AEI Cables calls for careful selection of cables for life safety systems

by Featured NewsLightingPassiveSafety

AEI Cables advises on specification checks

AEI Cables is advising organisations in the supply chain to check fire performance cable specifications whenever doubts arise about products.

The supplier said there is a need for certainty around the fire performance of cables that are intended to operate during an incident.

According to the company, this applies across all fire performance cables, with particular attention on Category 3 fire performance cables designed to work for up to 120 minutes in heat and flame.

AEI Cables stated that these cables are used to help protect equipment, property and lives where critical circuits must continue to function during a fire.

Stuart Dover, general manager of AEI Cables, said: “These are challenging times in the supply chains and there is a need for certainty across all services, products and delivery.”

“Ultimately, we are protecting people and our buildings in which people move about.”

“The way to ensure protection is to use the most relevant quality products to meet specific requirements.”

“These requirements will change according to the level of protection needed for each project so we advise checking each and every time depending on the type of building and the product required.”

Fire performance cable categories and typical applications

According to AEI Cables, Category 1 fire performance cables provide 30 minutes of resistance to flames.

The company said these Category 1 products are typically used for emergency lighting circuits.

Category 2 fire performance cables provide 60 minutes of fire protection, the supplier added.

AEI Cables stated that Category 2 cables are commonly installed for fire alarm systems.

For firefighting use, the firm said additional operating time is required from the cables that supply power.

Category 3 fire performance cables are described as being able to withstand up to 120 minutes of fire exposure.

The company said these Category 3 cables provide enhanced emergency power to assist firefighters during operations.

According to AEI Cables, Category 3 fire performance cables support critical safety circuits in tall buildings, office spaces, hospitals, shopping malls and stadia.

Category 3 cables in life safety and evacuation systems

AEI Cables explained that its guidance on Category 3 Control fire performance cables covers several types of life safety systems.

According to the supplier, these cables are used for evacuation alarms for disabled occupants in care homes.

The company said they also serve emergency voice communications systems in relevant buildings.

Category 3 Control fire performance cables are further described as being used for voice alarm systems.

AEI Cables noted that systems powered by these cables can include smoke and heat extraction systems.

The supplier said these systems assist fire services with firefighting activities and support safe evacuation when life safety is at stake.

According to AEI Cables, the cables are designed to reduce harmful smoke, toxic gases and flame spread during a real fire.

Firetec Enhanced approvals and code categories

AEI Cables reported that its Firetec Enhanced cabling has been approved and certified by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) to BS8519 Annex B.

According to the company, Firetec Enhanced meets Category 3 Control requirements and also holds approval for Category 2 Control under BS8519.

The firm said the BS8519 Code of Practice contains six categories of cables.

These categories cover three types of power cables and three types of control cables, each aligned with survival times of 30, 60 or 120 minutes.

AEI Cables stated that all of its products are supplied with approvals from independent bodies including the British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) and LPCB.

The company added that it also holds approvals from Lloyds, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Network Rail and London Underground Limited (LUL).

According to AEI Cables, its products are manufactured to meet international standards used in markets around the world.

How cable categories may guide project design and procurement

Electrical contractors, system installers and fire-protection contractors who work with emergency lighting, alarm systems and other critical circuits can use the described cable categories to match 30, 60 or 120 minute fire performance with project requirements.

Fire engineers, building services engineers and architects involved in the design of tall buildings, hospitals, office spaces, shopping malls and stadia can reference the Category 1, 2 and 3 classifications when specifying circuits that must continue operating during fire conditions.

Facility managers responsible for care homes and other relevant buildings can take into account the use of Category 3 Control fire performance cables for evacuation alarms for disabled occupants, emergency voice communications systems and voice alarm systems.

Standards and certification bodies, together with fire engineering consultants, can relate the approvals for Firetec Enhanced cabling to the six cable categories set out in BS8519, which distinguish between power and control cables and define survival times of 30, 60 and 120 minutes.

Procurement officers working with AEI Cables’ products can factor in the independent approvals from BASEC, LPCB, Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL when reviewing specifications for fire performance cables in life safety applications.

New fire panel configuration software launched by Kentec

by Featured NewsProducts

Manufacturer of life-critical control systems, Kentec Electronics, has launched the Loop Explorer 2 (LE-2) software to provide installers with a faster, more secure means to program and configure fire control panels that delivers a highly secure means of controlling access to the engineering software and access to Kentec’s technical support.  

LE-2 supersedes the LE-1 and will be used to commission all Kentec’s analogue, addressable control panels, providing one software application, with a common interface, look and feel, to facilitate all products.

It will support upgrade paths to newer fire control panels, including from Syncro to Taktis, helping installers to upgrade life safety systems with minimal disruption to end users. It will also support new devices from Kentec’s detector partners as and when they become available.

Automatic update alerts

Each LE-2 license holder will benefit from automatic update alerts and access meaning the system is commissioned and maintained using the very latest version and ensures optimum performance, providing a healthy system.

LE-2 license holders will also have access to Kentec’s technical support, training and product specialists. Installers will also be placed onto Kentec’s customer relationship management (CRM) system, enabling Kentec to better monitor and respond to installers’ individual technical support and training needs.  

The LE-2 software is available to all fire systems installers and Kentec Installation Partners (KIPs), who have enjoyed prior access ahead of its official launch.

Derrick Hall, Director of Sales and Marketing at Kentec Electronics, regards the LE-2 as key to further enhancing Kentec’s service and delivery: “We’re thrilled to roll out the LE-2 software to all installers and look forward to seeing them realise the enhanced security and safety features that it offers. Its launch also helps us to streamline our technical support offer, ensuring that we provide training and support tailored to specific needs and installer groups.

“We would also encourage installers to join the KIP scheme,” says Derrick. “In addition to advanced access to the latest systems and software, such as LE-2, installers benefit from complementary training, KIP certification and recognition as Kentec system experts. Overall, the scheme supports our goal to ensure that every fire alarm installation is optimised to realise the technology’s full potential.”

Kentec uses Intersec to showcase life safety systems

by Active

Kentec Electronics, a leading manufacturer of life-critical control systems, will be utilising Intersec 2022 to showcase how its latest wireless detection technology, Sigma and Taktis control panels have been designed to make the lives of installers and end users easier.  

Taking centre stage will be Kentec’s latest wireless mesh technology, which not only reduces installation costs and timescales, but also removes the design limitations associated with wired systems, such as building work, fire stopping and containment systems. The mesh technology provides enhanced reliability by providing multiple wireless communication routes between field devices and wireless translators, which provides unrivalled levels of redundancy.  

The Kentec team will be highlighting how a wireless translator module, which sits at the centre of the system, is hard-wired to the fire alarm control panel loop and communicates continuously with the wireless devices.   

The wireless systems’ next-generation capabilities include: a communication range of 1200 metres, up to eight times further than typical wireless devices; and detection device battery life of 10 years, twice that of typical systems. In addition to the devices all having LPCB approval, the system is also EN54-25 certified, and it is also the only wireless full-range fire detection system to have the radio equipment directive (RED) approval, which sets essential requirements for safety and health, electromagnetic compatibility, and the efficient use of the radio spectrum.  

Now available for general purchase following full BETA field testing in the UK, Europe and South Africa Kentec’s Sigma ZXT single-area extinguishing control panel will be another principal element of the Kentec stand. New functionality, improved display and multiple configuration options for a targeted response to a fire incident further Sigma XT’s market-leading reputation for user-friendly reliability.    

Building on hundreds of thousands Sigma XT sales in nearly 90 countries, the Sigma ZXT provides additional features, controls and indications for a single-area extinguishing release system, enabling targeted extinguishing that limits damage and reduces costs. Three conventional detection zones provide the alarm ‘trigger’ required to activate the release of extinguishant, and the system can be configured to release the extinguishant on an alarm from any single zone or combination of multiple zones.  

A new feature on the Sigma ZXT is the event log which records event data from the panel such as alarms, faults, operation, configuration changes etc. along with a time and date stamp. This historical visibility is critical for diagnostics, identifying the cause of alarms and faults, as well as reasons for activations. Up to 1000 events can be stored within the panel which can be viewed through the LCD or can be downloaded and saved using Kentec’s LE2 software.  

As Kentec’s flagship control panel, Taktis will be a vital part of its Intersec demonstrations and industry discussions. Available in up to 16 loops, it provides up to 144 zone indications, and supports more than 2,000 detection devices. It can network up to 127 panels, making it ideal for the largest sites such as schools, hospitals, multi-site retail/supermarkets, critical infrastructure and major commercial and industrial facilities.   

Kevin Swann, Managing Director at Kentec, says the business is eager to showcase Kentec’s life safety systems’ latest developments and what benefits they are bringing to installers and end users:   

“The Sigma ZXT, for example, is fully programmable through the front fascia, with clear password and access menu structures for easy configuration,” he says. “With straight-forward separate access for users and engineers the product is designed to be easy to use for both installer and end user. Single-area functionality enables targeted extinguishing that has clear benefits for the end user and installer. And to support our existing Sigma XT customers, the Sigma ZXT is fully backward compatible with the legacy SI status units, along with all the ancillary devices and components.” 

Commenting on the Kentec’s wireless technology, Kevin adds: “It is simple to design and enables fast commissioning, which means systems can be installed in a matter of days – and because it can be designed, programmed and commissioned from the complementary software prior to installation, there is less time required on site – also important for Covid-safety measures,” he says.  

Kentec stand number: Hall 4, Stand A20 

Case study

Alien Systems and Technologies, based in South Africa, was one of the Kentec Authorised Distributors (KAD) involved in the Sigma ZXT BETA testing. It installed the Sigma ZXT at a Motor Control Centre (MCC) substation with a total of 15 Pyroshield IG55 cylinders and an Oil Lubrication Room using a Pyrostorm dry chemical powder automatic extinguishing system. Grant Wilkinson of Alien Systems and Technologies says the customer originally ordered Kentec’s Sigma XT panels, but was so taken by the ZXT’s extra features they decided to upscale:   

“The key selling point was the secure event logger, and also compelling was the option of a programmable second actuation circuit meaning the customer can add rooms to the fire protection system as and when required.”   Summarising the business’ take on the ZXT, Grant adds: “Most of us here are Star Trek fans, you can see by the name of the company. I always like Romulan War Bird Disruptors. Now Kentec has a disruptor and it’s called the ZXT.”

Patrick Carnell, Managing Director of PJC Electrical, an installer on the KIP scheme that installed Kentec’s wireless technology, says the range’s ‘self-healing’ mesh technology significantly increases its reliability and system performance:   

“It means the system utilises additional transmission routes if one signal is broken and adapts automatically to changing operating conditions.”   Commenting on its ease of use, he says: “We were able to programme the devices at our offices, so when we got on site it was just a matter of fixing and turning them on. Spending less time on site benefits us, and also provides peace of mind to the occupiers. I will definitely be using and recommending for future projects.”