The AMP NETCONNECT Unit of Tyco Electronics has installed a number of Category 5 structured cabling systems at Powergen premises throughout the Midlands.
With a total number of outlets that exceeds 4000, the systems are installed in buildings formerly owned by the Midlands Electricity Board as well as some new premises, with locations that include Gloucester, Worcester, Kings Winford, Tipton, Stoke-on-Trent and Annesley.
The installation process was initiated by E.ON UK, the company that took over Powergen in 2002. E.ON inherited a number of buildings, most dating from the 1960s, that were equipped with traditional IBM style computer cabling, and the company decided on wholesale refurbishment with a Category
5 structured cabling system to handle both voice and data, linked with an optical fibre backbone.
The decision to select Tyco Electronics as the supplier of the network resulted from the fact that Powergen had past experience of dealing with the AMP NETCONNECT Unit of Tyco Electronics and knew that the company's products fulfilled all the necessary certification and approval requirements.
Unusually, however, instead of using a third-party installer, Powergen did their own installation, having first sent 20 of their key installation staff on 'hands on' design and installation courses run by Tyco Electronics.
One unusual feature of the installation is that shielding cabling is used in most of the buildings. Powergen opted for shielded FTP (full twisted pair) cabling because of the particular challenges presented by some of the older buildings that were being refurbished. Specifically, in these installations it was impossible to guarantee sufficient clearance between the power circuits and the data cabling, so shielding was essential.
It was also necessary, with these earlier buildings, to carry out the installation in stages because the existing networks had to be kept running normally during the changeover period, something that was accomplished by handling the installation process one floor at a time.
In the new 'flagship' retail offices at Sherwood Park, Annesley, shielding was not necessary since the building was being wired from scratch. Here, it was possible to integrate the cabling system with other aspects of the operation, including the use of under-floor basket trays and data panels with outlets linked in with a modern modular desk system.
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About the AMP NETCONNECT Business Group
The AMP NETCONNECT business unit of Tyco Electronics develops, manufactures, and supplies a comprehensive range of communications infrastructure products and systems for customers in government, education, healthcare, finance, manufacturing and technology markets. Having established itself as the preeminent provider of commercial premises structured cabling systems for optical fiber and twisted-pair copper technologies, Tyco Electronics has broadened its AMP NETCONNECT product portfolio to include a complete line of residential cabling solutions. Coupling this spectrum of industry-standard offerings with its superior customer service, the AMP NETCONNECT business unit is well positioned as a single-source system provider to meet the disparate communications infrastructure needs of commercial and residential customers. For more information, please visit the AMP NETCONNECT web site at www.ampnetconnect.com.
