The connection, literally, is Greaves’ PT-FX Shoo-pin Adapter. While data center contractors have discovered the practicality and cost savings in bringing Southwire flex cable to their breakers, they also see the importance of landing in mechanical lugs with Class B stranded cable. And only the Greaves’ PT-FX adapter brings these two advantages together.

When Southwire introduced Machine FLEX® cable to the industry in 2022, the benefits were strong and clear – it’s easier to pull and bend in challenging environments and doesn’t require high-cost metal conduit to reinforce 90° turns. A dilemma they faced, though, was that flex cable is less than ideal for mechanical lug terminations, and some top-of-the-line breaker panel suppliers recommend against it. Southwire solved this problem by reaching out to Greaves to design and manufacture a unique adapter that they could recommend to their flex cable customers.

And they never looked back. Today, flex cable is in very high demand in many specialized industries and wherever data centers are being built. And with this demand, Greaves is getting calls to supply thousands of PT-FX connectors – and fast. Two recent examples follow:

A Data Center in Ohio

Greaves received an inquiry in mid-June requesting 1,500 PT646FX600 and 750 PT111FX10 adapters, which they were able to fulfill in just three weeks. These particular adapters are paired most often with Southwire Machine FLEX® in applications involving two distinct breaker types. This, along with the fact that identical inquiries were received from multiple distributors, pointed to the end-user being a very large, regional data-center project being built for one of the world’s top three online media companies. When the order was completed, a second order came for another 1,500 and 750, respectively. Then another order followed, and to date, nearly 7,000 units have gone out the door. And that’s not the end of it. 

The distributor driving all these orders is extremely pleased with Greaves’ performance, and hinted at continuing demand from their data center customer, saying to Greaves’ rep, Griesser Sales, “If you keep making them, we’ll keep selling them.”

Another Data Center in North Carolina

Two weeks into the Ohio project, another inquiry was received from a distributor in North Carolina, calling for PT-FX adapters suited to the same type of breakers and using a similar design. It was deduced that these were destined for a different large data center project being built for the same company. before coming to Greaves, the inquiry had been shopped around to two other major manufacturers. But, in addition to the fact that these competitors could not come close to matching Greaves’ turnaround, their adapter designs feature a solid pin, which yields an inferior mechanical connection within a lug. Feedback from installers confirmed that they much preferred the Greaves class B stranded pin connection. An initial order of 5,200 adapters was soon revised upwards to 7,200.

A Reliable Long-term Partner

Greaves attributes several key factors to its success, and why a giant like Southwire depends on them with confidence. Matt Strand, CEO, says: “Manufacturing here in the U.S., being very agile, and having a strong network of national representatives helps us respond dynamically to different project needs and job sites. These are major differentiators of Greaves versus some of our much larger competitors.” The Greaves’ motto puts it even more succinctly: Small enough to care, big enough to deliver.

Do you have a special application or project? Find a Greaves rep in your state using the interactive map at this link, or call Greaves directly at 1-800-243-1130.