SILGLASS

INSULATORS · SOLUTIONS

The smaRTValue solution

Silicone-coated insulators offer an excellent alternative which guarantees optimum performance for high voltage overhead lines in areas with heavy pollution. They minimise leaking currents and thereby reduce operation and maintenance costs.

In extremely polluted areas, cleaning/ washing insulators is very needed to avoid the risk of flashover produced by the pollution particles (chemicals, salt, cement, etc.). It is estimated that the cost of maintenance of the insulators mean to be a 97% of the real cost of the product, in respect to the 3% that would mean the acquisition costs.

Our silicone suppliers have proven experience and guarantee the highest quality. The product used to coat the insulators is Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV) silicone which contains mineral fillers embedded in the silicone itself. SILGLASS insulators are made using Si-COAT RTV Silicone HVIC Technologies by CSL Silicones Inc. This silicone increases the hydrophobic nature of the insulator’s surface, with a Lotus Leaf effect, thereby improving its performance in polluted areas. Furthermore, the fillers absorb the energy of any possible electric arcs and serve to protect the integrity of the coating.

With the silicone coat, as they eliminate the need to regularly clean glass insulators whilst still maintaining the mechanical reliability that glass suspension insulators have demonstrated over the years, we combine the benefits of glass and benefits of silicone coating.

In short, silicone-coated insulators were created by bringing together suspension insulator technology and high performance silicone and, as a result, they offer mechanical reliability together with excellent performance against pollution.

The SmaRTValue solution

Silicone quality is one of the fundamental parameters to guarantee the good performance of the insulators over the years in service in the extreme conditions of pollution to which it will be subjected.

Hydrophobicity (one of the most important characteristic of the silicone material) is a measure of its intrinsic resistance to water flowing along its surface. An important requirement of a quality silicone is a good level of hydrophobicity but also its dynamic hydrophobicity properties: retention of the hydrophobicity and hydrophobicity transfer.

The characteristics of the silicone are controlled during the homologation process, as well as in the reception controls preceding its use. Some of the tests carried out include the following:

Tensile strength at break (acc. ISO 37)

Tear Strength (acc. ISO 34-1)

Density (liquid state) (acc. ISO 1183)

Density (solid state) (acc. ISO 2781 / CIGRE TB 837)

FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) (acc. ASTM E168/ASTM E1252)

TGA (Thermo gravimetric analysis) (acc. ISO 9924-3)

Soxhlet test (Level of LMW) (acc. ISO 1407)

Dissipation factor (Tan δ) (acc. ASTM D150 / IEC 60250 / IEC 62631-2-1)

Permittivity (ε) (acc. IEC 62631-2-1 / ASTM D257)

Resistivity (ρ) (acc. IEC 62631-2-1 / ASTM D257)

Arc resistance (according to ISO 37)

Hydrophobicity transfer test (acc. to IEC 62039)

Half-coated & full coated insulators.

In the case of full coated, the glass is completely covered, both the internal and external surface.
In the case of half-coated, the inner ribs of the insulator are covered, leaving the outer part of the piece as a regular glass insulator.
Depending on the particular conditions, our experts will assist you in the selection of the best solution.

Silicone application

The inherent characteristics of an industrial process and the quality and process controls done in LGI exceed far beyond the most demanding requirements of the RTV silicone application guide. Our silicone application is performed in-house in order to control the complete process. This guarantees maximum quality, thanks to the following steps:

Exhaustive cleaning of the insulator before silicone application.
Thickness control (homogeneity of the layer)
Controlled and stable atmospheric conditions during application.
Fully automated application
Quality control of the process
Quality control of the final product

polluted envionments

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Proyectos de I+D financiados por el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) de la Unión Europea y la Junta de Castilla y León, a través del Instituto para la Competitividad Empresarial de Castilla y León.