this use and therefore also widely used in combined heat and power units. Measurement using the resistance thermometer Pt1000 has recently become possible in this temperature range. SIKA has many years of experience in the area of temperature measurement in the marine engine sector, even in harsh environmental conditions. For many years the measurement equipment manufacturer has equipped diesel engines with its accurate, long-term stable and durable quality products.

Oil temperature measurement and cooling water monitoring within the CHP plant continue to play a significant role. It is particularly important in safeguarding the system from overheating. The internal combustion engine is safeguarded, for example, from overheating by a cooling water circuit. The higher the temperature difference between cooling water supply and return, the more efficient the CHP plant is. Furthermore, some fuels must be preheated to a certain temperature. SIKA temperature sensors and resistance thermometers can help to operate CHP units even more safely and more efficiently. The temperature sensors and thermometers are highly reliable and cover a wide measurement range. Above all, however, SIKA products are characterised by the fact that they can be both standard solutions and tailor-made to customer specifications.

Download SIKA’s original Press Release

When local company Star Instruments Ltd. approached cmi with a specific need for affordable, proactive managed IT support and an infrastructure upgrade to help streamline their IT systems and improve continuity between their Dunmurry and Hertfordshire factories, cmi identified the Virtual IT Assistant (VITA) as the most suitable solution.

Star instruments Ltd. was formed in 1965, together with its sister company, Dunmurry based, Dunellen Limited, and since then has gained the reputation as a leading manufacturer of high quality, Pressure, Temperature and Flow instrumentation.

Despite the current economic climate, Star Instruments Ltd. remains the shining success story for local manufacturing with business continuing to grow and thrive in both the UK and international markets. With a significant increase in business in recent years it became apparent that the IT systems needed to be brought up to speed to meet growing business demands.

Following a recommendation Stephen Donnelly, Chief Executive of Star Instruments Ltd. sought advice from cmi:
“Our business has grown organically over the years and like most companies we have evolved with the technology and became heavily reliant on IT. Our computer systems are key to our business with vital information such as administrative information, bespoke applications, quotes and customer records being utilised on a daily basis between the Belfast and Hertfordshire sites.

Although our business was depending on our IT systems more and more our processes lacked the continuity and consistency we required to meet our business demands. We were keen to find an IT provider who could supply us with the software, hardware, backup and support we required without having to go to a number of different providers. In July 2010, I approached cmi who were able to fit this requirement and provide everything we needed for the infrastructure upgrade and managed support.”

Heidi Dunn, Business Development Manager from cmi said:
“Star Instruments Limited had a specific need for affordable, proactive IT support and an infrastructure upgrade to help streamline their IT systems and improve continuity between their Dunmurry and Hertfordshire sites. We are delighted to have been appointed their IT service provider and look forward to supporting them with their IT needs as they continue to grow and expand in the market.”

Following an initial consultation with Star Instruments Limited to establish their IT requirements cmi carried out a complete audit of their existing IT Infrastructure at the Dunmurry and UK sites. Using this data cmi could accurately assess the current IT usage of the site and infrastructure in place so they could subsequently design, plan and project manage an infrastructure upgrade and provide a support solution designed to meet their individual business needs and budget.

As Star Instruments Ltd. required more than just remote access to troubleshoot issues and fix problems. cmi demonstrated that they would benefit from the Virtual IT Assistant (VITA), a managed support solution which focuses on proactively monitoring IT systems to keep them operational and available so they can concentrate their efforts on growing their business, managing costs and increasing revenues. VITA works by utilising a comprehensive, integrated software solution to proactively manage the entire IT infrastructure. The application is installed on your servers and workstations and carries out a wide range of monitoring, reporting and systems administration tasks and asset management.

By utilizing the VITA technology, daily, weekly and monthly IT tasks can be automated and scheduled for Star Instruments Ltd. to ensure they are completed and reported consistently without fail. As the tasks run, valuable data is gathered to spot trends and patterns which can be used to plan system changes or strategic enhancements. The advanced reporting capability of VITA provides Star Instruments Ltd. with detailed information on the performance of the IT Infrastructure, effectively highlighting areas where efficiency gains can be made. In addition, the Asset and Inventory Management capability of VITA enables IT all communication issues associated with users and systems to be tracked, reported and retained for analytical purposes and accurate budget forecasting.

View this article as it appeared in Business Eye magazine

Star Instruments Ltd. has registered with the Environment Agency under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. The WEEE Directive strives to develop the environmental performance of all those involved in the life-cycle of Electrical and Electronic Equipment, encouraging the responsible treatment, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE.

Ciaron Fearon, Operations Director for Star Instruments Ltd. said, “We at Star Instruments Limited believe respect for the environment is an important business responsibility. By registering as a WEEE producer, we are not only demonstrating our commitment to this belief, but also our commitment to comply with the WEEE Directive, when it applies to any product that we supply.”

WEEE makes up an estimated 1 million tonnes of the UK’s discarded waste, a figure that is increasing by 5% each year. Due to its electrical nature, some of this waste can be hazardous and toxic; therefore if it is incorrectly disposed of can pollute our air, water and soil. The WEEE Directive is a legislative act of the European Union which attempts to prevent such pollution by applying legislation and regulations on WEEE producers to ensure their actions are responsible and environmentally sound, which not only assures the public that such waste is being correctly treated, but also reduces the landfill space required through the encouragement of reuse and recycling.

The Environment Agency has provided Star Instruments Ltd. with the producer registration number; WEE/BK2634XT. Star Instruments Ltd. are registered with the Producer Compliance Scheme, Comply Direct.

From more information on WEEE and the Producer Compliance Scheme visit Comply Direct

From more information on WEEE Legislation and Regulations visit the Environment Agency

We are extremely pleased to announce that STAR INSTRUMENTS LTD have been appointed as the UK agent for GASLI instruments.

Star Instruments Ltd are a well established UK based manufacturer of high quality pressure and temperature instrumentation and the addition of the Gasli range of quality, competitively priced instruments is an important addition to their product range.

They intend to offer the same high quality service that you have come to expect from Gasli with the added convenience of accessing their UK based Sales and Distribution centre at Barkway, Royston.

Their highly experienced and dedicated sales team look forward to handling your future enquires and orders.