Interview: Megger's Nick Parton is up to the test

Lower loss transformers and higher dielectric strength cables need higher quality testing to optimise asset utilisation.

As infrastructure demand increases, requirements for reliability and safety is seeing the electrical testing market boom. UME talks to the experts

NICK PARTON, MEGGER
Tell us about your company
Megger is a leading worldwide manufacturer and supplier of test equipment for the electrical and communications industries. For over 100 years Megger has been a leading innovator in its field, being the first to bring to market a wide range of products including insulation testers, multimeters, cable fault location systems and automated relay test sets.

Today the company maintains this culture of innovation with an ongoing product development helping bring new ideas and technologies into the field of electrical testing.

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How’s business?
Business in the Middle East region has remained good in the past year, with strong sales growth in the GCC countries and Iraq compensating for the business missed from countries that have seen the highest levels of unrest such as Libya, Syria, and Egypt.

Our operations in the region continue to be expanded, and a new regional office in Dubai has been opened to bolster the technical support provided from the Bahrain and Saudi offices.

What products are doing well in the Middle East?
The Megger product range of portable test instruments covers a broad spectrum of testing applications. The product developments in the transformer testing field have been very well received and this remains a strong area of business in the Middle East as well as in other regions.

The 3-phase winding resistance test set MTO330 is proving very popular thanks to the ease of use, improved safety and reduced test time, while the increased diagnostic capabilities offered by products such as the new Delta4000 tan delta test set and the IDAX300 insulation diagnostic analyser are giving asset managers better information than was previously available to them.

Similarly the new developments that we have introduced in protection testing and in cable fault location are driving a strong demand for these new ranges.

How is technology improving the testing environment?
Technology in electrical test instruments continues to drive improvements in terms of user friendliness, safety, and the quality of information provided. There is high acceptance of the importance of test and measurement as part of a planned maintenance program to enhance asset lifetimes and network reliability in the power industry.

Where we see a big gap between local and European practices, is in the area of testing, building, wiring and portable appliances.

These are large areas of business in parts of the world as a result of comprehensive regulations that are strictly enforced.

In the Middle East however we do not currently see the same level of legislation and enforcement covering periodic testing of electrical installations, and the testing of portable electrical equipment to ensure user safety.