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Case Study

Baumuller UK, Motor Service and Repair

Baumuller UK and Baker Motor Testers
Keep Rail Traction Customer Right on Time

Baumuller the Worldwide electric motor, electronics and drive system manufacturer is a major force in high quality service and repairs of all makes of motors. Their UK office based in Coulsdon, Surrey, undertakes in-situ motor predictive maintenance and troubleshooting, as well as factory based repairs, service and parts support.

The choice of the Baker D12R digital winding tester – supplied by Whitelegg Machines, was made back in 1999 and was the first of its type in the UK, it has been a mainstay of their testing programmes ever since, approving every single motor that has since passed through their repair shops.

The D12R, Versatile Winding Tester

The D12R is a lightweight, high voltage tester offering resistance, hi-pot, and surge tests with digitised data storage for print out in real time or later reports.

The D12R is capable of detecting the smallest insulation breakdown within the armature or field windings, a task that Baumuller have found cannot be as comprehensively accomplished by any other machine.

The on-site effectiveness of the D12R was proven when Baumuller staff recently attended at a major traction customer where there is a high demand on motors, with failure affecting possibly hundreds of passengers.

Rail Traction Motor Failures

The customer was unsure why the ‘transport system’ was tripping with over-voltage readings and availability of running and maintenance schedules ruled against the removal of the motor for speculative investigation

Customer needed to know unequivocally whether this was a motor or system related problem, leading to a decision to schedule a motor change in the short term or safely waiting for the next major maintenance.

Baumuller’s engineer working with the D12R in portable mode, disconnected the motor supply leads and systematically tested the field winding as a whole composite, as well as the armature windings within the instrument diagnosis program.

Test Programme Highlights Problem Area

From their in-house, outgoing test sheets they determined that values shown on this motor did not tie up with what should be experienced on the field windings. The conclusion was that further tests were necessary as the field was tested as a whole and therefore the exact coil that was overvoltaging could not be isolated at that time.

However it could be stated that the problem was motor related and furthermore proven with data.

The client was advised to carry on running this motor but if tripping still occurred, so disrupting his system, motor change would need to be done in the short term, leading to a full rewind.

Baumuller engineers were able to print out on-site reports from the D12R and gave these together with a copy of the motor outgoing report sheet to the traction engineering manager.

This enabled the client to schedule in a motor change at a convenient time with a spare motor.

The whole process took no more than 1 hour to conclude aided by the D12R, without it the client could have been fault finding, across his whole system for hours if not days.

In the words of Raaland Burke, Director Baumuller UK, “without a doubt, the D12R has been a cornerstone in our business of motor diagnosis and repair, enabling us to maintain a professional and quantifiable works programme for our clients”

Baumuller (UK) Ltd, 14 Redlands Centre, Redhill, Surrey CR5 2HT
r.burke@baumuller.co.uk

Whitelegg Machines Ltd is UK agents for Baker Testing of the USA. Whitelegg offer full technical sales support, backup and training.