Power management company Eaton officially introduced its latest International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard 5 500 A low-voltage Power Xpert CX range to the local market at the Electra Mining Africa tradeshow in Johannesburg last month.

“The Power Xpert CX has a flexible, modular power distribution centre manufactured to customers’ requirements,” Eaton Africa product line manager Dean Nurden told Mining Weekly on the sidelines of the event.

He added that the Power Xpert CX’s flexibility provided for compact and robust systems that could be built using functions, such as multiple busbar configurations, quad-stacked air circuit breaker (ACB) sections, integrated distribution and motor control, as well as customisable cubicle shapes and line-ups.

“These advantages can be critical in a range of applications, such as a production environment, where maximum space is required for revenue-generating equipment. Optimum flexibility is achieved with multiple possibilities for fixed, plug-in, removable, or fully retractable functional units, with accessibility for front and/or rear access,” stated Nurden.

He pointed out that Eaton has a strong footprint and the local expertise to meet customers’ needs throughout Africa, which the new range’s power distribution and motor-control functionality on all commercial and industrial applications reflect. The company’s “in-depth” understanding of local standards, wiring practices and utility requirements further complements its expertise.

Nurden said safety was equally well maintained during system maintenance and upgrades, as operators have the ability to work under live conditions. “In cubicles, with vertical distribution busbar systems, screening plates provide segregation from live parts during modification or exchange operations. Easily manoeuvrable separation plates allow for safe changes to compartment layout and sizing.”

He added that all customer-specific configurations are manufactured according to the highest quality and comply with stringent safety standards, as the systems are built in Eaton factories using Eaton devices with proven reliability, and components that meet IEC 60947 standards for low-voltage switchgear, as well as other industry-related standards.

“Complete system safety is ensured and verified by testing according to IEC 61439-2 standards for low-voltage switchgear, witnessed by independent testing organisation Dekra. Eaton also performs a further set of routine tests at its factories and has a thorough quality-control regime that extends beyond the stringent IEC 61439-2 requirements,” Nurden noted.

Additionally, he highlighted that increasing the safety of operators plays an important role for those using the Power Xpert CX range, as the system is also designed to the criteria for personnel protection as described in IEC 61641 standards, which is the guide for testing under conditions of arcing, owing to internal faults.

“The Power Xpert CX’s assemblies are equally well tested with optional arc mitigation features to improve safety performance under arcing conditions. Personnel safety is also increased through Eaton’s ACBs, which are equipped with the company’s ArcFlash reduction maintenance system. These features simply and reliably reduce the fault-clearing time, while protecting operators by limiting the available arc flash energy,” Nurden explained.

He added that downtime can be pre-empted by the Power Xpert CX’s integrated metering solutions, which include real-time monitoring, overload prewarning and breaker- health indication.

Nurden further mentioned that, should challenges occur, uptime can be significantly improved using Eaton’s automatic transfer switching system that offers solutions, such as synchronised switching between multiple power sources.

“Our power system automation solutions also significantly enhance the uptime and resilience of a power distribution installation, as they exert automatic control and capture trend information from the power system through instrumentation and control devices,” he concluded.