Vandal resistant cables

Client : UK based shop fitter

Industry : Industrial

Commission : The customer had a contract to install large volumes of electronic controllers in retail environments around the world. These controllers, which are used by the public for demonstration purposes, were often subject to theft and vandalism and were costing the company significant losses due to their relative high value. The customer needed a solution that protected the controller’s cable from damage but also resisted attack from thieves who were often equipped with basic tools in an attempt to cut the cable or unscrew the cable from the controller’s connection point.

Scope of Works : It was agreed that the protection of the cable itself was to be achieved by passing the wires through a length of armoured conduit. This was then connected to the controller body by way of a threaded coupling mechanism. The challenge was to make this threaded coupling tamper proof whilst at the same time maintaining an un-offensive aesthetic appearance. The solution also had to be low cost due the high volume of controllers that needed to be installed.

Results : A number of solutions were identified and discussed with the customer before reaching a decision.

Stage one of the final solution was the application of a high performance adhesive which was applied to the threaded coupling mechanism. Although this would provide a high level of mechanical protection, it looked poor aesthetically and still revealed the connection method, making the disconnection point an obvious target to a potential thief.

Stage two therefore introduced our moulding capabilities and the whole connection point was overmoulded to hide the connection with a discrete aesthetically pleasing finish. Full mechanical performance validated the effectiveness of the design and the production process.

Further Notes : The final solution has fulfilled the requirement and the customer is very satisfied with the overall product. The solution is helping to save significant costs without any impact to the original installation time. The customer has taken over 12,000 units to date and the solution can be seen in retail environments worldwide.