FRP IN ELECTRICAL APPLICATIONS
Fibre-reinforced plastic or FRP is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The primary purpose of FRP is to carry load along the length of the fibre and to provide strength and stiffness in one direction. Today they are being increasingly finding applications across aerospace, automotive, marine and construction industries. FRP being light weight helps in easy transportation, installation and maintenance. It also gives flexibility in terms of designing. FRP has greater flexural strength as compared to wood and is often powerful than steel and aluminium in a lengthwise direction. Over the years, FRP has become a material of choice for industrial applications across the segments. FRP products are preferred over wood, steel and concrete poles majorly being durable, lightweight and corrosion resistance. The other advantages of using FRP include fire retardant and easy transportation. Also FRP is a lightweight panel therefore it is easy to install. Advantages of FRP in electric utility Today FRP is widely used in the electric utility industry because of their superior strength-to-weight ratio, high die-electric strength, non-conductivity, low maintenance, cost effective, UV resistance, rot resistance, impact resistance, and flame retardant attributes. FRP's electrical applications FRP has proven itself to be excellent choice of material for electrical applications. Electric utilities across the globe are exploring new opportunities in the application side. However, the primary applications of FRP in electrical segment include: utility poles, cross arms, transformer housing, panel box, junction boxes, distribution boards, and local control station etc. Image Courtesy: Shutterstock.com