Connectors enable installation and maintenance of electrical equipment in hazardous areas without a ‘Hot Work Permit’

Today, around 65% of all electrical maintenance carried out is corrective action and 35% is preven-tive. With preventive maintenance, more than 50% of all apparatus serviced is not actually broken.

Before any electrical apparatus – including electric motors, variable speed drives, valves, actuators and active/passive sensors – can be installed or maintained in a hazardous area, plant engineers and maintenance technicians need to ensure that the electrical connection or disconnection procedure is carried out safely, with all electrical apparatus isolated from the power supply.

Such measures are necessary because the explosion-protection of the apparatus becomes ineffective once the enclosure is opened. Furthermore, this type of preparation work requires a ‘Hot Work Permit’, which can take up to 24 hours to issue. Even if the permit arrives in a few hours, the cost of production downtime can be significant.

Enabling users to maintain apparatus on a proactive or predictive basis, the eXLink range of Ex-approved plug-and-socket connectors from Cooper Crouse-Hinds UK Ltd, enables the connection and disconnection of electrical apparatus in potentially explosive environments, without the use of tools and without the engineer having to isolate the apparatus from the mains or disconnect the terminals.

The eXLink range, which includes connectors, plugs, receptacles, inlets and elbows, can be used for any instrumentation device or electrical apparatus. .

One of Cooper Crouse-Hinds’ customers is Asco Joucomatic Ltd, a manufacturer of solenoid valves and pneumatic components based in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. The company has incorporated eXLink connectors into its ASCO NUMATICS brand of explosion-proof solenoid valves. As Steve Meadows, Senior Marketing Engineer at Asco Joucomatic Ltd states: “In the UK, most of our explosion-protected solenoid valves are supplied to OEMs for the process industries. If a solenoid fails on a valve, the customer wants to be able to repair or replace that device very quickly. By offering our customers the eXLink plug-and-socket connectors on our solenoid valves, the end user no longer needs to spend valuable time isolating the equipment and gaining the necessary hot work permit before the valve can be replaced or serviced. Plant downtime is therefore kept to a minimum and, more importantly, the safety of plant and people is improved.”

Juergen Schmitt, Product Manager at Cooper Crouse-Hinds GmbH comments: “With the ASCO explo-sion-protected solenoid valves and our eXLink connector system, the end user no longer has to open up the valve enclosure to clean or repair the device. This eliminates the problem of moisture or condensa-tion getting inside the enclosure when it is opened, resulting in a much more reliable valve unit – a factory-sealed version that guarantees protection. Also, connection and disconnection can often be time consuming, particularly if a valve is in a difficult-to-access location in the plant. The eXLink system allows a fast connection, even in situations where there is no direct visibility to the apparatus.”

The contact pins of the eXLink range are engineered to provide a minimum resistance in order to ensure a secure, reliable electrical connection. The pins are nickel-plated to withstand the aggressive atmosphere, once they are exposed to different chemicals and gases. Depending upon the operational area, conditions and installation procedures at the site, the end user can choose between a cold-formed, impact resistant moulded plastic, a nickel-plated brass or a stainless steel enclosure.

The electrical connection is safely carried out in an ex-d encapsulated chamber around the pins, allowing hot swap of apparatus in Zones 1, 2, 21 and 22 without having to shut down the system.
The plugs and sockets can be coded for non-interchangeability and for specific applications.
In order to reduce the time taken for installation, none of the eXLink components have screws. Available connection methods include crimping or cage clamp terminals.

As well as the eXLink range of connectors and plugs, Cooper Crouse-Hinds also provides a range of other explosion-protected electrical equipment, including fluorescent light fittings, emergency lighting, switches, terminal boxes, control stations and portable lamps. For more information on the company’s eXLink range, please contact Cooper Crouse-Hinds’ UK sales office on 02476 308930 or email sales@ceag-crouse-hinds.co.uk