When recession hit the UK in 1979, British manufacturing plummeted to depths not seen since the 1930s. Production fell by 19.6 per cent and between one fifth and one quarter of the manufacturing sector's equipment and capacity was destroyed, with 1.7 million jobs lost. The situation did improve somewhat in the early 1980s with the privatisation of formerly state owned companies, opening up competition and leading to considerable improvement in the efficiency of the industries they had served, as Schneider Electric's divisional director of buildings, Stewart Gregory recalls.
"The move of nationalised industries into the private sector created a more open willingness among manufacturers to invest in processes and improve their offerings and service so they could compete for business. This in turn led to the introduction of cutting edge design, as manufacturers, including those in the electrical industry, looked at all areas where they could enhance the quality of their products."
It is probably fair to say that organisations serving the electrical market in the UK at the time suffered from lack of investment and were offering products and services that fell short of the overseas competition in terms of availability, reliability and after-sales support. These companies became targets for acquisition, and as overseas companies looked to capture the UK market, the electrical industry underwent a period of profound change.
The result, according to Mr Gregory was improved product quality and a reduction in the installation footprint of manufacturing capital plant, as new materials and techniques were introduced into the design and production processes. Earlier practices gave way to more streamlined processes and products containing fewer components. Essentially, it heralded the age of modularity, with all the advantages of greater product reliability, shorter manufacturing cycles and vastly improved lead times.
Circuit protection
A good example of modularity and its influence on electrical design was the wider adoption of circuit breakers in place of fuses to improve circuit protection. This saw the rise in popularity of the moulded case circuit breaker, which offered compactness, improved performance and sensitivity, as Schneider Electric's Tom France explains.
"The move from fuses to the compact circuit breakers we associate with today's designs was influenced by a number of factors. Firstly, the rise in the price of silver used to make the fuse links meant manufacturers facing an increase in material costs, needed to look for an alternative. Then there was the increase in the price of oil and manufacturers sought ways to reduce the use of plastic within their products.
This issue, combined with the fact that producers were streamlining their processes and already looking at designing devices to work more efficiently, led to the production of compact circuit breakers." But by the late 1980s, circuit breakers went though yet another transition as manufacturers adapted product designs ahead of new British Standards, which were introduced during the early 1990s. Tom France again:
"Standards for moulded, air and miniature circuit breakers all influenced product development in much the same way they do today, with manufacturers ensuring their products comply with industry regulations. The changes from British Standards to European Standards meant there was a shift from product performance based standards to application based. Those such as BS EN 60898, which governed the use of circuit protection for domestic or similar situations and BS EN 60947 for industrial applications, made them more relevant to the application and type of people using them.
"So, as well as manufacturers ensuring their goods met the stringent tests, product design took into account the level of skill or knowledge of the user. In some cases this meant additional safety measures were introduced - particularly for miniature circuit breakers that went into domestic installations - as well as more in-depth information displayed on the product."
As products were modularised and manufacturers standardised their ranges to conform to the regulations, the way the electrical industry functioned also changed. Up until this point it was traditional for customers to purchase goods direct from the manufacturer and it was commonplace to offer bespoke products. However, the introduction of standardised ranges led to a rise in specialist engineers such as panel builders, who could specify and install manufacturer's 'ready to fit' devices. Indeed, as units were modularised throughout the 1980s and 1990s, manufacturers became highly adept at responding to changes in market demands.
'Plug and play' in the construction industry
In 1998, Sir John Egan produced a report on the construction industry and among the various points raised, highlighted how construction methods could be speeded up to reduce project time scales. One of the main recommendations made in the report was to use off-site fabrication methods, which would increase build quality and reduce installation time. Manufacturers responded to Sir John's suggestions, with devices we now commonly refer to today as 'plug and play'. Schneider Electric engineer, Lee Jones offers modern lighting installation as a good example of this.
"Modular wiring has been used by lighting control companies for many years but became mainstream from around 2003 when contractors widely recognised it as an alternative to traditional wiring products. Since then, product types such as distribution boards and final circuit accessories have been introduced in a modular, 'plug and play' form, providing contractors with simple-to-install products that dramatically reduce installation time.
"An example is our Canalis system of busbar trunking for lighting and power distribution, which provides a simple, flexible and efficient alternative to traditional cabling in any building or structure. The compact design of the products mean they are ideal for applications where space is limited."
Modularity of electrical systems has had a big impact on the way buildings and systems are designed, and contributed significantly to the whole process of installation, not to mention the safety and reliability of electrical power distribution. Thirty years on and manufacturers continue to push back the boundaries. The electrical industry has much more to offer in terms of installation flexibility, but there are other challenges to be met as we enter the second decade of the 21st century, including helping customers to meet their energy management needs and future energy efficiency obligations.