CAD files for PMA’s extensive range of cable protection products are now easier to download

A new function has been added to the PMA website which is set to make life easier for all their customers when searching online for specific products.

Previously in order to access the CAD file for a particular PMA component, the procedure was to enter the CADENAS system via the download area of the website and then use the menu to search for the part required. However, if the customer is at a loss as to which product category the part belongs, they may have had difficulty finding it.

Recognising the issue, PMA have introduced a new function which will make the process far simpler to use. Now in the Product Information area of the website you will see, in addition to the possibility of downloading the data sheet and catalogue for specific products, it is now also possible to jump straight to the CAD files for the product in question.

This is the perfect time-saver for PMA’s customer base, making finding what they need possible at the touch of a button. Simples!

For more information, visit www.pma.ch

Solar panels installed upon PMA's headquarters make it the largest project of its kind in the Zurich highland region

Having begun the installation of almost 250 solar panels back in the autumn of 2011, the rooftop system at PMA’s main office in Uster, Switzerland, has revolutionised the building’s power supply.

The development is the largest of its kind in the Zurich highland region, with a whopping 241 panels installed, providing a surface area of around 400 square meters. This grand design has the capacity to supply 15 households with electrical power and PMA nylon cable protection systems have been incorporated into the project to aid its longevity and durability against the elements.

Forward-thinking PMA Manager, Bruno Krauer, first had the idea of fitting a solar energy system on top of the building back in 2006. After discussions with various installation companies, as well as the Swiss government authorities regarding the rate paid for energy fed into the network, by the beginning of 2011 all that remained was to convince the directors of PMA’s new owner Thomas & Betts that the investment was worthwhile.

Be-Netz, the largest and best-known company in the solar panel business, was chosen to implement the installation using PMA’s photovoltaic system, which had been designed to stand up against UV and weather exposure. Indeed, the product’s fire-resistant qualities also proved of great value, when the local building regulations office threatened to halt the project for fear of potential risks associated with voltage levels.

Philip Allington, PMA’s Application & Development Manager said:

“We are delighted with the solar system that has been successfully installed, particularly as it incorporates our specialist products, without which, this project would not have taken place.  The PMA multilayer conduit type XSOLL has impressed Be-Netz so much, they are now using the PMA conduit type for future installations.”

For more information, visit www.pma.ch or call Donna Clash at PMA’s UK head office on 01264 333 527 or email sales@pma-uk.com

Thomas & Betts will be exhibiting their portfolio of market leading
brands at the forthcoming RenewableUK Exhibition at Manchester
Central Convention Complex from 25-27 October 2011.

Thomas & Betts delivers innovative and reliable safety solutions from
their renowned brand portfolio including Adaptaflex – flexible conduit
systems, Furse – earthing, lightning and electronic systems protection,
PMA – cable protection systems and Ty-Met®, Ty-Rap® – cable
management solutions.

Come and visit us at STAND 116 and enter into our free prize draw
to win an Apple iPad.

If you would like to pre-book an appointment with our sales team during
the show please call our Marketing Department on 0115 964 3709 or
email enquiryuk@tnb.com

We’re excited to announce that PMA have recently become part of Link-Up, the UK’s largest rail industry supplier qualification management system.

Used extensively with buying organisations such as Network Rail, London Underground, a number of train operators and other large companies working in the UK rail sector, PMA’s products are now first in line for new developments on railways.

Providing polyamide cable protection solutions which are resistant to rodents, extreme temperatures and fungal decay, PMA’s range of products has also tested its mettle when it comes to vandalism and is now renowned in the industry as an affordable, easily-installed alternative to more traditional systems.

Link-Up presents new opportunities for us, with the scheme used extensively by procurement, engineering, safety and quality professionals from over one hundred leading companies, and serving as the ideal tool when it comes to sourcing products which comply with current standards and legislation.

For more information, click here or visit www.pma.ch

Manufactured from high-grade, specially modified polyamide materials, PMA AG cable protection systems have triumphed in evaluations for their suitability for use in desert conditions.

PMA products excel in desert conditions

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of cable protection systems, PMA have put their polyamide range of products to the test in some of the toughest conditions on the planet; from snow-topped mountain railways to pest-ridden environments – but now, PMA have one more box ticked, which supports the use of their products in many new areas.

Desert conditions present extremes of temperature, as well as an additional list of complications. In the day, dry, hot conditions can be expected with high UV exposure. At night, temperatures can sink far into minus figures. Add to this the need for a reliable, strong system which requires minimum maintenance and the search for a product to fit the bill can seem difficult.

PMA, however, have developed a broad range of systems which exhibit high resistance to UV, and remain unaffected chemically by either sand or salt. PA12 Black is one ‘super’ material which has been trialled under such conditions.

PMA has conducted a series of tests on their specially modified PA12 material to investigate the resistance of their polyamide conduits and fittings within a sand storm. The tests involved the use of a quartz sand blasting machine to simulate the extremities of such weather conditions. Conduits and fittings were subjected for 60 seconds to a jet of sand from such a machine at distances of 10cm and 20cm and at pressures of 4 bar and 6 bar.

With these tests designed to represent a far higher level of exposure than could ever be seen in the desert, the naturally occurring wind speeds and number of impacting grains of sand would be many factors lower in a real sand storm than simulated in this test. Since a real sand storm in the desert does not produce such intense local exposure at a single point and the grains of sand are likely to be much finer than the quartz sand used for the experiment, scientist concluded that a sand storm would be unlikely to cause any deterioration to PMA polyamide cable protection parts.

Philip Allington, PMA’s Application & Development Manager commented: “PMA PCS PA12 material has excellent abrasion and UV resistance characteristics. This conduit type is extremely tough and its material possesses very good damping characteristics. PCS will also resist well to the low humidity, which could cause some materials to become brittle. Combined with a high wall thickness, PCS is an ideal choice for applications in the desert.”

For more information, visit www.pma.ch or call Donna Clash at PMA’s UK head office on 01264 333 527 or email sales@pma-uk.com

The Thomas & Betts stand featured leading brands such as PMA, Furse and Adaptaflex

Held at Earls Court, London during 14 – 16^th June Railtex is a key event in the rail industry calendar with over 8,000 visitors from 47 countries. For Thomas and Betts it proved a successful platform to include the entire range of Thomas & Betts rail products.

With renowned brands including Adaptaflex, PMA and Furse, and product ranges including marketing leading flexible conduit systems, earthing & lightning protection and electrical systems protection the stand attracted interest from a wide range of industry professionals. Visitors included rail operators, infrastructure / maintenance providers and regulatory authorities – and a host of key enquiries were generated over the three days.

“The Railtex exhibition was a great success – providing an ideal opportunity to showcase the Thomas & Betts portfolio of innovative and reliable solutions for the rail industry”, said Tony Marston, Thomas & Betts Sales Director, UK & Eire.

Plus, there was a great deal of visitor enthusiasm for the Ipad2 prize draw – with the three winners set to be announced on the brand websites week commencing 27^th June 2011.

In an attempt to combat this vandalism, which has resulted in massive disruption to the UK’s signalling infrastructure, rail companies have been installing expensive motion sensors, and favouring nylon cable protection systems in place of traditional metal types.

Traditionally, polyamide (or nylon) has been considered a weaker alternative to metal when it comes to protecting cables, but over the years, more have come to rely upon the material for its strength, hardiness and ease of installation. At PMA’s HQ based in Switzerland, materials have been subjected to extensive testing and have proved resilient to extreme fluctuations in temperature as well as being resistant to fungal decay, seawater and certified by ATEX as suitable for use in potentially explosive conditions.

Providing a rodent-resistant solution to rail engineers, PMA’s range of nylon cable protection systems gained popularity over the last few years, following reports that millions were being spent in replacing cables damaged by the teeth of rats, after numerous cancellations and delays were caused across the UK’s 20,000 mile stretch of railways.

Now, nylon is gaining further recognition by preventing theft-related disruption on our transport systems by providing an alternative which doesn’t compromise on strength. With nylon lacking any appeal for thieves seeking metal, PMA’s products are saving thousands of commuters hassle, as well as millions of pounds being spent on compensation and replacement cabling.

The scale of the recent theft of metal cable protection is forcing the hand of specifiers, as the British Transport Police say it’s their second biggest problem after terrorism, with levels of theft related to the price of copper, which is currently fetching £5,000 per tonne. On 3^rd February, Nottingham Crown Court heard that the theft of 82ft (25m) of cable near Crankley Point, Newark, in October 2010, cost rail companies £75,000 in damage and delays. The copper was subsequently sold by the defendants for £44.

Mark Fletcher comments: “Rail companies simply cannot afford the costs and delays associated with this vandalism, but we have a simple, easily installed solution to the problem already widely available and we hope PMA’s products can eliminate this crime from being committed altogether and contribute towards a more reliable, cost-effective rail system.

“Nylon cable protection has become very popular amongst Central Europe’s National Rail operators and is used to ensure reliability and long system life while saving time and cost in installation.”

For more information, visit www.pma.ch or call Donna Clash at PMA’s UK head office on 01264 333 527 or email sales@pma-uk.com

This year marks PMA’s seventh year at Railtex, and the exhibition at Earls Court in June sees us exhibiting alongside other renowned Thomas & Betts brands, including  Adaptaflex, Furse, Emergi-lite, DTS and Ty-Rap.

Visitors to stand G61 at the show will find a range of rail safety and protection products including flexible conduits, electronic system protection, emergency lighting systems and hazardous area lighting. PLUS visitors will be able enter into the free prize draw to win a second generation Apple iPad – there will be one up for grabs on each day of the show for lucky winners.

PMA, having set the standard for cable protection fittings in the railway industry for many years will be revealing the new PMAFIX fitting in a single piece design, offering simplicity and an easier installation at no extra cost. What’s more, using the new part in place of our existing product won’t prove problematic, as both are registered as an ‘A article’ – meaning more options are available to fitters without disrupting any design or engineering plans.

With a policy of continuous product development of polyamide systems in Switzerland, PMA continues to break boundaries by adapting products and materials to ensure suitability in a number of industries – from explosive environments to off-shore turbines.

For more information visit stand G61 at Railtex 2011. If you would like to pre-book an appointment with the PMA sales or technical teams please call Donna Clash at PMA’s UK head office on 01264 333 527 or email sales@pma-uk.com

Under the EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals) directive, PMA confirms that none of its products are required to be registered. With all the cable protection manufacturer’s ranges certified as asbestos free and entirely without trace of a hazardous substance, PMA’s products are some of the safest and most durable on the market.

© www.istockphoto.com/pareto

The company knows, however, that in many cases where materials contain no contaminants or toxicity, products are often still manufactured using processes which can cause a negative impact to the environment. Not the case here, though, as a good deal of consideration has been taken over the development of each of the company’s systems and components so as not to detract from their eco ethos.

In layman’s terms, PMA makes sure that all legal requirements are fulfilled, and the raw materials used in the injection moulding and extrusion processes are completely ecologically harmless.

And the proof in the pudding lies in the company’s Environmental Management System (according to ISO 14001) which has been implemented and is maintained as part of PMA’s Integrated Management System. This complements the continuous monitoring of environmental issues with an aim to consistently negate the impact of their activities, products and services.*

What does all this mean for customers, designers, engineers and fitters? That they can work with easily installed, safe and strong products which also have a conscience. That should not only help everyone sleep a little sounder at night, it also ticks some of those increasingly important boxes on the paperwork. After all, we all need to be doing our bit now – and PMA makes that even easier.

For more information, visit www.pma.ch or contact PMA’s Quality Manager, Peter Schuster, on peter.schuster@pma.ch.

*Although the cable protection manufacturer has not sought independent certification of this module to date, the company readily invites its customers to audit their processes and efforts regarding quality, environmental and operational safety.