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.