Why Engineering Consultants Must Specify Ellis Patents Phoenix Fire Resistant Cable Cleats.....

By Chris Dodds on 20th January, 2014

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Fire Resistant Cable Cleats

“To date there has been no agreed test for a cable cleat to be put through in order to rate its fire performance,” said Ellis Patents managing director, Richard Shaw. “Instead cast iron cleats, which have a melting point high enough to provide the necessary safety reassurances, have generally been used.

“The drawback to this approach is that cast iron is costly, which makes such cleats restrictively expensive. And with a significant growth in the number of FP installations the clamour for a more cost effective solution has been growing.”

The cable cleat fire resistance tests included exposure to fire, impact and water spray - all of which combined to ensure that the Ellis Patents Phoenix cable cleat range offers fire protection to the same level as the cables it will be installed to protect.

“As with anyone bringing a new product to market Ellis Patents are delighted to be first off the mark, but I do feel that the fact we were faced with developing a new product without the guidance of an industry agreed testing procedure once again highlights the severe lack of understanding when it comes to the role cable cleats play in any cable installation,” added Richard Shaw.

“In a standard short circuit situation, underspecified cable cleats will simply add to the shrapnel, therefore putting lives and expensive cable installations at unnecessary risk. Similarly, put underspecified cable cleats on a fire rated cable installation and any benefit such cabling may bring to a building is instantly lost."

Ellis Patents Phoenix Cable Cleats : Project Cobalt Data Centre Campus

Ellis’ Phoenix cleats, plus cable glands and associated fixing products were specified by M&E contractor, Cundall and supplied through Middlesbrough-based electrical cable distributor, Cleveland Cable Company.

Chris Leahy, a project manager for Cleveland Cable Company, said: ’Ellis Patents are a world authority on cable cleats. Though this our first experience with Phoenix cleats and, as with all other Ellis products, they certainly deliver to an extremely high standard’.

Phoenix range of fire proof cable cleats were developed by Ellis to provide a proven and cost-effective method of safe cable restraint for any Fire Protection (FP) installation manufactured in 316L stainless steel. The range underwent vigorous testing prior to launch in order to demonstrate its fire and corrosion resistant properties.

These tests included exposure to fire, impact and water spray, all of which combined to ensure that the Phoenix range offers fire protection to the same level as the cables it is installed to protect. Ellis’ Phoenix cleats have been used extensively since their launch and were recently granted London Underground (LUL) approval. See : Ellis Patents Goes Underground With New Fire Rated Phoenix Cleats.

Paul Nolan, UK sales manager for Ellis, explained: ’At the time we brought the Phoenix cleats to market the only proven way to secure emergency cabling was to use cast iron cleats, which of course was an extremely costly solution. In practice this resulted in a lot of emergency cabling systems not being properly restrained, which meant that in the case of an emergency there was no protection. Instead risks ranged from the loss of vital services through to the dangers caused to life by live cables falling’.

Ellis’ Phoenix cable cleats corrected this problem and did so at time when the growth in the number of FP installations was soaring and the clamour for a more cost effective solution was growing’.

’In order for FP rated cables to continue working in an emergency they need to remain not just intact, but in place - something that simply can’t be guaranteed without the use of restraints that have the same fire resistant properties as the cables they are restraining’, added Paul Nolan.

Video : Ellis Patents Phoenix Cable Cleats For Fire Resistant & Performance Cable Installations 

• Further Ellis Patents reading

Ellis Patents Cable Guide Clamp - Video

Cable Cleats - The Ellis Patents Black Book Guide To Cable Cleats 

Cable Cleats From Ellis Patents - The Innovation Game 

 

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