NEWS UPDATE |O6 MEP AWARDS 2010] 10 EVENTS |11 BUSINESS LEADS |52 PRODUCTS |54 THE LAST WORD |56 PIPING SYSTEMS LATEST TRENDS Sebi Joseph on how Otis is scaling aes At the_ CH ati ITS APPLICATION IN AIR-CON PVR oR SP Mee me) sie] WAS iin ota PAO oOCable management Cable-management specialist Marshall-Tufflex has strengthened its presence in the Gulf with the appointment of Svetislav (Bata) Bulajic as international technical sales man- ager. We talk to Bulajic about technical standards in the region and the latest trends. The T32 power estrbuton system rom Marshal-Tutex ia fast-track pi Ingaation tines for lect! eonvactig save. What is your backs worked for EKA Building systems (EBS) un til my move to MarshalkTusflex (MT) earlier this year. I ave been working with modular wiring systems, underfloor busbar power dis ribution and underfloor aircon systems fora: most 15 years. My work with PBS in the GCC market was during the rapid expansion of the raised access floor market, especially here in, the UAE, and along with it complete accept: ance of intelligent building systems such as modular wiring systems, underfloortodesk solutions and flexible si-con systems, What is your role at MT? ‘My role is international technical sales man ager serving the GCC countries, plus Iran Iraq and Yemen. With my background in design through to commissioning of a range of solutions, together with my knowledge of local standards and project requirements, 1 ‘44 MEPuidte Fast) Sestontr2010 am supporting our clients to meet their ever more demanding needs through what are vi tually bespoke design solutions for power and data provision. Modularity and flexibility are our key design parameters, and itis my role to interpret clients’ requirements to provide realistic and successful solutions How important is the Mile East region to MT? Growing our business in the Middle East is 2 key strategy, and led to the creation of my role o serve our customers here from a UAE base. For the last three years we have exhib: ited at the Middle East Electricity Show, and will be doing so again in 2011. This focus is underpinned by our experience of almost 30, years in the Middle East market, and recog: nising that modern building practices are be ing adopted here with a renewed passion. sit ‘What are your o and challenges? nla power connection solution tat eliminates hard-wing on-site ané permits much faster Our main opportunities are coming fro need for reliable, safe and, maybe most tantly, fast and trouble-free power distribution installations using products like our MT32 and MT 507 systems. With our new business ~MarshalkTutflex Energy Management Ltd ‘our Volts, Ipsis and Sinergy ranges are ready to make a significant contribution to the UAE ‘green building regulations and energy-saving initiatives. Our continuing challenge isto gain acceptance of tolal cost-saving models over piecemeal comparisons when alternative so lutions are being considered, 3W does this market differ trom more esta lished repions like the UX and Europe? [think I could write a book and still not be sure if| have given the right answer to that ‘question. The truth is, 2s always, somewhere inbetween. The largest international consult ants are present in this market - that means vwcanectmvetoiog comthat they should bring their experience to the region and specify the best solutions available globally for their clients. At the same time, existing client requirements, cost expectations, comparable local experience and local regulations, as well as climate, can ‘sometimes slow down the adoption ofalterna- tive technologies. However, what we do have here, which is often lacking in the UK and Europe, isthe vision to push the boundaries 1 Sind solutions to technical problems that seemed insurmountable, In many ways, this region is the biggest technical playground in the world and a great place for us to demon- strate and apply our innovation and experi- ence from almost 70 years in business, Do sub-standard and cheaper imports stl pose entry barrier? ts te market still particularly Drice-sensitive following the dewnturn? ‘The market here is no different to any other market when it comes to these produets. Our ‘main target is developers who recognise that he costto-build is just a small fraction of the total lifecycle cost ofa building. We are notin competition with lower quality, cheaper prod- ucts. Through sharing experiences with de velopers, consultants and contractors, we are able to demonstrate the value our products and service bring to a project. The market is sill price-sensitive, but with the comprehen sive range of products MT offers, as well as ‘our technical support, we provide a level of service our compet tors struggle to match, Has the downturn aflected hey markets? Education and healthcare are increasingly impor tant to us, and through our talored ranges we are seeing. great success, es pecially here in the UAE. We have not seen a dow surn in international business, Even swoansrcorwetonin com though we recognise the market has shrunk, we have been able to grow our business through our prosctive approach. New prod- uct ranges, especially in the fields of pow istribution and energy management, have supported our growth, as well as continually applying our strengths of quality, service and, above all, exibiliy to meet clients’ needs in tight timescales and the ability to provide so lutions to add vale to their projects What is your outlook for growth? Our outlook in the short term is stability in our traditional ranges of PVCu cable man- agement and steady growth in our power Aistribution solutions that are being slowiy accepted here in the Gulf for all the benefits they bring. We do foresee an improvement before 2011; indeed, we are already doing so. In many ways, the market over the last two years has sharpened project manager and client focus on newer technologies that can Aeliver total cost improvements, add value to the project, especially on the ‘green’ issues, by reducing waste, improving recycling and reusability, and enkancements that minimise health and safety risks for contractors. With our energy- management portfolio, we are basing our strategy on the fact we are ready to make a huge contribution to energy saving and the green issues of our time, Any new produc! developments? ‘We are seeing increasing popularity with ‘our bio antimicrobial trunking soli- tions and have a new twin-comps ment range being launched that meets the increasing requirement for more data than power cables be- ing carried in surface-mounted cable ‘management. The range has adjust- able bends to accommodate uneven Svea (Bata Bulajic corners and is compatible with our Sterling systems to provide a comprehensive solu tion. We are also launching our new range of MT-branded, [P-ated switehes, sockets and RCDs called Tutfmaster. The range has a special memory seal to cope with any profile of cable, is robust and durable and suitable for the ‘commercial and domestic market Adding Tuffmaster to our portfolio continues to extend our power distribution offering. We do now offer a range of energy-man- agement solutions: intelligent voltage opt: risation (Voltis), sub-metering (Sinergy), and hardware and sofware based electricity ‘management and measurement products (Ip. sis). With many of the Gulfstates using 230 V to 240 V supplies, we believe there is @ great market here for clients to realize the 15% to 25% electricity savings our systems can offer, as well 2s meeting the carbon reduction tar gets local governments have set Modular wiring seems tobe a trend as contrac- lors seek to cul costs, reduce labour and boost i salety? Apex Wiring Solutions and Marshall Tufilex jointly developed the patented miniature connector, rated to 32 A, that can be passed through 25 mm conduit, with Tyco Elec- tronics, For those that have these systems already, they will note our logo as well as [Apex’s on the connector body. Our solutions for prefabricated wiring incorporate all our cable management ranges, as well a offer ing in-vall, above ceiling and underfloor ap- plications. Is fact, when combined with our underfloor busbar range 507, MT32 provides a total package for todey’s modern commer- cial premises. Prefabricated wiring solutions are not new, but have been previously confined to the lighting and heavier commercial applications due to the connector sizes. Our MT32 pro= vides areal alternative to conventional wiring that reduces total project costs, reduces the labour requirement of qualified electricians, enables non-electricians to install the wiring and eliminates waste onsite, as all solutions are designed and manufactured to the elt ent’s specification, and eliminates installation injuries as all units are factory-tested, con- nections are foolproof by being keyed, and all applications are re-wireable, Anything else you would like to ada? T would like to underline once again that ‘our technical and sales teams are dedicated to our customers and this market. We are proactive and offer the best solutions to the ‘most demanding challenges, (2 onte-2010IMEPMidleEast 45