Be the expert your customers rely on, not just the wholesaler they buy from.

Cables are used with almost all electrical supply, control and information technology installations. This EDA training module on Cables and Cable Management takes you through the various types and construction of the cables and cords available for use in an electrical installation and an overview of the different terminations and connectors that are used. This background will help you to increase your knowledge in the huge range of cables and cable management systems (CMSs) that are requested by customers on a daily basis.

Most cables supplied through distributors or wholesalers will be low-voltage power cables, data cables or control cables. Higher voltage cables, as used by the power utilities (Distribution Network Operators and Independent Distribution Network Operators), some fibre optic cables and other specialist cables are also occasionally supplied by distributors or wholesalers.

Great service, loyal customers, better business

Getting the right cable to the right customer first time means fewer things sent back and fewer awkward phone calls. And once your team feels more confident they’ll naturally start suggesting the right add-ons too – which is good for them and good for your business.

The EDA’s training module Cables and Cable Management covers:

• Wiring systems
• Telecommunications cables
• Optical fibre cables
• Special cables
• Substandard and counterfeit cables
• Cable fire performance
• Cable management systems
• Cable termination

Test your knowledge

Have a go at this quiz sampled from the Cables and Cable Management module and check your answers below. If the results show that you need to boost your team’s know-how, talk to the EDA today.

Q1: What colour insulation is used to denote a protective earth conductor?
Q2: Is there a possible spark risk when optical fibre cables are cut?
Q3: To what do the following acronyms refer: LFH and LSF?
Q4: What does an IP4X rating specify?
Q5: What is the connection between a conductor and other equipment or accessory called?
Q6: What is meant by ‘loose tube’ cable constructions in an optic fibre cable?

Scroll down for answers

Answers:

A1: Green/yellow
A2: No – they are intrinsically safe
A3: Low fire hazards (LFH) and low smoke and fume (LSF) cables
A4: Protected against access by fine wire (1.0 mm thick or greater)
A5: A termination
A6: Primary coated optical fibres without any additional coatings or layers, threaded through tubes.

How did you do?

Full marks: Well done.

3 – 5 out of 6: Time to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and build confidence.

Less than 3: EDA Product Knowledge Training needed.

Watch the video and download the Course Directory

There’s plenty of information online at www.eda.org.uk, including a video and a downloadable course directory, giving you a summary of what’s covered in each of the 12 training modules.

The EDA team is ready to help. Call 020 3141 7350 or email training@eda.org.uk

For more information, click here

Find more ‘EDA Insight’ articles here

The post EDA Insight: A focus on Cables and Cable Management   appeared first on Professional Electricians Wholesaler.

Industrial controls are at the heart of modern industry, enabling machines, processes, and facilities to operate safely, efficiently, and reliably. From switches and relays to sensors and programmable controllers, these products support everything from manufacturing and logistics to energy and infrastructure. As automation and digital technologies continue to expand, demand for industrial control solutions is growing rapidly.

For wholesalers, this creates opportunities to move beyond product supply and become trusted advisors to customers. Understanding the fundamentals of industrial controls can help identify new sales opportunities, support technical conversations, and deliver greater value across a wide range of applications.

Fewer mistakes, increased sales, improved customer satisfaction 

By reducing costly mistakes, improving accuracy, and building deep product confidence across your team, the modules empower staff to provide clear guidance on the products they sell. This increases customer satisfaction, builds trust, creates upselling opportunities and ensures customers return.

If your people aren’t studying the EDA’s training modules, your competitors are already ahead because thousands of EDA training modules are studied each year.

Best in class

Setting the benchmark for professional skills development in the UK’s electrotechnical sector, this EDA training programme has two Princess Royal Training Awards – in 2022 and again in 2025. A commendation only awarded to the UK’s best-in-class training, plus they carry the City & Guilds’ Accreditation. And if you are an EDA business, you get exclusive access.

The EDA’s training module Industrial Controls covers:

• Switches and Indicators
• Relays and Contactors
• Fuses and Breakers
• Motors and Motor Control
• Power Supplies
• Enclosures and Panel Layout
• Programmable Control and Automation
• Sensing and Instrumentation
• Environmental Considerations
• Trends in Industrial Controls

Test your knowledge

Have a go at this quiz sampled from the Industrial Controls module and check your answers below. If the results show that you need to boost your team’s know-how, talk to the EDA today.

Q1: 2-Way lighting circuits are used to provide light switches at the bottom and top of the stairs to control a single lighting circuit. The switches have three terminals marked COM, L1 and L2. How many poles and throws does the switch have, and how is this abbreviated?

Q2: What electrical property of a cable determines how much heat is generated?

Q3: Many fuses provide protection against both short circuit and overload faults. What type of faults do circuit-breakers protect against?

Q4: Give two example uses for motors in industrial applications.

Q5: What are PLC IO modules used for?

Q6: What is the main difference between a solenoid and a control valve? 

Scroll down for answers

Answers:

Q1: The switch has one pole (to control a single circuit) and is known as double throw or CO. This is abbreviated as SPDT or SPCO.

Q2: Resistance.

Q3: Just as with a fuse, circuit-breakers operate in the case of either short circuits or overload.

Q4: Typical uses include pumps, compressors, conveyors, and machinery.

Q5: IO modules are used to wire the PLC to the input and output devices.

Q6: A solenoid valve is used to either open or close a pipe (shut off), whereas a control valve is used to regulate the flow.

How did you do?

Full marks: Well done.

3 – 5 out of 6: Time to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and build confidence.

Less than 3: EDA Product Knowledge Training needed.

Watch the video and download the Course Directory

There’s plenty of information online at www.eda.org.uk, including a video and a downloadable course directory, giving you a summary of what’s covered in each of the 12 training modules.

The EDA team is ready to help. Call 020 3141 7350 or email training@eda.org.uk.

For more information, click here

Find more ‘EDA Insight’ articles here

The post EDA Insight: Focus on Industrial Controls appeared first on Professional Electricians Wholesaler.

Setting the benchmark for professional skills development in the UK’s electrotechnical sector, the EDA’s Product Knowledge Modules help businesses like yours create cross-selling and up-selling opportunities by building knowledge and confidence.

The EDA’s training module Renewables including EV Charging, is now in its 3rd edition, and covers:

• Promotion of uptake of renewables
• Solar photovoltaic
• Electrical energy storage systems
• Electric vehicles
• Heat Pumps
• Wind turbines
• Energy conservation

The more you know, the more you sell

Interest in renewables training is on the up: demand from EDA businesses for the Renewables including EV Charging module increased by 73% between 2022 and 2025, reflecting the electrotechnical sector’s shift towards green tech.

To meet this growing demand, the EDA also launched a new series of Mini Modules. The first, A Closer Look at Heat Pumps, is FREE to all who successfully complete the Renewables module – helping you turn customer questions into confident sales.

Unlock your free heat pump mini module

If you have already completed the Renewables module, but have not yet claimed your copy of A Closer Look at Heat Pumps, scan the QR code below.

Test your knowledge

Have a go at this quiz sampled from the Renewables including EV Charging module and check your answers below. If the results show that you need to boost your team’s know-how, talk to the EDA today.

Q1: What is the purpose of an inverter in a PV system?
Q2: What is the nominal capacity of a battery?
Q3: What does the acronym ‘ICE’ stand for when describing a motor vehicle?
Q4: Give three advantages of a hot water heat pump.
Q5: Name the two main types of wind turbine.
Q6: Name the two ways of achieving voltage optimisation.

Scroll down for answers

Answers

Q1: The inverter in a PV system is there to convert the DC input, produced by the PV cells,
into a 230 V AC 50 Hz output and synchronize it with the mains supply frequency.
Q2: How much energy a battery can nominally deliver from full charge.
Q3: Internal combustion engine.
Q4: Energy efficiency, reduced operating costs, space saving, integration with renewable
energy  sources.
Q5: HAWT (Horizontal axis wind turbines) and VAWT (Vertical axis wind turbine).
Q6: Adjusting the step-down transformer ‘taps’ or by fitting a voltage stabilization unit.

How did you do?

Full marks: Well done.

3 – 5 out of 6: Time to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and build confidence.

Less than 3: EDA Product Knowledge Training needed.

Watch the video and download the Course Directory

There’s plenty of information online at www.eda.org.uk, including a video and a downloadable Course Directory, giving you a summary of what’s covered in each of the 12 training modules.

The EDA team is ready to help. Call 020 3141 7350 or email training@eda.org.uk

For more information, click here

Find more ‘EDA Insight’ articles here

The post EDA Insight: Powering sales growth through renewables training appeared first on Professional Electricians Wholesaler.