The sun is shining (about time!), the tunes are ringing, and the mood is high – Interplas is ready to travel down to Tamworth to attend the Summit Systems’ Process Cooling Open Day!
Summit Systems
The event opened with a warm welcome from Matt Ross, Summit Systems’ Group Sales Director, and steaming cups of coffee (and Biscoff cookies – yes, they didn’t go unnoticed), which are always appreciated. He then left the stage for the first speaker, Colin Shipley, Managing Director at Rochester Midland Corporation.
He delivered a brilliant presentation about closed cooling systems, explaining what they are, how they work and the best practices to ensure the water is treated right. A lack of proper water management can lead to corrosion and bacteria proliferation, like legionella.
The second speaker was Lara Steinhobel, Senior Sustainability Issues Executive at the British Plastics Federation. She focused on the importance of sustainability, especially as the UK is on a path to becoming net zero by 2050. There’s only so much that businesses alone can do, she said. What do we need from the Government to decarbonise? She took us through the BPF’s PackScore tool, the BPF Recycling Roadmap and Operation Clean Sweep.
Lara’s presentation was followed by a coffee break, which involved all of us thoroughly enjoying some (well-deserved) Vitamin D while networking. Networking is always the most rewarding (though nerve-wracking) part of days like these for someone like me, who has not been in the industry for a long time, so it was great to get together and exchange ideas!
After the coffee refuel, we headed back in to listen to Nigel Hallett, Technical Sales Consultant at Summit Systems, about the design, benefits and integration of custom pump skids for efficient process cooling. He then took us on a tour of the new Fabrication Facilities, equipped with innovative tools and machinery, including a plasma machine for precision metal cutting.
As we made our way back to the office, we were surprised with an endless selection of sandwiches and cakes, put together in record time. I admit I went for a refill a couple of times (maybe more, but let’s not count) and basked in the sun for a good hour, which made the rest of the afternoon feel like a breeze.
Rhett Johns, Sales Manager UK & Ireland at Grundfos, took the stage to present the company’s model for energy-efficient pumps. He showed us a video of how Grundfos pumps helped Worldwide Fruit added control and efficiency in ripening avocados, cutting food waste and energy consumption.
The last two presentations were led by Nathan Flanigan, Midlands Sales Engineer at Summit Systems, who brilliantly presented Kamco’s solutions to ensure efficiency and protection through cleaning, and Tristan McLaren, Sales Manager UK & Ireland at LU-VE. He deep-dived into dry cooling and Refrion’s adiabatic technologies, which deliver standard and customised solutions to meet customers’ needs.
It was an insightful and refreshing day, both for the things I’ve learnt (the head hurts but for a good cause!) and the people I’ve met. So thank you, Summit Systems, for organising it – we at Interplas look forward to the next one!