For service professionals working with large electric motors and generators, machines with voltage ratings 5 kV and higher can be vulnerable to invisible threats of partial discharge (PD). Corona and PD activity have long been a challenge to detect before failure occurs. Traditionally, detecting these issues required indirect methods like radio interference voltage (RIV) testing, ultrasonic detection or offline insulation tests. But recent advances in partial discharge imaging—sometimes called corona cameras—are giving engineers and technicians a powerful new tool: the ability to see electrical discharge activity directly and in real time. 

As a small business owner employing skilled trade workers who are aging out of the workforce, sustainability is not just about the natural or political environment outside of our walls; it is increasingly becoming challenging in terms of sustaining the capabilities that our customers have come to expect from us.

As our company has grown, we have had to learn to trust others to get things done in a way that is consistent with how you would want them done. Here is how we chose to attack the trust issue and some of the lessons learned along the way.

Para los profesionales que trabajan con grandes motores y generadores eléctricos, las máquinas con tensiones nominales de 5 kV o superiores pueden ser vulnerables a amenazas invisibles de descargas parciales (DP). Detectar la actividad corona y las DP antes de que se produzca un fallo ha sido un desafío durante mucho tiempo. Tradicionalmente, detectar estos problemas requería métodos indirectos como pruebas de voltaje de radio interferencia (RIV), detección ultrasónica o pruebas de aislamiento a máquina parada. Sin embargo, los recientes avances en imágenes de descargas parciales, a veces llamadas cámaras corona, brindan a ingenieros y técnicos una nueva y poderosa herramienta: la capacidad de ver la actividad de descargas eléctricas directamente y en tiempo real.

The 2024 NEMA MG 00001 standard introduces key updates, including new Design BE and CE motors with defined locked-rotor current limits, Class N insulation for high-temperature use, and revised stall time requirements. It adds Super Premium efficiency levels aligned with IEC IE4, adopts IEC voltage/frequency variation guidelines, and expands duty ratings for variable load/speed motors.

La norma NEMA MG 00001 2024 introduce actualizaciones clave, incluyendo nuevos motores de Diseño BE y CE con límites de corriente de rotor bloqueado definidos, aislamiento Clase N para uso a alta temperatura y requisitos revisados ​​de tiempo de pérdida. Añade niveles de eficiencia Super Premium alineados con IEC IE4, adopta las directrices IEC sobre variación de voltaje/frecuencia y amplía las capacidades de servicio para motores de carga/velocidad variable.

Managing through this polarizing political climate doesn’t mean that you must choose sides, but we do have to motor on. I have found three tips that help me in my business life.

This article highlights how motor repair service centers can support sustainability goals by documenting carbon offsets from motor upcycling. Rewinding motors typically reuses or recycles over 90% of materials, significantly reducing Scope 3 emissions. By leveraging EPA and transportation emission data, centers can provide science-based reports to clients aiming to meet environmental targets. This approach positions service centers as valuable partners in the circular economy and appeals to sustainability-conscious customers.

While robotic systems are advancing rapidly, their ability to replicate the complex, highly dexterous tasks performed by skilled craftworkers like motor winders, manual machinists and mechanics, especially in bespoke electric motor repair, is still significantly limited. Expert human judgment, adaptability and fine motor skills are not easily replicated by robots today, particularly in nuanced troubleshooting, diagnostics and precise manual repairs.

Este artículo destaca cómo los centros de servicio de reparación de motores pueden apoyar los objetivos de sostenibilidad mediante la documentación de las compensaciones de carbono del reciclaje de motores. El rebobinado de motores suele reutilizar o reciclar más del 90 % de los materiales, lo que reduce significativamente las emisiones de Alcance 3. Al aprovechar los datos de emisiones de la EPA y del transporte, los centros pueden proporcionar informes con base científica a los clientes que buscan cumplir los objetivos ambientales. Este enfoque posiciona a los centros de servicio como socios valiosos en la economía circular y atrae a clientes conscientes de la sostenibilidad.