Flowplant Group Ltd
Gemini House, Brunel Road,
Churchfields Ind., Est.,
Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 7PU
t:+44 (0) 1722 325424
f:+44 (0) 1722 411329
e:sales@flowplant.com
Registered Address: Rutland House, 148 Edmund Street, Birmingham B3 2JR
Company Reg. No. 3612438
Tax No. GB 715 5370 43

© 2008 Flowplant Group Ltd.
All rights reserved.

FM 13454

Due to our policy of continued improvement, Flowplant reserve the right to change prices and specifications without notice.

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DEN-SIN a division of  Nilfisk-Advance Pte signs landmark deal with Flowplant Group

Flowplant Group Ltd is delighted to announce that it has signed a massive supply agreement with DEN-SIN, a division of Nilfisk-Advance Pte, for its AHF215 UHP powerframes and associated spare parts. 

The sales contract, one of the largest ever negotiated by both companies, sees DEN-SIN committing to the Aqua type powerframe until at least 2012. This will allow Flowplant to further develop the range to meet the specific requirements of DEN-SIN’s UHP fluid heads.

Alistair Hiscock, Sales Director of Flowplant comments, “We have been supplying DEN-SIN for many years during which time they have taken hundreds of powerframes from us but this huge contract puts the relationship on a new level and everyone here is very excited about the future.”

The Aqua AHF range of pumps have high power to weight ratios and are capable of carrying large rod loads. This is making them a popular choice when competing against large slow moving plunger pumps that are heavy and make inefficient use of space.

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Harben goes 20,000 Leagues under the sea!

Well, not quite but we think that 1,400 metres is pretty deep. When deep sea oilfield specialist Halliburton needed a high pressure pump that would work on the ocean floor they knew just where to look – Harben. Since 1919, Halliburton has earned the trust of its customers around the world by leading the well-site services industry through the delivery of innovative technology and outstanding service quality. They demand faultless performance under the harshest conditions.

Subsea pigging and hydrotesting is just one of the many specialised operations that they carry out. During the process a high tech skid enclosed by a crash frame is lowered to the ocean floor. Amongst many other items the skid houses a Harben 4 cylinder Century pump powered by a hydraulic motor that is controlled by an ROV (remotely operated vehicle). The Harben pump sucks seawater directly into its inlet crankcase via a bank of highly efficient filters. The undersea pipeline that needs testing is connected to the pump and the pump is then powered up forcing sea water into the line until the test pressure is reached. Halliburton Service Supervisor, John Christie, says that so far they have operated perfectly up to 1,400 metres below the surface. At this depth the pressure of the surrounding seawater is 140 bar (over 2,000 psi). This is acting on every bit of the Harben pump trying to force sea water into the oil filled crankcase. If any of the seals should fail the pump would seize up and the entire operation  would have to be shut done. With operating costs running into hundreds of thousands of dollars per day this is simply not an option.

During a 12 month period the Harben pump spent 200 days on the ocean floor. It has been testing pipelines at up to 640 bar and it only required servicing after 4 years of operation. Halliburton now have six Harben Century pumps in operation and they have been delighted with the reliability and build quality. As John says “The environment in which these pumps work is incredibly hostile. They have never let us down, they are fantastic”.

Here at Flowplant we would say that is praise indeed. If they work at the bottom of the sea imaging how long they will last on your drain cleaning unit.

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For more than 30 years Flowplant have been supplying the Waterflow Group Plc with their jetting units.

Since 1994 over 50 Harbens have entered service with the West London based company and if recent growth is anything to go by there will be more to follow. Waterflows success is undoubted and they have always been one of the first companies to adopt new technology wherever it can be proven to deliver higher levels of customer service. Managing Director Philip Robertson says “We have established a very good reputation for customer service and for developing systems to meet our client’s needs. Business at present is very good indeed and our investment in plant and equipment will continue and increase next year.

In tune with this philosophy Flowplant have developed several machines to meet Waterflows specific requirements. One example is the transverse 4000 psi/12 gpm van pack designed to be mounted mid way along an enclosed panel van. This allows a front compartment that can be kept as a clean area for CCTV equipment whilst at the rear of the vehicle there is access for camera cable reels and crawler equipment. The CCTV van with the Harben onboard is a self contained unit able to clean and survey small diameter drains and sewers. Flowplant encountered a number of problems when working on the original design. To avoid the engine overheating it was important to get the air flow and weight distribution absolutely correct but with the help of a computer aided design centre and computer modelling these were soon solved.  The first machine was followed by many more and this fleet of specialist units have become an important addition to Waterflows operation.

Another example of innovation is the environmentally friendly Harben van pack for use in and around the London congestion zone, Waterflow now operate two of these LPG powered jetter’s in their fleet, however changes in legislation and the removal of tax breaks for operating such equipment made this option less attractive. This joint approach to development shows that where there’s a willingness for companies to work together a lot can be achieved and many new ideas can quickly be put into practice making the most of changing opportunities.

At the most powerful end of the jetting scale lays the Harben DV Century unit. This machine has earned a fearsome reputation as a no nonsense jetting truck. In the hands of Waterflows trained operators it is capable of cleaning, descaling and rootcutting in all types of sewers. Waterflows latest addition went into operation in October 2007 and was immediately put to use removing thick chemical deposits from a trade effluent drainage system comprising clayware, concrete and cast iron pipes in diameters from 150 to 750mm. The Harben Century pump that powers the machine is incredibly versatile. It can descale with 10,000 psi at 16 gpm but with a simple nozzle change, costing only a few pounds and taking just seconds, the flow will jump to 30 gpm whilst the pressure drops to a gentler 2,000 psi, making it ideal for flushing.

Like all Harben pumps the Century can run dry without causing damage and the unique diaphragm design means that it is tolerant of poorer quality water. These invaluable features make it an ideal pump for the sewer cleaning industry and it’s not unusual to see the Harben back pack remounted several times onto newer chassis cabs before finally being pensioned off.

Waterflow also run a fleet of Harben trailer and van mounted jetters for everyday blockage and cleaning work. Over the years they have tried alternative machines but as Philip Robertson says “The Flowplant product is tough. It is better suited to UK operating conditions than any other machine we’ve tried. That doesn’t mean we don’t break them because we do, but when it happens we can rely on strong back up service to get us back earning money and that’s what it’s all about.”

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It’s Harben again for Maintenance Cleaning Services Ltd

Maintenance Cleaning Services of Widnes in Cheshire continue to choose Flowplant Group Limited as their tried and tested supplier of drain cleaning equipment to complement their existing fleet of trailer mounted jetting units. Their order for two more Harben DTXII trailer mounted machines will allow the company to continue its growth within both the drain cleaning and industrial cleaning sectors.

Managing Director John Farrell commented “We have used Flowplants Harben range of products for many years now and have always found them to be very reliable and they continue to reflect good value for money.  We initially arranged for some on site meetings to discuss our requirements and this was followed by demonstrations of their equipment given by Area Sales Manager, Mark Preston.  We found the whole process to be very well-organized and were very pleased that both machines were delivered on time. ”

Maintenance Cleaning Services is based in Widnes covering Merseyside, Cheshire and all the North West areas. They have over 30 years experience in the field of specialised high pressure water jetting and industrial cleaning.

The whole operation performs to the highest standard; as well as complying with all the necessary Health & Safety requirements MCS are an ISO 9002 registered company.

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IT’S HARBEN PUMPS FOR WEXFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Wexford County Council located in South East Ireland was faced with a very difficult dilemma in their drain & sewer cleaning section. They had to decrease spending within the department but still provide the first class service that their clients were used to. The Council had been using a variety of local contractors to cover their drain and sewer cleaning requirements and although these contractors were doing a fantastic job Wexford needed to examine every option that might lead to a cost reduction.

After detailed analysis it was decided that the council would form its own in house drain cleaning department. They now needed to locate a company that could provide modern high quality water jetting machines and comprehensive water jetting training for their own operators.

An extensive tendering process involving on site visits and demonstrations highlighted Flowplant Group Ltd, manufacturers of the Harben machines, as the best value supplier and the one most capable of servicing the equipment over its lifetime. The order for four of the latest specification Harben DTB trailer units plus a comprehensive training package was awarded to Flowplant in May and delivery followed early in July.

Flowplant carried out the Water Jetting Association training on site in Ireland. The comprehensive course covered all the health and safety issues associated with high–pressure water jetting including site preparation, correct use of protective clothing, team operation, nozzle selection, maintenance and other essential techniques. A thorough practical session using the equipment under site conditions brought the training session to a close and the handover was complete.

Operations Supervisor for Wexford County Council, Mr. James Rattigan, commented “Locating a supplier who could provide competitively priced equipment to the specification we were looking for was proving difficult. However, following an initial contact with Flowplant they immediately agreed to visit our Wexford sites in Southern Ireland and demonstrate their machines. Following these demonstrations it soon became apparent that the answer to our problems came in the form of Flowplants impressive Harben DTB trailer jetter. It operates at 4000 psi delivering up to 12 gpm and it came with an extensive range of accessories. But what was really impressive was Flowplants ability to deliver a complete package of equipment and training in a short time frame and to a very high standard. We know that we’ve made the perfect choice in using Flowplant for the supply of our drain and sewer cleaning units”

The picture shows Flowplant Area Manager Mark Preston handing over the keys for the four new Harben DTB jetting units to Operations Supervisor Mr. James Rattigan as all the staff from the sewer cleaning section of Wexford County Council look on.

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Canford Drains builds solid reputation with Harben equipment

“We always knew that Harben jetters were the best you could buy but we didn’t think that we’d be able to afford one so early on,” says Mark Naylor of Canford Drains. That was back in 1997 and since then Mark and his brother Adrian have established Canford Drains as a first rate drain cleaning contractor in the South West of England.

They had already purchased a small van mounted jetter from another manufacturer but when that company went out of business they were left high and dry with no support. “Our business was growing fast and we needed equipment from suppliers we could rely on. The local Flowplant sales guy kept dropping in so we gave him a call to see if he could help. As luck would have it they had just taken a 4000 psi/12 gpm van pack jetter in part exchange from one of their other customers and it was in the process of being refurbished. It was a few years old but being a Harben we knew it would go on for years and the price was interesting. We took one look at it and after some good natured haggling the machine was ours. It’s still running perfectly today.”

Since then Canford Drains have taken delivery of several more Harben machines. They provide drain cleaning services to households, housing associations, schools, local authorities and water companies. The most recent addition that can be seen here is a 3008 Micro van pack. Nowadays they always return to Flowplant for sales and service where Rob Hayes, Flowplants mobile service engineer for the south west, takes good care of them.

As Mark says, “Dealing with Flowplant has given the best value for money in the long run. They’re not the cheapest but cheap equipment rarely turns out to be the bargain that you were expecting!”

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Dublin City Council

“Just a quick mail to say that we have had the new Mini Jet unit on the road for the last couple of days and so far it is proving very successful.. running at 100% success rate which isn’t bad really is it? The crew that were at the training course on Thursday in the Main Station in Ringsend are having no problems with the operation and seem to be enjoying the new challenge.“

Received from Roy O'Donnell, Gully Manager, Dublin City Council, Ireland, after delivery of their 2nd new Harben 4012 Lightpack Radio control unit.

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