SCP and Cable Fire Ratings
Structured Cabling Products, shortened to SCP, is a U.S. cabling supply company. Founded in Florida, SCP has expanded into and international operation with warehouses in the Unites States, Europe and Northern Africa. To help meet the growth of operations and new and constant demand for cabling products, SCP has recently revamped their website, scpcat5e.com. The website renovation not only makes it more streamlined for clients to find and order cables and hardware in appropriate quantities, but also presents a wide range of helpful information to professionals in the industry. Listing certifications and grades as well as charting cable types and uses helps cablers to make informed decisions about what materials are most applicable to their customers needs. Especially in the world of small business, the efficiency of supplies and the tight nature of cost-effectiveness can make the difference in a sink-or-swim economy.
One of the many tools available at scpcat5e.com is a Cable Fire Ratings Guide. As cable systems become an everyday expectation and the demand for cable networks in unusual and difficult circumstances grows, the government fire ratings of cables and cabling hardware become more important and even necessary pieces of information for cable technicians. In the Unites States, the NEC (National Electric Code) outlines cable fire rating standards. The ratings guide provided by Structured Cabling Products at scpcat5e.com is a basic overview of cabling types and their general fire rating. The cables represented at scpcat5e.com are made to meet the updated NEC standards and have been verified by non-affiliated organizations to confirm accuracy and reliability.
SCP-p is short hand for plenum coated cables, the first category listed in the fire ratings guide. Generally these plenum coated CMP cables are those designed to run in and along air ducts, and therefore must be able to stand up to the movements of air and other gases at various temperatures. Because of their common use, and unpredictable environment, scp-p cables are held to the highest standards of testing of any cables examined by the NEC. The are rated both for the smoke levels they generate under different heats and their level of flammability. Another category listed in the guide is general use cables. This is the section where most scp-o or optical cables fall. These cables are for general use in any commercial or residential situation. As these cables are not run in air ducts, the standards of testing are less extreme than for the scp-plenum cables, though they are still flame tested for reliability. Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) Cables are also represented in the Fire Ratings guide. These cables are designed to forego toxic gasses that can be produced when water contacts the chemicals released when a cable’s coating catches fire. The scp-l cables are made for rather extreme areas, generally with little to no ventilation where surrounding components could be damaged or become dangerous if exposed to deteriorating cable.
This Cable Fire Ratings Guide as outlined by the NEC is presented at scpcat5e.com to inform cablers about the products they are buying and using from SCP. Structured Cabling Products is making a smart move to reach out in this way to educate and be clear with their clients. It is not only an issue of good salesmanship, but also one of quality and safety.
