Modern construction is within everyone's reach

The homes needed to reduce our housing shortage won’t materialize on their own. At the same time, labor shortages and the exodus of experienced workers are causing a massive shortage of manpower. As a result, we are forced to explore alternative construction methods, in which standardization and prefabrication show great promise for accelerating construction, enabling smarter, faster, and more efficient installation, and minimizing failure costs. Attema, for example, is embracing this trend with its “Installation 2.0” concept, which is continuously being refined based on trends, LCA analyses, and market developments.

“With Installeren 2.0, we offer an extremely comprehensive product line for residential construction—from plug-in circuit breaker panels to junction boxes, cavity wall boxes, and cabling,” says Richard van de Wiel, project manager for Installeren 2.0 at Attema. “All products are prefabricated and tested entirely according to customer specifications, creating a plug-and-play system for modular and prefabricated housing construction—regardless of whether the choice is timber-frame construction, CLT construction, steel-frame construction, or concrete construction.”

Smart Innovations

A popular item in the Installeren 2.0 product line is the prefabricated coupling sleeve, which makes it easy to create standardized and efficient penetrations between wall and floor elements in prefabricated building systems. “Also new to our product line are our black and white H-distributors for power cables and lighting cables, respectively, which significantly speed up and simplify the prefab installation process. Also new are our series and switch-type junction boxes for single-pole/series circuits and switch circuits, respectively, which replace the junction box in the suspended ceiling. This results in significant savings on materials and costs.”

Attema developed the B40 and B80 floor and wall boxes specifically for precast concrete construction; they can be easily cast in place and ensure a clean infrastructure within the concrete. Van de Wiel also mentions the specific box designed for CLT applications, which brings ‘new construction’ within everyone’s reach.

Installation means assembly

A key focus for the coming years is prefabrication. “In the coming years, it will become increasingly difficult to find technically skilled personnel with sufficient knowledge to install, connect, and commission electrical systems,” says Van de Wiel. “Other products and solutions will become necessary. We’re already preparing for this. For example, we deliver our systems as ”plug-and-play’ as possible. Whether it’s junction boxes with pre-assembled chassis parts or distribution panels assembled at the project level, installation is increasingly becoming a matter of assembly. As a result, technicians no longer need to access the wiring with a screwdriver or their hands, allowing work to be done more safely, more quickly, and by less-skilled personnel.”

Don't work harder—work smarter

At the moment, however, approximately 75% of the market still uses traditional installation methods. “That’s why our traditional product line is also constantly being updated,” says Van de Wiel, who cites the redesigned Click-mate NXT distribution panel as an example. “This successor to the Click-mate XL Plus distribution boxes is truly next-level. It’s the beating heart that makes every home future-proof. Also innovative are our U40/U50 clamp-mounted junction boxes, which—thanks to their secure clamping mechanism—can be firmly attached to any masonry wall in a single step. All flush-mount boxes are equipped with a flexible conduit entry that accommodates conduit diameters of 16, 19, and 20 mm and can be easily adjusted 30° to the left or right. This allows installers to easily connect the flush-mount boxes in any situation.” The flush-mount boxes come standard with M3x20 screws, which are long enough even for tile work. If desired, the flush-mount boxes can also be connected to one another.

Another new product is the Universal Mounting Plate for Detection Systems (AT1570), which is designed for the quick, neat, and safe installation of a wide range of detection systems, such as fire and smoke detectors, PIR sensors, auxiliary indicators, and dome cameras in suspended ceilings. All of this is done in line with the motto ‘work smarter, not harder.’.

Curious about these and many other products and project opportunities? Then come to the PREFAB trade show in Den Bosch. The Attema team will be happy to assist you.