R&B Switchgear Services carries out on-site and workshop refurbishment, maintenance, servicing, testing and repairs of switchgear and circuit breakers of any description.
Our workshop and test area are specifically designed to cater to the switchgear manufacturers industry, and play a major role in providing the prompt and efficient service expected by our customers throughout the UK and globally.
Marine approved-switchgear for ships and oilrig instillations
R&B Switchgear aims to provide you with a safe and reliable electrical distribution network. We design, manufacture, install and commission electrical switchgear, tailor-made to suit individual requirements.
As a company we manufacture switchgear according to Lloyds and DNV standards, and our products are approved for offshore FPSO and marine applications. In addition, we offer ASTA-certified busbars of up to 6,300A, with a 2mm welded construction. They feature front and rear cable access, and top and bottom options.
Medium-voltage switchgear
R&B Switchgear will design and build medium-voltage switchboards up to and including 24KV and a 31.5MVA fault rating capacity. Our switchboards are built with the ABB unigear enclosures, incorporating vacuum or SFC circuit breaker technology and / or motor switching devices for rotating machinery. We can also supply auto transform starting or VSD solutions for medium-voltage motors.
Low-voltage electrical switchgear
We design and manufacture low-voltage electrical switchgear solutions in a timely and cost-effective manner. By sourcing materials from a range of suppliers we can provide our customers with the best solution for their unique requirements.
Our comprehensive range of low-voltage electrical switchgear solutions includes:
- Main and sub-main boards
- Sub-distribution boards
- Changeover systems
- Multi-metering switchboards
- MCC switchboards
Low-voltage modular distribution systems
R&B Switchgear Services has a licensed partnership with Dorman Smith Switchgear for the manufacture and supply of Modis low-voltage modular distribution systems, which are specifically designed to provide ultimate flexibility.
The modular concept, coupled with an extensive range of protective devices and enclosures, allows the cost-effective design and build of distribution systems to meet the exact power expectations and space limitations of individual schemes up to 6,000A.
Power factor correction equipment
Power factor is a measure of how efficiently electrical power is consumed. Power factor monitoring and the introduction of corrective equipment can often result in significant savings.
When a system is 100% efficient, power factor is unity. If the power factor is less than unity extra power is needed to do the same work. Power factor correction (PFC) equipment returns the power factor to as close to unity as possible, reducing the burden on the supply.
Switchgear asbestos component replacement
As a major manufacturer of both AC and DC switchgear, R&B offers a comprehensive worldwide service for the maintenance of switchgear, circuit breakers and all ancillary equipment, such as voltage transformers and earth switches.
Prior to 1984 most air circuit breakers contained substantial components manufactured with cementite asbestos. As a result of changes in legislation regarding the acceptability of asbestos in the environment, R&B Switchgear has developed a service which removes, safely disposes and replaces cementite asbestos from items of switchgear and circuit breakers.
Circuit breaker maintenance and repair
R&B engineers are trained on all aspects of electrical switchgear, from the routine maintenance and repair of the mechanical aspect of the equipment to the periodic testing of the protection systems and associated relays.
The circuit breaker maintenance and repair service includes:
- Complete analysis of medium-voltage circuit breakers
- SF6 gas leak detection using highly sensitive leak detection equipment
- Contact resistance measurement
- Insulation resistance measurement
- High-voltage DC impulse testing
- Vacuum chamber inspections
- Correct mechanism operation
Thermal imaging of switchboards
Thermal imaging has established itself as a useful preventative maintenance technique in the electrical industry. The technique includes measurement of actual temperatures of apparatus during normal operating conditions to evaluate whether the equipment is operating within its temperature range or whether an underlying fault is present.
For installations on high voltage, R&B Switchgear manufactures and supplies a viewing window that can be fitted to strategic positions on a switchboard giving the camera access to cable joints and busbar connections that couldn’t usually be viewed without the removal of panels and doors.
Retrofit services for ACBs
For customers who have any Merlin Gerin ACBs of types DA or Masterpact M in any configuration, either 3 pole or 4 pole with horizontal or vertical connections, R&B can retrofit these units and replace them with the current range of ACBs from the Schneider Masterpact NW and NT range of ACBs.
We have developed the full range of rear connections to allow the replacement of any of the heritage range to the current range without the need for any on-site busbar modifications.
These connections are supplied along with the ACB, cosmetic and insulation barriers to achieve a safe and well-engineered solution to the replacement of these old types of ACBs into existing switchboards on marine, offshore and industrial installations.
