Refurbishment is economical option

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 4, 2003

Don't replace - refurbish, is the latest trend in the power engineering industry as a means of offsetting the cost of the bigger more expensive new transformers and switchgear.

Don't replace - refurbish, is the latest trend in the power engineering industry as a means of offsetting the cost of the bigger more expensive new transformers and switchgear.

RF Winder has been renowned for decades as one of the leading suppliers of power equipment, but it is also a top exponent when it comes to refurbishing both its own products and those of its rivals.

These products include power transformers up to 50MVA at 66kV, switchgear up to 33kV (vacuum, oil and SF6), low-voltage switchgear (ACBs, MCCB and complete distribution boards), ring main units and complete package substations whether they be containerised or skid mounted.

The company's sales and technical director Paul Matthews says: "We can do a complete refurbishment either where the equipment is located or at our workshops in Leeds.

And as well as having the skilled engineers to carry out such work we have one of the UK's largest stocks of pre-owned equipment for sale".

It does not seem to matter too much how old a transformer is.

Winder's engineers can bring it up to date whether it is high or low voltage and cooled by means of oil, silicone or air.

The company also offers a transformer radiator repair and redesign service and its project services management team can draw up a maintenance contract tailored to an individual customer's specific requirements.

Matthews said: "We operate a fully equipped workshop, staffed by personnel with a wide range of experience who carry out every task associated with full refurbishment and repair of power engineering equipment.

We operate a strict test and inspection procedure on all equipment leaving our workshop.

The tests comply with British Standards and have won the approval of major industrial users, including national companies".

It is the facilities for renovation and repair available on Winder's site which prompt many of its customers to send their transformers there rather than calling the company's experts to do the job in situ.

And for Winder distance is no object.

Matthews continued: "We have just won a contract to refurbish an 11kV switchboard for EDF Energy Network.

We collected the board from the company's base in London's Pimlico and brought it up to Leeds for a four-week refurbishment by a team of 10 service engineers we have assigned specifically to the task.

The switchgear has been in service for 20 years but the job we are undertaking will give the equipment a new lease of life".

The restored switchgear will make the return journey to London in September when it will be reinstalled at a time when the client company has a power plant shutdown scheduled.