Air of optimism reigned at IWEX 2010

Visitors to this year’s IWEX were met with a real buzz as the exhibition exuded an air of optimism when it took place at Birmingham’s NEC on April 20-22.

With AMP5 having just started, it seemed visitors and exhibitors alike were keen to get down to business there and then as an array of innovative products and services were on display.

Yet again visitors queued to get into the three-day event, organised by WET News publisher Faversham House Group as part of Sustainabilitylive!.

Premliminary figures for Sustainabilitylive! reveal a 12% increase overall for the three days, compared with last year’s show.

And FHG is already preparing for a larger IWEX when it takes place on May 24-26, 2011 – it is increasing the show’s floorspace by about a third.

Visitors to this year’s event had plenty to see and hear as they filled the exhibition aisles as well as the Veolia Water and Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies sponsored IWEX Theatre.

Asset International took the opportunity two launch two new products at IWEX that are specifically targeted at the water industry.

The company’s new WehoPuts is a miniaturebio-chemical domestic wastewater treatment system that is intended for year-round use, and does not require any separate pre-treatment.

Asset also has a new flow control chamber, WaRag, which is designed for use whenever there is a need to limit the onward flow of a surface or foul water drainage system.

Atlas Copco, meanwhile, revealed its latest ZS range of oil-free, energy-saving positive displacement screw blowers. The blowers are 30% more energy efficient than conventional lobe solutions, according to the company.

SeSys exxhibited its Torch Camera, a portable camera system containing a digital IP camera and 3G/GPRS communications. The company has also now added wireless connectivty to Torch Camera.

WEG’s display highlighted its new W22 range of electric motors. The range of high-efficiency three-phase induction motors offers significantly lower energy consumption, lower noise and vibration, higher reliability and easier maintenance.

Popular choice

Haigh Engineering’s latest ACE Inlet Works was a popular choice for visitors as they clamoured over the equipment to get a closer look. The ACE Inlet ranges offers a one-stop solution for an entire sewage treatment works inlet processes, covering flow rates from 10l/s up to 150l/s.

Having the equipment on the stand also highlighted the fact it can be lifted into place as a single prefabricated unit.

Elsewhere, Water Solutions By Aspire displayed a range of cutting-edge technology to provide sustainable solutions for industrial, commercial agricultural and humanitarian projects.

These included Vortex Technology, which delivers efficient mixing and degassing water solutions and which offer energy savings as well as increased efficiency.

ABB showcased its full range of products for water processes using an automated interactive display. This provided an opportunity to illustrate how its various instrumentation, drives, motors and low voltage products can all be controlled by the company’s latest PLC technology.

The company also took the opportunity to launch several new products including a series of built-in intelligent pump functions within its industrial drive range.

New concept

A CQ Drum Thickener and CQ Decanter Centrifuge units were the centrepiece of Ashley Simon-Hartley’s stand along with its range of sludge thickening and dewatering technologies.

Statiflo demonstrated its new concept in static mixing . The NRC is a channel mixing device that enables efficient mixing of chemicals into raw sewage without the risk of ragging.

Reid Lifting used IWEX to launch its lightweight portable jib crane, which is capable of lifting a tonne in weight. The crane has been specifically designed to meet the water industry’s rigourous needs and health and safety regulations.

The IWEX Theatre, sponsored by Veolia Water and Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, highlighted a wide range of issues affecting the water industry.

Topics included flood management; rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling; metering; asset management and the supply chain; carbon reduction;

sustainable water management; and SUDs, engineering for the future.

In addition to the seminars, there was the British Water and IWEX Summit, a two-day conference looking at how the supply chain in the international and UK is working in an ever-changing water industry.

The conference topics included water company procurement strategies and water scarcity.

www.iwex.co.uk