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Sandwich Panels MARKET MAY SET NEW GROWTH STORY | DANA Group of Companies, Kingspan Group, Building Component Solutions

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The sandwich panel are the insulated roofing solutions that are manufactured by combining layer of insulated composite materials and binding structures. Its delivers superior fire properties, good thermal conductivity, moisture resistance and reliable solutions. The sandwich panels are mostly applicable in industrial buildings, commercial buildings, cold storage facilities, warehouses, amongst ot1 Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Continue Reading

How the Construction Industry Is Resuming Amid COVID-19

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It’s fair to say that 2020 has so far been a very turbulent year for everyone on the planet. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our way of living has changed dramatically, and lockdown restrictions have halted the economy. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The construction industry was one of the first sectors to be given the go ahead by the UK government to resume, and the country itself is beginning to return to a sense of near normality. That said, we can’t ignore that the coronavirus is still out there. We must continue to adapt in how we function to help prevent the spread of the disease and to avoid further lockdowns.

Intelligent Scaffolding is a specialist scaffolding firm with decades of experience delivering a range of scaffolding services in Manchester and Liverpool. As one of the largest contractors in the North West region, they have worked on a huge portfolio of small-to-large scale construction projects. In this article, Intelligent will walk us through how the construction industry is restarting following the lockdown, including the new safety measures and procedures that businesses should put in place.

How Projects Are Getting Back on Track Safely

As the saying goes, the show must go on! With thousands of projects to be completed, from new builds to redevelopments and maintenance projects, the construction industry is vitally important to the successful running of the UK. This is an industry that is critical to both the economy and public safety, so it was welcoming news in May when construction projects were told that they could resume. Like every workplace in the current climate, however, projects can only resume in a COVID-Secure way. Employers must make sure that their staff and the general public are protected from the infectious disease, as well as other health and safety hazards. This remains an ever-changing situation that is governed by the Health and Safety at Work Act and the latest public health guidelines.

Before allowing employees to return back to work, the first step businesses should take to ensure their environment is COVID-Secure is to complete a Risk Assessment. This assessment should consider any risks that exist in the workplace and outline how you will aim to reasonably minimise the risk. The official government advice is that while you can’t completely eliminate the risk of COVID-19, you should take all necessary steps to reduce the risk to your employees and visitors. It’s recommended that you involve your staff in these discussions to hear any concerns they may have and to show that you value their safety as a priority. If you fail to complete a risk assessment, or do not take reasonable steps to mitigate the risk of transmission, then this is the first step to potentially breaking healthy and safety laws. Punishment can involve fines and imprisonment of up to two years.

In terms of who can work in a workplace environment, the current advice is that if you’re unable to work from home, then you should return to work as long as it is COVID-Secure. People who are able to work from home can return to their place of work as long as the employer has discussed this with them and carefully considered the impact it would have. For example, several factors should be considered such as the employer’s risk status, the commute, and individual circumstances. You should continually look for ways to mitigate risk and to keep your staff and the public safe from the disease. Be prepared for situations where employers may be required to self-isolate and take extra precautions when safeguarding vulnerable members of your team.

Within the workplace itself, it’s important to remember than social distancing is still a critical element of combating the virus. It remains a requirement that members of different households should keep a 2m distance away from each other. Where not possible, a 1m distance is allowed as long as mitigation measures are in place. Mitigation factors include face coverings, increased hand washing and surface cleaning, avoiding working face-to-face, and assigning staff to teams of support bubbles. Other important steps you may want to consider include introducing one-way lanes, minimising unnecessary site visits and reducing loud music that may result in workers shouting to be heard.

This article barely scratches the surface of how construction businesses can keep their employers safe. The government has issued in-depth advice on the different types of measures that you can take to achieve COVID-Secure status. If we all follow the rules, then we can ensure that the industry remains functioning and that another lockdown is prevented.

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Understanding the Basics of CPK Charts

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Cpk is a process capability index, a statistical tool used to measure if a process can produce an output that is within the specification limits of the customer. That is, it is used to measure how capable a producer is in producing a product with a customer’s tolerance range. It is used to estimate how close a person is to a set target and also how consistent they are around an average performance. It gives a best-case scenario and can also be used to estimate how an operation will perform in the future with the assumption that the performance will be consistent over time.

You will usually find this tool employed in the manufacturing industry. You can read more about process capability indexes here.

The higher the value, the better the expected result. Generally, a value that is equal to or greater than 1.33 (Cpk = or > 1.33) shows that the process can meet specification limits. A lower value may mean that variation is wide when compared to what the desired specification is or that the average is off from the expected target.

Calculating CPK

Cpk equals the lowest value of capability versus the upper or lower specification that shows where in the specification limits the process is producing. It is calculated by comparing the average of the data to the limits of specification. To get Cpk, there is a need to calculate a Z score for both the lower (CPL) and upper (CPU) specification limits which are referred to as Z LSL and Z USL respectively.

Since the goal is to measure how many standard deviations will fit between the specification limit and center of the process, the value of these parameters must be components in calculating Z score.

CPL = (process mean – LSL) / 3* Standard deviation)

CPU = (USL – process mean) / 3* Standard deviation)

Therefore as a minimum or the smallest value of the CPL and CPU

Cpk = Min (Cpl, Cpu)

What Values Show a Good CPK?

A negative value or a number that is less than 1 means that you have a lot of variations, are not in complete control and your process is all over the place. These are all things that will not make your customer happy. A value of 1 means you are borderline and can go either way. This is not very convincing. A value of 1.33 and higher means that there is little variation and that the process well controlled.

The reason your customer wants to know your Cpk is to know the probability of getting their production done based on certain specifications. As shown above, if it is less than one, it tells the customer to get some other business to help them. If it is one, the customer will still not be convinced because if there is no room for maneuver, then a slight shift in operation may result in you not meeting up with their specifications.

Most customers want to see that your Cpk is greater than 1 and require that it reaches around 1.33 which is referred to as “in control and capable”. This will give them the confidence that you can deliver within their specifications. It should be noted though that it is not all about being able to meet up with specification as a quality product may include minimal variations that are centered around the targets of the customer. To measure this, a value called Cpm is used.

Cpk is most times displayed on a histogram which contains other descriptive statistics. When a customer requires a Cpk chart, endeavor to ask for clarification as they may be referring to different charts or want to see your capability summary involving performance and capability statistics.

Applying Cpk

For unstable processes, the performance analysis is unreliable therefore the value should not be relied upon. Conditions that should be met for it to be relied upon include the following:

  • The sample size should be large enough.
  • Data used should undergo a normality test.
  • The process must be under statistical control.

You can learn more about all these and more here: https://www.pqsystems.com/qualityadvisor/DataAnalysisTools/capability_cpk_when_not_in_control.php

Conclusion

A Cpk chart shows and helps you understand where you stand in relation to certain parameters and specifications of production. If you desire to calculate yours to ensure improvement, there are various easy to use statistical process control (SPC) software that you can use to produce histograms as well as other performance and analysis charts.

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Floor Coverings Market Insights by Size, Status and Forecast 2025 | Armstrong Flooring, Interface, Home Depot, Gerflor Group

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Floor Coverings Comprehensive Study by Type (Carpet and Area Rugs, Resilient Floor, Non-Resilient Floor), Application (Household, Commercial), Distribution Channel (Contractors, Specialty Stores, Home Centers, Others) Players and Region – Global Market Outlook to 2025
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Aggregate Industries recognised for commitment to Armed Forces with MoD award

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Leading construction materials supplier Aggregate Industries has been given the prestigious Silver Employment Recognition Scheme (ERS) award by the Ministry of Defence.

The award acknowledges that Aggregate Industries treats members of the Armed Forces fairly as part of its recruitment policies. Aggregate industries also actively ensures its workforce is aware of positive policies for veterans, Reserves, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, and spouses and partners of those serving in the Armed Forces – another part of the criteria that must be met to receive the award.

Guy Edwards, Chief Executive Officer at Aggregate Industries, said: “At Aggregate Industries we are delighted with our achievement as an Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award winner and we will continue our efforts to further improve our performance.

“We pledge to treat all those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families fairly and we are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant. Those brave men and women have done their duty for this great nation so it is now our duty to make sure they are given the opportunity to bring their invaluable skills and expertise to our organisation.”

Aggregate Industries has a proud track record of supporting the Armed Forces, having signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2018 and cementing its commitment to recognising the unique skill set that Forces personnel have to offer while combating the disadvantages they may face.

Cat Suckling, the Ministry of Defence’s Assistant Regional Employer Engagement Director for the East Midlands, said:

“I am delighted that Aggregate Industries numbers amongst the 31 employers in the region to achieve Silver ERS awards this year. Aggregate Industries have demonstrated their commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community with concrete, actionable policies and we look forward to working together to develop this in the future.”

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