Plug In

With the advent of the concept of a global office, there is a sea change in where we work and what we use. There are consultants for every discipline. There is an area which is prime of importance which is usually ignored by default. It is a reliable power socket outlet. Using good aesthetically designed sockets with famous brand is not enough to handle any type of electrical appliance or equipment. The type of electrical conductor and compatibility with international plugs & receptacles is important.

As every country has its own currency or national identity with its own flag, language, culture, food etc; it also has its own unique electrical mains, plugs & sockets!

Every country has its own set of physical configuration depending on the ampere ratings. Such as round pin 6Amps & 16Amps in India, Schuko & Euro in parts of Europe,13Amps flat pins in the UK and so on.

Due to emergence of multinational companies in India we are having equipment and appliances from all parts of the world. The IEC320 connectors (shown in the figure) come in many types. One is C13-C14 which is called the kettle type connector and in server application it is C19-C20 which is rated for 16amps. IEC C13-C14 is 10Amp.The rated connector is suitable for desktops, fax machines & a good number of IT equipments. This configuration in Indian commercial terms is also called as computer compatible connector. It is so common that normally all good hotels will have these type of connectors.

Two other types of IEC 320 connectors are C5-C6 & C7-C8. Normally laptops sold in India have preferred to give adapters with C5-C6 connector which has earth terminal for safety. Whereas C7-C8 has only two terminals which is in use for laptops as well as for communication equipments and selected music systems also. This connector has the shape of figure 8 so it is also called as Figure8 connector.

The office equipments with these three types of connectors need to be powered with the respective country’s main plug & the compatibility issue needs to be addressed at this point. The facilitator in modern offices has to make sure that all the equipment gets plugged in right. There tend to be short cuts by way of using multi-plugs or adapters.Though it may solve immediate issues there lies a high risk of equipment getting damaged.

At the time of recommendation and implementation of power systems in the office there should be special emphasis on provision of internationally accepted sockets in the system. To make things easier at least all conference halls where all presentations take place should be equipped with the right sockets.It must also have reliable conductors with properly rated fuse and switch. There is provision for surge protection and data sockets in these power outlets which need to be considered with utmost care.

In fact selecting & using a surge protector will be discussed in future articles in this series. An aestehetically good looking or so called healthy surge protected strip may not be sufficient or safe to use unless expert opinion is taken.

In addition to providing good engineered power socket outlets in the modern office\ it is also the responsibility of office facilitator to provide global power connector kit to its frequently travelling executive along with tickets! Also to its visiting foreign guests in the office or hotels.

The power connectivity kit should become part of notebooks/laptop or any electrical mobile equipment and appliances. There are a good range of travel kits which include power cords with simple plug-on with respective or major country power plugs. There are several other options available with respect to power connectivity as explained above for kettle connectors.

In short, with a little extra care and thoughtful approach a project implementation Team or facilitator can remove the barrier and last minute hassles of an important presentation or meeting in the modern workplace.

The author is Narendra Damani of Fraser Techno Circuits Limited. For feedback e mail damani@businessgyan.com

Issue BG57 Dec05