Contact:
John D. Bland
pricemcnabb
Phone: (704) 916-6129
Fax: (704) 916-6041
johnbland@pricemcnabb.com
www.SquareD.com
WAUPACA FOUNDRY USES SQUARE D SERVICE TEAM TO FIND SAFE APPROACH
TO MAINTAINING ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Waupaca now performs infrared scans safely
and with no downtime
PALATINE, Ill. - Month XX, 2001 - Waupaca Foundry has found
a hands-free and reliable manner to perform infrared scans
for preventative maintenance.
Waupaca produces metal castings for transportation markets,
worldwide, and ships over 950,000 tons of gray and ductile
iron per year. Waupaca products include pulleys; brackets;
composite disc brakes; brake drums, calipers, anchors, and
spiders; flywheels and housings; cylinder heads; crankshafts;
hydraulic pump castings and components; certified pressure
vessels; gear covers; axle housings; steering gear boxes;
differential cases; wheel hubs; slack adjusters; bearing caps;
engine supports and dampeners; knuckles; and control arms.
In addition, the Waupaca Foundry produces many casting applications
for the agricultural, construction and infrastructure industries.
It is the goal of the Waupaca Foundry, Inc. to eliminate
work-related safety and health injuries and illnesses, and
to provide a safe work environment, and the foundry has turned
to the Square D service, engineering and field sales teams
to help meet its safety standards. As a result, the Waupaca
Foundry has focused its efforts on the maintenance of equipment
in a safe operating condition and has continued employee training.
Square D provided training classes and also offered a safe
alternative to removing panels by hand, which was previously
required in order to perform regular infrared scans.
The Waupaca Foundry was the first foundry in the United States
to receive QS 9000 Certification and is believed to be the
first in the world to achieve this status. Still, Waupaca
desired a safe way to maintain equipment without intrusion
and panel removal.
Training is Power
In 1999, Waupaca foundry purchased Square D medium voltage
equipment. As a follow-up to the installation, Square D Services
provided a training class on the maintenance of the new equipment.
However, Waupaca electricians were uncomfortable with maintaining
electrical equipment above 1000 volts.
Searching for Answers
Part of the recommended maintenance was regular infrared scans,
which required the removal of panels. Waupaca desired a risk-free
alternative to maintain equipment that wouldn't require panel
removal. Waupaca considered an option in which electricians
would cut out panels that could be removed and replaced, but
eliminated that option because the electrician could still
be exposed to potential fault while performing the IR scan.
The Service Sales Engineer, Dana McCook, did extensive market
research and found the H.VIR COMET infrared window marketed
by Online Thermographic Service at that time. Under the guidance
of the Square D Services team, the Square D Engineering Services
group did a beta installation in the Waupaca corporate location
and installed 200 of these windows in a one-hour outage window
in the Plant 2 and melt areas.
An Innovative Solution
With the new infrared windows, Waupaca met both its need for
regular maintenance and the safety requirements of Waupaca
foundry. The technology is unique in that the H.VIR COMET
infrared window, manufactured by SOREM, is transparent for
infrared rays. Waupaca now has the ability to perform the
scans safely and with no downtime.
The More, the Merrier
Subsequent to this installation, additional windows have been
installed in the Waupaca Foundry in Waupaca, WI as well as
at the Marinette, WI location. An estimated 500+ windows have
been installed to date with a budgeted project for another
870 pending for plants in Indiana and Tennessee.
For more information about the XXXXXX or the complete line
of XXXXXXX from Square D, call Square D at 1-800-392-8781.
Or, visit the Square D web site at www.SquareD.com or e-mail
help@SquareDinfo.com.
Located in LaVergne, Tenn., the Power Management Organization
was created within Square D in 1989 to develop, design and
market power monitoring and control systems and analytical
services. The Power Management Organization offers a full
range of products and services, including power monitoring
hardware and software, lighting control hardware and software
and a variety of engineering services.
SQUARE D is a market-leading brand of electrical
distribution, industrial control and automation products,
systems and services, and is the flagship brand in the U.S.
for the North American Division of Schneider Electric. SQUARE
D products are found in all types of residential, commercial
and industrial construction, in a wide range of manufacturing
and processing facilities, and in or on the products of other
manufacturers. Schneider Electric, headquartered in Paris,
France, is a global electrical industry leader with 2001 sales
of approximately $8.7 billion.
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This release is submitted for consideration in both print
and Web publications.
