With the advent of solid-state electronic variable frequency drives (VFDs) in the late 1980s, it was found that the windings of motors used on VFDs failed more frequently than when powered by a utility (sine wave) supply. By the turn of the century, motor manufacturers had gained a better understanding of how VFDs affected motor windings. This article describes the materials and methods associated with inverter duty windings.

Con la llegada de los variadores de frecuencia electrónicos (VFD) de estado sólido a fines de la década de 1980, se descubrió que los bobinados de los motores que funcionaban con VFDs fallaban con más frecuencia que al estar alimentados con la energía convencional (onda sinusoidal). A principios de siglo, los fabricantes de motores habían comprendido mejor cómo los VFD afectaban los devanados del motor, y al igual que los proveedores de materiales electro, aislantes habían desarrollado materiales y métodos para mejorar la confiabilidad de los devanados de los motores alimentados con VFDs. En este artículo, describiremos los materiales y métodos asociados con los devanados inverter duty.

The goal of vacuum pressure impregnation is complete saturation of a winding with insulating resin. As resin penetrates the insulating materials, it causes them to darken. If some insulation is a lighter shade, the coil or jumper is not fully saturated. The winding is not properly protected, and if the problem is not addressed, it is likely to cause premature failure of the unit. This could result in costly warranty work, or at a minimum, will be a failure to provide your customers with the quality they expect and deserve.

El objetivo de la impregnación por vacío y presión (VPI) es saturar completamente un devanado con resina aislante. A medida que la resina penetra en los materiales aislantes, los oscurece y al drenar la resina VPI del devanado, todo el aislamiento de las cabezas queda oscuro en un tono uniforme. El aislamiento de la conexión también debe quedar oscuro de forma pareja. Si algún aislamiento muestra un tono más claro, la bobina o el puente no han quedado completamente saturados y el devanado no está debidamente protegido. Si no se soluciona el problema, es probable que esto provoque un fallo prematuro en el equipo. Esto podría generar una garantía costosa o, como mínimo, la reparación no brindará a sus clientes la calidad que esperan y merecen.

One of the most briskly debated issues in our industry is the comparison – and procedures for – vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) versus dip & bake. For this article, the discussion has been expanded to include trickle epoxy and B-stage coils.

Uno de los temas más debatidos en nuestra industria es la comparación y los procedimientos de impregnación a presión al vacío (VPI) versus inmersión y horneado. Para este artículo, la discusión se ha ampliado para incluir bobinas de etapa B y epoxi de goteo.

Relevant standards including IEC 60085 and IEEE 1 have similar definitions for electrical insulating materials (EIM) and electrical insulation systems (EIS). As with any system, there is an interaction between the materials used, and the insulation system developers take great care to ensure that this interaction does not lead to undesirable outcomes.

Diferentes normas relevantes incluyendo la IEC 60085 y la IEEE 1 definen de forma similar los materiales electro aislantes (EIM) y los sistemas de aislamiento eléctrico (EIS). Como en cualquier sistema, existe una interacción entre los materiales usados y los diseñadores de los sistemas de aislamiento cuidan todos los detalles para evitar que esta interacción produzca resultados indeseados.

A special discounted collection of 12 webinar recordings focusing on AC motor windings.

Just $60 for EASA members!

One of the least popular tasks to perform related to winding treatment processes is preparation and cleanup of fits, threaded holes and machined surfaces. Many service centers invest additional time in the preparation stage so as to minimize the cleanup stage. The most common approach to protecting these surfaces during winding treatment is to utilize masking compounds or dry release sprays.

In the last year, EASA’s technical support staff has received a number of inquiries from members seeking replacement recommendations for Famous Lubricants' “Special Masking Compound” which is currently unavailable. It is believed at this time that the manufacturer intends on continuing production at some point in the future though the time frame is not known. This specific problem leads to a more general question: What is a good practice for choosing a product to mask these surfaces?

Una de las actividades a realizar menos populares relacionadas con el tratamiento de los bobinados, es la preparación y la limpieza de los ajustes, agujeros roscados y superficies mecanizadas. Muchos centros de servicio invierten tiempo adicional durante la etapa de preparación para minimizar la etapa de limpieza. El enfoque más común para proteger estas superficies durante el tratamiento del bobinado consiste en utilizar compuestos para enmascarar o aerosoles de liberación de película seca. Durante el último año, el departamento de soporte técnico de EASA ha recibido una serie de consultas por parte de los miembros buscando recomendaciones para reemplazar el producto “Special Masking Compound” de Famous Lubricants’ (ver Figura 1) que actualmente no se encuentra disponible. Se cree en estos momentos que el fabricante tiene la intención de continuar con la producción en el futuro, aunque el plazo se desconoce. Este problema específico conlleva a una pregunta más general: ¿Cuál es una buena práctica para escoger un producto para enmascarar estas superficies?

This EASA software is a valuable interactive training tool ideal for training your novice(s) ... and even experienced winders will learn from it. The CD teaches how to wind in a richly detailed, step-by-step approach which includes narrative, animations and video clips, with tests to assess student comprehension. 

This paper, presented at the 2014 EASA Convention, describes research done by EASA service shops on the effectiveness and practicality of using offline partial discharge combined with a dielectrics characteristic test to evaluate the consolidation of stator windings in medium voltage machines manufactured by GVPI.

By this time we should all know that stator core loss testing is a required part of a quality rewind. A core loss test before and after burn-off is specified in the EASA Recommended Practice for the Repair of Rotating Electrical Apparatus (ANSI/EASA AR100) and The Effect of Repair/Rewinding on Motor Efficiency; EASA/AEMT Rewind Study and Good Practice Guide to Maintain Motor Efficiency.

Topics covered in this article include:

• Lessons learned
• Rebates add incentive
• Learning from other members
• Determining if the core is usable
• Accurate iron measurements

This recording will provide information to assist the service center with ensuring success with form wound VPI projects.

Have you ever had a curing issue with your DAP monomer (diallyl-phthalate ) solventless resin (hereafter referred to as resin for simplicity)? If you haven't, read on for guidance on preventing issues in the future. If you have, this article provides guidance on correcting the issues as well. As expensive as resin is, all service centers should be diligent about the care of their resin dip tank and VPI (vacuum pressure impregnation) systems. Topics covered include:

• Resin maintenance
• Periodic stirring of resin
• Oven basics
• Preheating the winding
• Resin chemistry
• Aging resin

There seems to be a long and never ending list of equipment and facilities needed by most EASA service centers. But often we are constrained by cost, available space, and more urgent priorities that keep us from fulfilling some of these needs. One such (almost mandatory) need is a vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) system. Normally there are two ways to provide this service. One way is to have another EASA service center do the VPI process for you. Another is to buy your own system at a considerable capital investment. There is also another option. We decided that the way to provide VPI processing was to build our own system. Most EASA service centers have a talented collection of people with numerous skills. Ours is no exception. We felt that we had the skills in house to do the job. All we needed was some hardware and to do a bit of research into how the process works