Press Release

Moeller’s Automatic Resetting Device for Circuit Breakers Increases Plant Efficiency

[picture of FIP XFSM module] Moeller Electric has developed a new remote switching module the FAX-FIP-XFSM, which helps users to significantly increase the reliability, and as a result the efficiency, of their systems.

The device has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of industrial and building applications with the highest demands for availability and safety, such as pumping stations, monitoring systems, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment in automatic production operations. Fitted to Moeller's FAZ miniature circuit-breakers and FIP residual-current circuit-breakers, the XFSM modules facilitate automatic restarting as well as local and remote switching.

In a great many industrial applications an uninterruptible power supply is an essential requirement because any disconnection in supply could cause expensive damage to equipment and lead to potentially hazardous situations. Reliability can easily be affected even by the briefest external influences, particularly where residual-current protection is installed. The XFSM is the ideal device to automatically check whether or not a disconnection has been caused by a continuing fault. It carries out a predetermined number of automatic restart attempts. Thus, operational continuity can quickly be restored, where the failure was just a 'blip', removing the need to keep "a man on site" together with the associated time and money costs.

Connected to a PLC module or Moeller's Easy control relay, the XFSM allows the user to easily control what should happen after a fault occurs. In the case of a continuous fault current the FIP trips out immediately and at each attempted restart remaining in the Off position after the final one. Then the remote switching module generates an alarm. In conjunction with the FIP-XPM test module the remote switching module can additionally be used for remote testing of residual-current protection devices according to the Standard.

For security purposes XFSM modules can be mechanically interlocked and sealed. LEDs indicate the operational and alarm status.

The mechanical switching capacity of the unit is up to 80A for four pole RCDs, providing a mechanical/electrical lifespan of 10,000 switching operations. Fed with a rated operating voltage of either 24–400V AC or 24–80V DC, power consumption is 5W. Users have the choice of operating the module in a number of different modes: stand-alone, remote control, and remote control plus a specific number of automatic reset attempts after a fault. The rated voltage for the control inputs varies between 24 and 230V AC/DC, while the relay output for a tripping test is 400V AC. XFSM modules provide a terminal capacity of either 2 × 1.5mm² or 1 × 2.5mm².

The FAX-FIP-XFSM is part of Moeller's extensive range of miniature circuit breakers. Offering types with B, C, D, S and R characteristics Moeller has an MCB for virtually every application around the world, from cable and device protection to the protection of complex control circuits.

This page last updated: 8 September 2001