From Volume 2 Issue 4 of Connected.
Due to increased competition and recent economic developments, improving organizational flow and maximizing efficiency have become a concern for industrial facilities in recent years. The demand for space-saving solutions is now higher than ever.
Facility managers have emphasized maximizing production to increase their ability to keep up with demand and reach sales goals. In ever-changing competitive environments such as factories, warehouses, hospitals and data centers, the need to maximize efficiency by reviewing facility floor layout and the importance of space utilization in facilities is critical.
Examining facility footprint value leads production managers to consider how effectively they’re utilizing plant floor and wall space to maximize manufacturing and increase production capacity. Often, electrical components may be placed outdoors, against or on a wall, or in areas that are not optimal within the plant but must be done to maximize production space.
As a result of the space savings trend, the switchgear and panelboard industry has shifted towards becoming more compact in its design and function in order to adjust to the changing market demands. Raw material shortages and increasing material costs also played a factor in the trend, which helped facilitate advancements in technology to meet market demands, according to Pro Builder. Smaller enclosures and systems can help save space and improve overall efficiency in commercial and industrial environments where panelboards and switchgears are often located in confined spaces.
Popularity among modular panelboards has also increased and allows individual components to be easily added or removed as needed, making the panelboard more versatile, adaptable to changing needs and allowing them to be placed inside smaller boxes. Panelboards are flush or surface mounted and are conventionally mounted into a cabinet used to distribute electricity throughout the facility. Panelboards, in basic terms defined by the National Electrical Code or NEC, are an electrical system used to divide power into branch circuits while providing a circuit breaker or fuse for each circuit inside an enclosure to prevent overloads and short circuits. When the electrical load is not significant, the smallest panelboard possible will be utilized and placed inside an enclosure if required by the environment.
Switchgear boxes are completely enclosed on all sides and contain primary power circuit switching, interrupting devices, buses and various connection points. Since they can be easily removed for maintenance or replacement without shutting down the main, switch boxes commonly utilize draw-out breakers that require access to the front and rear of the gear. Breakers within the switchgear are placed within their own compartment and can withstand a short circuit condition for more cycles than that of a panelboard. Switchgears are commonly mounted outside of the building to save space inside the building and to meet utility service requirements, according to a blog by Morrison-Maierle. Switchgears may be used for the main distribution equipment placed outside while panelboards are used wherever possible in the building for price and space-saving considerations.
Bussmann™ engineers have considered space savings and have specifically designed panelboards and switchgears to best capitalize on the power of space in the industrial environment. Product offerings to address this trend include CUBEFuse™, Compact Circuit Protectors (CCPs) and Quick-Spec™ Coordination Panelboards (QSCP).
CUBEFuse™ delivers a small footprint, packing up to a 300kA rating and enabling higher equipment short circuit current rating, minimizing arc flash available from 1 to 400 amps. CCPs disconnect switches utilize a fused branch circuit disconnect that requires less space with ratings up to 400A. CCP with CUBEFuse allows for the isolation of individual branch circuit loads and safer work practices. QSCPs make selective coordination easier with a wide range of amperage configurations that require 40 percent less space than traditional fusible solutions. QSCPs have a short-circuit current rating of up to 200 kA, easily withstanding high fault currents.
These products in the Bussmann™ line provide an exceptional example of how the power of space has changed the way the industrial industry considers sizing for floor space and the reduction of enclosure, panelboard and switchgear. As the industrial facilities industry evolves and becomes more efficient in plant layouts to maximize manufacturing, manufacturers must have the ability to supply to the needs of the customer and adjust to market conditions.