Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

Looking through a manufacturer’s online enclosure catalog recently, I came across a term I hadn’t heard before. Now, I’m not a contractor, so I likely haven’t seen as many of these listings as you might have. But I am a journalist who has covered the construction industry for several decades, and the term “mild steel” stuck out to me when it showed up as a material option for the maker’s broad range of enclosure offerings.

Earlier this year at the Light + Building 2018 trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, Philips Lighting announced a string of new initiatives aimed at the transition to more LED lamps as well as the inclusion of LEDs into the “Internet of Things” (IoT) in homes and buildings worldwide.

First the company announced IoT platform called Interact, designed to handle data collected from connected light points, sensors, devices and systems.

In new construction, sustainable building practices are becoming the norm. But even in existing buildings, simple strategies can be implemented quickly and easily to address inefficiencies, reduce energy use, improve comfort, and enhance productivity in the space.

Some facilities are changing their requirements for motor and appliance installations. This could be due to OSHA Lock-out and Tag-out requirements or NFPA 70E. The change is toward using pin and sleeve devices instead of having a hard-wired installation.

Safety requirements often have the maintenance person checking for the absence of voltage before touching. The rules are quite specific and are enforced by OSHA.

Opti-Core® IndustrialNet™ Polymer Coated Fiber (PCF) Cables are designed with technicians in mind, and are ideal for installation in harsh, industrial environments. Large diameter, high strength and highly durable graded-index, PCF Cables are suitable for applications that demand high mechanical integrity and reliability. They are easy to prepare and terminate using the LC Connector and PCF Termination Kit. Training takes minutes so it’s suitable for technicians lacking experience with fiber optic cables.

Panduit® StrongHold™ Electrical/Network Supports and Fasteners provide a reliable, high-quality solution for routing and securing power and communication cabling within commercial and industrial facilities to reduce the time and cost associated with cable management installation. These dependable supports and fasteners are designed to meet the regulatory requirements of NFPA 70 (National Electric Code), UL standards and other USA/Canadian building codes.