electrical insulation

Dependable Emergency Lighting Relies on Insulation Solutions From Fabrico

Since 1973, Barron Lighting Group has provided commercial and industrial customers with emergency lighting based on innovative technologies and environmentally friendly designs, supported by exceptional service. LED technology has been the cornerstone of the Barron Lighting Group. The combination of energy efficiency and maintenance-free operation helps Barron Lighting Group to provide their customers with reliable lighting, cost savings, and high performance. Emergency lighting, as well as exit sign applications, demand durability and reliability. Barron Lighting uses the latest LED technology, plus advanced designs and materials to ensure that they exceed customer specifications. Insulation Challenge As part of the design of their LED exit signs and emergency lighting units, Barron Lighting Group uses advanced electrical insulation material. Depending on certain criteria, the insulation is required to keep the circuit board in a unit fully insulated, separating the high voltage area from the low voltage area. In one particular application, Barron Lighting Group was looking for an insulated box that would totally enclose their lighting circuit boards, yet still provide easy access to the wire terminals and a 120V/277V dip switch setting. In addition, the box needed an interlocking mechanism that would make installation easy, and allow for operation and warning information to be printed on it. Barron Lighting Group had a design in mind, but was looking for a company to help with the selection of the insulation material, fabrication of the box, and the development of interlocking features that would keep the box sturdy, but open for interconnections.

Baron Lighting Group uses LED technology to provide energy-efficient and maintenance-free emergency and exit lighting for industrial companies.

www.fabrico.com

Selecting the Right Material As an experienced converter, Fabrico investigated and tested a number of materials that would meet Barron Lighting Groups specifications. After testing, Formex from ITW was selected. Formex is a flexible polypropylene electrical insulation material. Cleavage It is often used to provide protection for sensitive Load electronic components and serve as a barrier to prevent unintended contact between circuit boards and housings, or between circuit boards themselves. In addition, it can be used inside electronic devices or components for air flow baffles, wire and cable harnesses, and EMI/RFI shielding. Formex has high dielectric strength (1460V/mil @ 17 mil thick), low moisture absorption (<0.1%), and UL 94V-0 flame class rating. These characteristics make it an excellent, lightweight insulating material that meets safety and environmental standards. In addition, Formex lends itself to fabrication into different shapes. Its flexible polypropylene composition allows for die-cutting, scoring, and folding into three-dimensional shapes that retain their form. It can also be embossed or printed to display product identification, part numbers, safety information, or technical specifications. In-house Test Lab Fabrico conducted extensive tests on materials before suggesting Formex for Barron Lighting Groups application. Its in-house lab can test for: Temperature resistance Performance at upper temperature limits Shear, tensile, and peel strength Outgassing Dielectric strength and electrical conductivity Thermal conductivity Slitting widths and tolerances

Barron Lighting Group required an insulation box that isolated the high voltage from the low voltage area, but was open for connections.

Developing an Effective Insulation Box Fabrico die-cut Formex to Barron Lighting Groups specifications. This included a box shape as well as tabs to secure the box and keep it closed. Fabrico offers a range of die-cutting capabilities including state-of-the-art laser cutting, rotary die-cutting, water jet cutting, and die-less cutting. Die-cutting is performed to extremely tight tolerances with exceptionally high repeatability, making it ideal for long production runs for complex, multi-layer die-cutting and lamination. Tolerances can range from +/-0.015 +/-0.005, at speeds up to 500 fpm. Electronic web tension control ensures precise registration. Material thicknesses can range from 0.001 0.015, with widths up to 13". There is no limit to the length of sheeted materials, and the maximum length for individual die-cut parts is 22". After die-cutting, the Formex boxes are printed with warning and voltage information. Fabrico provides from one- to four-color printing capabilities on a wide range of materials, including Formex. After printing, the boxes are scored for easy folding during assembly, and shipped flat to Barron Lighting Group.

Fabrico has a state-of-the-art Aquaflex ELS 2200 13 multi-color press located at its Kennesaw, Georgia facility. The Aquaflex system handles a wide variety of substrate materials, including laminates, tapes, foams, and pressuresensitive custom labels, and can be positioned in line with other processes, such as laminating and die-cutting, for multi-step applications. Additionally, Fabricos printing machines are both Mac- and PC-compatible, and accept all standard printing applications. The Aquaflex supports four-color process or four matched colors using water-based or UV-cured ink. Two-sided printing is also available. Fabrico offers custom finishing options, including products delivered in roll or sheet-and-stack form. The design of the insulation box for Barron Lighting Group allows for fast, easy, and safe installation. The open sides provide access to all the electrical connections, and there is a cut-out for access to a voltage dip switch. Working with an Experienced Converter As an experienced converter, Fabrico can: Analyze the application for materials and adhesive requirements; Suggest materials and adhesives and suppliers; Test the materials and adhesives; Develop prototypes for customer testing; Provide design-for-manufacturability. Fabrico offers full integration with the customers engineering, including 2D and 3D CAD design capabilities, integration of the customers electronic drawings, and rapid prototyping capabilities for thorough design vetting before manufacturing. For conductive films and tapes, Fabrico offers precision die-cutting using rotary or laser technology, plus water jet cutting and die-less cutting. In addition, precision slitting and rewinding, laminating, and printing are also critical capabilities.
ITW Formex is a flexible electrical insulation material that lends itself to fabrication into different shapes.

For liquids, Fabrico provides packaging/repackaging to fit the customers manufacturing process, including: Tubes, cartridges, cans, and bottles; Single- and dual-component cartridges; Custom blending of fluids, fillers, and solvents; Precise pre-mix, pore-measure, and air-free materials; Liquid dispensing systems; Dispensing and curing equipment and supplies; Assembling, kitting, and custom packaging. Fabrico engages in ongoing materials and adhesives research to discover new solutions for customer applications. A Competitive Advantage The insulation box has been a success for Barron Lighting Group, assuring that the circuit board is completely protected, and the design has proven to be easy for production personnel to install. Keeping it simple has minimized the production time required. Having this insulation box gives Barron Lighting Group a competitive advantage in their industry.

After die-cutting the insulation boxes are printed with warning and voltage information.

About Fabrico Fabricos materials converting capabilities include: custom design solutions for applications that require slitting, laminating, and die-cutting. Laser die-cutting, kiss-cutting, and water jet cutting are available depending on the application and materials being used. With more than 30 years of materials experience, Fabrico engineers also understand the impact of a material selection on the overall manufacturing process, and design material systems that optimize production efficiency and improve overall cost-effectiveness.

Material Partners Fabrico has strategic relationships with world-class materials suppliers, such as 3M, Loctite, Adhesives Research, DuPont, ITW Formex, and others, to assist its customers in selecting the best material for the intended use and to expedite materials sourcing. Whether adhesive films or liquid, all critical material properties are considered in any Fabrico project, including chemical, thermal, and moisture resistance.

Fabrico Headquarters 4175 Royal Drive, Suite 800, Kennesaw, GA 30144 Phone: 678-202-2700 | Fax: 678-202-2702 Toll Free: 800-351-8273 | E-mail: info@fabrico.com

www.fabrico.com
Fabrico is a trademark of EIS, Inc.; ITW Formex is a trademark of ITW Corporation.