Three times this was picked up on recently and all from visitors to our workshops. I have no idea what people expect when they visit a workshop, I should say that these people were buyers and not engineers. Maybe engineering still holds onto it’s wrongly-perceived image of ‘being dirty’ but engineering isn’t always about dirty shitty environments. Ok, sometimes we …
“Should I repair my electric motor or should I replace it?”.
This question is asked around the world every day. And the answer? Well, the answer you will get depends on who you ask. And, If you’re the one responsible for getting your plant back up and running again, the answer might not be in your best interests either. Just consider this for a moment. You ask two people that same …
These electric motors help reduce vehicle emissions.
It’s more by accident rather than by design that my recent posts have featured technology and processes that are environmentally friendly. This one, as it so happens, is the same. We’re all I expect very used to traditional electric motors in my posts, but here’s one that is a little different. If you’ve not seen one of these before, it …
It’s not just DC motors that need regular brush inspection and maintenance.
There is a type of AC motor in industry that you may have hidden away in your process plant that has brushes in too. These are known as slip-ring motors. They are often referred to as wound-rotor motors too. That description probably explains more of the construction of the motor then slip-ring does actually. Instead of having cast rotor …
A pile of scrap PCBs or an opportunity to refurbish and reuse?
What do you see…a pile of scrap PCBs, or an opportunity to refurbish and reuse? If you see an opportunity to refurbish and reuse, great, you need not read any further. If you see these as scrap PCBs destined for landfill, then this is an opportunity for education. PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) are in all electronic equipment the World …
Is electric motor rewinding good for the environment?
Matt Fletcher, Managing Director of Fletcher Moorland, explains how the motor repair sector is supporting the drive towards protecting natural resources and the environment. It’s a pretty simple scenario; let’s say you have a 160kW motor that’s failed. You are either going to send it for repair or replace it. Does the environment (or, put more simply – recycling) play …
A motor repair with some interesting UK engineering history
Recently, there was a great deal of interest in an article I wrote about the resurrection of a DC motor. This reminded me of a much more interesting recovery and refurbishment of a DC motor. Let me start with a bit of history In the 19th century a French engineer and eccentric, Thomé de Gamond spent nearly 40 years and …
Have you ever seen one of these motors before?
On first viewing you can see the rotor lamination pack on the left-hand side, then the cage extended to a length greater than the lamination pack, there are air agitation fins on the extended cage and what looks to be another alloy cladding the extended cage. I’ve had 35 years in and around the motor repair business and this was …
Everyone knows the importance of core loss testing, but why do so many rewinders dismiss it?
“One of the most important quality assurance tools in the motor rewinding trade is the core loss tester Websites and promotional material from electric motor rewind companies from around the world tend to push one message “Quality Electric Motor Rewinds”, after all, nobody is going to admit to being sub-standard in a competitive industry. But what amazes me, is how …
A small UK engineering company, an ABB inverter and a redesigned control system
How over £500,000 was saved when an already obsolete unit became……more obsolete! Obsolescence is an issue in industries there’s no getting away from it, however, there are many ways to tackle it. One of the things I see all too often is the willingness to strip out systems where there’s another, usually more cost effective solution. There are many great …