from
Tough, Durable Cabling Solutions
The FS range of duct grade cables are designed to withstand the toughest physical conditions
To cope with the increasing range
of demanding external installations,
FS Cables offer a range of data,
coaxial, signal and control and
telecoms cables with tough duct
grade polyethylene (PE) sheaths.
Many cables today are being installed
in ducts, conduits or underground
pipes linking buildings or machinery
together.
Unfortunately, conventional data,
signal and control cables for internal
installations are not designed to cope
with these conditions as their thin PVC
jackets easily suffer mechanical
damage and can even absorb water if
left submerged.
To meet this growing market need for
tough, durable yet flexible cabling
solutions, FS supply a substantial
number of cables which use the same
internal components, (conductors,
cores and insulation, together with
screens) but with the added protection
of a heavy, black, UV resistant,
waterproof , Polyethylene jacket. The
standard PVC inner jacket is retained
FS Cables – Stand 414 at the DSEi Show
8-11th September, Excel, London
Defence Systems & Equipment
International is the worlds largest
defence and security exhibition,
bringing together senior
international trade and military
experts from across the entire
defence supply chain.
A wide range of innovative products will
be demonstrated at the show, including
unmanned marine vehicles, automated
landing systems and even warships –
HMS Somerset and HMS Mersey will be
moored alongside the exhibition hall.
+++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++
1st September 2009
COPPER £3,844.80
ALUMINIUM £1,133.12
SILVER £9.23
NICKEL £11,471.76
All prices per 1000kg except silver per oz. Exchange rates apply at time of trade
+++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++ Metal Prices +++
Many cable types can be oversheathed with a PE jacket
for added protection and makes
termination easier and faster.
The PE jacket not only protects the
cable from moisture but also adds
to the physical strength of the cable,
important when the cable is pulled
through ducts often over hundreds of
metres.
Damage can occur to both the cable
being installed and to any existing
cables in the duct – which is why the
heavy jacket is necessary. The heavy
jacket also provides resistance to any
water present in the duct and offers
26th March 2009
£2,790.47
£984.17
£9.44
£6,828.72
Summer 2009 Issue 7
across roofs or on catenary wires
are common applications, as are
installations in schools, industrial yards
and CCTV networks.
An increasingly popular service FSC
offers is to take an existing PVC cable
and oversheath it with an exterior
grade PE jacket. This is ideal for jobs
that only require small quantities or
when time is critical as quantities as
low as 100m can be produced within a
week or so.
mechanical protection against the
stress and tension incurred in pulling Give the sales team a ring with your
the cable through the duct. requirements.
The PE jacket also creates a low
friction, high slip sheath allowing the
cable to move alongside other cables
inside the duct with relative ease.
FSC duct grade cables can also
be used in exposed external
positions where the jacket gives
both mechanical and environmental
protection as PE offers very good
sunlight resistance. Clipping to masts,
running up the sides of buildings, Ideal for running through ducts or conduits
In this issue
FS Cables are attending the show for
the first time this year and DSEi • Tough, Durable Cabling
represents something different to the Solutions
mainstream electrical shows we
• DSEi Exhibition
typically attend. FS Cables have been a
supplier to the defence sector in the UK • Customer Feedback Survey
for a number of years and we offer a • What's in a Cable?
wide range of cables for military,
defence and security applications. • Q&A with Owen Dale
• Thermocouple Cables
These have included marine cables and
• In Brief
fire survival cables for warships and
Continued on page 2 • Editorial
Change %
37.78%
15.13%
-2.27%
67.99%
 The advantages of tube extruded jackets
In Brief include savings on weight and materials
and easier stripping. Tube extruded

Niltox Cables jackets also provide a smooth finish

without heavy ribbing or ‘barley sugar
Online! effect’ twisting.

A new website aimed at specifiers

covering the FS Cables range of
Niltox® low smoke zero halogen
cables has been launched online.
It contains details of the wide range of
products stocked under the Niltox®
brand as well as a buyers’ guide to
LSHF cables and the pitfalls
surrounding terminology.
Log on to www.niltoxcable.co.uk and
leave us a message, we’d appreciate
your feedback on the website!
New Great
Prices on LiYCYs
An expanded range of high quality
LiYCY control cables at very
competitive prices are now in stock.
What’s in a Cable?
Part 5 - Jacketing &
Sheathing
The purpose of a jacket or sheath is
the same as skin – to keep the
outside out and the insides in.
Jackets come in many different forms
from braids and tapes to the more
common extruded thermoplastic or
thermosetting materials.
Extrusion refers to the process of
squeezing the sheathing material
through a funnel or die as the cores run
through the centre. The sheathing
material may either be extruded molten
or cold with a later curing process.
There are two types of extrusion - tube
extrusion or tight/pressure extrusion.
Thermoplastic materials – PVC, PE and
some low smoke halogen free (LSHF) –
can be tube extruded creating a smooth
uniform thickness around the jacket.
Pressure or tightly extruded jackets on
the other hand hold the cores tightly in
place as the jacket fills the gaps or
interstices in the core bundle. This is
better for common flexible cables
especially where the cables are likely to
be used in physically tough environments.
However disadvantages can include
potential problems with stripping,
an increase in weight and cost through
the requirement for more materials.
Additionally, on cables with an oddly
shaped core bundle – for example a 2
pair cable – pressure extrusion can
result in a ribbed or twisted appearance.
On some power and marine cables it is
common to have a bedding over the core
bundle to give the cable a rounder shape
prior to applying the outer jacket. This
bedding is extruded in the same way as
the jacket and may be made from the
same or a similar material. Often, a ‘putty
like’ material is used which can be easily
removed upon termination.

Featuring an aluminium foil inside a

70% tinned copper wire braid and a
soft, flexible PVC sheath, we are
confident this is one of the best quality
products in the market.
0.75mm2 to 2.5mm2 in 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
and 12 core configurations are
available in either number or colour
coded versions.
Call the sales team today for a quote.
FS Cables – Stand 414 at the DSEi Show
Continued from cover...
LSHF cables for fighting vehicles. FS Exhibitors and visitors to the show range from delegates from
Cables have also custom manufactured international companies and military organisations to armed
a range of composite cables containing forces personnel from the MOD as well as service providers,
coax and control cores for bomb sub-contractors, manufacturers and other suppliers to this
disposal robots. multi-billion pound market.
In addition, data, signal & control,
coaxial, telecoms, and rubber cables
represent just a few of the 3000 lines
held in stock for next working-day
delivery.

At DSEi, FS Cables will showcase

Copper Price
This year copper has increased from
$2770/ton to $6419/ton – a rise of
over 130%. And they say the stock
market is volatile!
Some of this pain has been offset by
the strengthening pound but it is still
a massive rise, particularly in general
wiring and power cables where the
copper content makes up such a
significant part of the price.
Congratulations to all our customers
who forward ordered at the beginning
of the year to fix prices!
among other products, our range of
Niltox® Low Smoke Halogen Free data,
signal & control and instrumentation
cables. Niltox® cables are ideal for ‘safe’
installations in buildings and structures DSEi 2009 takes place at Excel, London from 8th-11th September
housing critical personnel or equipment
where evacuation in the event of fire
could be slowed.
Also on display will be examples of
tough duct grade and armoured cables,
suitable for the most demanding
external installations.
Taking place at Excel in London
between 8-11th September, DSEi hosts
over 1350 companies representing over
40 countries worldwide. Exhibitions are a great way of meeting customers face to face

An extruder applying white LSHF material
When choosing a jacket material
a number of factors need to be taken
into account before specifying. These
include: the application of the cable,
physical stresses, chemical or solvent
contamination, light or UV stability,
heat or cold resistance, any LSHF
requirements and any aesthetic or tactile
considerations.
It is also important to look at the entire
cable as a chain, always paying attention
to the proverbial weakest link. For
example, it makes no sense to choose
an expensive LSHF sheath if the cores
are PVC insulated. In the event of fire, the
PVC cores will emit harmful gases
negating any LSHF benefit.
Cables used for medical equipment may
need to be sterilised in an autoclave after
FS Cables
Customer
Feedback
Survey
Tell us what you think and
win a handy torch!
To help us improve our service
levels, stock and delivery capability,
Wired is inviting readers to
participate in the annual FS Cables
Customer Feedback Survey.
Your opinions count. FS value your
feedback highly and we are giving
away a free LED flashlight to every
respondent.
The purpose of the survey is to
gauge customer opinion on all
aspects of our service – from order
processing, despatch, quality and
technical expertise. We also want to
know what you think of our cabling
guide – ‘The Little Red Book’ and our
newsletter Wired .
use. In this case heat will be a big
consideration although flexibility and
‘feel’ are also very important.
Where cables are prone to attack from
chemicals, for example when buried in
contaminated ground, it is sometimes
necessary to use multiple sheathing
layers including nylon or aluminium to
prevent the chemicals or hydrocarbons
from reaching the core bundle.
Aluminium tapes are also used as
moisture barriers on some external
telephone and instrumentation cables.
Lead has almost died out as a sheathing
material for environmental reasons. Few
factories are now able to produce lead
sheathed cables.
Mineral insulated copper clad (MICC)
cables were one of the original fire
resistant cables. They still remain one of
the most indestructible cables, albeit
expensive and difficult to install.
MICC cables use a copper outer sheath
filled with a compressed mineral insulant
to protect the core bundle.
In some countries cables are prone to
attack by insects and rodents. In the past
it was not uncommon to dope the sheath
or jacket with poison. This has obvious
Similarly with the recent economic
downturn, we want your opinions on
how the recession has affected the
marketplace and your buying habits.
Are you finding prices are going up? Are
distributors ‘de-stocking’? Which of our
competitors are better than us and at
what?
We want to know so ultimately we can
better meet your needs.
The questionnaire is completed
online and will take no longer than
five minutes of your time to
complete. To enter, please visit
www.fscables.com/feedback.php and
click on the link to begin.
environmental drawbacks. These days it
is more common to use a galvanised
steel tape to protect the inner sheath
from rodent attack recognising that the
outer jacket may be eaten away after the
cable has been installed.
Braid sheaths are used for a variety
of purposes ranging from aesthetic
or tactile considerations or simply
decorative effect. For example they are
often used in domestic appliances such
as irons and light fittings, or for heat
resistance in the case of glass or
ceramic braids.
Whatever your application, if you have a
special requirement please speak to one
of our technical team who will always be
pleased to help.
Cat-6 with a duct grade sheath
Your responses are entirely confidential
and are not shared with anyone else.
The results will be used to improve our
service levels and find out what is
important to you, our customer.
The FSC dynamo LED flashlights feature
2 incredibly bright LEDs in a sturdy
outer shell and are very robust. The
battery can be charged using the
dynamo switch meaning you’ll never be
left in the dark!
The survey is open until October 15th
2009. We’ve got 500 torches to
give away and they will be mailed
to respondents after the deadline
closes. Torches are limited to one
per respondent.
Editorial
At present our business is split fairly evenly
between contractor, reseller/wholesaler
and OEM markets. A common thread that
links most discussions we have is how
margins are being squeezed across the
board.
In some cases goods are free issued by the
client but increasingly we are seeing
contractors being told where to buy goods
with, presumably, a rebate paid back to the
main client.
In other cases payment terms, rebates and
obscure discounts are being imposed on
suppliers with varying levels of success.
At first, it’s possible for most companies to
reduce prices slightly without having much
negative impact on the customer. However
it’s only a matter of time before the cracks
start to appear.
Factories remove shifts or have prolonged
shutdowns which lead to longer delivery
times.
This creates price pressures which lead to
a reduction in quality and reduced orders
which then result in reduced stocks so
more and more items become hard to
obtain.
All this places a premium on reducing
costs, cutting wastage and having stocks
available for customers as and when they
need them.
At FS Cables we’ve seen an increased use
of our ‘cut-to-length’ service where
customers are able to buy exactly what
they need and save on wastage and
ultimately costs.
We’ve also cut margins, although with the
rise in copper prices some of these savings
have been offset.
We’ve always taken the word ‘stockist’
seriously at FS Cables and this year have
increased both the range and quantity of
products held on the shelf for next working
day delivery.
Remember it’s important for everyone in
the chain to make profit otherwise they
don’t stay in business. Any further cuts may
be false economies in the long term.
Best wishes
Jon Herbert
jon@fscables.com
Q&A
With Marketing Department’s Owen Dale
What’s the role of the Marketing
Department at FS Cables?
We’re here to make sure the customers’
needs are being met and ensuring they
have access to reliable, concise technical
information.
We also promote the business through a
series of direct mail and email campaigns,
an advertising and PR presence in both trade
journals and online as well as attending
exhibitions and industry trade shows.
We maintain the websites and put together
Wired and our cabling guide – ‘The Little
Red Book’ which, despite its size is an
enormous amount of work.
How long have you been with
the company?
I started at FSC in October 2006. Suzi joined
us in July last year and is doing really well.
Marketing has always been a strong focus
at the company for over 30 years.
I’m currently studying the PPDM by the
Chartered Institute of Marketing. Over the
next 12 months we are hoping to make
some new additions to the department.
Which markets do you serve?
With so many different types of cable held
in stock, it’s a very wide mix. Broadly
speaking we supply contractors, security,
government, manufacturers and of course
electrical wholesalers.
Our overseas division FSC Global have built
up expertise supplying cable to countries
outside the UK so between us we cover a
very wide range.
Thermocouple Cables in Stock
Thermocouple, compensating and
extension cables are used to carry
electrical signals from temperature
sensing probes to displays or CPUs.
They are usually found in industrial
applications measuring temperatures in
tanks, pipelines or equipment and are
essential to the safe and efficient running
of the equipment process.
Heat is involved in many industrial processes
ranging from food production and power
generation to everything in between.
Does that make promoting the business
difficult?
It can do, with over 3000 product lines!
We’re here really to promote FSC as a
company and our ethos of service, quality,
delivery and value.
That said there are a number of products we
promote which customers specify by name
such as our Niltox® range of LSHF cables,
Safe-T-Shield, the new Antennax range of
low loss coaxial cables and through our
partnership with Draka – the Firetuf range of
Data and Coax cables.
You mentioned attending exhibitions –
what’s on the horizon?
We did four shows last year, Electrex and
IFSEC at the NEC and the M&E and Telecoms
at Olympia. This year we’re at DSEi for the
first time, details on the front cover.
It looks to be a really interesting show and
an opportunity to meet both new and existing
customers.
Has issue 9 of ‘The Little Red Book’ been
well received?
Yes really well, it’s a great tool. For a pocket-
sized guide it’s packed with so much
technical information and the new high
definition pictures have definitely been a hit.
New product lines come and go with each
issue but it’s always retained its compact
size and usability which I think people
appreciate. A lot of manufacturers assume
that people always want to use the internet
or have it readily to hand, so the book gives
a useful alternative.
Thermocouples are made from a
variety of metals or alloys to suit the
temperature range and environment
they are sensing. Some of these metals
can be expensive and it is common to
make longer runs of cable from metals
with similar characteristics as those
found in the probe – these are known
as compensating cables.
FS can supply thermocouples to all
popular standards, both extension and
compensating, in single or multipair
Alban Point, Alban Park, Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Herts AL4 0JX
General Sales: 01727 840 841
Fax: 01727 840 842
www.fscables.com
sales@fscables.com
Suzi Coggins and Owen Dale, Marketing Department
We also produce a CD and online version
which are popular, especially for keeping on
laptops. Tick the CD box on the enclosed
reply card and we’ll send one out to you.
What other ways do you communicate
with customers?
I’ll be really interested to see what the
response is to the Customer Feedback
survey we’ve included in this issue of Wired.
The feedback helps us get a better
understanding of what matters to customers,
so we can better meet their needs.
How else do you measure customer
feedback?
We send out a yellow feedback card with
each consignment which is postage paid.
This invites customers to tell us whether the
order arrived on time, whether it was correct,
well packed and arrived in good condition.
We’re proud to say that 99.98% of deliveries
have been spot on so far this year. That’s
KX Thermocouple
OEM Sales: 01727 849 801
Contractor Sales: 01727 849 802
Credit Control: 01727 849 827
Purchasing: 01727 849 805
Marketing: 01727 849 806
obviously no consolation to the 0.02% that
had snags, so the yellow cards are a great
way of alerting us to any issues so we can
correct them.
Emails to feedback@fscables.com are also
read by a director, so if customers have any
general comments as to how we can
improve – email them across.
You mentioned FSC have always had a
Marketing focus?
I think a marketing ethos runs right through
the company, with each aspect of the
business trying to meet the customer’s
needs.
Our practice of keeping unusual lines in
stock is borne out of customer demands, as
is our cut-to-length service and our no order
cut-off time. Ultimately if we can ship it out
immediately we will, and where feasible we
will take orders up until the moment the
courier leaves at the end of the day.
versions with a variety of insulations
or sheaths, screens or armours.
An international colour code reference
chart for thermocouple cables is on
page 101 of The Little Red Book. The
chart shows the conductor type along
with the designated letter, KX for
example is a popular type.
Lead times and minimum order
quantities on non-stock items are often
short. Talk to our sales team for further
information.