In any electrical installation it’s the little things that count and show that a degree of care and attention has been given to the overall job. Good practice requires a neat and tidy finish to any electrical or electronic work and regulations often demand the same. All manufacturers strive for the best possible product which is mainly characterised by great quality and reliability as well as technical competence.
Cable ties for instance may seem to be a common component but this is not the case due to the great number and type of different cable ties available in the market. A good example are nylon cable ties which in order to be used outdoors the need to contain at least 2% carbon black in order to protect the polymer chains from UV light thus make their service life last longer. Typically blue cable ties used by the food industry contain a metal additive so they can be detected easily during the processing and shipping stages while cable ties made of made of ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) are preferred in a radiation-rich environment.
The drive to efficiency, costs effectiveness and environmentally friendly components has also moved apace in the equally standard field of lighting products. Obstruction lights for example are a statutory FAA and ICAO requirement on tall buildings, towers, chimneys and other structures that exceed 45 metres in height. Until recently, that kind of installations used common lamp bulbs, but nowadays LED beacons are the solution of choice. LED technology means a longer operational life, therefore saving maintenance costs and down-time, and considerable energy saving benefits. Compared with the equivalent incandescent light of around 400 watts, a medium-intensity LED beacon consumes only 48 watts but is still visible for up to 24 miles.
LED buffer stop lights have also begun to replace incandescent bulbs in the rail industry for much the same reasons. Furthermore to being fully approved by Railtrack (Network Rail) for use as buffer stop lights on the Great Britain’s railway, these LED bulkhead replacement items can also be used as a traffic signal on industrial sites or a hazard warning indicator on scaffolding and machinery. It’s the LED’s combination of outstanding reliability and optical performance with full IP64 weather resistant properties and ease of vandal proofing that have lead to huge improvements in reliability, reduced service disruption, reduced maintenance costs and lower power consumption across the rail network.
