THE Providing Electrical Solutions Worldwide VOL V october 2013 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Understanding Arc-Flash, Arc-Blast Physics Can Save Your Life By Ashley McWhorter, President, CBS ArcSafe LIKE ANY ENERGY source, an electrical circuit is a And what does the smart person do when ticking bomb. It’s simply waiting for the right they come upon a ticking box? They turn conditions to blow. A twisted pole, faulty inter- around and go the other way, of course. And lock, and enough energy will turn an electrical call the authorities. firecracker into a mortal lightning strike. Vacuum Bottle Engineering Expert Joins Vacuum Interrupters, Inc. GROUP CBS AND VACUUM INTERRUPTERS, INC. are proud to announce that John Toney has accepted a staff engineer position with Vacuum Interrupters, Inc., a supplier of replacement vacuum interrupter parts, components, and the industry’s first predictive field-testing system for vacuum interrupters. “We’re thrilled to have such a prominent vacuum interrupter engineer join our staff,” said Julia Neves, vice pres- ident and operations manager at Vacuum Interrupters, Inc. (Carrollton, Texas), a Group CBS company. “Vacuum Interrupters, Inc. has positioned itself as the ‘go-to’ supplier for vacuum interrupter testing and replacement parts. Toney’s experience will be invaluable in maintaining our leading position in the medium-voltage, vacuum interrupter- based technology markets.”Toney graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with bachelor’s degrees in both astronomy and electrical engineering. Following graduation, Toney accepted a position with General Electric’s www.GroupCBS.com Message from the CEO THE VIEW FROM FLIGHT LEVEL 410 By Finley Ledbetter, CEO, Group CBS Group CBS Continues Expansion on All Fronts Group CBS affiliate companies add key personnel, continue to evaluate new locations in Northeast and around the U.S. I CANNOT believe it has been 36 years since true and fast. And we are growing in all Astro Controls has let a contract to I walked into that room at UTA and areas at a time when others are not. double the warehouse in Irving, Texas, interviewed for an intern’s engineering Why is that? I guess if you understand allowing us to better organize inven- position at Multi Amp. I guess I should what I wrote above, you get it. tory and bring all our material under be very happy no one else showed up. Now around the Group, things are hop- one roof. Everyone needs to look back and put a ping. Western Electrical Services (WES) CBS ArcSafe has hired Tim Kelly check mark next to that spot that helped has hired a new salesman, Justin Sandlin, to help kick-start that business in the make them what they are today. I have a to help bolster the Intermountain Region. Northeast. Tim has spent the last 25 few of them. That day at UTA. Meeting Let’s welcome him and hope for good years working as outside sales for Satin Joni. And all the days my kids hit the things out west. in the New York area. He will work side ground. And, oh yeah, let’s not forget In the East, we are looking to acquire by side with Lou to help build this mar- the day I called Ray and said, “Meet me and build a new service shop. Look for ket for CBS ArcSafe. for lunch. I have something to talk with more on this in the next BreakerBuzz. For Jeff Voytek has joined Group CBS and you about.” now, let me just say that our long-term will head up the end-service shop setup Where am I going with this, you ask? plans call for us to have a full-service/ and build-out. Welcome aboard, Jeff. I’m not sure, but it is certainly the truth heavy-service shop in the Northeast by Circuit Breaker Analyzer (CBA) has that surrounding ourselves with great the end of 2015. made great progress. We are on our third people and being very lucky are great advantages in life and business. I have noticed that the more hours I put in, the Let’s be the guys who do what we say we will do. luckier I get. And the smarter the guys Let’s be the guys with the products and services around me, the smarter I get. In earlier issues of BreakerBuzz, I have that work and do as promised. written that you should surround your- self with talent, work hard, play hard, and Bill Stephens has accepted the posi- release and have sold several accounts. take care of your family. But now I add tion as president of Circuit Breaker Sales CBA will be adding market and cus- this one: Let’s be the guys who do what & Repair (CBS&R), and we have started tomer support structure to help in the we say we will do. Let’s be the guys with to break ground on a warehouse expan- near future. Natalie, Andrew, and Mike the products and services that work and sion. Bill will oversee all operations for have been working tirelessly and have do as promised. Let’s be the guys who Group CBS in the Gulf Coast region developed a great new CBA version for do not have an evil agenda. Let’s be the and help us take CBS&R and Reliable Windows 7. Look for that new product guys who others say, “Hey, there has to Electrical Testing Services (RETS) in release before the NETA show in March be something wrong over there because new directions. Bill plans to relocate to 2014. It will be a real nice addition to they’re too good.” But there is not any- Houston and has started to bring in some the original iOS version. We are going to thing wrong at Group CBS. We are sailing new staff and ideas to CBS&R and RETS. give the Windows 7 version for free to all 2 october 2013 THE Breaker Buzz Call 972.250.2500 who have already purchased an iOS version. This will be quite a bargain. AMC Introduces Revolutionary Panelboard Group CBS is working on another The new UL-508A-certified heat trace panelboard serves the natural gas, petroleum, pipeline, acquisition in the Southeast, adding and chemical process industries. another service shop to our ban- ADVANceD MOTOR CONTROls, a Group CBS company which makes the ProCS™ Series a perfect solution. ner. This acquisition should be done that specializes in electrical equipment manufactur- For shorter runs and more simplified applications, and announced before the next ing, remanufacturing, and life extension services, is we offer an economical solution, the ProC™ Series BreakerBuzz. proud to announce its new UL-508A-certified Heat Panelboards, which use a standard 30-mA ground Vacuum Interrupters (VI) has Trace Panelboards (HTP). Advanced Motor Controls’ fault circuit breaker. ProC™ and ProCS™ Series HTP are designed for use Advanced Motor Controls’ Advanced Heat been selling MAC (magnetron in natural gas, petroleum, chemical processing, and Trace Panels can be fabricated as floor or wall- atmospheric condition) sets and related pipeline operations. mounted enclosures, and include a panelboard service coast to coast and over- “Advanced Motor Controls is proud to become one distribution center, power distribution block, con- seas. We have learned a lot and of the few UL-certified U.S. suppliers of heat trace trol power transformer, and microprocessor-based are improving our hardware and panelboards in support of the U.S. natural gas and ground fault relay or standard 30-mA ground fault model. Utilities, refineries, chem- domestic energy markets,” said David ical plants, and service providers Muir, business manager of Advanced have purchased the sets, and we Motor Controls. “With UL-508A cer- see a steady stream of data coming tification, our energy customers and from the field. Look for a release of their electrical suppliers can be con- a few new products for both MAC fident that our heat trace panelboards and Vacuum Interrupters Inc. include only UL-listed components (RVI) before the next BreakerBuzz. and comply with all UL, NEMA, and NEC design criteria in addition to Join me in welcoming Finley some of the fastest alarm condition Ledbetter III to the MAC team after response times available today.” a two-year internship and earning Heat tracing maintains process Advanced Motor controls offers the ProcS™ and the a NETA level 2 card at WES. FL3 Proc™ Series Heat trace Panelboards. temperatures for reservoirs and has relocated to RVI and will head piping that must store or transport substances circuit breaker. The panel has options for an inte- up field-service demo and training that solidify at ambient temperatures. Heat Trace grated main circuit breaker, main contactor, alarm for MAC products. Finley, a 2011 Panelboards monitor electrical resistance in the relay, alarm horn, door disconnect, hand/off/auto BSEE graduate of Texas Tech’s engi- heat-tracing system. Typically, heat-tracing systems selector switch, and push-to-test lights on the neering school, is working at RVI include electric trace heaters, support components, panel front. Taken together, these features mean learning the ins and outs of MAC and other electric heating devices that are external that Advanced Motor Controls’ Heat Trace Panels field assessment and the particulars to the Heat Trace Panelboard. When the HTP detects offer advanced features common to high-priced of removal and installation of vari- an impedance change, it triggers a response of the panelboards with minimal cost and lead-time. ous vacuum interrupters under Jerod external components in the heat-tracing system. Advanced Heat Trace Panels come in a variety Advanced Motor Controls offers two lines of of NEMA-rated enclosure types, including NEMA Day’s watchful eye.