Dehn is a leading manufacturer of surge protection equipment, and has been supplying the market with lightning and surge protection devices for nearly 100 years. The company is quick to point out the damage that a large power surge can cause, such as the loss of vital data and operational breakdowns in factory or process environments. Unfortunately, an enterprise will often find out the hard way that surge protection should have been an essential consideration when its electrical installation design was finalised.
Thanks to the new Lightning Protection Standard, BSEN 62305, there is now greater pressure on electrical systems installers serving both new-build and retrofit projects to ensure that adequate protection is in place. Dehn’s pre-boxed, ready-to-install devices offer a simple approach to the problem.
A direct lightning strike can generate an electrical spike of well over 500,000V (and localised temperatures up to 10,000oC); an indirect strike can still induce a voltage spike in excess of 10,000V. Dehn’s protectors offer different lightning protection zones (LPZs). These range from protecting against the initial surge of a direct lightning strike (LPZ 0), through to limiting surges through the wiring loom of a particular installation (LPZ 1), and providing protection for particularly sensitive devices such as servers.
The BSEN 62305-4 standard specifies that a co-ordinated surge protection device should be used at each LPZ, and to ensure compliance, new buildings should automatically be fitted with these devices. Occupiers of older buildings, moreover, should make sure the equipment is present and up-to-date.
Finding the right box
When it started to look for an enclosure to house the new DSP range, Dehn sought a product that would be able to withstand the rigours of hostile environments. It was also important to find an enclosure that offered optimum wiring space without being too bulky. These criteria were easily met by Spelsberg’s AK polycarbonate range.
“They look good too,” says Dehn UK director Erich Reuss. “And where we don’t require high cable retention force, such as in internal installations, we appreciate the push-fit flexible cable entry membranes already moulded into the enclosure for added convenience and speed of fitting.”
A transparent door also allows easier access for maintenance, and maintains ingress protection to IP65 – a combination that is a key marketing feature of the DSP range.