Precautions for tightening small busbar terminals
To minimise the risk of loose connections in our electrical installations, all terminations should be tightened to the correct torque setting with a calibrated and approved torque screwdriver. It is recommended to utilize these torque values for the installations that are covered in this guide. One persistent belief is that copper busbar joints must fully overlap—matching the entire width of the bar—to ensure electrical safety and low temperature rise. This assumption is widespread in workshops, on job sites, and even during procurement reviews. Medium-voltage switchgear busbar joints operate at currents from 630 A to 4,000 A. A joint running 60°C over ambient at 1,600 A consumes roughly 400 W, enough to visibly glow under. Supposedly, someone once asked Abraham Lincoln, "How long should a man's legs be?" His answer: "Long enough to reach from his body to the ground.
Read More
