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Eco-friendly Exploration Strategies of LNG by Total

The exploration strategy for Liquefied natural gas by total makes up one of five key pillars, including strategic focus based on the analysis of the main petroleum basins. Total’s basin-mastering teams share their knowledge and also assess plays on particular basins to maintain basin entry options to guarantee a firm and level-headed exploration portfolio.

The extraction, processing and transportation of liquefied natural gas require expert know-how. Total being a trailblazer of the LNG industry, aims to apply an integrated strategy that spreads from the initial exploration up to gas marketing.

The strategy includes gas production, liquefaction, logistics, marketing as well as regasification. Total is involved in each phase of the natural gas value chain and the company is currently among the leading players in this segment at position 2.

Eco-friendly Solutions

Total has embarked on the expansion of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) as one of the company’s flagship strategic priorities. The goal of the strategy is to enhance a pioneer industrial sector at a fast pace by introducing multiple initiatives such as the cutting-edge Northern Lights project.

The swift and substantial implementation of CCUS solutions is one of the main contributors to maintaining the global temperature rise under 2°C by the year 2100. The strategy will assist in decarbonizing industrial facilities, including cement factories, power plants, petrochemicals complexes and steel plants and petrochemicals.

Total energetically promotes the growth of the marine vibrator; an upcoming-generation seismic marine source. The technology offers solutions to some vital challenges, enabling the company to contain any noise impact for marine life during the exploration process. It also improves the imaging of deep locations as well as the repeatability of the company’s 4D acquisitions.

Total teams innovate more efficient, more economical solutions for the production and transportation of liquefied natural gas to ensure that the company remains Productive in a highly competitive environment. These inventions result in new gas resources within reach and at the same time reduce the energy intake and also lowers the environmental footprint of the company’s operations. Total’s goal is to increase the share of liquefied natural gas in their product mix to exceed 60% by the year 2035.

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Tips on starting a new business from Millhouses Accountancy

If you’re currently starting your own business or just considering it, you have a great opportunity to build it properly from the ground up, creating a great foundation for a successful business. Even more importantly, however, it’s a great opportunity to avoid some of the most costly mistakes than can ruin a business or worse!

You’re either working on your own dream or someone else’s – anon

Avoiding the biggest mistakes people make when starting a new business

Many people, when starting a new business, don’t give enough thought to the accounting and bookkeeping side of things. But of course, it’s perfectly understandable how that might happen. Our first worry with any new business is about the first sales, and then getting paid, and then creating steady some cash-flow, and then managing customers, and then finding the next sale… and it goes on. However, before you know it, you’re a year down the line and you’ve got a pile of invoices & receipts to sort through. Whichever way you look at it there’s a better way to do it – start with a solid financial foundation and get your accountant in place from the start.

A good way to think about starting a new business is to think of it like building a new house. Who in their right mind would try to do the architects drawings themselves, or save money by just not following building regulations, or just estimate the materials instead of using an engineer? And before all of that comes the foundation of any business – the financial side of things. Get the foundations right and you give yourself a solid base to build your business on.

Make sure you’ve for the right training you’ll need

Millhouses Accountancy have many years’ experience helping people start and grow their businesses. They provide the full range of supportive services – from standard business accounting and tax returns right the way through to virtual financial director services.

These days you’ll probably need an online accounting package so get some training on how to use it. Do you know how to properly do a VAT return or if you need to? Find this out too. Who should pay Corporation tax and when? How is best to pay yourself? Book some time in with your accountant and learn the basics of good business financials from the start

Other business support services:

Consider booking in some sessions with your accountant on:

Call Millhouses Accountancy today if you’re thinking of starting a business – and make sure you build a solid foundation for a successful business 

Water Parks & Aquatic Shows

Most of us are familiar with the big theme parks such as Euro Disney or the Magic Kingdom at Disney Park Resorts. And if you’ve ever visited one you will have most likely seen a water feature. These are anything upwards from small fountains to dancing water shows, and they’re often a big favourite of the crowds (especially the younger and older members of the audience!) However, water parks can actually be huge. As an example, the biggest water parks in the world, in size order, are as follows:

  • Chimelong Water Park at Guangzhou, China
  • Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
  • Blizzard Beach at Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
  • Thermas Dos Laranjais, Olimpia, Brazil
  • Bahamas Aquaventure Water Park, Paradise Island, Bahamas

I’ve personally heard of Walt Disney World, but besides that, I’ve never heard of any of those other names! Which is amazing considering just those water parks alone attracted around 11 million visitors in total in 2018 (these are the most recent statistics I could find).

Aquatic Show’s, by contrast, are normally more of a spectator event. And one of the most recognised manufacturers and installers of these aquaitc shows is France’s very own Aquatique Show. There were established in 1979 and began presenting 2 to 5 shows per week in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. Their first exports outside of Europe began in 1989 with an installation for the Bicentenary of Australia. One of their best claims to fame was the creation if the biggest water show in Europe at Futuroscope Park, Poitiers, in France, in 1991, before presenting their aquatic shows throughout the Middle East in 1998 including the Dubai Shopping Festival. In 2001 they made their first installations of water shows in China before the installation of the world’s largest temporary show in Wolfsburg for Volkswagen in 2007.

With a focus on continually producing new and innovative new shows and on new movements such as the water tunner effect, the water fountain show, new textures and more powerful lighting effects on their water effects, Aquatique Show continue to be one of the world’s leading designers and producers of water shows. Their amazing water special effect continues to wow crowds throughout the world, with the creation of water effect effect year-on-year. These water features are usually tailor-made, however, there are some standardised displays allowing for more consistent production. For more information see their website.

Insurance Claims Management

Can I first start by saying I’m not an insurance expert and any statistics quoted here are not from my own research, rather taken from other companies websites I found during my research. In other words, this article is just for fun – please don’t use any information here to make financial decisions and make sure to get proper advice and do your own research first. According to a recent article I read on the Statista website (link at bottom of page), the insurance industry in the United Kingdom is the largest in Europe. Or even more surprisingly, it turns out it’s the fourth largest in the world! These is even more surprising when you consider that in terms of population, we’re only the 21st biggest country in the world (out of 235) behind countries like Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt and Iran. We’re also only 82nd in the world in terms of land area – a medium population on a little island. So, as one of the worlds leading exporters of insurance, we’re certainly appear to be punching above our weight!

The article goes on to say that in 2016, the UK insurance industry employed over 111 thousand people, and by 2017, the tax contributions from this industry were over 72 billion pounds which apparently is the largest contribution of any sector in the country. You can broadly define insurance into two main categories – life and non-life. Life insurance premiums in the UK in 2016 amounted to 168.9 billion euros whereas the rest of Europe combined amounted to under 700 billion euros in total. in the UK, there are also a further 82 billion euros of non-life insurance (e.g. car, business or home insurance) which is the second only to Germany in Europe.

Suddenly it makes sense that many of the leading companies in Europe’s insurance industry are found in the UK – 5 of the top 10 reside in the UK with Prudential being the largest with a market share of almost $54 billion USD. So you can imagine the huge scale of insurance claims management these companies will have to undertake even in an average year so moving away from the old fashioned paper style insurance claims to digital presents opportunities for huge savings. “In an increasingly digital world, removing the need to submit paper bills to health insurers offers medical providers and their patients a fantastic opportunity for improvement. The savings for insurers can be dramatic: manual claims submissions in the US are estimated to cost 74 cents, electronic submissions just 26 cents – a 63% improvement.” – Cegidim Insurance Solutions

Statista article link: https://www.statista.com/topics/4511/insurance-industry-uk/

Sports halls and gymnasiums as focal points for communities

Sports halls and gymnasiums are often very important focal points for communities providing warm, dry areas to exercise along with changing facilities and toilets. Schools and municipal facilities traditionally provided this type of resource to communities, however, increasingly, private companies are beginning to invest in this market such as private gyms. This is most likely due to a combination of the ageing infrastructure which typically dates back to the 30-or-so-years post-war which is when many of these structures were built, and also to increasing austerity & a move towards private investment in areas which were once provided by local government. What is the result? Obviously, rising prices is something we have all seen, however, what we also have now is access to new facilities which are properly maintained. Old concrete and steel structures are being replaced by modern, often wooden structures which are more eco-friendly and certainly more pleasing to the eye.

With this move to more modern building types come a whole new industry focused on providing these structures. A good example of which is SMC2, based in France, who specialise in leisure and tourism construction. On the subject of their multi-sport gymnasiums, “the design of a temperate gymnasium combines high environmental and architectural quality: it combines a glue-laminated timber structure with a translucent textile membrane roof. Our textile membrane roofs have a 17-year guarantee. Their curved shapes inspired by the world’s major sports facilities are intemporal. The air handling and double-walled roof provide thermal comfort without any risk of condensation.”

Communities need sport facilities that are not only safe and accessible, but also suitable for use. Suitable means not only of the correct size and shape, but also able to be used all through the year. Modern buildings are generally better often better insulated than the older buildings they’re replacing which is good news for us all and better for the environment. Whether it’s
tennis court construction you’re after or new gymnasium construction, taking the heating and environmental considerations into consideration is certainly something that all planners and architects need to do

 

Have you ever needed a debt collection agency?

If you’ve been running your own business or involved in company accounts for any length of time you’ll know how difficult it can be to keep up with all the different financial tasks that need to be kept up-to-date. Even more so if you’ve ever run a small business you’ll certainly understand what it’s like managing the sales, the marketing, the invoicing, the bookkeeping, the VAT, the admin, the purchases, the accounts, etc. And this is even before we get to dealing with overdue invoices! It’s a fact of life that we’ll all one day have one of those customers who simply won’t pay for whatever reason – and this is where you may need the services of a debt collection agency. Maybe your customer is just doesn’t want to pay or perhaps they’re just one of those irritating companies that avoid paying anything they can get away with. Whatever the reason, it might be time to type ‘debt collection Sheffield’ or ‘debt collection agency near me’ into the search engine.

B2B Debt Collection Sheffield

B2B Debt Collection Sheffield

Even if you’ve never needed to use the services of a debt collection agency, it’s very likely that one day you will. A debt collection agency is an independent company who job it is to recover money owed to your business on your behalf – agencies that specialise in collecting debt where the original creditor cannot get arrears paid by themselves.

Business to business debt collection agencies can take the stress out of chasing your debtors. And problem debtors are a big problem according to a recent report – it’s been estimated that 63% of small businesses are struggling with late payment issues at any one time and this is only likely to get worse during the Coronavirus lock-down as unemployment rises and businesses increasingly struggle here in the UK and further afield. It has probably never been more important to stay up to date with invoices by making sure they are constantly paid on time. Small problems can sometimes snowball and cash-flow problems are something that can cause even the most profitable businesses to struggle.

If you do feel you would like some help chasing your debtors, and need a debt collection agency in Sheffield, give Collective Solutions 4 Business (CS4B) a call on 0114 231 6080. With many years’ experience providing the full range of bespoke debt collection agency services such as debt recovery, credit control, debt collection, invoicing, tracing, and company reports, they’re on-hand to help you get your finances back on track.

Dehumidifiers in industrial applications

I was working in London in late 2000 when the capital was hit by extremely heavy rain that caused disruption on a huge scale with the inevitable flooding that followed affected numerous parts of the city. At that time, as noted by a subsequent report by the Greater London Assembly, around half of residents living in flood-prone areas were unaware to the danger that flooding posed to them so it came as a shock to many. Add to this the quantity of basement and cellar conversions in zones where land is flood prone, and you can envisage the wide-scale disruption that this extreme weather caused many Londoners – both businesses and residents the same.

industrial dehumidifiers used in the food industry among others

At that time, I was working with a company that, among other things, leased dehumidifiers for industrial applications such as drying out properties and buildings. Normally used for things like drying plaster or decorating, there was suddenly a massive demand for these machines by homeowners, once the waters had subsided and people were able to see the damage that had been caused.

Dehumidifiers work by reducing the humidity in a room. They remove excess moisture from the air by drawing it over the refrigerant-cooled coils using a fan allowing the excess moisture to condense. In works in a similar way to how the moisture forms on the glass of a cold drink on a hot day. Warm air holds much more moisture than cold air. You cool the air and it lets go of the moisture.

Dehumidifiers are important not just for homes where they’re often used to remove moisture from the air to tackle damp and mould, but they’re also very important in the workplace. Too much humidity, or simply excessive variation in levels of humidity in a workplace and you can end up with big problems. They used in many diverse industries such as the agri-food and food processing sector; industrial bakeries & pastries; the pharmaceutical industry; the chemicals industry; and all companies involved in the process of seed storage. The
industrial dehumidifier provides a fast and efficient way to remove moisture industrial (i.e. industrially) scale. Without them, many of the foods and chemicals we use on a daily basis would be much more expensive or even not able to be produced in the first place

From a Sheffield SEO company – why organic content creation is important

Generating more, genuine, high-quality traffic to your website – the type that actually converts your visitors into leads – should be one of the main aims of a successful SEO campaign. So, when planning out your SEO strategy, you should at minimum take into consideration two main factors which will help you to achieve this; organic content creation and transparent link-building (preferably done by those engaging with your website copy). This article talks about three reasons, according to Seven Creative (a web design and Sheffield SEO agency) why this is the case. With that in mind, we’ve put together a guide to help explain why organic content should continue to form the cornerstone of your SEO campaign. 

Seven Creative are perfectly placed to help with your search engine optimisation either as a one-off or on a longer-term basis. This Sheffield SEO company have been providing SEO services for many years.

About Seven Creative – Sheffield SEO company

Seven Creative are perfectly placed to help with your search engine optimisation either as a one-off or on a longer-term basis. This Sheffield SEO company have been providing SEO services for many years. Focusing on the production of shareable, engaging website copy, they have a proven track record when it comes to successfully ranking sites across a wide spectrum of trades.

Any New Website Content Can Be Carefully Optimised

A steady stream of carefully-optimise, valuable site pages will come as a result of continued organic content production. Each new page presents a chance to for you to integrate search terms that you wish to be found for; whilst the accompanying meta data you can fill in is another factor the search engines will be weighing up when debating the value of your site.

For each page of copy that is written for your site, you can add in relevant images, which when added correctly can also give your site a boost. As long as you consistently stick to good practices, you’re sure to see an improvement for your website in the search engine ranking positions.

Useful Information Will Increase Website Traffic Engagement

Focusing on the production of content that offers genuine value to your target website users can benefit you in a number ways. Primarily, it will ensure that you’re providing your potential customers with useful information; that will ultimately persuade them to choose your services. As a result of this, it’s likely that those users will engage with your site for a longer spell of time.

Google will look fondly upon this; as the longer a visitor spends on your site, the more the search engines will flag it as a valuable source of information. Finally, if the traffic you receive likes the content, they’re more likely to delve into the deeper structure of your site. This means a reduced bounce rate and more subsequent points scored with the search engines.

Seeing Value Means People Share

If people see value in the content of your business blog, they may feel compelled to share it across social media and other bookmarking sites; which can only have a positive effect. Not only will the links built back to your site by this activity act as golden flags to the search engine algorithms, they will also raise exposure of the shared content you’ve written and get in front of more potentially high-value website visitors.f and when other web users start to link to your site, the subsequent SEO benefits can see you rise further up the ranking positions.

Profitable, Long-Term SEO Investment Strategy for Your Business

SEO can become a profitable long-term investment for your business – as long as your strategy is carefully-planned out. To speak to one of the SEO experts in Sheffield at Seven Creative about tailoring a campaign to suit your needs, give one of their team a call today on 0114 383 0711.

Sheffield SEO services help your website reach its potential

To make sure that your website indexes will within the Google search results, its content needs to be well-optimised. This is vital when it comes to the implementation of successful SEO strategy – which needn’t be a tiresome process. When done right, it can generate plenty more genuine traffic to your site, so it’s well worth your consideration. As Sheffield SEO experts, Seven Creative are well-placed to help and have put together a guide surrounding their top tips to make sure you do it right.

The Importance of Long-Term SEO Services in Sheffield

For monthly campaigns in particular, patience is vital as SEO needs to be something that you invest in for the long term. A website rewrite can improve your positions fairly quickly depending on how competitive your keywords are, but if you then don’t continue to add regular, organic content -whilst your competitors do – you’ll soon find yourself sliding back down the SERP’s.

Get Blogging with Valuable Content

When optimised correctly, business blogging content is perhaps the most important factor with relation to how the Google Algorithm deciphers your website. Engaging news articles, case studies and blog articles are the best way to show the search engines that you have something of value to offer on your site, so this really is an opportunity not to be missed.

Decide Your Focus

Always plan how you want your SEO campaign to pan out. If you work within a competitive trade, for example, you’ll be more likely to see page 1 results by targeting one of your niche services. Similarly, adding a geographical focus to your activity can also help you maximise the benefits of SEO.

Optimise, Always

If you’ve hired an SEO company for one-off site work but now want to try it yourself, it’s essential to maintain good practices such as adding descriptions and alternative title text to any new images you add to your site. Whenever it comes to adding new content to your site, make sure that it’s optimised for the search engines.

The Company You Work with Should Provide a Report

If you’ve had a bad experience with paid services previously, that will only be heightened. A company that provides you with detailed monthly reports can be worth their weight in gold; and you’d be wise to choose such a firm to carry out any SEO work that you need. The mystery surrounding SEO needn’t be a problem, as the right company will be fully transparent.

Contact These SEO Experts in Sheffield for More

Seven Creative’s SEO experts in Sheffield can provide you with engaging web copy; that will stand the test of Google updates to fire you up the rankings – and then keep you there. Call them today on 0114 383 0711 to find out more.

Rising Base Metals Rocketing to the Top?

Base metals are essential in the growth of the infrastructure, manufacturing and utilities sector of the UK.  The mining of base metals refers to major industrial non-ferrous metals like nickel, copper, tin and aluminium.  It is the dramatically increasing energy and urbanisation demand which are making the need for the metals rise, as well as the fact that they are used for automotive systems, metal coatings, electrical systems and make many goods more durable.  But will fluctuating prices negatively impact the base metal market?

 

Nickel Plating is Key

In 2019, Lead-zinc accounted for 24% of the global market and copper accounted for 16%.  Zinc was popular due to its specific characteristics, such as its unique bonding abilities with other metals, anti-corrosive properties and it has the ability to galvanise well.  The attributes have boosted its use considerably.  Copper is predicted to rise, forecast until 2023, thanks to its proven strength in the infrastructure sector.  The use of tin is also set to rise through the use of tin coating for electronic components in the automotive sector.  However, the most interesting sales increase seems to be a very specific area of the Nickel world to increase its sales – this seems to be nickel plating – though the reasons or sectors remain unspecified.

 

Information Regarding Nickel Plating

There are two types of Nickel Plating – Electroless Nickel Plating (ENP) and Diffused Nickel Plating.

Diffused Nickel Plating is a simple process which is the most effective nickel coating, ensuring a high resistance level against corrosion.  This is thanks to its total encapsulation plating method.  It has been proven that their corrosion resistance is more effective than that of the highest grade stainless steel, whilst at the same time being much cheaper.  Diffused Nickel Plating is the perfect plating method if your components are used in marine or salt environments.  This gives them a 30 year sub-sea guarantee.

In a similar way, Electroless Nickel Plating is a high quality but cost effective solution to metal coating which can extend the longevity of components dramatically.  It is creates a good resistance against corrosion and is often used in marine, oil and defence industries.    Electroless Nickel Plating prevents rust, wear and friction.  It can also be hardened through the use of heat treatment and is guaranteed not to chip or flake, like paint or varnish does.

Electroless Nickel Plating and Diffused Nickel Plating

A question often asked is…What is the different between the two types of Nickel Plating?  The basic answer is very simple – the plating processes used are very different.

It has already been deciphered that Diffused Nickel Plating occurs when the encapsulation plating method is performed but this is not the same as Electroless Nickel Plating.  The process for this occurs when a layer of even thickness metal is deposited evenly over the surface of a component, no matter what its shape.  The uniformity in its coating means that it is the perform plating method for components which are used in particular industries, such as Healthcare, Defence, Automotive and Aerospace, where the components are often not standard, need to be hygienic, regularly cleaned and are under constant stress.

Bronze, Silver, Gold

America, pre-1965.  Everyone had some silver coins, saved silver coins and spent silver coins – silver money was a part of natural, normal everyday life.  Nowadays, the choice you have for acquiring gold and silver bullion, is best if you do so via historic metal, like silver coinage.  This occurred in America, when their government cut their ties with gold in 1933, but they continued to have access with ease to silver for the next three decades.  This however, was abandoned in 1965 due to America slipping in to irreparable bankruptcy.

Gold Price Sells Silver

It’s a known fact that the higher the price of gold, the more silver is sold and copper plated currency isn’t used at all.  The ratio of silver to gold today is 79:1 with prices estimated $16 : $1,250.  So obviously in an economic meltdown, cheap silver will be chosen over the more expensive (90 per cent) and once these have both been exploited they will then turn to the gold.

Common Plating

Plating facilities match base metals with a wide array of coating surface metal finishes.  The most commonly used are copper, brass, nickel, steel and bronze.  In order to decide which surface metal is used to coat for the finish, the components uses are highly considered so that the manufacturer can get the highest performance and longest lasting component part electroplated.

As examples:

Gold plating is the perfect solution for electrical conductivity, heat protection and corrosion and can survive in a multitude of environments and temperatures.

Silver plating is commonly used in the electrical industry dues to its low electrical resistance.

Nickel plating is ideal for the chemical industry.  It protects against chemicals and is corrosion and wear resistant.

Copper plating is most commonly used in the automotive industry.

Heat Treatment and Homogenising

When you think of heat treatment, I wonder what type of metal you associate it with?  Aluminium is probably not the first metal that springs to mind.  Why?  Because it is thought of as being a soft metal.  But there are certain, specific alloys which respond incredibly well to heat treatment, in fact, they actually respond in almost the same way as steel and iron.  So, what are the specific types of aluminium alloys?  They are aluminium alloys containing copper, zinc, or a blend of magnesium and silicon which enable them to respond well to the heat treatment process.  Be aware that pure aluminium and aluminium alloyed with manganese or magnesium does not work under heat treatment.  Therefore, when referring to the heat treatment process during this article, it is aluminium alloys containing copper, zinc or a blend of magnesium and silicon that is being referred to.

Harmonious Homogenising

Aluminium alloys come in to contact with the mold via their outside edge first, which forms a layer or skin of aluminium crystals, which are called grains.   This occurs when aluminium alloys are being cast.  They cool from the outside in, with the elements of the alloy precipitating which locks crystals in regionally.  This is how some areas become hard and some remain soft.  To even this imbalance out, we need homogenizing, so that redistribution of the precipitation can occur.  This means that the temperature needs to be taken to just below melting point which is between 900 and 1000 degrees farenheit.  Having reached the homogenizing temperature, the component is left to cool slowly, so that the internal structures uniformity is reached.

Annealing Aluminium Alloys

If you then require you aluminium alloys to be shaped, you will then require another process which is known as annealing.  The alloys must be heated once again to 570°F to 770°F for anywhere between thirty minutes to three hours, depending on the alloys composition and the component part.  Unlike the heat treatment or homogenising processes, the cooling process post annealing is not a critical factor in this process.

 

Aluminium and Copper – Which and Why?

They are both metals – yes – but other than that they have many differences, the main ones of which are their weight, cost, appearance and their capacitance which, to the average Joe, is a metals ability to store electrical charge.  Aluminium was, in days gone by, the metal of choice but it seems today that Copper is making a comeback and the designers are switching over!

Copper used in wiring and electrical equipment is nominally pure which is why it is being chosen over Aluminium because Aluminium in its purest form does not seem to be strong enough to cope with many electrical applications.  Different Aluminium alloy properties change depending on the process they are subjected to.  If they are subjected to heat treatment for example, Al6101 becomes harder and stronger.

It has been a rather common misconception that Aluminium has been too soft for some uses and therefore compression connectors must be used to overcome this.  But, with design and plating changes, these compression connectors are no longer necessary.  Alloys and processing can instead be used in order to make Aluminium become just as useful, as good and as strong as Copper…ALMOST!

Copper Coating and Copper Plating

Sounds familiar but this is the opposite way round.  In order to reduce the corrosion of Aluminium and Copper, they are coated in Tin or Silver to reduce their corrosion, because without this Aluminium and Copper are both prone to oxidation and are therefore likely to rust and parts not work appropriately or safely.

All About Copper Plating

Copper Plating is decorative but normally used as it is an extremely functional metal.  It is often used for electricals, road mending techniques, medics and in telecommunications, it really is a multifunctional plating technique.  This is thanks to it being such an excellent conductor, its ability to shield against electro magnetic interference and radio frequency interference, and its excellent levelling properties.  Copper plating is highly thought of in the medical world especially due to the fact that it naturally kills bacteria, thus making it a great protector against infections and diseases, so often also used in laboratory settings, too.

The Coronavirus & the effect on oil & gas production

We’re currently in the midst of world Coronavirus pandemic meaning that many countries have had to ‘lock-down’ their residents – especially here in Europe – to stop the spread of the virus. Here in the UK, workers have been told to work from home if possible, and certainly not travel unless necessary & important. As a result of this, many factories and other industries have simply had to close down for the foreseeable future, either following the government advice, to protect their workers or simply because their customers aren’t using their services anymore. However, one of the effects of this huge slow-down in manufacturing and industry has been a massive reduction in pollution.

residents of Punjab in India are able to see the peaks of the Himalayas for the first time in 30 years

For example, on the news today, apparently residents of Punjab in India are able to see the peaks of the Himalayas for the first time in 30 years, after a massive drop in pollution caused by the country’s Coronavirus lock-down (implemented on 22nd March 2020). In China, NASA and European Space Agency pollution monitoring satellites have detected a significant decrease in nitrogen dioxide over China. The evidence points to the economic slowdown following the outbreak of Coronavirus. And here in the UK, some cities have seen levels of nitrogen dioxide plummet by up-to 60% compared to the same period last year due to people simply not using their cars since the country went into ‘lock-down’.

According to the website Offshore Technology, one important impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the downstream oil industry is that the price of crude oil has fallen significantly in a short time

However, has this also had an effect on oil producers? According to the website Offshore Technology, one important impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the downstream oil industry is that the price of crude oil has fallen significantly in a short time, taking billions off the stock prices of major oil and gas companies. Demand has dropped, oil workers travel has been restricted, and infections from Coronavirus have been found on some oil rigs. However, what about the long-term effects of this? What happens when this is all over? For example, in recent years, many oil & gas companies have been looking towards more non-traditional methods areas of oil production such as deep-water offshore exploration. On the one hand, these unconventional resources are said to contain at least as much as the total conventional oil reserves extracted since the start of the oil industry, so the potential profits are there. However, on the other hand, developing these new, large-scale sites comes with significant cost associated with R&D and the new technology required for extraction. What happens if demand for oil never goes back to pre-Coronavirus levels? If, for example, many workers simply find they prefer working from home and continue to do this even when they have the choice to commute? This, in conjunction with things like the ongoing development of alternative forms of transport and the large-scale changes to government policies on things such as home heating may mean this is indeed the beginning of the end for the traditional oil industry. Whatever happens it’s going to be an interesting time!

Why Tinplate is Great

Tin is a common silvery coloured metal which is obtained from a mineral called cassiterite.  It is produced most commonly by China, though often in Indonesia and Peru do their fair share in world its production, too.  Tin has many uses and is one of the preferred metals due to its multifunctional characteristics.  It is malleable, ductile and does not easily oxidise when in contact with air.  Due to these qualities, tin is therefore great for soldering and tin plating.

Tin for Tin Plating

Tin is used for plating and this is a process of coating another metal.  This other metal is often something like iron or steel, which the tin coats in order to create a corrosion resistant and rust free finish which is also lightweight.  The most common use for tinplate is for roofing and sometimes walling.  The term ‘terneplate’ specifically refers to iron or steel which has been tin plated but which has also has lead added to it for extra durability.

Where did Tin Plating come from?

Tin plating originated in the 1800s, when tin cans were first used in order to preserve food.  They were quickly seen as being appropriate for this use because they did not erode or corrode when left for long periods of time.  Today, tinplate accounts for approximately 17% of tin consumption.

What are the Advantages of Tin Plating?

  • Transformable without any cracking
  • Enhances the performance and durability of the component
  • Extremely resistant to any corrosion
  • Extremely resistant to any tarnishing
  • Good conductor of electricity
  • Usable across a number of industries
  • Not easily oxidized in air
  • Typically non-toxic

Spring in to Action in Birmingham with Heat Treatment Services

April sees the MACH exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC, where manufacturing in motion will be made visible to anyone wanting to view different techniques and products related to many services, including that of heat treatments, hard coatings and developmental services.

Groups, such as Wallwork Group, are returning again to exhibit here, to celebrate their new expansion project which allows them to offer customers a wider array of heat treatment services, hard coatings and development services.

Heat Treatment

For businesses such as Wallwork Group, exhibitions such as MACH, are important ways of bringing business and contacts together from across the industries.  These can include aerospace, automotive, medical, military and engineering contacts which are the most commonly used industries.  Specialists, skilled labourers, technical engineers and highly knowledgeable scientists combine their expertise to guarantee that you gain the product and information that you require so that you gain the perfect component parts for your business.  They are all at hand to help guide you towards the components which is best for you whilst also, often, making you a great, one-off show day deal, to aid with the financial side of things, too.

NEC, Industry, You and Me

So if you are in the aerospace, automotive, medical, military, engineering, oil and gas or energy/power industries then MACH could very well be the placed for you.  With new creations, the latest of developments and all the manufacturing technologies you could possibly need, there will be over 600 companies exhibiting this year for you to see.  At the last MACH there was 6,500 tonnes of live working machinery on show and two years later, it is set to be even bigger.  If you are interested in attending or finding out more about heat treatments or hard coatings then why not get yourself to Birmingham NEC from the 11th to 15th April – We guarantee it will be worth it if you are in the specified industries.

A quick guide to grinding media

Some days, certainly in my line of work, you learn something new and interesting about a new industry. On the other hand, sometimes when you investigate a new industry you’re simply overwhelmed and inundated with new, apparently meaningless phrases, words, acronyms, jargon, and lingo simply leaving you confused none-the-wiser. If you consider yourself to be someone firmly based in the former camp, now might be a good opportunity to go and make yourself a cup of tea with a biscuit. For fans of the latter, you’re in for a treat as we delve fearlessly into the subject of grinding media!

According to their marketing material, the Magotteaux Group are the global solution provider to ‘high abrasion extracting industries’ with their unique ‘grinding media’ brand Ecomax. You’ll also be pleased to discover that Magotteaux has also recently extended its offering to ‘Ecomax Forged’ meaning their grinding media is now available in both cast and forged!

As solution provider to high abrasion extracting industries, they start with a cross section insight into their customers value chain before combining all relevant levers from expert advice, service, resources, products & equipment to help their customers save money and optimise cash generation. Although it’s hard to believe, some people don’t yet know that Magotteaux developed their first cast chromium balls in 1950 in in their foundry in Vaux, Belgium. Roll on to 2020 and the firm now, according to their website, produce more than 250,000 tonnes of grinding media per year! Apparently, grinding media, or in this instance, grinding balls help reduce wear in some crushing and grinding processes. Coupled with special chemical compositions and heat treatments, they can now remove 150 alloys.

These ‘grinding media’ are used in a very diverse range of industries such as mines, cement plants and quarries all over the world including far-flung places like Alaska, Southern Africa, China and Chile.

The Copper Plating Story

We all know plenty about Copper Plating, but what we often don’t know a great deal about is where the process originated from.  I bet you would be interested to learn that it was not at all intentional, but was, in fact, a complete mistake!

Where did Copper Plating come from?

This happy accident occurred centuries ago in 1724, when Thomas Bolsover, a Sheffield cutler, was mending the handle of a silver knife.  He was doing so with the assistance of a copper coin under the pressure vice but got a little distracted and the two metals both became heated.  Due to their heating, they fused together, the silver completely hiding the copper.  This mistake led Bolsover to experiment with other methods of retaining silver and copper together in unity whilst also being one, workable material, and this worked.  This was Bolsovers happy accident, as this was the beginning of the Sheffield Plate.  Dying in 1788, Thomas Bolsover was regarded in his obituary as the first inventor of plated metal, though sadly not the most well known.

All About Copper Plating

Copper Plating is not only undertaken for functional purposes but for decorative purposes, too.  Often used for road mending techniques, medics and in telecommunications, it really is a multifunctional plating technique.  This is due to it being an excellent conductor, has a good ability to shield against electro magnetic interference and radio frequency interference, along with it having excellent levelling properties.  Copper plating is highly thought of in the medical world due to the fact that it naturally kills bacteria, thus making it a great protection against infections and diseases, so often also used in laboratory settings, too.

Everything you need to know about Shot Blasting

Shot blasting is a key factor in the fabrication process.  It is essential so that a clean finish can be provided in order for welding to be undertaken.  It also enables a keyed surface to be produced so that paint can be accepted by the prepared façade.

The Process of Shot Blasting

Shot blasting is undertaken by shot being fired or ‘blasted’ directly at steel, yes, the process is all in the name.  The force of the shot being blasted at the surface of the steel displaces dirt and scale, therefore cleaning the steel and preparing it for the welding process.  This is due to the indentations caused by the shot repeatedly hitting the steel surface, creating a rough texture, which is approximately 70 microns deeps.  Due to this abrasion, it enables paint to stick properly and long term to the steel surface, which creates protection and aids longevity to a component part.

Shot Blasting and Electroless Nickel Plating

The shot blasting preparation is often performed prior to the electroless nickel plating process, but for this to happen the surface preparation must be high quality and thorough, which is why shot blasting is used.  To achieve the ultimate final surface finish, chemical cleaning and activation processes, such as aluminium oxide 180-220 grit are used.  By choosing us to undertake your shot blasting and electroless nickel plating solutions, you know that the standards met will be the highest every time.  At us, the stainless steel shot blasting booth has the capacity to take 216m³.  This minimises the particles which settle on the component parts during their shot blasting or heat treatment processes.

Shotblasting – The Abrasive Protection

Shotblasting is a technological process which enables impurities of metal parts to be removed from a wide variety of surfaces, through the medium of abrasion.  Shotblasting can be used as a preparation method performed before other processes, such as welding, colouring, painting, where imperfections must be eradicated to gain a perfect finish, join or seal.  It can also be used as a method of surface protection.  The end result of a cleaned metal surface depends on multiple characteristics.  These can be examples, such as the mass size of the abrasive particle, its shape, density, coverage of strokes (kg/m²), the particle impactor angle and the particle velocity.

The shotblasting process can be undertaken for multiple reasons – the cleaning, strengthening or polishing of metal.  These processes are used in almost every single industry which uses metal, including that of the aerospace, automotive, construction and transportation.  In order for shotblasting to take place, two technological processes can be undertaken – wheelblasting or airblasting.

Wheelblasting for the Shotblasting Process

Wheelblasting is the direct conversion of electric motor energy into kinetic abrasive energy through the use of a rotating turbine wheel.  Each wheel has a capacity starting from 60kg per minute and maximising at 1200kg per minute.  Companies need wheelblast machines where large parts or great areas have been derusted, descaled, deburred, desanded or if they need cleaning in some way.  Often the way to work out how to choose which process your business needs is based upon the size of the metal part that needs work doing to it – the ease of its transportation is the deciding factor.

Shotblasting and the Airblasting Process

Airblast machines are pneumatically accelerated machines which are air powered, with projected nozzles angled on to the component – the process, quite literally, is all in the name!  Airblasting can occur in two ways, either in a blastroom or a blastcabinet.  If special applications are needed, water mix can be used which is known as wet blasting.  Whether you need airblasting or wet blasting, the blast nozzles can be installed in to unique positions to target problem areas.  They can be operated manually or automatically or even by robots.

Shotblasting at us

Shotblasting at us can occur for component parts which weigh up to 20 tonnes.  Usually, the shotblasting process is required prior to our electroless nickel plating process, as a surface preparation, in order for you to gain the best finish and your metal components to get the best protection.  The better the abrasive finish from the shotblasting process, the better the electroless nickel plating, the better your component part will work and the longer it will last for you.  Shotblasting is an important process.

Contact Us Today at us

If you or your business are interested in the shotblasting process or electroless nickel plating, then why not get in touch with us?  A Derbyshire based company, we are leading specialists in the plating industry offering a wide range of well-developed, tried and tested techniques which are high-end whilst also being cost effective.  We have experience of working for many different industries, including the aerospace, medical, military and automotive industries, to name but a few.  We offer our services to the whole of the UK, Germany, France, Brazil and Holland.  Call us today on our phone number