| Without
question, the main complaint in the industry with regard to lightning
surge protectors is the difficulty in determining whether the surge
or lightning protector installed to protect your control system components
is still functional. M-System's latest addition to their vast variety
of surge suppression devices solves this problem. Lightning
surge protector Models MDM2A and MAA provide 'health indication'
for easy monitoring, maintaining and verifying the functionality
of these control system protection devices. These lightning surge
protectors include an amber alarm indicator to alert panel inspectors
that lightning surge protector has reached its useful life and should
be replaced before loss of surge protection. If these units are
not replaced promptly, the alarm indicator changes from amber to
red upon a complete loss of surge and lightning protection.
In addition
to the life monitor function, this counter function will help you
to gather statistical information on vulnerable spots throughout
your installation, for more efficient surge protection measures.
Modern day industrial
equipment relies heavily on microprocessor-based technology. This
makes it essential for critical control components to be protected
from lightning, transients and surges. M-System lightning surge
protectors with health indication operate by monitoring the leakage
current from signal to earth ground. Additionally the number of
suppressed surges is also monitored. When a predetermined level
of either the leakage current or number of suppressed surges is
exceeded, the health indicator illuminates.
Low in cost,
these devices pay for themselves by providing early warning alarms
and reducing ongoing unnecessary panel maintenance. To give you
an idea of their functionality, consider opening a panel with a
large number of lightning surge protectors. Instead of unplugging
and testing every unit, for M-System's life monitor series all that
is necessary is a quick visual indication. No further tools or checking
are required!
When
it comes to comparing the cost of downtime versus lightning surge
protector replacement, the choice is obvious. |
