Modular Wiring Systems, a subsidiary of electrical cable manufacturer Tratos Ltd., has won the contract to design, manufacture and supply
modular sub-circuit distribution systems for the new Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr £170 million hospital development in South Wales.
Planned for completion in 2011, Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Caerphilly will have 269 beds and, with Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust’s other new hospital at Ebbw Vale, will be the first in the UK to have 100% single room accommodation for patients. The hospital will give patients access to an increased range of services in a modern health care environment.
A challenging and exciting project, Modular Wiring Systems has pulled out all the stops to provide both the Trust and M&E contractor Lorne Stewart with many bespoke products to ensure a fully working solution. Whilst many projects have an element of tailored product, Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr has a substantial contingent of non standard requirements where Modular Wiring Solutions has had to design products specifically to suit.
One such bespoke product designed for the new hospital is a patient room control box for the mental health unit. The design requires the ability to isolate both the power and lighting in each individual room by way of a key switch located outside of the room. Modular Wiring Systems has designed a unique solution which achieves this in a timely and efficient manner which has now been approved for use on the project.
For the lighting, Modular Wiring’s distribution system has been designed to work in conjunction with the intelligent lighting control and switching system. Circuits have been designed to feed both essential and non essential supplies as well as operating the emergency lighting system and DSI control. The power system again has to serve both essential and non essential supplies and feeds all power outlets including nurse call, door holds, CCTV cameras and the like. There is also a combination of ring, radial and high integrity earthing systems.
Phil Tinker, Sales Manager for Modular Wiring Systems, explains the unique nature of this project: “it wasn’t so much about problem
solving as there were no problems as such to solve. Instead, we were able to add value by providing ideas for improving on the existing design and recommending some clever ideas. We have the in-house expertise and the experience to be able to design and engineer such bespoke products and solutions.”
Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust went down the modular wiring route because of its labour saving benefits, which will result in a considerable cost benefit. Unlike traditional fixed installations, which are labour intensive, offer little in flexibility and remain costly, modular wiring systems allow for a complete installation, from the distribution board to the furthest point of a circuit, by simply connecting the system components together.
