As a basic electrical component, fuses are produced by many manufacturers and come in a wide variety of sizes, designs and ratings. This wealth of choice means that you can find the exact right fuse for your equipment.

Here are some of the major fuse manufacturers:

Eaton/Bussmann.
Cooper/Bussmann,
Mersen/Ferraz,
SIBA, Schneider
Schneider
FUJI.
ABB, Hinode
Hinode
Siemens, Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
Littelfuse
……

When choosing a fuse, besides considering the brand, we also have to consider the parameters of the fuse so that we can choose the right fuse. The following are the main parameters of the fuse that we have to consider:

Rated current: the current strength that the fuse is designed to work with. Each fuse is marked with a current rating, which can be numerical, alphabetic or colour coded. The significance of each marking can be found on the product data sheet.

Voltage Rating: Also known as the operating voltage, this is the voltage at which the fuse is designed to operate. The voltage rating of the fuse must be greater than or equal to the maximum voltage that will break the circuit. Due to the very low resistance of the fuse, the voltage rating of the fuse only becomes important when the fuse attempts to blow. When the fuse element melts, the fuse must be able to disconnect quickly, extinguish the arc, and prevent the open circuit voltage from re-triggering the arc through the disconnected fuse element.

Breaking capacity: This is the maximum value of current that can safely break the fuse. The fuse must be able to break a faulty circuit without damaging the surrounding circuit. Breaking capacity is the rated voltage, the fuse can safely break the circuit, and does not break the maximum current value. The breaking capacity of the fuse must be equal to or greater than the maximum fault current that can occur in the circuit.

Melting curve: shows the relationship between the current strength and the time it takes for the fuse to heat up to the melting point.

Ambient Temperature:Ambient temperature is the temperature of the air directly surrounding the fuse, not room temperature. The electrical characteristics of the fuse are rated at 25°C ambient temperature. Both above and below this temperature will affect the fuse’s opening time and current carrying characteristics. immediate pro