Delivering complete protection PMA

DELIVERING COMPLETE PROTECTION

PMA is the clear global leader in the development and manufacture of cable protection systems for a broad range of industrial applications. Philip Yorke talked to Martin Gueller, the company’s sales director, and Sandro Schwarz, its business development director for the Americas, about PMA’s latest ground-breaking products and its move into new markets.

PMA AG was founded in Switzerland in 1975 and quickly earned a reputation for its high-quality and innovative products. This early success helped the company to become established as the global market leader in cable protection systems that it is today. PMA has a broad portfolio that extends to over 6500 products, which serve customers in the railway, mechanical engineering and shipbuilding industries.

PMA headquarters are in Uster, Switzerland, close to Zurich. All manufacturing and R&D facilities are on this site. In addition to its extensive premises in Uster, the company also operates distribution centres and subsidiaries in Germany, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and the USA. Today the PMA Group is part of the ABB low voltage division.

Focus on innovation

Most of the products manufactured at PMA’s state-of-the-art plant in Switzerland are manufactured from polyamide raw materials; the company’s advanced materials technology is one of its unique strengths. PMA technicians are able to combine materials that normally would be impossible to combine; they manage to bind them through a range of unique innovative processes. Another product feature

that makes the company’s cable systems attractive across all markets is that not only does it supply entire systems but each of its 6500 products are interchangeable, which enables customers to mix and match products in order to achieve the optimal results. PMA also works in close collaboration with its customers to develop tailor made solutions that meet their specific industrial requirements.

Due to the company’s unique expertise it is able to offer its customers a number of key advantages. These are based upon its extensive research and design capabilities. PMA’s specific solutions can provide customers with a competitive edge through safe and reliable systems that are easy to install. In addition, customers can benefit from vibration proof connections with high impact strengths even at low temperatures. Added to these are other product advantages such as high chemical resistance, fire protection and high compression strength during peak loads.

In the rail sector, thanks to its constant investment in R&D, the company has established a market leading position in cable protection systems for the rail industry worldwide. In another ground-breaking development, PMA has announced innovative

and reliable fire barrier solutions for the rail industry. Designed to be used in conjunction with its existing proven cable protection systems, these unique solutions fulfil the requirements of the new European railway fire safety standard EN45545-3.

Gueller said, “To underscore our technological lead we recently launched a range of ground breaking new products at the ‘InnoTrans’ Trade Show. These included a new system that offered four different solutions that can ensure that fire cannot spread for 60 minutes and at the same time can withstand temperatures of –60C. We call this our ‘PMA FIRE BARRIER’ range. We have also invested in technology to produce new ‘over extruded’ products in order to create a smooth surface. In fact we have built a new extrusion line specifically for this purpose. In addition, we have developed a unique anti-microbial product for use in the food and beverage industry. In the past we had single-layer cable protection systems, then multi-layer systems and today we have special over extruded products, conduits with smooth inner layers are being developed.

Schwarz added, “Smooth inner layers offer many benefits especially in the transportation of air from one room to another as it guarantees no noise during transit. Today we protect every kind of cable from fine glass fibres to high voltage power cables. We are also strong in robotics and today we can go after this market thanks to our close association with our parent company ABB, as it is a market leader in this field. Similarly, we also see growth opportunities in the renewable energy sector, where we have dedicated products and a new project and strategy in place. As the only company in the ABB Group that is specialised in cable protection systems, we are able to use their global expertise as a springboard to help develop new products and move into new markets.”

One of the reasons PMA has been able to maintain its leading market position is the strong relationships it has built with key suppliers, such as the Germany cable systems specialist PFLITSCH.

Putting safety and security first

Whatever the application, safety remains a main priority at PMA. This is especially true in the marine sector where safety has an absolute top priority for the company’s marine applications. In ship building, cable and cable bundles are subjected to high stresses and constant vibration, which also increases the risk of damage through overheating and abrasion leading to short circuits. Cable routing around machinery must provide complete protection and the cables must be easily integrated into a ship’s prefabricated elements. PMA cable systems protect many of the world’s greatest ships including the Queen Mary as well as many large and small merchant vessels.

The automation industry sector is another area where PMA technology provides safety and security through its range of highly specialised, flexible products. In the field of automation there is a need for products that can withstand the severe stresses of fast and frequent motion. Solutions developed by PMA for the automation industry meet all known international requirements and standards. Special conduit designs, along with supports and abrasive protection for the moving elements, enable engineers to achieve a massive reduction in torsion forces. n

For further details of PMA’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.pma.ch