Stephen Cook, switchgear manager at Zest WEG Group, says that the journey to obtain Type 2 coordination involved the in-house testing of products as well as the independent verification of the test results to ensure that the product solutions meet IEC 60947-4-1.

The substantial investment on the part of WEG Brazil included the construction of a purpose-built testing facility for Type 2 coordination testing in Brazil.

“The majority of the other players in the market depend on external third party laboratories to do these tests and having our own facility will facilitate the future testing of low voltage switchgear combinations. This will allow Zest WEG Group even greater flexibility in terms of servicing our customer base,” Cook says.

The rationale behind this large investment to have the WEG low voltage switchgear Type-2 approved is in line with the Zest WEG Group level of commitment to participation within the African market and it was therefore important to be able to offer its customers access to this level of specified switchgear.

The most important advantage when using Type-2 coordination switchgear is that under short circuit conditions there is no danger to installations or personnel, and that the motor starter (contactor and overload relay) will endure the short circuit and still allow for further use.

The WEG CWB range of contactors undergoing a glow wire flammability test according to IEC 60695-2-11.

“It is all about continuity of service with Type-2 coordination switchgear,” Cook says.

He says that Zest WEG Group’s in-depth understanding of the operating conditions in Africa enabled the testing of a range of switchgear combinations that would meet customer needs and ensure a reliable solution.

“Being able to participate in the specified switchgear market will enable us to offer a major advantage to our customer base whereby product packages can be tailored for specific applications,” Cook continues.

An example would include the supply of motors, VSDs, softstarters, low voltage and high voltage switchgear and MCCs to a greenfields mine development.

Zest WEG Group offers a comprehensive range of low voltage switchgear including miniature circuit breakers, moulded case circuit breakers, contactors, thermal and electronic overload protection, isolators, push button and pilot lights as well as full range of signalling devices. WEG low voltage switchgear is designed and manufactured to the same high standards that have long ensured that WEG motors and VSDs are considered benchmarks in their product categories.

All WEG low voltage switchgear products are available ex-stock across Zest WEG Group network of branches and backed in the field by a 24/7 technical support service.

Once again, WEG has displayed its commitment by investing in continuous product development and while Type-2 coordination may not be new, this move has levelled the playing field and given customers a wider option.