Appleton, the leading supplier of premium electrical products for hazardous locations, introduced today the PowerPlex™ panelboard which brings an innovative new design to Class I Zone 1 and Class I Division 2 environments such as found in petrochemical and chemical plants, waste treatment centers, and other industrial areas where explosive fumes may be present. The PowerPlex breaks away from traditional panelboard design by transferring its flamepath protection from the enclosure to individual circuit breaker housings. This component-level protection allows it to deliver increased installation flexibility, improved reliability, as well as simpler, faster maintenance while also eliminating the need for external conduit or cable seals. Each circuit breaker housing connects to the panelboard through "increased safety" terminal connections. The terminations provide quick wiring access and are molded into the housing for unyielding performance through years of heavy vibrations and shocks. Compared to other cast housings, the PowerPlex panelboard has a more highly engineered design that reduces installation time and cost. For example, it can be coupled either vertically or horizontally for better space utilization in large installations. In addition, its flat sided construction results in easier storage and transporting. Footprints are similar to traditional panelboards with configurations ranging up to 225 Amps at 600 VAC with or without a main circuit breaker. Entries can be made on site, in any location, without jeopardizing flamepath protection, providing significant cost and time savings. Outer enclosure material options include stainless steel or fiberglass for greater application flexibility. The panelboard's circuit breaker housings are engineered to optimize circuit breaker life and performance. Their unique design allows heat to safely dissipate, enabling the circuit breakers to maintain their rated amperage and reduce the possibility of nuisance tripping. Circuit breakers are readily field replaceable. There are no special breakers to order and no heavy, bolted enclosure to secure. Utilizing standard, off the shelf circuit breakers (Cutler-Hammer F-Series or QC-Series) reduces inventory costs as well as logistics for maintenance personnel.
