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Building a service company's numbers with higher mathematics

Electrical Apparatus, Dec 1997 by Nailen, Richard L

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In another recent instance, adapting a line of vacuum contactors to standard motor control centers, and achieving a 65,000 ampere interrupting capability (without fuses, because the customer wouldn't allow them), had to be proven by a high-power lab test done under contract in the Midwest.

BRITHINEE ELECTRIC continued

Brithinee Electric is also UL-certified as a builder of motor control centers to UL Standard 845. Why have UL certification? Explained Silva, "We got into this because controls are becoming more complex; lots of system integration. We do work for municipalities such as the City of Los Angeles, and they all have their own apparatus codes. Los Angeles County is very strict. If you have UL certification and labeling, they'll waive their individual requirements; otherwise, you face having to work to so many different sets of rules."

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Brithinee's largest control customer is itself a major control manufacturer. Said Silva, "They ship us the steelwork, and we do the system integration-supply the cable, terminals, fuses, wire everything up, and assemble UL-listed panels. They are a big company that can't handle specialties or last-minute changes like we can. What we can do very quickly might take them weeks." Echoed Don Brithinee. "We're more nimble, as a small company, and are able to facilitate their sale of large systems. It was their idea; they approached us."

Closing a customer's business

Another "specialty of the house" at Brithinee Electric has become stator rewinding of the inside-out ventilating fans for Diesel-electric railroad locomotives. These three-phase, 900/450 rpm (some are 900 rpm only), lowvoltage units are subjected to high temperature, aren't protected by conventional overloads, and suffer frequent burnouts.

Several years ago, when the shop installed a new parts washer, the contractor's representative was in and out several times overseeing the job. He'd formerly been service manager for a Southern California locomotive overhaul facility. There, fan motors proved uneconomical to rewind and were simply being replaced. Seeing the kind of work being done in the Brithinee shop, he suggested that Wally consider doing fan motor rewinds. Using his rail industry contacts, the visitor then arranged a tryout, which proved successful. Subsequently, the California locomotive repair facility closed.

Since early 1993, Brithinee Electric has rewound more than 1,800 of these special motors-without a failure. Most come from locomotive rebuilding facilities in the Midwest and East, often arriving in Colton in lots of half a dozen or more.

Originally, many had serious stator core damage. "They sent us a big batch of a couple hundred to start with," said Don. "We just sorted through it and repaired the ones that could be fixed, but about ten percent had to be scrapped. There's much less of that now; only about 15 of the last 550."

Because only the stators are sent in for repair, running tests aren't possible. A major concern has been the end turn configuration. Windings must fit within the rotating fan hub, with close clearances to balance bolts. To achieve that, Brithinee worked out a continuity phase winding to minimize the number of group jumpers, then developed a fixture (first from wood, then machined from aluminum) called a "salad bowl" that's pressed down over the completed end winding to shape the required contour.

Building a service company's numbers with higher mathematics

Electrical Apparatus, Dec 1997 by Nailen, Richard L

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