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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.

Most people who are casual users of cellular technology only have a basic understanding of how their calls are connected.  They understand that you must have a strong signal as a result of being somewhere in the vicinity of the cellular tower as well as have that signal be able to be received by the tower effectively.  In order to receive a stronger signal, people understand that they may need to move to a different place which would provide an unobstructed path from the device in their hand to the tower, or at least the best situation possible.  Connectivity issues are one of the biggest concerns for  cellular users, and dropped calls as a result of interrupted signal receipt is also one of the primary concerns.  With the ever-evolving consumption of data as a result of new features built into devices such as aps, streaming services and downloads of video, consumers demand even more from cellular providers in order to maintain high satisfaction rates.  Most consumers have little sympathy for their carrier of choice when it comes to the normal events that can potentially impact connectivity.  They only know that they can or cannot connect, or that their calls drop.  Dissatisfaction rates are one of the leading causes of cellular customer loss, and the protection of the customer base through the providing of uninterrupted signals is the primary concern of every cellular provider.  This is why most providers will factor in a significant amount of RF protection, even though it is something that almost no consumer has ever heard of.

“RF protection” is an industry term used to describe the sequences of protective devices which have been installed in order to protect radio frequencies.  The communication between the base station unit and the remote radio head within most cell towers is the nerve center that must be unfettered in order to maintain customer satisfaction.  These devices are connected through hybrid lines as well as standard power lines, and a lightning strike directly nearby any of these lines can cause a significant amount of damage to the equipment involved, trickling down to a lower customer satisfaction rate.  Because data lines are directly connected to the equipment which processes data, losses can go far beyond just the lack of service.  Data loss issues will cause significant customer unhappiness and can pose an almost insurmountable difficulty for cellular providers to deal with.  Through both standard damage to equipment as a result of a power surge by lightning strike as well as electromagnetic pulse disruptions, which create rises in electric fields, costs associated with a single lightning strike can be large.  These pulses can easily knock out critical communications capabilities within networks if antenna and radios are left unprotected. RF protection equipment installed at critical junctions within the cell tower systems can create both a happier customer base as well as a better competitive advantage for the provider.

Future-Proofing Your Remote Radio Head Networks

For mobile operators to remain competitive they must find ways to quickly deploy remote radio head networks to meet their service offering expansion targets before their competitors do.
To make ready for the explosion of mobile traffic, mobile operators are making infrastructure changes to support an ever-increasing consumer appetite for media-rich services. They are building new or retrofitting existing wireless networks that will accommodate the expanded capacity to support future growth and enable the deployment of next-generation networks. While operators are working to make these improvements, they must also manage capital expenditures and balance rising operational costs to ensure their competitiveness in a fast-changing, high-stakes industry. (more…)

Industrial Surge Protection Devices

Industrial installations and facilities rely upon unique combinations of equipment, geographic locations and protection systems in order to operate to their fullest extent. Weaknesses in protection systems can and will result in losses to the business realized as added operational costs and lost customers, as these things go hand in hand in many cases. The ongoing operations of the facility might create a specific number of products or services that are utilized by the public or private sector, and the pricing of these products and services is tied directly to the amounts that can be produced within a time frame.  Outages or stoppages within the facility can create situations where projections are missed or services are interrupted, resulting in higher costs or lost customers. When combined with the necessity to restore functionality, equipment repair costs and lost productivity hours, business margins typically shrink every year. The competitive landscape in nearly every business sector demands the reduction of operational costs as much as possible, and weakening of  any systems due to weather events are a major contributing factor that must be addressed. (more…)