Acme Armature Works

Acme Armature Works Inc.

Filed Under: Electric Motors, Press Releases Tagged With:

Finding the cause of three-phase stator winding failures is key at Acme Armature Works

Acme Armature Works Inc. in Sheboygan, Wis. strives to provide full disclosure of the reason for winding failures in three-phase stator systems to help customers avoid similar issues for their electric motors in the future.  -Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA) photo

By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

Unfavorable operating conditions can be highly problematic within the inner workings of an electric motor assembly, shortening the staying power of a three-phase stator winding system.

Whether electrical, mechanical or environmental in nature, Acme Armature Works Inc. owner Chad Bahrs says identifying potentially detrimental operating conditions plays a key role when diagnosing specific reasons for three-phase stator winding failures.

“When a customer brings in an electric motor with a three-phase stator winding failure, I think it is very important to tell the customer why it failed,” Bahrs said. “There are a lot of different reasons for these types of failures, so we always dig deep to find out what happened. Knowing the reason why a failure occurred can teach us a lot and help our customers in taking preventative measures to avoid having that type of failure happen again.”

Common winding failures in three-phase stators can be wide ranging in nature as outlined by the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA).

Single-phased winding failures are typically the result of an connection issue in one phase of the power supply to the motor caused by a blown fuse, open contactor, broken power line or bad connection.

Thermal deterioration of insulation in one phase of the stator winding can result from unequal voltage between phases caused by unbalanced loads on the power source, poor connection at the motor terminal or high resistance contact, such as a weak spring.

Thermal deterioration of the insulation in all phases of the stator winding is typically caused by load demands exceeding the rating of the motor. In addition, under-voltage and over-voltage, which exceed NEMA standards, will also produce the same type of insulation deterioration.

Severe thermal deterioration of the insulation in all phases of the motor normally is caused by very high currents in the stator winding due to a locked rotor condition. This can also occur as the result of excessive starts or reversals.

The presence of contaminants, abrasion, vibration or a voltage surge can produce insulation failures.

Voltage surges, which are often the result of switching power circuits, lighting strikes, capacitor discharges and solid-state power devices, can produce insulation failures.

“Any time you have unbalanced voltage in a three-phase stator winding system, damage can occur,” Bahrs said. “When we repair these types of failures, we always stress the importance of learning why the failure occurred. It is always a good practice to keep our customers informed and give them tips to avoid running into a similar situation in the future. Communication with our customers is key and we always place a high value on that.”

For more information about how Acme Armature Works Inc. can help to diagnose the causes of failures in three-phase stator windings in your electric motor assembly, email [email protected], call the 24-hour service line at 920-452-3389 or visit  www.acmearmature.com.

 

Filed Under: Electric Motors, Press Releases Tagged With:

Acme Armature Works completes LSIS variable frequency drive training

By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

Acme Armature Works Inc. owner Chad Bahrs shows off a LSIS variable frequency drive available at Acme Armature Works headquarters in Sheboygan, Wis.

Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With:

Acme Armature Works owner completes field balancing workshop

By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions

Acme Armature Works Inc. owner Chad Bahrs recently completed a Schenck Balancing and Diagnostic Systems Field Balancing Workshop training in Chicago, Illinois.

Led by a Schenck training specialist from Deer Park, New York, the workshop was designed to provide instruction on assessing damaged bearings in electric motor assemblies, while highlighting the proper use of portable vibration analyzers, which are the main tools used in field balancing scenarios.

“It was a very informative workshop, which gave a lot of details on what to look for and the different signals to checks when doing field balancing,” Bahrs said. “The portable vibration analyzer can be a tricky machine to figure out. Each type of portable vibration analyzer seems to act a little bit differently.

“We spent quite a bit of time learning the different portable vibration analyzers, which I found to be quite interesting and useful in the field balancing work we do on a regular basis,” he said.

According to Bahrs, Acme Armature Works places a strong emphasis on offering top-flight one-site balancing services to its customers throughout Sheboygan County.

“Accurate vibration analysis can provide the necessary information to evaluate an electric motor’s condition, identify symptoms to avoid on-going damage, determine the cause of damaged components and other a prognosis for remaining service life,” Bahrs said. “Providing high-quality on-site balancing services, including vibration analysis can make the different between maximum production efficiency and large-scale failure.

“At Acme, we offer a complete range of services to diagnose, troubleshoot and correct machine condition through the use of the latest Schenck technology,” he said.

The workshop also touched on the importance of using portable vibration analyzers in the shop, as well as in the field.

“In addition, to using the portable vibration analyzer in the field to test motors and find problems, the analyzers can be used to double check our work in the shop,” Bahr said. “We test run each motor after balancing them as an extra step of quality control. I feel it is important to utilize this step to verify that we did a good job of balancing a motor.

“As part of our commitment to quality control, we document each field balancing job we do according to the EASA accreditation AR100 specs that we use as our standard guideline,” he said.

For more information or to request service with Acme Armature Works Inc., email [email protected], call the 24-hour service line at 920-452-3389 or visit  www.acmearmature.com.