Are you using the technical tools at your disposal?
Unsure which cable you should be using? Are you using all the technical tools at your disposal? Why not ask an Eland Expert.
Neil Foster.
There are so many different elements to any electrical installation and you can’t be expected to be an expert in all of them, so it’s vital that you make use of the tools and support you have available to you. Cables are no exception – there are so many different standards and construction options to consider, and using the wrong cable can impact the whole application. As a company, Eland Cables prides itself on being market leaders in quality and compliance, and are often thought of as the go-to people for challenging projects, but how does that work in practice?
Our website is a great place to start. We have information for all levels from complete cable novices to experienced electrical installers, and give direct access to full technical specifications for almost all of the cables we supply; but sometimes you can only get so far on your own.
How do you identify the correct cable? What size do you need? Are there any installation parameters or environmental conditions that should be factored in? How long do you need the cable to be (so you can calculate the voltage drop)? The questions go on and sometimes you just want to be able to talk to someone to get a straightforward answer. This is where our technical hotline comes into its own – whether contacting us by email or by phone – giving you access to our team and the knowledge you need.
With 10 years of cable experience, I’m part of the team on hand to answer those questions, helping to tease out the information required to be able to make an accurate recommendation for cable type and cross-sectional area size. In addition to this day-to-day experience, I have, like a number of my colleagues, successfully completed additional training to further my technical understanding, including the NICEIC course on the 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations, giving me an understanding of the compliance requirements as well as the application itself. We also regularly sit CPD-certified cable training to keep our knowledge and understanding up-to-date and relevant on subjects ranging from cable manufacturing to standards and testing practices. It's worth noting that these courses are also available to our customers and they can be a valuable grounding if cables form part of your day-to-day remit.
Our technical support isn’t limited to simply identifying and sizing cables; the experts in The Cable Lab also provide customised cable designs, and we can provide solutions including cable harnessing. Technical support also covers Quality Assurance and third-party cable testing services for those who require it.
And then there’s a matter of the practical considerations: in an ideal world you plan ahead, selecting the most appropriate cable for the job in plenty of time to source and deliver… but electrical installations are rarely so straightforward! It could be an urgent refurb or repair job, or you could have to work on really tight shutdown timelines with only a few weeks’ notice. Whatever the challenge, we are adept at providing a technically compliant cable solution that meets your requirements.
We are already the trusted supply partner of some of the world’s leading brands and would like to find out how we can help your supply chain in 2018. There’s so much more to what we do beyond simply supplying you with a reel or drum of cable – why don’t you get in touch and see how we can help you and your project? I look forward to speaking to you soon.
Neil and the team can be contacted through our Technical Hotline: technical@elandcables.com or 020 7241 8500
