Eaton vacuum interrupter (EVI) technology

Proven vacuum interrupter technology

Environmentally focused circuit protection for global innovation

Vacuum interrupter technology

Eaton’s vacuum interrupter technology is used for repetitive switching, motor inrush

current interruption, fault protection, and overcurrent and short-circuit protection.

Eaton‘s environmentally friendly medium-voltage interrupters are capable of reliably

switching high-stress currents robustly and carrying their rated continuous current

without forced cooling.

• Controlled contact erosion results in long life and maintenance-free operation

• Hard contact material minimizes contact sticking in a vacuum and is ideal for

high-current applications

• Atmospheric contact contamination is eliminated because oxides and corrosion

layers cannot form on the contacts

• Noise and flash free: All arcing is confined in the vacuum interrupter

• Environmentally friendly: Unlike other solutions that use SF6 (a highly hazardous

gas) for insulation, Eaton’s vacuum interrupters feature current interruption

that occurs in a vacuum and does not emit greenhouse or toxic gases

• Low average chopping current results in a minimal induced transient voltage

spike; therefore, suppressors are often not required

• Vacuum dielectric permits contacts to be arranged closer together, allowing

circuit interruptions to be designed in a smaller envelope

• Solid insulation increases external dielectric performance

The industry standard in quality

• Each Eaton vacuum interrupter is tested throughout the manufacturing process

and once again before packaging

• A dielectric withstand test and a vacuum assurance test are performed

on every interrupter

• Additionally, Eaton also incorporates a sequential laser-etched bar code that

allows us to track material lots, as well as the operators involved with building

each interrupter in a database

• With well over five million Eaton vacuum interrupters in service around the

world, our customers testify that our vacuum interrupters are one of the most

critical and reliable components 

State-of-the-art testing

Using our two high-power test labs, a single phase development lab in the

United States and a three-phase KEMA®-certified lab in Europe, Eaton

systematically tests new designs before certification by the customer.

A team of scientists and design engineers creates our vacuum interrupters to

meet customer specifications, many of which push the limits of industry standards.

Some distinguishing features include:

• Solid dielectric encapsulation (silicone and heat shrink sleeve offered)

• Customer-specific terminal designs

• Features for ease of assembly

• Custom internal and external threads

• Anti-twist bushings

• Custom contact design: butt contacts, transverse magnetic field (TMF) contacts,

axial magnetic field (AMF)