Glasgow Connected Components Tech Workshop

Our events this year have got off to a great start with a connected components tech workshop in Cardiff, a safety seminar in Derby and Integrated Architecture Tech Workshop in Bristol.

We would like to invite you to our next Connected Components Tech Workshop in Glasgow. These workshops give you the opportunity to talk to one of our specialists and learn how you can use technology as a competitive advantage. 

Where: 25 Fairfield place, College Milton Industrial Estate, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G74 5LP

When: Wednesday 4th March 2015

Agenda for the day: 

• Presentations and Hands-On Training
• Understand Machine SolutionsA brief introduction to the Rockwell Automation range, providing an understanding of our architecture and essential offering
• Discover Low-Cost AutomationGain knowledge of the latest developments in small controllers & compact, networkable AC drives and how they could offer you a commercial advantage
• Explore Connected Components WorkbenchHands-on workshop for the easy-to-use IEC1131-3 programming package from Rockwell Automation
• Review of Control ApplicationsOpen forum to discuss your issues, applications or requirements in the small machine arena
• Programmable Safety with the CR30

For more information click here & to register for the event please email info@routeco.com 

Find the Right Service Contract for your Climate Control Equipment

By protecting your production processes and safeguarding your productivity with a service agreement, you can maintain the value of your equipment and systems, minimise downtime and allows costs to be managed over the long-term by selecting the right Rittal Service contract in partnership with Routeco.

The choice is yours to select from a wide-range of available standard service packages, including Basic, Comfort, Advanced and Full. These different packages offer different options for response to site time, number of planned maintenance visits, parts and labour cover, 24 hour round the clock telephone support and call out service. Should you need something specific, Rittal can design a tailor made contract to meet that need.

Rittal cooling products are always a good choice, demonstrating high quality and reliability in daily operation time and time again in harsh industrial environments around the world. Regular preventative maintenance leads to longer product service life and hence further increases the profitability of your equipment. Maintenance contracts are available in 1 year, 3 year and 5 year options, please refer to the table below for further details.

Features of the contract include:

For further information and to speak to one of our sales engineers please email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000.

Lifecycle Extension & Migrations from Rockwell Automation

As your automation systems near the end of their lifecycle, the chance of unplanned downtime increases. The skill is recognising what components are obsolete, what components are superseded, how long you have before they are no longer able to be replaced or repaired and how best to support them while you plan your migration strategy.

You could simply replace aged equipment, but timing and budgetary constraints can interfere with those plans. Identifying and maintaining at risk equipment until finance or production schedules allow is a cost-effective alternative.

Rockwell Automation's Lifecycle Extension provides:

• Reserved Repair Access – Ensuring availability of component parts to provide
on-going assurance of product repair services (including discontinued products)

• Remote Support for Discontinued Product – Unlimited web support and technical assistance for legacy products

• On-site services for Discontinued Product – Scheduled preventative maintenance services and migration/conversion planning support

Conducting a thorough, plant-wide assessment of your automation equipment provides actionable intelligence to drive data-driven decisions like whether to mitigate or eliminate your risk.

A Rockwell Automation Installed Base Evaluation (IBE) features:

• Identification of plant-wide automation lifecycle status (Current, Silver or Obsolete)
• Identification of top migration priorities by plant, line, machine and cabinet
• MRO assessment and spare optimisation recommendations
• Panel condition reporting

For more information email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000.

Three Easy Ways to Start Saving Energy

Finding ways to be more energy efficient in your plant can feel like a big task and not really worth the time or effort.

But it doesn’t have to be a difficult task. There are quick ways to find what’s wasting energy and identify potential cost saving opportunities.

When energy was less expensive, manufacturers didn’t have to primarily focus on energy efficiency. Neither did homeowners, that 10-year-old refrigerator consumes 20% more energy than a new one.

Identifying energy-saving opportunities in your plant can be simple and quick. In many cases, money and energy are literally flying out an open window if you are not paying attention to the process. A few easy opportunities to save:

1. Turning off lights/machinery when not in use
2. Fixing air compressor leaks
3. Reclaiming waste heat

Just like these easy steps, processes that are not too complex and energy intensive are due for an overhaul.

In some cases where energy is such a small percentage of overall costs, you may think this seems like small savings with big efforts. But it is worth it, especially with the increase of prices and regulatory pressures. If you’re evaluating your production and how you use energy to meet government regulations, then use that time as a chance to look at all areas, big and small.

Your air compressor system has leaks. This may be frustrating, but does it affect your manufacturing process? Maybe not. But, according to the US Department of Energy, leaks typically make up 20-30% of the total compressed air load in plants without maintenance programs.

Or does your warehouse need to be at a certain temperature? What happens if you bump the thermostat up (or down) a few degrees? What are the savings if you shift part of your operations to off-peak periods?

Small savings do add up and minimal efforts can make a big difference, so take the time to see where you can save.

Click here to read the full article.

Hazardous Area Solutions from Routeco

Routeco offer a complete supply solution for hazardous area electrical products.

Supporting Routeco branch sales nationwide our dedicated Hazardous Area/Process team have expertise covering most aspects of hazardous area electrical equipment and instrumentation. With experience in all protection techniques intrinsically (Ex i) safe solutions for Zone 0, flameproof (Ex d) and increased safety (Ex e) and others for zone 1 or  Ex n solutions for Zone 2. Our team can assist with selecting, specifying and supplying the optimal solution.

As a service to clients we offer:

         > Training – customised to clients requirements

  Introduction to hazardous areas

  Dust hazards

  Intrinsic safety

  Lunch and learn sessions

        > Design assistance

              Converting non Atex systems for zoned hazardous area

  Protection method options

  Equipment type selection.

  Compare commercially and technically  different manufacturers offerings

        > Site Surveys

  On non-certified equipment to assess for conversion to Atex

  On existing equipment to assess suitability for  the zoned area

Routeco's Assembly Cell can build to the customers’ specifications enclosures ranging from part-build to full-build, of Junction boxes through to complete control panels. Assembling certified Ex e terminal boxes, and working with partners and 3^rd parties to provide assembled and certified Ex e, Ex d, Ex de and Ex n panels and systems for gas and dust as well as Ex t dust solutions

Our primary supply partners are:

Other partners for hazardous area equipment  include IndEx for enclosures & control stations, Steute (sensors and switches), Bartec (control stations, HMI’s and PC’s), as well as Red Lion, Endress+Hauser, Eurotherm, Vega for sensors, transmitters, controllers and data recording solutions) and Habia or Eland for Cables.

For more information email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000

Machine Safety

With a comprehensive portfolio of machine safety products, systems and services, Rockwell Automation has the solution for you.

Working with Rockwell Automation can provide you with access to a world-class portfolio of safety products, systems and services that can help address your safety requirements. Just as importantly, Rockwell Automation have got the people who can help to make best use of the technologies available and the tools to support that deployment.

A safety supplier that understands automation and safety will:

• Help you get performance you need safely
• Offer a full range of services and solutions for safer automation
• Help you achieve conformity
• Give you the best tools to help you design, validate and deploy safety

For more information email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000.

Industrial Electronic Repairs with Rockwell Automation

Meet your repairs needs quickly and conveniently with repairs services from Routeco. We offer a unique repairs solution with Rockwell Automation to repair any Electrical product no matter who the supplier, offering full warranty on the product, not just the repair. 

Working alongside Rockwell Automation, we are able to provide comprehensive repair services for over 200,000 items, from 7,000+ manufacturers. This provides you with a single source solutions for all of your electrical, electronic, mechanical, and servo product repairs.

Along with Rockwell Automation, we offer techniques used in the remanufacturing process to support quality repairs, these include:
> ISO 9001 and ISO 14001certified facilities
> Automated testing
> Full-year warranty
> After hours support
> Local representation

Quality has been integrated into every step of our repair process. We are your single source for service, providing repair on thousands of types and brands of electrical, electronic, mechanical, servo and robotic products.

You can view the list of manufacturers that we are able to repair here.

Check out the Rockwell Repairs video   

For help with your repairs, contact your local Routeco sales team: 0370 607 1000 or email info@routeco.com

Is Your Equipment Too Hot or Too Cold?

We are excited to announce Routeco and Rittal are working together to bring you a range of climate control products. Climate control is an important factor in all environments, and it has been reported 57% of electrical equipment fail as a result of being either too hot or too cold. The risk of breakdown increases significantly without climate control and the cost of equipment failure can be huge.

Electrical equipment produces heat, which increases the temperature inside the enclosure, which, in turn, reduces the service life of components. The correctly selected enclosure climate control can prevent almost 80% of electrical equipment failures, addressing dust ingress and condensation as well as high temperature.

Do you know the temperature of your equipment? Or know which climate control product would be best suited? If not, we have a great easy to use thermal label to help. By sticking the small label to an internal surface of your enclosure, you will be able to see how hot or cold it is from the temperature gauge, and the results will appear straight away. The thermal label is quick to use and is suitable for all types of equipment.

To request your free thermal label email info@routeco.com and one of our sales engineers will come and help select the best product for you. There are many benefits of each product within the climate control range, and we want you to have confidence in your unit.

To purchase one of the products online click here.*

*Please note not all products may be available to purchase online, please email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000 for product enquiries.

For more information on the climate control range, click on a product information leaflet.
Air/Air Heat Exchangers
Air/Water Heat Exchangers
Chillers
TopTherm Blue e Cooling Units
TopTherm Fan and Filter Units
Service Agreements

Rockwell Automation TechConnect Support

Rockwell Automation TechConnect support offers dedicated, worldwide support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Where ever you are in the world, you will be able to receive real-time support.

Every day you will be faced with new challenges that can make it difficult to meet your production goals. These challenges may range from your workforce aging, your staff or your budget may be getting leaner, or you might just need support in addressing a specific technical issue.

The benefits of using TechConnect support are:

• Obtain real-time telephone support
• Access comprehensive online support
• Maintain your software

For more information email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000.

LeKtroniX Industrial Automation Repairs, Spares and Service from Rockwell Automation

If you need a repair on any industrial electronic product, broken or obsolete, Rockwell can repair it, test it and return it back to you.

Complete solutions provider for all your industrial automation requirements. 

• Rockwell repair and supply over 200,000 different parts including: CNCs, PLCs, gear boxes, motors, encoders, robots, communications, drives, monitors, power supplies and servo systems from more than 7,000 different manufacturers.
• All the quotations are free of charge and Rockwell provide a free repair collection service. 
• 12 months standard warranty on all repairs and spares. With over 20,000 different parts in stock for exchange service. 

For more information email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000.

The Next Generation of Engineers

The Worcester Electric Club has made a generous donation to the Engineering Students of Worcester College of Technology. The club which was closed in 2013 had been in existence for 66 years, the members decided that it was only fitting to donate the remaining funds to the next generation of engineers.

With the support of Routeco, the college were able to buy programmable logic controller equipment which will mean students are able to practise their trade with the equipment found in the industry.

The Chairman of the Electric Club, Keith Goddard explained “We wanted the money to go towards an electrical purpose and in support of a local organisation. The College was suggested because of past links with the Club and its reputation within the engineering industry. It was a unanimous decision, especially as this equipment will support the next generation of engineers.”

Matt Harwood, Manager of Engineering at the College, explained how the equipment will help the students;

“It’s very generous of Worcester Electric Club to give the College the funding. It has meant that our students are able to practise with industry standard equipment benefiting their employability prospects.”

Ben Lloyd from Routeco, explained his enthusiasm about being part of this opportunity,

“We’re very keen to support this educational project, as it’ll increase the longevity in young people’s learning in this specific trade.”

Mark Bettington from Routeco was also a key asset to this process, spending a lot of time working with the college to support their needs. With the funds from the Electric Club Routeco helped to purchase 7 Micro800 PLC systems.

For more info click here. 

Have you booked your place?

Automation University On The Move is back!

Nottingham, 3rd June
Peterborough, 5th June
Aberdeen, 10th June
Warrington, 12th June

Automation University is the most significant European Manufacturing occasion of the year.

Every year the content is reassessed and renewed so that it reflects current industry issues, providing you with the most up to date trends and developments in the manufacturing industry.

Each day you can expect a comprehensive programme of presentations and demonstrations with an exhibition floor showcasing Rockwell Automation and Partner products, technologies and demonstrations.

For more information or to register click here.

Routeco expands ‘product returns period’ to improve customer service

Europe’s leading specialist Industrial Control and Automation distributor announces its first customer improvement measure since conducting its recent annual customer survey. 

Routeco has followed up its commitment to listen to its customers by making it easier to return products purchased in error and offering a full refund. The previous returns period has now been extended from 3 days to 14 days. The only requirement is that the goods must be in resalable condition with seals intact and no markings on the packaging. Certain items are excluded and these include goods that are purchased specially for a customer. These are clearly identified on all paperwork and also the Routeco website

Routeco said that, after extensive customer feedback it would introduce several additional improvements in the coming months to improve customer service within the company. Other areas that are currently under review include delivery charges, despatch information and credit limits.

Routeco’s Operations Director, Tony Usher, said: “Great service and listening to our customers shows that we care about developing a long-term relationship that means more than just making a sale. We strive to become the partner of choice and we know this is only achievable if we constantly re-evaluate our current practices”.

He added that "As some of these policy changes will require alterations to our processes and staff retraining, we will be rolling them out over the next few months as we strive to further improve our position as the leading distributor for Industrial Control and Automation products throughout Europe".

Customer service is at the heart of everything Routeco do, but they also recognise that there is always room for them to improve. The recent customer survey highlighted a number of areas that customers would like to see changes and this feedback has now become part of the Routeco senior management discussions.

If customers should want to make other suggestions or give feedback on the changes then they should do so online at www.routeco.com or talk to their local branch or account manager.

Please Note: You will now see on the Routeco Ecommerce Platform www.routeco.com a notification to let you know if the product is non-returnable. The non-returnable products will be displayed as the example below:

AB2080LC2020AWB^

Windows XP and Office 2003 Upgrades

Microsoft have recently announced that support for virus warnings are being extended until 2015, though security patches, regular updates and bug fixes will stop as scheduled on April 8th 2014.

Now is the perfect time to upgrade the latest operating systems!

Routeco are well positioned to help you with the transition to new operating systems and office suites. Working closely with your business will help us to understand your individual requirements and identify a solution most beneficial to you.

Running these systems past the end of support date could leave you exposed to potential risks, security threats and downtime so it’s important to upgrade before expiry. 

In the past, Rockwell Automation software was only available on Windows XP. However, by liaising with Rockwell Automation directly, we can ensure your operating system is fully compliant with the programming software you are using.

For more information email carl.wallace@routeco.com or call 01908 359293.

Get Connected; Reductions in Wiring Time, Leading to Increased Productivity

Let’s face it: in business, time is money. The last thing you can afford is costly downtime due to incorrect field wiring and troubleshooting your field operations. Quick and easy field wiring solutions not only help reduce your wiring time and maintenance costs, but they allow for more accurate connections.

Let us help you meet your project deadlines with our versatile line of Allen-Bradley I/O field wiring interface modules and cables that can help reduce in-panel programmable controller wiring to discrete (on/off) or analog field devices by up to 75%. This means quicker, more accurate connections between control and factory devices when compared to traditional wiring methods.

Have you struggled with assembling rails of terminal blocks or cutting stripping, labelling and terminating your 20 to 40 control wires per I/O module? With an Allen-Bradley Bulletin 1492 wiring systems solution you simply mount the interface module (IFM) onto a Standard DIN rail. Then attach the 1492 cable with its pre-wired programmable controller removable terminal block to the programmable controller I/O module and plug the connector into the IFM. In addition, a select group of modules have field Removable Terminal blocks (RTBs) to further simplify initial installation and replacement. 

Are wiring errors your concern? We can help you by providing point-to-point connections which reduce the likelihood of mistakes. Not only will you finish installation more quickly, but you’re most likely to be up and running the first time you start up your application.

Troubleshooting an assembled wiring system is easy should an I/O problem arise. Simply pinpoint the problem by looking for glowing LEDs or blown-fuse indicators on selected IFMs.

You’ll see troubleshooting in a whole new light. What have you got to lose? Except maybe more time with another wiring method.

If you would like further details on these products, some free configuration software, and further details on suitable applications please do contact us on 0370 607 1000, or via email on; info@routeco.com. 

Installed Base Evaluation from Rockwell Automation

An Installed Base Evaluation (IBE) from Rockwell Automation provides a thorough analysis of your critical plant assets and their condition. This service will provide you with the knowledge needed to help make data-driven decisions regarding the support and obsolescence management of your installed base assets.

An IBE is a site wide audit that catalogues machine assets in a hierarchical format and is the foundations of any Asset Management Program. The comprehensive tool from Rockwell Automation collects both Rockwell and non-Rockwell products and creates a plant model hierarchy for your facility. Through this you can update equipment, replace parts or add a new line knowing exactly what will be affected in your installed base.

An IBE can help you to better understand and pinpoint your lifecycle risk by site, area, line, machine and panel. By optimising your Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO), the evaluation will allow for a strong Asset Management structure to be implemented.

The benefits include;

• Helping you to reduce costs by identifying and eliminating excess inventory, which can help improve Return on Net Assets. 
• Increase up time by ensuring critical spares are on site to support production and maintenance where necessary.

Click here to see a case study on the application of an Installed Base Evaluation. 

For more information email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000. 

What is Microsoft Open Value Subscription?

A Microsoft Open Value Subscription is a method of buying your Office licenses through a Subscription Scheme. This scheme is suitable for companies with five employees or more. When part of the scheme you download and activate your license over the internet.

Why choose Open Value Subscriptions?

Enjoy the benefits of value and low, upfront costs with the ability to increase or decrease the number of licenses on an annual basis in order to accommodate changes in the desktop PC count of your company.

• Up-to-date discount – As a subscriber your existing investment in Office will be recognised and you could receive up to 50% discount in year 1 of the agreement 
• Low cost option – As a rental agreement, Open Value Subscriptions are a cost effective licensing agreement for small and medium sized companies
• Pay according to use – You only pay for the software actually installed. Each year you can increase or decrease the amount of Desktops needed to support your business and pay annually for the amount of revised desktops. 
• Technical Support – You can qualify for a TechNet plus subscription, 24x7 Phone Support and Microsoft Professional Support Incidents. 
• Employees can use Office at home – You can install and use Office on your Home PCs for no charge. 

Benefits of Volume Licensing vs. OEM

OEM is a boxed product that ships with a disk, this version of software is designed to be installed once per machine can cannot be reused. 

Initial Purchase

• OEM- Can only be purchased with a new device and will need to be pre-installed on the device by the software re-seller
• Volume Licensing- Product can be purchased separately and does not necessarily need to be installed on a new device

Downgrade Rights 

• OEM- Downgrades are generally not available (Except Windows XP Pro, Windows Server 2003 and Small Business Server 2003 premium edition)
• Volume Licensing- Downgrades are widely available

Payment Choice

• OEM- Must be paid for upfront 
• Volume Licensing- Can be paid upfront or the cost can be spread over time

Transfer of Licenses

• OEM- Licenses expire on the device they are installed on and cannot be transferred to another device
• Volume Licensing- Transfer rights are available between devices

For more information or to purchase an Open Value Subscription email carl.wallace@routeco.com or call 01908 359293.

Customer Experience Survey Results

In November 2013 we asked for your feedback …..

Routeco Group understands that it is vital to provide its customers with brand leading products matched with excellent service.

It is important that in a competitive market our customers choose Routeco and therefore we have to aim to be the best.

Gaining regular feedback helps us understand your pain points and how and where we should be concentrating our efforts to achieve greater success for us all. We know that customer views and opinions change over time and we really appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey.

Please click here to find out more about the key finding and actions from the November 2013 Customer Survey. 

Thanks for reading... 

The winner of our £250 prize draw wanted to remain anonymous, however in their feedback said that; Routeco adds value when bidding projects as technical knowledge of staff can assist in good design practices, easier to go to one place for multiple products, and we were reactive to issues such as migration and flexible with solutions.

Support for Windows XP Pro and Office 2003 expiring in April

On April 8^th support will end for Office 2003 and Windows XP.

Windows have made the decision to continue running virus warnings until 2015. Security patches, regular updates and bug fixes will stop as scheduled. 

Running these systems past the end of support date could leave you exposed to potential risks, security threats and downtime.

Routeco can help with the transition to the latest Windows  operating systems and office suites. By working with your business we can understand the individual requirements and identify a solution most beneficial to you.

In the past, Rockwell Automation software was only available on Windows XP. By liaising with Rockwell Automation directly, we can ensure your operating system is fully compliant with the programming software you are using. 

For more information email carl.wallace@routeco.com or call 01908 359293.

Rockwell Training courses are now available for 2014

As well as the existing range of application orientated training which has proved to be quite popular. This year Rockwell Automation are launching some new exciting courses including:

NEW to Integrated Architecture
Introduction to Mid Range including Maintenance, Motion and Programming

NEW to Visualisation courses
FactoryTalk SE Architecture and SE Maintenance

NEW to Networks for 2014
CISCO Networking Introduction
CISCO CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate in Routing & Switching)
ProSoft Wireless Architecture Design
NetLinx System Maintenance & Troubleshooting
FactoryTalk Security

Assess your requirements with Rockwell Automation's free training advisor
Rockwell Training Advisor helps you determine a tailored training path for your workforce to gain the knowledge required. Identifies skill and knowledge gaps using customised online assessments, and compiles the results to identify areas for training and development.

Training Schedule Update
Places are still available on the following courses – book early to avoid disappointment.

 

For more information visit the Training Advisor demonstration click here.