We have extensive experience in manufacturing lightning protection components. In our desire to improve ourselves and to promote industrial growth, we design and develop devices of greater capabilities to attain lower residual voltages. To achieve this, we rely on the most innovative lab equipment and strict quality control guidelines.
Following our continuous improvement policy, we have equipped our facilities with a new current generator at the service our R&D department. This generator, the most powerful in Spain of 8/20µs current waveshape, we can create discharges up to 250 kA of maximum current. With this new equipment, the devices under test can run on alternating (AC) or direct current (DC) and they could have any type current-limiting component such as varistors, gas discharge tubes, spark gaps, diodes, etc.
The new laboratory is housed in Aplicaciones Tecnologicas headquarters, in Valencia Technology Park. The new laboratory has a surface area of 540 ft2 and it is well suited with the latest technology where every single detail has been studied to offer our operators maximum safety.
The new equipment is totally automated and is able to produce currents from 2 up to 250 kA. Additionally, both the trigger impulse degree of the 8/20 µs wave-form and the discharge polarity are customizable. Its high-voltage capacitors, gradually charged, generate a suitable 8/20 µs wave discharge to evaluate the performance of the devices according to the standard IEC 61643-1. The discharge spheres are composed of materials that are very heat resistant, which avoid premature ageing and deliver the best trigger accuracy.
The data capture and control software allows a quick and easy way to collect data from an operations dashboard placed in a room apart from the generator.
To ensure a good isolation from the generator and the rest of building, it has been installed an independent earthing system, with an electrical resistance lower than 2 Ω, placing a ground ring with dynamic electrodes APLIROD® and adding the ground enhancing gel compound CONDUCTIVER PLUS. In order to ensure the required electrical conductivity, it has been used the ground enhancing cement APLICEM to improve the electrode conductive surface area.