| Eaton Corporation (www.eatonelectrical.com) is a leading power management company addressing the global building, transportation, industrial and machinery, IT, energy & utilities, and infrastructure sectors. Eaton has customers in more than 150 countries, it employs 70,000 people worldwide, and its 2009 global turnover was £7.7bn. Of this, its electrical business is by far the largest, with a 2009 turnover of £3.8bn.
Electrical sector:
Eaton's electrical sector is wide and varied, but it is electrical power systems that it specialises in. Rising demand and growing consumer expectations mean that power systems are becoming more complex and harder to manage, meaning that they could become less reliable, less efficient and less safe.
The company aims to meet these challenges in a number of ways. As part of this, it has recently added Powerware (uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and power quality solutions), Moeller Group (power distribution, control and automation) and Phoenixtec (Chinese manufacturer of single- and three-phase UPS) to well-known brands that it acquired some years ago, which are MEM, Bill Switchgear, Holec and Westinghouse Distribution and Control.
Eaton says that its Moeller Electric acquisition boasts 'enormous synergy', placing its traditional ANSI/UL component strengths alongside Moeller's IEC components. Additionally, while Eaton has large-scale manufacturing in North America, Moeller's is in Western Europe, with low-cost assembly in Eastern Europe. Geographical coverage is also complementary.
However, with so many famous brands in house, Eaton has decided to adopt a wholly integrated operating company with a 'branded house' encompassing all its products.
Entire power system sector addressed:
Eaton offers a complete portfolio of products for industrial power distribution, commerce and the home. These include power quality, monitoring and management control and automation products and systems, plus energy management services.
Power distribution - From a Voltimum user's perspective, Eaton's power distribution products for industrial and commercial applications are very important. These include LV and MV switchgear, distribution and panel boards, circuit breakers and enclosed switchgear. The company has also developed what it says are 'two market leading solutions' that address arc faults. The patented Arcon arc quenching system ensures that any arc flash fault is quickly extinguished, and the company's Motor Control Centres (MCCs) can include features arc-free phase-segregated busbars.
Domestic power distribution - These products cover consumer units (including 17th Edition units), circuit breakers and protective devices, smart meters, energy management products, wiring accessories and solar inverters.
Power quality and monitoring products - These include UPS for servers, networks and data centres, power distribution units (PDUs), power factor correction systems and surge protection devices. This comprehensive product range includes what is claimed to be the world's most efficient UPS (99%). Power monitoring and management products include switchboard-class power meters, power management software, protective relays and lighting control units.
Control and automation equipment - This includes LV and MV control centres, variable frequency drives, contactors and motor starters, programmable controllers, HMI units and panel wiring accessories.
Healthy power systems a must:
The company's PowerChain Solutions platform focuses on the health of entire power systems. The aim is to ensure that all of its parts are optimised and properly integrated - the system should not simply distributing power; it should do so cleanly, safely and reliably. Eaton says that, although power systems are not usually thought of as strategic assets they can, if they are managed properly, provide significant competitive advantages.
Energy management services help users minimise the energy consumption and lifecycle costs of their electrical installations. These include power quality and reliability audits, energy management audits and safety audits. Should audits reveal problems, the company can provide the required design, build and support services.
Sustainability:
Eaton is investing heavily in developing technologies for the future, including complete electrical balance of system (BOS) solutions for solar photovoltaic (solar PV) systems, targeted electrical product and service solutions for wind power, and electrical upgrade services for nuclear power. It is also active in developing highly efficient 'Smart Grid' power transmission systems.
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