If you are an owner or decision maker for a company that utilizes industrial applications or installations as part of your business model, you are probably very keenly aware of the losses that come with exposure. If your equipment is placed in the field, it has the potential to be damaged, creating setbacks to growth and issues with remaining competitive. Equipment placed at ground level in any variety of location types almost always has to be enclosed in a protective shell known as a “street cabinet,” and any equipment that is housed within structures that are potentially effected by weather must also be protected. While you may view the structure as the protection itself, many industries that rely upon computer integration for operations find that losses are not necessarily tied directly to damage by weather, but that the damage comes as a result of the weather. What this is usually seen in is lightning strikes to industrial facilities, and the power surges that follow them. (more…)

If your business is industrial, you are familiar with the trials and tribulations associated with equipment repair and replacement. Every year, millions of dollars’ worth of equipment that is positioned in exposed areas prone to damage will be taken out of commission by a variety of threats, and will need to be replaced to the tune of millions of dollars. The most obvious threats of theft and vandalism can be limited through the use of the most basic security systems and other means, but damage as a result of natural occurrences and weather is far more difficult to plan for and avoid. Potentially the most frustrating natural occurrence for many businesses are lightning strikes, because these have the ability to not only create large amounts of damage at the strike point but also residual damage further away. The natural setup of equipment provides the vulnerability that is exploited by the lightning strike, and the very cables and lines that power the equipment itself become the pathway for the damage. The lightning strike provides a huge surge of electricity that travels along these connections, overwhelming equipment that is connected together, essentially creating a chain effect of damage. Whenever  lightning strikes a component or a structure housing a component and destroys equipment at that point, then the associated lightning surge moves from attached components at that point to others in the system, damaging all in its path. The damage can be found large distances away from the strike point, and can many times costs add up to far more than what is incurred at the lightning strike itself. (more…)

You Rely Upon Industrial Surge Protection Devices

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/industrial-surge-protection/

Many times, it is the quietest systems that are the most critical. People rely upon system uptime in order to not only increase their own productivity but to maintain the levels of daily life that we have come to grow used to functioning seamlessly. For example, if you were to voluntarily turn off your phone and have no contact to others utilizing computerized devices for even 24 hours, your life would be intrinsically different than a typical day. Just a phone relies upon the benefits of industrial surge protection in several ways in order to provide the functionality that you task it with daily. First, the phone needs to connect and send a signal to a nearby tower in order to have any ability to provide functionality whatsoever. Within that tower is an industrial surge protection system that protects the equipment at the top to the connected equipment at the bottom. (more…)

Industrial Surge Protection and Residential Surge Protection

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/industrial-surge-protection/

While the concept of surge protection and the devices that perform these tasks is most easily understood by the public from the standpoint of how surge protection applies to the residential market, the residential and industrial markets are quite different from one another, as far as the design and makeup of the devices used. The residential surge protection devices are generally found as surge strips which are purchased at electronics stores and are designed to provide a thin layer of protection which shields sensitive computer equipment as well as data processors from the electrical transients that occur within the electrical delivery process all the time. These residential devices are installed to protect home computerized equipment against transients that are not large enough to trip the circuit breakers that act as the main barriers of protection. They are designed to protect against ongoing degradation of the circuitry due to small fluctuations in power. (more…)

Even Residential Systems Need Industrial Surge Protection Devices

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/industrial-surge-protection/

Everyone needs industrial surge protection devices, even residential customers. This statement may seem a little confusing because the differentiation between residential and commercial surge protection devices is not readily known. A typical consumer would look at an industrial surge protection device and probably be confused by what they were  seeing. The typical surge strips that are marketed to the residential consumer are obvious in their configuration, and they are easy to understand as they act as a place to plug a device into, with the other end plugging into the wall. This barrier of protection in between your sensitive computer or other electronic equipment and the wall outlet acts as the final barrier against surges and transients within the electrical system that happen all the time. The residential surge protection system is relatively easy to comprehend. The large scale power supply attaches to your home where it is regulated through a circuit breaker box. When these circuit Breakers are in the on position the power is allowed to flow through and to the residence.  If the power that is flowing changes and reaches a level that is deemed to be unsafe, the circuit breakers are tripped cutting off electricity until they are manually reset. Because the breaker system will allow for certain levels of fluctuation to happen that are not enough to trip the breakers, yet more than enough to damage the sensitive equipment connected to the wall outlets, we install a secondary level of protection in between these devices and the power source. These additional surge protection devices will function much the same way, tripping and cutting off power flow outside of a certain range, but at a range that is simply tighter than that which is controlled at the breaker level. Damage to computers and circuit driven equipment can happen in two forms, the first being a large scale power surge which destroys the circuitry completely and the second being small fluctuations that happen in a typical way and that can degrade the circuitry over time. While these same types of damaging effects happen on the industrial level, the need for more robust and technologically advanced surge protection devices at that level is necessary in order to protect equipment that is far more expensive and critical to daily life than your simple household computers. Because of this necessity to provide higher levels of protection, various methods of control are utilized by different devices which are specifically designed to perform tasks at a level which is far higher than is necessary within the residential market. A good example of this are the  Strikesorb SPD devices manufactured by Raycap which do not need the ongoing reset that would be necessary to restore power and functionality at a residential breaker box like discussed above. These specialized devices not only protect against the power surge but also maintain their status through the incident without the necessity for human interaction in order to restore their own functionality. These types of added technological advancements keep online many systems that are critical for modern life.

Clean energy research and surge protection

There has been much discussion over the past couple of years about continuation of US federally backed research and subsidies for wind and solar technology. Some insist still that fossil fuel industries should be favored for supplying consumers with electricity, since they are what we have always known.  While the debate will surely rage for some time to come over renewable energy vs fossil fuel energy, the real discussion always comes down to production costs. There is no debate that fossil fuels cause pollution and alternative energy does not, so the sides will often choose to concentrate on the amount of damage that is actually caused by this pollution.  One side will exaggerate the amount of climate impact, and the other side will minimize it, but neither will deny that as far as actual impact on the environment alternative energy production is more favorable. The real debate that will decide the future of energy in America comes down to the costs that must be covered by consumer payments. In a nutshell, the cheapest source of energy will usually be favored. By potentially cutting off research into better methods of production within the alternative spaces, the people in high level governmental positions may be keeping the fossil fuel industry relevant. (more…)

Many people are unaware that lightning is one of the biggest threats for property loss that many industrial businesses face. As a result of this threat, the need for continually improving surge protection devices and systems is needed. The competitive nature of business requires that operational costs be brought to an absolute minimum in order to survive and remain profitable, and losses that are brought about by natural events are difficult to manage. Industrial businesses will almost always have equipment in the field which is exposed to the elements and probably functions as an attractant for lightning strikes. This equipment is set up in a chain formation with components connected to cables and wires designed to allow for electrical flow or data transfer. A lightning strike to any of these components, the lines that connect them or even the structure itself which houses them can create a situation that results in extraordinary amounts of damage, and this damage is not isolated to the strike point itself. The strike point will nearly always see almost unavoidable damage, but the greatest costs actually occur when the damaging electrical surge is allowed to spread downstream and to happen in connected equipment that was nowhere near the strike point itself. This damage happens as a result of the surge of electricity that follows the lightning strike.

Surge protection devices are used as part of systems that function to protect equipment in the field from damage. The lightning strike itself is hard to avoid, and is protected against through the use of lighting rods, overhead shields and other diversion devices. The surge protection devices that are housed within the system function differently, and are instead tripped when the electrical flow exceeds a specific amount as a result of a strike or any other overvoltage. The surge protection device itself sits dormant along flow lines or at critical junction points, literally doing nothing unless the electrical flow goes too high. At that point their function is to cut the flow beyond themselves, either grounding or diverting the electricity. When installed at specific target points in a system, surge protection devices can prevent the flow of excess electricity to nearly any component in a chain. This is why it is suggested to not only install the devices at specific points, but also in a redundant fashion in case the device itself is destroyed or rendered non-functional. Through the effective use of surge protection devices, businesses can reduce their costs that are typically expected in the form of damage. This reduction of costs lets businesses remain competitive even in the toughest markets.

Has your business explored the most technologically advanced surge protection devices and systems on the planet? Raycap is the world’s leading manufacturer of surge protection technology for mission-critical industrial applications, as well as for residential installation. Why risk the losses that are sure to come sooner or later, when you have the option of using the finest SPDs in any market. Call Raycap today.

Lightning is one of the most costly phenomenons for many businesses. This may come as a shock to some, who would probably assume that the greatest losses generally come from theft or vandalism, and while these things do contribute to the losses of many companies, they generally do not compare to the destructive force of lightning. Another shock may be that the losses usually seen are not as a result of the lightning strike itself, instead they are found in the form of surge related damage that comes after the strike itself. The lightning strike point will see damage in the form of explosions and fires, but the subsequent power surge can flow down data lines and power lines to have an impact on equipment far away from the strike point. This damage can be extensive, and luckily is avoidable if the business plans for it. The installation of surge protective devices is a plan that not everyone knows is needed, but it can save millions of dollars of equipment.

Because excess electricity is the enemy of internal circuitry of computer driven equipment, the excess electricity that is produced through lightning strikes is the source of extreme damage. This electricity easily flows along the power lines that connect the equipment, and also along the data transfer lines that allow information to be exchanged between that equipment. The electricity can also flow through structures themselves, affecting equipment that is positioned inside of those structures. For this reason, the best defense against this type of damage is the redundant installation of surge protection devices at any junction possible and also along all lines that are capable of allowing electrical flow.  When excess electricity is detected, the SPD will be triggered and create a gap that the electricity cannot jump, essentially stopping the flow in its tracks. Because it cannot move beyond the point of the SPD, any equipment that is downstream from that point can be spared from the surge. There are different technologies that SPDs utilize in order to accomplish this goal, and there are specific devices which would be more suitable for one application over others. In order to most effectively protect your investments, the surge protection system should not only employ the latest technology available but also be made of the most robust materials. Many are unaware that some surge protection devices are destroyed or rendered inoperable by the lightning strike they protect against, ultimately allowing for a subsequent strike to take its toll. The most advanced devices from Raycap are its Strikesorb technology, which does not require replugging and resetting. This makes them functional even after they have been triggered. In order to fully protect your equipment, only Raycap goes to this level.

Is your facility adequately protected against lightning strikes and the power surges that accompany them? Have you had a difficult time managing costs as a result of these events? Contact Raycap today to inquire about the most advanced surge protection and lightning protection systems in the world.

Raycap is one of the premier manufacturers and suppliers of surge protective devices (SPDs) for industrial applications in the world. Their proprietary technology Strikesorb®, is used in industrial sectors to protect and preserve the power needed to support mission-critical infrastructure. While the unique technology surpasses the traditional capacities of surge protection, it also may inadvertently factor into the move towards making alternative energy production sectors more commonplace by helping these sectors realize reductions in costs. This translates as extended equipment lifespans through improved protection from electrical surge damage, as well as cost reductions within alternative energy sectors that may reduce climate damage while saving consumers money.

Raycap’s technologically advanced Strikesorb line of surge protection products utilizes an “always on” system that provides ongoing protection without the need for resetting or replacement, which could be a key to seeing alternative energy production advance past fossil fuel dependency. Raycap is contributing significantly to the improvement of processes that generate power for consumers using alternative energy sources, driving the costs below fossil fuels and ending the debate over cost-competitiveness once and for all. If a source costs less to produce while also creating less damage to the environment, there is no reason to promote the continued use of the inferior system. In addition and in time, new energy jobs can replace and replenish jobs being lost in the fossil fuel sectors.

How does Raycap’s Strikesorb product line help alternative energy producers reduce costs? By using Strikesorb products placed at strategic positions within wind, solar and hydroelectric systems, a protective redundancy is achieved which shields computerized control equipment from electrical surge damage. The most common form of damage to these systems is produced by lightning strikes and temporary overvoltages (TOVs), which damage the exposed wind turbines or solar panels as well as produce overvoltage events downstream. These electrical surges overload the circuitry of expensive electronics that are connected directly to the wind turbines and solar panels. While the point of direct lightning strike damage is difficult to avoid, the surge damage can be mitigated or completely avoided through the use of Raycap’s technologically advanced surge protection products. Cost reductions resulting from reduced operating expenses provide the ability for energy producers to effectively reduce the charges to consumers. (more…)