Surge Protective Devices
“SPD” is a common way to refer to surge protective devices. It
stands for “Surge Protective Device”. These technological wonders are the
single best defense against lightning produced power surges. They are found in nearly every low voltage
application at industrial facilities, and are critical in producing safe
operations within the solar, wind and telecommunications fields as well as
transportation. Transient voltage surge
protection is critical in today’s environment for operation of almost any type
of industrial business if profitability is to be maintained. This is due to the fact that a large portion
of the ongoing expenses associated with doing business is found in the repair
and replacement costs of equipment in the field. While lightning strikes are unpredictable and
very difficult to control, damage that occurs at the strike point itself is not
the entirety of the damage that is generally associated with the power surge. This can be found further down the chain, in
the equipment that is being used in the process. What happens is that the lightning strike
itself hits an exposed piece of equipment or structure, allowing for a massive
power surge to enter into the power transfer chain or data lines. This allows extreme amounts of electricity
and travel without effort from component to component that shares the same
lines, overwhelming the internal circuitry of computerized equipment. These types of components have an operational
range that is not able to handle power surges without internal damage
happening. The outcome tends to be a
shutdown of the process itself coupled with internal damage to the equipment
which renders it inoperable until it is repaired or replaced. More extreme levels of damage can result in
fires and explosions that can threaten entire structures. Only through the elimination of a voltage
surges that can cause damage to equipment and the critical functions that they
provide can a level of operations be reached that protects ROI. The most effective standard for these
protections are the technologically advanced surge protection devices that are
manufactured specifically for these uses.
They are installed along data and power lines, as well as within enclosure
systems and structures at critical junction points as well as along surfaces
that have the ability to conduct electricity effectively. They provide the ability to stop electrical
flow and give excess electricity a path towards ground rather than to the
equipment, and do so without completely shutting down both the system and the
surge protective device itself. One of
the most common occurrences that produces damage is the “multiple strike”
instance, in which one lightning strike produces the surge that ultimately
renders the surge protective device inoperable, only to be followed by a
secondary surge which overwhelms the now unprotected equipment. Through the “always on” Strikesorb technology
that has been developed by Raycap, the need for resetting or replugging of the
devices in order to return them to functionality is unnecessary. This provides the level of protection against
power surges that is necessary within industries that operate using billions of
dollars’ worth of equipment. When the
stakes are this high, only the best will do.
Has your business achieved a level of protection that is satisfactory?
