It is 40 years since KAC developed the break-glass call point as we know it today. Operations leader Russull McNamara and marketing manager Mark Thomson, with input from company founder Ron Reid, outline how the call point and audible-visible markets have developed over the last 40 years, and review the future challenges facing manufacturers in responding to legislative and market pressures.
Q. How did the manual call point as we know it today evolve?
Russull McNamara, RM: In the late 1960s, break-glass call points were literally just that — large and cumbersome units containing a sheet of glass, which in the event of a fire had to be broken by hand, or hit with an object, or in the deluxe versions hit with a hammer attached to the device. When the glass broke, a spring-loaded plunger was released, completing the electrical circuit, and showering the operator with shards of broken glass. It sounds primitive by today’s standards, but that was how it was over 40 years ago.
Company founder, Ron Reid, then a young electrician, felt there had to be a better solution. In 1970 he filed a patent based on a switch in a call point bearing on a peripheral face of glass which became the manual call point as we know it today. The glass is scored and a plastic label allows it to fracture cleanly when pressed, operating a microswitch positioned at the edge, while the glass stays safely in place. In 1972, “[t]rading as Kidderminster Alarm Company” and using the now world-renowned KAC Logo, Ron began making and marketing the first KAC call point. In April 1975, the business became incorporated as KAC Alarm Company Limited, by which time it had relocated from Kidderminster to Alcester in Warwickshire.
The market in those days was driven by the UK. Holland was the first European market for KAC followed by Spain and France, which were driven by tourism. By the 1980s, more than 60 per cent of products were exported. The company was later acquired by Honeywell in 2000.
MCP features
Q. How have modern call points evolved since their inception?
RM: All manufacturers’ designs are based on the operating technology pioneered all those years ago. KAC’s current products, the indoor Manual Call Point (MCP) and the IP67 outdoor Waterproof Call Point (WCP), are the fifth generation design, attributable to a sustained programme of product development. With each new generation, the product has included additional features for architects, installers, service engineers, and end users, who have all benefited. The first products met UK and European requirements. Then came the World Series, which met additional requirements from outside Europe. This range has been replaced by the current MCP and WCP devices.
Because of market inertia, products needed to offer more than a life safety solution. They needed to be installer-friendly and minimise false alarms, as seen with some products on the market.
The key advances have been intelligent call points, first introduced 20 years ago, and resettable call points, which date back more than 15 years. In KAC’s case, the MCP/WCP family also introduced modular construction to replace the hard wiring in previous versions and offer a first fix solution. The unique wiring connector allows the zone or loop wiring to be tested for open and short circuits without the call point itself having to be installed, preventing potential damage during installation.
The IP67-sealed WCP adds environmental protection, allowing the call points to be safely installed in areas where dust and water are likely to be present. Intrinsically safe versions of the MCP and WCP are also available, allowing the call points to be installed in hazardous areas where the build-up of gas or dust could potentially cause an explosion.
KAC’s current MCP and WCP call points offer many features that benefit installers and users.
In addition to their core use in fire systems, specialist call points are produced for many different uses across a wide range of industries. Increasingly, call points are to be found in security systems as emergency door openers, as emergency stops on escalators, and in emergency machine stops. In fact, anywhere an easy-to-operate manual intervention is required. The great benefit is that the call point has to be reset using a tool, so it is obvious that it has been activated.
With 40 years of product development, the KAC product portfolio is the widest in the industry. There are numerous variants of all types, and the company has a long heritage of quality engineering. Fast and easy installation and maintenance are critical installer requirements and key drivers for each new product range. Given the product will only be used in an emergency, reliability is absolutely critical. All products are approved to relevant standards, ensuring reliable operation even after many years of installed life in the field.
Q: Standards are obviously important in a life safety industry such as fire. How do they benefit manufacturers?
WCP Additional features
RM: KAC welcomes the introduction of rigorous standards. Our policy is to offer products that meet and exceed these requirements and to secure approval wherever an appropriate standard exists. It allows us to demonstrate that independent assessment supports our product claims.
Initially, new British Standards were introduced, covering the operating technology developed by KAC. They subsequently migrated to the European arena, providing commonality across the EU and other countries where EN standards are adopted. Standards such as EN54-11, the product standard applicable to call points, play a vital role in ensuring that quality and performance are maintained by manufacturers. By defining minimum performance and reliability criteria under various environmental conditions, they ensure that when installed, the units will operate reliably in an emergency and allow the alarm to be raised.
EN54-11 covers both break-glass and resettable devices, giving greater freedom of choice to system designers. By standardising the size, colour, pictograms, and branding on call points, building occupants will immediately recognise the call point, irrespective of which country they are in.
The Construction Products Directive, CPD (now CPR) adds requirements for manufacturing to the product requirements defined in the EN standards. KAC is a high volume manufacturer offering many product variants. High quality and service excellence are defining features. KAC manufactures in a 35,000-sq.-ft. facility in Redditch, UK, with around 180 employees. Significant investment has been made in people, processes, new product development, and capital expenditure on plant, machinery, test equipment, and design software. The latest Kaizen, lean enterprise, JIT techniques, and streamlined organisational design are used to increase efficiency, eliminate unnecessary waste, and reduce energy consumption. In addition to meeting CPD and ISO 9000 requirements, the plant has ISO 14001 certification and products are manufactured in accordance with WEEE, REACH and RoHS requirements.
Q: How is the global call point market developing?
Mark Thomson, MT: We are seeing a number of trends that are driving the call point market — the increasing use of call points in applications outside the core fire systems space and the development of specialist call points to meet specific environmental or operating requirements. In the fire market itself there is a wider acceptance of the EN54 Standard outside core EU countries. On the commercial fire systems front there is strong activity in recent EU entrant countries, which are upgrading or replacing legacy fire systems, and the Far East is showing good growth.
KAC manufactures a huge range of different intelligent and conventional call points to suit the specific requirements of various systems. In addition to units suitable for use in indoor (IP24) and outdoor (IP67) environments, there are IS devices for use in hazardous areas, MED approved ones for marine applications, units that operate at mains voltage, and versions for use in high humidity environments. One recent driver has been the migration of the call point’s benefits to other areas. Their ubiquity in commercial buildings means that they are familiar to everyone as a manual system activator of a fire system. All call points can only be operated once and then they have to be reset using a tool. These attributes make them ideal for other applications.
Q. KAC is also a major manufacturer of intelligent and conventional audible-visible warning devices. What are the key factors driving this sector?
MT: Without doubt, the key driver for change in the warning devices space was the introduction of the beacon standard, EN54-23, in 2010, which is soon to become mandatory in most European countries. The standard specifies the requirements, test methods, and performance criteria for visual alarm devices using either a red or a clear lens in a fixed installation intended to signal a visual warning of a fire. Traditionally, visible warning indicators have only been used in fire systems to reinforce the warning from an audible device. Sound has always been the primary warning mechanism, but in order to comply with the new legislation a beacon must be capable of notifying all building occupants of a fire emergency, including the deaf, hard of hearing, and visually impaired.
The effect is that the light output level from beacons has to increase dramatically from the levels that were acceptable before the introduction of the new standard. KAC has completed an intensive new product development programme to bring to market new beacon design that will comply with the standard.
The new range features a combination of a highly efficient omnidirectional light source, new electronics, advanced optics, and an enhanced lens design to produce the required light intensity without using excessive current to drive the device. KAC has also focused on delivering a device range that can be used on walls and ceilings and is very easy to install.
Q: To conclude, why is KAC the leader in the global call point market?
MT and RM: Of course, many factors contribute to the interaction between customer and supplier. In addition to providing high quality, reliable, and approved call points, there are many intangible benefits in specifying KAC call points and AV devices. In simple terms, success is the result of listening to our customers and giving them the products they need to do their job. KAC changed the dynamics of the call point market 40 years ago, and has remained at the forefront of innovation in the sector ever since. We are now on our fifth generation of devices, each of which has moved the operating technology forward and introduced new features.
As a global leader in our field it is also vital that we make the customer experience as simple and efficient as possible. We offer flexible delivery times, comprehensive service, and technical support, managed by a team of expert staff who work closely with our customers to meet their specific requirements. Our pride in our products is supported by the strong service culture that runs throughout KAC.
