The power issues have been existing for a long time. With more automation comes the challenge of protecting all sensitive electronics that could cope up with electric strikes.
Many industrialists don’t understand why they need an electrical protection system or any component, like search protection or grounding. The answer is, an electric protection system is the main foundation that covers all electronic safety via surge protection devices.
Do you want to know what role a surge protection device plays in the industrial field and how its certain specifications can make your business run smoothly and securely without facing any mishap? Here’s an insight.
We will discuss its components, specifications, and benefits for the industrial sector.
Role of Industrial Surge Protection Device
Electrical issues cost a lot of money. According to various studies, the average cost of a business shutting down for an hour was more than $130,000. The downtime costs can also run up to five million dollars per hour. A failure to properly integrate surge protection into your production process can lead to massive costs and lost productivity.
No matter what scale of business you’re running right now, investing in surge protection components is vital to ensure your equipment’s health and safety. It will keep your sensitive equipment safe, and won’t let them damage due to any strike, or power failure issue.
Industrial surge protection is essential to protect millions of dollars of equipment as it prevents critical systems from being destroyed by electricity surges. Most industrial surge protectors trigger three to four times the mains voltage.
While others absorb the energy spikes and release them as heat. In either case, the energy spike is dangerous to your equipment, causing significant damage.
Let’s move to the major surge protector component and specifications responsible for protecting industrial equipment from any damage.
Major Surge Protector Components & Specifications
The most effective industrial surge protection device can divert the high transient voltage to the ground, and the device evaluation must ensure it is suitable for the application.
Here are the main components of a surge protection device;
Transient voltage – Also known as transient voltage, is a temporary increase in the voltage in an area. The typical electrical service voltage in the United States is 120 volts, and anything higher than this is of concern.
Iron Core Transformer – When a high voltage surge occurs, an iron core transformer in the surge protector automatically increases resistance and alerts the user. The metal oxide inside the MOV is connected to the power and grounding lines.
The semiconductor inside the surge suppressor is capable of changing electron course. In addition, it protects against spikes caused by a circuit breaker failure, and it also protects UPS batteries. Moreover, surges are beneficial to businesses and industries in many ways.
Device Specifications
As far as the surge protector specifications are concerned, industrial surge protectors can be hardwired or DIN-rail-mounted. They have several parameters on their marking, including their IMAX, which measures their robustness.
A higher IMAX value indicates a better short-circuit current. Most Pros urge major SPDs have passed the UL’s 200kA SCCR test, even when they do not have external circuit breakers. However, it must be remembered that the real surge energy is much less than IMAX.
- Power distribution panels
- Communications systems
- Process control systems.
Benefits of Surge Protector Device for Industrial Sector
In today’s highly technological world, every organization and business relies on heavy electrical appliances for daily operations including; communications, processing payments, and other tasks. However, these devices could face downtime and damage without proper protection from power surges.
Thus, buying an industrial surge suppressor can be a beneficial investment for your business. A proper surge protection device has many benefits, including;
- Surge suppression devices reduce the energy levels of overvoltage transients. This is especially important in areas exposed to the weather.
- Lightning can strike buildings, damage their electrical equipment, and cause fires and death. Thus, an industrial surge suppressor is critical in these areas.
- Your business needs to protect against lightning. The benefits of industrial surge protection go beyond electrical equipment.
- Surge protection devices are made to be larger than standard surge suppressors to provide better protection from high voltages.
- In specific surge protector devices, the suppressors can shunt voltage surges to the ground, preventing damaging currents from flowing through the device.
- You can even choose a triple MOV model to provide the same let-through voltage while minimizing potential conflicts between manufacturers.
To get the best equipment protection, pick a device that has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories or UL. A UL listing label means that the device passed the testing requirements of a UL-certified company.
When choosing an industrial surge protection device, it’s important to find a product with the proper specifications. Most devices meet several standards that define what they should be able to do.
This is, device standards are based on standardized testing, which may not correspond to actual use. In some cases, special engineering analysis may be required to get the proper level of protection. This information is particularly important if the device will be used in an area with a high lightning risk.
Industrial surge protection devices are commonly found in;
The purpose of buying a surge protection device with a UL listing label is to meet strict safety standards and not deviate from the National Electric Code. Moreover, it will not affect the panel board listing.
Want to get the best surge protection device that makes your money bang for the buck? Come to us. At ZeroDT, we assure to make your business run successfully in California with our standard surge protection devices.