Enhancing electrical safety

Combining a quick-release button, integral load-break switch, and automatic watertight sealing decontactors connect mobile processing equipment to the main power supply in a juice production plant.


Distributor of the Granini brand for more than 40 years, Eckes Granini International also produces the historic and market-leading Réa and Joker brands. The company has around a 13.7% market share, with a turnover of 190 million Euros in 2010.

Marechal Electric announces the installation of electrical safety Decontactors to connect mobile processing equipment to the mains power supply in Eckes Granini’s juice production plant. The water- and dust-tight Decontactors feature power ratings from 20A to 63A and provide enhanced electrical safety for operators in a production environment which has a high level of humidity and pressure-washing.

The combination of a quick-release button, integral load-break switch, and automatic watertight sealing means that Marechal Decontactors can be connected and disconnected safely and quickly, even under load, by any authorised employee. Eliminating the need for a qualified electrician, to connect and disconnect the electrical supply every time a piece of equipment is moved, significantly reduces maintenance times and costs as well as increasing productivity by making it faster to move mobile equipment between different locations.

“As a food production plant, power-cleaning of equipment is an almost constant operation and Marechal Decontactors have demonstrated their ability to provide a safe working environment for our employees whilst also increasing our operational flexibility and productivity,” explains Mr Laurent Perrin, Head of Maintenance in the Preparation Department of Eckes Granini. “Following expansion in 2010, our use of Marechal DSN Decontactors has been extended to the pump supply and to the discharge machines, where the Decontactors are housed in Marechal stainless steel boxes.”

Marechal’s sales engineer, Mr Patrick Chevrot adds, “An in-house R&D service, backed by a global network of sales engineers or subsidiaries and the ability to customise connectors, means that Marechal can design and install electrical safety connectors which can meet the most challenging operating conditions.”

In addition to automatic watertight sealing to IP66/67, when the plug is connected and disconnected, the Decontactors feature a robust housing with a glass-fibre, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) coating which provides long-term resistance to corrosion and shock. The nickel-silver butt contacts and metal jumpers also guarantee a reliable electrical performance regardless of the number of connection and disconnection cycles.

Marechal Electric’s range covers standard and custom power connectors, boxes and accessories which are used throughout the food industry worldwide to increase electrical safety in applications where humidity and power-cleaning can present challenging safety issues. These applications include silos, production lines, packaging components and motors.

In addition to the food and drink processing sector, Decontactors are used in explosive environments and in the construction, marine, energy, mines and quarries sectors, as well as by emergency services.