PFLITSCH metal cable trunking

Anyone who needs to route large quantities of cables over long distances through a production facility faces a planning challenge that can quickly become confusing on paper. What cable cross-sections are required? Where do partition walls need to be installed to ensure EMC-compliant installation? How can the cable routing be designed so that future maintenance work does not become a test of patience? On site, these questions can be answered collaboratively – and, using the appropriate PFLITSCH planning software, converted directly into a complete bill of materials.

Limited installation space is one of the most common challenges in modern machinery and plant. What still has space on the drawing board is often already taken up in reality. An on-site visit reveals where space is actually available – and which system variant can be sensibly integrated there without compromising on quality or safety. In doing so, PFLITSCH consultants draw on a wealth of experience gained from numerous projects: they are familiar with the typical sticking points – and know where creative solutions can often achieve more than seems possible at first glance. And if a standard solution isn’t sufficient, that doesn’t mean the possibilities end there: on request, PFLITSCH also develops bespoke solutions that are precisely tailored to the specific application.

Whether in the food or pharmaceutical industry, cleanability and corrosion resistance are not optional features, but fundamental requirements. Choosing the wrong cable routing here not only risks additional cleaning effort – but, in the worst-case scenario, could jeopardise the certification of the entire production line. An experienced consultant understands the requirements of both sectors and can assess which system variant – such as the open Wire-tray Trunking in V4A stainless steel, or perhaps the closed stainless steel duct – is the right choice for the specific area. However, good cable management in these industries rarely stops at cable routing: particularly in hygiene-sensitive environments, it is worth considering the cable entry points as well. An on-site visit provides the ideal opportunity to examine both issues together – and thus develop a consistently hygienic solution for the entire cable installation

Where people and machines are in daily use, exposed cables quickly reach their limits. In production lines, robot cells or machine parks, cables must not only be reliably protected, but must also neither hinder operations nor pose safety risks. The challenge lies in the details: from ensuring safe access and the separation of different cable types to the question of how the solution can continue to be used flexibly even when the system is adapted in the future.

Robust floor duct systems have been developed specifically for such applications. They protect cables from mechanical stress, ensure structured cable routing and create permanently safe walkways. At the same time, they enable the clean separation of different media and offer the flexibility to retrofit or reroute cables at a later date. The result is a future-proof cable routing system that combines safety, order and ease of maintenance.

Changing the system usually becomes an option when requirements change or the existing cable routing system is no longer optimally suited to the application. New machine designs, changes in space constraints, and greater demands on flexibility, assembly, protection or standardisation can provide the impetus to fundamentally rethink the existing solution.

However, this involves far more than simply selecting a new system. Particularly in operational facilities, the question arises as to how the changeover can be implemented safely and as smoothly as possible. How can the change be integrated into existing processes? Which areas can be converted in stages? And how can operational safety be guaranteed throughout the entire conversion process?

The aim is not only a cable routing system that is technically and economically suited to the application, but also a well-thought-out transition in which production safety and availability are taken into account from the very beginning.

An on-site consultation does not end with a recommendation. It can be the starting point for a comprehensive service: from joint planning of the cable route, through the use of PFLITSCH planning software, to the PFLITSCH component assembly service, where ready-to-install cable trunking component assemblies are assembled to the customer’s specifications and delivered on time.

This significantly reduces design and installation times whilst ensuring ease of replication – particularly when identical or similar solutions are to be used on multiple occasions. The result is that the customer receives a solution that not only works on paper, but can also be reliably and consistently implemented in practice.