The primary function of the newly-formed transformer division is the promotion of transformer health through the regular assessment of insulating fluid and diagnosis of the results.
Durban-based reliability solutions specialists, WearCheck, recently bought out Transformer Chemistry Services (TCS), adding an already-established transformer analysis and maintenance division to the company’s condition monitoring portfolio.
Coupled with WearCheck’s Africa-wide network, the expertise of TCS and a general growth in the number of transformers across the continent, WearCheck is now poised to provide large-scale and widespread comprehensive transformer reliability services.
The primary function of the newly-formed transformer division is the promotion of transformer health through the regular assessment of insulating fluid and diagnosis of the results.
Transformers are extremely critical apparatus for providing reliable energy. No-one can precisely answer when equipment will fail, but it is essential to manage risk. Compared with the cost of premature or catastrophic failure, regularly scheduled oil testing is a cost-effective and sound maintenance practice that is used to extend the life of transformers.
WearCheck has now added the transformer tests done by TCS to its existing transformer oil analysis programme, increasing the number of available fluid and non-fluid tests, such as Insulation Paper Quality Testing. This test provides a measure of paper aging, and correlates this with important physical properties such as resistance to tearing and bursting. This is a critical factor in estimating the real aging of the main transformer insulation.
TCS was established in Westville, Durban in 1992 by Ian Gray, who has run the company for the past 25 years. Among some of the large customers serviced by TCS are companies such as Sasol, Mittal Arcelor and BHP Billiton. A second TCS laboratory was built in Cape Town two years ago, in response to the needs of the burgeoning transformer industry in the Western Cape.
Offering the full spectrum of transformer reliability solutions by one condition monitoring company – this is one of the key benefits of the merger of TCS into WearCheck. So says WearCheck MD Neil Robinson, who constantly strives to provide customers with value-for-money services that reliably boost plant availability.
“The transition of TCS into WearCheck is already underway and is an extremely smooth process, particularly since the two companies share an absolute dedication to the integrity of data and a parallel commitment to customer service excellence,” says Robinson.
