ABB ProLine Family Becomes the Only Panelboard to be Independently Certified as Touch Safe Per IP20 Standards
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ProLine completely isolates the operator during installation and maintenance, making it the safest UL67 panelboard in the industry
NEW BERLIN, Wisc. - The ProLine Panelboard family of ABB's Low Voltage Products division has been certified by Certifi-Group, a prominent US based regulatory compliance and product safety testing organization, as touch-safe per IP20 standards. The ProLine product is the only panelboard to be independently certified per Ingress Protection (IP) guidelines, making it the safest UL67 panelboard available in the industry. The comprehensive testing evaluated the panelboard for protection against solid foreign objects and hazardous parts, with the IP20 rating assuring that a probe the approximate size of a finger is not able to make contact with any hazardous, energized parts. ProLine Panelboard completely isolates the operator during installation and maintenance, eliminating the chance of human exposure to any energized components. With the increased scrutiny of OSHA and local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), the ProLine product provides a valuable feature to end users demanding the safest possible electrical components to protect workers from shock, arc-flash and arc-blast hazards while doing electrical installation and maintenance work.
Traditional US panelboards feature an open architecture with the bus bar structure and breaker hardware void of any insulating material, exposing operators to "live" parts when servicing and installing. Such systems require the operator to manually secure the breaker with a screw directly on the open chassis bus bar. By comparison the ProLine bus bar is fully covered and the interior is encased in resin for additional safety; and breaker connections are made in "wells" that prevent any contact with live parts, while also containing any arcs that may occur. ABB's system features a breaker screw that mechanically secures the breaker with a connection that is not connected to the bus bar.
"While OSHA prohibits panelboards to be worked on when hot in most applications, there are numerous incidents per year where panelboards are inadvertently accessed in a live state," said Egon Hillermann, ABB's product manager for mission critical breakers in the US. "With the ultimate in safety conscious design, ProLine products will protect workers in all scenarios."
In addition to the inherent safety design, ProLine reduces the risk of arc flash because branch and main breakers are selectively coordinated and current-limited. This allows for quick clearing of faults which reduces the amount of energy let- through (I2T) during a fault event. Less energy being let through means reduced risk of shock and reduced risk of fire.
ProLine Panelboard is ideally suited for industrial and commercial applications where power reliability and safety of the highest integrity are required, such as critical power, data centers, cloud computing, banking, insurance and medical.
In 2011 ABB was awarded a United States patent for the advanced current limiting, selective coordination and safety technology of the ProLine Panelboard, recognizing it as the only product of its kind with complete breaker coordination and touch safe capabilities.
About ABB
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 130,000 people.
About ABB Low Voltage Products
The ABB Low Voltage Products division (www.abb.us/lowvoltage) manufactures low-voltage circuit breakers, switches, control products, wiring accessories, enclosures and cable systems to protect people, installations and electronic equipment from electrical overload.
Alex Miller
AE Miller Group
262-236-3710
alexm@aem-mg.com
ABB, Inc.
Low Voltage Products
16250 W. Glendale Drive
New Berlin, WI 53151
888-385-1221
lvps.support@us.abb.com
www.abb.us/lowvoltage
