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Advanced Energy Unveils Latest Additions to TEGAM 700 Series Bond Meters

September 01, 2022 by Seth Price

Advanced Energy has released two new bond meters, the TEGAM 720A and TEGAM 730A, to measure electrical bonding between devices for the aerospace, automotive, and renewable energy industries.

Advanced Energy recently announced their two newest bond meters, the TEGAM 720A and TEGAM 730A, at AUTOTESTCON, a conference and trade show geared towards electronic test equipment. The latest additions to their TEGAM 700 bond meter series will find use in the aerospace, automotive, and renewable energy industries. 

 

Advanced Energy's 700 series configuration TEGAN bond meters

Advanced Energy’s 700 series configuration TEGAN bond meters. Images used and adapted courtesy of Advanced Energy

 

What is a Bond Meter?

A bond meter measures electrical resistance as a way to check for both electrical conductivity and mechanical soundness. If two pieces of equipment are bonded electrically, the resistance will be very low, and there is little chance of a ground loop. Furthermore, if two metal pieces have been welded, bolted, or otherwise mechanically attached, the resistance will also be very low.

Bond meters, such as the TEGAM 720A and TEGAM 730A, can be used to ensure that there is little electrical resistance between devices that are assumed to be attached together, such as when two objects share a common electrical ground. If there is resistance between the two pieces, there can be a “ground loop” where there is a voltage drop between areas that are assumed to be at 0 V. Ground loops are particularly troublesome for delicate instrumentation or for large buildings or devices where small resistivity (resistance per length) adds up to a large voltage drop. 

Resistance measurements can also be used to check for mechanical connection. A properly-welded joint between two pieces of metal will have little resistance. However, a weld with a lot of slag inclusions will have a measurable difference in resistance. The same is true for a bolted connection; if the bolts are not holding the metals in contact, the resistance will be higher. 

The aerospace industry, as an example, relies on solid electrical and mechanical bonding between components. Because aircraft cannot rely on an earth ground, they must share a common chassis ground, else a stray voltage shows up as noise or even an erroneous signal to the instrumentation system. Furthermore, because aircraft components are often powder-coated, painted, or otherwise coated with a polymer, this material must be removed at connections to ensure proper grounding. If the paint is not removed sufficiently, it will not provide a solid, electrical chassis ground. A bond meter can catch this problem, versus having to troubleshoot sensors and instrumentation systems. 

 

TEGAM 700 Series Bond Meters

TEGAM bond meters are rugged (can withstand at least four, 1 m drops onto concrete), vibration resistant, and supplied with a 3-year warranty, making them the ideal choice for the industrial environment. They are accurate—capable of measuring resistances as low as 1 μΩ with an error of ± 0.2%. Each meter runs on 3 AA batteries and has over 50 hours of battery life. 

 

TEGAM 720A

The TEGAM 720A is an intrinsically safe meter, capable of safe operation in environments where flammable vapors might be present. It is built for applications such as checking the grounding on a flammable liquid storage tank to ensure that there is little chance of a spark. 

 

TEGAm 720a bond meter

The TEGAM 720A. Image used courtesy of Advanced Energy

 

TEGAM 730A

The TEGAM 730A is similar to the 720A in some ways. While the TEGAM 730A is not certified for intrinsically safe applications, it does feature wireless and Bluetooth communication protocols for easy data viewing and logging. Therefore, in applications where flammable vapors are not an issue, the TEGAM 730A is a great way to measure and communicate resistance data. For example, the 730A is a good choice for checking continuity of motor windings in a manufacturing plant where vibration and dust are an issue. 

 

TEGAM 730A bond meter

The TEGAM 730A. Image used courtesy of Advanced Energy

 

"Your Measurement Matters"

Advanced Energy has been producing equipment for electrical safety and surety to serve the aerospace, defense, and food and beverage markets. They produce high-quality, reliable instrumentation for measuring electrical bonding and grounding, resistance, temperature and other data acquisition sensors, probes, and other hardware.