spannungsfreien

Spannungsfrei is a German adjective meaning free of electrical voltage or free of mechanical stress, depending on the technical context. The inflected form spannungsfreien is used when the adjective precedes a noun in certain grammatical cases, for example den spannungsfreien Zustand or im spannungsfreien Zustand.

In electrical engineering and safety contexts, spannungsfrei describes a condition in which no hazardous voltage is present on conductors or equipment. Equipment is considered spannungsfrei after de-energizing and isolating it from all power sources, and before maintenance or repair work begins. Safe work practices often require verification that a circuit is spannungsfrei with a suitable voltage detector. Standards and guidelines in German-speaking regions frequently treat Spannungsfreiheit as a prerequisite for work on electrical installations, components, or test equipment.

In materials science and mechanical engineering, spannungsfrei refers to the absence of internal mechanical stresses within a material. Residual stresses can arise during forming, welding, or cooling, and achieving a spannungsfreier Zustand (stress relief) through processes such as annealing can improve dimensional stability and fatigue life. While zero stress is rarely achievable in practice, the concept guides heat treatments and processing aimed at minimizing detrimental residual stresses.

Usage notes: The term spans two main technical domains—electric safety and materials science—where its precise meaning is defined by context. The form spannungsfreien is commonly used before nouns in the accusative or dative cases. See also Spannung, Spannungsfreiheit, Spannungsprüfung.