Electricity meter and instrument transformer testing solutions

Zera Technologies, a German company offering electrical meter and instrument transformer testing products and technologies is offering solutions to the South African electrical and metrological industries as well as instrument transformer manufacturers and utilities and test laboratories in general.

Zera Technologies has been in existence since 1920 and has been active in South Africa for three years, but in March 2011 took the decision to align itself with leading local player Southern Power Maintenance (SPM), making it the first time South Africa has joined the Zera Technologies global alliance.

Felix Gall, Zera Technologies Sales Manager said “ South Africa plays a leading role on the African continent in terms of technology leadership and is the biggest in terms of electricity generation and usage. Because Zera has extensive expertise in electricity meter testing, it made good business sense to appoint SPM as our partner in South Africa as we believe we offer the best meter testing technology available, and South Africa requires such expertise to eliminate electricity losses and to ensure correct metering is carried out.

“Precise results are particularly relevant in energy and power meters. They require sources and measuring systems of the highest precision and stability. Our patented Precision Power Calibration System, achieves the highest possible accuracy classes up to a deviation of >0.001% (10ppm), which is particular importance to national metrological institutes in order to maintain the traceability within South Africa and internationally”

Zera offers highly technical  meter testing products; such as: portable reference meters and test systems; current and power sources; stationery meter test systems; automatic and semi-automatic testing; instrument transformer test systems; CT/PT test components; constant current source and precision power calibration systems.

The company, whose meter and transformer test equipment is used in the power generation and transmission sectors, states that the need to measure is essential for consumer protection as well as quality assurance and revenue protection, and their test equipment is utilised at customer’s premises, test laboratories and facilities as well as metrological  and related institutes and on-site testing.

Products

The Zera portable meter testing systems cover reference meters; primary standards; test systems and power and current sources. All measurements are conducted to IEC standards. The test systems are offered to specific requirements such as user-defined values for current and voltage while testing installations with one device.

Zera offers a range of stationary meter test systems suitable for economic testing of all types of meters, including static meter of class 0.2. The standard EPZ is used as a working standard class 0.02 of the meter test system. All measurements can be conducted according to actual standards e.g. IEC. Modular systems allow individual and customised configurations for hard and software, with systems upgrades possible.

In addition the company offers power source systems; frequency generators; amplifiers; MTS components; scanning heads; transformers; test benches; stationary and mobile instrument transformer test systems; constant current sources and precision power calibration systems.

Zera masters the development of modern power electronics, up-to-date digital measuring systems, state of the art application software and the design of rigid long-lasting mechanical components allowing the company to supply complete system solutions in the recognised Zera quality.

The development of new metrological methods of measurement and the subsequent integration of these innovations into Zera products and services led to the accreditation of the company’s Calibration Laboratory according to DIN EN 45001 by the Physikalisch- Technische – Bundesanstalt (PTB) being the accrediting institute of the German calibration Service.

“Being in the testing solutions of electricity meters and instrument transformers enables us to guarantee our neutrality in this highly sensitive field. We are independent and work exclusively to the requirements and interests of our customers” said Gall.

Local Partner

“SPM have experience and good knowledge of the local market and industries that can benefit from the utilisation of our testing expertise within South Africa. There is synergy between Zera’s products and services and that of SPM which make our alliance a good strategic fit.  We will be working closely with SPM on the installation and commissioning of stationary test systems together with training at customer sites, and our after-sales support will be managed by SPM as well as  from Zera” said Gall.

Recognition

In 2009 ENEL SPA, the major utility company in Italy launched the most ambitious meter project in the world i.e. transforming the Italian Power Grid into an intelligent services delivery network that will connect to 27 million Italian homes and buildings. ENEL awarded orders to different manufacturers in Italy, China and Hungary. Zera supplied test systems for function test, quality assurance and various other equipment to all of these manufacturers and that complete meter production is tested with Zera equipment integrated in different production lines with an overall output rate of up to 40,000 meters per day.

Zera Technologies recently exhibited at the African Utilities Week Expo, and is ISO 9001:2008 certificated for the development, manufacturing and sales of devices, equipment and systems for testing electricity meters, current and voltage transformers and electromechanical switching devices including the DKD calibration laboratory.

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