News
2021 has once again been an excellent year for the Solids Handling industry
with many successes in all areas of solids and material handling, all of the
nominations for these awards show the strength and depth of the solids
handling industry and we thank all the nominees for sharing their own
successes...
Most products at some stage of their life during production or manufacture,
utilise materials in powder or granulated form. This is where the challenge
can be for the designers of equipment and processes to move these types of
materials from place to place, either horizontally, vertically, or somewhere
in between....
Shapa are holding the 13th Digital Marketing Workshop, this highly successful event helps keep pace with the latest developments in Digital marketing. The event is exclusively for member companies and covers,
2021 Digital Marketing trends, Tips for merketing in a downturn, how to
run effective online events, lead generation, social selling B2B to name but a few of the areas to be covered...
The details for BULKEX 2021 have been announced, with a pronounced
technical emphasis, the conference is focusing on current and impending
opportunities and achievements in the bulk materials handling industry.
The two-day event on 12th & 13th October 2021 has a packed programme of
inspiring speakers planned to deliver insights on topical technical issues
and pending projects.
With articles and information from across the industry, the new SHAPA
Supplement is a must read to find out whats positive about our industry,
open up the link today and keep upto date
The Solids Handling & Processing Association (SHAPA) are delighted to
announce that the annual Solids Handling Awards to promote success and
achievement across our collective industries, are now open to all
companies registered in UK, whether SHAPA members or not, who are
directly involved in the solids handling and processing industry. This exciting opportunity will comprise awards in four categories:
the Innovation Award, the Export Award, the Newcomer Award and the SHAPA
Company of the Year Award. The awards are open for applications from
the 1st December 2020 the closing date for
all entries is 28th February 2021for more information check out the
link
While
organisations have had to realign their products and services to meet the
restrictions imposed by the Covid 19 pandemic many have been faced with also
having to quickly automate their systems and procedures to cope with the
uncertainty in the labour market due to the continual changes in guidance
from the authorities. One of the main ways to bring automation into the
workplace is to enhance your existing control systems...
ATEX fans are fans designed for use in potentially
explosive atmospheres and are governed by EU Directive 2014/34/EU. This
Directive is intended to increase safety by using a logical risk
identification and mitigation method for design manufacture and use...
With the total lockdown released by the UK government and being replaced
with a more targeted approach, UK and European organisations are starting to
get back to working more productively. However, as the overall situation has
not yet stabilised with new Covid spikes being found across Europe and the
deepening crisis in the Americas, Middle East and India, exporting and
importing is going to be significantly different going forward...
It is well established that the SHAPA membership comprises many
exceptional companies in bulk materials handling and processing, their
combined experience and knowledge amounting to a few centuries. All are
merely a few “clicks” away on the SHAPA website www.shapa.co.uk . This
is an invaluable resource for all project engineers and specifiers
engaged in new projects, updating plant and installations, or simply
looking for life extending efficient maintenance.
This leading
resource is continually evolving with new technical papers being added all
the time...
With the lockdown starting to be released in the UK, Europe and the wider
world companies are starting to get back to working productively. However,
things are looking different going forward. With a vaccine that may be six
to eighteen months away or not at all if you read some scientific journals
new ways of working are needed to ensure that we continue to be profitable
going forward.
The long term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is looking to be widespread
and lingering. With the repercussions of lock down, social distancing and
furloughing staff likely to affect every industry in very different and
unexpected ways...
SHAPA teams up with the LEV INDUSTRY FORUM
SHAPA as an integeral part of the LEV Industry Forum - Competency Working
Group have together produced a
LEV knowledge guidance matrix for key roles in the LEV industry
highlighting the requirements for each role and where to find the
appropriate information needed to fulfil the role. further information can
be found on the The Chartered Institution of Building Services
Engineers ( cibse) website
link
This
year the Solids Handling Industry Award Ceremony has been held using an
online Zoom Platform, showing that despite the lockdown and the changes in
working practices the SHAPA community continues to work together to develop
new and exciting products, export all over the world, develop our young
people and celebrate the successes of our industry. The winners of the 2020
Solids handing Industry awards are:-.....
It is with great sadness that we report the death of our much loved and
respected colleague and friend Dr Rob Berry after suffering a long battle
with cancer. He will be remembered by the bulk materials handling industry
for his great expertise in powder flowability and by his friends and
colleagues for his kindness, patience and humour...
A message from Theo our Arkwright Student
I am trying to make the most of these difficult times by staying active
and encouraging a positive mindset. Given my school has now closed, I will
continue to to try to make the most of my education, and keep up to date
with work my school have been providing me with online.
As an Arkwright
scholar, and am taking advantage of any extra time to learn about
engineering, and keep up to date with any new advancements made in
engineering.
I hope everybody keeps well
Theo
2020 has once again been an excellent year for the Solids Handling industry
with many successes in all areas of solids and material handling, all of the
nominations for these awards show the strength and depth of the solids
handling industry and we thank all the nominees for sharing their own
successes...
Following the recent announcements regarding the current Coronavirus and
its implications on travel and meetings, the SHAPA council have agreed to
postpone the Annual AGM and Awards Dinner for this year until we feel that
the situation has come under control and the advice from the government has
been relaxed. We also intend to cancel face to face meetings until the
advice changes, we are sure that within your own businesses you are taking
similar precautions....
Annual Awards Dinner Cancelled
Due to the current situation regarding the Coronavirus outbreak, the
council have agreed to cancel the Awards dinner which was due to take place
on the 22nd April. arrangements are being made to carry on with the Awards
presentations and AGM further details to follow
The need for solid health and safety systems, procedures and practices
are more important than ever as we move out of the European and Customs
union into the wider world sometimes using the World Trade Organisation
rules for the global market. While it is hoped that in time that the UK will
negotiate reciprocal trade agreements with many of our trading partners
throughout the world, there is a need to make sure we do not miss out on
opportunities during this period of change....
Solids Handling Industry Awards
The 2020 Solids Handling Industry Awards Dinner is being held at the
Brookland Museum in Weybridge on the 22nd April 2020. Dont miss out on the
prestegious Black tie dinner with two free places for members, download the
booking form today and guarantee your place.
Download the booking form today
Shapa are holding the 12 th Digital Marketing Workshop, this highly successful event helps keep pace with the latest developments in Digital marketing. The event is exclusively for member companies and covers, whats new in Digital Marketing, Google analytics, Online advertising, and your Digital Marketing Toolbox to name but a few of the areas to be covered...
Size reduction is one of the oldest processes known to man from before
time when grains were pounded and ground to make flour. Size reduction
machines still mill harvested materials but also a vast variety of other
food, chemical, pharmaceutical and mined materials too...
Merry Christmas

The Solids Handling & Processing Association (SHAPA) are delighted to
announce that the annual Solids Handling Awards to promote success and
achievement across our collective industries, are now open to all
companies registered in UK, whether SHAPA members or not, who are
directly involved in the solids handling and processing industry. This exciting opportunity will comprise awards in four categories:
the Innovation Award, the Export Award, the Newcomer Award and the SHAPA
Company of the Year Award...
Shapa Welcomes their new Arkwright Student
SHAPA Council Member James Podevyn and Ian Birkinshaw attended the
Arkwright scholarship presentation event in Edinburgh to welcome our new
Arkwright scholar Theo Cains to the Association

Over the past months The SHAPA technical committee have reviewed the
information available and updated the advice given in the two publications
within the SHAPA technical library available at
https://www.shapa.co.uk/technical.php these being Compliance with
Legislation Implementing the Atex directive and an Atex PowerPoint
presentation....
Wherever solid particulates are handled, processed, stored or are
created, as a bi product of a process such as machining or finishing, dust
is usually generated.
This dust needs to be controlled to prevent risks
to health and environmental damage...
Industry 4.0 is reported to be the next major revolution in
industrialisation. The main focus is to take all the individual processes
and systems that are used in manufacturing to manage and control production,
and import them into a cloud-based system This allows the workflow, product
changes and the management of each and every individual machine or a series
of machines can be controlled remotely...
Sucess for Georgina
Georgina Edwards, SHAPAs Arkwright Scholar has sucessfully passed her A
levels with flying colours and is now bound for Loughborough University to
continue on with her studies. We wish her well in the future and pass on our
congratulations and best wishes.
Shapa has been working with Santander to help organise a World Food India
19 trade mission to take place on the 1- 4th November 2019, for more
information please download the flyer
here
Most products at some stage of their life during production or
manufacture, utilise materials in powder or granulated form. This is where
the challenge can be for the designers of equipment and processes to move
these types of materials from place to place, horizontally, vertically or
somewhere in between. The conveyor or elevator designer must consider a
multitude of parameters, probably more than twenty in their pursuit of the
most effective solution....
There are many types of valves used within the bulk handling industry for
controlling, conditioning or diverting the flow of powders or liquids. There
are three main types of valves, these being shut off, diverter and rotary
valves.
2019 has once again been an excellent year for the
Solids Handling industry with many successes in all areas of solids and
material handling, these successes have produced a strong shortlist for each
of this years award categories. This year the award categories are, Solids
Handling Export Award, Solids Handling Innovation Award, Solids Handling
Newcomer Award and Solids Handling Company of the year award. The
shortlisted nominations for each award category are:-
Bookings are now being taken for the 2019 Solids Handling Industry Awards
evening. This year the awards are being held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds
on the evening of the 8th May. Once again one delegate from each member
company can attend the AGM and dinner free of charge, with additional
delegates paying a nominal fee to cover the evening meal.
These awards are going from strength and this years nominations have been
among the best that we have received. After the award presentations we will
be entertained by local comedian Brian Newbold who comes highly recommended.
There are still places available for this chance to celebrate the best in
our industry and network with your friends and colleagues. Once again the
dinner is open to members, their spouses, partners, customers and suppliers.
So don’t miss out on this great opportunity just complete the booking form
to guarantee your place Please follow the link to
download the
AGM and Awards dinner booking form
SHAPA is proud to be involved with International Women’s Day on the 8th March to celebrate and promote successes in the world of Solids Handling and Processing. International Women’s Day provides a spotlight to showcase the commitment to women's equality, launch new initiatives and action, celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness, highlight gender parity gains and more.
See the Full story here
Most common manufacturing applications have a requirement for the use of Industrial metal detection systems for the inspection of bulk powders, granular or free flowing products. This is common place within the majority of most Food, Pharmaceutical and O.E.M applications where metal detection systems are used as part of a quality control programme.
The terminology ‘mixing’ and ‘blending’ is often grouped together as the same process, technically they are slightly different. The process of blending is the homogenous distribution of differing materials and is usually a relatively gentle process. Whereas mixing is usually a more aggressive process involving the combining of materials through the beating or stirring of the contents within a static vessel...
SHAPA are holding the workshop to give designers of machinery the knowledge and tools to design safe machinery in accordance with current Machinery and associated directives. it will also include a section on any implications as a result of the brexit agreements...
Shapa are holding the 11 th Digital Marketing Workshop, this highly successful event helps keep pace with the latest developments in Digital marketing. The event is exclusively for member companies and covers, whats new in Digital Marketing, Google analytics, Online advertising, and your Digital Marketing Toolbox to name but a few of the areas to be covered...
16th Jan 2019 Shapa General Meeting - Agenda
Agenda for the SHAPA General Meeting- Wednesday 16th January 2019 at 10:00 am
The George Hotel
Lichfield
WS13 6PR
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Minutes and Matters Arising
3. General Secretary’s and Membership Report
4. Chairman’s Report
5. Technical Committee Report
6. Marketing Committee Report
7. Coffee
8. Presentations
Imagineering – A New project
Bob Shanks - Imagineering Foundation
Maximising your innovations
Tony Cassidy- The MPA Group
9. AOB – and dates of next Meetings
10. Buffet lunch
Merry Christmas


The Solids Handling & Processing Association (SHAPA) are delighted to announce that the annual Solids Handling Awards to promote success and achievement across our collective industries, that are open to all companies registered in UK, whether SHAPA members or not, who are directly involved in the solids handling and processing industry...
2019 Solids Handling Industry Awards open on the 1st December 2018
The 2019 Solids handling Industry awards are oepn form the 1st December 2018, the Catagories are Innovation, Export, Newcomer and Company of the Year. This year the Awards Ceremony will be held at the Royal Armories in leeds on the 8th May 2019. Don't miss out on these prestigious awards
download the application form today.Tthe closing date for entries is the 28th Feburary 2019.
As this year’s exhibition season is now ending it is very heartening to see that despite competition from other media, internet and so on, the physical exhibition remains an important marketing tool. Three of the exhibitions held this autumn, Recycled Waste Management (RWM), PPMA and BULKEX18 for Bulk Handling equipment providers and processors demonstrated the wide reach of our remit, from raw material production, via processing and manufacture, packaging and distribution through to final recycling and waste disposal...
Digital Marketing Workshop 2019
The date for the next Digital Marketing workshop has been announced as the 26th March 2019 at the East Midlands Hilton Hotel more details to follow.
Shapa is running a new Introduction to Bulk Handling Workshop to be held at Nestle in york on the 4th December 2018. This workshop is specifically designed to take some of the mystique out of solids and bulk handling...The course which
is aimed at those who have just joined the bulk handling community and those who already work in the bulk handling industry in sales, marketing, accounts and operations etc. who feel that they need a deeper understanding of how
their products and services fit into the wider environment....
It is well known that an elegant design that works reliably is devoid of baulking obstructions and ambiguities and is simple to understand and operate. It is, of necessity, the result of ingenuity, experience, good applied science and engineering....
For more than a century there have been efforts to improve air quality in the working environment, both in enclosed factories and other industrial areas. Even with scant knowledge of respiratory diseases it had been clear that people were more productive in a cleaner and better environment....
SHAPA announces the award catagories for 2019
The catagories for the 2019 Solids Handling Industry Awards have been Finalised, these are, Innovation, Export, Newcomer and Company of the Year. The presentation of the awards will be on the 30th April 2019. A venue will be announced shortly
It used to be that all you needed to store your materials was a large area where your product could be piled high on top of its self out in the open air. As time has moved
forward the need for more sophisticated storage solutions are required in order to safely store the ever-increasing range of bulk solid materials with their differing properties .....
SHAPA July General Meeting
The next SHAPA General meeting is on the 4th July at the George Hotel Lichfield download the agenda here
Shapa's Arkwright Student posts her latest Blog
What an incredible experience competing at the National Finals of the F1 in Schools competition. Throughout 2 days of intense competition and jam packed action, Ginetta Racing Edu earnt the ‘Team Sponsorship and Marketing’ award, as well as being nominated for the ‘Pit Display’ and ‘Innovation’ awards, and having the second fastest car!
Read the full article here
Since time immemorial progress has been driven by innovation and invention and the desire to continually improve and better ones self. The desire to learn, improve and push at boundaries is an integral part of our nature. Whilst innovation in solids handling and processing seldom hits the headlines, it nonetheless drives the machinery of progress across an enormous range of industries.....
2018 has been an excellent year for the Solids Handling industry with many successes in all areas of Solids Handling, these successes have produced a strong shortlist for each of the award categories. this year the sortlisted entrys are
....
10th Anniversary Digital Marketing Workshop
Details of the 10th annual digital marketing workshop have been released,download the flyer for the event here and a
booking form to make sure you do not miss out on this vital workshop which will give you the tools to improve your digital marketing profile
Health of the Nation
The need for solid health and safety systems procedures and practices is more important than ever as we move out of the European and customs union into World Trade Organisation rules for the global market read
more here....
Many companies are founded on the back of an innovative idea by forward thinking people skilled in design, engineering, project management, marketing or other discipline. Whilst still small, the skills required to operate all aspects may possibly be gained by the founder. In former, less complicated times this may have been true as the firm expanded, but the pace of change of technology, standards and legislation as well as in marketing and particularly in financial accounting necessitates constant learning and improvement. The huge range of applications and processes served by our industry just adds to this challenge.....
Reaching the end of a very busy Christmas term, we have lots to look back on, such as assisting backstage with the school play and Christmas concert, as well as designing and manufacturing the F1 in Schools Car....
SHAPA January Meeting
The next General meeting will be held on the 24th January at the George Hotel in Lichfield starting at 10:00
Find out about OEE and GDPR, along with all the usual networking oppertunities.
for more details email Ian at
info@shapa.co.uk and download the
agenda
Applications are invited for the 2018 Solids Handling Industry awards
Shapa has launched the 2018 Solids Handling Industry awards, these awards are now open to all UK registered member and non member companies and institutions operating in the Solids Handling and Processing Industry. Application forms will be available direct from the website from 01/12/2017 and winners will be announced and presented at the awards ceremony in the evening of 17th April 2018 more information is available in the
link
2018 Solids Handling Industry Awards
Details of the award catagories and award launch date have been announced, for further information follow the
link
Solids Dortmund 2018
Details have been released regarding the international Solids Handling show to be held in Dortmund on the 7th and 8th November 2018, for more information please follow the
link
CHoPS 2018
**Abstracts deadline extended to 22-12-17 ** for more information follow the
link
Financial Awarness Training
This course has been especially designed for Shapa members and will include content specifically related to our industry
Who should attend ?
Anyone involved in driving their business forward e.g Managing Directors, Directors/Managers & Account Managers etc , whatever their level of financial knowledge. The workshop is designed to enable everyone to take away practical tips and strategic insight suitable to their skills and experience, whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced. So join us for and inspiring and enjoyable day out.
Download the detailedinformation and a
booking form,today
If you can return these back to info@shapa.co.uk as soon as possible so I can make the necessary arrangements and if you feel that this course would help with someone in your close supply chain please feel free to include them.