Metric Hardware for Breaker Lugs
- Thread starter timtalton
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- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I have not but I am curious what brand and what type of equipment is it where you have this situation
Razzap
Member
Siemens circuit breakers in the larger (60 amps and up) and three phase. Use 'em all the time.
- Location
- Massachusetts
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
yep.
Metric Breaker Hardware
Metric Breaker Hardware
Dennis Alwon
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have not but I am curious what brand and what type of equipment is it where you have this situation
I haven't, but it's a point of contention. If breaker lugs have hardware that requires metric tools, how big of a deal is it? Is it "I've got to step back outside to the van for a sec", or is it a PITA enough to cause a real problem? Like an "I'll upcharge next time" or something.
Metric Breaker Hardware
Dennis Alwon
View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message
have not but I am curious what brand and what type of equipment is it where you have this situation
I haven't, but it's a point of contention. If breaker lugs have hardware that requires metric tools, how big of a deal is it? Is it "I've got to step back outside to the van for a sec", or is it a PITA enough to cause a real problem? Like an "I'll upcharge next time" or something.
Last edited:
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
Get used to it, it's coming soon to a theater (of operations) near you sooner than you think.
Because of what are called "ROHS" (Reduction Of Hazardous Substances and pronounced "rohas") rules taking effect in the EU and other countries, sooner than later, you will be seeing all circuit breakers moving to a "World Design" format, because:
a) all CB mfrs except GE are now owned by companies outside of the US, and
b) they all must sell their products to a wider market than just here in North America in order to stay competitive with the economies of scale.
The new ROHS rules being enforced right now state that ALL components in electrical equipment be recyclable by 2017. FRP, Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic, aka "Glastik" is what is used to make the bodies of most older design Molded case Circuit Breakers, but is NOT recyclable. So after next year, breakers made with that will become unacceptable outside of North America. We in NA will eventually be forced into changing too, but long before the gubment does it, economic forces will do it for us. Companies will not be able to afford to maintain two different production lines indefinitely and remain competitive with companies that can produce higher volumes of one product line. So at first we will see no change, but gradually you will see the prices of non-ROHS conforming breakers increase until they become relegated to the retrofit marketplace.
This is unlikely to affect anything at the residential side of our business for a long long time, only the industrial side.
Because of what are called "ROHS" (Reduction Of Hazardous Substances and pronounced "rohas") rules taking effect in the EU and other countries, sooner than later, you will be seeing all circuit breakers moving to a "World Design" format, because:
a) all CB mfrs except GE are now owned by companies outside of the US, and
b) they all must sell their products to a wider market than just here in North America in order to stay competitive with the economies of scale.
The new ROHS rules being enforced right now state that ALL components in electrical equipment be recyclable by 2017. FRP, Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic, aka "Glastik" is what is used to make the bodies of most older design Molded case Circuit Breakers, but is NOT recyclable. So after next year, breakers made with that will become unacceptable outside of North America. We in NA will eventually be forced into changing too, but long before the gubment does it, economic forces will do it for us. Companies will not be able to afford to maintain two different production lines indefinitely and remain competitive with companies that can produce higher volumes of one product line. So at first we will see no change, but gradually you will see the prices of non-ROHS conforming breakers increase until they become relegated to the retrofit marketplace.
This is unlikely to affect anything at the residential side of our business for a long long time, only the industrial side.
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