SX-ARC1 - FlexLine® AFDDs - Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) (Modular DIN-Rail products) | Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs)

SX-ARC1 - FlexLine® AFDDs

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Each year over two million fires erupt all over Europe. More than one third of these due to faults in the electrical installation which prevailingly occur as a result of dangerous arc faults.

Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) reliably detect those arc faults and protect people, buildings and irreplaceable goods from electrically induced fires. By early detecting arc faults and disconnecting the affected circuit the AFDD with integrated miniature circuit breaker (MCB) offers reliable and complete protection in any type of building.

As part of the FlexLine® system, the SX-ARC1 features push-in terminals that save 50% on installation time. In addition, FlexLine® devices can be flexibly arranged in one size with the PSX busbar to save even more time and space.

Main benefits:

Reliable protection against series, parallel and earth arc faults, overvoltage (>275 V) and overcurrents
QR code printed on front, leading to product detail page with all product information.
Flexible to install SX-ARC1 with any other FlexLine® device on one DIN rail, connected with one busbar
Convenient cable insertion from front on load side
Reduced installation time by 50% with push-in technology
Easy troubleshooting of the network thanks to the LED indication after a tripping
Test push button to verify the correct functioning of the arc fault detection device
Continuous internal self-test

Main features:

1P+N in 2 modules width
Rated current up to 20 A
Breaking capacity up to 6 kA
B & C tripping characteristics

What is an arc fault and when does it occur?

The majority of fires in buildings erupt from faults in the electrical installation. These fires are mainly caused by dangerous arc faults. An AFDD (Arc Fault Detection Device) according to the product standard “IEC 62606 - General requirements for Arc Fault Detection Devices” is a device intended to mitigate the effects of arcing faults by disconnecting the circuit when an arc fault is detected. S-ARC1, SX-ARC1, and DS-ARC1 close the protection gap against arc faults and thus extends the fire protection in various types of buildings – protecting people and valuable assets against series arc faults, parallel and earth arc faults.

Series arc faults occur when a conductor is disrupted, parallel arc faults in the case of contact between phase and neutral conductors or in the case of contact between phase and protective conductors.

The most frequent causes of the development of arc faults are:

Damaged insulation, e.g. by screws or nails
Trapped cables in doors and windows
Cable breakage due to incorrect installation
UV radiation and rodent damage to cables in outdoor areas
Loose contacts and connections, for example in poorly installed switches/outlets or multiple sockets
Snapped plugs and cables, e.g. due to carelessly moved furniture

Which applications need to be protected against arc faults in particular?

Protection for people and irreplaceable goods

The global wiring regulation IEC 60364-4-42 gives advice on special measures to protect against the effects of arc faults in final circuits. According to this regulation, the use of an AFDD is strongly recommended for the following applications:

Rooms with sleeping accommodation
- Home and day care centers, nurseries
- Retirement homes, care homes and homes for the elderly
- Asylums
- Handicap-accessible areas
Locations with risks of fire due to flammable constructional materials
- Wooden buildings
- Carpentries, paper manufacturing plants, printing shops
- Gas stations
- Barns
Locations with risks of fire due to fire propagating structures
- Skyscrapers
- Combustible buildings
- Forced ventilation systems
Locations that contain irreplaceable goods
- Museums, libraries, galleries, archives or architectural monuments
- R&D centers
- Laboratories

The use of an AFDD is additionally recommended in any rooms with sleeping facilities in private apartments, houses, hospitals (does not apply for medically used areas) and hotels. This also includes places with a fire-disseminating structure, such as the chimney effect in high-rise buildings or final circuits with high connected load, e.g. dishwashers, washing machines or dryers.

FlexLine® highlights

Speed up installation thanks to our push-in technology.

Stay flexible with our flex terminals.

Save space through slim design.

Enjoy convenient installation from the front.

Speed up installation and save up to 50% of time with our push-in technology. Simply insert the cable by pushing horizontally against the opening of the load-side push-in terminal without the need for a screwdriver or any tools. The force of the spring keeps the pressure on the cable at a constant level, eliminating the need to tighten them after installation, as required by most wiring regulations.

And thanks to its push-in busbar terminals, FlexLine® busbars can be installed in a quick and time-saving way as well.

Keeping things simple, we've opted for a one-size-fits-all approach to mounting busbars. Whenever the neutral terminals are not required, our flex terminals accommodate this busbar pin without any mechanical or electrical connection.

Both the devices as well as the busbar can be supplied with cable via a dedicated screw terminal. The screw terminal is designed to allow rigid, flexible cables and flexible cables with ferrules.

All FlexLine® protection devices can be flexibly combined with only one busbar, as the phase sequence is always the same. This significantly reduces the stockkeeping.

More and more devices need to fit into one enclosure as selectivity and building automation requirements increase. With this in mind, FlexLine® has been developed to save up to 50% of the space in the consumer unit.

The FlexLine® range does not only save space due to its slim design, the double-slot terminals also allow the devices as well as the the busbar to be supplied without a feed-in module. This screw-terminal is designed in such a way that rigid, flexible cables with or without ferrules can be inserted.

Additionally, FlexLine® protection devices can be flexibly combined with one busbar in only one row thanks to their flex terminals, saving even more space.

For the smoothest installation process possible, all load-side terminals on the top have been positioned in such a way that allows horizontal cable insertion. No need to squeeze your fingers into the small gap between the rows to insert a cable - now enjoy convenient installation with more space for wiring.