Rapid Prototyping Through High-Power Testing

Rather than waiting for a perfect design, Copperweld embraced rapid prototyping as a way to quickly evaluate new ideas, gather meaningful data, and continuously refine conductor performance through laboratory testing.

Using experimental conductor designs assembled from available materials, engineers subjected prototype ArcAngel conductors to high-power short-circuit testing to evaluate both electrical and mechanical performance. Each test answered important questions while uncovering new opportunities for improvement. The process demonstrated that meaningful engineering progress often comes through repeated experimentation rather than attempting to perfect every detail before validation.

By allowing laboratory results to guide development, Copperweld accelerated the design process while building confidence in the conductor's final performance. Every test became another step toward optimizing a grounding conductor specifically engineered for modern utility applications.

Continue the Engineering Journey

Performance targets had been achieved, but one practical challenge remained: developing a conductor that would better blend into the substation environment while maintaining its proven performance.