Corporate

INDEPENDENT MOTOR LAB CERTIFIES TENNESSEE ARMATURE AND ELECTRIC IN INNOVATIVE MOTOR REPAIR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Raleigh, N.C. (March 30, 2011) Advanced Energy is pleased to announce Tennessee Armature and Electric of Knoxville, Tenn., has achieved Proven Efficiency Verification (PEV) accreditation for motor repair – a stringent quality assurance program to ensure consistency in repairs while achieving energy savings. Tennessee Armature and Electric is now one of only six motor repair service centers in North America to receive this accreditation, demonstrating they have the necessary standards and procedures in place to return repaired motors to “like new” condition and performance.

“Solution to the cause of the failure and the ability to provide a quality repair is our goal,” says Ron Collins, president, Tennessee Armature and Electric. “The PEV accreditation further demonstrates our commitment to our customer that we are very interested in their success as well as our own. The ability to restore motors to their manufactured efficiency level is essential to being the quality shop that we are. Our association with Advanced Energy and the PEV program has helped improve our processes and elevate Tennessee Armature to a higher standard.”

Advanced Energy's PEV program assesses motor repair facilities' standards and processes for the repair of a-c induction, three-phase electric motors used in industrial and commercial applications. The program involves a thorough onsite evaluation of a motor service center's ability to maintain efficiency during the repair process, which includes an assessment of:

• Specific equipment operation, maintenance and calibration;
• Choice of parts and materials for repair;
• Skills of the shop employees and their ongoing training;
• Shop management and their commitment to quality; and
• Repair procedures and associated documentation.

Once the evaluation is completed, the motor repair center is required to perform before and after rewind testing in Advanced Energy's motor test lab – the only independent motor testing lab in North America accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).

“The average motor service center in our program repairs approximately 5,000 horsepower (hp) per month to the PEV standards,” says Kitt Butler, director, Motors and Drives, Advanced Energy. “Larger ones are closer to 8,000 hp per month. If you assume the PEV repair motor saves 0.5 percent efficiency that could have been lost during the repair process, the energy savings add up quickly.”

“The service centers in the PEV program demonstrate they have the people, processes, equipment and procedures to restore efficiency during motor rewind,” notes Emmanuel Agamloh, Ph.D., technical lead, Motor Lab, Advanced Energy. “Motor repair vendors who maintain efficiency as outlined in the PEV program are more successful at reducing overall operating costs and increases process reliability for their customers.”

In addition to Tennessee Armature and Electric, Industrial Electric Motor Works, Meridian, Miss.; Industrial Motor Services, Richmond, Va.; Shermco Industries, Inc., Irving, Texas; Hupp Electric Motors, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and American Electric Motors, Memphis, Tenn., have all received PEV accreditation. Currently, there are an additional four repair service centers actively participating in the program to receive their accreditation.

About Tennessee Armature and Electric
Tennessee Armature's Knoxville, Tenn. location, which is PEV–accredited, and its Bristol, Tenn. location service territories from the Tri–cities of Virginia to Georgia. TAE has been in business for over 100 years, offering services of electrical apparatus repair, 10 service trucks that provide predictive and preventive onsite maintenance services as well as electrical repairs. Providing more than repairs, Tennessee Armature works closely with their customers in providing solutions to recurring failures and improving the equipment mean time between failures. They understand the true meaning of partnering with their customers. For more information, visit www.ta-electric.com.

About Advanced Energy
Advanced Energy is a Raleigh, N.C.–based nonprofit committed to a future in which energy needs are met at reasonable costs, helping industrial customers improve the return on their energy investment. With expertise in motors and drives and industrial process technologies, Advanced Energy provides solutions through consulting, testing, and training. At its Motors and Drives Lab, Advanced Energy provides access to cutting edge state&ndas;of–the–art testing of motors, drives and industrial process technologies.

The first motor lab in the world to achieve National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) compliance for motor efficiency testing through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Advanced Energy remains the only independent motor lab in North America to hold this accreditation. Assisting with validating motors, drives and related products, we provide consulting, training, testing and research for motor manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, distributors, importers, motor service centers, utilities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.advancedenergy.org/md.