O2 Arena

Sales Manager Andrew Mallard and Lee Girdler from Contractor Sales head down to South London Autumn 2007 Issue 3

The O2 Arena, housed in the former
Millennium Dome (now ‘the O2’) is
one of the largest multi-purpose
indoor arenas in Europe. FS Cables
supplied a number of specialist cables
to this £600m project which is the first
of its kind in the UK.
This state-of-the-art development will serve
as a venue for music, sport and
entertainment and is designed to adapt
to meet various demands.
It has a capacity of up to 23,000 and
features 360° seating offering
unobstructed views of the arena floor.
Everything in the arena, including the
lighting, sound and cameras is digitally
managed by computer servers. This enables
the lights, sounds and data transmissions
to be pre-programmed and controlled from
the arena floor.
Digital scoreboards can be lowered from the
ceiling, depending on the event, and plasma
screens operate throughout the bars, suites
and concourses.
Two members of our sales team were
invited down to the site during its
construction.
“The thing that really strikes you is the sheer
size of the project”, said Lee Girdler from
the contractor sales team. “From talking to
the guys on site, the real challenge was the
inability to use cranes within the Dome
itself. They had to construct the roof, erect
it, and then build the arena around it”.
He added, “The ‘bowl effect’ achieved by the
360° seating really captures the sound and
light. It’s a real showcase development and
it’s important we supply cable that matches
the level of performance required.”
The LF-329 screened flexible Low Smoke
Halogen Free (LSHF) power cable was
chosen to provide power to key parts of the
arena. Its flexibility enables easy installation
and the dual foil & braid screen protects
from electro-magnetic radiation and
potential corruption of other cables or
equipment at both high and low frequency.
To meet the need for high performance
lighting without compromising safety, a
LSHF Mode Lighting cable was used. High
level catwalks housed the lighting and
lighting controls which illuminate the arena.
LSHF alternatives to Belden-style cables
were used for data transmissions to Opening night of the state-of-the-art O2 Arena Image : Colin Philip
equipment including scoreboards and
control panels. Some fibre cables for Sales Manager Andy Mallard commented, The screened power cables used on the
carrying high speed data for telecoms were “It’s great to be associated with a high arena are from a range that
also supplied. profile project such as the O2 Arena. The FS Cables regularly supply to new
need for LSHF cabling to be installed in developments, data centres in particular, so
All cables supplied were LSHF throughout. In
projects such as these is very apparent much of the order was available directly from
developments such as this where the
when you consider it will regularly hold over stock, delivered to site next day.
evacuation of such a large number of people
20,000 people.”
in the event of fire could be difficult, the use For more information on the cables used at
of LSHF cable minimises the effects of toxic “The visit was beneficial to both ourselves the O2 Arena, please visit us online at
halogens released into the air that can form and the contractor and really gave us an www.fscables.com or call the sales team on
hydrochloric acid. idea of what had been achieved” he added. 01727 828 828 to request our latest
catalogue ‘The Little Red Book’.
Often in the event of an emergency, it is the A better understanding of the contractor's
poisonous fumes that pose the greatest needs allowed FS Cables to respond quickly You can also use the pre-paid reply card
threat to people and property rather than the to the various demands that a project such enclosed with this issue to get your copy.
fire itself. as this brings.

Link-Up Approval for FS Cables In this issue

FS Cables is pleased to announce its status
as a Link-Up approved supplier. Link-Up is
the supplier qualification and verification
scheme for the UK rail industry and ensures
and maintains the quality of products and
services to this sector.
The Link-Up scheme, administered on
behalf of the rail industry by the Achilles
Link-Up team is supported and used by
close to 80 of the major rail companies
throughout the UK.
• O2 Arena Site Visit
We are able to supply a wide range of • Link-Up Approval
cable to this sector, from coax for CCTV to
the recently LUL approved Draka Firetuf • What's in a Cable? - Part 1
range of data and coax cables. Our • Copper vs. Aluminium
comprehensive range of LSHF cables is • Editorial from Jon Herbert
also ideal for installations where the
evacuation of people is difficult.
• Draka Firetuf LUL Approval
• Composite Coax
Membership of the Link-Up supplier
verification scheme reinforces our • Call-Off Orders
commitment to meeting the high • Q&A - Warehouse Manager
standards of the UK rail industry.

+++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++
24th September 2007 20th April 2007 Change %
COPPER £3,958.33 £4,013.93 -1.39%
ALUMINIUM £1,173.97 £1,411.68 -16.84%
SILVER £6.66 £6.94 -4.03%
NICKEL £16,093.98 £25,238.19 -36.23%
All prices per 1000kg except silver per oz. Exchange rates apply at time of trade
+++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++
 In Brief
Great Deals
on Telephone
Cables
Whilst we have always held good stocks
of external telephone cables we are now
more competitive than ever on pricing.
0.5mm and 0.9mm in up to 100 pair in
the CW1128 unarmoured or the
CW1198 armoured type are available
from stock. Also ask us about the
internal types in PVC or LSHF.
Nickel Price
Since we last went to print there have
been massive fluctuations in the price of
nickel. The spring edition reported a rise
of over £8,000 / tonne to £25,238.
Since then it has dropped by 48% to
around £13,000 / tonne.
The use of nickel is common in cable
production, as plating on copper for
high temperature cables and also as a
pure nickel conductor for very high
temperatures of up to 750° in cables
like the G-Temp 600.
We have seen plenty of uncertainty and
speculation surrounding metal prices in
2007. After the surge in copper, nickel
has fallen back but is still twice the
price it was two years ago. As ever,
leave the speculating to the traders and
try to fix your cost where you can.
Copper Latest
Fluctuations of between 10 and 12%
over a 3 month period would once have
sparked fear in the cable industry but
are now taken in its stride. The next few
months are likely to see much of the
same, with perhaps some small
increases here or there. China and India
continue to dominate the increase in
demand with the Beijing Olympics less
than a year away.
New faces
at FS Cables
We are pleased to welcome six new
faces to the FSC family. Andrew Mallard
joins us as sales manager and is in
charge of the contractor and OEM sales
teams – both of which also benefit from
a new recruit, Katy Johnson and Stuart
Beagle respectively.
Our export division FSC Global has also
taken on two new members of staff –
Jyldyz Tuibaeva and Rebecca Wills. Last
but not least, Kenny Barber has joined to
assist our busy warehouse team.
It’s great to see everyone settling in and
quickly becoming part of the team.
What’s in a Cable?
Part 1 - Conductors
Composite Coax Cables
The benefits of running just one cable
instead of several are considerable.
The FS Cables range of composite coax
cables enables you to run a video signal,
control and power simultaneously to your
CCTV / security camera system.
This offers you a huge amount of options
such as PTZ (Pan / Tilt / Zoom) controls,
running audio alongside video or powering
the camera from the same cable that sends
the video signal back.
Savings in labour and containment can be
considerable and routing is made simpler.
Applications range from retail, town centres
or traffic monitoring masts, through marine
to portable equipment such as drain
inspection and even bomb disposal!
Cables made to a customers own design
are commonplace with single or multiple
coax cables, power cores up to 2.5mm2 and
screened or unscreened data cables.
The coaxes available from stock are the
RG59 B/U and URM70. These cables are
available in PVC, LSHF or with a duct grade
sheath or armoured (SWA) if required. For
cables made to customers own
specification RG179 in PTFE, PVC or LSHF
types are often used due to their
compactness and durability.
Where a coax is required alongside signal
and power cores the FS Cables range
of composite coaxial cables are the
ideal solution. Full details of the composite
coax range are available online at
www.fscables.com/coax-comp.php or in
our catalogue.
Please call us with your requirements and
for details of the current stock range.
As a regular feature in upcoming
editions of Wired, we are going to
take a look at the manufacturing
processes involved in cable
production.
There is a great degree of variation
in the cable production process.
This makes cables highly
customisable and suitable for many
different applications depending on
their unique requirements.
Conductors are single or multiple strands
of highly conductive metal, usually copper.
Other materials commonly used include
aluminium and nickel. Their purpose is to
carry an electric current for data, control or
power between two points.
Using the example of copper, the raw ore
once extracted from the earth is smelted
into ingots which then undergo electrolysis
to remove impurities. This involves
attaching a negative charge to the ingot
and submersing it in a tank of copper
solution.
This has the twin effect of dissolving the
copper and at the same time attracting it to
reform on the positive element. The
impurities drop to the bottom as they won’t
take the charge. While not all impurities
are removed, this procedure can produce
99.99% pure copper.
The purity of the copper has a huge effect
on reducing resistance on the electrical
charge passing along the conductor, greatly
increasing its ability to carry a current. This
Copper
vs.
Aluminium
As mentioned a couple of issues ago the
practice of substituting solid copper
with copper coated aluminium (CCA) to
save money has reached the UK.
Cables mainly affected so far are internal
telephone cables (CW1308 type) alarm
cables and coax.
One of the main problems encountered is
that aluminium has a higher resistance and
is more brittle than copper. When punched
down into an IDC or Krone block it has a
habit of breaking – if not immediately, some
time later. With coax, the braids often
corrode at the point of termination and
break giving a higher resistance and
therefore poorer signal.
In some applications the cost savings
may be worthwhile, whereas in others, the
return visits involved or customer
dissatisfaction will be too costly.
Which ever you choose make sure you
know what you are buying – solid copper
or copper covered aluminium. There is a
significant difference.
Images above and below: Reducing the diameter of copper strands by drawing them
through a series of ever decreasing dies
is just as important for a signal as it is for a
power or energy cable.
The pure copper is rolled out into rods
and then drawn through a series of dies
made from a very hard material such as
ceramic or even diamond to make very
thin strands.
It is common to draw copper strands as
small as 0.05mm diameter (a human hair
is normally between 0.07mm to 0.1mm in
diameter). These strands can either be
used singly or in bunches to make a larger,
more flexible conductor.
Depending on the application of the cable,
the strands can be coated with an inert
metal at this stage to reduce corrosion or
enhance heat resistance. Tinning, the
process of coating the conductors with a
layer of tin either electronically or in molten
form is very common for this process as it
is low cost and relatively resistant to
corrosion. Nickel plating is used where the
cables will be working at temperatures
between 200° – 400°C.
The Draka Firetuf range is ideal where there is a need for critical systems to continue functioning or the evacuation of people could be slowed
LUL approval for the Draka Firetuf range
FS Cables are pleased to announce
that the Draka Firetuf range of data
and coax cables have succesfully met
the requirements of LUL standard
2-01001-002.
As the official distributor of the Draka Firetuf
range of data and coax cables FS Cables
are delighted with the decision as the LUL
engineering standard is both stringent in its
testing and internationally recognised as a
benchmark for fire safety.
The LUL standard comprises tests for
flammability to BS4066: Part 3, smoke
emission to BS EN 50268 and toxic fume
emissions.
In addition, both cables have been tested
for and met fire resistance BS EN
Conductors are normally measured either
by their diameter or cross-sectional area in
mm2. The method for measuring cross
sectional area (CSA) is standard across
Europe and is in accordance with BS6360
and IEC60028.
It is important to note that the standards
also specify the resistance of a conductor
for a given stranding. This means that a
conductor can be made up of fewer
50200:2000 and BS8434-2:2003 and
achieved the required performance of
class PH120 and 120 minutes survival
time when tested to BS8434-2 for FR
(fire resistant) enhanced cables.
The results demonstrate the Draka Firetuf
data and coax’s ability for continued
functionality in the event of fire.
This 'rubber stamps' them as the ideal
cables for digital signalling and CCTV
in many applications including tunnels
and train stations.
The Firetuf data range has also proved to
be the cabling of choice in many public
buildings for BMS applications and critical
communication systems where mass
emergency evacuation is required. The
LSHF materials combined with one of the
strands or smaller diameter strands but
still conform to the standard.
Another method is the American Wire
Gauge size (AWG). This denotes the gauge
size as a number i.e 24AWG followed by a
number in brackets i.e (7) which shows
the number of strands.
It’s worth mentioning, the higher the
number the smaller the conductor, so a
24AWG conductor is smaller than a
20AWG. Full stranding charts and AWG /
Metric conversion tables can be found on
page 119 of our catalogue.
Using the metric cross sectional area
method, Class 5 stranding is the most
common flexible grade, as it combines
good flexibility with a reasonable cost.
Generally, the more strands you have the
more flexible the cable, but it also
becomes more expensive.
Classes 1 (solid) and 2 are widely used in
fixed installations where the cable won’t
be moved or bent after it has been fitted.
Cores are normally made up from multiple
strands by twisting or bunching the
strands together. In larger or very finely
stranded conductors the strands may be
first twisted into groups and then twisted
together to form a conductor similar in
appearance to a rope.
Conductors become ‘cores’ when coated
with an insulating material. We will look at
cores and insulation materials in more
detail in the next edition of 'Wired'.
highest levels of Fire Resistance provide
unrivalled safety performance.
For more information about the Draka
Firetuf range please visit us online at
www.fscables.com or call 01727 828 828
to talk to a member of our sales team.
Tube Trivia
• The London Underground is
approximately 253 miles long
• Each tube train travels approximately
73,500 miles every year
• The busiest tube station is Kings
Cross St. Pancras with 77.5 million
passengers travelling every year
Editorial
In the past few months I’ve amassed
a carbon footprint the size of a
small island traveling to meet
suppliers and look around their
factories. Sadly, I haven’t been able
to spend as much time as I’d like
talking to customers.
For me the great value of meeting
face-to-face is the real feedback I
get. It’s all very well looking at
performance stats but it’s so much
better hearing directly from the
people that matter about how we’re
doing and more importantly how we
can improve.
A quote that caught my attention
recently was from Henry Ford who
said - “If I had asked people what
they wanted they’d have said faster
horses”.
That may have been true at the
birth of the automobile but times
have changed. It’s only through
listening to our customers and
reacting to their responses that we
will become a better, more customer
focused company.
Often it’s the small change that
makes the big difference.
It’s worth mentioning that I
personally read all the emails to
feedback@fscables.com, and see all
the returned yellow performance
monitoring cards that go out with
each consignment.
If you do have any suggestions or
comments as to how we can
improve please get in touch – my
direct dial is 01727 744050.
Meanwhile I’m off to plant a tree –
I’ll try and call in on a customer on
the way back!
Yours,
Jon Herbert
Jon@fscables.com
Q&A
With Warehouse Manager Kevin Rainbow
Back row from left to right – Scott Smith, Matt Morland, Kenny Barber, Ben Thorp, Gareth
Dickinson and Peter O’Connor. Foreground: Kevin Rainbow, Warehouse Manager
What’s your role in the company?
I manage the warehouse which really means
looking after eight guys and making sure
customers get their products when and
where they need it.
How did you get the job?
I joined as a warehouse man eight years ago
when there were just two of us. As the
company grew, an opening came up for a
warehouse manager. I’ve been on quite a
few management courses both inside and
outside the company since then.
How do you organise the work?
Everyone can do most jobs so it’s more a
case of how we divide up the day. In the
morning we’re usually clearing the decks up
from the night before, unloading lorries,
checking goods in and putting them away.
There will always be a couple of guys cutting
customer orders in the morning with five or
six as it gets really busy later in the day.
LITTLE RED
BOOK
Issue 8 of the FS Cables pocket guide
is now available in printed form or on CD.
This 120 page full colour catalogue
features technical specifications for our
wide product range, as well as a
Belden page finder and a handy guide to
LSHF cabling.
Also included are technical tables featuring
current ratings, and AWG / Metric
conversion and stranding charts with
American, European and UK colour codes.
These can be easily referred to when you
are placing your order, and the handy
pocket size means you can take it with you
when you are on site!
Sounds like a real party – cleaning
up from the night before!
We wish! We don’t have a cut off time. If
sales take an order at 5:45pm and we can
ship it we will. All effort goes into getting the
product to customers when they want it.
Do you run your own vans?
No, I’ve worked for companies that do and it
usually ends up giving the customer a
poorer service. We supply to all over the UK
and working with a good parcel and pallet
carrier is essential. We can have cable to
most of the UK mainland by 9am the next
day – we couldn’t do that with our own vans.
If it’s really urgent we use a dedicated
vehicle with an owner / driver who makes
sure it gets to the right person as quickly as
possible. They’re not expensive either, £45
into central London. Some days we may use
them six or seven times, other days it may
be only once, it gives us flexibility.
To order your free copy, please return the
enclosed pre-paid reply card or call our
sales team on 01727 828 828.
Wellington Road, London Colney, Herts, AL2 1EY
General Sales: 01727 828 828
Fax: 01727 824 825
www.fscables.com
sales@fscables.com
Do you have a collections service?
Yes, it is mainly local wholesalers or
contractors but we do get people driving a
couple of hundred miles to pick up cables
for breakdown situations. We’re open 8 -
6 and later or earlier by arrangement.
We like customers to send through their
orders before they arrive so we can have
the cable ready, however this doesn’t
always happen. In these situations they
can have a cup of tea while we cut or
process the order.
You mentioned goods coming in,
what’s the procedure?
We receive products from all around the
world. It falls into two groups – product
for stock or product for customers. Both
have to be checked in the same way, first
to make sure the cable is what the label
says it is, and secondly that it is what we
ordered. We also look for damage and
shortages.
If we have a new supplier we’re
even more thorough, double-checking
packaging, winding, labelling, cable
construction and quality.
You must have reasonable product
knowledge?
You can’t help but pick it up over the years
but we’re always learning. Before I started
the job I thought cable was just cable – you
learn something every day. Also, there is
always someone to ask if it we’re not sure.
Do you have many rejects?
No, not many. We’re ISO9001 certified so
any problems go into the quarantine
area, but purchasing do a good job and
Call-off
Orders
If you have a regular requirement for a
particular cable you may benefit from
using our call-off order service.
Contracts can be up to 12 months in length
and enable you to fix your cost. Cable called-
off will normally be invoiced when it has been
delivered, spreading the cost over the length of
the agreement. In most cases the entire order
will be manufactured in one go and held in
stock for next working day delivery.
Whether it is a contractor who has limited
storage on site and wants the cable delivered
as and when required or an OEM customer
who may require a regular amount of cable for
a particular application, call-off orders are
proving to be extremely popular.
OEM Sales: 01727 744 066
Contractor Sales: 01727 744 077
Credit Control: 01727 744 063
Purchasing: 01727 744 055
Marketing: 01727 744 056
most of the problems relate to bad
packaging or damage. Digital cameras
have made it very easy to explain the
problem to suppliers!
Do you have many errors or
problems sending goods to
customers?
Not at all, we have an excellent record. We
keep our picking procedure under constant
review and each item now gets three
signatures before it’s dispatched to the
customer.
It’s too early to say an exact percentage but
it’s at least halved the warehouse errors.
What about the yellow cards you
send out?
The first thing is that we don’t get enough
back. It really helps us improve the service if
we are informed of a problem, however
small. We send out a yellow card with each
delivery asking for comments and feedback,
they are postage paid so please use them.
What is the cut to length service
you offer?
Some customers don’t want to buy in
standard 100m, 500m or 1km lengths so on
most cables we will cut to the length needed.
If you want 170m in one length, 2 x 100m is
no use and 500m may give you
unacceptable wastage.
Finally I would like to say thanks for the
business you continue to give us. You
certainly keep us busy! I’ve been with the
company for eight years now and have seen
the company grow a lot in that time. The
growth is down to the support of our
customers and we never forget it. Long may
it continue.
Call-off agreements have many benefits.
• Prices fixed for 12 months or the duration of
the agreement.
• Volume discounts – even if the cable is
called-off in relatively small amounts.
• Cables can be made to your exact design or
with a special print without costly storage or
financial penalties.
• Peace of mind. Your cable is allocated and
stored in our warehouse, delivered next
working day to mainland UK.
Having a particular cable available at the right
place and at the right time is a must for many
of our customers.
Talk to our sales team for more details about
how the benefits of improved flexibility and
cost savings by calling-off your orders could
work for you.