A case for going bespoke

When installing cable management products – especially in a facility that demands very high levels of hygiene and cleanliness – getting all the equipment you need from stock is not always possible. After all, specific production facilities cannot be picked from a stock catalogue. Often, production lines within a facility are being adapted or modified to accommodate new processes and machinery and this creates its fair share of installation problems; be they civil, mechanical or electrical. Making sure expectations are met while sourcing the correct equipment to the usual tight timescale – and all within a given budget – can be a major challenge.

Inevitably this means that bespoke equipment has to be considered at some stage during the build process. Sourcing bespoke equipment will clearly be more difficult and expensive than purchasing standard items from stock but there are instances where bespoke becomes more practical.

In the case of stainless steel-based cable management systems – ideally suited to corrosive and hygienically sensitive areas –it is surprising just how many variants of standard containment systems are available. Typically these variants are not shown in manufacturers’ catalogues, but choose a reputable manufacturer and the chances are that something similar has already been designed, manufactured and supplied previously. This instantly reduces the design cost and manufacturing lead times – the two main factors that inhibit the use of bespoke equipment.

Other than containment systems, one of the most cost-effective items requested in this field are hinged enclosures. There has been a move to reduce the physical size of all types of equipment and components over the years, and it is ‘Murphy’s Law’ that, once a stock enclosure has been chosen, the equipment required just exceeds the physical laws of fitting and the next size up will mean that the enclosure will not fit into the machine footprint or chassis or space allocated – a perfect example of where a custom fit enclosure is the answer.

While the lead time will be longer, with correct forward planning it should not be prohibitive. Commercially, it wouldbe highly unusual for a bespoke product to be sold at a lower cost than that of a comparable standard item. However this statement can be misleading if we consider the following:

• Standard special – this is where multiple bespoke units are manufactured for one specific application, usually for one customer. The commercial costs are reduced further if manufactured on a “call off” basis.
• Indirect overhead – such as perforations to accept indicators, switches, fan, filters, isolators or even HMI units. Off-the-shelf units rarely lend themselves to rework by the manufacturer. All these have to be created by the user or installing company. This costs time and money, not to mention drill bits, the odd scratch and misaligned holes.
• Most reputable manufacturers will have computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment and therefore once programmed repeatability and finish is guaranteed.

It appears that even on a relatively low cost and low quantity item, it can still be cost-effective to use a bespoke solution. The greater the quantity, the greater the cost saving – and this is without factoring for consumables used in the cutting process or mistakes.

But it does not stop there. With bespoke enclosures brackets can also be weld mounted on to the outside of the box for fitting to walls. Bespoke back plates can be made to fit the box and to get all the components in (terminal strip, contacts and relays will all be screwed onto the back plates) and it can even be punched. This provides precision and saves the time it would normally take to drill out holes in the back plate. Bespoke terminal rails for mounting the equipment inside the box itself are also available. Even cut-outs are possible – something that cannot be done on existing stock equipment as it needs to be flat to go through the punching machine.

So why isn’t everyone using bespoke? Clearly there are downsides of getting anything made to a bespoke order. There’s a longer lead time for a start, so you need to plan ahead. But the biggest issue for most people is cost. Clearly it is a premium product and will, therefore, be more expensive than standard off-the-shelf product. But it is not astronomical. It certainly becomes viable after five units, as the programming time (about an hour) is then offset against the units. Anything over 100 units is very cost-effective indeed.

Of course, if the unit itself is very specialist and likely to be a high value item anyway, then the cost of one hour’s programming is a comparatively small cost and is viable. Lasnek recently produced a specialised unit that cost over £2,000 so one hour’s programming was easily swallowed in this cost.

Having outlined the benefits of bespoke, the best way to go about getting a bespoke unit made is to start with a specialist manufacturer of either general enclosures or a manufacturer that specialises in stainless steel fabrications; companies such as these will generally be more receptive to this type of enquiry compared with those producing for a mass market. However, it is always wise to request a sample of standard products on which the bespoke is to be manufactured – there are some wide variations in quality – and request the appropriate certification relating to IP ratings.

Look for a company that has its own manufacturing facility and preferably is used to working in stainless steel. Lasnek, for example, is a manufacturer of stainless steel cable management equipment, specialising in the food, drink and pharmaceutical industries. All equipment is designed and manufactured in the UK for off-the-shelf or bespoke purposes.

Once such a company has been sourced, then look at the quality of the bespoke units it produces. Check to see if it can produce not just the length, but all the relevant fittings as well, that it is used to working with tight delivery schedules; and that it is good on the logistics front – it must be able to support all aspects of the process, from pre order, production of the order and while it is being commissioned. The company needs to be able to offer complete project management of that product during the life cycle of the project.

Having selected a suitable company, it will then be necessary to supply a basic drawing or schematic overview – ideally an AutoCAD drawing. Discuss the exact requirements with the company and it may even be able to recommend additional features that could prove useful.

So, when next faced with off-the-shelf stainless steel-based cable management units that aren’t giving you what you truly want, don’t rule out bespoke as too expensive. Do some homework – find a quality bespoke manufacturer and ask for some advice and costs. You may end up with an extremely cost-effective solution, rather than a cheap unit that creates more problems than it solves.