Sparks Electrical News March 2021

ENERGY MEASUREMENT & SUPPLY

12

Legrand’s lighting and power distribution solutions

Simplified installation and troubleshooting with Smart Guard Locking Switch

Legrand’s range of Zucchini busbars includes LB PLUS busbar trunking systems, designed for the distribution of power from 25 to 63 A. This durable busbar trunking system is an efficient single product solution for dependable lighting and power distribution, that replaces the need for multiple components in industrial and commercial installations. According to Legrand specialists, key advantages of this power distribution system over conventional busbar systems include a simple design, quick installation and improved performance. The versatility of this system also means easy adaptation to layout modifications and expansion or refurbishment of the existing installation environment. The LB PLUS range, which efficiently meets lighting and power demands up to 63 A, is available with newly designed 10, 16 and 32 A colour-coded tap-off plugs with spring clamp contacts and end covers. These tap-off plugs can be easily moved when the bar is energised and, as a safety feature, they can be fitted with a positioning pin to ensure tap-off is only accessed on the correct side of a double-sided bar. Self-extinguishing plastic components and an IP55 Index Protection rating to guard against the ingress of dust and water, are standard features. This system has an impact resistance of IK07. Features for easy and secure installation include hooks and rings for the safe suspension of light fittings and suspension cables and brackets for the reinforced galvanised steel encased bar. An important advantage of selecting Legrand components for efficient, safe and flexible power distribution is the immediate integration between the company’s busbar trunking systems, cast resin transformers and XL³ cabinets. These power distribution systems are designed for use in industrial and commercial applications, including production sites, workshops and maintenance and repair centres. They are also suitable for hospital and laboratories, shopping centres, warehouses and underground car parks. Legrand’s range of high-power products for electrical installations and information networks encompasses distribution, automation panels and protection equipment, as well as cable management systems. The company offers a technical advisory and support service throughout southern Africa. A back-up power supply such as gensets is critical to reduce overall electricity demand during load-shedding. However, it is vital that such important equipment is maintained properly and serviced regularly to be able to cope with such outages. Genset failure due to a lack of proper maintenance poses a significant business risk. Here you are not only looking at protecting the value of your assets, but what this genset actually supports and protects, argues ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk. The first issue is fuel supply. This can range from an integral tank at the base of the genset to a 2 200 litre Bulk To Farm (BTF) tank or a 210 litre drum. Here the apparent danger is the presence of flammable liquids, especially in terms of refuelling and any spillages. Another issue is vegetation or combustible material encroaching on a genset, which can often be tucked away somewhere as an afterthought. The genset itself is a potential source of fire ignition due to the high temperatures of the manifold. If the genset is indoors, these temperatures can be considerable, especially if the ventilation is inadequate. Proper maintenance is therefore essential. If an oil filter has not been screwed on tightly enough, for example, it can result in an oil leak. If oil sprays onto a hot manifold as a result of this, a fire will ignite. Thereafter the temperature will build quickly to a point where entrance into such a room is well-nigh impossible. Companies and individuals often lack the correct fire-fighting equipment to deal with genset fires. For example, a dry-chemical fire extinguisher will douse the flames, but not cool down any hot surfaces. A carbon-dioxide fire extinguisher, on the other hand, might cool down the overheated genset itself, but this can damage the equipment due to thermal shock. Gensets do not only supply standby power, but are essential to the day-to-day operations of institutions such as financial services and medical care. Hospitals, for example, will often have back-up gensets, all in the same room. If a fire breaks out in one genset, the rest of the equipment is immediately at risk. ASP Fire recommends an automatic fire-suppression system for such environments. It is unmonitored equipment, with a high fire hazard due to the presence of both flammable liquids and combustible products, as well as electricity. “The probability of something going wrong may be slim in the mind of the end user, but in the likelihood that it does, the consequences can be potentially disastrous and even fatal,” warns van Niekerk. Enquiries: legrand.south-africa@legrand.co.za

T he new Allen-Bradley 440G-MZ Guard Locking Switches from Rockwell Automa- tion simplify installation and troubleshooting with no reduction in safety integrity. The smart safety solutions use GuardLink technology, a safety-based communications protocol that provides access to diagnostic information and eases integration into a con- nected enterprise. The new 440G-MZ safety switches help protect personnel and are suitable for use with many types of guard doors, including full-sized guard doors that allow full-body access to safeguarded areas where high holding forces and wide tolerance to guard misalignment are commonly required. The 440G-MZ safety switches are TÜV-certified up to SIL 3, PLe and Cat 4, providing the highest level of safety for door position monitoring and guard locking. The safety switches can be used in applications like robotic assemblies and packaging machines that are surrounded by perimeter fences with guard doors for full-body access. They can also be used with bottling and other machines that have built-in, full- size doors, and with small to medium CNC machines. Rockwell Automation is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23 000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries.

Enquiries: www.rockwellautomation.com

Genset failure can cost companies dearly during load shedding

A standalone water-mist fire-suppression system with mechanical activation should be inspected monthly. Gensets should by rights be started up at least once a week to ensure the batteries are charged adequately. A cursory visual inspection will also reveal any potential problems or issues. “It is all about risk mitigation, based on how integral the genset is to the business in question. While it is essential for financial service providers and hospitals to invest in the best systems possible, smaller end users also need to look at the impact of genset failure or fire on their businesses,” points out van Niekerk. In terms of regulations and specifications related to gensets, such enclosures are classified as D4 for certain minimum fire-proof requirements, including a specific fire rating for the walls. If the gensets in a building are not located in a purpose-built room and are stuck away in a basement next to parked cars, for example, this is a clear violation of the regulations, concludes van Niekerk.

In terms of fixed fire-suppression systems, a range of options is available. Sprinklers are an obvious choice, but this depends on whether or not such a system has been installed already. If not, the cost can be prohibitive, as sufficient hydraulic capacity has to be guaranteed, which means that cheaper and more effective alternatives need to be investigated. The next best option is a clean-gas fire-suppression system. “The problem with gensets and the heat they produce is that the rooms they are located in are normally ventilated, which compromises the integrity of the enclosure. If you discharge a gas system in this environment, it is therefore not possible to maintain the concentration of that gas for a sufficient period to suppress the fire. This means that clean-gas systems are not ideal in these scenarios,” explains van Niekerk. The third option is a water- or foam -mist fire-suppression system that only uses a minimal quantity of water. It is also far more cost- effective than the clean gases themselves necessary to recharge the system. This supresses a fire rapidly, cooling any remaining hot spots down to below the automatic ignition temperature.

Enquiries: www.aspfire.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2021