DEHN Africa, a market leader in safety equipment, surge and lightning protection, recently launched its DEHNshort arc fault protection system to the local market, with an intensive training session held at its Johannesburg office.

Overseen by Andreas Schumacher, product manager: safety equipment / arc fault protection from DEHN + SÖHNE, DEHN Africa sales engineer, Tatenda Gora, conducted the training which was entitled “The Introduction of DEHNshort to South Africa - protection through detection for arc faults in low voltage switchgear assemblies”. The training session covered topics including a description of arc faults; the standards and norms of arc fault protection; an introduction to the DEHNshort product and its application; as well as a demonstration of the new product offering. The comprehensive training was aimed both at DEHN Africa staff and partners as well as local clients.

Even in the most modern switchgear assemblies, the risk of arc faults – and the resultant personal injury, damage to installations and high production downtime costs - cannot be wholly ruled out. In cases where an arc fault could be caused by installation errors or foreign objects on the switchgear equipment, the result – not unlike an explosion – can cause heavy damage to the switchgear assembly, which may then need to be completely replaced.

DEHNshort is able to minimise the damage caused by this type of event, quenching the destructive energy released within 2-3 ms. Local product expert, Gora will continue to conduct future training sessions for DEHN Africa’s customers which will include type-testing using clients’ own switchgear for a real-world demonstration on the product’s abilities.

DEHN Africa prides itself on its training programmes such as its regular DEHNacademy CPD point seminars, as well as the industry and application specific workshops offered by the company.

The market leader DEHN, a globally active family-owned electrotechnical company with more than 1600 employees worldwide, offers innovative products and solutions as well as comprehensive services in the field of surge protection, lightning protection and safety equipment.

DEHN focuses on the protection of system and building technology, the transportation, telecommunication and process sector, photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, etc. The company's continuous growth is based on more than 100 years of tradition and experience as well as highest quality standards and consistent customer and market orientation throughout the world.