CABLES
KEY CONNECTORS
ELAND CABLES
WHY QUALITY, COMPLIANT CABLES ARE AT
THE HEART OF YOUR WHOLE OPERATION
When was the last time you thought about
cables? They underpin so many applications
and processes yet are often overlooked
in terms of importance. They power
equipment, transmit data and signals for
control and monitoring, and are embedded
in the infrastructure of your buildings – they
may even be integral to the product you’re
producing. Surely it’s time to pay these key
connectors some more attention?
Cables, like most other products, are
manufactured against precise specifications
and in line with relevant standards and
legislative requirements. Compliance is,
of course, mandatory however it’s not
something that can be taken for granted
and there remains reported incidents of
sub-standard cables finding their way
into the marketplace. When they’re so
fundamental to everyday operations – and
when any unplanned downtime caused
by cable failure can be so costly – are
you confident that your chosen supplier
is doing everything it can to ensure it
meets these quality and safety standards?
Importantly, can they demonstrate this if
asked?
In-house quality assurance testing can be a
light touch or a deep dive into the product,
and it will differ from supplier to supplier.
From a cable buyer’s point of view, the
more rigorous the better as it leaves less
to chance – a lot can happen between the
point of manufacture and delivery to you.
The most stringent QA testing will involve
laboratory testing under independently
monitored conditions, recording accurately
and impartially the results and quarantining
any cable that fails to meet those
requirements.
UKAS – the United Kingdom Accreditation
Service – is the pinnacle of UK laboratory
testing credentials. ISO17025 declares
that the testing results and reporting are
accurate and without bias, bound by strict
parameters and conducted on state-of-the-
art calibrated equipment. There are few
suppliers that can claim to offer such a high
level of due diligence on their cable.
QA testing establishes a solid baseline
for quality and compliance but you can
go a step further. The BSI Cable Testing
Verification Kitemark™ certifies cables from
specific batch manufacturing runs, testing
the component layers of the core and size
configurations against relevant British
and International standards to determine
the overall compliance. This is particularly
important when specifying cables that
are made ‘generally’ to a standard such
as the SY, CY and YY cables which is used
extensively through automation. It’s a
prestigious mark of quality recognised the
world over and gives you peace of mind
that your cables are consistent across your
installation.
At Eland Cables, we believe it is our
responsibility as cable experts to take a lead
in offering this extra level of due diligence;
being able to confirm to customers that the
products supplied by us are compliant with
standards and legislation, and provide the
technical support and guidance that will
help you achieve the optimum result.
The Cable Lab®, our in-house cable testing
facility, holds both the coveted ISO 17025
accreditation and the BSI Kitemark. It’s a
unique achievement for a UK cable supplier.
Whilst the investment in such an advanced
laboratory has been substantial, the result
is both a facility and a team of technical
experts who can categorically demonstrate
cable compliance.
Ivan Cleere, Head of QA & Technical for
Eland Cables’ The Cable Lab says;
“With strict quality controls and product
testing there’s no reason for non-compliant
cables to reach the marketplace, yet too
many times there’s news of this happening
within the industry. Having achieved the
ISO 17025 UKAS accreditation for our cable
testing facility it sets us apart in the eyes of
quality-conscious organisations both in the
UK and worldwide, but it also helps raise
the standard across the board.”
As we continue to automate more
processes and push the boundaries
technologically, we can’t afford to lose sight
of the importance of these connections. A
cable might not be the largest component
part in any installation, but you’ll certainly
notice its absence. It all underlines our
stance that compliance is non-negotiable.
It’s time to demand the same high level of
quality from end to end.
For more information on Eland Cables
including The Cable Lab® and its testing
capabilities:
020 7241 8787
[email protected]
www.elandcables.com
Issue 38 PECM
85