The COMBI junction box from WISKA

The junction box of choice for the UK

Can you remember a time before the “WISKA box”? It seems like an age ago that we were all using those cheap plastic adaptable junction boxes – they
leaked, would snap and brake easily, the screws would rust and you actual had to drill your own 20mm hole into them! That all changed in 2000 when WISKA UK Ltd was founded.

To tell the story of WISKA UK and the iconic COMBI junction box we need to first head back to 1919 Hamburg, Germany. Two good friends and engineers (Wilhelm Hoppmann and Hermann Muslow) founded WISKA.

Fast forward to 1993, WISKA used its 74 years of experience and know-how to design, develop and manufacture the now famous COMBI
308, the first in a new line of junction boxes manufactured using twocomponent injection moulding. The COMBI 308 is made from thermoplastic housing offering IP 66/67 protection as well as being both UV and ozone resistant. The revolutionary design combines both threaded and membrane entries meaning users don’t need to drill or knockout entries. Simply twist your cable gland onto the thread, you don’t even need a locknut! The quarter turn screws offer a rust-free, quick and secure fastening and the iconic dome belly offers 10% additional installation space.

It could be argued that back in 1993 this “plastic” box was perhaps “over engineered” for the market at the time, but WISKA was confident in that this little square box was exactly what the industry needed. The COMBI range was expanded further throughout the 90’s and mid 00’s with a total of 8 sizes across 3 colours (light grey, black and white). However, it wasn’t until the year 2000, when WISKA Germany established its UK subsidiary, that the COMBI really took off.

Whilst sales were initially slow and steady, once electricians started to use the box, they were converted. This coincided in the mid 00’s with the rise in popularity of outdoor LED lighting for decorative and security purposes. The 1 metre of flex supplied with nearly all LED floodlights meant that a junction box was required – enter the COMBI 308! With its high IP rating, threaded entries, easy to use mounting options plus the box came with a 5-pole terminal block it was no-brainer for electricians across the UK to pick up a COMBI junction box for any outside installation!

“The success of the COMBI here in the UK is in large part to listening to contractor’s needs,” says Will Rich, managing director of WISKA UK Ltd. “We are an innovative brand that listens to the needs of our customers. We then develop products and services to better serve those needs”.

WISKA continued to develop and invest in the range, and in 2017, following feedback from contractors, WISKA began to introduce WAGO lever connectors into their COMBI 407 enclosure. 2018 saw the launch of two new sizes: The COMBI 206 and 116. The COMBI 206 is the smallest member of the COMBI family
approximately half the size of the COMBI 308.

This smaller design was yet again the result of listening and speaking with contractors. They were crying out for a more discreet enclosure to place behind LED lighting, CCTV systems and general outside use. The 206 was an instant hit and only further cemented the COMBI’s place as the junction box of choice for electricians across the UK.

As 2019 rolled in, WISKA introduced the WAGO lever connectors into its 308 model, updating the classic 5-pole terminal block. WISKA also developed a unique holder to house the WAGO connectors inside the COMBI 308 creating a professional finish to the user’s installations.

As we enter 2020, WISKA is continuing to listen to its customer’s needs, expanding the range further offering even greater choice. 2020 will see the launch of another two COMBI junction boxes. WISKA’s largest COMBI the COMBI 1610 (200 x 160 x 94mm) and the COMBI 304: WISKA’s first circular junction box (ø 82 x 57mm, IP66/67 rated, flat lid with a bayonet cap, external mounting lugs and four 20mm membrane threaded entries).

It is hard to imagine the industry without the “WISKA box” now. It’s become such an essential tool for electricians across the UK. At its core the COMBI junction box is a fantastic product that has been designed with purpose in mind. It’s thanks to WISKA’s commitment to innovation combined with listening and understanding its customers wants and needs that products like the COMBI range exist.

For more information on the COMBI junction box range visit www.wiska.co.uk or contact WISKA UK Ltd on 01208 816062 / info@wiska.co.uk