Revealed: the secrets behind your data

Next time you save a document to the cloud, make an internet search or browse a website, think about this. Deep inside one of dozens of top secret buildings somewhere in the UK or Europe, a server will spring into action to handle the data involved. But behind the servers and beyond the electronics, there’s a whole other infrastructure that relies on just as much secrecy, efficiency and reliability. Which is why it relies on ERIKS Flow Control.
 

As more and more of the world’s business – from online shopping to banking to communication – is conducted online, data is a hot topic. What many people don’t realise is that it’s also, literally, a hot environment. Servers where data is handled and stored generate enormous amounts of heat, but need to be kept cool to operate effectively.

So no matter how sophisticated the electronics and how ‘virtual’ the world they create, behind it all sits the very real metal and mechanics of effective datacentre cooling. And that’s where the know-how of ERIKS Flow Control plays a crucial role.

Data won’t wait

The key to the digital world is speed and efficiency. Which demands high-performing, dependable, energy-efficient products and technology. The HVAC infrastructure provided by ERIKS Flow Control is no exception. It may operate behind the scenes, but it’s equally mission-critical.

ERIKS’ infrastructure solutions for datacentres include:

Supplied by ERIKS to a wide range of major players in the sector, maximum uptime and lifetime reliability are built-in to all the specialised econ® brand products for datacentres.

Reliability is assured by certification of isolation and control valves to Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3, according to IEC 61508.

The high-performance automated valves provide bidirectional zero leakage, high rangeability, and exceptional control accuracy. In addition, the products are engineered using carefully selected construction materials – from ductile iron to titanium, and stainless steel to RPTFE. By matching these to the application and environment, pipework corrosion risk is minimised and lifelong performance virtually guaranteed.
 

When special is standard

The exceptional demands of datacentre HVAC systems require exceptionally designed and engineered products. That’s why the econ® brand from ERIKS offers many ‘special’ features as standard.

For example, extended spindles are standard, to allow for lagging of roof-mounted valves.

Also standard is the IP68 rating for our gearbox, providing greater protection against water ingress when positioned outside. Most competitors offer only the lower IP65 rating.

We also offer certain types of butterfly and ball valves, an electric valve actuator and a Y filter, none of which are available elsewhere.

But it’s not only our products that are special. Our service is too.

As part of the ERIKS Group, we can provide a consolidated, compatible package of products of our own manufacture. We can also go beyond the HVAC system, to offer a wider range of products and services for the datacentre civils build – from within the datacentre environment, to the district energy distribution network, and within commercial buildings.

The only thing we can’t do, because of the confidentiality of the datacentre industry, is tell you exactly what we have supplied and who we’ve supplied it to. But it’s no secret that out of 37 completed datacentre projects over the last four years, there has been only one product failure. And that proved to be the result of accidental damage to a single valve, resulting from incorrect installation by a subcontractor.