Cables with Conscience

Ducab's manufacturing facilities in the UAE include Ducab Jebel Ali, two factories in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi (pictured above) and a Copper Rod Factory an

Manufacturers of cables are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibilities towards civilians and the environment.

Considering that current industry buzzwords include ‘sustainability’, ‘security’ and ‘CSR’, it is perhaps not surprising that cable manufacturers are doing their best to keep up with the times.

Tariq Zaim, project sales manager for Bahra Cables, says: “The safety culture that now exists in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries means that it is vital to ensure security for civilians, especially in enclosed spaces.”

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The demands of the market have resulted in the company producing fire-resistant cables. Zaim adds: “We started making normal cables and we now have a special requirement to supply fire resistant cables, for instance in towers and big university projects. We are now the first company in Saudi Arabia that is manufacturing these cables.

He points out that the cables are far costlier than their regular counterparts.

“It is much more expensive to manufacture a fire-resistant cable – it has a special construction. The machines have special requirements, the speed of production is slower and the raw material comes from Europe. This means they are 60 to 70 percent more expensive than normal power cables.”

Fire-resistant cables are also a recent venture for UAE-based cable manufacturer Ducab. Managing director Andrew Shaw says: “In 2008 we started selling fire protection cables.

In the UAE summer, it seems there is a warehouse fire every month, so we pushed very hard with Dubai Civil Defence to bring to market a range of cables that are fire rated. They are tested by the same organisation that tests cables for the London Underground.

“We are using the best technology and addressing the need in the market, where people are much more aware of fire safety. Our fire cables are also used throughout the Dubai Metro.”

Ducab’s fire performance cables are intended for applications requiring circuit integrity during a fire. The halogen-free cables generate very low smoke and are said to maintain circuit integrity for three hours under fire conditions.

When it comes to fire hazards, Shaw states that ‘under-sized’ cables are a big issue in this region.

“We estimate that 40 per cent of the flex sold in the UAE is either under-length or under-sized. Under-length means that the customer is being sold an insufficient quantity, but under-sized cables are much more of a safety issue.