Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc., Little Neck, N.Y., and the Sensors and Controls division of Texas Instruments Inc., Attleboro, Mass., have entered into a strategic alliance to co-develop products that provide protection against the hazard of arc faults, which are high-power electrical discharges that occur between two or more conductors in electrical wiring.
It pairs Texas Instrument’s arc detection technology with Leviton’s expertise in wiring devices. The products will carry the Leviton brand name.
"Leviton Manufacturing has long recognized the value of working with technology leading companies to deliver innovative, high-quality, economical products for our customers," said Chris Doveala, vice president and general manager of Leviton’s OEM division. "As a leader in arc detection technologies, Texas Instruments fits our model for such an alliance. We are excited about the potential of harnessing our companies’ combined technological strengths to develop critical solutions that provide protection against electrical safety hazards."
The initial focus of the Leviton-Texas Instruments relationship will be on the development of arc fault protection interrupters (AFCIs) for portable room air conditioners. The AFCI products complement Leviton’s line of LCDIs (leakage current detection interrupters), which were introduced earlier this year to comply with an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listing requirement that portable air conditioners manufactured after Aug. 1, 2004, contain a factory-installed LCDI or AFCI device to reduce the risk of an arc fault in the unit’s power cord. Joint resources will be utilized to develop AFCI-protected wall receptacles in anticipation of the 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) requirement for arc-fault protection receptacles in bedrooms in new construction and renovations.
"Our joint technology agreement with Leviton, the market leader in personal protection devices, clearly demonstrates Texas Instruments’ commitment to becoming a leading player in the arc fault detection technology market," said Chris Simpson, marketing manager for Texas Instruments’ arc fault business. "We look forward to the opportunity to expand the applications of our technology into other vertical market segments by building on the momentum of our arc fault applications in the aircraft industry."