This trend in integration has started to confuse the issue as to what
low-voltage switchgear really is. It should be borne in mind that switchgear
is still some principal combination of metal enclosures with multipole circuit
breakers. There are many metal-enclosed, dead front, assemblies offered that
are switch and fuse combinations. Although they look like and commonly
are referred to as switchgear, they are really modern versions of equipment
known as switchboards, and are called that by most manufacturers. Like
their forerunners, these switchboards do not address the problems with
single phasing on branch feeders due to a blown fuse; however, the incoming
device may have phase loss or blown fuse detection included in it. Regarding
current-carrying capacity, both fuses and switches have roughly kept pace
with the developments in circuit breaker technology.