currentNewsletter of E-T-A Circuit Breakers Ltd Spring 2007

Cover StoryCircuit Breakertype 1180

Product – industrialCustomised 19" racks for CERN

E-T-A to the rescueSmart power relay for fire service support vehicle

Transportation productsE-T-A rides the rails with Nordco

During the course of the past 12 monthsthe E-T-A Group has been examining allits operations in fine detail, culminating inthe publication of a visionary 10-year planwhich has been communicated to eachand every member of the Organisationworldwide. 2007 should be an excitingyear as we begin the implementation of aseries of new initiatives to expand ourproduct range, reduce our developmentcycles, and ensure world class levels ofservice.

Fundamental to our long-term aspirationsis an absolute commitment to maintainingE-T-A’s privately owned status. Ours is abusiness with some specialisedrequirements and long time scales: we areconvinced that the expectations of ourcustomers could not be met satisfactorilywith any alternative approach.

Featured in this edition of Current is ourplug-in circuit breaker series 1180 which,in conjunction with our terminal block

Visionary 10-year planlaunched

Editorial

ContentIntroduction by Jonathan AdamsManaging Director, E-T-A Circuit Breakers Limited 2

Customised 19" racksfor CERN 3

Reduce industrial downtime:Circuit breaker type 1180 4/5

E-T-A to the rescue 6/7

E-T-A rides the rails 8/9

General informationExhibitions 10

News 11

Photo Frontpage:E-T-A circuit breaker type 1180See pages 4/5

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mounting kit, provides a reliable andflexible solution for the protection of loadcircuits in factory automation and processcontrol systems. We also review someapplications which further demonstratethe varied and international nature of ourmarketplace.

As always, our General Information andNews pages complete this issue whichwe hope you will find interesting andinformative. Please use the faxback formto give us your opinions or to requestadditional data. We are always here tohelp.

Jonathan Adams

Managing DirectorE-T-A Circuit Breakers Ltd

current:Newsletter of E-T-A Circuit Breakers LtdEditor: E-T-A Circuit Breakers LtdTelford Close, AylesburyBucks HP19 8DG, Tel.: +44 (0) 1296 420336 E-Mail: info@e-t-a.co.uk, www.e-t-a.comLayout:E-T-A Communication Department

which accelerate theseparticles to almost the

speed of light, and detectorswhich make the paths of the resulting

collision particles visible. The maincircular tunnel is 27 km long and around100 m below the earth’s surface.Presently, 3000 people are employed byCERN. In addition, 6500 guest scientistsfrom 500 universities and institutes frommore than 80 nations are doing researchwork there.

CERN is using our electronic circuitbreakers, type ESS20, in equipment forcontrolling the gas mixtures in thedetectors. At the customer’s request wesupply our devices mounted andprewired in customer-specified 19" rackswhich have been designed particularly forCERN by E-T-A’s systems specialists.The use of our racks provides the

E-T-A ESS20 Electronic CircuitBreakers are used to ensure safe andreliable operation of the particledetectors.

How did the universe come intoexistence? What is the best possibleradiation therapy to fight cancer? What isthe structure of the AIDS virus?Answering these questions requiresintensive research of elementary particles.As individual countries or companies donot have the financial means to run thenecessarily high-tech laboratory, 20European member countries share thecosts.

CERN runs the ultra-modern communityresearch centre on the French-Swissborder, west of Geneva. The major task ofthe laboratory is to provide undergroundsub-atomic particle acceleration systems,

Customised 19" racksfor CERN

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Product – Industrial

In Meyrin, near Geneva in Switzerland, is the biggest researchcentre for particle physics in the world, run by the EuropeanOrganisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).

customer with the huge benefit ofmounting and wiring times beingsignificantly reduced. As time is money,this also means a vital cost reductionwhich more than recoups the extra cost ofour system.

Our electronic circuit breaker ESS20 isalso supplied as a customised version toCERN: due to the long cable lengths (upto 500m) and at the same time smallcable cross sections we supply a low-rated version of 0.5A. In addition, thedevices for CERN have an inverted statusoutput which has also been speciallydeveloped for this application.

Key to CERN’s selection of our proposalwas the flexibility we were able todemonstrate in meeting theirrequirements and our proven ability tooffer unusual technical solutions, reliablyand economically – factors which provideus with a significant competitive edge inthe market place.

At a glance – features and benefits ofthe E-T-A ESS20 Electronic CircuitBreaker:� selective load protection with visualisation� active current limitation under overload

conditions, and to enable capacitiveloads to function reliably

� manual ON/OFF switch� manual/electronic reset� visible and electronic status signal � only 12.5mm wide plug-in mounting

Cover Story

Reduceindustrialdowntime

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Our type 1180 is a miniaturised plug-incircuit breaker with combined switchfunctionality. Designed to reducedowntime in process control andautomation applications, it provides are-settable replacement for blade fusesand can be easily installed into standardfuse blocks.

All sensors, actuators, controls andmonitoring units have one thing incommon: they are either electricallypowered, or current pulses transfer thenecessary information from onecomponent to the next. Typically thecurrent is provided by power suppliesthat can supply more power than isactually needed, and the current oftenflows through cables too small to survivepeaks in the event of a short circuit.

Standard blade or glass fuses are bothpopular forms of protection. Both typesare cheap and can be plugged intoterminal blocks that are snapped onto aDIN rail. If a fuse blows, it has to be

replaced. And is one always readilyavailable? Too often replacements withan incorrect rating are used, or with adifferent trip behaviour, so that thereplacement possibly does not blow atall in the event of another failure.Sometimes blown fuses are evenshorted out, just to solve the problemquickly

Our type 1180s are the ideal solution toovercome these problems and reducedowntime. Instead of struggling toidentify which fuse is blown, the pop-upbutton clearly identifies which circuit isat fault. The re-set button is simplydepressed to instantly re-energise thecircuit. Furthermore, the characteristic ofthe CBE is designed to avoid nuisancetripping from short-term surges ortransients, caused, for example, bymotor start-ups; these may cause fusesto blow unnecessarily.

Also, the E-T-A 1180-01 models featurea push button for manual switch-off. So,unlike fuses, they can be used tophysically isolate and disconnect thecircuit during service and maintenancewithout having to remove anything.Switch-on is achieved by a simple pressof the push button.

Costs that arise from damage orstoppages during the search for aproper replacement fuse must be

A combined switch and circuit breaker for plug-in mounting

avoided. E-T-A type 1180 circuitbreakers, which are of small physicalsize, are designed to fit into standardfuse blocks and will help to solve theproblem. They can be used as simplereplacements for blade fuses withoutany further re-work.

The E-T-A type 1180 is available in awide range of current ratings from 0.1Ato 10A for voltages up to 65V DC and upto 250V AC. We also manufacture DINrail mounted terminal blocks for the type1180 CBE. The terminal blocks, with awidth of just 8.2mm, may be mountedside by side. They are available witheither screw terminals or spring-loadedterminals for cable connection. Forpower distribution, the terminal blocksare fitted with busbars todistribute the current tomultiple output circuits,each individuallyprotected by one type1180. For ease oft r o u b l e - s h o o t i n g ,terminal blocks can besupplied with a red LED(for 24V DC) which lightswhen the circuit breakerhas tripped. Thus it iseasy to see the faulty circuitquickly and immediately,even in a dark control cabinet.

E-T-A Circuit Breaker type 1180

At a glance:� Plug-in circuit breaker for socket mounting� Push/push on/off switching function� Specially suitable for automation and process control applications� Purpose designed sockets available with led indication � Avoids nuisance tripping from short term surges or transients� Wide choice from 0.1 A to 10 A, to 65 V DC and 250 V AC

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Products – Automotive

E-T-Ato the rescue

For the West Midlands Fire Service(WMFS), AES has fitted out a three newCommand Support vehicles which willoperate with a crew of up to 6 (includingdriver and passengers). When stationary,it can operate for prolonged periods whilstsupporting 6 operational staff andOperational Commanders.

The primary purpose of the unit is toprovide command and control facilities atthe scene of an operation/incident. Thesecondary purpose is to enable thevehicle to be used as a Community FireSafety vehicle, supporting Fire SafetyInitiatives and/or Public Education needsand training.

The complex electrical systems in thevehicle include a generator andsophisticated communications equipment,controlled by a PLC. To facilitate switchingand overcurrent circuit protection, AESincorporated into the design our typeE-1048-8I Smart Power Relays.

AES designs, builds and installsintegrated electrical and communicationsystems for specialist vehicles. AESprovides a ‘One-stop-Shop’ forcustomised solutions. Its services includefull project management including design,quality and supply chain managementintegration and post productionengineering services.

These unique E-1048 Power Relays arefully solid state with no moving parts towear out and provide particularly safeswitching and protection of resistive,inductive or lamp loads in road vehicle DCvoltage systems. In addition to theremotely operable relay function, theE1048-8I also acts as an electronic circuitbreaker. It provides detection of overloadsand short circuits, all in the same unit. Thetripping characteristic is similar to that of aquality circuit breaker, thus providingadded protection and avoiding nuisancetripping. The load circuit is automaticallydisconnected under specified conditionsand will not restart before a valid resetsignal. Switching status and overloadindication are provided by integral LEDs,which can be slaved to a remote panel ifrequired. Also included in the power relayis a wire break monitoring circuit and ananalogue voltage output proportional tothe current being passed.

With an operating voltage anywherebetween 9V and 32V DC and a switchingcapacity of up to 20 amps, E-T-A’s PowerElectrical control cabinet

When looking for new and innovative ways tosave space and weight in a fire service supportvehicle, Manchester-based AES chose E-T-AE-1048 Smart Power Relays and type 1610Thermal Automotive Circuit Breakers

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Products – Automotive

E-T-A Smart Power Relay E-1048-8I

West Midlands Fire Service Command Support vehicle

E-T-A circuit breaker Type 1610-21

At a glance – features and benefits of the E-T-A 1048 Solid-State Remote Power Controller:� Three functions in a single device

- electronic relay- electronic overcurrent protection- indication and diagnostic functions

� Colour coded label indicating current rating

Relays are used in this applicationprimarily as an interface between the PLCand the ‘blue light’ functions, such as thestrobes and sirens. Because the functionsof a relay with self-limiting characteristicsand a circuit breaker are combined in oneunit, reliability is greatly improved, and thefootprint is very compact. The 14 requiredfor this vehicle fit into a space less than178mm x 76mm. In this AES applicationthey are push fitted into an E-T-A 17-P10-Si base.

The E-T-A 1610-21s are push-to-reset,trip-free, thermal circuit breakers designedfor all types of vehicles as replacementsfor fuses. These are used to protect manyother auxiliary circuits in the WMFSCommand Support Vehicle.

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maintenance equipment in NorthAmerica, designs, manufactures andmarkets equipment used in theconstruction, maintenance and repair ofrailway tracks.

With manufacturing facilities inWisconsin and in Ontario, Canada,Nordco has played a major role inhelping build and maintain better tracks.The company’s business strategy isfocused on building quality equipmentthat can be counted on to perform inremote areas, such as trackmaintenance equipment that lets a small

E-T-A Rides the RailsNordco, in the U.S., draws on E-T-A’sproducts and expertise in the design of itslatest railway track maintenance equipment

Railways are critical to the economicwellbeing of the U.S., moving 42% of thefreight and countless passengers andcommuters. The first rail service began inSouth Carolina and by 1833 there were380 miles of track in service. Today thereare over 120,000 miles of track and474,839 freight cars in service, yet since1980 accident rates have been reducedby 65%.

A big factor in this reduction has been inthe attention paid to construction andmaintenance of the tracks. Nordco, theoldest manufacturer of railway track

group of workers maintain a long stretchof track.

Nordco continually improves itsproducts by adopting moderntechnology. For example, hydraulicdriven spikers (as seen in the photo) nowuse PLCs (programmable logiccontrollers) for system control. Ratherthan use fuses to protect the PLCoutputs, Nordco’s engineering teamrealised the advantages of usingadvanced circuit breakers and designed-in the E-T-A E-1048 solid-state RemotePower Controller.

Nordco finds great value in the E-1048,being a multi-function device that notonly provides a relay function for circuit

Products – Transportation

We will continueto draw on E-T-A’sexpertise to helpenhance our productreliability as we focuson the details that make us stand out from our competitors

“”

Nordco Model CX Spiker

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At a glance – features and benefits of the E-T-A 1048Solid-State Remote Power Controller:� Three functions in a single device

- electronic relay- electronic overcurrent protection- indication and diagnostic functions

� CE marking according to EMC directive� Colour coded label indicating current rating

protection but which also can identify anelectrical circuit’s condition or failure.“This is ideal for an operator lookingquickly to identify any potential problemsassociated with their electrical systemand / or operation of their equipment,”commented Bill Straub, Nordco VP ofEngineering. “The E-T-A 1048 hasallowed us to maximise availablespacing by using the in-line versionwhich is fully compatible with a 35 mmindustry-standard DIN rail.”

Nordco also uses other E-T-A DIN-railmounted components, such as the 1170thermal overcurrent circuit breaker, usedfor protecting individual loads to PLCs,including horns and lights.

Nordco continues to expand its productline to serve the increasing need for themechanisation of railway track repair andmaintenance equipment. “We willcontinue to draw onE-T-A’s expertise tohelp enhance ourproduct reliabilityas we focus on thedetails that makeus stand out fromour competitors,”added Straub.

General Information

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The 2006 IBEX show took place in Miamiin November last year, heralded as theonly show that features the nextgeneration of boatbuilding technologiesfrom over 800 OEMs and suppliers.

An excellent show for E-T-A to present itsvery latest marine circuit protectiontechnologies, we featured the 3131Thermal Circuit Breaker/Switch – the mostrecent addition to our thermal product line.We were very pleased with thewidespread interest shown in this andother products relevant to marineapplications.

Canadian OfficeFurther to the review of the E-T-A group’soperations worldwide, we are delightedto announce the promotion of BobAshmore to the position of GeneralManager, Canada. Our Canadian office isbased in Richmond Hill just to the north ofToronto, Ontario. We wish Bob everysuccess in his new post.

ExhibitionsE-T-A will be exhibiting at the followingshows:

Nepcon, NEC – Birmingham15 – 17 May

EDS – Las Vegas15 – 17 May

Queensland Truck & MachineryShow – Brisbane17 – 20 May

Elektro – Moscow13 – 16 June

Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD)ShowMillbrook Proving Ground,Bedfordshire27 – 28 June

Manufacturing Technology in FocusSydney24 – 26 July

Ineltec – Basle4 – 7 September

EMO – Hannover17 – 22 September

Smart Innovation – Linz3 – 5 October

IBEX – Miami10 -12 October

METS – Amsterdam13 – 15 November

SPS/IPC/Drives – Nuremberg27 – 29 November

IBEX Report

Bob Ashmore

E-T-A thermal circuit breaker/switch type 3131

E-T-A’s comprehensive line of marinecircuit protection devices on show

The type 3131 stylishly combines a highperformance switch and thermal circuitbreaker in one unit. Certified to IP66, it isan excellent circuit protection solution forextreme nautical conditions. Featuring asoft-touch rocker, the 3131 guaranteessmooth and gentle operation with eachuse and is available in a wide range ofconfigurations, including numerousactuator types, symbols and lightingoptions.

The combination circuit breaker/switchprovides snap-in, panel-mounted, singlepole protection against both limited shortcircuits and low level, but potentially veryharmful, overload currents. The integraloverload protection makes it unnecessaryfor fuse holders or additional circuitbreakers – offering an advantage to boatusers and simplifying the wiring circuits.The 3131 is available from 0.1A to 20A atup to 50V DC or 240V AC to protectcircuits and vital navigation andcommunication equipment. The three-wayswitch variant offers additional switchingfor applications such as 2-speed fans andwipers.

We have been supporting AylesburyBusiness Excellence Awards for manyyears: in fact, we were named as‘Company of the Year’ for the first twoyears. The scheme is promoted by ourlocal Aylesbury Vale District Council, withthe presentation of 10 awards annually atan event organised by The Bucks Herald.We decided to ‘move aside’ in the thirdyear but become a sponsor instead, as webelieve the awards help to improve skillsand work practices as well as promotelocal companies.

In its 10th anniversary year in 2007, wedecided to sponsor the Best BusinessWebsite Award: the judges’ decision wasfor Vantage IT Solutions Limited,

Five ambitious women from E-T-A will bejoining around 15,000 other bravewalkers, striding out in their decoratedbras, in order to raise money andawareness for breast cancer. MoonWalkLondon 2007, starting and finishing atHyde Park on 19th May, marks the 10thanniversary of the Walk the Walk®Worldwide charity team’s first ‘powerwalk’ in the London Marathon.

In 1998 the charity established theMoonWalk, and it has now become anannual event – the only Power Walkingmarathon that starts at midnight withthousands of dynamic women and menwearing bras! E-T-A’s team, walking under

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News

Aylesbury BusinessExcellence Awards

Patter oftiny feet!

Playtex® Moon Walk® London 2007 –uniting against breast cancer

Four of the five: Gill, Julie, Denise, Stephannie

ShiromiAmarasinghe

Specialists in IT Support and Products forSmall and Medium Businesses.

Paul Tarbox, Sales Director of Vantage IT,explained, “Our website was entirelydesigned and created by ourselvesbecause we wanted to give potentialcustomers an understanding of who weare, how we can help and the level ofservice that would be provided. Wewanted the message to be clear thatcustomers would receive a service thatwas not only of the highest quality, butalso trustworthy and friendly. We arehonoured that the judges considered ourweb site to be the best.” You can visit the company web site atwww.vantageit.co.uk

Many of you will have spoken to ShiromiAmarasinghe, who has been a memberof our Customer Services team sincejoining us in 2004. We are all delighted tohear that she is expecting her first childduring the Summer. I am sure you willwant us to pass on your best wishes toher and her family.

the name of ‘Characteristic Curves’, hasbeen in training since June last year.Opting for the half-marathon distance,they hope to raise a considerable amountof money for this worthy cause.

Walk the Walk is a grant making charitydedicated to raising vital funds worldwidefor breast cancer research and cancercare, but is also passionate aboutencouraging women and men to becomefitter and to take control of their wellbeing.To find out more, visit the web sitewww.walkthewalk.org, or contact GillDennis here at Aylesbury if you wish tooffer sponsorship.