Why bespoke speaks for itself01 June 2006

When installing cable management products, getting all the equipment you need from stock is not always possible. After all, specific production facilities cannot be picked from a stock catalogue. Often, production lines within a facility are being adapted or modified to accommodate new processes and machinery. And this creates its fair share of installation problems. Making sure expectations are met, while sourcing the correct equipment to the usual tight timescale - and all within a given budget - can be a major challenge.

Inevitably, this means that bespoke equipment has to be considered at some stage during the build process. But sourcing bespoke equipment is clearly going to be more difficult and expensive than standard items from stock - or is it?

In the field of stainless steel cable management, you'd be surprised at just how many variants of the standard containment systems are available. Typically, these variants are not shown in manufacturers' catalogues, but choose a reputable manufacturer and the chances are that something similar has already been designed, manufactured and supplied previously. This, of course, instantly reduces design cost and manufacturing lead times - the two main factors that inhibit the use of bespoke equipment.

Other than containment systems, hinged enclosures are one of the most cost-effective bespoke items that are requested in this field. While there has been a move to reduce the physical size of all types of equipment and components over the years, the fact remains it's Murphy's Law that, once a stock enclosure has been chosen, the equipment required will just exceed the physical laws of fitting - and the next size up will mean the enclosure will not fit into the machine footprint/chassis or space allocated. This is a perfect example of where a custom-fit enclosure is the answer.

Versatility
With bespoke enclosures, you can also weld mounting brackets on to the outside of the box for fitting to walls. You can make bespoke back plates to fit the box and they can even be punched to get all the components in (terminal strip, contacts, relays etc will all be screwed on to the back plates) for precision and to save time. You can even get bespoke terminal rails for mounting the equipment inside the box itself.

The same rules for enclosures apply for bespoke trunking, with the most frequent request being for specific dimensions. While this may overcome issues such as installation through tight areas, it has to be remembered that, while the lengths are relatively straightforward to produce, any fittings associated with these would have to be programmed and manufactured. So try to keep it simple and talk to your supplier to see what they already have available, or have done in the past.

It is fairly common on larger cross-sectional containment to have power, control and more sensitive communication cables segregated internally, using dividers. Bespoke dividers can either be fitted on site, using loose dividers (setting the % split of compartments), using very high bonding tape, or, if required, pre-fitted at the factory prior to despatch, either by spot welding or traditional fasteners. The latter saves time, but requires a decision beforehand on the size of compartments required.

Clearly, there are downsides in getting anything made to a bespoke order. There is a longer lead time for a start, so you need to plan ahead. But the biggest issue for most people is cost. It's a premium product and will therefore be more expensive than a standard off-the-shelf product, as you would expect. But it's not astronomical. Even on relatively low-cost and low-quantity items, it is still cost effective to use a bespoke solution. The greater the quantity, the greater the cost saving - and this is without factoring for consumables used in the cutting process.

Sourcing the right supplier
The best-known suppliers of enclosures in the UK generally only sell off-the-shelf product. They do so in large volumes and therefore aren't interested in making specific enclosures. You'll need to look further afield! For cable management products, seek out companies who have a large portfolio of product and are specialists in their field. Remember, the larger the portfolio the higher the chances that what you require has already been designed and made for a previous customer.

Look for a company that has its own manufacturing facility in the UK and will be used to working with the particular materials you are interested in, such as stainless steel. Source companies who are aware of the environments in which the products will be used - essential when looking at new product development.

Once you have located such companies, you need to look at the quality of the bespoke units they produce. Check to see if they can produce not just the length, but all the relevant fittings as well. Make sure they are used to working with tight delivery schedules and that they are good on the logistics front, - ie, they must be able to support all aspects of the process, from pre-order, production of the order and whilst it is being commissioned. The company needs to be able to offer complete project management of that product during the life cycle of the project.

Once you have selected a suitable company, then you will need to supply a basic drawing/schematic overview - ideally, an AutoCAD drawing. Discuss your exact requirements with the company and they might even be able to recommend additional features that could prove useful. So, when you are next faced with an installation where off-the-shelf stainless steel cable management units aren't giving you what you truly want, don't automatically rule out bespoke as too expensive. Do some homework - find a quality bespoke manufacturer, and ask for some advice and costs. You may well end up with an extremely cost-effective solution, rather than a cheap unit that creates more problems than it solves.

Neil Boyd is sales director at Lasnek, a manufacturer of stainless steel cable management equipment, specialising in the food, drink and pharmaceutical industries. All equipment is designed and manufactured in the UK for off-the-shelf or bespoke purposes

Lasnek
T: 01582 425777
www.lasnek.com

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