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MCC is ‘first’ to marry arc prevention and resistance

03 May, 2016

Eaton has announced an arc-resistant version of its FlashGard MCC (motor control centre) technology, designed to prevent arc flash events and to protect personnel if an arc flash occurs. Eaton claims that it is the first manufacturer to combine arc-preventative and arc-resistant technologies in one MCC.

“Eaton’s new FlashGard arc-resistant MCC builds on nearly a decade of more than 10,000 installations and is designed to establish new levels of protection for personnel and equipment in a wide range of new and retrofit industrial applications,” says product manager, Glynn Newby.

In 2007, the FlashGard MCC was the first arc-preventative motor control system designed to help prevent and protect personnel and equipment from the dangers of arc flashes. Unlike conventional MCCs, the patented FlashGard design allows connections to the vertical bus to be made and broken with the door closed, helping to improve safety during maintenance.

The new arc-resistant MCC provides the added benefit of a Nema (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) Type 2 arc-resistant construction – meaning that arc-resistant features are present on the front, back, and sides of the assembly. This results in enhanced safety around the entire perimeter of the MCC in the event of an arc flash.

Eaton says that its MCC is the first to combine arc prevention and arc resistance technologies

It is available for three-phase, 230V applications up to 300hp (224kW), and three-phase, 480V applications up to 600hp (448kW).

Eaton’s Arcflash Reduction Maintenance System can be applied to the primary circuit-breaker feeding the MCC to help reduce fault-clearing time at work locations downstream of the device. An optional remotely-operated racking device can advance and retract the bus connections from a distance of up to 25 feet (7.6m) to keep operators well outside of the arc flash boundary.




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