Miltoncontact: March 2011

Saturday, 12 March 2011

A transforming Bedfordshire manufacturing SME

British manufacturing can thrive when it provides specialist quality products like those of Bedfordshire company Siga Electronics. Its products can be found in equipment under the sea, in the air and even in space.

Gennaro Coppolaro of Polar Communications had invited me to do the on site photography as part of developing Siga's new website. With a broader interest in successful businesses, I was of course also curious about their products.

Siga specialises in producing coils in general and toroidal transformers in particular. Transformers are integral to almost all electrical equipment. Their function is to change one voltage to another, that can be higher or lower. Toroidal transformers, where the components involve wire coils around a doughnut shaped core, are beneficial as they avoid the creation of disruptive electrical fields during their operation.

Siga's strength lies in producing such transformers in sizes ranging from smaller than a matchstick head to tens of centimeters in diameter. They can be wrapped, varnished and waterproofed as well as fulfilling the client's functional specifications.

Whilst I ploughed through the diverse collection of Siga coils and transformers, I was continually surprised to find out where this one or that was going to be used.

The range could vary between hi-tech and lo-tech, such as the juxtaposition of the apparently simple carboard covered coil that was actually destined for a hospital X-ray machine; to the beatiful bowl with a faint circumferential winding that would end up in one of the many foghorns used around oil- and other platforms in distant seas.

Their final destination could also be either at the bottom of one of our oceans in an underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle), flying through the air in a Chinook Helicopter, or in a probe traversing the immense reaches of interplanetary space.

British manufacturing SMEs like Siga Electronics are successful, even in the current harsh economic climate and, as my patient minder Peter reminded me at the end of the photographic day, provide products used in the depths of the oceans to the expanses of space.

Friday, 11 March 2011

Sunlight, daylight and finding the right lightbulb

This article looks at the available sunlight and different types of artificial light, and how they differ. The aim is to give you an overiew to make a better choice for whatever light you need. Read it in conjunction with the slides above.

Sunlight and daylight on a sunny day. these provide that optimum light for most of us, whether to prevent SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), grow plants or for photography. Living in the UK (cloudy for two thirds of the time) or at night, we have a wide range of artificial lights that attempt to provide an acceptable alternative. And most of the time our light-bulbs, fluorescent tubes and even LED's are adequate. However, in certain situations, the type of light is critical. For me it is with photography, for others it may be whether they suffer depression in the dark winter months and want to try light therapy.

The way to understand the quality of the light we see, we can describe it in terms of colour, through the rainbow sequence of violet, blue, green, yellow, orange to red; If a light produces all colours in equal proportion, we see it as white. We can describe different white lights in terms of is a light more bluish or yellowish. To measure the colour of light more accurately, we can look at the amount of light produced over the full range of colours, in what is called the spectrum of light. Scientists measure the colour in wavelengths; visible light extends from violet at about 400nm (1/000 000 04 metres!) to red at 800nm. However, you can get a visual impression of how light spectra differ in the charts above.

Sunlight
Our ideal is to try and match sunlight. The sun produces an almost even spread of light from violet to red, with a tendency to produce more light towards the blue end of its spectrum. In fact, the spectrum of sunlight is similar to that of a black body heated to 5250 deg C - that fits, the sun is hot!

Incandescent Light Bulb
Until recently, the most familiar lightbulb was the incandescent light bulb. In it, a tungsten filament is heated until it glows. They typically reach temperatures of 2000 deg C to 3000 deg C (below the melting point of tungsten at 3422 deg C) The light has less blue and increasing amounts of yellow and red. Taking a photo without correction under such light gives a yellow cast to the picture. This can be corrected physically by using a blue or daylight filter, that cuts out some of the red and yellow light. For continuous lighting (in contrast to flash, see below), this is actually a very good solution with one proviso, that you can deal with the heat generated by the bulbs. More than 90% of the energy is used to produce heat!

Halogen Light
The smaller Halogen bulbs are a bit more efficient and the light is less yellow. However they work on the same principle (heating a tungsten wire) but in a halogen gas atmosphere. This means that they can be run hotter to give a whiter light. Most of the energy still goes to producing heat!

Compact Fluorescent
The main household replacement to the incandenscent light bulb is the compact fluorescent or energy saver bulb. They are much more energy efficient for the ss vapourto ame brightness, using only a third of the energy required by an incandescent bulb. They work by using electricity to make a gas glow. The glow is mainly in the ultraviolet, dangerous and invisible. So the inner parts of the tubes are coated with a phosphor. When the phosphor is lit by the UV light, it absorbs it and then emits the trapped energy as visible and safe light.

There is a benefit - and a snag with this process. The benefit is that by choosing a suitable phosphor, you can get a white light with your preferred tint (warmer yellow or daylight). The snag is that the light emitted is not in a continuous spectrum, but in a range of peaks. However, you can obtain daylight bulbs that work sufficiently well for photography and the eye. The reason is that the colour detection by the camera and that of the eye are based on observing Red Green and Blue light peaks (hence the use of the term RGB in photo-editing programs).

Special fluorescent tubes provide light at wavelengths that are optimal for plant growth, either in the Greenhouse or in the aquarium.

Light Emitting Diodes
A future growth area is the use of white LEDs (Light emitting diodes). These are actually blue LEDs that shine on a phosphor coat which then re-emits light at different colours. Most white LEDs emit light in two peaks, one at the blue end of the spectrum and the other wide peak around the yellow end of the spectrum. Again, for photography and a better match for our eyes, you need to establish that the white LED chosen actually gives sufficient peaks of red, green and blue light.
Sometimes this information is not easy to find!

Xenon Camera Flash
The last light source that is easily accessible, to photographers at least, is the Xenon flashlight. The light is created in a sudden discharge over a fraction of a second. It emits a continuous spectrum that mimics that of sunlight very well!

So what lights do I use as a photographer?
If I do not have any control, I still prefer sunlight as my light source. Next is light from incandescent bulbs, because the white balance setting in my camera can most effectively compensate for this. Fluorescent lighting is a nightmare as it can have colour tinges that the automatic colour settings on my camera do not correct for.

Where I can control lighting I use two different sources.

For continuous light, I use daylight compact fluorescent bulbs for photography. They do not generate as much heat as the old incandescent halogen bulbs.
Otherwise, I use Xenon flashlights as you can get cheap but reliable ones for manual operation , as slave flashes in addition to a branded one for your camera.

If you do not take light sources seriously, this can seriously impact on your photography, plant growing, aquariums or combating SAD!

This article gives you an introduction into different light types and their spectra, so that you can make more informed choices when looking for a suitable light, when daylight is not available!

What lights are you using? What lights do you need? Go and find out

Tuesday, 8 March 2011

Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

Last week was the culmination of considerable planning and logistics, when four green building services companies from Germany came to the UK for the NRW Mission to London, 2011. The trip included one to one business meetings through the European Enterprise Network, seminars, attendance at Ecobuild 2011, site visits and evening networking.

But how is a mission trip like this put together?

Miriam and Marie share a joke

The lynch-pin in this case was the Handelskammer (Trade Association) Duesseldorf, in the form of the highly engaged Marie-Theres Luetje. She was enabling a project by NRW International, who co-ordinate support for export from North Rhine-Westphalia, with the support of Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

The tender for delivery was won by Europartnerships Ltd in the UK, whose director, Mark Dodsworth, has decades of experience with similar projects throughout Europe. He brought in a team of people to facilitate the various stages.

Miriam Palaschinski assisted Marie at the German end, to interest relevant companies in the program. Researchers such as Nick Thomas and Petra Riemenschneider conducted the research and found UK contacts. An administrative team including Nora Aguirre, helped Mark put the final plans in place.

I've worked with Mark as a partner on other projects, this time I was there to be on the ground in the UK as facilitator and interpreter between the German companies and the UK organisations we would meet.

In the Victoria Pub, Bayswater

The one factor that I particularly enjoy, even if it does make for much longer days, is the social networking that is integral to any Europartnerships program. When you visit a foreign country on business, it is easy to only see the insides of hotels and exhibitions. Mark makes sure that the evenings are spent in a relaxed atmosphere, such as the Victoria Pub in Bayswater included, with UK guests.
The success of such a mission would not be possible without the over two centuries or more of accumulated experience by all involved in assisting such missions!

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

NRW Mission Brochure at http://goo.gl/XbOOF

A project of NRW International.
Supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Organised by Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf.
Realised by Mark Dodsworth & team, Europartnerships Ltd.

Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK

As facilitator with the NRW Mission to London, for green building service companies, we had the privilege of visiting two retrofit sites in London. These demonstrated the commitment to find out how existing old build could be made more energy efficient.

Retrofit in Peckham

The first site was a house in Peckham that was part of a local housing association's stock. We arrived to find the site in mid completion by experienced partners Greenstructures. Solar heating panels had been fitted and we could still see how th excess heat could be stored for later retrieval in halide heat sinks in the attic. Another heat store was buried under the now concreted over floor, with its underfloor heating. Polyurethane based insulation was being either applied internally (where the external facade had to be maintained) or internally.

This site was part of an increasing knowledge base on how to speed up effective retrofitting in the future. With 25 million properties in the UK needing to be adapted, This would be no mean feat to meet the government's own targets.

Low Carbon Zone, Southwark Council

The second site was the Southwark Council Low Carbon Zone, working with their architect partners from The-Facility. Here we learnt that often the challenge in more deprived areas is not just physical, but social too. Sceptical and suspicious residents have to be won over in a process that ultimately gives them empowerment and improvement of their environment. The target was to reduce carbon emissions by 20.12% by 2012 within the zone.

With 80% of the UKs properties being existing build, not tackling retrofitting now would make it impossible for the UK to meet its energy saving targets.

By tackling some of the oldest and most difficult stock and a variety of areas within the UK, the knowledge gained would speed up retrofitting existing stock in the future.

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

Personal Impressions: Ecobuild

North Balcony, outside EEN meetings

Ecobuild 2011, with its move from Earls Court to Excel this year reminds me of a quote from the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy":" Space is Big, really Big". That is certainly how Ecobuild 2011 felt, really big, with its East and West entrances served by separate stations on the Docklands Light Railway. However, I was there with some focus, accompanying two of the four green building services companies who were part of the German NRW Mission to London and Ecobuild.

With an excess of 1300 exhibitors, the North and South halls were packed with stands from the large multinationals to the small few square metre start-ups. There was not only variety but also duplication, as you might expect. As one architect commented to me, there were also over 100 thermal/solar panel providers as companies jumped into this market. Numerous meetings and seminars were held in the galleries located on the floor above the long sides of the halls.

Meetings at stands

Wandering through, from one location to another, the impression was of new technologies and materials whilst there were also demonstrations of using natural materials from straw, wood to compressed chalk as building matter. I was taken on the one hand by the natural stone available in multiple shades from quarries throughout the UK; and on the other by a demonstration of harvesting the energy of people's footfall.

Keywords that emerged were the "Passivhaus" standard and "Retrofit".
My pocket pedometer clocked up over 8000 steps (6km) on the day I was accompanying two German companies to their specific meetings. The saving grace was access to the VIP lounge upstairs for a seat and drink at various points during the day.

It is practically impossible to gather a full insight of everything at Ecobuild during your visit. So if you are thinking of coming to the next exhibition, I recommend searching through the exhibitors online and selecting highlights to visit in advance.

One thing I can say about the visit - It's worth it!

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies

The best way to get to know a business is - through the people representing it! Here are my personal portraits of four green building services companies that I accompanied to Ecobuild and on site visits. I was working for Europartnerships, helping with the NRW Mission to London 2011.

Martin Boehm, Boehm Elektrobau

Martin is the third generation director of Boehm Elektrobau. The company specialises in all aspects of electrical and communication technologies. Modestly describing himself as "an Electrician", his strength is in smart control technologies. These are essential in both newbuild and old buildings that are retrofitted for low or zero energy consumption. Reference projects in Germany include Porsche and the Igus factory in Cologne.

Eberhard Juengst, JOS Cleaning North

Company owner Eberhard was the most ebullient of the group. He enthusiastically described the company's patented low pressure vortex cleaning system, for building and other surfaces, at every opportunity. The process has been used on Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey in the UK, because it cleans thoroughly without abrading surfaces. With 80% of UK properties requiring energy efficient retrofits, there will be a lot of external surface restoration to be done too. He claimed poor English but wasn't afraid to use it - and showed that he was a better speaker than he thought

Franz Noll, Fugunternehmen Noll

Franz frequently works in close partnership with Eberhard. Specialising in mortar and joint repairs, his company is also qualified to work in more hazardous areas such as gas and electric power stations. Quiet at first, the glint in his eye revealed an active sense of humour. We were both proud of the way the phrase "My company specialises in the restoration and renovation of historic buildings" tripped off his tongue during introductions. On site visits, his keen eye spotted the thermal and water bridges that were giving the retrofitter's grief.

Andreas Zawierucha, Natural Interior Decoration

Andreas' expertise is in the skin of buildings, both internal and external. Whilst insulation and energy efficiency are obvious factors, I was interested in learning about another environmentally friendly part of his portfolio. He provides interior coatings based on natural plant and mineral products. They provide a greener living environment with great aesthetics, also allowing the walls to breathe. Andreas exudes an air of calm competence that underlines his years of experience culminating to his present status as a certified expert for ecological paintwork.

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London and Ecobuild 2011

Four German companies came to London for several packed days of visits, meetings, seminars and fact-finding - about the tremendous opportunities in the green building sector.

If there is one overriding lesson that I took away from these hectic days, accompanying these companies, it was that whilst newbuild might be the obvious market for energy efficiency, it is the need to retrofit the 80% of old housing stock that will be the mainstay of this sector. The other thing I learnt was that the word "Retrofit" had entered the English vocabulary and was here to stay!

The four companies covered smart control technology for housing; renovation and restoration and the aesthetic, green interiors. you can find out more about the visitors here.
The program was in five parts:

Seminars and talks by experts resident in the UK, giving an overview of the sector.
One to one meetings with other European companies through the European Enterprise Network.
Visiting EcoBuild 2011 in general and talking to selected companies in particular.
Site visits to retrofit sites within London.
Networking meetings with European and UK delegates over evening meals.

It was a packed program of 18h days that provided participants with an overview of the green construction sector - and with useful contacts.

Want to know what they learnt and how it was achieved? Well I'm afraid you should have been part of the mission! However, the articles and their links below will give some insight.

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

Friday, 4 March 2011

Help Catch a Covent Garden Bagsnatcher

An enjoyable last evening for our visitors to London before returning to Duesseldorf was ruined at a stroke when a bagsnatcher stole Miriam's bag. It contained cards, identity papers, mobile and other personal belongings. You can help!

Even just passing this message on could help find a link back to the thieves and remove one more piece of scum from our capital's streets. En masse, visitors to our shores spend £30bn here per year. However, I'm asking on Miriam's behalf, because we know how upset we would be in her situation.

We had a late lunch and chatted as a group of nine in Henry's Cafe Bar in Henrietta Street on Thursday 3rd March 2011. The group then moved on to a nearby pub, The Nag's head in Covent Garden. Miriam's bag was probably snatched in the evening when the pub was busy. If you are offered or find cards or German identity papers, personal items or anything else with the name Miriam P**********i, please, please send me the information at chris@miltoncontact.com.

One thief can affect hundreds of visitors directly and besmirch our reputation as news gets around. Doing nothing lets them get away with it!

Please contact me, at chris@miltoncontact.com, if you can help catch the scum who stole Miriam P**********i's bag and personal possessions.