Sparks Electrical News May 2018

DBs, SWITCHES, SOCKETS AND PROTECTION

14

ASCO 400 SERIES SURGE PROTECTIVE DEVICES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

only a short period of time, but what is important is that the people are properly trained and groomed to next level. If you groom and promote somebody, that is something permanent which stays with them forever and they stay motivated. I always believe in creating leaders frommy own team. Sparks: What do you do in your spare time to recharge for the challenges which come with your job? RM: To be honest, I haven’t had much spare time since I started this position! But I am passionate about hitting the gym and playing squash, so now if I am not travelling I try to get to the gym three or four times a week. Sparks: If you could "do it all again", would you change anything? RM: I would probably have come to this country five years earlier. RM: There are many reasons! Firstly, it is an industry which brings many innovations. Changes happen every few years which I feel very few industries experience. And when it happens, there’s a huge amount of learning needed and a huge amount of scope to move forward. If you look at our continent, there are still a lot of parts which are not properly lit, which means that there is a huge scope for growth. Sparks: What is your favourite quote? RM: “There’s only one thing constant in the world and that is change.” I always tell my team this; we should always be ready for change, in both our professional and our personal lives. Sparks: Do you have anything on your ‘bucket list’? RM: In terms of my professional life, my immediate goal is to turn things around in South Africa. We want to achieve double digit growth, quickly gain market share, and have strong employee motivation. This is something which I dream about every day. In my private life, I’d love to go on a road trip with my family through New Zealand. Sparks: Would you advise a person leaving school to enter the electrical industry? And why?

Sparks: What,to yourmind,is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry at this time? RM: Particularly in South Africa, it is for people to upgrade to the newest technology, which is LED. In the consumer segment, we find that people are still buying the old technology such as halogen and CFLs, so that’s our biggest challenge... how quickly we can upgrade because the world has already moved on two years ago. Sparks: How do you change people’s perceptions? RM: The first objective is to get the key stakeholders on board, who are the opinion makers or people who specify lighting. Secondly, we are educating architects, specifiers and consultants in terms of new LED offerings from Philips. Finally, we need to target the end consumer who goes into the retailer to buy the products, which is a tough ask as there are more than 3 000 mass market retail stores across South Africa. We are trying to educate the retailers and work with them very closely to give more space on their shelves to LEDs. When a consumer walks into a store, they will see the LEDs, read about the benefits, and in that way we can convert them. I am very happy to share that we have made very good inroads recently. At one retailer, their contribution of LEDs on shelves is 10-20%, and after working closely with them over the past three months, a thousand stores have agreed to give us more than 60% space for LED products only. Sparks: What do you enjoy most about your job? RM: Giving the best to the consumers by offering them something new. It is exciting. As new technology comes around every few years, we have to change the way in which we approach the consumer and the customer in terms of the marketing blitz. That really keeps me going and we are in a position to make a huge change in consumer’s lives in terms of their buying patterns and offering them better solutions and improving their lives. Secondly, I love working with people. In a leadership role, that is where we are very lucky as 70% of our time is people management. Sparks: How do you motivate your staff? RM: To keep staff motivated, it is very important that they have a career, not just a job, and that you can show them a future. A job and money will keep them motivated for

ASCO 400 SERIES Surge Protective Devices are UL listed, Type 1 family of surge protectors designed around the latest thermally protected MOV technology. This platform of products is available in any voltage and phase configuration and offers a wide range of surge levels and optional accessories. The compact design and robust performance make the 400 SERIES products an ideal choice for reliable, high-energy protection.

Best suited for • Banking, Financial and Insurance • Broadcast and Entertainment • Construction and Engineering • Data Centre/Co-location/Hosting • Education • Fire/Alarm/Security • Government • Healthcare • Manufacturing • Telecom

Enquiries: +27 (0) 11 284 9665

A SAFEHOUSE GUIDE TO SWITCHES

I n the South African electrical industry it is often said that “a switch is a switch is a switch!” Nothing could be further from the truth; switches and sockets are not only func- tional devices, they are also elements of inte- rior design. They must have technical abilities to handle modern household and office appli- ances and equipment, and should not detract from the appearance of their location. This guide is applicable to alternating current (ac), whilst any direct current (dc) applications require confirmation with the relevant supplier insofar as the ratings are applicable.

Enquiries: +27 (0) 11 396 8140

Enquiries: www.lighting.philips.co.za/home

SCAN QR CODE TO DOWNLOAD/READ THIS GUIDE

INDUSTRIAL BOXES OFFER FLEXIBILITY IN APPLICATION AND MOUNTING

Sealing to IP66 is achieved by continu- ous polyurethane gasket and non-cor- rosive screws to accept flat-head screw- driver. Easily installed hinges can be fitted to all boxes from size 125 x 80 mm. Plas- tic wall-mounting lugs are an alternative to direct wall fixing. Numerous mounting bosses within the enclosure allow easy direct attachment of chassis, DIN rails or other equipment. Prices are competitive and offer supe- rior quality and design features, offering flexibility in application and mounting. The range has proved very popular with customers, and sales have shown year- on-year growth.

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC UNIVERSAL ENCLOSURES (SEUE), previously known as SAREL and HIMEL brands, is a leading name in enclosure design and manufac-

boxes; Thalassa non-metallic floor- standing and wall-mounting enclosures (GRP) and industrial boxes (ABS and Polycarbonate); and Climasys enclosure thermal management solutions (ventilation and cooling).

The SEUE product offering includes the categories: Spacial steel floor- standing cabinets and wall-mounting enclosures, and industrial screw-lid

ture. Elen Enclosures has been the South African importer and distributor of these products since 1982 and remains the au- thorised enclosure partner today.

In line with international envi- ronmental standards, the ABS and Polycarbonate materials are halo- gen-free. These enclosures are rated IP66 with impact resistance IK 07 for ABS versions and IK 08 for polycarbonate. They conform to standard IEC 62208, and are internationally certified. The ABS version is suited for most general purpose industrial applications, while the Polycarbonate version has higher resistance to UV and mechanical impact. Tempera- ture resistance from -25 °C to + 60 °C for ABS boxes and up to + 80 °C for polycarbonate boxes The offer comprises 120 ref- erences: universal boxes in sizes from 65 x 65 x 45 mm to 325 x 275 x 160 mm with opaque or transparent covers in different depths. The dimensions allow perfect alignment side-by-side with coupling accessories. They are easy to machine, equip and install. The enclosure design has aesthetic appeal, with rounded edges and corner profiles en- hancing mechanical strength.

Enquiries: +27 (0) 11 472 2220

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MAY 2018