Cable Management Rewriting theR&D rulebook
HelWin2, the 690MW offshore HVDC platform that provides low-loss transmission between the North Sea offshore wind farm, Amrumbank West and Germany’s onshore grid.
At first glance, the cable cleat may not seem like a product ripe for design and manufacturing innovation; its role securing electrical cables in the event of a short circuit seemingly straightforward enough to preclude it from such activity. But look more closely and you’ll quickly realise you are wrong.
Stephen Walton, technical director of Ellis Patents, explains how the company has evolved from a manufacturer of traditional, standard cable cleats to a market leading innovator, solving installation and safety issues for the likes of Siemens, Network Rail and Balfour Beatty while also embracing new technology to rewrite the R&D rulebook.
F
or a long time we banged the drum about the importance of correctly specified cable cleats. The key selling point being the fact that without correct
specification, all a cable cleat would do was add to the potentially life-threatening shrapnel during a short circuit situation.
Our drumming these days is significantly quieter. The
market is now well aware of the need for cleats and as a result it has become increasingly congested, with more manufacturers than ever making them and, in some cases, producing virtual replicas of the most popular. As we’ve done for many years, we’ve responded to these changing market conditions by subtly shifting our focus. Back in the early noughties, export was something Ellis really only dabbled in. Today it accounts for over 50 per cent of our annual turnover and sees us export to more than 40 different countries through a network of local distributors. Our latest change, though, has been focused on what and how we sell – a shift of approach that was born out a growing demand for project specific solutions. Initially this was confined to bespoke cable cleats being designed and manufactured to exact client specifications and short- circuit tested to exact project conditions. This now has
16 | electrical wholesalerJune 2020
Stephen Walton, technical director, Ellis
developed to a stage where we are called in, presented with a problem and asked to solve it.
Examples are plentiful and include: Siemens calling us in to discuss how we could help with the installation and subsequent restraint of seven large diameter high voltage (HV) cables on HelWin 2 – a 690MW offshore HVDC platform that would provide low-loss transmission between the North Sea offshore wind farm, Amrumbank West and Germany’s onshore grid. Our response? The cable guide clamp. Balfour Beatty coming to us to discuss how to secure cables running the entire length of the New Wear Crossing after an initial plan proved unworkable. Our response? Incorporating 252 specially designed assemblies, each comprising 12 standard 2F+172 clamps and a stainless steel support frame.
Twist and shout – Ellis’ twist foot fixing mechanism were designed and developed in just two weeks
Network Rail seeking a solution to the problem of outer sheaths of live cables being breached during the installation of new cable runs onto existing cleating infrastructure. The response? The Ellis No Bolts cleat. Our ability to deliver these kind of products has been significantly enhanced by developing manufacturing
ewnews.co.uk
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