November 2019
A WORD FROM OUR CEO
The past year has been one of full-speed-ahead production, delivery and customer support at EMC, and as we prepare to close out November and December, we are positioned for a strong finish for 2019.
Everything we do at EMC centers on ensuring that we provide you, our valued partners, with industry-leading products and service. Throughout the U.S., across Canada, and in countries throughout Central and South America, we deliver responsive service and forward-looking innovations that help customers effectively and efficiently achieve their goals. With customer lead times that are at the forefront of the market, we are consistently searching for ways to leverage new business opportunities that, in turn, result in additional positive outcomes for our partners.
The most recent example of this focus includes the addition of the Type PAV switchgear to our pad-mounted product line. Rolled out last month at the International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) in Louisville, Kentucky, this option enables customers to incorporate vacuum technology into their existing distribution systems, supplements our mining industry know-how, and is suitable for commercial/industrial/utility applications. Read on in this issue of The Grid to discover more about this new offering.
Our outlook for 2020 is solid, with more exciting projects in the works. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with our partners, listening to your industry needs, providing innovative solutions to challenges, and helping celebrate your accomplishments.
On behalf of the entire team at Electro-Mechanical, thank you for your support and commitment. We wish you a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year filled with new opportunities and continued prosperity.
Russell Leonard
President and CEO
Federal Pacific Formally Introduces PAV Vacuum Switchgear at 2019 ICUEE
Newest product is designed for seamless integration of vacuum bottle technology into customers’ existing systems
Federal Pacific formally introduced the new Type “PAV” (Pad-Mounted, Air-Insulated Vacuum) Switchgear with Visible Isolation Vacuum Switches and Fault Interrupters in early October at the International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Type PAV switchgear builds upon Electro-Mechanical Corporation’s (EMC) experience and expertise with vacuum switches and vacuum fault interrupters in the mining world, where products must continue to operate in a rugged, challenging environment. This product offers that same capability for utility and commercial/industrial applications.
The PAV requires no external power or battery source for basic switching operations and offers a CT-powered relay option for fault interruption, with no additional external power required. This technology affords “trip-free” operation and enables the PAV to provide 2,000 mechanical operations, while offering the same footprint, bushing height and cable configuration as conventional, dead-front pad-mounted switchgear.
In addition, the PAV is available with an optional base adapter, which facilitates an easy transition from existing live-front pad-mounted installations to a vacuum solution.
As a result, customers are able to easily integrate vacuum technology into their existing distribution systems, dead-front or live-front, with room to expand the technology and operational features when external power and communications become available.
“The Type PAV switchgear provides an alternative option to more traditional switch-fuse products for customers who need resettable opportunities or require more operations,” says Jeremy O’Quinn, Federal Pacific’s engineering manager of projects and development. “Fitting a vacuum product into the common trade size for pad-mounted switchgear has been a real challenge up to this point, but we’re now able to keep that same footprint. If a customer has already purchased a switch-fuse switchgear product and wants to upgrade to a vacuum fault interrupter, the PAV fits the common existing pad-mount footprints.”
The PAV offers 630 amp three-phase vacuum switches with visible isolation blades, which are lockable. The isolation blades are interlocked with vacuum bottles to prevent load switching with the isolation blades, providing full voltage and BIL withstand gap when open, regardless of the vacuum bottle contact position.
“This product offers a full-voltage disconnect,” O’Quinn says. “Products by other manufacturers may be dependent on both the visible disconnect and the vacuum bottle for the full separable gap. We have a full rating in both components. With our product, if you know there’s an issue, you can turn off the power upstream, open the visible disconnect, and then lock it out and tag it for further maintenance.”
While the PAV vacuum switches are rated for 630 amps continuous or switching, when configured as a fault interrupter, these vacuum fault interrupters are able to provide fault interruption up to 12,500 amps (symmetric). The vacuum fault interrupters eliminate the need for fuses on load taps up to 630 amps continuous, and three-phase load-side fault interruption eliminates “single-phasing” of three-phase loads.
“The Type PAV fault interrupters consist of two components instead of one, as in the case of a fuse,” says Chris Ambrose, Federal Pacific’s switchgear product manager. “They have contacts that open inside a vacuum for both load switching and fault interruption, along with relays that respond to over-currents with preset time-current responses. These relays can model a range of either slow or fast fuse curves for a variety of trip set points up to 630 amps.”
The new Type PAV Pad-Mounted Switchgear with Visible Isolation Vacuum Switches and Fault Interrupters adds vacuum bottle technology to Federal Pacific’s extensive pad-mounted switchgear product line developed for utility, industrial, government, military, higher education, correctional and medical customers.
Meet the Switchgear Inside Sales Team
Federal Pacific’s Inside Switchgear Team includes (front row, left to right): Chris Ambrose, switchgear product manager; Alana Dodd, customer service; Leah Hale, customer service; and Dovia Osborne, pad-mount SAE Manager. Back row, left to right: Jamie Shipley, engineered products SAE; Ed Cole, pad-mount SAE; Arlie Riffe, pad-mount SAE; Tucker Sharrow, pad-mount SAE.
Federal Pacific Team Attends 2019 ICUEE Trade Show
Pictured left to right, front row, are: Dovia Osborne, pad-mount SAE manager; Tracy Bledsoe, Great Lakes regional sales engineer; and Dave White, central regional sales manager. Back row, left to right are: Brian Harris, director of communications; Steven Mueller, northeast regional sales engineer; Chris Ambrose, switchgear product manager; Tom Streeter, director of sales; and Evan North, south central territory sales manager.
Eight Federal Pacific team members recently attended the 2019 International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE), held Oct. 1-3 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Scheduled biennially, the ICUEE trade show provides Electro-Mechanical Corporation and Federal Pacific the opportunity to directly connect with customers and industry contacts, and to also showcase new and existing electrical distribution equipment.
“At the October ICUEEE show, we were proud to introduce our new Pad-mounted, Air-Insulated Vacuum (PAV) Switchgear, and to give customers a personalized demonstration with the opportunity to ask questions,” says Dovia Osborne, pad-mount sales and application engineer (SAE) manager. “Success is a team effort, and Electro-Mechanical Corporation and Federal Pacific are fortunate to have a well-respected group of manufacturing representatives across the country who provide valuable input to help us better understand our customers’ needs and expectations.”
While at the show, the Federal Pacific team had the opportunity to recognize KW Associates of Crystal Lake, Illinois, for their 2018 sales achievements, presenting them with the $11 Million Club Award. KW Associates has been a part of the Federal Pacific team since 2003 and continues to be a top performer each year. Please join us in congratulating Keith Ward, president of KW Associates, and his team for an outstanding job!
Federal Pacific was proud to honor KW Associates of Crystal Lake, Illinois, at the October ICUEE show. Clockwise, from left: Keith Ward, principal, and Andrew Crane of KW Associates; Tom Streeter, Federal Pacific; Jeff Keech, Tom McLean and Phil Santi of KW Associates; Dave White and Brian Harris, Federal Pacific; Collin Kubsch, KW Associates; Steven Mueller, Tracy Bledsoe and Dovia Osborne, Federal Pacific; TJ Sult, KW Associates; and Chris Ambrose, Federal Pacific.
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