ABB Celebrates 50 Years Of Customer Satisfaction With The FT Flexitest Switch

ABB, the original FT switch manufacturer with the Flexitest switch’s unmatched quality, continues to deliver a safe, reliable, cost-effective and flexible product for in-service testing of relays, meters and instruments by any conventional system.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, is proud to announce the 50 year anniversary of the FT Flexitest switch.

The first Flexitest switch was created in 1964 by Westinghouse. The switch continued to be sold following Westinghouse’s merger with ABB in 1988, and ABB has used its global expertise to develop the FT switch into a superior medium voltage product.. Since then, ABB has become the market leader with the largest installed base in test switch technology.

The switches are designed and manufactured for quick and easy multi-circuit testing. Access to the relay or other device circuits for testing can be achieved without disconnecting any wiring. The visible make-before-break shorting feature allows test personnel to quickly and safely isolate equipment from current transformer (CT) circuits. Flexitest design features provide convenience, safety, security and flexibility.

ABB offers a complete line of switches, switch assemblies and test plugs for separate source and in-service testing including FT-1/X/F, FT-14, FT-19R/RX/RS, and FT-22RS test switches. Due to the robust design and reliability, ABB has never charged for repair or replacement in the past 50 years.

“We are proud to celebrate 50 years of safety and we stand by safety as our number one priority,” said Richard Lindo, vice president and general manager for ABB Distribution Automation, North America. “We continue to invent and innovate to assure that the FT Flexitest switch will remain the most reliable and cost-effective means for customer to wire the outputs of relays, meters and other associated equipment to an external device for in-service testing, and will continue to be the industry standard for the future.”

About ABB
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 140,000 people. The company's North American operations, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, employ about 27,000 people in multiple manufacturing, service, engineering and other major facilities. For more information, visit www.abb.com