• • • RAIL INDUSTRY • • • A key element of these new designs is that they


address the issues associated with older products that have become apparent over the years. For example, older products have corroded because of the material used; and the sharp edges of old cable hangers have rubbed on cables causing damage.”


Bespoke benefits One of the most interesting aspects of Ellis Patents offering is its capacity to design, develop and manufacture entirely bespoke products for its customers. While the company has been doing this for a


number of years, the service was initially confined to cleats being designed and manufactured to exact client specifications and short-circuit tested to exact project conditions. This though has now developed to a stage where the team can be called in, presented with a problem and asked to


solve it – and because of the seismic leaps manufacturing technology has taken in recent years, this is something that can now be done in a matter of days. Traditionally, creating a production ready


prototype would have required the development of injection moulding tools, which involved significant investment in time and resources, and typically took six to eight weeks to manufacture. And once received only small changes to the tools were feasible, meaning any major alterations added another six to eight weeks to the entire process. Therefore, to be in a position where we are now


able to take a product from an idea in a brainstorm to a fully functional, production ready prototype in just a few days really is a global game changer. Certainly, the benefits of such rapid product development for contractors, specifiers and


installers working within the rail industry are massive. Problems that could potentially have held up projects for weeks on end can now be quickly resolved, saving huge amounts of time and money, as well reducing inconvenience for passengers in certain instances. For Ellis Patents, the journey over the last


decade has been as dramatic as the shift in product development speed. In the late noughties the company spent a great deal of time banging the drum about the importance of correctly specified cable cleats – the aim being to ensure they weren’t overlooked in favour of inferior, unsafe solutions like cable ties. Today, the role of cable cleats is better


understood and appreciated, enabling in-house engineers, like the team at Ellis, to fully explore the potential of cable cleats and what can be achieved in enhancing existing products and designing new ones.


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • MARCH 2022 25


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