When a conductor carries current, it heats up. The amount of heating depends on the size of the conductor, its material, and the amount of current passing through it. The busbar support holding the conductor must not be adversely affected by this heating.

The thermal limits are set out in the IEC 61439 series of standards. These limits are based on the maximum temperature that the conductor may reach. To ensure that the busbar support is not a limiting factor in the performance of the assembly, Termate’s glass-reinforced polyamide busbar supports meet these requirements, with the material being assigned Thermal Class F using methods similar to those specified in IEC 60085.

Busbar supports installed within enclosures are not typically subjected to extreme weather conditions. However, it is important to ensure that the material from which the supports are manufactured provides a Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) suitable for the intended application. These environmental conditions are classified within the standards according to pollution degree.