First UK Prefabricated wiring system software from Hager

28 January 2013

Hager has developed the UK’s first design software package for a prefabricated wiring system to ensure its Klik.system meets the requirements of BS 8488 and the wiring regulations.

Says Steve York, product manager for Klik: “The advantages of prefabricated wiring systems are well documented with time savings of up to 75 percent claimed on site. To meet the British Standard however you must provide system design information to both validate the design and ensure that it is installed correctly.

“Designing and validating a system can take hours or even days of time. For a Klik.system project the software will ensure that we provide the customer with
fully compliant designs that are easy to follow during installation.”

The software database contains all of a project’s information including; customer, client, design team and delivery details. Any amendments are automatically stored with previous versions all kept for reference and design parameters such as ceiling height are simply added. Any revisions are automatically stored so that all of the versions are kept for a project.

To use the system, layout drawings are imported into the software as a .dwg file and the klik.system products are then placed onto this to build the design. As part of this process the software will automatically select the correct cables depending on their function. It will also calculate all of the cable lengths allowing for differences in ceiling and slab height and any switch positions and also their cross sectional areas to take account of the length and characteristics of the circuit.

Having designed the system a quotation is produced which can be broken down by part type or area and a project part referencing system allows you to order parts of the system to suit the different phases of a project.

All of the quotations, part lists by area or section and electrical reports can be printed off for reference. The electrical reports detail the design information for the project to help both installation and the final inspection since they contain details such as the designed maximum Z_s Volt drop and testing point information.

Says York: "In the past there have been some serious safety concerns with prefabricated wiring systems including reversed polarity, under rated couplers and incorrectly sized wiring sections. For this reason BS 8488-1 was introduced and then amended to become BS 8488:2009+1:2010. Not only must all of the system components meet individual product tests, but any system must provide instruction for safe use, system design information to validate conformity with BS 7671 and information to enable inspection and testing.