TPi January 2019

Business & market news

ESAB acquires GCE ESAB Welding & Cutting Products has acquired Gas Control Equipment (GCE). With headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, GCE offers full solutions for general industrial, healthcare, high-purity and science and research applications.

and automation, ESAB’s filler metals, equipment and accessories bring solutions to customers around the world. ESAB Welding & Cutting Products – USA www.esab.com Gas Control Equipment – Sweden www.gcegroup.com

pressure gases, as well as cutting and welding equipment,” said ESAB presi- dent Shyam Kambeyanda. “The oppor- tunities created by combining GCE with ESAB’s global presence and continuous improvement culture will drive both businesses to achieve new heights of success.” From processes in welding and cutting to technologies in mechanised cutting

“GCE businesses have more than 100 years of experience developing, manu- facturing and distributing equipment for pressure and flow control of high

Investment brings benefits to utilities and industry with dynamic water flow testing

within the tube. That means a greater range of measurements can be taken and averaged out for an accurate overall reading. Therefore, a key aspect of the test rig is to better understand the velocity profile of low flow. We’re looking at designing transducers so the beam covers a bigger area, without being affected by false data – for example, by reflections of the wall of the flow tube. “The investment gives us the ability to fine-tune transducers, so customers can achieve more and minimise errors in measurement. Dynamic flow measure- ment is a big step for the industry, and the investment puts Ceramtec in the best place to advise customers on their water flow measurement.” Ceramtec says that a range of companies will see real benefits, citing more accurate billing in utility meters, precise measurement in medical equipment and improved fuel flow monitoring in automotive, industrial or oil and gas applications. The findings from the dynamic flow test rig enable Ceramtec to manufacture more precise water-coupled ultrasonic sensors. By controlling all manufacturing aspects of the piezoceramic, Ceramtec tunes its transducers to exhibit superior temperature stability, customised beam profiles and increased coupling and sensitivity. CeramTec UK Ltd – UK electroceramics@ceramtec.co.uk www.ceramtec.co.uk

A particular benefit of the investment is the enhanced ability to examine the difference between laminar and turbulent flow – a significant factor in achieving accurate water flow readings, as Ceramtec’s business development manager, Charles Dowling, explained: “The design of flow tubes can actually affect the accuracy of flow measurement, as friction slows the velocity at the edges of the tube. In laminar flow – which is low flow and consistent – it is hard to measure the variations at the edges because the acoustic beam can’t reach them. “That isn’t a problem at higher flow, because turbulence is created and flow isn’t localised to any particular point

Investment in dynamic flow testing equipment by Ceramtec has delivered improved analysis of water flow measurements. This means that users of water coupled ultrasonic sensors – including utilities companies, industrial process controllers and manufacturers of medical devices – can realise significant commercial benefits. The new rig, installed at Ceramtec’s manufacturing facility in Southampton, UK, measures water flow from 0°C to 80°C in a number of environments. The result not only affects the in-house design of ultrasonic sensors, but also gives Ceramtec additional data to guide customers on the best combination of sensor and flow tube.

Dynamic flow testing equipment at CeramTec

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL January 2019

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