Raycap News

Keeping Equipment Safe From Power Surges

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.

The most effective method of protecting against this damage is to install surge protection devices at critical junctions and along power lines. This will provide a buffer against the damage that occurs downstream after a strike, doing so by cutting the path that the surge is following when levels over a specific point are breached. When the surge is noticed, the connection is cut and the surge is sent to ground. The challenge is to create surge protection equipment that is more technically advanced and responds faster, or can be returned to service faster after it performs its duty. Each year surge protection devices become more technologically advanced and perform their job better, thus saving more and more equipment from damage that would have been expected to need repair and replacement. In addition, systems are able to stay online longer or be restored to functionality quicker, thus creating more stable networks that customers rely on. This ultimately improves business and creates more revenue through superior services. Ultimately, the integrating of more advanced surge protection devices and systems will benefit businesses in multiple ways, both saving money and allowing them to make more money at the same time. Raycap is the leading manufacturer and distributer of advanced surge protection equipment for industrial and commercial applications. Our systems save millions of dollars each year, and are continually improving to save millions more. You can trust your business to us, and we will continually strive to provide the best SPDs and surge protector systems on the market.