Innovative electronic fire and security products manufacturer, Elmdene International Limited – a subsidiary of Potter Electric Signal, LLC – used IFSEC 2014 (17-19 June, London ExCeL) to unveil a record number of new product lines, from highly efficient switch mode power PSUs (Power Supply Units), for intruder alarm and fire applications, to an EN54-23:2010 compliant Fire Alarm Beacon and the ground-breaking ‘FLEXI-BELL’ modular siren. The company, which on first assessment has seen a surge in footfall year-on-year, significantly increased its profile for 2014 by exhibiting its latest solutions on stand as part of a large-scale ‘Harmony Village’, alongside other Harmony Alliance members, including GJD, Texecom and TDSi.
Looking in more detail at the solutions showcased at IFSEC 2014 by Elmdene, leading the way was an EN54-23:2010 compliant, ceiling-mounted, Fire Alarm Beacon. This is an indoor ‘Type A’ VAD (Visual Alarm Device) which is built around low power consumption LED technology and, crucially, Elmdene reports, has already completed a rigorous testing process to secure a certificate of approval from the LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board).
Another new concept, which Elmdene has high hopes for is the company’s, aptly named, ‘FLEXI-BELL’ modular siren which is available in Grade 2 and Grade 3 versions. What makes this external sounder stand out from competing solutions on the market, according to Elmdene, is the ability to use one common backplate with simple ‘snap in’ clips to accommodate all of Elmdene’s sounder covers: Vertec, HS and Quartz. This not only minimises the stock that distributors need to hold but opens up the potential for customer’s to have their own bespoke covers, in terms of shape and colour.
Other industry-leading products that made their UK debut during the show, included a number of new models in the GEN2 and GEN3 ranges of 12V switch mode PSUs for intruder alarm applications. The latest additions have been developed to satisfy the requirements of Grade 2 and Grade 3 under PD6662:2010 and EN50131-6:2008. Also previewed by Elmdene on-stand at IFSEC 2014 were the company’s cost-effective, yet capable, STX fire power supply units. The roll-out of the latest additions to the STX range (1A, 2A, 5A and 10A) reflects the soaring demand that Elmdene is seeing for fire-specific power supplies that satisfy the EN54-4:1997 standard.
In addition to new product launches, Elmdene once again highlighted the virtues of its ever-expanding family of switch mode PSUs, with sales proving particularly strong where CCTV applications are involved. When deployed switch mode models offer a higher level of efficiency (typically 80-87%) and, correspondingly, lower energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint, compared to more conventional linear alternatives. Given that they run significantly cooler, switch mode PSUs support enhanced reliability as well as being better equipped to cope with mains input voltage fluctuations.
Beyond this, Elmdene spotlighted the importance of Power over Ethernet (PoE) standby devices during IFSEC 2014. Already the company has developed two types of power supplies to bridge, what it views as, a worrying capability gap across security, access control and information technology applications. Elmdene’s leadership in this field was underlined as a finalist in Benchmark magazine’s Innovation Awards 2014 which ran in parallel to the show, with its POE1230-C model singled out for praise in the ‘Infrastructure’ category. The POE1230-C is a PoE powered PSU (Power Supply Unit) that incorporates a battery back-up capability. Power is supplied from a 50W PoE injector to deliver 12V DC at 1.5A output.
Commenting on Elmdene’s attendance at IFSEC 2014, Ian Moore the company’s Managing Director said: “IFSEC 2014 has exceeded all of our expectations, in fact it has proved to be the most successful show for us yet in terms of the quality of leads and footfall. We had a much bigger, more prominent, stand this time around and, thanks to our strong R&D base, an unprecedented number of product innovations, whether you are talking about PSUs or our EN54-23:2010 compliant Fire Alarm Beacon.
“Co-locating with other members of the Harmony Alliance represented a major advance for us in the context of IFSEC. The benefit of being part of the Harmony Alliance is, undoubtedly, the way that it is focused on pulling together complementary expertise from all of our specialist fields to deliver ‘best of breed’ integrated solutions, especially at a project level. In fact, as managing directors of the Harmony Alliance member companies we took part in a thought-provoking panel discussion around the subject of integrated security during the first day of the show. On a lighter note we were delighted to play host to over 300 Harmony customers at an invitation-only party on a barge near the London’s ExCel to help celebrate the success of the Harmony Alliance.”
For more information on Elmdene’s solutions, which are available through the usual distribution channels, please call +44(0)23 9269 6638, email: sales@elmdene.co.uk or log onto www.elmdene.co.uk. Elmdene has a YouTube Channel which can be found at www.youtube.com/ElmdeneInternational and you can also follow the company on Twitter at twitter.com/ElmdeneIntLtd. More details regarding the Harmony Alliance can be found at: www.harmony-alliance.com.
