Automobile Industry

Automotive plants are highly automated, interconnected ecosystems—where downtime is measured not in minutes, but in millions. From robotic welding arms and conveyor-driven assembly lines to sensitive PLCs, SCADA units, and paint booth electronics—these plants run on uninterrupted power and precision controls.

But these facilities are also spread across vast, open areas, often in industrial zones prone to lightning activity. What happens when a single surge breaches the electrical backbone of such a plant?

AWithout a proper lightning and surge protection strategy, a single incident can:

• Halt robotic assembly mid-operation.

• Fry powertrain testers and EOL (End of Line) stations.

• Corrupt calibration in emissions testing.

• Disrupt SAP and ERP integrations from the control room to stores.

In one such automotive OEM facility, LPES International was called in under a strict NDA to assess and engineer an end-to-end protection solution. The stakes? Safety, continuity, and compliance with global OEM benchmarks.

🧩 Challenges Identified  

• Wide-Area Layouts: Taller structures like press shops and chimneys acted as lightning magnets, with long cable routes creating multiple transient entry points.

• High Surge Sensitivity: VFD drives, robotic controls, and PLCs were vulnerable to even minor voltage fluctuations.

• Unbonded Systems: Isolated earthing in different zones led to potential differences, increasing failure points.

• Compliance Gaps: No centralized audit trail of grounding resistance or SPD health, critical for Tier-1 supplier certification.

🛡️ LPES Solution: Tiered Protection Across Every Zone  

Following a comprehensive IEC 62305-2 risk assessment, LPES implemented a layered, scalable solution that combined lightning arresters, UL-listed SPDs, and chemical grounding systems across 10+ process areas.

🔩 1. Body & Weld Shop  

• Risks: High fault current from welding machines; robotic arm drive surges.

• Solution:

• Type 1 SPD at incomers

• VFD-compatible SPD at robot panels

• Chemical earthing with low-resistance backfill

• Equipotential bonding mesh under robot grid

🎨 2. Paint Shop & HVAC  

• Risks: Sudden surge damaging air handling units and temperature controls.

• Solution:

• Type 2 SPDs at AHUs and local panels

• Point-of-use SPDs at spray booth PLCs

• Bonding of ductwork and mist eliminators to LPS grid

🔧 3. Final Assembly Line 

• Risks: Damage to torque tools, testing panels, and HMI screens.

• Solution:

• Type 2+3 Hybrid SPDs on operator stations

• Surge counters on panelboards

• Dedicated earthing strip to sub-panel runs

🖥️ 4. Server Room, SAP & Control Block  

• Risks: Data loss, ERP shutdown, network damage.

• Solution:

• Ethernet Line SPDs for PoE switches

• Type 3 SPDs for server racks

• Shielded cable routing to avoid EM coupling

🏭 5. Utility Zones & DG Sets  

• Risks: Surge from grid-side or internal switching.

• Solution:

• Type 1 SPD on transformer secondary

• Surge filter at DG-AMF synchronizer

• Earth enhancement to achieve <1Ω site-wide resistance

⚙️ Execution Strategy  

• Night Shifts for Critical Loads: Downtime-sensitive areas like assembly and painting were handled post-shift to avoid production losses.

• Thermal Imaging + Earth Mapping: Used to verify bonding paths and heat signatures of surge points.

• Third-Party Validation: Compliance reports issued in line with IS 3043, IEC 62305, and Honda Global Engineering Guidelines.

✅ Results Delivered  

• Zero downtime from lightning or surge since commissioning.

• SPD response tracking enabled via installed surge counters.

• Full compliance with OEM audit standards and Japanese quality benchmarks.

• Scalable design for upcoming EV expansion zone.

📜 Compliance Framework  

• IEC 62305 – Lightning Risk Assessment & External LPS

• IS 3043 – Grounding Design

• UL 1449 – Surge Protection Devices

• IEEE 80 – Step & Touch Voltage Control

• OEM Compliance – Tier-1 Electrical Safety Standards

🔎 Why It Matters  

As EV adoption rises and automation deepens, automotive plants will face greater risk exposure from voltage surges and grounding failures. LPES International is helping leading OEMs stay ahead—by making protection not just a safeguard, but a performance enabler.