Thomas and Betts says its new Steel City 5 Square Boxes “offer more than double the cubic-inch capacity of typical square boxes, making them ideal for telecommunications and fire-alarm applications.” The boxes are 5x5x2-7/8 inches, which totals 67 cubic inches of interior space. Thomas and Betts says this amount of capacity reduces stress on data cables and ensures adequate capacity for fire-alarm devices.
The Telecom Box in particular features cable-management posts meant to guide cable around its outer perimeter to prevent excessive bending and kinking. For fire-alarm applications, the Fire Alarm Box’s additional space simplifies troubleshooting by minimizing the potential for ground faults and short circuits that can result from installing large fire-protection devices in standard boxes, Thomas and Betts explains.
The Telecom Box’s ample space also accommodates storage of a large slack loop, and eliminates the need for a second installer to pull cable out of the box from a remote location in order to terminate connectors, the manufacturer says. The resultant labor reduction yields time and cost savings. “The easy access to the slack cable loop is especially critical in hospital applications where removing ceiling tiles is discouraged,” Thomas and Betts adds.
The Fire Alarm Box provides enough space to eliminate pinch points around the alarm device. Its interior space also prevents the overcrowding of conductors that can increase installation time, the company notes.
Chad Smith, vice president of product management and marketing with Thomas and Betts, commented, “The additional interior space mitigates stress on high-speed data cables, connectors and faceplates that results from using standard boxes for telecommunications. The extra space also fosters consistency in installation by eliminating the need to improvise solutions due to limited space, and it allows room for future product evolution.”