Three curious facts about electrical engineering

Any activity requires constant development, and wiring is no exception. It is important to constantly expand our professional horizons, especially regarding the equipment and materials used. We offer several facts about electrical engineering that will make any specialist think.

1. In terms of counterfeit volume, electrical technology is second only to drugs

When choosing this equipment you need to be especially careful. So, in counterfeit cables, the cross section of copper conductors is underestimated, the content of copper can be significantly reduced in obviously poor-quality products.

It is best to purchase a gearbox with a caliper: knowing the diameter, it is not difficult to calculate what the section should be. If you don’t have a tool, take a piece of wire or cable of the desired section with you to the store and compare it with the goods you are going to purchase. Often the difference in the thickness of the core and the color of the material can be determined with the naked eye.

Table 1. The choice of material and cross-section of the wiring depending on the load

The quality of the conductive material can be determined by color. After removing the insulation, the core should be uniform and brightly shine, there can be no inclusions of another color in it. In addition, a high-quality copper or aluminum cable bends easily even with little effort and does not spring. Do a few double bends. Before breaking, copper should have 30-40 double bends, aluminum should have 8-10.

Counterfeit low-voltage equipment can also be identified by appearance. When buying, you need to carefully inspect the product. Now, even in the public sector, sloppy assembly, curved inscriptions, plastic flows, etc. are unacceptable.

A flimsy case made of cheap unevenly painted plastic, rattling of components inside, lack of a trademark, hard-to-read markings - all these are weighty arguments in order to refuse a purchase.

Fake electrical equipment can cause a fire and become a life threat. In order to protect yourself and those who will use the electrical installation in the future, it is better to cooperate with official partners of manufacturers.

2. Russian electrical engineering successfully competes with European

The low-voltage equipment market “dipped” after 2014, but over the past five years, the position of domestic enterprises has significantly strengthened against the background of the import substitution policy. Their products in their characteristics and quality often surpass the electrical engineering that foreign manufacturers offer.

This is especially clearly seen in the segment of plastic cases. Even 10 years ago, Russian industry was focused on the production of metal cabinets, and plastic boxes were almost completely imported from abroad. Now the situation has changed dramatically.

The wide distribution of IEK® plastic boxes was made possible thanks to a diverse assortment: models for indoor and outdoor installation, for the installation of meters and automatic machines, and housing of various sizes and designs are available on the market.

IEK® plastic cases are manufactured by IEK GROUP, located in Yasnogorsk, Tula Region. The company's specialists develop them taking into account the difficult climatic conditions of our country.

The stable quality of the products is confirmed by successfully passed tests in the IEK GROUP's own laboratory, as well as in the leading testing and certification centers of Russia, certificates of compliance with GOSTs and technical industry standards. It is not surprising that Russian consumers choose IEK® plastic cases.

3. The main part of the fires is due to a fault in the wiring

, On average, 40% of fires occur due to a violation of the rules for installing electrical wiring, as well as due to non-compliance with the requirements for the operation of electrical equipment. Statistics show that there are more domestic fires for this reason than due to careless handling of fire.

To reduce the likelihood of fire in the shield or in the wiring, specialists responsible for installation and operation, when working, you need to remember about "bottlenecks". Particular attention should be paid to:

• Correspondence of the rating of the machine and the cable section to the connected load;

• Selectivity of operation of protective devices;

• The quality and reliability of the materials and equipment used;

• Accurate installation, especially contacts and connection points.

A qualified installer will not allow himself to do work carelessly and thereby protect customers from future problems.

Reliable protection of electrical networks from fires can provide electrical products of domestic manufacturers. In particular, devices for protection against arc breakdowns - UZDP, appeared on the market. This equipment is installed in the switchboard along with other switching means (circuit breakers, RCDs, etc.) and ensures circuit breakage in case of sparking of wiring or electrical appliances.

Use allows you to prevent fires that occur when sparking wiring, protection from which does not provide other technical means.