Bushings and Insulators
Traditional insulator and bushing designs using either ceramics or glass have been superceded by polymeric and composite designs and we have a lot of experience of testing developments in this area.
Our salt fog chamber is also capable of supplying mist or rain at flow and dispersion levels that meet modern test standards.
1000 hour testing of outdoor insulation systems is a common occurence and consequently early notice of a likely test is appreciated.
As well as salt fog testing we also have a controlled humidity and temperature room for conditioning samples (when required) prior to high voltage testing. We can also undertake capacitance, tan delta and partial discharge measurements to the relevant BS and IEC standards.
As well as testing new bushing designs we also have been involved in forensic investigation of bushings that have failed in service - for more details please see forensics.
Recently used standards
| Number | Name |
| NGTS 3.5.7 | Installation Requirements for Auxiliary Cables |
| BS EN 60383-1 | Insulators for overhead lines with nominal voltage above 1 kV — Part 1: Ceramic or glass insulator units for a.c. systems — Definitions, test methods and acceptance criteria. |
| BS EN 60383-2; | Insulators for overhead lines with a nominal voltage above 1000 V — Part 2: Insulator strings and insulator sets for a.c. systems — Definitions, test methods and acceptance criteria. |
| BS EN 62217 | Polymeric insulators for indoor and outdoor use with a nominal voltage > 1000 V — General definitions, test methods and acceptance criteria. |
| IEC 61109 | Composite insulators for a.c. overhead lines with a nominal voltage greater than 1000 V – Definitions, test methods and acceptance criteria. |
| BS EN 60507 IEC 507 | Artificial pollution tests on high-voltage insulators to be used on a.c. systems. |
| BS EN 60137 | Insulated bushings for alternating voltages above 1000 V |
| BS EN 50124-1 | Railway applications - Insulation coordination - Part 1: Basic Requirements - clearances and creepage distances for all electrical and electronic equipment |
If you are considering a bushing test, please contact us and include the following information:
- The relevant section of a standard or details of the test schedule that you wish to have performed;
- The dimensions of the bushing (preferably a design drawing);
- The required ac voltage if your test involves the salt fog chamber;
- Your requirements with respect to reports and certificates.