Case Study: Global Auto Manufacturing Company achieves safer arc-flash protection with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL)

Safer by Design Protecting Industrial Personnel and Equipment From Arc-Flash Hazards

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) worked with Global Auto Manufacturing Company, a global vehicle manufacturer expanding its U.S. plant to add a new model line and improve manufacturing flexibility. The company’s senior electrical engineer wanted to go beyond standard arc-flash precautions and create a safer electrical system for annual maintenance and other high-risk tasks, where workers faced hazards from energized equipment and unfamiliar, nonroutine procedures.

SEL implemented an arc-flash mitigation and control solution built around SEL-751A Feeder Protection Relays, an SEL-3555 Real-Time Automation Controller, SEL-735 Meters, an SEL-387 Current Differential Relay, and an SEL-2407 Satellite-Synchronized Clock. Using communications-assisted tripping and fiber-optic networking, the system reduced arc-flash clearing time to about 10 milliseconds, removed personnel from in front of switchgear through remote control, and cut wiring complexity from 110 copper wires to 11 fiber-optic cables. SEL also helped the company modernize its 20-year-old switchgear with a safer, more reliable, and maintenance-friendly design.