RIVERSIDE, Calif., May 31, 2017 - Bourns, Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of electronic components, today announced that Phoenix Contact, a leader in the development of future-oriented components, systems, and solutions, has selected the Bourns® Model 2017 Series FLAT® GDT for its TERMITRAB Complete product, which Phoenix Contact boasts is the world's thinnest surge protection device (SPD). The space and volume-saving breakthroughs made in the Bourns® FLAT® GDT design are a major contributing factor that enabled Phoenix Contact to significantly reduce the size and profile of its latest SPD to a mere 3.5 mm wide.
Phoenix Contact designed its TERMITRAB Complete SPD to meet the higher density needs of today's wide range of signals transmitted in measurement, control and regulation (MCR) systems. Using Phoenix Contact's innovative "push-in" connection technology, and integrating slimmer profile components such as the Bourns® FLAT® GDT, TERMITRAB Complete can support up to 572 MCR signals per meter. Developed for design flexibility, customers can choose the TERMITRAB Complete version that best meets their application needs – from simple, ultra-narrow protective devices to products with testable protective plugs, signaling, and optional remote signaling modules. It provides a complete low voltage system that offers multiple advantages including a status indicator and optional remote signaling enabling optimal protection.
Based on Bourns' innovative flat package and horizontal circuitry, FLAT® GDTs offer a superior overvoltage protection solution for sensitive, high density and space-restricted applications such as Phoenix Contact's SPD solution. The Bourns® Model 2017 Series delivers a 75% savings in volume, and supports twice the number of GDTs on the same board as compared to standard 8 mm Bourns® GDTs when vertically mounted. Bourns® FLAT® GDTs maintain the key features and critical protection benefits of conventional GDT technology. Offering robust isolation and current-handling overvoltage protection capabilities, Bourns® FLAT® GDTs deliver superior surge current ratings, low leakage and insertion loss with constant capacitance regardless of voltage.
"With the help of Bourns® FLAT® GDTs, we were able to cut the space requirements for surge protection in half while saving costs for our customers from smaller control cabinets that also help them gain valuable installation space for system planning," said Christian Birkholz, Head of R&D Surge Protection at Phoenix Contact. "Our latest TERMITRAB Complete SPD protects today's increasingly sensitive MCR applications while also satisfying their crucial high availability requirements."
"Bourns engineered our FLAT® GDTs as a direct result of listening to our customers to learn what value-added solutions they need to solve challenging design issues. We are gratified that the innovative characteristics of our FLAT® GDT products addressed the critical requirements of the Phoenix Contact SPD design. Bourns is pleased to be a part of their advanced and exciting new TERMITRAB Complete product," said Craig Shipley, vice president and general manager of the Communications Division at Bourns, Inc.
About Phoenix Contact
Phoenix Contact is a globally present, Germany-based market leader. Our group is synonym for future-oriented components, systems, and solutions in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics, and automation. A global network across more than 50 countries, and 15,000 employees ensure a close proximity to our customers, which we believe is particularly important. The wide variety of our innovative products makes it easy for our customers to find solutions for different applications and industries. We especially focus on the fields of energy, infrastructure, process and factory automation, as well as digitalization.