5 Measurements Every Electrical Engineer Must Regularly Perform in Factories

Regular measurements to be made in facilities are essential for the electrical continuity and safety of our facility. Indeed, in the inspections carried out by the Ministry of Labor, the electrical conformity of the facilities is inspected, and facilities that cannot pass these inspections receive penalties after a warning. Moreover, no room should be allowed for electrical errors in the facility so that uninterrupted and continuous production in factories is not interrupted. So, what are the measurements that a factory or facility should have done regularly?

1-Grounding Measurement

Grounding is one of the most important protection systems of a facility. Faults occurring in grounding put both life and property safety at risk. Grounding equipment and systems can deform, wear out, or even break over time. Therefore, factories need to perform grounding measurements regularly. Afterwards, it should be tested whether the protection equipment works correctly by taking the measurements into account. Again, care should be taken to ensure that grounding values remain below the determined values.

2-Residual Current Relay (RCD) Test

Residual current relays are found in factories for 2 basic elements. There are 2 types: residual current relays that prevent fire and residual current relays that protect human health. However, in facilities such as factories, there are many machines with high inrush currents or high leakage current values. Or, residual current relays cannot fulfill their duty due to poor grounding. Therefore, tests of residual current relays in the facility should be carried out regularly.

3-External Lightning Protection Measurement

External lightning protection systems are equipment that provide physical protection against lightning. Deformation and corrosion occurring over time cause the grounding values of external lightning protection systems to increase. This causes effective protection against incoming lightning impulses not to be achieved. Every facility should have its external lightning protection systems tested and maintained regularly.

4-Thermal Measurement and Insulation Resistance Measurement

In ensuring the electrical safety of a factory, insulation systems must be in good condition and error-free. Thermal measurement and insulation resistance measurement provide important clues in pre-determining the electrical problems of systems such as motors, cables, and main switches. These 2 measurements must be made in the realization of preventive maintenance.

5-Harmonic Measurement

Harmonics started to form strongly in electrical networks with the increase of semiconductor elements. Due to harmonics, the quality of the power grid decreases and devices in facilities can be damaged. Moreover, there can be serious decreases in energy efficiency due to harmonics, and this situation can be reflected in the factory. Facilities need to measure whether their total harmonic distortions are within legal limits and use filters if necessary.