IBS Electronics

Circuit Protection Products

Surge Arresters

IBS Electronics offers a broad range of surge protection from industry leading manufacturers. IBS’s product line provides power protection, environmental control and site monitoring products that are designed to proactively identify and correct problems before downtime occurs.

IBS Electronics has developed relationships with several key manufactures in the industry becoming their franchised distributors. Some of these manufacturers include Sankosha, Maida, Littlefuse, Iskra.

These items can be found at our IBS Store or by selecting one of the manufacturers below for Product Information and Request for Quote.

Sankosha

For over 75 years, they have developed and manufactured the Ceramic Gas Tube Surge Arrester (Gas Discharge Tube or GDT). Sankosha gas tube arresters protect personnel, equipment and circuitry from abnormally high voltages caused by lightning or electrical transients. Their surge protection devices have well defined surge-limiting characteristics enabling them to spark over (or breakdown) when the abnormal voltage on a line reaches a specific level. When sparkover occurs in the GDT, the surge is redirected to earth. Sankosha’s gas tube arrestors are known for their quality.

Maida

Component products manufactured by Maida cover a wide range of uses and industries. Maida’s zinc oxide varistors are used in many applications that require protection against high voltage transients induced on power lines by nearby lightning strikes or suppression of transients caused by switching inductive loads from industrial equipment, transformers, relays and coils. Common applications include ground fault interrupters, specialty high voltage power supplies, telecommunication equipment, computer and computer-related products, motor control systems, cable TV systems, and AC smoke detectors, plus many special applications. Custom design and fabrication of ceramic components for specific customer requirements are also available from Maida.

Maida Surge Protection Devices are designed to compete with Littlefuse LSP05 and LSP10 product lines. There are various differences between the Maida Surge Protection Devices and the Littlefuse modules such as: lmax, ln, MCOV. Mounting is another difference as the Littlefuse modules are rectangular and Maida Surge Protection Devices are cylindrical.

Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every market that uses electrical energy, from consumer electronics to automobiles, commercial vehicles and industrial equipment. Their history of innovation, proven technical expertise and the industry’s broadest and deepest portfolio of circuit protection products enable them to provide objective, comprehensive solutions for each customer’s unique needs

Iskra Zašcite is one of Europe’s and world´s leading manufacturer of SURGE PROTECTIVE DEVICES for a variety of systems. It takes pride in its extensive coverage of products for the protection of electrical and electronic devices in the industry, commercial buildings, homes and utilities.

Main Products and Services

Europe’s manufacturer of Surge protective devices (SPD) for:

• Low Voltage power lines
• Signalling Networks
• Telecommunication and subscriber lines
• Power quality (PQ) solutions adapted to niche application needs with complementary products.
• Energy management (EM) software and communication services, powered by Solvera Lynx.

In addition to our franchise lines we actively stock and order parts from the following manufacturers:

Surge Arresters

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Circuit-protection components are essential elements in electronic circuits designed to prevent damage caused by overcurrent, overvoltage, and other electrical faults. These components safeguard electronic devices and systems by limiting or redirecting excessive electrical energy. Here are some common circuit-protection components:

  1. Fuses:

    • Function: Fuses protect circuits by interrupting the flow of current when it exceeds a specified value.
    • How They Work: Fuses consist of a wire or element that melts when the current surpasses a predetermined level, breaking the circuit and preventing damage.
    • Types: Fast-acting, slow-blow, resettable (PTC), and automotive blade fuses are common types.

  2. Circuit Breakers:

    • Function: Similar to fuses, circuit breakers protect against overcurrent but can be reset manually or automatically after tripping.
    • How They Work: Circuit breakers use a switch mechanism to interrupt the current flow when a fault is detected.
    • Types: Thermal, magnetic, and combination (thermal-magnetic) circuit breakers are common.

  3. Surge Protectors:

    • Function: Surge protectors guard against voltage spikes or surges, commonly caused by lightning or electrical grid fluctuations.
    • How They Work: Surge protectors divert excess voltage to a grounding wire, protecting connected devices.
    • Types: Power strips with surge protection, plug-in surge protectors, and whole-house surge protectors.

  4. Varistors (MOV - Metal Oxide Varistors):

    • Function: Varistors absorb and dissipate excess voltage to protect sensitive electronic components.
    • How They Work: Varistors are nonlinear resistors that conduct current when voltage exceeds a certain threshold, providing a low-resistance path to divert the excess energy.
    • Applications: Commonly used in power supplies and electronic equipment.

  5. TVS Diodes (Transient Voltage Suppressor Diodes):

    • Function: TVS diodes protect against transient voltage spikes and surges.
    • How They Work: TVS diodes conduct when a voltage spike occurs, providing a low-resistance path to divert the surge away from sensitive components.
    • Applications: Used in electronic circuits, communication systems, and data lines.

  6. Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient (PPTC) Devices:

    • Function: PPTC devices, also known as resettable fuses, protect against overcurrent by limiting current flow.
    • How They Work: PPTC devices have a polymer material that exhibits a sharp increase in resistance when heated by overcurrent, limiting the current flow.
    • Applications: Commonly used in electronic circuits and battery protection.

  7. Gas Discharge Tubes (GDT):

    • Function: GDTs protect against overvoltage by providing a low-resistance path when voltage exceeds a certain threshold.
    • How They Work: GDTs contain a gas that ionizes at a specific voltage, creating a conductive path and diverting the excess energy.
    • Applications: Used in telecommunications, power distribution, and surge protection.

These circuit-protection components are crucial for ensuring the reliability and longevity of electronic devices and systems by preventing damage from electrical faults. The selection of specific components depends on the application, required protection level, and the characteristics of the circuits being safeguarded.