Nitin Kulkarni
Technical Services Committee Member
Helwig Carbon Products, Inc.

The worn carbon brush face indicates the operating conditions. Therefore, it can be utilized by brush experts as a highly effective diagnostic tool for troubleshooting and determination of root causes. If these warning signs shown at the brush face can be identified and proactively addressed in a timely manner, then major unexpected expensive catastrophic failures like flashover or repair of the contact surface can be avoided.

Far too often when a motor or generator comes out of service or is sent in for repair, the used brushes are considered worthless as a replaceable item. As warning signs at brush faces are missed with root cause left unaddressed, there can be a repeat of failures and high-cost maintenance.

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