What Are Ground Bars Made of?

Ground bars are manufactured in a number of different materials and can be custom created to meet customer specifications. They materials that are used for the ground bar determines the type of location in which it should be used. Corrosion resistant equipment is best used in outdoor locations or areas where rusting poses a problem. Other customizations are possible, but the materials that are used for the equipment is generally that which is most often custom.

A ground bar plays an important role in the safe conduct of electricity. The bars work by creating what is known as an equipotential plane that acts as a buffer and a protective agent between the equipment and the people working on the electrical equipment. These are essential components to keep everyone safe. They come in standard sizes and depending on the requirement of the customers, can be customized as well.

Materials of Ground Bars

Ground bars come in a variety of materials, like tin, tin plated, copper, steel and at times a mix of steel and copper. Out of these varieties, the tin plated bars and the copper bars are the ones most commonly used. Tin plated bars, also called grounding bars, can be best suited for outdoor environments since they have a reduced vulnerability to corrosion and rust. The copper grounding bars are also very effective in terms of corrosion resistance and are used widely.

These bars are generally used in the telecom industry and function as a central point for grounding the equipment. This means that with the use of grounding bars, one gets a handy and one-point bonding or grounding site.

Why are Ground Bars so Important?

Ground bars work by equalizing electrical current and therefore provide the necessary factor of safety. They are essentially electrical connections that whisk away excess electrical currents that may pass through the equipment or the environment that personnel work in. They achieve this task by the fact that they are grounded to the earth and are able to divert the excess energy into the ground. They help protect the people and the equipment.

The bars function as a bonding product and with their equipotential plane, deliver almost zero differential which acts as a shield to those working in high voltage environments. It is recommended to choose ground bars that have been certified by the various quality standards or government departments. For instance, choosing bars that have the ISO 9001 certification is a safer bet than bars that have not been certified.

Most companies will give the customer the option of choosing the combination of bars and parts that work the best for this installation or work. The requirement of grounding bars can be decided based on the project and the use of the bars. Various permutations and combinations of materials, configuration and size are possible with manufacturers of bars. Thus, one can get bars with and without holes and different hole patterns as well.