Information

Surge Suppression

Electrical surges are well known to be one of the largest sources of damage to sensitive equipment like microprocessors, computers, circuits and other items that are directly connected to an electrical power source. Household surge protectors are devices used as power strips that work as a method of plugging several household items into a single device but will also trigger a circuit break if there is a power surge, thus protecting any equipment attached from potential loss.  Less people are aware of industrial surge suppression systems and devices like those manufactured and produced by Raycap, one of the world’s leading electrical protection companies. Raycap’s business is to manufacture individual components and complete systems that provide protection from electrical surges and overvoltage on an industrial level, working to prevent damage to mission critical equipment worth millions of dollars. Needless to say, simple household surge suppressors are not the type of protection we are discussing.

Raycap manufactures several product lines designed to provide industrial level electricity protection from a variety of causes and sources. While their Strikesorb and Rayvoss lines are not the only protection devices that are utilized within industrial system installations, they are an extremely effective solution for protection devices put into place at the front line conductor entry point locations, protecting both the equipment and the panel boards feeding the equipment.  These devices are specifically designed to eliminate electrical power surges from coming into the facility.  Both the device and the correct installation point are crucial for leveraging maximum efficiency and protection against the wide variety of electrical spikes.  Raycap products have been designed and tested against different surge currents and have proven time and time again to be among the finest on the market.

The different causes of electrical transients require different levels or tiers of surge suppression devices in order to effectively prevent the surge from reaching equipment inside an industrial site.  For optimum protection the National Electrical Code recommends a tiered approach of surge protection, placing the high capacity surge suppression devices at service entrances followed by surge suppressors installed at branch panels and downstream. Residual voltage which is the amount of transient voltage that will remain on an AC line after a surge suppressor has functioned can still be extreme enough to cause significant damage downstream. A second and even third level of surge protection is needed in order to provide clean voltage to sensitive equipment.

When lightning strikes many times it is multi-stroke in nature, meaning that a single flash will contain four or even more strokes.  Lightning strikes to power lines that are directly connected to equipment will produce surges of massive levels which can not only destroy circuitry but additionally cause fires within industrial facilities and compound the levels of damage.  Even lighting strikes to buildings and structures can couple into power lines which are attached to equipment and must have protection systems designed specifically for coupled strikes in place. While a direct strike to equipment is almost assured to cause damage beyond the level of repair, a tiered diversion system consisting of first overhead shields and lightning rods, then high capacity line side and load side surge protection to all conductor entry points, critical panels, and downstream equipment is the best possible plan to protect an entire industrial facility.

Raycap systems for surge suppression will assist your facility in remaining as unaffected by power surges and overvoltage events as possible.  Contact us today to find out more.

Overvoltage Protection

Raycap is a leading designer and manufacturer of electrical overvoltage protection devices and systems for use within industrial sites. The protection systems developed by Raycap use industrial-grade components, such as the Strikesorb SPD technology, which enable unmatched levels of protection of critical, sensitive equipment within the industrial site. This vulnerable equipment, such as computers, microprocessors, and other devices powered through the electrical grid, would be damaged by lightning strikes and other overvoltage events that produce power surges from the electrical grid or inside the industrial facility. The protection technology inside Raycap’s products prevents damage from varying overvoltage and surge causes, and it is designed to prevent any electrical surges from coming into contact with equipment. (more…)

Electrical Protection

Raycap is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electrical protection devices. Its electrical protection systems are designed to provide the finest protection available for industrial equipment and sites.  Electrical protection comes in numerous forms to divert the damage from specific electrical events, and the combination of these mechanisms into systems is the best way to provide complete protection from electrical surges. (more…)

Protection From Lightning On Industrial Sites

The protection of industrial sites from lightning strikes and the surge damage that occurs as a result is important in order for companies to reduce the amount of losses absorbed over time.  There are two types of degradation losses as a result of surge instances that occur and effect sensitive equipment and data, causing gradual degradation due to surges at shutoff and startup, and instant damage and loss as a result of large power surges, generally as a result of lightning strikes.  The ongoing damage to equipment as a result of the switching surges is mitigated through the use of specific protection equipment, and the protection from lightning is achieved by using several methods and types of equipment designed specifically for the purpose.  Lightning losses are as a result of damage to computer components and programmable logic controls or microprocessors from the physical or the data loss standpoint.  Raycap is a leading manufacturer of systems designed to mitigate lightning losses of both kinds. (more…)

TVSS For Electrical Protection

The term TVSS has been in use for years, being a shortened version of “transient voltage surge suppressor.” Raycap is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of TVSS devices, or Surge Protective Devices (SPDs), used throughout industrial sites to protect sensitive equipment from power surge damage and data loss.  Electrical surges on AC power lines can be caused by several different events, all with varying degrees of damage as a result.  In the case of lightning surges where spikes of over 50,000V routinely happen, Strikesorb TVSS equipment installed before and after the point of strike has the ability to minimize loss from the lightning surge.  TVSS equipment also mitigates the damage from minor spikes or surges or “electrical transients” caused by the switching on and off of equipment.   (more…)

Industrial Protection From Lightning

Raycap is a world-leader in the manufacture of equipment and products that provide industrial protection from lightning. There are hundreds of thousands of industrial sites in the United States alone that are highly susceptible to a lightning strike at any time, all of which are at risk of costly losses due to the electric surges that result. These losses will generally come in the form of damage to high tech equipment or data loss due to that damage, as seen in the failures of fragile components inside computers, programmable logic controls (PLC) or microprocessors, all of which are heavily used in the automation processes of industrial sites. The protection that can be provided by the addition of Raycap products to both existing and new sites can potentially save millions of dollars in a single incident, and while direct strikes are rare, the potential for damage exists 24 hours per day. (more…)

Today’s industrial and professional systems in place within industrial businesses depend upon microprocessors and other forms of sensitive electronic equipment.  This means that nearly every aspect of our lives is more dependent upon having higher levels of protection from electrical surges than ever.  The logic controls and embedded microprocessors, as well as computers and other devices all utilize electronic circuitry in the automation process.  Motor speed and machine programming as well as tool changes within the sophisticated manufacturing systems of today’s industrial businesses are especially vulnerable to voltage transients caused within the system.  Power surges wreak havoc on processes causing high cost interruptions and catastrophic failures, as well as creating premature aging of computerized equipment.  By using industrial surge protection devices, industrial processes and manufacturers can mitigate the ongoing problems and disruptions caused by surge events.

There are multiple types of surge events which are externally generated, ranging from transformer failures to lightning strikes and downed trees on power lines.  These problems present themselves at random times over and above the damage that is caused internally by equipment in the network.  Overvoltage events that are created by the utilities themselves as well as power fluctuations which are created by machinery operating in other areas of the same facility will all have an adverse effect on both the machinery and processes themselves, as well as the productivity.  Facility-wide surge protection must be in place at all stages of the electrical distribution system, ranging from single-phase loads all the way to the electrical service entrance.  Only industrial grade surge protection devices are acceptable solutions to mitigating the issues created by these surge events.

Lightning strikes can happen either directly to the equipment or locally to the power lines which are connected to the equipment operating inside of the facility.  The direct strike is a rare occurrence but will cause extensive damage if not properly protected against.  Direct lightning strikes on high voltage lines as well as other metallic structures are mitigated using grounding air terminals and shielding above the structures.  This type of protection does not remove the risks associated with lightning surge damage which happens down line, nor does it helped to reduce the severity of damage when it does happen.  Local strikes damage equipment by creating the massive power surge which then uses power lines to enter into buildings and overwhelm equipment downstream.  Equipment damage of this type can happen as a result of lightning strikes that occurred not only outside of the facility but miles away.  Therefore surge protection devices should be installed as close to the equipment as possible for optimal operation.  There are many different types of events which can create power surges, all having the same types of damaging effects on the systems that are relied upon within any businesses.  Through the installation of technologically advanced surge protection devices which are manufactured to handle industrial grade loads, business can maintain a more stable schedule as well see equipment life span extension.

The cellular service provider industry is easily one of the most competitive landscapes on the planet.  This is due to the perception that the products and services that are being offered are pretty much the same from all providers.  This isn’t true obviously, but the public perceives it to be so in many cases. Cellular users will judge their service separately from their device, feeling that the device itself is the connectivity mechanism that provides them with the ability to make calls as well as receive or transfer data.  They perceive the provider that they are paying as being the company that simply provides their ability to connect, and as a result most consumers will view their own provider in harsh terms when they are unsatisfied by the service connection they receive.  At any point when a user decides to make a call or connect to the internet, they expect immediate service.  When they download information or stream video, they expect no buffering and no interruptions.  Most will not think about their service when they are not unhappy and begin questioning the value of their service provider only when connectivity issues arise or prices go up.  Customers moving from one carrier to another presents a problem for the carriers, as winning back a customer is far more difficult than gaining that customers in the first place.  This is why the most competitive players within these industries invest heavily into surge protection equipment and radio frequency signal protection.  Because of natural events such as lightning strikes – that are unavoidable – cellular providers will bear the brunt of customer dissatisfaction.  In order to maintain the strongest signals and the longest up times, carriers must avoid the situations they know will cause downtimes and service disruptions. They must avoid the damage that comes as a result of lightning strikes.

Radio frequency signal protection comprises a system of devices that enable ongoing communication to happen between the base station unit and remote radio heads at the top of the cellular tower, rooftop or other structure.  The signal that connects a user on the ground with the network and its clarity or strength is determined by many factors including number and type of equipment in the system, as well as maintaining the ongoing communication abilities between the top and bottom of the tower.  These radio frequencies that played a critical role in the service that the customer is judging can be interrupted or knocked out completely by lightning strikes to the connection cables or to the equipment itself.  The components via power cables are also affected, and they also provide an easy path for transients to reach the equipment further up or downstream.  Even though coaxial data lines are not able to handle the level of electricity that power lines are, their direct connection to the equipment itself provides problematic with regard to signal interruption and data loss.  Interruptions caused by any number of natural events will weigh heavily on the customer base as they expect flawless service.  Through radio frequency signal protection, small and compact devices are installed into the system which will not only mitigate the flow of transients, but also stop electromagnetic pulse disruptions.  Through the installation of technologically advanced RF protection, the competitive advantage is given to those who understand that prevention is just as important as expansion.