EuroWire March 2022

Corporate News

Contractors and installers “must play active role in building safety”

played a more active role in delivering change. The company states that this will require an increased awareness of the tests that individual products undergo in order to obtain their fire- resistance certification.

Wrexham Mineral Cables (WMC) has called on contractors and installers to play their part in improving building safety by increasing their understanding of the performance capabilities of fire-resistant cables. The UK manufacturer of fire-resistant, or what it prefers to call “fire survival”, mineral-insulated cables says it is vital they recognise the stresses that real-life fire scenarios have on cables so they can identify products that will withstand a critical situation. In order to meet the requirements of a fire-resistant cable, products must meet the British Standard appropriate to their type of fire-resistant cable, such as BS50200, BS8434, BS8519 and BS6387. All of these standards have a variant of time and temperature for which the cables are tested under fire conditions, ranging from a 30-minute-rated cable tested at 830°C to a three-hour-rated cable tested at 940°C. However, Wrexham Mineral Cables commercial manager Steve Williams says that building safety could take a step forward if contractors and installers

WrexhamMineral Cables is urging greater understanding of fire-resistant cables

should be no compromise; we can no longer aim for minimum compliance to get the job done. Whilst we believe there should be a higher classification of ca- bles introduced to identify those which can survive, rather than simply resist fire, greater understanding of performance capabilities, particularly amongst contrac- tors and installers, would go a long way to ensuring high performance products were used in every project.” Wrexham Mineral Cables offers training to students and experienced contractors, showing how the company makes and tests its cables, and demonstrating how they compare to other products, helping them to choose a solution that is fit for purpose. WrexhamMineral Cables https://wrexhammineralcables.com edit them, or delete them following a successful sale. As an additional service, Wafios offers customers the ability tomakenon-binding service enquiries about their machines by using the eight-digit machine number. Available services include enquiries for service technicians, an online evaluation of the machine, machine assessments, retrofits, a history of the machine, repairs, operating instructions, available spare parts, tool lists and circuit diagrams. Wafios customer service checks the avail- ability and feasibility of the respective enquiry by means of the machine number and sends a non-binding offer. Wafios AG www.wafios.com https://secondlife.wafios.com

For example, only fire-resistant cables that are greater than 20mm in diameter must undergo testing for direct impacts and water testing with any significant pressure on a single test sample. For fire-resistant cables under 20mm, different stages of the test are carried out on different samples of cable, while exposure to water is minimal. Mr Williams commented, “Fire survival cables are a vital component of building safety, yet because there is a lack of understanding about the important role they play in keeping buildings safe, all too often inferior cables are installed. The sad reality is these cables are not likely to be adequate in the event of a fire, putting lives at risk. This is of particular interest to customers if they want to upgrade their machinery or if they need new machines for specific orders. In recognition of this market in second- hand machinery, Wafios launched Secondlife, a used-machinery portal that provides a platform for commercial users to advertise their Wafios machines (built in 1980 or later) free of charge. Although Wafios provides the platform, it does not act as an intermediary between buyer and seller. To ensure that the brand’s claim to exclusivity is guaranteed and that fake adverts are avoided as far as possible, the advertiser must first register on the website and then enter the eight-digit machine number. Advertisers manage their adverts themselves, and can “In an era of greater accountability, there

New online trading platform for usedWafios machinery

The decision to buy new machinery can be a major investment. Wafios, a manufac- turer of equipment for the wire and cable industry, states

that its machines can retain their value for years, with proper care and maintenance.

Users can send a service request to Wafios via mobile phone

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March 2022