Electrical substations depend on materials that can provide both structural support and electrical insulation in demanding environments. Piedmont Engineering Grade® (PEG) Insulating Panel is designed to meet these requirements, serving as a reliable industrial laminate material for mounting and supporting electrical components within substations.
Tim Reichard, Industrial Market Manager at Piedmont Plastics, answers common questions about PEG Insulating Panel, its properties, applications, and what distinguishes it from standard phenolic materials.
Q: What is Piedmont Engineering Grade (PEG) Insulating Panel?
Piedmont Engineering Grade (PEG) Insulating Panel is a specialized XXX-grade paper phenolic laminate used in electrical substations. It serves primarily as an insulating panel for junction boxes and doors, capacitor banks, switchgear, terminal blocks, busbar supports/insulators, and many other instruments that require a rigid and tough electrically insulative mounting panel material.
Q: What are the benefits of PEG Insulating Panel?
PEG Insulating Panel offers a combination of electrical, mechanical, and ease of fabrication properties that make it particularly useful for substation applications. One of its primary advantages is its high dielectric strength, which helps resist the flow of electrical current.
PEG insulating panel also provides excellent moisture resistance and dimensional stability. It experiences minimal expansion and contraction, helping components and mounting points remain properly positioned as environmental conditions change.
Its high rigidity provides structural support under load, while its machinability makes the material easy to rout, drill, and tap. The material maintains its dimensional stability during fabrication, allowing manufacturers to create precise holes and mounting points for electrical components.
Q: Which certifications does PEG Insulating Panel meet?
PEG Insulating Panel meets several industry specifications associated with XXX-grade electrical insulating laminates, including:
ASTM D709 Type I Grade XXX
ANSI/NEMA Grade XXX
MIL-I-24768/10 Type PBE
NEMA LI 1-1998 Grade XXX
These specifications establish requirements for the material's construction and performance, helping ensure it is suitable for electrical insulating applications.
Q: What sets PEG Insulating Panel apart from standard XXX phenolic?
First, PEG Insulating panel material is made in the U.S. and is routinely tested for compliance with NEMA and ASTM standards.
Not all XXX-grade phenolic materials are manufactured the same way. A key distinction of PEG Insulating Panel is the special grade of paper used in its construction. Paper based phenolic laminates are produced by impregnating layers of paper with phenolic resin and bonding them together under heat and pressure. The quality and characteristics of that paper can influence the performance of the finished laminate.
Additionally, PEG Insulating Panel uses a higher-grade paper specifically selected to meet the material requirements associated with its NEMA grade. This composition differentiates it from more general-purpose XXX phenolic materials that may use a standard paper construction.
Q: How does PEG Insulating Panel support power generation applications?
Electrical infrastructure and power generation represent growing areas of opportunity as utilities, data centers, manufacturers, and other facilities expand and modernize their electrical systems.
Piedmont Plastics supports these applications with performance materials designed for electrical insulation, equipment construction, and infrastructure. In addition to PEG Insulating Panel for substations, these solutions include materials such as GPO-3 electrical-grade laminate and twinwall polycarbonate for data center aisle containment.
By supplying specialized materials for substations, electrical equipment, data centers, and related infrastructure, Piedmont helps manufacturers and fabricators find material solutions suited to the evolving needs of the power generation and distribution market.
Learn More About PEG Insulating Panel
Piedmont Plastics can help customers identify the right materials for electrical and power generation applications along with providing fabrication services, including cut-to-size options, to support specific project requirements. Contact your local branch to learn more about PEG Insulating Panel as well as other material solutions for electrical and power generation applications!
