August 14, 2012 - Eaton introduces arc-resistant front-accessible switchgear, providing centralized control and protection for low-voltage power distribution equipment. The arc-resistant switchgear is engineered to enhance operator safety, while the front-accessible design minimizes equipment footprint for utility, industrial, data center, institutions, hospitals, and water and wastewater facilities. The front-accessible design for arc-resistant switchgear enables the equipment to be installed against the wall. With the front-accessible gear, customers may no longer need to meet the National Electrical Code (NEC) requirement of 36 inches of rear clearance – reducing the footprint of electrical distributionequipment.
Eaton’s arc-resistant front-accessible switchgear meets Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1558 and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C37.20.7 arc-resistant standards for personnel protection. Eaton’s arc-resistant switchgear is engineered to protect personnel from dangerous arcing faults by redirecting or channeling the arc energy out the top of the gear. The switchgear is designed to protect the operator around the entire perimeter of the equipment.
Additionally, Eaton can provide ANSI Type 2B rating for the front-accessible arc-resistant switchgear. This optional feature is designed to protect the operator while low-voltage control or instrumentation compartment doors are open. The arc-resistant front-accessible switchgear design enables Eaton to ship integrated power assemblies (IPA) in a single section, eliminating the time required to install, reconnect and seal multiple IPA shipments.
“Applying more than 60 years of switchgear innovation, Eaton is delivering arc-resistant power control and protection in an innovative front-accessible design that is engineered to enhance operator safety, improve power reliability and protect equipment in a compact footprint,” said Trent Thomas, manager of marketing programs at Eaton. Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader in power distribution, power quality, control and automation, power monitoring, and energy management products and services. Eaton is positioned, through its global electrical product series and solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.
Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with more than 100 years of experience providing energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. With 2011 sales of $16.0 billion, Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components, systems and services for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; andtruck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 73,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries.