PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & ROUTINE INSPECTION OF CONTACTORS:

Preventive attention is better than cure.

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PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & ROUTINE INSPECTION OF CONTACTORS

A. B. GENERAL INSPECTION:
A.1. Check for loose, missing, broken or corroded hardware, pivot pins, cotter pins, springs and other mechanical parts.

ARC BOXES:
B.1. B.2. B.3. Check arc boxes for broken or eroded parts and Grid plates and also for excessive collection of contact material or other foreign conducting material on the surface of insulating parts. Replace broken or badly eroded parts. Clean or replace parts having excessive build of conducting material.

C.

CONTACTS:
C.1. C.2. C.3. C.4. C.5. Remove oxide or large beads of contact materials from the faces of contacts, using a fine file or sandpaper.(Emery cloth should not be used for cleaning contacts.) Do not file or sand silver or alloy contact faces unless considerable foreign matter has collected on the surface of the contacts. When replacing contacts or other current-carrying parts, clean surfaces, which are to be bolted together. Realign contacts and set over travel if necessary. Do not substitute contact material without factory approval.

D.

SHUNTS:
D.1. D.2. Replace shunts having broken of frayed strands. Clean connection points if current-carrying parts are discolored.

E. F.

BLOWOUT COILS:
E.1. Inspect blowout coils for discolored connections, shorted turns, and loose hardware.

TERMINALS, CNTACT SUPPORTS, BUS BARS, AND CONNECTORS.

F.1. F.2. Discolored connections usually indicate that overheating has occurred, probably because of loose connections. Clean connection points which are discolored and tighten all hardware.

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PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & ROUTINE INSPECTION OF CONTACTORS:

Preventive attention is better than cure.

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G.

INSULATORS.
G.1. G.2. G.3. G.4. Remove dust and dirt from insulating parts. If carbonized tracks or cracked or broken insulators are found, replace the defective parts. As a last resort, carbonized tracks may be scraped clean and painted with insulating varnish. Before a repaired part is put into service give it an over voltage test.

H.

MAGNET ASSEMBLY.
H.1. H.2. H.3. H.4 Check magnet for dirty or corroded pole faces, pivot points, and other moving parts. Check for loose, broken, or missing shading coils, residual shims, and hardware. Inspect operating coil for evidence of electrical or mechanical damage. Operate armature by hand and check for mechanical interference and friction.

I.

ELECTRICAL OPERATION.
I.1. I.2. I.3. I.4. Operate the contactor electrically without load and observe magnet operation to be sure it opens and closes cleanly and that armature is fully sealed in the closed position. If an a-c magnet is used, check for abnormal Magnet noise. Test a sample of oil used with oil-immersed contactors and fill oil tank to the proper level with good oil. Megger insulation between phases, to ground, and to the control circuit. Operate the contactor under load and check for abnormal report and arcing both on opening and closing. A Loud report and arcing on closing is usually due to contact bounce. The magnitude of the report and arcing found on opening and closing will depend upon the type of contactor, operating load, and phase angle at which the contacts separate or touch. Since no absolute standard can be set for covering this detail, it will be necessary to judge performance on the basis of past experience with equipment when it was new or with other applications having similar equipment and operating conditions.

J.
Sl A.
01

ELECTRICAL OPERATION.
The following table will be of great help in trouble shooting of contactors: Trouble/Defect Cause MAGNET.
Coil Burned out. Mechanical damage. Protective resistance or high resistance winding is not Inserted in series with d-c coil when armature seals in. Coil voltage is too high.

What to do/Remedy

Replace. Adjust, repair, or replace interlock and series resistance so that continuous rating of coil is not exceeded when armature is sealed. Correct coil voltage. Use higher-voltage coil.

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PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & ROUTINE INSPECTION OF CONTACTORS:

Preventive attention is better than cure. Ambient temperature is too high. Intermittent coil is energized too long. Jogging duty is too severe. Abnormal atmosphere. Defective coil. Low voltage. Mechanical interference or friction Magnetic lockout. Provide better ventilation. Relocate starter. Re-adjust operating cycle. Check factory for special coil. Readjust operating cycle. Check factory for special coil. Relocate starter. Check factory for special coil. Replace. Correct coil voltage or system Voltage. Check mechanical operation by hand and make necessary Adjustments and/or repairs. Use nonmagnetic-armature-stop details. Add nonmagnetic Shim between armature and armature stop. Check mechanical operation by hand and make necessary adjustments and/or repairs. Replace springs. Remove friction from moving contact assembly. Adjust spring length if adjustment is provided. Correct coil Voltage or System Voltage. Use lower-voltage coil. Adjust, repair, or replace interlock and/or series resistance.

02

Does not pick up.

03.

Does not seal; hesitates at Contact touch; drops open to contact touch. (This condition may exist only when operating coil is hot or line voltage is low.)

Mechanical interference or friction. Contact force too high. Coil voltage too low. Series protective resistance or high-resistance coil winding is inserted too early, or series resistance is too high (For DC Magnets). Coils of two-coil d-c magnet have bucking polarity.

04.

Does not dropout, dropout is sluggish.

or

Dirt or grease on pole faces. Mechanical interference or friction. Residual shim is pounded down or is missing. Residual air gap is pounded down. Kick out spring is defective or missing. Control relay does not open d-c side of rectifier. Control relay has long arcing time.

Reverse polarity of one coil and check operation with load disconnected. Clean. Check mechanical operation by hand and make necessary adjustments and/or repairs. Replace residual shim or magnet assembly. Replace (Kick out spring is not used on all contractors). Add contact in control circuit. Repair or replace relay. Repair or replace relay. Replace coil. Adjust or Replace.

05.

Magnet chatter or

Shorted coil turns. (DC Magnet) Shading coil broken or out of place.

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PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & ROUTINE INSPECTION OF CONTACTORS:

Preventive attention is better than cure. pumping. Series protective resistance or high-resistance coil Winding is inserted too early, or series resistance is too high or is open. (Applies to DC magnets having over voltage during Pickup.) Chattering contacts on control relay, control switch, Pressure switch, temperature switch, etc. Adjust, Repair or replace interlock and/or series resistance.

06.

Noisy a-c magnet.

Loose connections. Armature does not seal in tight. Pole faces rough. Magnet misaligned. Shading coil broken or out of place. Coil voltage is low.

Check over travel and contact force on control device. Replace control device. Move control device to a location having less vibration, or insulate control device from shock And vibration. Tighten connections. Clean pole faces. Remove mechanical interference and/or friction. Replace magnet assembly. File pole faces as a last resort If new parts are not available. Realign. Replace. Correct coil voltage or system voltage. Reduce load. Use larger contactor. Clean discolored or dirty Connections and retighten. Adjust over travel, replace contacts, and replace contact Springs as required to correct defect. Clean with fine file or sandpaper. Use dust -tight enclosure for dusty atmosphere. Change operating procedure. Check factory for more Suitable contacts Reduce load. Provide better ventilation. Relocate starter. Use larger contactor. Apply cable in line with existing load. Adjust over travel, replace contacts, and replace contact spring See Magnet, this table. See Magnet, this table. See Magnet this table. Correct coil over voltage condition. Correct mechanical defects.

B. 01.

Overheating.

Contacts. Load current too high. Loose connections. Over travel and/or contact force too low. Collection of copper oxide or foreign matter on contact Faces. Load is on in excess 8hr. Ambient temperature is too high. Line and/or load cables are too small. Over travel and/or contact force is too low. Magnet stalls or hesitates at contact touch point. Magnet drops open at contact touch due to voltage dip. Magnet chatter. Contact bounce on closing.

02.

Welding of contacts.

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PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & ROUTINE INSPECTION OF CONTACTORS:

Preventive attention is better than cure. Contacts rebound to contact touch when opening. Poor contact alignment. Jogging duty is too severe. Excessive inrush current. Correct mechanical defects in stop assembly. Correct Mechanical defects in latch if one is used. Adjust contacts to touch simultaneously within 1/32 in. Reduce jogging cycle. Check factory for more weld-resistant contact material. Use larger contactor. Readjust accelerating time or operating sequence. Use larger contactor. Check factory for more weld-resistant contact material. Move starter to location having less shock and vibration. Insulate starter from shock and vibration. Provide more rigid Support for starter. Reduce jogging cycle. Check factory for more durable contact material. Use larger contactor. Air break contactors may have 10 to 20 times longer contact life than oil-immersed contactors of equal ratings

Vibration in starter mounting.

Jogging cycle is too severe.

C. Poor arc interruption.

Oil-immersed contactor is used where an air break Contactor could be used. ARC INTERRUPTION Arc box not in place. Install arc box in line with instruction-leaflet data. Arc box damaged. Replace broken or eroded insulating parts, arc horns, and grid plates. Clean or replace insulating parts having a heavy Coating of foreign conducting material. Dirt or paint on arc horns or steel grid plates. Remove insulating materials, which may have accumulated on arc horns and steel grid plates. Magnetic hardware substituted for nonmagnetic Replace with correct hardware. hardware in arc box and blowout assemblies. Blowout coil reversed or short-circuited. Replace coil. Correct defect. Magnet opening is sluggish. See Magnet, this Table.

PERFECT ELEKTRO MEK PAKISTAN Perfection with convenience

Suit # 5, 2nd floor Business Arcade, Defense More Walton Road, Lahore-Cantt. Ph. 042-668-0902/03. Fax: 042-668-6685. E mail: pempak@hotmaul.com