No nuisance tripping

Nuisance tripping of its main incoming circuit breaker, a major problem for timber pallets and warehouse decking manufacturer, HG Timber, has been completely eliminated following a free on-site power factor correction survey carried out by Eaton's Electrical Sector.

The actions taken as a result of the survey have also made it possible for HG Timber to cut its energy bills by 20%, and reduce its carbon footprint.

The survey revealed that when the plant was operating at full capacity, the load on the incoming circuit breaker was 395A - sufficiently close to the maximum rating of 400A to cause nuisance tripping. The survey also revealed that the load power factor was poor because of the large number of motor driven machines on the site.

Eaton suggested that power factor correction equipment from its capacitor range should be installed. Because of the site's widely fluctuating load, an Eaton capacitor system was chosen as this automatically adjusts the level of power factor correction to suit the instantaneous load.