Category: Company News

Sewer inspections are becoming significantly more efficient in Pittsburgh (USA) thanks to innovation in crawler technology from iPEK. Sulzberg, Germany-based iPEK, which manufactures wastewater inspection systems, recently partnered—through iPEK’s long-time master distributor in North and South America, Envirosight—with the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) to help make processes easier, more efficient, and drive productivity with the ROVION SAT II crawler.

In the past, PWSA team members have had difficulty examining inclines in pipeline systems. The Authority, established in 1984, is responsible for the entire city of Pittsburgh’s sewer system, roughly 12,000 miles of mostly combined sanitary and storm sewer lines. And there is no shortage of slopes around the historic city.

Using feedback from some of their most important customers, iPEK equipped the ROVION SAT II inspection system with 8-wheel drive and a new and improved belt drive for improved speed and power.

“We are constantly trying to climb hills with our equipment, which we used to find really difficult,” says Jason Auge, CCTV specialist and 13-year-veteran of PWSA. “Since purchasing the SAT II systems, we are doing it effortlessly.”

PWSA team members also face several other challenges in the city’s system, including increased debris due to the combined systems, sinkholes and frequent pipe junctions.

In the past, if the sewer pipe diameter of the sewage pipe changed, it would require the inspector to take the crawler out and adjust the setup, making the process time consuming and tedious.

“The number of lines that run junction to junction in our system is a unique challenge for us,” Auge said.

To improve the system’s flexibility, iPEK team members included a push rod and tv-cable, which allows the crawler to conduct lateral launches in a sewer system (Pictured Below)

 

“With the lateral launch on the SAT II, we are able to drive up one sewer main and launch the camera into other mains running perpendicular. And, using the carbon fiber antenna for the camera head, I’m able to lift over a lot of joints and steer through junctions that I wasn’t able to before,” Auge said.

In addition to developing a much more agile crawler, iPEK also added an automatic cable reel, which extends to about 300 meters of cable for camera use and 45 meters for lateral launches.

To see the Crawler in action, Click here

With the help of iPEK’s SAT II system in each of its three inspection vehicles, PWSA has already seen an improvement in productivity.

“There’s definitely been an increase in efficiency with the SAT II,” says Auge. “We are getting more done. It’s crawling faster and we’re getting to our problem spots quicker. It’s clear the technology has improved significantly.”

Recognized as a leader in optics and fluidics, IDEX Health & Science last week introduced sample loops to their BioVersal™ line of products for challenging bioinert UHPLC (Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography) applications.

Sample loops are an essential part of the UHPLC process, which work in conjunction with injection valves to inject samples for analysis – often helping the Food and Drug Administration test quality in food products and pharmaceuticals.

When sample loops are used, they are attached to a fluidic valve and fill up with a sample that will be analyzed by a lab instrument. Once the sample loop is filled, the fluidic valve switches position and releases the sample to the analytical instrument for analysis.

To watch a video of how sample loops work, click here

With much of the market shifting to UHPLC (Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography) bio applications, IDEX Health & Science designed BioVersal™ sample loops using patented PEEK lined stainless steel and MarvelX™ connections technology to achieve the highest-pressure rating for bioinert PEEK sample loops on the market.

Additionally, the loops can connect and disconnect more than 100 times, improving efficiencies and reducing costs.

To learn more about the BioVersal™ sample loop, click here

 

 

Optical filter technologies from IDEX Health & Science are on NASA’s new Perseverance rover that will try to definitively answer whether life ever existed on Mars.

Partnering with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), IDEX Health & Science (IH&S) developed filters for the SHERLOC instrument, which will enable the rover to identify, collect and store rock and soil samples from Mars.

NASA’s Mars 2020 team aims to launch the rover between July 20 and August 11, 2020, with the earliest launch date landing on July 30.  The mission needs to be launched by then, or its next launch window to travel to Mars will not come until 2022.

The SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instrument is an arm-mounted, Deep UV (DUV) fluorescent spectrometer, which enables the rover to spatially resolve, and detect the characterization of organics and minerals in the Martian surface. The instrument is used to assess past aqueous history, detect the presence and preservation of potential biosignatures, and to support selection of return samples.

Mars 2020 will collect and store rock and soil samples in sterilized tubes to be sent back to Earth for analysis. The rover will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet’s climate and geology, and pave the way for human exploration.

If the NASA JPL team launches the Rover before August 11, 2020, The Perseverance is scheduled to land on Mars in February 2021.

To watch a short video and learn more about the 2020 rover, click here
To watch a recent “60 Minutes” segment on the Mars Rover, click here
To ‘take a virtual tour of Mars’ using images taken of the Red Planet by its Curiosity Rover, click here

 

 

First responders looking to learn modern techniques for saving people from trapped vehicles may now turn to an IDEX company’s publication. LUKAS in Erlangen, Germany, announced the release of its book “Vehicle Extrication – The Next Generation” last week.

Partnering with Fire & Safety Author and Expert Ian Dunbar to improve brand recognition, Lukas’ 290-page hardcover textbook offers a comprehensive, authoritative guide for everyone involved in road crash rescues.

Using nearly three decades in emergency response experience as an operational fire officer, consultant, author, and educator, Dunbar helps outline technical aspects of extrication, safety, vehicle construction, engineering and electrics as well as a wide range of technical processes and developments in “Vehicle Extrication – The Next Generation”

The book also details factors that contribute to a safe and successful rescue operation, including extrication planning, human factors and training on how to continuously improve.

Vehicle Extrication – The Next Generation is based on a revised version of the team approach to vehicle extrication – The Team Approach v2.0, which Dunbar originally conceived in 2016 and has continued to develop.

Because vehicle extrication is a truly interagency process, “Vehicle Extrication – The Next Generation” is written not only for fire and rescue personnel but also for pre-hospital clinicians and includes paramedics and doctors who routinely play an absolute critical role on each rescue scene.

“I have been lucky enough to work with paramedics and doctors from all over the world. I make a conscious effort to ask them about their own training and preplanning for attendance at road traffic collisions and it ranges from zero to very little. Most of the training they have received has been down to their own endeavour, initiative, time, and cost. There simply is very little statutory training for paramedics (called prehospital clinicians in Europe) in dealing with road traffic collisions. It would be easy to spend the next few hundred pages just considering the technical aspects of rescue, but this would be completely inappropriate and for that reason, I have written this book with pre-hospital clinicians in mind,” Dunbar said.

 

“Whether you are a paramedic or doctor who practices in the pre-hospital environment, there is no aspect of extrication that does not apply to you; you are a fundamental part of the process”

 

Vehicle Extrication – The Next Generation devotes a whole chapter to prehospital clinicians and covers aspects such as PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), scene safety, scene integration with technical rescue services, vital roles in conceiving and delivering the extrication plan and other considerations such as positioning and how you can assist with a post incident debrief. In addition, the book provides readers with QR codes for access to training videos and PDFs.

The book also shares new Vehicle Extrication Techniques, as materials of cars evolve, the places where cuts must be made change and rescue equipment improves. Particularly with the increased electrification of cars, these techniques continue to change.

To learn more about Ian Dunbar, click here

To look at the book, click here

As distilleries have turned to also producing hand sanitizer, IDEX has offered them assistance in how to properly convert the use of their pumps.

Versamatic, a brand of Ohio-based Warren Rupp, recently assisted The Old Pogue Distillery in Maysville, Kentucky, as it joined the fight against COVID-19. Known primarily for its bourbon production, Old Pogue quickly converted to producing hand sanitizer in March.

Using a Versamatic pump, they were able to transfer high-proof alcohol between tanks and into high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers, including buckets and spray bottles. In order to comply with FDA regulations, they used a Versamatic 1″ (25mm) FDA Stainless Steel air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pump, which the distillery purchased in 2011.

“It’s been a challenge to improvise a hand sanitizer product as fast as possible, but we started talking to local businesses about the endeavor and there was an outpouring of ingredients, containers, parts in order to expedite production,” said a representative from the distillery.

Over the span of ten weeks, the Old Pogue Distillery produced approximately 500 gallons of hand sanitizers. Four hundred gallons of hand sanitizer were donated to hospitals, first responders and healthcare facilities across eight Kentucky counties.

The remaining 100 gallons were sold to local businesses in order to assist with the cost of production and to provide other essential businesses with access to sanitization products.

“We never would have been able to deliver the product to the market as quickly as we did without the contributions from the business community, including Versamatic,” said a representative from the distillery.

To visit Versamatic’s new website, click here

​With trade shows and most in-person demos on hold, IDEX Fire & Safety teams continue to find creative ways to interact and engage with prospective buyers and current customers, including firefighters and first responders.

After the biggest trade show of the year – the FDIC International tradeshow – was cancelled in April, Regional Sales Manager John Martens and IDEX Fire & Safety Vice President of Strategic & Government Sales David Durstine, wanted to give customers a platform to speak about their products and enable professionals to share expertise on Fire and Safety topics. With many firefighters and first responders spending idle time online, John and David began filming and recording “The Jumpseat” live video series at the end of April. The Jumpseat is a common term for a Firefighter who rides in the back of the Fire truck and is often responsible for jumping out of the seat quickly to pull a fire hose line and enter into a burning building.

Using their product expertise and experiences as current firefighters, David Durstine and John Martens aim to share Fire Service information by putting special and interesting guests in “The Jumpseat.”

Guests featured on “The Jumpseat” include a variety of industry leaders, key partners, and subject matter experts to discuss a diverse array of topics within the Fire service.

Topics discussed so far have included, “Getting the Most out of Your Truck’s Pump,” “How stress impacts decision making,” Hose & Nozzle Selection, the IDEX SAM flow control system, and more.

“The Jumpseat provided a unique opportunity to connect IDEX Fire & Safety with first responders through education and awareness on key industry issues, while showcasing key products. Ultimately, we want IDEX to be known for leaving the fire service better than we found it,” Durstine said.

Since airing their first episode in April, David and John have produced an episode every week and continue to grow their audiences on Facebook and YouTube.

To learn more about John Martens, David Durstine, and The Jumpseat, click here or watch this weeks episode “Live” on Friday at 3:00pm EST on the IDEX fire & Safety Facebook page.

To view previously recorded episodes, visit Facebook or YouTube

 

This month marks the graduation of the IDEX Accelerating Management Potential (I-AMP) Collegiate Talent Programs inaugural cohort. Like many colleges and universities, IDEX moved their commencement online due to the challenges of COVID-19, hosting their own virtual graduation last week.

Over the past two years, nine program participants spent a year at two different business units, contributed to important projects, and are examples of the exceptional talent we hope to continue to develop and bring into the I-AMP program.

With their rotations complete, they are now moving to their post-program positions at various IDEX business units across the United States.

 

HURST Jaws of Life® recently introduced nine new rescue tools, giving first responders a full selection of extrication solutions that are completely operational underwater.

Building upon the eDRAULIC® Watertight Extrication Tool (EWXT) which was launched last year, the HURST team built the new tools with the same high-performance features and benefits as their eDRAULIC 2.0 counterparts, but include an improved battery, and are more than three inches shorter, providing additional maneuverability in confined spaces.

“The expansion of the HURST Jaws of Life EWXT line to include 12 battery-powered, watertight rescue tools means first responders can be completely equipped with the speed, power and strength they need to get to the patient faster – no matter the extrication scenario,” said Bruce Johnston, director of marketing and product development for HURST Jaws of Life. “Whether they’re in a submerged rescue operation where an external power source simply isn’t accessible and hose lines add complications, or on the roadside facing the advanced high-strength steel of a late model car, EWXT is designed for today’s performance needs,” he said.

Regional sales team members leveraged relationships with private junkyards and training facilities to test the products while the businesses were closed to the general public.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Me5kgVXtP4

The nine new tools in the eDRAULIC Watertight Extrication Tool line include:

– Two spreaders (SP 333 EWXT Spreader, SP 777 EWXT Spreader);

– Three cutters (S 789 EWXT Cutter, S 799 EWXT Cutter, S 378 EWXT (available Fall, 2020);

-Three combination tools (SC 258 EWXT Combi, SC 358 EWXT Combi, SC 758 EWXT Combi); and

-One Ram (R 522 EWXT Ram).

The tools complement the previously launched S 788 EWXT Cutter, SP 555 EWXT Spreader and R 521 EWXT Ram​

 

With the ongoing battle against COVID-19, fire departments are challenged with preventing the spread of the virus by cleaning and disinfecting public spaces. To aid fire departments, IDEX Fire & Safety businesses this month released a new multitool sprayer and cleaning agent induction system.

The internationally diverse IDEX team from AWG in Germany and GODIVA in England joined forces using Microsoft Teams to design and test a reliable, low-cost system that connects to existing fire engines. With creativity and expertise from across the organization, team members quickly innovated and developed the product in just two months.

Godiva provided expertise on the pump, while AWG provided expertise on the eductor pump and the nozzle. The team also asked a biochemist at ThinXXS in Germany to help understand the chemical requirements for the common cleaning agents.

This combination of IDEX expertise led to the rapid development of a system optimized for this solution.

In contrast to the FS100 Portable Disinfectant Spraying System, which was launched last month, the SANISTREET FLEX system mounts on to a fire pump through the attachment of a delivery valve, and enables fire fighters and first responders to disinfect larger outdoor areas.

To read more about the product, click here.

To watch a short video of the product in action, click here.