See the notice on Ampcontrol’s flameproof electrical distribution equipment.

The company said its new MICA Micro Industrial Computer has been specifically designed for mining and industry.

“The MICA’s mechanically robust construction enables the computer to be installed in face equipment, particularly longwall applications. The MICA uses an internal lithium battery approved to Ex (ia) and can be transported into Zone 1 Hazardous areas,” according to the company.

Features include 300MHz Pentium class processor, 10 GB hard disk drive, 3.5 floppy drive, and 128 MB RAM. It also offers network interfaces, RS232 or RS 485 serial communications and USB port.

Also on display will be the MPA electronic motor protection relay, recently issued an AUS Ex certificate number for the intrinsically safe battery module.

Ampcontrol claims this is the first Australian made microprocessor-based motor protection relay to offer integral motor insulation testing, core balance earth leakage protection, motor contactor fail detection and a detailed event log in a single unit.

QME visitors will also be able to see Ampcontrol’s IPC Integrated Protection Relay, an upgrade of the very successful IPB relay. It has been enhanced to offer the added benefit of providing for an automatic insulation test using a DC test with a voltage approaching the peak system voltage. If selected this test follows the intrinsically safe Earth Fault Lockout test. This upgrade also incorporates a “last trip” status message display to aid fault finding.