Are you ready for IEC 61439-2 yet?

摘要

The experts at Rittal offer this introduction to the IEC 61439-2 standard and the effects this new standard will have on the low voltage switchgear industry. Introduced in 1993 the IEC 60439 standard was intended to harmonise the low voltage industry with an objective to form one standard that offered protection for personnel and switchgear. It also tried to be a complete standard that covered the total performance of a low voltage assembly and that of individual products that are fitted within the assembly. This one standard regulated the different types of switchgear and classified them as TTA (type-tested switchgear assemblies) or PTTA (partially type-tested switchgear assemblies). The new standard IEC 61439 is the successor to the IEC 60439 and comes into force from November 2014. However the new standard has already been implemented by the IEC and customers are specifying low voltage switchgear to IEC 61439 now. The structure of the new standard has been broken down into a general part and product specific parts as highlighted below. It is worth noting that national appendix (NA) may distinguish from the original IEC 61439-1 to 7 and overwrite. For example the British Standards allow for different terminology regarding the form rating of the power switchgear assembly. This would show as BS EN/IEC 61439-2.