Meeting modern challenges and driving innovation demands a future-thinking attitude, says Carl Jones, President, Cable Management & Protection at Atkore, as the company celebrates its 100th birthday this year.
In this article he explores the current landscape for secondary support systems and outlines how the use of prefabricated and pre-integrated designs is a key benefit in reducing complexity and ensuring faster project delivery.
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the procurement and specification of metal support systems and channel products. Where once framing components may have been selected to meet a one-time demand, or procured routinely based on installer preference, today’s customers are demanding a complete engineered solution.
This requires suppliers to look beyond the manufacture of individual system components, to integrated solutions which include design, off-site fabrication, on-site assembly and ongoing service support.
Adapting to post-COVID-19 industry demands, the booming digital and semiconductor industries, alongside rapidly expanding EV infrastructure, are driving significant growth. Additionally, the residential housing sector continues to build at pace to meet government targets, indirectly fuelling demand – all emphasising the need for resilient, scalable solutions to meet these evolving needs.
Cost certainty
Traditionally, the installation of support systems involves multiple suppliers, contractors and tradespeople, each adding their own costs and timeframes to a project, which can lead to significant variability in both budget and schedule.
Industry needs to seek every advantage to reduce on-site delays. The result sees customers moving to single source supply models, where a sole manufacturer can now handle the entire process – from pre-fabrication to on-site integration.
This consolidation reduces the number of parties involved, cutting supply times and eliminating the multiple markups that inflate costs. As a result, costs become more predictable and project managers can more easily adjust their budgets and resources.
Speed of installation
Time is money, and when it comes to on-site installation, customers need suppliers to meet tight project deadlines, seamlessly.
With modern support systems, component parts are prefabricated off-site, meaning on-site labour can be reduced, which often represents a significant proportion of the overall project budget. Compared to traditional stick-build methods, the cost savings can soon add up – helping minimise the number of different trades on site.
Space constraints
Space is often at a premium and every square foot of a building must be used efficiently. The installation of traditional support systems can be particularly challenging in these environments, as it often requires large amounts of on-site storage and the potential for disruption to ongoing operations.
A key benefit of modular systems is their ability to be prefabricated off-site. In the context of a data centre, for example, this means that support systems for cables, pipes and equipment can be built in a factory setting, where conditions are controlled and standardised. These prefabricated components can then be delivered to the site just in time for installation, reducing the need for on-site storage and minimising the amount of space required for construction activities.
Additionally, the modular nature of these systems allows for greater flexibility in design and installation. Components can be customised to fit the specific needs of the facility, ensuring that the support system is optimised for the available space.
Quality and compliance
Gone are the days where industry can simply fit and forget. Today the traceability of materials and components is crucial for customers and an area of real concern. Put simply, the failure of a single component can have catastrophic consequences and industry cannot afford the risk.
With traditional construction methods, the supply chain can be long and complex, involving multiple parties. This complexity can make it difficult to track the origin of materials and ensure that all components meet the necessary standards.
In contrast, modular framing systems, when managed by a single manufacturer, offer a much clearer and more direct supply chain. At Atkore Unistrut, for example, every component can be traced back to its source, providing full transparency and allowing for easier compliance with industry regulations.
By ensuring that every part of the support system is accounted for and meets the required specifications, modular systems reduce the risk of failures and enhance the overall reliability of the facility.
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