An arc guard power center is a crucial piece of equipment, especially in underground equipment design. This equipment is designed to withstand any type of arc that may happen to the equipment which is vital when mining. Although this piece of equipment is important it does require a professional inspection and a proper electrician to install the arc guard system.
Given enough time and energy, the fuel in an arc can reach temperatures of up to 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The air is rapidly heated, metal components are vaporized, and thousands of pounds of impact force are generated. The expanding plasma generates significant mechanical and thermal strain on the equipment, which can cause top covers and panels to fly off as well as components to melt.
These arc explosions can cause injury or death if not properly designed for this type of equipment. Working around energized electrical equipment is extremely dangerous and with the proper design, working on energized equipment can be just as harmful. The Arc Guard Power Center provides additional protection, which allows workers to perform daily tasks without a shutdown.
The Arc Guard Power Center is designed for installations where requirements are defined by the following conditions:
Miners perform normal duties near energized equipment. These include opening or closing breakers, changing relay settings, programming PLCs, or reading instrumentation displays.
The equipment operates with very large faults which cause an arc flash to the neighboring miners or equipment and this will make sure that mining operations can resume.
The Arc Guard Power Center is designed to be weather resistant. The equipment is watertight, dust-proof, and tested for rain exposure under extreme conditions. The design provides ground continuity even when the system detects a direct lightning strike.
BMA arc-resistant electrical equipment is resistant to BMA arcs, providing an extra layer of protection above and beyond the required M SHA requirements. BMA Arc Resistant Electrical Equipment is built and tested to ANSI/IEEE C37.20.7 to protect against the dangers of internal arcing faults, in addition to bolted failures.
The system is well suited to underground mining as well as in areas where there are large amounts of energy present. There is no need for cover removal or for shutdown when monitoring and using this type of arc guard center for your business. The arc guard system will work well to protect miners at any location with the equipment and it will be designed for the utmost resilience to operate in the most hazardous conditions on earth.
If you have outdated safety gear throughout your business or you are looking for a new way that you can improve your on site safety, these are crucial elements. Updating your arc resistance and making sure that you can protect your workers and equipment can reduce your liability and keep your organization at its safest.
Arc guard power centers improve productivity and with the advanced testing that we deliver, we can make sure that these are items that will truly perform on your business offering the finest in BMA arc protection and more.
If you would like more information on these safety mechanisms for your business, contact us today and we can provide you with a quote for creating these arc guard power centers.