Busbar clamps

[Phantasmagoric]

Any one had any dealings with busbar clamps iv got to travel up to Scotland to fit a 3 phase isolator to busbar. is there clamps that will fit most busbars and do you just ring crimp to clamp with cable. By the way it's only a 30 amp isolator. Can any one advise

 

[malcolmsanford]

Think gone are the days when you had to drill a solid busbar, as most are the rail type. Normally for such a small size isolator and cable you would compression lugs onto the cable and fit via the clamp.

The hardest part will be getting permission isolating the bus bar I would imagine

 

[bugsy]

busbar clamps as per busbar manufacturer they are not universal, crimp lug and bolt on

 

[BlueToBits]

The modern ones I've come across seem to accept a single bolt lug clamp or a twin bolt cable end clamp. either (both) clamp on to a twin rail bus bar. I think these were Bill and nothing but the proper clamp would work. Trying to drill this type is a non-starter.

 

[sparkiegaz]

put some tri rated 185 onto a glasgow bus bar few months back, funny u shaped things that just clamped onto copper bars with a m6 nut and bolt,,,getting 185 lugs with 6mm hole was bit pain,,,

 

[Knobhead]

If you can get them, Ellison shell clamps are ideal for twin rail bars. Or if there is an adjacent switch double up on to it’s clamp

 

[benji]

sniff sniff can anybody smell something burning

 

[Knobhead]

sniff sniff can anybody smell something burning

So what would you suggest benji?

We don’t know what kind of bus-bars Phantasmagoric has to deal with. If you’ve dealt with any switchboards you will find many instances where two circuits will share a common set of connections. In a perfect world we wouldn’t even contemplate introducing cable in to a bus-bar chamber, we would have the correct fuse/switch to hand and the solid jumpers to match. Unfortunately we have to make do with what we’ve got.

 

[Guest123]

Or......fashion your own type of clamp.

 

[benji]

prior to starting find out manufacturer of busbar and get correct clamps

 

[Knobhead]

prior to starting find out manufacturer of busbar and get correct clamps

You obviously don’t grasp this at all! Not everything is off the shelf like your modern CU.

There’s switchgear out there that’s 50 years old. It’s still serviceable and within compliance for safe working practices. Forget the 17th, it doesn’t exist in a big boys world!

You turn round to a customer and say I can’t do the job because you need a new £75,000 board for me to fit a new 30A switch.
There would be scorch marks on the carpet as you were shown the door.


Stick to fitting CU’s

 

[johnboy6083]

this is what i would do.

1) if the manufacturer is known, and parts are still available,then i would aquire the correct clamps. time permitting of course.

2) i would do as tony said, and double up on another clamp, as he said its common practice.

3) using copper squares, nut, bolt,flat washers, spring washer, make your own. ive seen this done on brand new panels, while being built.

 

[Engineer54]

Can't ever remember seeing an isolator fitted directly to a an installations bus bar arrangement. Switch fuses, fuse switches, MCCBs etc, i have!! ...lol!!!

 

[Knobhead]

I just wonder how many know the difference between a switched fuse and a fused switch?

 

[benji]

Well tony i do grasp what the guys going to do but youve got to try to get the right clamp first, after that you have to look at what other manufacturers have on offer and will it be compatable and fit for purpose.I,ve been in similar circumstances before and seen what poorly engineered connections can lead to.And as i,ve just retired this year after putting in a full 50yrs mostly industrial / large commercial i,ve seen first hand what poor planing can lead to

 

[somersetsparks]

Is a fused switch the type that actually removes the fuses on a spring loaded carriage?
I have isolated them before but it was on a very old panel, never seen them apart from that.

 

[Engineer54]

An enclose that involves any switching motion that incorporates the fuses themselves is termed as a Fuse Switch Somersetsparks. So yes your correct!!

 

[mogga]

prior to starting find out manufacturer of busbar and get correct clamps

In an IDEAL world that would be great but depending on where in scotland the job is the clamps may not be redily available ect ect

 

[Knobhead]

Well tony i do grasp what the guys going to do but youve got to try to get the right clamp first, after that you have to look at what other manufacturers have on offer and will it be compatable and fit for purpose.I,ve been in similar circumstances before and seen what poorly engineered connections can lead to.And as i,ve just retired this year after putting in a full 50yrs mostly industrial / large commercial i,ve seen first hand what poor planing can lead to

Sorry for assuming you was a wet behind the ears newbie. I’ve clocked up 35 years in heavy engineering (steel & quarrying). Because I enjoyed working on switchgear it would usually be me that did any alterations. Fitting a new switch to gear that was installed in the 30’s could be a nightmare. Mind you getting the board powered down was the biggest headache.

• Do you have to have the power off?
• Can’t you do it some other time
• We need to run XXXX
• 5 minutes after you’ve started, “how much longer are you going to be?”
• Can we have the power back on for 5 minutes?

And I still enjoyed doing it J
I nailed a substation door shut to keep the production manager out, he was driving me insane!

 

[mogga]

lol OLD yin sounds like the same questions get asked no mater where your working How long are you going to be ?( Even after arranging a 2hr window ) can we have 5mins? but the real bawBuster is a 1am shut down arranged without asking the cash office who happen to have to run their year end figures on pc download (every store in country gets done this particular night) and due to some starting late the power down didnt happen till 4am at which time bakery managers leaping round like SuperMario as he cant get anything done STOOPID People lol

 

[Knobhead]

Don’t you just love them?

“OK we need to kill No.2 section of the main board.”
“Can’t do that the international sales PC’s are fed from that!”
“It’s got a UPS system, lets see if it works” says I as I trip the 11KV

It didn’t!

Arse kicking party the next morning.