Engineering change in the cable management market

Technological development over the last few years has though been rapid, and according to Ellis Patents’ managing director, Danny Macfarlane, one key change this has led to is that standard product ranges now form the backbone of a far more flexible product offering. He talks to ECN.

When I first joined Ellis Patents in 2003, we very much had standard product ranges, which specifiers selected from according to their project requirements,” “ says Danny. “We still have these ranges today, and the likes of our Emperor and Vulcan+ cable cleats remain our bestsellers, but alongside them we have a slew of new, innovative products that have been developed as a result of a major shift in the way the market operates; which in itself has been enabled by technological development.” In the last few years alone Ellis Patents has designed, developed and manufactured a completely new product for a major Siemens offshore wind project; solved installation headaches with bespoke solutions for Balfour Beatty; and consigned a major health and safety issue for National Rail to history with a product that went on to win a number of innovation awards. The Siemens job was the first of these projects, with the company going to Ellis Patents with a need for a new product during a live project situation. The “Traditionally, creating a production Siemens, for example, didn’t go to challenge was to develop a way of feeding, ready prototype would have required the Ellis Patents with its complex installation and then restraining, seven 117mm development of injection moulding tools, issue because it saw the company diameter cables along a specified route which involved significant investment as solely a manufacturer of standard within a fabricated structure that featured a in time and resource, and typically took products. It was because Ellis had the significant number of twists and turns. six to eight weeks to manufacture. And in-house expertise and technological The Cable Guide Clamp that was once received only small changes to the capacity to solve its problem within designed, developed and manufactured tools were feasible, meaning any major the confines of an extremely tight time in response not only solved Siemen’s alterations could add another six to eight frame. And it’s this kind of expertise that problem, it also secured an order that weeks to the already lengthy process. is playing an ever more important role wouldn’t have been won had the company “Now, thanks to 3D CAD and rapid in the cable management market – in been relying solely on its standard product prototyping 3D printing, we can particular amongst those manufacturing offering. And Ellis Patents didn’t stop with take products from an idea in a cable cleats. that one project, the Cable Guide Clamp brainstorm to a fully functional, “Projects are often far from has since been developed into a full range production ready prototype straightforward and installation that regularly secures orders from around in less than a fortnight – and maintenance issues regularly the world. something we have done on a arise, so having the people and “Our ability to deliver these innovative number of occasions. And it’s the in-house technology to be bespoke solutions, some of which were a combination of the growing able to solve problems; firstly on done in live project situations, is something availability of rapid product paper and then with an adapted or we’re immensely proud of,” says Danny. development technology and wholly bespoke product; is now as “But without the technology we simply ever-growing levels of in-house important as that strong standard wouldn’t have been able to turn our ideas engineering expertise amongst product range”, concludes Danny. into fully functioning products in such manufacturers that has led to such pressurised, time-sensitive situations. significant change in the market.”

Installation innovation – a bespoke product developed by Ellis Patents is installed during the electrification of the Severn Tunnel

Ellis Patents’ Cable Guide Clamp, which was developed in response to a complex installation issue during a live project situation