February 2008

ELECTEC EZ-Cabling featured in Electrical Contractor Magazine

A highly regarded wire and cable insider endorses Electec's EZ-Cabling in influential NECA publication "Electrical Contractor" Magazine.

Follow the link to read the article: http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8609

January 2008

ELECTEC Building Wiring Systems introduces shielded 10-gig turnkey cabling system

ELECTEC Ltd., a Canadian innovator of manufactured wiring systems is pleased to present the cabling industry’s first pre-terminated and pre-verified 10-Gig horizontal cabling solution.

EZ-Cabling® is now available in a 500Mhz Cat 6A, Alien Crosstalk-free system offering an unprecedented level of safety, reliability and re-usability through its non-combustible cable construction, verified performance guarantee and innovative modular design concept.

Using Foiled Twisted Pair (FTP) cable from Berktek® and shielded connectivity from Panduit®, Electec’s augmented Cat 6 solution offers premium shielding in an easy to use turn-key system.

The ease of installation and maintenance makes EZ-Cabling an intelligent choice for an environmentally responsible cabling infrastructure that is re-useable and re-locateable. Using EZ-Cabling as a horizontal cabling infrastructure prevents troublesome and potentially toxic abandoned cable from accumulating in air-handling spaces.

For more information regarding The Next Generation in Wiring Systems®, contact Chris Pezoulas (613) 836-0300 ext. 226

September 2007

PREVENTING ABANDONED CABLE IN YOUR BUILDING

Attention Building Owners and Managers: Prevent costly and unsafe abandoned cable by installing Electec’s EZ-Cabling horizontal cabling solution.

Traditionally, when an office building is constructed, vertical cabling backbones are installed and then it is left up to individual tenants to install horizontal cabling to serve their unique needs.

With the transient nature of building occupancy, generations upon generations of horizontal cabling is left abandoned in air handling spaces. This not only creates an unsightly mess that is impossible to maintain, but combustible materials and flame retardants found in CMP and LC cable create toxic gases with or without the event of a major fire. As a result, the National Electrical Code among others have adopted criteria surrounding the removal and/or identification of abandoned cable.

These requirements have created a costly and unpleasant situation among building owners, managers, tenants and service providers all willing to pass the removal responsibility and associated costs onto others.

As a building owner, you can avoid this costly nightmare by installing an Electec EZ-Cabling® horizontal cabling solution that all your future tenants can tap into based on their specific requirements.

EZ-Cabling is a removable, reusable and recyclable cabling system that landlords can offer tenants as part of their total package. All site connections are plug-in type requiring no tools, allowing for a truly modular cabling system that is flexible and easily maintained.

By providing consolidation point outlets at predetermined intervals, building owners can offer as dense a connectivity solution as is required by the tenant, without changing or adding horizontal cabling in air handling spaces.

Electec’s patented design provides mechanical and EMI protection in a flexible, easy to use, non-combustible construction. EZ-Cabling is available in Cat 5e and Cat 6 configurations. Low-Smoke Zero-Halogen (LSOH) cable and customized solutions are also provided.

For more information on EZ-Cabling, contact Chris Pezoulas (613) 836-0300 ext. 226

August 2007

ELECTEC Building Wiring Systems paving the way to safer cabling alternatives

ELECTEC Ltd., a Canadian innovator of manufactured wiring systems is paving the way to safer plenum cabling alternatives with EZ-Cabling®.

The pre-terminated horizontal cabling solution features an Ultralx® flexible steel armour which, in addition to EMI and mechanical protection, offers a non-combustible fire barrier which prevents the cable from being a dangerous fuel source in the event of a fire.

“When EZ-Cabling was first conceived, it was to address green building/abandoned cable issues and provide improved labour efficiencies. It wasn’t until we became more educated about the materials being used as flame retardants in CMP and Limited Combustible 'plenum' communications cables that we realized we had also developed the safest alternative to plenum rated cable.” VP of Business Development, Chris Pezoulas continues,“With all that we know today about the toxic nature of Teflon, FEP and PFOA, it astounds me that the policy and code makers in North America have ignored the toxicity of plenum cable flame retardants. Exposed plenum cable in air handling spaces is a chemical nightmare.”

Current flame testing in North America for plenum cables measures fire and smoke but disregards the toxicity and corrosivity of resulting gases, both of which are significant threats to life and property. Even without the event of a fire, the heat decomposition of FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), may emit colourless and odourless hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, which becomes hydrofluoric acid in the eyes, nose and throat of individuals exposed to the gas.(1) HF is the most toxic, corrosive and reactive of all the halogens.

Canadian and US Military departments avoid the use of CMP cable, opting for safe alternatives such as the Europeanstandard Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) cabling. “LSZH cable is being made by all the major domestic manufacturers, it’s the standard across Europe, it’s accepted by stringent military specs here, but isn’t suitable for installation in our buildings?” Electec uses a LSZH material for EZ-Cabling zone boxes and terminal housings and offers a LSZH-cable version in addition to their standard construction.

While waiting for building codes to reflect the toxicity of Teflon, FEP and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) could take years, Electec have a solution today and continue to develop. “I urge engineers, consultants, specifiers, building owners and contractors alike to look at the cable they are contemplating installing in their air handling spaces and seriously consider setting a higher standard, not only for themselves, but for anybody that may ever occupy the space they are realizing.”

Additional reading on this topic:

Cabling: What You Don't Know Can Blind You (1)

Building Fire Concern: Teflon on Cabling Can Be Toxic When Heated

Teflon - Information for Transformation

For more information on Electec and EZ-Cabling, contact Chris Pezoulas (613) 836-0300 ext. 226

October 2006

Ottawa-area Engineering firm chooses EZ-Cabling from ELECTEC

ELECTEC Ltd, a Canadian innovator of manufactured wiring systems is proud to be involved in the design and cabling of a new expansion of office space at Zenix Engineering Ltd.

For the expansion, Zenix chose Electec’s EZ-Cabling® system for its voice/data horizontal cabling. “For a consolidation point system that offers so much flexibility, not to mention mechanical protection of our cabling, EZ-Cabling provides an efficient, reliable and cost-effective cabling solution”, says Robert Larabie, Principal – Electrical of Zenix Engineering Ltd.

The pre-terminated and verified EZ-Cabling system will provide Zenix the ability to manage moves, adds and changes in a modular, turn-key fashion resulting in less down time, more reliable performance and a long-term cost savings.

The mechanical protection provided by premium Ultralx® armour inherently maintains proper cable bend radius and offers a higher level of flexibility and ease of installation not available with rigid conduit.

Additional features of EZ-Cabling include non-combustible cable construction resulting in a safer work environment free of hazardous chemicals found in flame retardant and limited combustible cable and a distributed, modular design concept that eliminates troublesome, costly and often dangerous abandoned cable.

The Zenix project also afforded the opportunity for Electec to test prototype designs of an innovative new reel and a light-weight cable management and installation system.

For over a decade, Electec has been developing manufactured wiring systems used across Canada in the construction of Class A office buildings, Universities, Factories and Retail Stores. Electec systems enjoy a large share of the modular wiring market in Canada and are proudly used in the construction of IKEA stores throughout North America and Japan.

Although smaller in comparison to many of Electec’s prior projects, the Zenix project represents a new era in The Next Generation of Wiring Systems®. Electec’s new product lines, beginning with EZ-Cabling, offer added value, flexibility and safety to all construction projects, large, medium or small.

Founded in 1995, Zenix Engineering Ltd. has grown to be one of Ottawa’s premier full service engineering firms. The company provides a comprehensive range of services in the following disciplines: Building Envelope and Roofing, Electrical, Fire and Life Safety, Interior Design, Mechanical, Security, Structural and Tenant Fit-Ups.

Electec Ltd.
100 - 5977 Hazeldean Road
Ottawa, ON K2S 1B9
For more information on The Next Generation of Wiring Systems, contact Chris Pezoulas (613) 836-0300 ext. 226

Zenix Engineering Ltd.
356 Kirkwood Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1Z 8P1
www.zenix.ca

August 2006

ELECTEC Building Wiring Systems introduces EZ-Cabling

ELECTEC Ltd., a Canadian innovator of manufactured wiring systems, introduces EZ-Cabling, a turn-key horizontal cabling solution. EZ-Cabling® is the first offering in a family of products Electec has termed The Next Generation in Wiring Systems®.

After 18 months of development and testing, EZ-Cabling, has been installed in several beta sites including a leading edge 30,000 sq ft facility in Ottawa for L-D Tool & Die. “Not only was our cabling installed quickly and efficiently, it has already afforded us the ability to add new workstation drops on demand” says Laurie Dickson, CEO of L-D Tool & Die, “the system has already saved us money.”

An innovative alternative to traditional data and communications cabling, EZ-Cabling is a modular, pre-terminated and verified system that sets a new standard in ease of install and maintenance. EZ-Cabling’s “plug and play” ability allows for quick and easy moves, adds and changes resulting in less down time, more reliable performance and measurable cost savings.

The distributed, modular design offered by EZ-Cabling allows customers the unparalleled flexibility of accommodating changing needs more efficiently than traditional cabling methods. David Tait, P.Eng., President of L-D Tool & Die says “The system is designed to handle churn in today’s fast paced environments cheaper, faster and safer than traditional point to point cabling”.

EZ-Cabling components are tested to ANSI/EIA/TIA-568 standards and subject to rigourous quality control measures before being packaged and shipped. The product also features eco-friendly components and a non-combustible cable construction free of hazardous chemicals found in flame retardant cable.

For over a decade, Electec has been developing manufactured wiring systems used across Canada in the construction of Class A office buildings, Universities, Factories and Retail Stores. Electec systems enjoy a large share of the modular wiring market in Canada and are found in such prominent buildings as Commerce Court in Toronto, Millenium Tower in Calgary and the United States of America Embassy in Ottawa.

Incorporated in 1990, L-D Tool & Die, is a Canadian owned company providing custom mould-making and injection moulding services to a wide variety of clients. Since inception they have steadily grown and now operate out of a 30,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Ottawa, Ontario. Services include; Part design, Mould Design, Mould Making, Injection Moulding (up to 850ton), and Clean Room Assembly.

Electec Ltd.
100 - 5977 Hazeldean Road
Ottawa, ON K2S 1B9

L-D Tool & Die
139 Iber Road
Ottawa, ON K2S 1E7
www.ldtool.com

January 2006

Electec's objective with The Next Generation in Wiring Systems® is to deliver the safest, most reliable and most cost-effective manufactured wiring solutions the industry has to offer. These initial tests at Underwriters Laboratories demonstrate this commitment and Electec's continued dedication to innovate and develop leading edge solutions.

Electec's EZ-Cabling® system surpasses the requirements of UL Standard 2043, 2nd Edition “Fire Test for Heat and Visible Smoke Release for Discrete Products and Their Accessories Installed in Air-Handling Spaces”.

EZ-Cabling is acceptable for use in environmental air handling spaces other than ducts or plenums in accordance with NEC 300.22(c).

Burn tests were conducted in December 2005 at Underwriters Laboratories; the test results are shown below. EZ-Cabling greatly exceeds the requirements set out in the standard.

EZ-Cabling is manufactured with non-combustible steel armour and UL approved, low-smoke, non-halogen, flame retardant components. Click here for more information.

"Electec" and the Electec logo, "Smart Connect", "Smart Light", "Ultralx", "EZ-Cabling"and "The Next Generation in Wiring Systems" are registered trade-marks of Electec Ltd.