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Cable management specialist Marshall-Tufflex has received a resounding thumbs-up from its customers, with a large number of those canvassed so happy with the service the company provides that they think nothing can be added or improved.

The Hastings-based manufacturer regularly asks customers for their views, with its most recent Customer Service Survey highlighting satisfaction with on-time – and correct – deliveries, supportive delivery staff and the overall service and product quality provided.

Debbie Ensell, commercial office manager at Marshall-Tufflex, said: “We are committed to best practice and strive to deliver the highest standards of customer service. We understand that our customers require faster, easier and more cost-effective solutions with superior levels of support services. Customer Service Surveys help us to ensure that these very high standards are continually maintained, whilst identifying areas where improvements can be made.”

The latest cable management Customer Service Survey went out to Marshall-Tufflex customers across the UK. In several areas, including overall service, sales staff being knowledgeable, deliveries being correct and on time, delivery staff being helpful and invoices being clear and correct, the business recorded its highest levels of satisfaction since 2003, with scores close to excellent.

Marshall-Tufflex prides itself on quality, professionalism and, above all, accuracy of delivery, valuing the opinions of its customers so highly that it conducts twice yearly surveys to gain their views.

It also quizzed electrical contractors for their opinions of the business. Findings from this survey highlighted product and service quality, as well as availability, as reasons for remaining loyal to the Marshall-Tufflex brand, whilst the vast majority of contractors disclosed that it is their product of preference when installing cable management solutions. Almost 97% of respondents also rated the technical support that Marshall-Tufflex provides as either very good or excellent.

Contractors questioned did suggest ways in which Marshall-Tufflex could improve its service, for example by looking at ways to reduce installation costs with new, plug & play product ranges.

“We take our customers’ views very seriously and so these surveys are an opportunity for us to take those views on board and address any shortfalls,” concluded Debbie Ensell.

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A positive solution

The temptation for small children to press against elevator and glass screen doors can lead to fingers becoming trapped in the gap between the frame and the doors when opening.

Simple to install, ELEVATORGUARD significantly reduces the risk of entrapment by closing the gap and protecting the pinch points with flexible and durable brush filaments.

ELEVATORGUARD is also effective in sealing against draughts and wind noise, helping to maintain air-conditioned environments and increase passenger comfort levels.

Features

• Extensive range of anodised, painted and plated fascia finishes available
• Simple to install, complete with all fixings
• Fulfils the requirements of EN81
• Fire retardant option available

From elevators to automatic and platform screen doors, ELEVATORGUARD protects passengers by reducing the risk of entrapment in the gaps between sliding parts.

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Hamilton Litestat’s Hartland range of wiring accessories has been utilised within a prestigious development of classical Georgian country Homes at Ide Hill Park near Sevenoaks. The housebuilder, Millgate Homes, has featured these high quality products to enhance the interior of this top end development.

The Ide Hill Park development is an exclusive parkland estate into which this award winning developer is building eight country residences. Each of these houses has its own private gardens of around an acre, with stunning views over the North Kent Downs. The homes also share some 31 acres of rolling parkland, benefiting from a mature arboretum consisting of Beech, Cedar, Oak and Scots Pine, with an under storey of rhododendrons and azaleas.

Steeped in a rich history of royal connections and distinguished persons, Ide Hill Park was once the hunting ground of Henry VIII, where it provided a secret rendezvous point for the king and his future queen, Anne Boleyn of Hever.

To create a contemporary twist within each of these traditionally styled homes, Millgate Homes specified the Hartland wiring accessory plates in a bright chrome finish. By featuring white inserts these plates offer the desired opulence which suits the up-market image of this exquisite project. Media plates for satellite TV systems have also been installed to provide neat solutions that minimise the distraction from the original architectural features.

Due to the Hartland’s slimline plate and system versatility it is ideal for this type of top end development,” said Alison Hamilton, Director of the Hamilton Litestat Group. “The availability of a suite of products enable the cover plates to be matched across a whole scheme as, unlike other ranges, this plate can be featured as box fit, or grid fix and has the option of secret screw fixings all of which are available in a whole range of finishes to create the ‘look’ that the developer requires. As grid fix is available we are able to manufacture special plates to suit the developer’s exact requirements. These plates can include power centres that feature switches and fuses for various pieces of kitchen equipment including dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, fridge freezers etc., as well as media plates for Satellite TV installations.

This type of wiring solution also enables the contractor to satisfy the developer’s requirements for the latest hi-tech devices, particularly as this range can feature Eurodata outlet sockets which can be used for sound distribution and lighting control systems.

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For the past 30 years, Triton’s T80 electric showers have been the number one choice for installers faced with a new, problematic or retrofit installation. Now with the launch of the fifth-generation T80z collection, this best selling electric shower makes new and retro-fit installations even easier and quicker – meaning installers can simply ‘fit and forget’ and move on to the next job.

All four of the new T80z models – White and Chrome, Chrome, Satin/Chrome and a highly topical Eco model – incorporate innovative, easy fit benefits designed using feedback from installers to ensure they tackle the installation problems met on a daily basis, particularly when replacing an existing electric shower.

Eliminating the nuisance of existing water or electric connections being on the wrong side or perhaps the chosen new shower not covering the original fixing holes, the new range includes features such as a unique ‘reversible’ water inlet and the choice of five water and six electric entry points to easily accommodate countless cable and pipe layouts.

An installation template allows all water, electric and fixing points to be marked out before any work starts and there is generous ‘working’ room for installers to make the necessary connections and fixings whilst carrying out the installation. Removable pipe entry trims further reduce the need for cutting on water and cable entry points

Z Uni-Fit Kit

For installations where existing wiring is too short, the addition of the innovative Z Uni-fit kit option makes it simple to extend wiring without compromising the professional finish of the shower. BEAB approved, the Z Uni-fit kit can save up to four hours on a difficult installation, widening the replacement scope of this shower range even further.

Green Credentials

For installers looking for a shower for environmentally friendly customers through to Housing Association or new home projects, the T80z Eco provides an equally straightforward solution. Offering a maximum flow of 6 litres per minute, rather than an average flow which is often seen, the T80z Eco makes a big difference when it comes to satisfying the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Lorna Fellowes, Triton’s managing director comments:

“The T80 range has been loved by installers for the past three decades, namely for its cost effective, problem solving ability. The latest T80z models certainly continue this trend and in fact take ease of installation to the next level. We have incorporated many features across these five flexible options that are most requested by installers, with the aim of providing a flexible showering range that is simple to install, appeals to the end user and all with the quality finish you’d expect from Triton.”

Big Brand Benefits

Particularly in the current climate, it is important for installers to have products that can ensure a first class service that customers can really feel the benefit from. Using known names such as Triton brings reliability firmly into the mix. The T80z not only benefits from the involvement of Triton’s in-house research and development team but also from the company’s expert technical advice, quality and customer service.

The complete range of T80z models has a 2 year guarantee and, if ordered before 5pm, forms part of the rapid replenishment service for delivery the following day.

Whatever finish is chosen, this newest T80z continues the trend for offering innovative design, performance, value and ease of installation – and over 1 million homeowners agree, with a T80 variant installed in their home.

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Metstrut has supplied over 6km of bespoke cable tray to Balfour Kilpatrick, for the £250 million Diamond synchrotron, the largest scientific facility to be built in the UK for over 30 years.

The specially adapted cable tray was prefabricated by Metstrut into 24 “achromats”, each one a 16m set of prefabricated, pre- assembled modules in six units of differing lengths, each 600mm wide and 740mm high. Metstrut cable trays carry all of the complex electrical cabling requirements for each of the 24 experimental research stations, control rooms, laboratories and offices within the doughnut-shaped building on the Harwell science campus.

The Metstrut 50mm deep return flange heavy duty cable tray is capable of carrying loadings of 250N/m. The bottom tier of tray carries 55mm thick dipole cables, the one above power cables, the second one control cables and the top tier instrument cabling.

Metstrut worked closely with Balfour Kilpatrick to develop the most efficient way of supplying the cable tray for the Diamond project, delivering each achromat as a set of completed racks together with specially designed connection plates set to the curve of the building, enabling Balfour Kilpatrick engineers to lay the modules out, fix them together and bolt them to the floor.

Metstrut adapted the design of its standard cable tray to meet the Diamond’s particular specification. The perforation pattern was changed to a symmetrical layout, with the holes running in one direction, to eliminate any potential for crossover of the electro magnetic forces emitted by the very powerful electron beam.

Balfour Kilpatrick specified Metstrut cable tray for the project because of the company’s design capability, its manufacturing resource, including prefabrication facilities and its competitive pricing.

The Diamond synchrotron building is the size of five football pitches and is owned and run by Diamond Light Source, a joint venture company between the UK Government and the Wellcome Trust.

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Following the announcement of a successful impact test of its Shallow Mounted bollard, The Bollard People, ATG Access are pleased to report the latest innovation in technology to allow high security solutions to be installed in areas where underground services or lack of space for excavation may cause a problem.

The brand new SupaSlim™ foundation is a remarkable piece of engineering work, the PAS68 rated test saw a bollard arrest a 7.5 tonne (15000lb) truck travelling at 40mph (65kph) – the bollard was installed in a foundation of just 112mm.

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Ability Projects Ltd, Wimborne, Dorset, has introduced an updated ‘commission-less’ version of its acclaimed EC Matrix fan coil unit.

The ‘commission-less’ Matrix II fan coil unit is unique, in that its individual air volumes per duct run and design heating and cooling water flow rates are loaded into the terminal controller strategy during manufacture at the Ability factory. Thus, when units are installed on site, they are able to sense their surroundings and adjust automatically to provide and maintain the factory preset air volume and water flow design values. Furthermore, after a fit out, any value within the control strategy can be altered and transmitted to either a single fan coil, a group of fan coils, or the entire building system can be re-set in seconds through the software alone.

The original Matrix was also unique in that, although it incorporated EC infinitely variable fan technology, it controlled fan speeds individually rather than as a unit. Thus each fan, serving only one discharge grille, enabled an installer to commission and balance the air volume in each duct by fan speed alone, rather than by expensive volume control dampers.

Matrix II however, has two important extra facilities. First, instead of adjusting fan speeds up and down, the required air volume per duct run is typed directly, as a value, into the software. If for example, the design specification calls for 75 litres per second per duct, then precisely that is entered. Once installed, each fan coil will establish exactly the correct air volume as a total and along each individual duct, irrespective of the external static pressure of the ductwork system. Subtle variations between ductwork runs do not matter because the fans self compensate.

Matrix II also allows maximum water flow rates to be self regulating. The design water flow rates for both heating and cooling are entered into the Matrix software along with the air volumes. When installed, the fan coil control valve – a two port pressure independent unit — modulates between 0% (closed) and 100% (design water flow rate). This concept may appear similar to other valves of comparable style but the vital difference is that the water flow rate can be adjusted at any time through the software or the BMS, without the need for access to the fan coil itself. Flow rates are set with an accuracy of +/-2% on the maximum flow rate, and often even closer. The commissioning process therefore, becomes one of mere ‘checking’ rather than ‘setting’.

Thus, as well as banishing volume control dampers, Matrix II also removes the need for flow regulating devices, double regulating valves or similar, in the hydraulic system.

Like its predecessor, Matrix II also helps limit energy consumption. Its use of purpose designed lap top software, enables air volumes to be gradually reduced or increased in parallel with thermal load – as well as allowing the fan coil to react to an ‘unoccupied/occupied room’ situation by relaxing cooling and heating set points. Thus, when a person enters a meeting room for example, the fan snaps into its normal occupied mode and from then on its speed tracks and matches thermal demand precisely, saving energy and generating less noise. Conversely, once the room empties, the fan reverts to set back mode and maintains the room in a ‘holding’ condition. This software and all Matrix features can be integrated into any BMS system.

Ability offers factory demonstrations and will exhibit Matrix II at Ecobuild in March

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Metstrut has supplied over 14km of its cable ladder systems for use in the flue gas desulpherisation plant at West Burton power station.

Metstrut’s technical team helped with the design of the cable ladder requirements, adapting the system where needed and manufacturing some sections with specialist bends to accommodate difficult angles.

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