Today’s world is an interconnected one, and highly technologically advanced systems interact with our daily lives almost constantly.  Each year, statistics show that people are more reliant upon their phones and wireless devices to conduct their business, even if that business is as simple as using a search engine to answer simple questions about home improvements.  We are continually exposed to information that is housed on computers and data centers elsewhere, and our access to this information is one of the main reasons that modern life is considered easier than the past.  Access to knowledge is the greatest accomplishment of modern man. (more…)

The world of industrial surge protection has gone through many changes over the years, essentially evolving as technology, demand and needs increased. It has generally been the technological advances that are discovered and enhanced by private companies that propel the next levels of protection, creating better quality products also led by the need to push margins lower. The industrial surge protection devices that are employed by major companies in their applications are the ones that can save the operations most through superior performance. In industries where loss expectations have a direct correlation to profitability, any way to reduce those expected operating losses contributes to the bottom line. This is the reason for the ever evolving surge protection device industry, and it is why the best technology will always be the one most in demand. (more…)

To say that the telecommunications industry is competitive is an understatement. The telecom companies have been fighting a battle for customers over the last 25 years that rivals the airline industry. The increasing expectations of customers of higher levels of capacity, wider areas of coverage, faster download speeds and cheaper monthly prices have driven the telecom giants to make attempts to shave costs nearly everywhere. In today’s environment, they need to produce more satisfaction from customers using less machinery and more technology support than ever before, and this is no easy task. As performance demands from the public increase, so do the costs of the technologically advanced equipment necessary to the process. Equipment that becomes outdated is being replaced by equipment that now costs hundreds of millions, and telecom companies have no choice but to invest in order to stay competitive. If you are not offering the latest “data-hungry” options to your customers, as well as nearly instantaneous download speeds and uninterrupted coverage, they will simply move over to the nearest competitor who will give it to them. Customers within the cellular space are only as loyal to their company as their latest billing cycle. (more…)

Green technologies are changing the world, essentially by making electricity more available to consumers while impacting the environment less. The general discussion points around green technology is its ability to generate the same power products without the necessity of burning fossil fuels in order to accomplish that task. This reduces the amount of pollutants that impact our bodies and the environment, while allowing us to turn the lights on and off without noticing any difference. There is no “better electricity” that is being manufactured using green technology, and instead the improvement to the world is that it being created in a cleaner way. This has caused much debate in society, as some people see the importance of cleaner production methods while others do not see it as being an issue. The main argument between the two groups is that the cleaner products generally come at a higher production cost, and most people who do not see the older methods as problematic are not willing to pay more for a cleaner method. Few are trying to argue that the burning of fossil fuels is superior in that it is cleaner, and instead they argue its superiority based on cost. If they cannot directly see the impact to the environment, they feel they cannot justify the cost. (more…)

When a discussion of “industrial surge protection” happens, the majority of people who are not involved in the decision making process for large production facilities will probably not understand the critical nature of the industry. The term “industrial” is used to describe a wide variety of installations, generally having some characteristics that are common but for the most part simply meaning “beyond the scope of residential.” Industrial facilities must always be protected, whether they range from light industrial to large installations of equipment designed to work in unison in order to produce or manage a product or service. Products or services beign manufactured can range from the production of electricity for residential use to the production of a simple consumer product, but nearly every industrial facility tends to have the same weaknesses and strengths. The isolated nature of the facilities themselves make them less of a nuisance and irritation to communities, as well as allowing them to function in a way more conducive to the production of products. The larger consumption levels of power and materials allows them to produce products at larger capacities, thus driving costs lower and making prices more affordable. The larger scope of equipment and machinery involved allows the capacities necessary for these increased production levels to be met. They are bigger, more isolated, more exposed to the elements and involve more expensive equipment than anything that most people will ever come in contact with. All of these strengths are also weaknesses if not properly protected. (more…)

A lightning strike causes a significant amount of damage to nearly anything it hits. Most people have seen pictures or videos of the damage that is caused in the area that the strike happens, generally resulting in explosion and fire, and most times resulting in the destruction of the thing that is struck. In order to prevent lightning from striking structures that are known to be vulnerable due to their physical makeup and positioning, precautionary measures like the installation of nearby lightning rods and overhead shields is usually the consideration. The main idea is to divert the lightning away from the structure that would be damaged by the strike, and to a different area that would see less costly damage. Lightning always travels to earth, so the methods of diverting lightning strikes involve positioning these protection mechanisms away from expensive equipment and connected to the ground. Hopefully, the lightning will be attracted to them instead of the more expensive structure in the event of bad weather. (more…)

Surge Protection Is Critical For Industrial Installations

Most businesses will face challenges to operations that will increase costs and potentially stretch the profitability thinner than is comfortable.  For this reason, one of the ongoing tasks of most businesses is to try and discover ways to reduce costs and improve functionality at the same time.  This is usually approached through the integration of better technology or improved robustness of the equipment involved in the process.  Through the integration of improved equipment comes the reduction of not only costs of repair but also costs associated with ongoing maintenance.  As an example, the system which shuts down in order to protect itself against damage will suffer loss at the downtime and would be better served if it were able to immediately restore itself to functionality after the incident that caused the shutdown had passed.  This would not only produce less damage to equipment but also reduce the costs associated with the restoration of functionality.  Even small percentages of cost reduction can have a huge effect on the bottom line over time, so it is important for businesses to be continually aware of any new and improved capabilities that might be at their disposal. (more…)

Surge Protection For Vulnerable Businesses

Industrial businesses often have unique issues that make conducting day to day operations more challenging than a typical situation.  The majority of businesses will operate in a way that utilizes specific types of equipment to perform necessary functions.  This equipment will be housed in protected spaces that ultimately allow for it to remain operational for as long as the equipment can usually remain functional.  This means that through only minimal efforts to potentially protect sensitive equipment, it can operate without too many issues for around as long as is expected before it wears out.  Industrial businesses are generally located in either challenging circumstances and areas, or are being forced to operate on a level that far exceeds the typical residential types of functionality.  For example, heavy machinery would be able to perform far larger tasks than any type of equipment to be used in your home.  In industrial installation, the amounts of electricity and other forms of fuel for operations would be far greater than anything used in lesser circumstances.  This equipment is also forced to function in harsher environments that may be unprotected or less than optimal.  This may be because the type of business requires isolation from the public, or it could be because the business needs to operate closer to some source of fuel.  Whenever the circumstance, industrial businesses operate at higher levels and the equipment that is required for these operations needs to be more robust in order to perform the tasks necessary.  That being said, industrial businesses also have the need for extra measures of protection in order to not only protect the equipment but also to keep the businesses online and functioning during the most extreme circumstances. (more…)

Protection From Lightning On Industrial Levels

The protection of industrial sites from lightning and lightning strikes in general is critical.  A typical industrial site will employ some form of lightning protection, although the equipment that is used for this process will vary depending on the specific needs of the installation itself.  These protection systems all share the same purpose, to reduce the repair and replacement costs associated with equipment damage as well as minimizing down times of the systems themselves.  Even though the expected life span of equipment in the field will have specifics attached to it, most industrial operators will also factor in additional costs for repair and maintenance or potentially early retirement due to equipment being rendered unable to perform the duties that are necessary.  This is because the operation of even the most robust equipment in industrial settings will often perform at less than the life span that is expected.  By maximizing the amount of time that a specific piece of equipment can be maintained as operational, the business will be able to add to the bottom line by shaving dollars off the capital expenditure budget.

One of the most damaging occurrences that can happen in industrial settings is a direct or indirect lightning strike.  This type of incident will usually result in a catastrophic loss of equipment at the strike point, as well as a significant amount of loss downstream to attached components.  Even an indirect strike can result in significant amounts of losses due to the fact that the subsequent surge of electricity can couple into structural elements as well as attached cables, traveling downstream and creating damage at the circuit level on computerized equipment.  There are several methods of protection against this type of damage, and some combination of the protection methods is generally employed.  Overhead shielding attracts the lightning strike to itself instead of the more sensitive areas where it cannot be controlled, thus resulting in a lightning strike to an area that does not have a major impact on the equipment functioning within the region.  The other form of protection methods that we will see most often employed is the utilization of surge protection devices installed at critical junction points within the system.  The expectation of near total loss at the strike point will not be changed by the integration of these types of devices, but the minimization of the downstream surge effect is the point.  By separating the types of damage that can occur and directly dealing with prevention methods designed for that particular type and level of damage, we can leverage the technology that is at our disposal in order to maximize our return on the investment that has been made in operational equipment.  Even though there is added expense that is absorbed by the business when additional equipment is installed into the system for the sole purpose of protection, it is inevitable that this protective system will pay for itself in savings over the course of a certain period of time.  As technology within these systems improves, we see the maintenance and replacement costs associated with the protection systems themselves also improving.  All of this adds to the profitability of businesses.

More info link: https://www.raycap.com/protection-of-industrial-sites-from-lightning/

Industrial Lightning Protection Systems

While most people are familiar with the fact that there is a certain amount of specialized equipment that would go into any industrial operation in order to maintain its functionality, they also understand that there is a significant amount of equipment that is installed within the spaces to simply maintain the operational aspects of the system itself.  What this means is that the day to day operations of any industrial installation will exist and continue only in a perfect world.  Savvy industrial operators must also plan for unexpected events that can potentially impact their operations negatively.  Failure to plan for these types of instances can result not only in losses associated with equipment damage but also the losses that are associated with extended down times as equipment and operations go offline.  Operational costs do not end with the purchase of equipment and the costs associated with its daily operation.  Instead, they also extend to the additional elements of unforeseen circumstances that might be able to be minimized if planned for, but also must be expected to happen.  In the case of industrial installations, we will find unexpected damage costs building up due to things like fire, theft, and natural occurrences associated with weather.  One common weather related damage can be seen with lightning strikes and their associated power surges. (more…)