Story

The talk about poor quality cables is reaching a crescendo. But what is it all about? And why should it be of concern to everyone? Mark Froggatt of Draka explains.

When the former DTI [Department of Trade & Industry], now called the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and BASEC [British Approvals Service for Cables] go public about their concerns regarding rogue cables being available on the UK market, it is most certainly time to sit up and take notice.

While some of the evidence is anecdotal, it is too plentiful to continue ignoring, particularly with the increasing prospect of legal action following in the aftermath of a fire. And the situation shows little sign of abating. Like many of the reputable cable manufacturers, Draka has a sin-box of sample rogue cables that is filling up fast.

The message from BASEC could not be clearer. A press release issued by the organisation in July included unequivocal advice to everyone in the market: do not take a supplier’s claim at face value, as faulty or non-compliant products are becoming a major industry issue. Its warning is that there is now a “severe danger” of cables being supplied and installed that lack independent third-party approval.

Dr Jeremy Hodge, chief executive of BASEC, is quoted as saying: “A common misunderstanding is thinking that a cable is compliant, or is even BASEC approved, just because the supplier claims that it has been produced to a certain standard. This is not the case. Cables marked with just a standard number should be treated with caution. It is possible that no-one has independently examined that cable.”

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

The problem seems to have its origin in the copper price rises. Reports soon circulated that some unscrupulous producers had fallen prey to the temptation to cut corners and use less copper in the manufacturing process. Reducing the diameter of the copper wire too much has the effect of reducing the current rating and increasing the resistivity of the cable. This could potentially result in overheating which could lead to fire or reduce the level of safety against electrical shock.

From there the situation worsened. Recently, there have been instances where materials other than pure copper, such as steel wire, copper-coated aluminium or badly recycled copper have been used in cables. These instances seem to be restricted to imported cable, and now also seem to include incorrect cable construction resulting in inferior fire performance. This can have a serious detrimental impact on the safety and reliability of fire detection and alarm systems, and emergency lighting installations.

WHY WORRY?

Because surely, this is a problem for everyone, nobody can wash their hands of it.

Just consider the following scenario. A contractor buys cable specifying that it is to comply with a specific British or European standard. Cable is supplied that proudly bears the kite-mark. Thousands of metres of the cable are installed when fate steps in and fire breaks out. The cable is found to be defective. Welcome to the world of litigation, substantial costs, and a reputation that has taken time to build and grow, goes from well respected and into the dustbin in one quick step.

The specifier defends his actions by pointing out that he had clearly stated the standards to which the cable must apply. Attention then swings to the installer. In turn, they show the cable the wholesaler supplied, which probably has the standard printed on the outside. They will undoubtedly argue that they asked for compliant cable, and relied on the wholesaler’s expert advice and care. Finally, the wholesaler will be asked to prove that the materials supplied were backed up by the required levels of certification and accreditation from their supplier.

Sound bad enough? Well, that could be just the beginning. How long do you think it would be before other installer customers are asking questions about the “kite-marked” cable supplied to them? It is this scenario which is causing concern and why there are certain manufacturers who are delivering this message to the whole of the supply chain. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order has made the market far more conscious of the need to use only proven, third-party approved, top quality products. Relying on assertions that a cable is manufactured to a specific standard, simply will no longer do. The Fire Safety Order places responsibilities on all of us to take ‘reasonable’ steps to ensure fire safety and so it is reasonable for wholesalers to demand independent test certification by such organisations as BASEC, TUV or LPCB. These organisations are accredited by UKAS – United Kingdom Accreditation Service – to ensure that their credentials are of the highest international standards.

The importance of this third-party accreditation is that the wholesaler and the installer can be sure that the cable being supplied today is built to exactly – and the key word is “exactly” – the same standard and specification as the cable that was originally tested and approved. If the cable is from a producer that does not have this third-party accreditation there is, in reality, no guarantee whatsoever that it is manufactured to the standard being claimed for it.

This is important even when buying cable from a reputable manufacturer. Earlier cable from that supplier may have been up to standard, but re-sourcing materials and accepting a different specification, changing the formulation of the coating or sheathing, or modifying the design are just examples of changes that can affect the performance of a cable that still proudly – but now erroneously – bears the kite-mark.

NEVER MIND THE QUALITY, WHAT’S THE PRICE.

The fact that these rogue cables and sharp practices have come to light actually increases the need to insist on selling only third-party accredited cable (and, of course, making sure that hard evidence of that accreditation is produced). This gives out very positive and powerful messages, for example, it can be used to illustrate the fact that the quality of the product is of paramount importance, whilst also demonstrating an understanding of the legislative environment in which the installers now operate, and of their need for compliance with the Fire Safety Order and the recent changes to the Building Regulations.

View Draka UK's profile:

Story

CHALLENGED with getting better value from tight budgets and reducing road maintenance costs, local and national highways engineers are turning to asphalt reinforcement technology from Tensar International.

A new Tensar brochure, Asphalt Pavements – reinforcing asphalt layers in roads and trafficked areas, details how the range of Tensar solutions can both significantly reduce construction costs over traditional methods and increase road service life, for improved total life-cycle costs even with heavy traffic loading.

Tensar asphalt reinforcement has been shown to address structural problems such as fatigue cracking and reflective cracking. In addition, the solutions can provide excellent rutting resistance and mitigation of cracking due to differential settlement, for example in road widening projects. Tensar have been involved with asphalt reinforcement solutions for more than 25 years but recently their range of products and experienced UK installers have been significantly expanded.

The new brochure deals in detail with the decision process for selecting the appropriate Tensar asphalt reinforcement system for control of reflective cracking, improved fatigue resistance or reduced rutting. The products are easy to install, and their advantages have been demonstrated on major and local roads in the UK as well as internationally in a wide range of climates.

In addition, Tensar’s ground stabilisation solutions, including the award-winning TriAx™ geogrid, have been used to improve the bearing properties of road foundations by mechanically stabilising the granular base layers. TriAx™ also reduces the amount of aggregate required for the subgrade, providing excellent sustainability benefits and cost reductions for road construction projects.

View Tensar's profile:

Story

New Daikin concealed ceiling ducted indoor units featuring inverter driven fan motors in both VRV (FXSQ and FXMQ) and Sky Air (FBQ and FMDQ) product lines reflect the company’s continuing emphasis on energy efficiency and installation flexibility.

DC inverter based units with higher efficiencies

Daikin pioneered the use of DC inverter technology in its compressors, which modulate the speed of the motor to suit system demand, resulting in optimum efficiency and user comfort. Applying the same technology to the indoor unit fan motors results in reductions in energy consumption up to 40%, the FBQ71 model fan for example consuming 113W compared to 181W for the previous model. Also, enlarging the heat exchanger of the unit where possible, further improves efficiency.

The units also offer the Daikin ‘home leave’ function via the wired remote controller, allowing additional energy savings by preventing excessive cooling of unattended rooms in winter.

Easy and flexible installation

The system also provides automatic airflow adjustment via the wired remote controller, thereby fine tuning the airflow to the nominal rate during installation. Thus, calculation of duct dimensions and ESP are no longer as critical to optimum system operation. This results in quicker and easier installation, avoiding multiple manual airflow adjustments of the ducted system. Design flexibility has also increased, with an enlarged range of available external static pressures supported from 50 to 200 Pa for the FXMQ50.

Improved user comfort

A new three step airflow control allows the user to tailor the system for optimum comfort and minimum noise (down to 26 dBA for FXSQ25 and 29dBA for FBQ71). The duct units blend with any interior, with only the intake and exhaust grilles visible. A built-in air filter ensures a constant supply of clean air and an integral drain pump increases system reliability.

View Daikin's profile:

Story

M&E contractor Longcross Engineering has become the 15,000th licensee of AMTECH’s FastTest Test & Inspection software

In extending its use of AMTECH’s FastTest software to increase productivity, Longcross Engineering, the M&E division of Longcross Group, has recently purchased the 15,000th licence for this market-leading Test & Inspection software. The event was celebrated with the presentation of champagne and a specially commissioned trophy to the company’s Testing and Commissioning Manager Tony Taylor.

“Using FastTest is a quick and efficient way of producing accurate, validated test certificates and gives us around 40% time savings compared to other methods,” Tony explained. “The ability to print certificates onto plain paper makes the production of extensive certificates very cost-effective and there are a number of useful tools to increase productivity. New users also find it very easy to use, so they’re up and running in a short space of time,” he continued.

Longcross has been using AMTECH’s FastTest and ProDesign packages for several years and increasing the number of FastTest licences is proving invaluable in managing a rapidly growing portfolio of M&E contracts. “Making smart use of technologies such as FastTest helps us to maintain high levels of service to clients across a wider range of projects,” said Operations Director Daryl Fortune. “With prestigious clients such as Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and HM Prisons, the quality and consistency of our service is a number one priority,” he added.

Tony Taylor’s department is responsible for verifying testing and commissioning data from all of the company’s electrical installation projects. “FastTest takes care of a lot of the routine work and has dramatically reduced the amount of paper we have to handle. This enables us to respond to customers’ needs faster and more efficiently,” he concluded.

View Trimble MEP's profile:

Story

The Bollard People, ATG Access, the global manufacturer of bollard systems for ram-raid deterrent, traffic management, high security and counter-terrorism have recently set up a Southern Office. Located in Slough, the strategically placed building serves as a base in the South of the UK. It demonstrates ATG Access’s continual commitment to the UK market and sits well alongside its international expansion.

ATG Access global head office location will continue to be the North West of England although they moved from Lowton into a brand new purpose built facility in Haydock in October 2008.

View ATG Access's profile:

Story

The Ecodan® range of air source heat pump products from Mitsubishi Electric has received further recognition for its energy saving potential by securing the ‘Technology Award’ at the prestigious EI Awards 2008.

The Awards, organised by the Energy Institute, acknowledge the contribution that energy professionals make on a daily basis and whose achievements stretch the boundaries of excellence and commitment to their work.

“We are especially delighted to have received this recognition for Ecodan because we were shortlisted against household names in the energy industry with their own worthy projects,” explained John Kellett, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Heating Department who collected the award from British Olympic athlete Roger Black MBE.

The EI Awards, which were presented at the Sheraton Hotel in London’s prestigious Park Lane, are organised to promote the safe, environmentally responsible and efficient supply and use of energy in all its forms and applications. The Energy Institute is the leading chartered professional membership body for those studying and working in energy.

View Mitsubishi Electric's profile:

Story

DECO resin based surfaces provide a 2-3mm decorative coloured quartz surface that have been used extensively throughout Scandinavia & Iceland for many years. As part of our continuing development and our links with a Norwegian resin formulator/manufacturer we are delighted to offer the ADDAGRIP DECO surface to the UK market.

Suitable for a variety of locations including supermarkets, shops, offices and display showrooms ADDAGRIP DECO will provide you with an attractive and hard wearing surface. The photographs shows a high quality DECO installation in a supermarket that was carried out by Golflausnir Malland, Iceland.

To find out more or to receive samples of the ADDAGRIP DECO please do not hesitate to contact us.

View Addagrip's profile:

Story

The demand for a slim, stylish fluorescent pendant for offices and schools is fully met by Thorn’s new Sienna luminaire. For all its compact size, the Sienna packs a punch. Two miniaturised reflectors deliver an LOR of 80 per cent. Moreover, the balanced indirect/direct lighting meets EN12464-1, eliminates sharp shadows from the working surface, enhances the volume of the space and models human features.

The result is a more uplifting atmosphere, which increases visual comfort. And it has efficiency as well – twin T5 lamps (28W – 54W) and intelligent lighting control – Sensa versions are available with an integral detector which responds to presence and daylight

View Thorn Lighting's profile:

Story

Space Airconditioning plc, the UK’s only independent distributor of Daikin Products, has been awarded the environmental accreditation ISO 14001:2004.

Mike Nankivell – Marketing and Business Development Manager for the Guildford based company, said,

“I am delighted to announce that Space Airconditioning plc has been successful in securing its ISO 14001:2004 registration certification (No. EN 1310) – applicable to: “The Distribution of Air Conditioning Equipment and Manufacture of Ancillary Components”.

“We believe this important achievement, relatively rare in our industry sector, is an effective measure of Space Air’s ongoing commitment to the protection of our environment – not only by providing the best possible services in terms of applying, supplying and supporting the most energy efficient Daikin based air conditioning, heat pump and heat recovery technology solutions for our customers, but also in the administration of our in-house environmental management systems, standards and procedures”.

Space Air is aready an ISO 9001:2000 registered firm and is currently undergoing assessment for the Investor in People standard.

View Space Air's profile:

Story

View Twinfix's profile: