Home › Suspension Insulator Spotlight

Suspension Insulators

Utilities rely on us for products that will stand the test of time with as little maintenance as possible over the years. At MacLean Power Systems, we have refined our insulator design and manufacturing process to meet their needs.

An insulator’s two main functions are mechanical and electrical, and failure of either function could lead to catastrophic events. Mitigation of stresses on the mechanical and electrical functions of the insulator is paramount to extending its life. In addition, understanding specification and application requirements (altitude and phase spacing), and environmental (contamination) conditions are critical to building a long-lasting assembly. Our engineering team has the tools and decades of experience needed to get you the right insulator assembly for your needs. If your utility is experiencing issues or questions on aging insulators in the field, we can assist in troubleshooting and improving those applications.

Check out our catalog pages here, or scroll down to learn more about how we ensure our insulators stay the best in class.

Features & Advantages

Polymer Longevity

Not all polymer is created equal, MacLean has an HTV (high temperature vulcanized) silicone rubber formulation that has been lab-tested and field-proven since 1984
Our silicone is fully bonded to the corrosion-resistant E-Glass core and sealed with a Multi-Layer PST seal for optimal protection against water ingress

Quality Assurance

PST Seal Silicone Housing Stacked Shed Corona Ball

Defense Against Aging

Stacked shed design was implemented by MPS in 2002 after years of research and testing, research including a known IEEE paper “Aging of Non-Ceramic Insulators due to Corona from Water Droplets.” on the greater effort to improve the overall performance of silicone insulators in extreme environments.
MPS now utilizes this configuration on all of our polymer suspension insulators, minimizing the potential for material aging or degradation due to water droplet corona cutting and electrical stresses.
Through e-field modeling, we can validate the ideal application of the stacked sheds prior to field install, and see how our design fares vs older designs.

Optimized Design

Stress Mitigation

MPS corona balls and smart fit corona rings provide protection against electrical and mechanical damage and prevent exposure of the core rod at the critical line end of the insulator.
Smart Fit Corona Rings are designed in a manner where the ring will only fit one way on the geometric shape of the corona ball attachment feature, ensuring proper field installation.
In the images below, see how easily the corona ring fits onto the corona ball, providing the additional protection the insulator needs