product development Archives - Professional Electricians Wholesaler

C.K Tools has developed a firesafe product

Digital Assistant — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:00:12 +0000

Why is firesafe cable on the rise, and how can electricians take it on? C.K Tools has developed a product specifically for the job.

From blunt and defeated cable strippers to broken teeth, firesafe cable has proven a growing challenge for electricians in recent years. Working with its panel of electricians, C.K Tools’ product development team has heard countless tales of frustration, some of whom have resorted to biting the tough plastic jacketing when their tools fail them, with disastrous results.

But why is LS0H (low smoke zero halogen) cable increasingly prevalent? While it isn’t a new product, a heightened awareness of fire safety, coupled with its growing use in the USA, Ireland, and Europe, has seen the fire-safe material come into more common usage in the UK recently.

Made from thermoplastic material, LS0H was first developed in 1979. The incredibly tough cable jacketing is resistant to fire and fumes, and – critically – doesn’t produce smoke when it burns. While PVC may be cheaper, it produces a thick, acrid, highly toxic, and corrosive smoke. This smoke kills. Smoke inhalation, in fact, is a bigger cause of death than fire itself in fire related emergencies.

The King’s Cross Fire in 1987, for example, claimed the lives of 31 people and injured 100 more. What began with a lit match on a wooden escalator soon became a devastating blaze, but it wasn’t the flames that killed. Thick black smoke filled the ticket hall, leading to the deaths of almost everyone present. In response, cables containing halogen ceased to be used on the London Underground, and awareness and usage of LS0H cables grew.

Risk to life

Now, with the legacy of the Grenfell Tower tragedy looming large, there is a further rise in LS0H cable jacketing. In any area where smoke and toxic fumes could pose a risk to life – LS0H should be used. In public buildings and high-density housing in particular, use of LS0H is critical. Should a fire take hold, fumes from LS0H cabling will emit less that 0.5% HCL gas, dramatically cutting toxicity. What’s more, a lack of smoke will result in enhanced visibility, enabling easier evacuation.

It’s also important to distinguish between LS0H and LSF (low smoke and fume) cable. LSF is made from a modified PVC compound and emits 15 – 22% HCL gas upon burning. That’s eight to 13 per cent less than standard PVC. However, toxic fumes and thick black smoke will still pose a significant danger to life. While it is marginally safer than PVC, LSF should not be confused with LS0H which emits 0.5% HCL gas and therefore does not produce toxic fumes or black smoke, and does not pose a danger to life.

Cost-cutting measures – such as specifying PVC or LSF cable when LS0H is safer and more appropriate – are rightfully falling out of practice. New regulations around the use of LS0H are anticipated.

But LS0H is more difficult to work with than PVC cable. The material is stronger and less flexible than its PVC or LSF counterparts. Many electricians have reported challenges in stripping the LS0H, as standard cable strippers fail to meet the strength of the thermoplastic material.

Peels like a banana

Specialist strippers, made from toughened materials and with multiple blades, should be used when working with LS0H cable. C.K Tools has developed a product specifically for the job. Using the correct bracket size for the width of the cable, C.K Tools’ LS0H Cable Strippers peel the cable along its length, like a banana skin, allowing for simple stripping. With two titanium nitride coated blades and four cable brackets, it’s designed to tackle any size of LS0H cable effectively, with minimal effort.

Brinley Buckley-Roberts, Brand Manager at C.K Tools, said: “We work very closely with a large panel of electricians in all our product development. If there’s a need out there, we know about it, and we work to produce the perfect tool to take on the challenge. Stripping LS0H was a real issue for our customers, and so we have meticulously planned, refined, prototyped, and tested the tool for the job. LS0H is, rightly, here to stay, and it’s crucial that our customers are prepared.”

Beyond having the right tools for the job, taking on LS0H requires an understanding of the material. Due to its tougher nature, LS0H can be inflexible. This can lead to cracking during installation. To prevent this, specialist lubricant is recommended to reduce friction. Of course, it’s important to also choose non-toxic, non-flammable, and non-corrosive lubricant.

Working with LS0H cable may be more challenging and time-consuming, but choosing this cable over PVC or LSF could save lives. Armed with the right tools and equipment, and knowledge of its excellent fire safe credentials, tackling LS0H can and can be straightforward and worthwhile process.

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Matt Parton discusses smart solution time switches | Sangamo

Digital Assistant — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:00:38 +0000

Matt Parton, Product Development Manager with Sangamo, takes a look at the time switches product category and how it is evolving to meet the growing requirement for smarter solutions.

We are living in a time of rapid technological development, with smart homes and the internet of things seeming to dominate the sector. With the speed of this change and the huge number of smart devices and products being developed, it can be a challenge for electrical professionals to keep up to date with the latest new products and trends. It can also be easy to overlook the traditional products that are still in demand.

Sangamo continues to see demand for the traditional products in its time switch range, but the company has continued to develop the range so that it is also able to meet demand for smarter products and offer wholesalers a choice of products that will allow them to upsell to their customers.

Round pattern time switch

Sangamo has been manufacturing its Round Pattern Time Switches at its Port Glasgow factory for over 65 years and has sold over 11 million units in that time. The installation of a Round Pattern Time Switch (RPTS) used to be a regular job for many electricians and, despite the electro-mechanical time switches being less common today, Sangamo still sells over a 1,000 units each month, both as replacements and as brand new installations.

The Round Pattern Time Switch is trusted by installers for a wide variety of applications, not just because of its reliability but its ease of use. The simple dial and levers make setting the switch up for daily fixed timings a breeze with no complicated menu options to navigate through. All Round Pattern Time Switches are also 20 Amp rated, providing a more robust switch than most other products on the market.

We regularly hear from people with Round Pattern Time Switches still going strong after 40 and 50 years. When they eventually need a new switch, they reasonably assume, because of its age, that it might not be possible to get a direct like for like replacement. However, because the original design has never needed to be updated, an RPTS you buy today is completely interchangeable with one bought decades ago.

The switches are split into four categories – Basic ‘black dial’ 24-hour time clock for simple on and off switching of up to 20A; Standard 24-hour ‘red dial’ switch with added 100 hour battery reserve; Solar Range – specially designed for lighting applications and Digital Range – the newest addition combines the high capacity and reliability of the electro-mechanical models but provides full seven day programming.

DIN rail and panel mounted time switches

Other options include DIN rail and panel mounted digital time switches that include NFC capability. Near Field Communication (NFC) is a low powered wireless communication technology that allows devices to exchange information from just a few centimetres away. Using the free Sangamo Connect app on an Android NFC enabled smartphone allows you to upload a created programming schedule; download an existing schedule to store or amend, as well as transfer programmes from one switch to another. This enhanced capability makes this form of time switch so much easier to program and has been exceedingly well received by the industry. Another strong feature of the NFC range of timers is that they will switch up to 600W of LED lighting.

The range also includes Astro Switches also known as solar switches, which automatically adjust the on and off times to match sunset and sunrise times. A selection of Standard Switches completes the range. These are often used to control heating, ventilation and door entry systems.

Bluetooth compatible

The latest development in this category has seen the addition of a Bluetooth-compatible range of timers to the DIN Rail Time Switch collection. This range is designed to offer convenience and versatility to the user and broaden the product category reach to a wider potential market, where it will help manage costs in residential, commercial and industrial applications. It uses Bluetooth technology to programme the timer and is compatible with Android and IOS, and applications that include lighting, security, heating, ventilation, irrigation and horticulture.

As well as Bluetooth communication, these time switches feature zero-crossing technology supporting up to 600W LED load. This technology protects the relay contact and extends service life, therefore helping the lighting controls to match the long lifespan of LED lighting systems. The new Bluetooth range consists of four products – Weekly Bluetooth 2-module 1-channel, seven day timer with 100 on/off operations; Weekly Bluetooth 2-module 2-channel, seven day timer, with 100 on/off operations; Astro Bluetooth 2-module 1-channel, seven day timer with 100 on/off operations and Astro Bluetooth 2-module 2-channel, seven day timer with 100 on/off operations.

As advancements in technology continue to drive new product development, it is essential that both the professional installing the products and the wholesaler supplying them, do their research to stay up to date with the latest products and trends. Manufacturers have their part to play by ensuring that they provide easy access to product training and support for the wholesaler.

For more information, click here

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