ABB LPS SYSTEM

ABB’s Furse air termination products are designed and manufactured at the Furse facility in Nottingham, United Kingdom, where structural lightning protection solutions have been developed for over 130 years. ABB provides comprehensive technical guidance on air termination design to IEC/BS EN 62305, including rolling sphere, protective angle and mesh method calculations, supported by the Furse StrikeRisk risk assessment software tool and a specialist team of lightning protection engineers available to advise on the correct specification for any project.

Durable
Air rods are manufactured from high conductivity hard drawn copper or aluminium with rolled threads rather than cut threads, providing superior thread strength. They are supplied complete with locknuts to secure the rod to the base, preventing loosening under wind loading, vibration and the mechanical forces produced during a lightning discharge.

Corrosion resistant
Air rod bases, saddles, brackets and couplings are manufactured from high quality copper or aluminium alloys rather than commercial brass, offering superior corrosion resistance and conductivity at exposed roof-level connection points throughout the service life of the installation. Holdfast bases for trapezoidal and circular standing seam cladding systems are manufactured from stainless steel 304, providing excellent corrosion resistance where the holdfast is in direct contact with the metal cladding.

Comprehensive range
The range covers air rods in copper and aluminium from 500 mm to 3,000 mm in length, air rod bases for flat tape, solid circular and stranded conductors, ridge saddles for pitched roofs, rod brackets for vertical surfaces, rod to conductor couplings, multiple points, strike pads, holdfast assemblies for trapezoidal and circular standing seam metal roofs, and free-standing interception poles from 3 m to 10 m for rooftop equipment protection.

Easy installation
Air rod bases fix to structural surfaces using countersunk wood screws and wall plugs, requiring no specialist tooling. Holdfast assemblies for trapezoidal cladding systems are supplied complete with stitching screws for rapid attachment to the cladding profile without penetrating the weatherproof membrane. Free-standing interception pole components are modular and stackable, enabling single-person assembly of poles up to 10 m in height from a small number of standard components.

Safe
Air termination plays a critical role in capturing the full energy of a lightning strike at the designated interception point and channeling it safely into the conductor network. The Furse range is designed to maintain high conductivity at every connection point throughout the air termination network, minimising the risk of flashover, side flash or thermal damage at joints during a lightning discharge event.

Flexible
Free-standing interception poles are available from 3 m to 10 m in height, with a choice of square, tripod and H-shaped stainless steel base frames and multiple concrete base weight options to suit different wind zones, enabling the correct selection for any site wind exposure class. The modular, stackable pole construction allows configuration to the required height from a standard component set, without the need for bespoke manufacturing.