Maintenance
August 24, 2023
Basic Steps of Electric Motor Repair
It is important to follow the procedures for electric motor repair. This can help obtain all the needed data/information that will determine if you should proceed with a repair. The following will take you through the most basic processes for Electric Motor Repair. Receiving a Motor for Repair The first step is to document the […]
Read MoreJuly 12, 2023
6 Common DC Motor Issues
Though DC Motors are simple machines, proper and timely maintenance is important to lengthen the motor and facility’s lifespan. DC motor users in the manufacturing sector know all too well the headaches that can come along with troubleshooting issues. This article will help you troubleshoot six of the most common DC motor issues. 1. Carbon […]
Read MoreFebruary 21, 2023
Neutral Grounding of Electrical Power Systems
To ground, or not to ground – that is the question. There are many factors to consider before selecting the best method of neutral grounding for your electrical system. This article discusses the requirements and techniques of four different methods of system grounding to help you choose which one is best for your needs. Background: […]
Read MoreJanuary 24, 2023
How to Determine Transformer Criticality
Determining transformer criticality is an important step towards turning your existing maintenance plan (or lack of) into a reliability-centered maintenance program. The analysis will allow you to develop a custom plan that saves you money with minimal downtown. So, how do you go about determining transformer criticality? The question of what tests to pull and […]
Read MoreJanuary 1, 2023
The Right Way to Sample a Transformer
Transformer sampling is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to determine what is going on in our transformers, but it is important to sample correctly to make sure you get a good representative sample from the transformer. Don’t wait until the transformer fails to do this sampling – many of the high costs that […]
Read MoreSeptember 14, 2022
On-Demand Monitoring: Cost-effective Alternatives to Online Monitoring
The Uptime Conundrum Continually increasing demand for production uptime (and consequent decrease in available system outages for maintenance) continues to push the need for changing the way power distribution equipment and systems are maintained. The average US facility’s annual uptime percentage has risen from 80% in 1980 to 97% in 2019. That equates to reducing […]
Read MoreAugust 25, 2022
3 Avoidable Electric Motor Issues
The following article was previously published by Utilities Tech Outlook. Read the original article here. Electric motor owners often ask how long their motors will last under current conditions. An exact timeline cannot be determined, but by identifying the most common, avoidable electric motor issues, we can prevent premature failures. Adhering to proper maintenance practices can […]
Read MoreDecember 1, 2021
Everything You Need to Know About Vibration Analysis
Vibration analysis is an essential maintenance process for electric motors today. This article breaks down everything you need to know about vibration analysis to ensure your facility’s motors are running at peak efficiency. What is Vibration? In a dictionary, you might see vibration defined as “to swing back and forth; to oscillate.” In the electric […]
Read MoreOctober 13, 2021
6 Top Motor Preventative Maintenance Procedures
At Southwest Electric Co, we know how important electric motor preventative maintenance is when it comes to increasing the life span and overall functionality of the motor. When creating a maintenance routine, a multitude of factors come into play such as ambient operating temperatures, run times, loading, types of driven equipment, and special environmental conditions. […]
Read MoreJuly 19, 2021
Your Electrical Distribution System Checklist
Industry retirements and maintenance department budget cuts often result in lost knowledge and documentation gaps that can be difficult to replace. Electrical department managers and employees can find themselves lacking the history and background needed to understand the critical systems that keep production moving. The electrical distribution system is often taken for granted until the […]
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