Design Innovation and Color Expertise Spur Rapid Growth of Rotomolded Pedestal Housings for Communication Networks

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TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA, USA, November 2, 2001: An international supplier of network components for telecommunications companies has developed innovative rotationally molded outdoor enclosures that meet the rigorous end-use requirements of new high-speed DSL and cable broadband systems yet blend in readily with their natural or architectural surroundings.

Called pedestal housings, the enclosures are placed at points in a network where electronic equipment is required to distribute, regenerate, or transform signals. Besides manufacturing the housings, Channell Commercial Corp. produces the connection, cable-management, and other components that they are designed to enclose, including those for telephone, coaxial, and fiber optic cable. The company's newest broadband enclosures, the 600 Series Signature Pedestal Housing, or SPH (TM), incorporate patented Heat Dissipation Covers, or HDC (TM), that prevent buildup of heat, which is generated in particularly high levels by active broadband components.

While broadband is high-tech, the new enclosures must meet the conservative appearance standards that prevail in most communities. "Customers can select pedestal housings in a range of colors that blend right in with specific neighborhood environments," said Andrew M. (Drew) Zogby, Vice President of Marketing, citing greens, earth tones, grays, and more targeted options like sandstone, granite, and red brick. "Teknor Color Company worked closely with us to develop concentrates for these proprietary colors in the powder form required for rotational molding. Because we design our pedestal housings for a service life of 20 years, their scientists developed formulations that resist color shift or fading under prolonged exposure to UV."

"The revolution in information technology, including the boom in broadband, has generated great demand for pedestal housings that ensure the integrity of the high-performance systems required
in these new communications networks," said Zogby. "Besides speeding heat dissipation, the enclosures must provide easy access to the components inside and be secure against tampering and vandalism. They must also be extremely durable, withstanding temperature extremes and UV exposure, resisting insecticides and other chemicals, and surviving incidental impacts like those from lawn mowers and weed whackers."

Though metal still is widely used in the pedestal enclosure market, rotational molding accounts for the fastest-growing segment, said Zogby, noting that Channell Commercial also employs injection and structural foam molding as well as metal fabrication to manufacture these products. "Besides being ideal for large enclosures, rotational molding makes it possible to design multiple functions into a one-piece component, consolidating parts and enhancing the integrity of the pedestal housing. Other critical advantages over metal enclosures include greater corrosion resistance, prevention of scalding to workers as a result of heat-buildup in sunlight, and superior aesthetics as a result of rounded configurations and molded-in colors."

Channell Commercial uses linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) to rotationally mold the cover and base of each pedestal housing in sizes ranging from 9 by 9 by 27 in. (241 by 241 by 705 mm) to 24 by 36 by 21 in. (610 by 914 by 533 mm). Among features molded into the pedestal bases are ribbing for strength and stiffness, internal mounts for equipment, and inlets for multiple ducts and conduits. Molded into the covers are various lock-head options for self-locking and the patented venting system for convection cooling. "We have substantially reduced heat buildup without need for fans or other active cooling devices," Zogby said.

Having operated rotational molding capacity for over 20 years, Channell Commercial today is vertically integrated, pulverizing resin to produce the necessary molding powder, which it blends with color concentrate from Teknor Color Company.

"The formulations developed by Teknor Color have enabled us to offer our customers
appearance products that successfully replicate the colors of rocks, plants, houses, and buildings," Zogby said. "In addition, the lot-to-lot consistency of Teknor Color concentrates has played an important role in our ability to ensure product uniformity for our customers, which are typically large telecommunications companies with stringent appearance standards. This makes color consistency critically important."

Companies that Channell Commercial has supplied include Alcatel, AT&T, British Telecom, Cable and Wireless, Cox Communications, Ericsson, GTE, Optus, Rogers Canada, Shaw Communications, Singapore Telecom, TCI, Telefonica, Telekom Malaysia, Telstra Saturn New Zealand, Time Warner, and Verizon.

Founded in 1922, Channell Commercial is headquartered in Temecula, California. It manufactures there and in Toronto, London, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur. For additional information: Channell Commercial Corp., 26040 Ynez Road, P.O. Box 9022, Temecula, CA 92589 USA. Tel: 1-909-719-2600. Fax: 1-909-694-9170. www.channellcomm.com.