APT is the largest OEM private label manufacturer of 3 phase TVSS in the world. APT was founded in 1984 with a long-term business philosophy of old fashioned ethics, integrity and service. Located in Clearwater, FL, , surge suppression is our only business. We manufacture a complete line of products for medium voltage, low voltage, data/communications, din rail and residential.
APT’s historical markets have been the new construction bid market and the OEM private label market. In the past 15 years we have sold to OEM private label clients over $200,000,000 of products. Our major private label relationships include or have included the Square D Company, Schneider Electric Canada, Siemens Energy and Automation, and American Power Conversion. Three times in recent years APT has been awarded the “Market Engineering Customer Focus Award” from Frost and Sullivan which recognizes our customer support expertise. In 1999,
Power Quality Assurance magazine ranked APT as the number one supplier of three-phase TVSS devices and ranked APT as a top 50 power quality company.
We are committed to remain the number one supplier of 3 phase TVSS to the OEM marketplace. Our commitment is backed by large investments in our people, R & D and new technologies, and information management tools to serve our OEM clients. A long-term business philosophy has been one of our foundational principles and is a commitment to our OEM partners in place of short-term gains. We are committed to supporting our OEM partners with integrity, responsiveness, and technical excellence.
There are minimum essential qualifications of your surge protection supplier that should never be compromised that should include: integrity, high ethical standards, financially strong, a long tenure in the business with a proven history of high quality products and performance specifications, all products listed to the current Underwriters Laboratory’s standard and employees should include high-level professional engineers.
In addition to the bare minimum qualifications listed above, we believe that the reason that we are the largest OEM supplier in the world is due to the additional qualifications offered by APT listed below.
APT SERVICES
Immediate factory direct access – With APT, you are working directly with the manufacturer. This gives you an advantage as opposed to dealing with a manufacturer’s rep in terms of efficiency, technical expertise and pricing.
Industry standards - APT feels an obligation to responsibly shape the future of performance and safety related regulatory activities. Consequently, we actively participate in IEEE, UL 1448 and NEMA surge standards activities. These include IEEE WG 3.6.4, WG 3.6.6, UL 1449 STP and NEMA 5VS groups.
Specification assistance and review – Whether you are working with bid specifications or a custom application, our team of experts will analyze the information and offer specific solutions.
Pricing –We are a manufacturer, there is no “middleman” factored into our pricing. This allows us to pass the savings to you. We are committed to the lowest price for any comparable product.
Training - APT offers seminars at our headquarters as well as online internet training.
Scope of products – With a solution for most every application, APT offers an expansive line of TVSS products including hard wired internal, external, modular and non-modular units, AC and low voltage DIN Rail selections, DATA and medium voltage.
Understanding our client’s business is key to establishing a successful partnership. With our Customer Management Database, we can review historical interactions with your company, and provide you with an informed solution recommendation that will fit your specific needs. When presented with opportunities that are new or involve further technical analysis, our experienced staff of P.E.s are ready to assist.
More than just a world class manufacturer, APT offers value in the form of product and industry training. Our free Seminars will take an in depth look at the TVSS market by analyzing their current and historical aspects. Rich with technical information, our trainings are held at our facility and offer practical insight to the applications and benefits of electrical surge suppressors. And although onsite visits are welcomed, we understand that this may be impractical at certain times. To accommodate the realities of our busy industry, APT offers online training as well, where our partners can enjoy the benefits of knowledge packed sessions through the convenience of the Internet.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is TVSS?
A TVSS is an abbreviation for "transient voltage surge suppressor." A TVSS is a device that attenuates (reduces in magnitude) random, high energy, short duration electrical power anomalies caused by utilities, atmospheric phenomena, or inductive loads.
Such anomalies occur in the form of voltage and current spikes with a duration of less than half an ac cycle. These high energy power spikes can damage sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, instrumentation, and process controllers.
Q Where are surge suppressors installed?
A AC surge suppressors are typically installed in these three areas:
- at a utility service entrance for protection of an entire facility.
- in distribution panelboards and switchboards for protection of sensitive downstream loads;
- connected to a wall outlet for individual protection of a specific piece of equipment, such as a computer or solid-state controller
Q What features should be considered when selecting a surge suppressor?
A Two important areas to consider during the selection of a surge suppressor are performance and safety. The performance of a surge suppressor is measured in surge current capacity and clamping voltage. Safety should also be a priority in this selection process. The individual suppression circuit should be fused to clear an inoperative MOV during an extreme transient event, and provide overcurrent protection for the surge suppressor during a fault condition.
Q What surge current capacity is required?
A Surge current capacity is dependent on the application and the amount of required protection. The selection of the proper surge suppressor is not an exact science and cannot be scientifically calculated from a standard algorithm.
Questions to consider when specifying the proper surge current capacity for surge a surge suppressor include:
- What is the geographic location of the facility and its susceptibility to lightning?
(For example, Florida is a high-lightning area; California is a low-lightning area.)
- Is the facility in a rural or urban setting?
- Is the facility the tallest building around?
- Is the facility at the end of the utility grid?
- If it is an existing facility, what is its power quality history?
Q I am a Systems Integrator and build custom fabrications. What does APT offer that would protect my solutions?
A We have a hard wired TVSS solution for every type of panelboard, switchgear, motorcontrol and PLC application. Within our line of products, we offer external, internal, modular and non-modular configurations as well. We also custom design.
Q Space is a concern, does APT offer solutions for DIN Rail applications?
A Yes. APT offers a wide range of DIN Rail TVSS solutions. Our AC products range from 120V to 600V. In addition we also have a series of DC and low voltage DIN Rail surge suppressors as well.
Q Does APT offer TVSS products for renewable energy applications?
A Yes. APT offers a variety of solutions that can accommodate both the needs of the Wind and Solar markets.
Q What are your standard lead-times?
A Our normal ship date is no more than 10 days from the receipt of the purchase order on custom builds, and same day shipping for the most common modular and non-modular inventory units ordered before 3:00 pm EST.
Q Why would I buy from APT?
A As a leading manufacturer of quality U.S. made products, our highly trained design engineers have designed TVSS products that are of high quality, low in cost and contain the highest level of performance and safety features! You are working directly with the manufacturer. Who knows our product better than we do!