Busbar Insulation for a Data Centre MV Switchboard

Client Background

A switchgear manufacturer was building 24 kV MV switchboards for a hyperscale data centre customer whose specification prohibited halogenated materials anywhere in the electrical distribution.

Project Challenge

Insulate the busbar system in a compact cubicle using halogen free materials while keeping the bolted joints available for thermographic survey.

Customer Pain Points

• Halogen free specification excluding most busbar insulation products
• Compact cubicle design relying on insulated bar to meet its withstand test
• Customer maintenance policy requiring thermographic survey of every bolted joint
• Assembly line with no capacity to measure and cut tube

Our Solution

S1(n)-10 halogen free tube supplied cut to length and labelled per position on the straight bar runs. S1-B molded lap joint covers with buckle closures tooled to the switchboard's joint geometry.

Manufacturing Process

Halogen free RoHS compliant tube extruded and radiation cross linked in Dalian. Covers molded in tooling made to the manufacturer's joint drawing.

Supply Chain Coordination

First article covers fit checked on a production bar before tooling was committed. Repeat orders from the same tooling for the following switchboards in the framework.

Quality Control

Per lot testing of dielectric strength volume resistivity heat aging and low temperature flexibility. Cover fit checked against the approved first article on every production run.

Final Result

The switchboard passed its power frequency withstand type test. The joint covers were opened and refitted during the customer's commissioning thermographic survey with no damage to any joint.

Customer Benefit

A compact halogen free switchboard that satisfies both the fire specification and the maintenance policy without either compromising the other.