Is it possible to protect your industrial electronics from lightning damage?  Often

Is the lightning damage to electronics repairable?  Sometimes.

So far there is no equipment, technology or method that can change the weather to prevent the occurrence of Lightning. Buildings, devices, wiring and humans or animals can be damaged by lightning no matter whether it strikes directly or indirectly.

Packing up to 100 million volts of electricity, lightning’s destructive electricity can explode brick, ignite roofs, sidewalls, or framing, and cause operational breakdown and degradation that induces harmful electrical surges that can destroy installations and assets. To prevent this kind of damage to a structure, a complete lightning protection system is the best way to dissipate the dangerous electrical discharge. This system is different than the surge protectors you plug in for computers and other electronics. Surge protectors will not protect your equipment from a lightning strike, only against electrical line surges.

The total impact on businesses increases further still when considering the costs of a lightning damage to small and medium sized businesses. 

Interesting Facts about thunderstorms

• A bolt of lightning lasts on average for about one 10,000th of a second but could light a 100 Watt light bulb for three months
• Lightning travels through the air at around 270,000 mph – that’s around 75 miles every second
• Lightning travels between clouds
• Lightning can strike without rain
• Lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun reaching temperatures of around 30,000 °C
• The island of Java is the most thundery place on earth with 220 days of thunderstorms every year.
• Lightning damage can be prevented

Increasing risk is what really distinguishes lightning strikes from other causes of infrastructure failure. However, today, lightning related failures are almost completely preventable. Technologies available today allow any facility, structure, or operation can be protected from loss in the event of a lightning strike. LEC’s Dissipation Array System helped Turner Broadcasting reduce electronic system maintenance by over 85%.

Our 3 practical steps improve protection against lightning damage:

• Comprehensive risk assessment
• Protection-level based design
• Comprehensive design

Conclusion

Preventing Lightning Damage ahead of time gives you the best chance of reducing unnecessary costs down the road. Solutions are available with us to provide lightning protection for buildings and facilities. 

Contact LEC expert for more information.