Sparks Electrical News December 2023

DBS, SWITCHES, SOCKETS, PROTECTION

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ACTOM increases work in DRC with multiple switchgear installation contracts E lectrical specialist ACTOM’s MV Switchgear division has continued its successful business dealings in the Democratic Republic of Congo by signing new contracts to supply various switchgear systems to local industries and mines. “Air-insulated switchgear panels have been installed in the 11kV substations in Kamoa-Kakula copper mine during the past two years and we are now going to be installing solid insulated switchgear systems in same project,” says Rhett Kelly, Design & Development Manager in the MV Switchgear division. MV Switchgear provided more than

200 of its popular and high-performing SBV4E switchgear panels for use in the low-to-medium voltage systems, with Rhett adding, “We will be installing 149 GELPAG solid insulated units underground. Harsh environmental conditions such as high levels of humidity and dust were found to be present in these underground sections, necessitating having to introduce more specialised switchgear equipped to cope with these conditions.” While most businesses are struggling with the clearance of international orders in local ports, ACTOM has taken a decision that it hopes will pay off overnight. “We have collaborated with our international manufacturing partner, and we have commenced local manufacturing of some of our OEM switchgear components,” says Rhett. “We have substantially shortened the production lead times, as we can now manufacture the agreed locally produced components in parallel with the OEM’s production of the main product, thereby speeding up both final assembly of the product in our plant as well as delivery to the end-user.”

switch wiring to interface with the low voltage control wiring via a standard multi pin plug-and-socket system.” MV Switchgear has also developed an innovative wiring test rig that allows it to test and verify the wiring of each low voltage compartment before the panels leave the factory.

The components that ACTOM is manu facturing locally include the low-voltage compartment, drop-down boxes for the cable termination, and the internal arc ducting,” says Johan Jordaan, Technology Development Specialist at ACTOM. “To further speed up and simplify production and delivery, we’ve developed a low-voltage connector system that allows the panel’s circuit-breaker, disconnector and earth

Enquiries: www.actom.co.za

HellermannTyton focuses on sustainability and efficiency at its factory and your home E lectrical component leader Hellermann-Tyton has been undergoing a transformation at its Johannesburg headquarters, with a massive upgrade to its years. We believe this is the only geyser timer to have a three-year warranty, as well as having a

How to assess your property the correct way for lightning protection

regulatory compliance certificate from the South African Bureau of Standards.” Continuing with the theme of environmental friendliness, starting with the TDDGT. “We are decreasing our carbon footprint by dropping the traditional plastic blisterpack and opting for a recyclable cardboard box-style packaging. The new design means we can also pack more into containers for better transportation and logistics efficiency,” concludes Edwards. HellermannTyton has also redesigned its packaging,

factory and warehouse facilities. “We are adding about 2 600m2 to the facility, and are hoping to have the project completed early in 2024,” says Andrew Edwards, Head of Sales – Electrical Markets at HellermannTyton. “We are investing in our facilities to better serve our customers. We have installed around 1 200 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to the rooftop that will provide roughly 1.2 gigawatts of power per year. This is in line with Europe’s drive to be more socially conscious and the installation will save us about 100 metric tons of carbon emissions per year,” says Edwards, adding that the company had used about 400 litres of diesel per hour in the past year in an attempt to maintain operations during loadshedding. That is not the only area HellermannTyton has been working hard on – its popular geyser timer has been given an upgrade as well. The TDDGT has had its internals changed and now features a relay that is rated at 30 amps, which means it will cater for every geyser available on the South African market. There are 20 programmable settings and a 15-day back-up battery built into the geyser timer that measures just 85mm in length, 45mm in width and 35mm in depth. The HellermannTyton executive adds, “We are so confident in this product that we have increased the two-year warranty to three

I f you are planning the installation of lightning protection equipment on your property, the first step is conducting a lightning protection study. This does not need to be an intimidating or scary process, explains surge experts Lightning Protection Concepts (LPC). In fact, the study can be completed in just five steps… 1. Lightning risk assessment This must be in accordance with the IEC 62305-2 standard set by the International Electrotechnical Commission, and it is used to establish the actual necessity for electrical protection on the property. The test takes numerous factors into consideration, including: • Lightning strike density in the area • The occupation coefficient of the building • Fire risk The information is input into computer software that then uses an algorithm to calculate the risk of a lightning strike to the property. 2. Soil resistivity testing This information is necessary as it determines the grounding system that you will need. You need the space with the lowest possible resistance on your property, and the best method is the Wenner Four Point test. A four-pole digital ground resistance meter is used as four probes are inserted into the • Electrical power lines nearby • Relative location of the site

ground – they establish electrical contact with the ground and inject a constant current through the ground, and the resulting measurements give you the soil resistance. 3. Design Your lightning protection system (LPS) design is an in-depth model that illustrates the system that is going to be used. Every component, cable, wire, nut and bolt is accounted for in this design, including the down-conductor system and earthing termination system. 4. Earth Termination System simulation The Earth Termination System (ETS) must be designed in a way that lightning currents are safely diverted into the ground without fault. Once the ETS has been configured, computer software is used to run simulation tests that will calculate what the system can and cannot handle in terms of surges. 5. Insulation co-ordination study This determines the correct mitigation against lightning electromagnetic impulses by using the risk assessment and lightning protection zoning data. It ensures that the system meets relevant industry standards and that users will be safe should an incident occur.

Enquiries: www.hellermanntyton.co.za

Enquiries: www.lpconcepts.com Image: www.dehn.ua.com

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

DECEMBER 2023

OCTOBER 2023