Three new products were introduced to the South African market by global smart energy solutions provider Chint at this year’s Electra Mining Africa exhibition, held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, last month.

With the launch, the NM8N-high-voltage series circuit breaker, NM8NDC range of direct current switchgear and the CJX1-K series alternating current vacuum contactors were added to the large portfolio which Chint offers various sectors globally, including the mining, industrial automation and solar energy sectors.

“The NM8N moulded-case circuit breaker is the ideal breaker to be used in mining applications, owing to its high alternating current system rated voltage capacity of 1 000 V,” says Chint South Africa senior industrial sales manager Dawie Reyneke.

The NM8N circuit breakers are more robust and suitable for harsh mining environments, and although they are generally coupled to transformers on heavy current conveyor systems in the mining sector, they can be used on any circuit that operates at 1 000 V and high current.

Although the three products launched are new to the African market, they have been tried and tested in Asia for about two years, before being released globally, and then to the South African and sub-Saharan Africa markets.

Chint has invested about 12% of its $22-billion turnover towards research and development over the past year.

“We are proud to say one of our laboratories is ISO 17025-certified, which is a decidedly high certification, and one of very few labs globally that can boast about it,” enthuses Reyneke.

He adds that the South African branch of Chint, in Johannesburg, markets its products through various channel partners across South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring that all clients receive the products timeously.

Breaking Down the Breakers

Reyneke says the NM8N-high-voltage series moulded-case circuit breaker is specifically designed for handling high voltage electrical systems that can break heavily loaded electrical circuits within a range of -40 ℃ to 70 ℃.

The circuit breaker is characterised by its breaking circuits with zero arcing, making it an ideal component for various systems. It has an insulation voltage of 1 250 V and a rated operational voltage of up to 1 150 V.

It also boasts a current rating of 80 000 A at 690 V ultimate interrupt current (ICU) and interrupt current (ICS) and 10 000 A at 1 150 V ICU-ICS, making the circuit breaker ideal for heavy industrial applications.

Meanwhile, the NM8N direct current switchgear is developed for the solar PV industry. 

The NM8N direct current can achieve breaking capacities of up to 100 000 A at 1 000 V in direct current while achieving a minimum of 15 000 mechanical and 2 000 electrical cycles.

The CJX1-K series of alternating current vacuum contactors are mainly suitable for circuits with an alternating current of 50 Hz to 60 Hz, a rated working voltage of up to 1 000 V and currents from 225 A to 820 A.

They also boast a mechanical service life of up to seven-million cycles.

The contactors can be used in combination with appropriate thermal overload relays, electronic protectors and other protective devices to form a vacuum electromagnetic starter.

They are especially suitable for forming an explosion-proof vacuum electromagnetic starter, which is widely used in mines and smelting processes; petroleum extraction; storage; the chemical, military, textile and construction industries; and in other flammable or harsh environments.

“Chint and its channel partners maintain high stock levels at all times and are prepared to air-freight any items we don’t have to ensure clients’ needs are met, with minimal downtime and cost,” concludes Reyneke.