[ Spotlight: Cable management ]
significant hassle, costing contractors time and money. Explaining the importance of this, MK Electric’s Jason Ng says: ‘Many tend to go straight to the table published in BS EN 50174-2 and fail to take note of the caveat that the separation distances in the table only apply to runs longer than 35m. Plus, even in runs longer than 35m, separation distances do not need to be applied for the final 15m to the outlet, and cables can be installed without fear in multi- compartment dado trunking.’ For structured cabling installations, the need to
be fully up-to-date with the best practice is crucial, as the wrong cable management solution can have an adverse effect on performance. Paul Diggins of Marco Cable Management warns: ‘A common mistake that we continue to see is the use of older uPVC trunking systems that don’t meet Category 6 or Category 6A cable bend radius compliance.’
Standard bearer The ever-evolving world of standards has also had an impact. For example, BS 7671: 2008 – Amendment No. 1: 2011 came into force in 2012 and Section 521.10.1 stipulated the need for trunking to deliver IPXXD or IP4X protection when used with single insulated (non-sheathed) cables – something that standard IP30 rated systems do not deliver. Legrand’s Nigel Leaver comments: ‘This seemingly minor change meant that the vast majority of metallic
cable trunking systems were no longer suitable for these types of cables.’ The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) must also
be adhered to via Part M of the Building Regulations, and Malcolm Taylor, group sales and marketing manager at Rehau, says: ‘Socket locations must be easy to locate by the visually impaired and to achieve this we produce socket collars in a range of colours. We also supply the main lid for our cable management systems in charcoal grey at the same price as the standard white colour.’ For further information on the subject of
About the author
Rob Shepherd is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to ECA Today. He has worked in the electrical contracting industry for more than 14 years.
regulations and standards, Paul Courson of Cablofil, advises: ‘The recently published Best Practice Guide to Cable Ladder and Cable Tray Systems that we have worked on with the British Electrotechnical Allied Manufacturers Association (BEAMA) provides an excellent summary of the latest standards and best practice requirements.’
Moving on up The cable management sector has had to adapt to changing times and the demands that contractors and their customers make of these systems. The wide variety of solutions that are available can at first appear confusing, however, the time taken to choose the right product for the application will save time and money, and provide a cost-effective and appropriate system for the end user.
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able management is often a key part of an electrical installation and the procurement of the material required on a project clearly needs to be carefully considered - but so does the time taken to install it. Only the combination
of both gives the ‘prime cost’ for a product and it’s this factor that is becoming vitally important for estimators, engineers and project managers.
Labour is one of the most difficult elements of any project to manage and this is where Unitrunk can help. Our RIS (Rapid Installation Systems) ranges are designed to make life on site more cost effective for installers but one significant and often overlooked benefit of using these systems is in the tendering process. Most installers would probably agree that the point at which they
require a real competitive advantage is when they are quoting projects - with the help of Unitrunk this has never been more straightforward. The RIS ranges include Uniklip Cable Tray, Magic Basket and Speedlok Cable Ladder and we have created simple cost calculators that enable estimators to quickly and easily identify the huge savings to be enjoyed by choosing these fast fitting systems. The Uniklip cost calculator is an easy to use tool that requires nothing
more than the labour rate and the tray quantities to be inputted – the installed timings for both traditional and Uniklip cable tray systems have
been incorporated into the calculator using the standard industry rates from the Luckins Electrical Installation Times Guide so you can be sure that there is no mystery to this simple process. As an example, a project that has a labour cost of £30,000 to install a traditional pre-galvanised tray range will show a saving of £20,000 when using the Uniklip system. Uniklip tray is proven to be 3 times faster to fit than conventional
systems and installers can now forget about the fuss of conventional equipment, the assembling of standard fixings and the traditional time consuming cutting and filing of multiple components – these can be things of the past… If installers are looking for that competitive edge then Uniklip and
the other Unitrunk RIS systems offer clear advantages over traditional products and the key issue in making the most of them is an early engagement with the supplier – given the highly competitive nature of securing project work these days, can you afford not to take a look at these ground breaking ranges?
www.unitrunk.co.uk
March 2013 ECA Today 49 08/02/2013 11:28
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