sparks
ELECTRICAL NEWS
february
2014
18
distribution boards, switches, sockets and protection
VETI divisional manager, Rhodam Evans, says the
most common electrical socket installation in South
Africa is done using single or double switched South
African three-pin socket outlets.“This type of instal-
lation generally requires multi adaptors in order to
allow for the two-pin and Schuko plug tops that
come withmost appliances bought
in South Africa today. South Afri-
cans are therefore faced with the
obligation of continuously buying
different multi adaptors for differ-
ent applications and very often the
multi adaptors are misplaced or
break and new ones must be bought at an additional
cost to the consumer,”he says.
“The multi adaptor market is a very competitive
one and in order tomeet pricing requirements,
quality is often overlooked. This decrease in quality of
the adaptors results in an increase in the number of
electrical fires and potential fatalities. Quality should
always be the focus for any electrical equipment but
standards have lately not been followed as stringent-
ly as required andmany inferior quality products are
coming into the market and being sold countrywide.
This is a huge problem that will be very difficult to
overcome,”he warns.
“Major Tech’s range of Veti switches and sockets
allows the consumer to build an adaptor directly
into the wall by supplying the sockets in a modular
format. This ensures that the installation is com-
pletely safe andmakes it impossible for adaptors to
disappear. All Veti products are internationally and
locally certified, which points to the safety of the Veti
range,”says Evans.
“Every type of socket used within sub Saharan
Africa is available fromVeti in a modular form and
any combination of sockets can be put together
within the available space. The standard South
African box sizes are 100mm x 50mm (4”x 2”) and
Affordable quality for safe installations
100mm x 100mm (4”x 4”) and Major Tech
has designed an offer whereby one is able
to assemble up to three modules in a 4”
x 2”and up to six modules in a 4”x 4”or
a combination thereof. There is also an
Omni cluster offer in the Veti range, which
features a longer frame and can take up to
eight modules,”explains Evans, adding that
multi adaptors should always be taken into
consideration when planning a safe instal-
lation because they are one of the most
common causes of electrical faults.
“Very often the site is perfectly safe when
the electrician has left the site and signed
off the Certificate of Compliance but there
is no consideration as to what happens
once the consumer moves in and starts
using adaptors,”concludes Evans.
Enquiries: (011) 872-5500
THE Quint Oring active re-
dundancy module for an
output current of 80A is
a new addition to the
Phoenix Contact’s line
that already includes
20A and 40Amodels.
For the first time
ever, there is a solu-
tion available that
makes it possible to
significantly increase
the operational
reliability of the overall
redundant power supply concept for
high-rated power PSUs.
In addition to decoupling, continuous monitor-
ing is also extremely important. In order to detect
critical operating states early on, the modules
provide information on the output voltages of
the power supply units, defects in the wiring or
decoupling section, and the present load current.
Permanently monitoring the load current offers an
important advantage when expanding or upgrad-
ing systems. If additional loads are connected to
a redundant power supply when expanding the
plant or system, this can result in a loss of redun-
dancy. The systemoperator will immediately be
aware of a loss of redundancy as the Oringmodule
signals the overload condition.
The ACB (Auto Current Balancing) technology
doubles the service life of the redundant power
supplies, ensuring that both units work under
the same load. The load current is automatically
distributed in a balancedmanner. The 1 x 20A, 1 x
40A, and 1 x 80Amodules are suitable for dc volt-
ages of 18 to 30V. The 32, 38, and 66mmwide units
are simply snapped into place on the mounting rail.
Admirably suited to industrial environments, they
operate at ambient temperatures extending from
-25°C all the way up to +70°C and carry continuous
currents of 2 x 15A, 2 x 26A, or 2 x 45A at ambient
temperatures up to 40°C.
The Quint Oring redundancy module uses MOS-
FETs for decoupling instead of the usual Schottky or
silicon diodes, therefore saving up to 70% energy.
Using two positive output terminals, the wiring can
be redundantly routed to the loads.
Enquiries: (011) 801-8200
Active redundancy
for high system
availability
