[ Spotlight: Cable management ]
needs to evolve. We work with data cable manufacturers to develop products able to meet future cabling needs.’ The use of high-bandwidth solutions, such
as Category 6A and Category 7 copper cabling, means that cable management manufacturers have had to develop new products and refi ne existing ones to cope with these developments. Steel wire and uPVC are by far the most popular options for this type of application, and each has its advantages. Increased spacing factors and sheer volume of cabling mean products with more capacity, deeper back boxes and correct bend radii need to be used to meet international, European and American standards. For instance, three-compartment uPVC trunking is a highly versatile solution that can accommodate power, data and voice cabling. It
Library of Birmingham
is usual to see two of the three compartments being used for cabling, with the third, centre, compartment providing cable segregation, as well as room for easy termination. Greater importance is also being given to making
Quality products should deliver value for the client
these systems more fl exible in terms of internal space. A good example is Marshall-Tuffl ex’s redesigned steel perimeter trunking System 130 and System 170, which have had internal ‘C’ rails removed and replaced with an easy-fi t clip. This clip holds dividing fi llets, allowing the trunking to transform from a single channel to two or three compartments as required. Wire tray also continues to gain market share though, because it is fl exible, quick and easy to install, thanks to innovations such as Marco’s Fast Fix Side Coupler. This allows two lengths of steel wire cable tray to be coupled together and secured within seconds with a single turn of a screwdriver.
More than meets the eye For the data centre market, pre-galvanised fi nishes on steel wire cable tray presents an alternative specifi cation to electroplated and powder-coated variants.
One of the reasons for this is the perceived
problem of zinc whiskers – tiny, conductive fi laments of zinc that can grow from any electroplated surface and which can conduct tens of milliamperes before melting. In the data centre sector, where downtime must be avoided at all costs, the fear is that they could potentially cause electrical shorts if they manage to bridge electrical conductors. However, despite the widespread panic
Read all about it
Legrand’s cable management business is helping to bring power, data and lighting to Europe’s biggest library after supplying all the cable trunking, cable ladder, perforated steel cable tray and steel wire cable tray for the £189m Library of Birmingham. Designed by Dutch architect, Mecanoo Architecten, the 35,000m² building is adjoined by the city’s REP Theatre and houses Birmingham’s internationally signifi cant collection of archives, photography and rare books. Legrand’s fast-fi t Salamandre was specifi ed for the project’s distribution trunking requirements and installed in the ceiling voids in widths varying between 50mm and 300mm. Legrand also provided custom-specifi ed multi-compartment trunking for work stations in the public areas. Use of Legrand’s Salamandre system led to specifi cation of Legrand’s
Swifts cable ladder and perforated steel cable tray and the company’s Cablofi l steel wire cable tray, enabling a single supply delivery chain for all the scheme’s cable management needs. Neil Bullock, key accounts manager at Legrand, says: ‘The speed of
installation and practicality of the Salamandre trunking system was key to the specifi cation of Legrand’s cable management ranges throughout the library, because it combines a robust solution with ease of use.’ The building has now been opened offi cially by Malala Yousafzai,
the teenager shot in Pakistan by the Taliban for championing women’s rights, and is open to the public.
concerning the supposed dangers posed by zinc whiskers, there has been little or no research completed to investigate whether these suppositions are correct, or indeed why they form in the fi rst place. The most common theory, however, is that molecular stresses in the electroplated metallic material cause the zinc to attempt to separate from the steel, producing crystals that grow into zinc whiskers.
44 ECA Today March 2014
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65