Cable management comes of age

Cable management systems have come a long way since Marshall- Tufflex first began manufacturing them in the 1970s. The early years of the business – and the sector as a whole – were founded on function over form, with cable containment products doing their job without offering much in the way of flexibility or aesthetics. These early systems were well-placed to service the growing computer industry and, as computers and the information technology that supported them became more sophisticated, so too did the cable management.

Function and form ‘on equal footing’

 Now function and form stand on almost equal footings, particularly for architects wanting to use cable management as an integral design element in more creative projects. This shift towards more aesthetically pleasing trunking has influenced specifiers within the health sector, with a number taking advantage of new, and more interesting, cable containment products. That said, for the vast majority of schemes within hospitals and other medical facilities function still reigns over form. It’s a traditional market that understandably, due to its sensitive nature, tends to favour tried and tested products. However, we believe there are salient and hugely beneficial reasons for specifiers, estates managers, consulting engineers and electrical contractors working within the healthcare environment to give real consideration to both new and proven systems and methodologies. Cable management – the basics Cable management systems take power and data cables, and perhaps bedhead services such as gas and air, from source to final outlet inside a protective channel. Traditionally such systems have been rectangular, and have been supplied in different sizes and materials. As the market has matured and become more sophisticated, so have the containment systems. Rectangular is no longer the only option – Marshall-Tufflex has, for instance, developed a unique all-curved profile (Odyssey) that not only looks great but is easier to clean and guaranteed clutter-free. Odyssey is already being installed in a range of buildings, from hospital operating theatres to cleanrooms, new-build and refitted office blocks. Historically cable containment ran horizontally around a room, either at skirting or dado level. Both are still popular methods of delivering services, but vertical placement is now a growing trend, feeding power and data down from ceilings, one good example of where this is happening being hospital wards. Some estate managers now favour trunking running vertically between beds simply because it allows them to push beds right up against walls, removing the risk of containment systems taking knocks.