CHICAGO, March 18, 2002 -- E-T-A Circuit Breakers, a leading manufacturer of circuit breakers for equipment, announced the 1658-F Series, a low cost, reliable-quality thermal circuit breaker that cuts installation time 50% compared to conventional threadneck circuit breakers. Plastic flanges on the unit grip a panel opening and allow the breaker to be snapped into place, without need for panel modifications.

Available in ratings from 5 to 30A, the new single-pole circuit breaker is suitable for AC systems up to 250 V and DC systems up to 28 V. Tripping action is provided by a thermally-activated disc bimetal.

Fast circuit breaker installation is important in high volume production of electrical and electronic equipment. Typical applications of the 1658-F include overcurrent protection in consumer products such as surge-protector power strips and battery chargers, marine craft cockpits, motors and other high-volume equipment.

The new circuit breaker has several advantages compared to alternative products. Unlike breakers made with hot-rivets, the touch-safe 1658-F does not have exposed metal parts that could conduct current or heat, except for its terminals. It is one of the few circuit breakers that meet UL 1077 requirements for a 2 horsepower rating, permitting its use in motor protection and in UL 1363 compliant surge protectors. For the international market, it carries CE, CSA, and VDE approvals, more than many alternative products. The 1658-F also provides interrupting capacity up to 2000A per UL 1077, a spec few competing products can meet.

Although the 1658-F circuit breaker is inexpensive -- costing less than a dollar in volume -- it is consistently reliable, reducing the warranty return rate of end-user products. Reliability is accomplished by testing 100% of circuit breakers prior to shipping and by drawing on E-T-A’s 50 years of specialization in thermal circuit breaker manufacturing. E-T-A has mastered the complex manufacturing of fragile disc bimetals, enabling the company to make quality circuit breakers with high repeatability.

The new circuit breaker is small (32 x 13.6 x 39.7 mm) and lightweight (16 g), enabling it to be used in products where space and weight are precious.

In addition, it has a push-button manual reset, and a trip free mechanism that allows the device to safely interrupt an overload condition even if the reset button is held down.

Prices for the 1658-F circuit breaker are dependent on volume. For medium size production volume, the cost is less than one dollar. Units are available now from stock; for availability of units in large quantity, contact E-T-A.

E-T-A Circuit Breakers is the world’s leading manufacturer of circuit breakers for equipment and is the only resource for all circuit protection technologies: thermal, thermal-magnetic, magnetic and high performance. E-T-A circuit breakers are available in more than 150 models and 350,000 different configurations. E-T-A is also a world leading manufacturer of control and monitoring products, and solid state remote power controllers (SSRPCs). With the North American headquarters in Chicago, the company serves industrial OEMs and end-users.