Insulation tester SM-LC series

leakagesafetyelectrical safety

Overview
Leakage currents can occur due to insulation faults and may pose a risk to operators or users of electrical equipment. Measuring leakage currents is a key safety step during product development and final inspection, especially in the medical sector. Leakage current testers detect potential hazards and help ensure compliance with applicable standards.

Elution Software & Test Procedure
Leakage current testers combined with the Elution Software provide a range of measurement and switching options to analyse and evaluate fault sources. Warm-up phases of the device under test can be taken into account. Comprehensive logging via the Elution Software enables full documentation of setpoints and measured values. Real-time pass/fail statistics support targeted fault analysis and quality improvement.

Measurement Principle / Test Conditions
Leakage current testing determines the current that would flow through a person in the event of a fault (e.g. interruption of the protective earth on class I devices or insulation fault on class II devices). The device under test is operated under normal conditions with an increased voltage (factor 1.06–1.1). Test types can simulate swapping L and N (test types A1, A2) or phase loss in three-phase equipment. To prevent false readings, an earth-free supply or isolated placement of the DUT must be observed. Depending on the switching method, accessible metal parts of the DUT may be at voltage during the test; appropriate safety measures are required.

Measured Values and Requirements
Standards require the determination of various leakage current parameters depending on the application: RMS, mean, peak or AC component. The required measurement bandwidth is typically up to 1 MHz.

Examples of devices / modules on this page

• Leakage current tester 1-phase SM-LC1P-0-ZRM — leakage current ranges: 0.1 mA / 1 mA / 10 mA
• Leakage current tester 3-phase SM-LC3P-0-ZRM — leakage current ranges: 0.1 mA / 1 mA / 10 mA
• Supply module, 1-phase (earth-bonded) — mains voltage: up to 280 V / 15 A (earth-bonded) (example supply module)
• Supply module, 1-phase (earth-free) — voltage range: approx. 50 … 280 V / 5 A (earth-free) (example supply module)

Integration and Documentation
The combination of tester, supply modules and the Elution Software allows numerous switching and measurement variants, automatic logging, statistical evaluation (pass/fail) and thus reproducible test procedures that are relevant for type tests and recurring inspections.

Technical characteristics / specifications

• Measurement bandwidth: up to 1 MHz (requirement from standards)
• Measurement types: RMS, mean, peak, AC component (depending on standard and measurement task)
• Measurement ranges (example devices): 0.1 mA / 1 mA / 10 mA
• Supply options: earth-bonded and earth-free supply (different models/modules for 1- and 3-phase input)
• Software support: Elution Software for logging, documentation, pass/fail statistics and advanced measurement/switching functions
• Safety aspects: isolated test setup or earth-free supply necessary; in certain switching configurations accessible metal parts may be live