FEATURE 20 Compliance
Take time to understand the repair standard The thought of reading through lengthy standards documentation strikes fear into many! But Karl Metcalfe believes there are several ways that users of electric motors can benefit from having an understanding of the BS EN IEC 60034-23 repair standard.
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he repair standard, BS EN IEC 60034-23, establishes the benchmark for repairing rotating equipment; maintaining efficiency levels, high standards of quality control and improving efficiency in associated pieces of equipment. Before the standard existed, eco-design – in terms of rotating equipment – had mainly focused on energy efficiency. Now, with reference to the circular economy, attention has turned to reducing material consumption as well. Customers who understand the core principles of the standard are better equipped to choose the correct repairer for their needs. AEMT repair members cover a vast range of repairs and services and could work with equipment from national power stations through to local farms. There will be users that have no interest in this standard, and they will be happy to use anyone to repair their motor, but as awareness of the standard grows, and the focus on motor efficiency widens, an end-user familiar with the standard can ask a repairer more indepth questions around what they can offer. There are four key aspects of the standard that motor users should be particularly aware of. They are the circular economy, efficiency, root cause analysis and reporting. THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY The circular economy and the environment are both written into the standard, promoting environmental good practise and responsible recycling. The circular economy reflects what the repair industry has been doing for over 100 years; repair reuse and recycle. Unfortunately, in recent years the proportion of motors being repaired has significantly reduced due to repair costs going up and the increased availability of lower-priced motors.
Every project has a cut-off point when replacement becomes more appropriate than repair. However, making that decision purely on cost may miss other important benefits. The standard states that: “The repair or refurbishment of energy-efficient machines ensures the most efficient use of the world’s dwindling resources. When repairing or maintaining a typical 110kW machine with new bearings, the effective life is doubled, and 99% of the original machine is maintained. Plus, the old bearings, making up 1% of the machine, are recycled as highquality green steel scrap. If the machine is rewound, 90.5% of the machine is reused during refurbishment. The same weight of materials used during a rewind is returned as high-quality green copper and steel scrap. The only items not reused or recycled during a repair are the varnish, insulation, paint and grease, representing just 0.9% by weight of the materials present in a typical 110kW machine.” On this basis, when a repair is a close price match to a replacement, maybe the cost of the environment should be considered too. The circular economy is gaining pace in popularity, the younger generation is making these topics a top priority when choosing employment, and within a few years, those individuals could be deciding which repairer to use.
“Customers who understand the core principles of the standard are better equipped to choose the correct repairer.”
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Figure1: Efficiency by power rating across four motor classes. Quarter 4 2020
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