See Helen's presentation from last year's ChemUK, ''An Introduction to the BPR''

GUARDTECH have delivered large-scale cleanrooms for the likes of AstraZeneca, Elis, Contec, the NHS and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation over recent years – but their solutions aren’t solely focused on blue chip enterprises and world-renown organisations. The East Anglian contamination control specialists are also providing elite cleanroom solutions for smaller firms looking to make their way in the highly competitive fields of Life Sciences and High-Tech Engineering. Start-ups are increasingly turning to Isopod Rapid Cleanrooms as a smart, scalable solution for achieving controlled environments without the cost, complexity or lengthier lead times associated with traditional cleanroom construction. Developed by the Guardtech Group back in 2018, Isopods have been developed over the past eight years to offer businesses in need of a cleanroom solution a viable alternative that breaks the mould of traditional expectations. Isopods give smaller and growing businesses access to the same high-quality components used in full-scale modular cleanrooms, but in a compact, cost-effective format better suited to early-stage operations. Unlike conventional cleanroom builds, which often require extensive host-building modifications, Isopod Rapid Cleanrooms are built around a robust stainless-steel framework. This self-supporting structure removes the need for suspended ceilings, drilled floor tracks or permanent fixings, allowing pods to be installed quickly and with minimal impact on existing facilities. For start-ups operating in leased or shared spaces, this can be a critical advantage. “When we first came up with the concept for Isopod, we wanted it to become a game changer,” says Guardtech Commercial Director Mark Wheeler. “There are so many amazing ideas out there in Healthcare and Medical Devices, new businesses with such incredible potential. We wanted to be able to offer these fledgling innovators a solution – Isopod is just that.”

The new platform brings a more efficient way of ordering, offering a convenient service and tailored support for B2B customers. Streamlining the Ordering Process for Pump Samples With the launch of its web shop in the UK, KNF’s new online storefront streamlines the ordering process for sample pumps, giving customers more control and a smoother overall experience. The web shop allows businesses to easily manage their pump orders while benefiting from personalised assistance. The process begins with a quick account setup, paving the way for an intuitive ordering experience. Customers can choose from more than 30 carefully selected sample pumps, designed for diverse applications, such as medical technology, inkjet printing, industrial uses, and scientific research. Each pump can be tailored to meet the specific needs of different projects, providing companies with reliable, ready-to-use solutions. Seamless, Personalised Ordering Experience What sets the KNF Shop apart is its focus on customer relationships. Upon registering, each user is paired with a dedicated KNF representative, ensuring that every interaction is tailored to their business’s specific needs. Whether it is fine-tuning a pump for a specialised application or matching it with particular project requirements, customers are guaranteed expert advice and solutions designed for their exact needs. KNF continues to evolve the platform, focusing on improving accessibility to the latest products and services for customers in the UK.

Having opened its doors in July 1999, Labelnet is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, having supplied high-quality self-adhesive labels to thousands of UK businesses. Founded by director Neil Southgate, the company was built on print industry expertise and a vision to create a welcoming, customer-focused business. Starting with just three staff and one press, Labelnet has grown steadily through continued investment, including a new factory in 2008, a CRM system in 2012 and the introduction of digital printing in 2020. Today, the business employs over 35 people across six departments, with a turnover exceeding £5 million. Ongoing investment has ensured the company remains at the forefront of the industry, most recently with the addition of an embellishment press, enabling premium finishes such as hot foiling, screen printing and embossing. To mark its 25th anniversary, Labelnet has partnered with SNAP, a children’s charity in Essex, supporting fundraising initiatives throughout the year. The milestone is also being celebrated internally with a series of team events. Reflecting on the journey, founder Neil Southgate said the original goal was to build a label manufacturer focused on quality, service and long-term customer relationships. “From the outset, we wanted to stand out by listening to our customers and delivering consistently high standards,” he said. Over time, Labelnet’s customer base has evolved from primarily food producers requiring simple labels to a wide range of sectors where branding and shelf appeal are key. This shift has driven investment in advanced printing and embellishment capabilities. “Looking back over the past 25 years, I am extremely proud of what we have achieved,” Neil added. “With continued investment in our people, technology and systems, we are excited about the future and the next stage of our growth.”

When Labelnet’s Rob Lorkins collected the Digital Labels and Packaging Award for Excellence with Hybrid Printing, it marked a major milestone for the UK converter. Behind the accolade lies a story of creative collaboration, technical innovation and problem solving. The project did not begin with a client brief for a peel-and-reveal label, but as an internal idea within Labelnet’s studio. Matt, the studio supervisor, was inspired by Hackney Church Brewery’s church themed branding and suggested a stained glass effect using a peel-and-reveal format. The brewery had not planned this feature, but Labelnet applied it to the Noah’s Ark design, making the interactive element its own innovation. This was enabled by Labelnet’s investment in a Domino N610i digital press. Peel-and-reveal is not a standard product, but by combining digital and flexo processes they achieved the required complexity. The Noah Knows Best label was produced on two layers of white polypropylene, with photographic animal images printed digitally and laminated with a second web. Further stages included printing on adhesive, applying release lacquer and completing the top layer. Registration was the main technical challenge, requiring precision and operator skill to align layers correctly. Finishing was carried out on an AB Graphics Digicon with a heavily textured varnish, now common in the craft brewery sector. Labelnet spent years refining this process and now offers both heavy and light texture finishes. Mr Lorkins believes more brands would use such constructions if they better understood what is possible. Judges praised the label for its impact and technical execution. For Labelnet, the award validates its approach. The success of Noah Knows Best shows how a mid-sized converter can compete through creativity and technical versatility rather than volume, combining digital quality with flexo capability to stand out in a crowded market.

Founded in 1999 with one Nilpeter press, no customers and no supply chain, Labelnet was built into a thriving company by the sheer enthusiasm of founders Neil Southgate and Shirley Bizzel. But three years ago years ago, Labelnet, like so many similarly sized label converters, became ‘stuck’ at a 2m GBP (3m USD) turnover despite a growing customer base. ‘We were in a situation last June before the FL-3 arrived where we were literally at bursting point, and running 24 hours a day to meet customer deliveries,’ recalls Southgate. ‘We had a record 30 percent growth that month but it was not sustainable.’ Southgate decided that, in order to move to the next level of growth, he had to step away from day to day management and put a new team in place. ‘I wanted to build a sustainable business that did not rely on me.’ Southgate developed and stuck rigorously to a three-part plan: new management infrastructure; new sales and production managers; and a new press. First, a Cerm MIS was installed. Then a year ago Simon Ewles was employed as Labelnet’s first sales manager. ‘Simon spent his first few months with our existing customers, managing their expectations and making sure they were talked to, rather than getting new business. And this was a real feather in his cap.’ Southgate was anxious to find managers from outside the labels industry who would bring new ideas and drive. ‘We were looking for people in related fields with a transferrable skill set,’ says Southgate.

According to the company, the Digicon Series 3 offers the flexibility to add finishes to labels in order to increase value while keeping costs to a minimum. Working with trade label suppliers and food and drink manufacturers across the UK, the investment will expand the label manufacturers abilities. Labelnet can now offer a wider range of finishes to labels and packaging including screen printing, hot foiling, embossing, and decorative varnishes. ‘We have been looking for another opportunity to invest in something new and exciting,’ said Neil Southgate, Labelnet founder. ‘When I came across the Digicon Series 3 at the Labelexpo Europe I knew it was exactly what we were looking for. The machinery has been tailor made to adapt to our customers individual needs and produces the most creative label designs. The embellishment add-ons we have opted for ensure we remain the go-to label company for innovative and creative products.’ Going into Labelnet's 22nd year of business, this investment continues the growth of the company; a previous investment includes an eight-colour, full UV Edale FL-3 label and flexible packaging press, which was also covered by Labels & Labelling.

With businesses becoming more and more conscious of using eco-friendly packaging, Labelnet wanted to provide a range of materials which would offer a solution to customers’ needs,’ said the company in a statement. ‘Self-adhesive labels are probably the most efficient form of printed packaging to promote a product, but are deemed to be hard to recycle due to the adhesive used to stick to packaging. ‘A solution to this problem is to offer a range of labels which have either already been recycled or upcycled from sustainable sources, making them an eco-friendly label which brands can shout about.’ Labelnet’s sustainable material range includes tree-free papers made natural resources including: Crush Range – includes grape and citrus fruit which have no additional chemicals and a way to upcycle natural by-products of citrus fruits Sugar Cane – made up of 95 percent sugar cane fibres, this material is also biodegradable and suitable for screen printing Marble Base – a soft-touch paper sourced from 80 percent marble waste The sustainable paper range is made up of FSC-certified papers and includes: rMC Paper – 30 percent and 100 percent recycled semi-gloss paper rNaturel – 100 percent recycled fibres make up this luxurious fine felt paper rGranit – 100 percent recycled fibers are used to create this textured premium paper PP60 – 30 percent and 100 percent recycled semi-gloss PP which looks similar to a standard PP Labelnet works with other label printers who outsource their work, printing both digital and flexo labels at small and large capacities.

Essex-based printer Labelnet will rename its recently opened digital centre in honour of Howard Southgate, former employee and father of Labelnet founder Neil Southgate, who passed away in November 2025, aged 87. Howard Southgate worked part-time at Labelnet, supporting strategic financial decisions, health and safety, and compliance, including leading the business to achieve ISO 9001 and 14001 certification for the first time in 2015. Before Labelnet, he owned and managed Skegness-based label manufacturer Paperwork UK. He was a keen cricketer and leaves behind his wife Mary, sons Neil and Philip, and three grandchildren. Next month, the company will rename its digital centre the Howard Southgate Digital Centre, with a memorial plaque and photo displayed inside. The site, opened in October 2025 in Ongar, Essex—just 100 metres from Labelnet’s main site houses the company’s digital print and finishing equipment, including a newly purchased Domino inkjet press. The 29sqm site brings total company space to 108sqm. “After adjusting working processes to improve efficiency, we needed more space for work in progress and to enhance workflow,” said Labelnet Managing Director Rob Lorkins. All digital machinery has moved to the new site, including a Domino N610i and N730i, and an ABG Digicon Lite. The N730i, installed in August 2025, upgrades the six-year-old N610i, offering 1,200dpi compared with 600dpi and delivering higher speed, quality, and capacity. “This will improve lead times and quality for customers and support our continued growth,” said Lorkins. Other equipment at the site includes an Edale FL3 eight-colour UV press for reverse, adhesive print, cold foil, and lamination; a four-colour Digicon series 3 for UV, hot foil, emboss, deboss, and flatbed screen; plus three slitter rewinders. Founded in 1999, Labelnet has 34 staff and a £5.2m turnover, with a 140% increase in turnover since 2014 driving the expansion.

HITEC ZANG has expanded the LabVision software: As of version 2025.13, a new OPC UA server module is available. This allows process data, measured values, and status information from laboratory and automation environments to be provided in a standardized manner even more easily - serving as a basis for digitalization, system integration, and traceability. In brief: OPC UA is a manufacturer-independent industrial standard for secure, structured data exchange. It enables interoperability between different manufacturers and offers integrated security such as encryption and authentication. Thanks to scalable data models, OPC UA is also future-proof and facilitates connection to SCADA, MES, and IT/Cloud. What's new in LabVision 2025.13 - No limitation on the number of connections more flexibility for larger tag/data point structures and multiple clients - Simplified operation – publish all data points from LabVision via OPC UA with just a few clicks for more efficient engineering and faster commissioning - Fully automatic updates – including comments, identifiers, etc., for better maintainability and traceability You can find the new module in LabVision under "Define / Special Objects." The existing module has been renamed to "Legacy OPC UA Server" and continues to function unchanged – existing installations remain stable. Our experts will be happy to show you how to optimally integrate LabVision and OPC UA into your laboratory and automation environment.

Liquid ring vacuum pumps are a safe and reliable workhorse, capable of creating vacuums down to 33 mBar while handling high volumes of vapours, condensable gases and liquids with ease. Prized for their simplicity, reliability, and versatility, their off-centre impeller uses a ‘liquid ring’ to compress and convey gases or vapours, producing near-isothermal operation and minimal wear. With only one moving part in the fluid cavity, maintenance is straightforward, uptime is high, and processes – from distillation and drying to filtration, plastic extrusion, and even live fish transfer – run smoothly. Their adaptability extends to temperature management, fluid choice, and material construction, making them a trusted solution across a wide range of applications. Vacuum pump technology is also proving highly effective in cutting energy, water and effluent discharge costs. Historically, liquid ring pumps relied on service water that often went straight to drain – cheap and convenient at the time. Today, rising water and effluent treatment costs make this approach expensive. In addition, their tolerance for fluctuating process conditions reduces power consumption. With industry facing growing pressure to reduce utility use and environmental impact, vacuum pumps are proving highly effective in cutting energy, water and effluent discharge costs. Full recirculation 'plug and play' vacuum systems build on this proven performance, further minimising energy use, water consumption, and effluent output – reducing water consumption by up to 80%. You can read more about liquid ring vacuum pumps and full recirculation systems on our website. If you're evaluating pump efficiency on your site, we'd love to help.

Able Instruments has expanded its valve and control solutions portfolio with the introduction of Barksdale Valves. The Barksdale range strengthens Able’s ability to support customers who need reliable, safety-critical valve performance in demanding industrial environments where dependable flow isolation and pressure containment are essential, backed by Able’s application expertise and UK-based support.

A major UK refinery, located by the sea, is delighted with our Kleerband flange protection system. After extensive testing of a number of alternative options, the refinery chose Kleerband and is using class 2500. Of particular importance to the client was Kleerband’s ability to withstand the harsh conditions of the environment, along with the ability to visually inspect the flange without the need to remove it.

🚧 Now in production: March / April Issue 🚧 The next edition of Hazardous Engineering Solutions is now in production, bringing together expert insight and practical guidance for professionals working in hazardous and explosive environments. This upcoming issue will focus on key safety and compliance topics, including: ATEX, IECEx and UKCA considerations Electrical safety in hazardous areas Explosion protection strategies and technologies Control and instrumentation for safety-critical applications Fumes, dust and extraction solutions Metering, monitoring and temperature measurement Hazardous area inspection, training and competence With distribution to engineers, safety managers, and decision-makers across oil & gas, chemicals, manufacturing, energy, and utilities, this issue provides a strong platform for organisations looking to showcase expertise in hazardous engineering solutions. 📌 Limited space available — now is the ideal time to secure editorial or advertising presence.

Metrohm has been recognized by SelectScience® with two new Seals of Quality, a Gold Seal of Quality for the OMNIS platform and a Silver Seal of Quality for the 930 Compact IC Flex. This honor is based on verified customer reviews from scientists and laboratory professionals worldwide. OMNIS platform – Gold Seal of Quality The OMNIS platform, Metrohm's solution combining wet chemistry, spectroscopy, and automation, received the Gold Seal of Quality, which is awarded to products that have collected over 100 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars or higher. This award reflects the platform’s strong reputation among users for reliability and performance. 930 Compact IC Flex – Silver Seal of Quality The 930 Compact IC Flex ion chromatograph was awarded the Silver Seal of Quality, given to products with 75 or more reviews and an average rating of at least 4.5 stars. This recognition highlights the instrument’s consistent performance and positive feedback from the scientific community.