Innovative shore-power company wins 'Emerging Manufacturer' award

by Des Ryan on 21 Jun 2011 A marine application, Smartplug, a company specialising in innovative shore-power systems for yachts, has won the USA's 'Emerging Manufacturer' award, as recognition for its innovation and growth.

Part of the second annual Washington Manufacturing Awards, winners were chosen from dozens of nominations by judges convened by Seattle Business magazine. The awards were recently presented at a dinner with 230 fellow manufacturers present.

'We are so honored to have been selected from approximately 150 entries,' said Ken Smith, founder of SmartPlug. 'We have worked hard to revolutionize shore power systems and we're very grateful to be recognized for our achievements. Making boating safer is our ultimate goal and rewards like this make that journey even more worthwhile.'

A revolutionary power system, SmartPlug is designed to replace the outdated and problematic twist-type power cord connectors traditionally used.

SmartPlug currently offers 30 amp marine systems with 50 amp systems in development. The company supplies power systems to the marine, RV, electric vehicle and emergency vehicle markets. SmartPlug has over 400 dealers in the US and Canada. There are no international dealers right now, but the products can easily be bought online.

Advantages of the Smartplug system:

Overheat Protection:
The 30 Amp Inlet contains a trip thermostat which will cut power in the unlikely event of overheating. It is set to trip at 200 degrees (just below the temperature at which wire insulation begins to soften) and turn the power back on once it has cooled back down to a safe operating temperature of around 120 degrees.

Push Straight-In Sleeved Design:
One of the primary causes of electrical arcing in twist-type designs is the fact that the electrical pins bear any weight or tension in the cord, and eventually work themselves loose. The SmartPlug's sleeve design means that the body of the plug bears that weight or tension, rather than the electrical pins, keeping those points of electrical contact secure.

Weatherproof:
Water intrusion leads to corrosion, and corrosion leads to electrical arcing and overheating. SmartPlug's three weatherproof seals eliminate the possibility of water and moisture intrusion, ensuring a safe and dry connection.

Multi-Point Locking System:
SmartPlugs employ two locking side levers as well as two points of contact on the locking cap to ensure a rock solid connection. When not in use, the cap can be closed to form a weatherproof seal on the inlet.

Ease of Use:
Simply push the plug straight in until the side levers 'click' and then snap the locking cap down on top to finish the job. Additionally, the unique shape of the plug ensures a straight-in connection that can only be plugged in one way. No more finding the offset pin in the dark and no twisting required!

Easy Installation:
Simply remove the legacy twist-type round inlet from your boat, connect the wiring to the SmartPlug inlet and reinstall using the same screw hole footprint. On the plug end, you simply cut off your old plug end and attach wires to the new SmartPlug.

For more information, go to the http://www.smartplug.com!Smartplug_website