It is important to compare the risk of lightning and the cost of countermeasures, and to plan the most appropriate lightning countermeasures.
In many cases, it is unclear where the lightning surge (induced lightning) entered from, and in most cases the damage is indistinguishable from a general malfunction. For this reason, diagnosis by a specialist is essential when implementing lightning countermeasures. The reason why it is difficult to distinguish lightning damage is that most of the damage is caused by insulation breakdown inside the equipment, such as slight damage to the circuit board, and therefore the appearance of the equipment is not easily affected. To determine whether equipment failure is caused by lightning surge, it is important to have a lightning expert conduct an on-site investigation, and if lightning surge is the cause, determine the route of entry of the lightning surge and take countermeasures.
OTOWA considers lightning countermeasures as a whole facility, and countermeasures differ depending on various conditions, such as the location of the building and electrical wiring, etc. OTOWA considers lightning countermeasures as a system, and proposes the best lightning countermeasures for every case. OTOWA considers lightning countermeasures as a system and proposes the best possible lightning countermeasures for every project. Our lightning specialist engineers thoroughly investigate lightning penetration routes and damage conditions, and realize optimal lightning countermeasures in all processes from design to construction and maintenance.
We can handle all lightning protection for electrical equipment, external and internal lightning protection, grounding pole systems, etc.
With the safety of the customer, equipment, and furniture as our first priority, we confirm the problems that may cause lightning damage (equipment environment, weather environment, etc.). If necessary, we will conduct an on-site survey.
Based on the results of the confirmation, we design and propose countermeasures with high investment effectiveness, taking into account cost effectiveness and safety.
Equipment with long wiring lengths, such as automatic fire alarm equipment, telephone equipment, and monitoring cameras, are susceptible to lightning surges and should be given priority for countermeasures.
As energy conservation and the density of electrical components increase, products that operate at small voltages are more susceptible to lightning surges. In addition, with the development of ICT, various devices are connected by networks, and the path of lightning surge penetration is also expanding.
The above figure shows the evolution of IC chips. 1975’s circuit boards had thicker wires and more distance between the wires, so insulation was maintained. Not only IC chips, but also the entire board is becoming more vulnerable to lightning surges due to energy saving and higher density.
Determine the cause of lightning surge intrusion and check the wiring and the location of SPD and lightning rods.
In recent years, electrical products used in factories and offices have become very delicate due to energy conservation and functional improvements. Today, lightning strikes are increasing due to weather changes, and lightning damage prevention measures are important to ensure stable operations and business.
With the safety of employees, equipment, and furniture as the first priority, we confirm the problems (equipment environment, weather environment, etc.) that may cause lightning damage. If necessary, we will conduct an on-site survey.
Based on the results of the confirmation, we design countermeasures with high investment effectiveness, taking cost effectiveness and safety into consideration, and propose them to the customer.
Based on the approved countermeasure, we prepare a construction plan (including a process chart) and carry out construction and construction management of the countermeasure.
In order to maintain the lightning protection in the best condition after the countermeasure, we will perform regular maintenance of the lightning protection equipment and respond to changes in the situation.