McDonald Announce Partnership with Strathclyde University
Filed under: Copper Cylinder, McDonald Engineers News, hot water cylinder
In partnership with Strathclyde University
McDonald Engineers, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of copper hot water cylinders, has embarked upon a two year KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) with Strathclyde University as the company looks to enhance its position in the energy market.
The partnership will enable McDonald Engineers to call upon the extensive knowledge and practical industry experience of the University’s team and in return will offer its insight into the commercial pressures that are prevalent in the construction and energy markets.
The company has joined forces with the university’s Advanced Forming Research Centre to initially examine ways in which McDonald Engineers can streamline its production facility. And whilst one aim of the project is to improve quality and lead times in the company’s production facility, a key outcome will be the launch of an exciting new product which will open up new doors for McDonald Engineers.
Managing Director of McDonald Engineers, Bill Stewart, explained, “We have a long and proud history as one of the leading manufacturers of superior quality hot water cylinders. Our partnership with Strathclyde University enables us to tap into an incredible resource that allows us access to techniques and strategies from some of the top companies in the world.”
Bill continued, “This is a tremendously exciting period for the company as we look to build on over 65 years of success as a family owned and managed business. I have no doubt this partnership will ensure our success continues for many generations to come.”
The partnership will be led by Graham Smyth, who has been appointed as KTP Associate to project manage the venture and will be based at McDonald Engineers’ Glenrothes headquarters. Graham has joined McDonald Engineers after spending 2 successful years as a Design Engineer in the Irish quarry industry.
Graham said, “One of McDonald Engineers’ key strengths is the passion every member of the team has for delivering a quality product and a world class service. Their willingness to embrace new ideas and tackle challenges head on is exactly what is needed when you take on a project like this and I am delighted to be involved.”
For more information on the range of products and services offered by McDonald Engineers visit www.mcdonald-engineers.com or contact their technical sales team on 01592 611123.
PLATEflow system scores top marks by controlling peak flow rates in school sports centre
PLATEflow Hot Water Cylinder
Pupils were not the only ones to gain top marks in school recently as McDonald Engineers helped a client who was faced with the challenge of providing a buffer for a short period of peak demand linked with a Plate Heat Exchanger to provide a steady flow rate.
McDonald Engineers worked with the client, providing their expert advice and guidance to assess all the alternatives before developing the perfect solution using their PLATEflow system.
McDonald Engineers’ Sales Director, Jamie Stewart, explained “At McDonald Engineers we like to put all the available options down on the table and come up with the best possible solution for our clients. It’s our ability to listen to our clients requirements, remain flexible and provide the best solution based on the situation at hand that keeps them returning time and time again.”
The result was to supply a PLATEflow unit with a 550 Litre Vented Grade 2 cylinder and Plate Heat Exchanger. Thanks to the off-site pre-assembly the contractor was able to dramatically reduce installation time.
The McDonalds PLATEflow system is specifically designed to supply hot water in situations where demand can vary over the course of a day and is ideal for use within hotels, hospitals, factories and in this case, a School Sports Centre in Edinburgh. It effectively decreases the amount of stored hot water required, while still delivering peak flow rates as demanded.
And with the PLATEflow system there are plenty of options available to offer. The PLATEflow can be supplied as either a vented, tank fed unit, or is suitable for unvented applications, when fed from the mains or a boosted cold water supply.
To find out more on the McDonald Engineers PLATEflow system visit www.mcdonald-engineers.com or call their technical sales team on 01592 611123.
McDonald Engineers’ Plans for All Energy Exhibition Heat Up
McDonald Engineers are planning to unveil their renewable range of hot water cylinders at All Energy 2010, Europe’s largest event devoted to the renewable energy industry, which will be held at the Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre on the 19th and 20th May.
The Fife based company is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of copper hot water cylinders and has established an enviable reputation for their compatibility with a broad range of fuel sources. The creation of their dedicated renewable range reinforces their position in the energy market and provides end clients, specifiers and installers with a flexible range of highly efficient hot water systems.
With several of the leading heat pump manufacturers insisting that their systems should be used in conjunction with copper cylinders, such as those offered by McDonald Engineers, the company is looking forward to one of its most successful events ever.
McDonald Engineers’ Sales Director, Jamie Stewart, explained “Copper’s green credentials and its bacteria killing properties have always made it a firm favourite in the energy sector. However the growth of the renewable energy sector and the focus on maximising heat transfer is making copper a vital element to an efficient hot water system.”
He continued, “We have played a key role in shaping the role of hot water systems in the solar energy market and our experience and expertise is now assisting clients across the world to harness latent energy in whatever form and transfer it into piping hot water.”
To find out more about the renewable range of hot water systems visit STAND K10 at the All Energy exhibition in Aberdeen or check out their website at www.mcdonald-engineers.com.
McDonald Engineers’ Custom Cylinders Save Money on Large Thermal Store Contract
Filed under: Copper Cylinder, Thermal Store, hot water cylinder
THERMflow Thermal Stores from McDonald Engineers
Dispelling the myth that bespoke cylinders are just for one-off projects, McDonald Engineers has enabled one Scottish Local Authority to save a significant amount of time and installation costs on a project which required over 400 thermal stores.
By working closely with the project team, McDonald Engineers were able to re- position several key connections on its standard THERMflow Thermal Store, to suit the incoming pipework and make it easier for the installation team to access.
In doing so, the installation team were able to install the cylinders much quicker and with less materials, saving time, money and hassle on site.
McDonald Engineers’ Sales Director, Jamie Stewart, explained, “Our flexible manufacturing process is renowned for being able to produce one off cylinders quickly and efficiently. However there is a growing client base, who now realise the enormous benefits that can be achieved just by tweaking the design of existing products for large volume contracts.”
He continued, “By making simple changes, such as repositioning the connections, clients can achieve significant time and material savings. When you add up all the savings, whether it is on a contract of 20 homes or 20,000 cylinder installations, it’s easy to see how much can be saved.”
To see how much you could save, contact our technical sales team on 01592 611123.
Dual Coil Calorifiers Installed for Department for Communities and Local Government
Filed under: Calorifier, Copper Cylinder, Electric Wet Central Heating System, Multifuel Hot Water System, Unvented Cylinder, Vented Mains Pressure System, heat pump cylinder
McDonald Engineers’ expertise in delivering energy efficient hot water systems for commercial environments, was put to the test by the Department for Communities and Local Government at their headquarters in central London.
Four Calorifiers at Eland House
With a total focus on energy efficiency by the design team at Eland House, formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, McDonald Engineers manufactured and supplied four dual coil POWERflow commercial calorifiers for the refurbishment project.
The 1320 litre calorifiers were designed to work with two fuel sources. A Heat Pump was being used as the primary heat source and the units were therefore fitted with a high efficiency copper heat exchanger, to maximise the heat transfer from the heat pump’s lower flow temperature. A back up heat exchanger, for a normal boiler was added, to supplement the energy when required.
In line with the latest recommendations from many heat pump manufacturers, both the cylinders and the coils were manufactured from copper. This provides significant benefits in terms of maximum heat transfer, as well as boasting superior bacteria killing properties.
McDonald Engineers’ Sales Director, Jamie Stewart, explained “As more projects aim to maximise the energy efficiency of the hot water system, we are seeing a rise in enquiries from companies installing heat pumps who recognise that copper can deliver superior results.”
He continued, ” Copper is fast becoming the material of choice for hot water systems using multiple fuel sources such as heat pumps. Copper’s thermal conductivity is almost 30 times greater than that of Stainless Steel. This means it can heat water to higher temperatures in a far shorter period of time.”
With access to the boiler room extremely limited by doorway space, but a specified amount of storage required, McDonald Engineers were provided with the maximum dimensions that would fit. The company ensured every millimetre was utilised, by manufacturing the cylinders to extremely tight tolerances. The Calorifiers were then lagged on site.
Jamie added, “The client was delighted with the end result and our ability to maximise the size, commenting that if there had been a coat of paint on the cylinder, it would not have gone through the door.”
For details on McDonald Engineers’ heat pump cylinders click here or contact us for more information
Making Solar Water Heating Solutions Easy With SOLARsave
Filed under: Renewable Energy Cylinders, Unvented Cylinder, hot water cylinder, solar cylinders
McDonald Engineers has made solar hot water systems easy with its SOLARsave pre-plumbed unit which features a high performance dual coil copper cylinder with all the major components pre-fitted and pre-wired for a quick and easy installation.
Available in vented and WRAS approved unvented cylinders, the SOLARsave unit comes supplied with a Solar Differential Controller pre-plumbed to the solar coil. Simply connect the flow & return and solar sensor from the differential controller, along with a solar expansion vessel and relief valve and your solar system is ready to use.
McDonald Engineers’s Sales Director, Jamie Stewart, said “Whilst we have an extensive portfolio of expert solar installers who recognise the benefits from high quality copper cylinders in solar thermal solutions, we were receiving a growing number of enquiries from plumbing contractors who wanted a complete ‘plumb and go’ solution.”
He continued, ” SOLARsave not only makes the specification of the hot water system simple, the pre-fitted and prewired components dramatically reduce the installation time of the system, making it easy and accessible to a far greater number of installation contractors.”
McDonald Engineers also offers its full range of thermal stores, unvented cylinders and calorifiers now available with solar compatibility.
For more information visit www.mcdonald-engineers.com or call 01592 611123.
Taking Alternative Fuel Hot Water Solutions To A New Level
Filed under: Multifuel Hot Water System, Renewable Energy Cylinders, Unvented Cylinder
McDonald Engineers has been at the forefront of hot water systems for decades and, as well as an extensive range of products available for immediate despatch, have established a reputation in the market place, for being the specialists in bespoke hot water cylinders for multi-fuel and alternative fuel applications.
So when a specialist contractor was developing a pre fabricated toilet and wash block for a project being shipped to Africa, which needed to heat the water by burning the waste from the toilets in an incinerator, McDonald Engineers was their first port of call.
With the African climate requiring a comparatively lower level of hot water storage, McDonalds developed and supplied eight bespoke 75 litre POWERflow 2000 Unvented Cylinders to accommodate the fuel source, using its high performance coils for maximum heat transfer.
McDonald Engineers Project Manager, Dean Morrison, explained “Whilst we have manufactured a large number of bespoke cylinders with a multitude of fuels, from solar thermal to heat pumps, this is by far the most unusual fuel source we have ever worked with.”
He continued, “Most importantly the client is delighted with the end result and it goes to show the flexibility of the company, as well our ability to develop solutions that can transfer the heat from virtually any fuel source.”
To find out more on McDonald Engineers range of POWERflow 2000 unvented cylinders call 01592 611123 or contact us now.
McDonald Engineers Save The Day with Emergency Alterations to Calorifier
Filed under: Calorifier, Copper Cylinder, McDonald Engineers News
McDonald Engineers has demonstrated exactly why they are one of the UK’s most respected manufacturers of hot water systems, by immediately despatching a service engineer to alter a connection on a new 1800 litre POWERflow Commercial calorifier on site.
McDonald Engineers had manufactured the Calorifier as per the specification for Perth Grammar School. However the installation team identified that one of the thermostatic controls, required a larger connection than normal and were faced with a major problem that would normally have meant sending the calorifier back to the manufacturer for alteration.
After assessing the level of work involved the McDonald Engineers service team were on site within a matter of hours to rectify the problem and enable the installation team to have the calorifier installed and operational the same day.
McDonald Engineers’ Sales Director, Jamie Stewart, explained “Whilst McDonald Engineers is renowned for our superior quality products and our fast turnaround times, our clients enjoy the world class service that we can offer, from the initial design stages, right through to onsite installation support and aftercare service.”
He continued, “This type of situation doesn’t happen often, but when it does we are extremely quick to respond, as we understand the implications an installation delay can cause. Our response on this occasion shows our uncompromising commitment to customer service.”
McDonald Engineers offer a large range of Calorifiers and Buffer Vessels with up to 3500 litres capacity within their standard range. These can be adapted for heat pump or solar thermal input however the company’s flexible manufacturing system, means that they can accommodate almost any size, shape or configuration.
For more information on the Calorifier range and the full range of hot water cylinders and systems available from McDonald Engineers, contact us now or call 01592 611123.
Hospitals Turn to Copper’s Health Properties to Reduce Spread of Infections
McDonald Engineers has welcomed news that an Irish hospital will be the first in the world to use copper door handles to reduce infections associated with the healthcare industry, such as MRSA. This further promotes the superior health and hygienic properties of copper.
The announcement follows on from the highly successful trials carried out at Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham. These demonstrated the use of copper surfaces, such as taps, toilet seats and door push plates, can reduce microbial contamination by 90-100%.
As one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of copper cylinders, McDonald Engineers has been promoting the superior hygienic properties of its copper hot water cylinders and calorifiers in all sectors. There has been a growing usage in the healthcare and education sectors thanks to the increased awareness of copper’s bacteria killing properties.
Tests on copper surfaces show that over 99.9% of specific bacteria (including the MRSA superbug) are killed within just 2 hours. It is no wonder than many healthcare architects and specifiers are looking towards copper as the material of choice for hot water cylinders, in the many refurbishment projects planned for NHS Trusts throughout 2010.
McDonald Engineers Introduce the Renewable Ready Range of Hot Water Systems
Filed under: Copper Cylinder, Electric Wet Central Heating System, Multifuel Hot Water System, Vented Mains Pressure System, hot water cylinder
McDonald Engineers is enabling architects and consultants to reach their energy targets with the launch of their dedicated range of hot water systems that are designed to be used in conjunction with renewable energy sources such as solar energy and heat pump technology.
The Renewable Range features its POWERflow2000 system, the THERMflow range, the ELECTRAflow electric wet central heating system, the TIMEsaver plumbing unit, its full range of Calorifiers and of course its original Solar Save system which was the first in the range to be designed with high specification coils and probe pockets to maximise the benefit of solar energy.
The company, which has been at the forefront of hot water systems since 1945, has been developing cylinders designed for solar energy since the early 70s and has established itself as one of the most respected manufacturers in the industry.
Managing Director, Bill Stewart, said, “It is vital that we all play our part in reducing the energy we are using and we are delighted to launch this exciting range of products that we hope will enable designers, specifiers and contractors to achieve their energy saving obligations.”
A key element in the design of the range is the recognition that, in many instances, solar energy is unable to act as the single source and provide the level of power required to heat every application.
McDonald Engineers have therefore developed a multi-fuel system, such as in their THERMflow range, which can work with a number of energy sources and in doing so, reduce the ongoing running costs.
Bill continued, “By designing a system that can work with a multiple of fuels we can attempt to draw the energy from every available source thereby delivering the most cost effective hot water solution.”
The company is also available to incorporate a number of high efficiency coils into its POWERflow 2000 range to improve the effectiveness of solar, heat pumps and boilers in delivering the required levels of energy.
For more information on the range of renewable energy hot water systems and the full range of hot water systems available from McDonald Engineers visit www.mcdonald-engineers.com or call 01592 611123
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