Showa Electric cooperated as an organizing committee member for the "6th Asia Lightning Protection Forum (ALPF2009)" held at Merpark Yokohama from April 16 to 17, 2009, and successfully concluded the event. ALPF serves as a platform for lightning damage mitigation engineers from various Asian countries to exchange ideas. During the event, many attendees participated in the presentations on lightning damage mitigation research. Additionally, we showcased various types of SPDs in the product exhibition area. We will continue to contribute to the improvement of technical levels and the reduction of damage in Asian countries.

Showa Denko will begin selling its lightning protection product 'SPR-TB-CAT5e', which is compatible with high-speed network lines (CAT5e, 1000Base-T), starting April 1, 2009. Last summer, there were many instances of severe thunderstorms known as guerrilla rainstorms. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the number of thunder observation days in July and August recorded the highest in the past 50 years. Consequently, the number of lightning damage incidents also surged, and the sales volume of lightning protection products in 2008 showed an increasing trend compared to the previous year. Notably, there was significant demand for the lightning protection product 'SPR-TB-100BT-A1' compatible with network lines (LAN lines), which saw approximately double the sales compared to the previous year (according to our company). The 'SPR-TB-CAT5e' is compatible with CAT5e (Category 5e) cables and can be used with high-speed network (1000Base-T) lines. As high-speed and large-capacity networks continue to advance, it is expected that demand will increase for security devices such as network surveillance cameras, making it ideal for lightning protection of network devices like computers.

An article from JLPA (Japan Lightning Protection System Industry Association) will be featured in the series "Hurry Up with Lightning Damage Countermeasures: Protecting the Core of Companies" in the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (scheduled from April to July, every Wednesday). This initiative has been planned in light of the recent increase in lightning damage, while the awareness among the public and companies remains somewhat lacking. The aim is to widely communicate the realities of lightning damage, the actual state of damage, and countermeasures, in order to promote and raise awareness of lightning damage prevention.

The May issue of Railway and Electrical Technology features an article written by Akio Omi from Showden titled "Lightning Damage Countermeasures for Signal Equipment (2)." This is part of a three-part series, and the second installment provides a detailed introduction to the basic countermeasures against lightning damage for railway signal equipment.

The "Showden Mobile Site Co., Ltd." is now open for viewing on mobile phones. You can check out the latest news, company information, and also use the Thunder Blocker online shop. You can easily access it by scanning the QR code with a barcode reader-compatible mobile phone.

The April issue of the Railway and Electrical Technology magazine features an article written by Akio Omi from Showden titled "Lightning Damage Countermeasures for Signal Equipment (1)." The article provides a detailed introduction to the fundamental concepts of lightning damage countermeasures for railway signals and SPDs.

The June issue of Railway and Electrical Technology features an article written by Akio Omi from Showden and Shigeru Tamaya from the Technology Development Department, titled "Lightning Damage Countermeasures for Signal Equipment (3)." This is the third installment of a three-part series, and the third part provides a detailed introduction to the grounding of railway signal equipment.