SOVI™ - Are You Safe Without it?

THINK YOU'RE SAFE?   REMOVE ALL DOUBT AND KNOW YOU ARE BY USING WOLF SAFETY'S NEW SOVI™ TECHNOLOGY

You may think you’re safe but how can you be sure?  Knowing the risks of working in Hazardous and Potentially Explosive atmospheres you will no doubt have put correct safeguards in place.

But how can you be sure, absolutely sure, the correct voltage is being supplied along the cable that goes to your Hazardous Area temporary lighting installation?  Could it be one volt more or less than the certified range? Is it safe?

It’s a familiar problem - but now there’s an easy solution to being safe. The reassurance you’re looking for is available from Wolf Safety.

Our SOVI™ technology - it stands for Safe Optimal Voltage Indicator – gives you the confidence that the correct voltage is being supplied.   Unique to Wolf products, SOVI™ removes all doubt. It tells you it’s safe and it keeps you safe. 

This innovative technology is incorporated into our ATEX and IECEx certified Hazardous Area Temporary Lighting range, further enhancing safety in potentially explosive atmospheres. 

It also ensures that your lighting solution is operating efficiently and at the optimal voltage.  SOVI™ is already incorporated into the LINKEX™ LED TEMPORARY LUMINAIRE LX-400 range as well as  the recently updated and market leading LINKEX™ WF-300XL LED FLOODLITE range.

New for 2019  is the LINKEX™ LED ATEX EMERGENCY TEMPORARY LUMINAIRE , which  also features  the unique technology.

SOVI™ clearly alerts the user if lights are running outside the certified and optimal operating voltage ranges, maximising both safety and performance. 

In the unlikely event that the light is operating at a voltage above the maximum certified limit, the beam will pulse from bright to dim, giving a clear warning that action is needed to ensure that work can continue safely in the hazardous area.

However, it is more likely that issues will arise at the lower end of the voltage range.  For example, if too many 24-volt lights are strung together and the transformer is overloaded, voltage would drop below the optimal level and light output will reduce accordingly and may well create a Health and Safety issue.

If this does occur, SOVI™ will pulse the light, clearly showing the lamp is not operating within its optimal voltage range and optimum light output. even though the light itself is still safe as it is uniquely certified down to 0 volts.

This differs from other ATEX lights on the market, where a reduced voltage supply can lead to the light operating outside the certified voltage range leading the user to ask if it’s not certified, is it safe?

This clear, visual warning system removes the need for an electrician to verify a correct supply voltage; its plug and play nature means there is no safety risk in connecting too many lights together.  Users are swiftly alerted if input voltage, and consequently light output, falls below optimum levels or exceeds the maximum safe level.

Michael Morley (see more about Michael at Blog-Michael Morley), Wolf Safety’s Technical Director, says  SOVI™ is the first thing users should look for when selecting Temporary Lighting for a Hazardous or Potentially Explosive Area: 

“I cannot recommend it highly enough,” he says. “It’s such an important safety feature, no matter what the operator is doing (and they could be working some distance from the lamp), they are clearly alerted should there be an issue with the power supply and made aware that action is needed.” 

“And that means that if the voltage is too high, the product must be turned off.  Without SOVI™, the operator has to physically check that the voltage is correct, and safe - they have to do this throughout the time they are working in the Hazardous Area. In some cases, a qualified electrician must be on hand to do the checks, but not with these Wolf lamps. With SOVI™, the lamp itself tells you when it’s not safe.”

Michael added “Not only does it ensure safety, if input voltage falls below the optimal level, SOVI™ lets you know so you are not paying for power that you cannot use. Once you’ve had a lamp with SOVI™ you’ll never want to go back.”

HOW SOVI™ WORKS

 Mains voltage versions T4 85V-264V:

  • If operating over 264V/AC/DC, the light will pulse dim – do not use;
  • If operating below 85V AC/DC, the light will pulse brighter. Light output will reduce incrementally as the input voltage falls below 90V AC/DC and the luminaire will shut down if the supply voltage continues to fall.

Low voltage versionsT4 18V-50V: 

  • If operating over 50V/AC/DC, the light will pulse dim – do not use;
  • If operating below 18V AC/DC, the light will pulse brighter. Light output will reduce incrementally as the input voltage falls below 19V AC/DC and the luminaire will shut down if the supply voltage continues to fall.

Full details of Wolf Safety Temporary Lighting incorporating SOVI™ can be found at:  https://www.wolfsafety.com/temporary-lighting