Early adoption pays dividends for motor repair expert
Repairing and refurbishing electric motors is an important part of the business of UK-based independent engineering services company, RJW Engineering. And to support this aspect of its business, the company was, some 30 years ago, one of the first motor repairers outside the USA to invest in motor test equipment from Baker Instruments, which is now part of the Megger Group.
From the outset, those innovative test sets helped RJW detect winding faults that it would otherwise have missed and thus provide the level of service and quality its customers have come to rely on. As new developments made even better test equipment available, RJW made further investments, always sticking with Baker products. "Baker instruments have proved incredibly reliable over the years, they're always at the forefront of motor test technology, and the company has never let us down," said Lee Windsor, Director of RJW. "So what reason would we have to change?"
Having worked profitably with three generations of Baker motor test sets, all of which had earned their keep over many years, RJW was interested to learn that the new Baker ADX fully automatic static motor analyser was available from Megger. This device offers a comprehensive range of tests for assessing the condition of motors and for analysing faults. Tests include surge, turn-to-turn partial discharge, insulation resistance, polarisation index, DC Hipot and step voltage tests, as well as low voltage tests, including winding resistance, inductance and capacitance. A single set of plug-in high voltage Kelvin test leads means there is no need to change leads between tests, and a damaged test lead, for example, can be purchased and replaced without having to return the unit to a service centre.
All ADX models offer a choice of manual, automatic or sequenced testing as standard. They also support configurable route based site testing and incorporate a full range of asset management tools. Test results are displayed on an integrated 10.4-inch daylight viewable touch screen and are stored locally within the instrument. In addition, when an internet connection is available, the results are automatically synchronised with the cloud-based PowerDB Dashboard application, which provides additional facilities for analysis, trending of data, reporting and archiving.
These features proved decisive for RJW. "While we could perform most of the tests with our existing instruments, we could see that the new ADX offered three important benefits. The first was that only one instrument was needed to carry out the full range of tests, whereas previously we would have needed to use two or more. The second was that there was no need to change connections between tests, which saves time and trouble. The third was the automatic test option, which is not only convenient but also removes operator influence on the test results."
Lee was also happy to find that P.A.R. Insulations and Wires, a specialist distributor of electrical insulation products for the manufacture and repair of electric motors, generators and transformers, with whom RJW had worked for decades, had recently become a distributor for Baker products from Megger.
Paul Hirst, Managing Director of P.A.R., commented: "We probably know and/ or supply almost every motor repair and manufacturing organisation in the country, so it was a logical step to offer motor testing equipment alongside our traditional wire and insulation products. "The names 'Megger' and 'Baker' are synonymous with motor testing, so to partner with Megger and be able to bring its range of high-quality equipment to our customers has certainly proved to be a great fit for our business.
"We have been excited about the ADX release for several months now, and I am very pleased to have been able to deliver the first units worldwide to RJW."
All of these factors contributed to RJW taking delivery of the first two ADX test sets to come off the production line, which the company ordered via P.A.R. Just as RJW had been an early adopter for the original Baker test sets, it again demonstrated its confidence in the brand by becoming the earliest adopters worldwide for the new ADX test sets. And its confidence has been rewarded. Lee continued: "We particularly like the 'press the button and the test set does the rest' functionality. This saves time, and it means the results are totally consistent, with no variation from operator to operator. Another great feature is the ease with which we can produce the high quality reports that more and more of our customers are asking for. And, of course, we can have total confidence in the test results that are included in the reports to the extent that we now use them as the basis of our warranties."
The two ADX static motor analysers purchased by RJW are for use at the company's facilities in Wallasey and Manchester, where it carries out work on low-voltage machines. For this reason, the analysers are configured for testing at a maximum voltage of 4kV. A possible future purchase of an additional instrument for use at RJW Liverpool, where the company works with medium and high-voltage machines is under consideration. This would be configured to provide higher test voltages up to 15kV.
"The results from the new ADX test sets from Megger provide us with an accurate, dependable and comprehensive assessment of motor condition," concluded Lee, "and they deliver the results quickly and conveniently. We have no doubt that they are an excellent investment and that they will help us to continue delivering the uncompromising quality that, over the years, our customers deservedly expect."
