Spelsberg has supplied a range of lightweight, corrosion resistant enclosures as part of the fire protection system for an expansion in the production site of a major pharmaceutical company. Spelsberg’s Chris Lloyd explains
A large pharmaceutical company that specialises in the research and development of new medicines has recently invested heavily in upgrading and developing its UK production facilities.
The Boulting Group, a provider of engineering solutions to industry, was contracted to oversee the design and installation of the project, which included all of the electrical design, cabling and routing as well as its integration with the rest of the site. The company specified the Spelsberg WKE fire resistant enclosures for the expansion project. The IP65 enclosures are fast to install, while still being able to protect wiring junctions for at least 90 minutes in the event of a fire.
As part of the design and installation process, Boulting Group had to ensure that the fire protection system would protect valuable instrumentation equipment, and more importantly the lives of employees, should the worst happen. Fire resistant components were needed that would protect critical wiring for the emergency lighting system to ensure that it would stay online.
Meeting emergency requirements
Chris Lloyd, sales and marketing manager for Spelsberg UK, commented, “According to national fire safety regulations, all wiring for critical safety systems such as building fire alarms and emergency lighting must operate for at least 30 minutes when exposed to external fire. Other systems such as water pressurising plants for the supply of extinguishing water, ventilators and lifts have to remain functioning for a minimum of 90 minutes. Boulting Group specified our enclosures as they meet the protection requirements for emergency lighting systems.”
Spelsberg was able to recommend the WKE 5 IP65 enclosures, which are delivered complete with 2 x 12-pole terminal blocks. With pre-drilled entry points and fire resistant IP68 dome topped cable glands available, the enclosures allow for simple installation and offer both E30 and E90 fire resistance in accordance with DIN 4102/12.
The WKE range is manufactured from Orange (RAL 2004) halogen-free duroplastic, which offers lower smoke emissions and an ingress protection of IP54 or IP65 to EN 60670. Five sizes are available in a range from 100 x 100 x 50mm to 171 x 256 x 106mm and come complete with IP54 cable entry accessories. Each junction box is rated at 450V and features integral, high temperature ceramic terminals, suitable for conductors from 0.5mm2 up to 2 x 6mm2 or 4 x 1.5mm2 conductors per pole.
Lloyd continued, “The WKE junction boxes offered the level of protection that was required for the lighting system. We design all our enclosures to allow for easy installation and offer a wide variety of dimensions and entry options to ensure that no compromise is necessary between a system’s original design and its specification. The Boulting Group is known for the quality of its engineering solutions and I consider it a testament to the quality of our products that they were specified.”
Spelsberg
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