An electrical switch room is essential for numerous industrial projects in sectors such as mining and gas and oil. These provide indispensable housing and protection for switching gear, control panels and other sensitive electrical equipment. If you are thinking of investing in a switchroom, you will have to make a choice between ready-made and custom solution. The former is cheaper and convenient for most standard applications. However, when you choose a custom-built switch room, you will have a solution that covers your exact requirements. Here are some critical features to consider incorporating in your potential switchroom.
Modular Construction
You should consider purchasing a switch room which is constructed as a modular structure. Basically, this means that the building will be made of multiple units which will be assembled together to form the structure. The switchroom parts will be engineered in a factory and delivered to the worksite as volumetric components of the structure. This mode of construction is ideal because minimal time will be wasted in setting up the structure for use. For example, removable wall panels mean that the electrical equipment can be easily installed or removed. Moreover, the switch room can easily be disassembled and moved to another site once the pertinent project is completed.
Seismic Ratings
Seismic related to natural earthquakes as well as the artificial vibrations that occur in the earth's crust. When designing a switchroom, it is important to consider the seismic rating of the structure or its ability to withstand earthquakes and general vibrations. You should ensure that the structure has a good rating because most operations like mining which require switchrooms use equipment and techniques that cause significant ground disturbance. In addition, it is prudent to have a structure with good wind and cyclone ratings, particularly for projects in adverse environments.
Fire Protection System
You should make certain that your custom-built switch room has an efficient fire protection system. The space is used to house high voltage equipment, so you should ensure that you are prepared for an accidental electrical fire. Ideally, there should be an advanced fire detection system so that the occurrence will be detected quickly. Additionally, an efficient fire suppression module should be available. A suitable module should be compatible with electrical equipment. For example, you can choose an extinguishing design which uses oxygen reduction or gaseous suppression.
There are other numerous and beneficial features to consider incorporating into a custom switchroom, including cable management systems, advanced air conditioning and pressurisation systems. Therefore, discuss your options with your power equipment supplier for the best switchroom.
