Learn Essential Motor Control Skills with DAC Worldwide’s Hands-On Training Systems
Industrial machinery requires a wide variety of different types of motors to function efficiently and effectively. Whether they’re powering a compressor, pump, fan, or conveyor, three-phase induction motors keep operations at industrial facilities moving steadily.
Many induction motors require significant power given their heavy-duty applications. Moreover, they draw a high electrical current upon start-up. In fact, start-up current can sometimes be as much as 5-6 times what they draw at normal operating speed. This is why they require a special device called a motor starter.
If industrial motors relied solely on circuit breakers or fuses, those would trip or blow every time the motor started. That’s obviously unacceptable in an industrial setting. Instead, specialty motor starters start and stop induction motors using manual or automatic switches. They also protect motor circuits from excessive heat caused by overloads during normal operations.
Motor starters consist of two primary parts: (1) an electromagnetically operated set of contacts (called a contactor) starts and stops the motor by beginning or ending the flow of electrical current; and (2) an overload relay that protects the motor from drawing too much current and overheating.
Likewise, motor starters usually consist of two circuits: (1) a power circuit that transmits the primary voltage to the motor via the starter contacts and overload relay; and (2) a control circuit that manages the contactor coil that creates the electromagnetic field that operates the power contacts.
Because there are so many different types of industrial applications that require induction motors, there are likewise a wide variety of different types of motor starters. One common type is the reversing magnetic motor starter. Reversing starters, as their name implies, are specifically designed to efficiently reverse shaft rotation of a three-phase induction motor.
Reversing starters work by interchanging two contactors supplying electrical current to the motor, as well as having both a forward and a reverse starter. To ensure that only one of the starters can be engaged at any particular time, reversing starters feature both mechanical and electrical interlocks for enhanced safety.
Industrial maintenance technicians must be familiar with all sorts of induction motors and their motor starters. Hands-on training in electrical maintenance can elevate your technicians’ skills to the next level.
For example, if you want to ensure your maintenance technicians have the skills to work with reversing magnetic motor starters, DAC Worldwide’s 3-Phase Motor Control Training System with Magnetic Starter (423-000) offers comprehensive training in the operational principles, wiring, fault troubleshooting, and application of industrial three-phase, reversing magnetic motor starters.
The 3-Phase Motor Control Training System with Magnetic Starter is self-contained, allowing for individual study by a single student or a small student group. While often used independently, the training aid can be integrated with other optional products relating to programmable controllers, pilot devices, and motor-driven mechanical systems.
This electrical trainer includes a variety of industry-standard components, including: a three-phase induction motor; reversing magnetic motor starter with auxiliary contacts, mechanical and electrical interlocks, and overload relay; on-board wiring devices including Hand-Off-Auto (HOA) control station, manual control station, and automatic timer; color-coded, shielded banana-jack receptacles for all motor leads, supply connections, and control components; circuit breaker with lock-out/tag-out; keyed power switch; pilot light and emergency stop switch; and four instructor fault switches to create common component faults for troubleshooting instruction.
The 3-Phase Motor Control Training System with Magnetic Starter is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many electrical training systems. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about other electrical training systems, such as the Three-Phase, Squirrel Cage Rotor, AC Motor Training System; 1-Phase Motor Control Training System with Manual Starter; DC Permanent Magnet Motor Control Training System; and many more!
- Published in News
DAC Worldwide Offers AC Motor Training in a Compact, Convenient System
Today’s industrial facilities feature a wide array of different types of machines, from simple pumps to complex automated robots. One of the most common machines you’ll find in any industrial setting is the electric motor.
Simple, versatile, and available in many different configurations, electric motors carry the burden of converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. At the most basic level, electric motors can be distinguished based upon their power source: direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC).
For industrial use, the most common type of electric motor is the AC induction motor (also known as an asynchronous motor). The name “induction” is used because electrical current is induced in the rotor rather than supplied externally. The popularity of the AC induction motor stems from its simplicity, relatively low cost, and excellent reliability in a wide range of applications.
Induction motors can be further divided into two primary types: single-phase and three-phase, depending upon the type of electricity used to power them. The most-used electric motor throughout industry is arguably the three-phase squirrel cage induction motor.
Squirrel cage motors rely upon electromagnetic induction to create motion by converting electrical current into rotational energy. AC current travels through the stator, the stationary portion of the motor that consists of the housing and a series of windings (usually copper). The three-phase AC power energizes the windings, creating a rotating electromagnetic field.
The rotating part of the motor, known as the rotor, sits inside the stator. It contains a squirrel cage and bearings mounted to a stainless-steel shaft. The squirrel cage consists of circular end caps with rotor bars covered with steel laminations between them. The electromagnetic field generated by the stator fluctuates around the rotor, inducing opposing magnetic fields in the lamination-covered rotor bars, creating rotational motion.
The “squirrel cage” terminology comes from the fact that the rotor’s shape resembles a squirrel cage. If you haven’t seen many caged squirrels, then this may still cause some confusion. Apparently, long ago, squirrels were frequently kept as pets and would get exercise on a spinning wheel in their enclosure. Perhaps a more modern term for this type of rotor would be “hamster wheel” instead of “squirrel cage,” but we don’t expect the three-phase hamster wheel induction motor to catch on anytime soon.
Why is the three-phase squirrel cage induction motor so popular? It has quite a few advantages, including relatively low cost, ease of installation, high efficiency, low maintenance, and durability. These advantages are the reason that experts estimate that as many as 70% of industrial machines are driven by these motors today.
These popular induction motors can be found in just about every industrial setting you can imagine. Of course, they’re particularly useful in applications that require a low maintenance, constant-speed, low-torque motor that’s also self-starting, such as: machine tools (CNC and lathes); generators; fans and blowers; industrial drives; and centrifugal pumps.
It’s critical for any modern industrial maintenance technician to be thoroughly familiar with three-phase squirrel cage induction motors. How can educators and employers ensure that their workers possess the skills they need? DAC Worldwide offers a wide variety of electrical training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master different types of electrical motors, transformers, and more!
For example, DAC Worldwide’s Three-Phase, Squirrel Cage Rotor, AC Motor Training System (412-000) provides hands-on experience with a squirrel cage induction motor. Learners can use this training device to practice motor wiring by using banana jack receptacles on the control enclosure’s front panel face, study the motor’s construction, practice industrial motor maintenance skills by using fault insertion switches for hands-on troubleshooting training, and practice lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) procedures by using the system’s master circuit breaker.
DAC Worldwide’s training systems feature heavy-duty construction with real industrial equipment. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s Electrical & Electronics Training Systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
- Published in News
DAC Worldwide Makes Industrial Maintenance Training Easy!
Industrial maintenance training for technicians in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries must teach them fundamental knowledge of and hands-on skills related to a wide variety of different types of valves that keep fluids flowing through vast networks of piping.
For example, different types of check valves help to prevent the reversal of fluid flow in piping systems. One specific check valve — the piston check valve — can often be found in systems that experience frequent changes in fluid flow direction.
Maintenance technicians will find piston check valves in all sorts of common applications, including: water, steam, and air systems; feed water control in nuclear facilities and steam power generation plants; freshwater supply; wastewater treatment; monitoring and sampling systems; dump lines; food and beverage processing; air conditioning systems; and pharmaceuticals and chemicals manufacturing.
Piston check valves contain a dash-pot with a cylinder and weighted piston or disc. These valves are activated by fluid flowing through a system. The pressure of the flowing fluid opens the valve, which allows unobstructed flow in one direction while fluid flow pressure remains constant.
When pressure decreases as fluid flow slows or reverses, gravity forces the piston to close the valve, preventing backflow. While piston check valves primarily rely upon gravity, the weight of the piston, and back pressure to force closure of the valve, some models also incorporate springs to assist with valve closure.
Piston check valves are popular because of their many advantages, including: durability; versatility; repairability; cost-effectiveness; efficiency; and ease of installation, maintenance, and repair. However, piston check valves are not suitable for applications requiring bi-directional fluid flow or pulsation fluid flow.
If you want to ensure your maintenance technicians have the skills to work with piston check valves, DAC Worldwide’s Piston Check Valve Cutaway (295-706) provides valuable classroom training in the operation, construction, and maintenance of industrial piston-type check valves.
DAC Worldwide’s valve cutaways use actual industrial valves that have been carefully sectioned and color-coded to expose and showcase the complete internal configuration of the valve. Seal features and hardware locations are retained, allowing for “hands-on” training in maintenance.
Moreover, common valve makes and models are chosen to ensure industrial relevancy. All cleaning, priming, and painting uses a high-durability urethane coating to ensure this training tool will last for years.
DAC Worldwide’s Piston Check Valve Cutaway features a welded-bonnet, socket-welded valve exactly like those commonly used in high pressure oil & gas production applications, providing unparalleled training to those involved in oil & gas production operations and maintenance training.
The Piston Check Valve Cutaway is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many oil and gas training cutaways. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about other oil and gas training tools, such as the Diaphragm Dump Valve Cutaway, Oilfield Backpressure Regulator Cutaway, and many more!
- Published in News
Safety Leaders Reveal Most Significant Challenges in the Workplace
What would you consider to be the most foundational skillset in the industrial workplace? If you did not answer “safety,” there are safety leaders everywhere who would like a word with you. In fact, you may be part of the problem!
Safety leaders are tasked with making sure the industrial workplace is as safe as possible for workers. There’s no greater threat to industrial efficiency and productivity than workplace accidents that injure workers and cause costly delays and downtime.
As more and more advanced automation technologies enter the workplace, safety leaders constantly face new challenges to keep workers safe as they work alongside new machinery. But safety shouldn’t just be the concern of a few leaders. All employees need to make safety a top priority.
According to a recent EHS Today article by Dave Blanchard and Nicole Stempak, “EHS Today’s National Safety and Salary Survey 2023 invited respondents (all of them EHS professionals) to share comments regarding their job situation, the safety profession, and the biggest professional challenges that they face.” Here are some of the top challenges identified by the nation’s safety leaders:
- Finding qualified employees
- The transition from a human-based workforce to a technology-based workforce
- Safety buy-in from the younger workforce
- Senior leadership buy-in
- Mental well-being
- Too many rules and regulations
- Profit over safety
- Training and job knowledge
- Employee turnover
- Older supervisors are retiring faster than we can train replacements to take their place
- Employee complacency
- Doing too much too fast
- Finding employees with the proper skillsets
- Keeping the workforce actively engaged in their own safety
As you can see, safety leaders face a wide variety of challenges in the modern industrial workplace. What can be done to improve a workplace’s safety culture? How can leaders influence others to prioritize safety, leading to fewer accidents? One solution is to implement a quality safety program that teachers workers the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe in the workplace.
One of the most basic—and important—areas to focus on is the control of hazardous energy, often known by its more popular moniker “lock-out/tag-out or LOTO.” According to the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “[e]nergy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers. During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored energy can result in serious injury or death to workers.”
“Workers servicing or maintaining machines or equipment may be seriously injured or killed if hazardous energy is not properly controlled…Injuries may include electrocution, burns, crushing, cutting, lacerating, amputating, or fracturing body parts… Craft workers, electricians, machine operators, and laborers are among the millions of workers who service equipment routinely and face the greatest risk of injury.”
Fortunately, “[p]roper lock-out/tag-out practices and procedures safeguard workers from hazardous energy releases.” Teaching workers hands-on LOTO skills will help them to understand how to properly control hazardous energy and maintain a safe work environment.
For companies looking to improve their safety training, a thorough review of current training materials is a great place to start. Do employees have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure the continued safety of the workforce.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers a safety training system specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
- Published in News
DAC Worldwide Provides Unique Oil & Gas Training Tools
From operators and technicians to mechanics and engineers, oil and gas workers need knowledge and hands-on skills related to a wide variety of common industrial components they’ll encounter in the field. For example, a typical oil and gas worker will interact with a range of pumps and valves on a daily basis.
One such component workers will need to understand is a type of valve known as a back pressure regulator. Back pressure regulators are normally closed valves that precisely control and limit the upstream pressure in a system.
Back pressure regulators maintain a steady upstream pressure of any fluid, gas, liquid, or mixture in a system. They regulate system pressure by adjusting position, widening or narrowing to relieve or increase pressure. Usually installed at the end of a line or process, back pressure regulators ensure that all equipment used before the back pressure regulator receives the correct pressure, maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the process.
When used in a well head, back pressure regulators control the flow of fluids or gases in the well. The back pressure regulator opens or closes with changes in the pressure of the fluid or gas, preventing overpressure within the well and protecting equipment and personnel from damage or injury. A wellhead back pressure regulator can also be used to maintain a specific pressure in a well for production or injection operations.
To teach oil and gas workers about these common components, DAC Worldwide’s Wellhead Backpressure Regulator Cutaway (295-703) is a sectioned specialty regulator sample that provides convenient classroom and laboratory training in the operation, construction, and maintenance of three industrial back pressure regulator (BPRs), as used in gas and oil service in the oilfield.
These common regulators are often used to maintain steady pressure on an oil column or to assure continuous flow of a producing low pressure well. They’re also regularly found in Xmas tree assemblies in the oilfield.
Through carefully planned sectioning and color-coding, the complete internal configuration of the regulating valve is exposed and showcased. Seal features and hardware locations have been retained, allowing for hands-on training in maintenance. These valves, commonly used in oil & gas production applications and commonly encountered in production wellheads and Xmas trees, are an essential part of comprehensive oil and gas production training.
The Wellhead Backpressure Regulator Cutaway is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many oil and gas training tools. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about other oil and gas training aids, such as the Diaphragm Dump Valve Cutaway, Piston Check Valve Cutaway, Vertical Separator Trainer, and many more!
- Published in News
DAC Worldwide Training Tool Provides Unique Insight into Common Valve
Today’s oil and gas workers need in-depth knowledge of and hands-on experience with a wide variety of different types of industrial valves commonly used in the oil and gas sector. When problems arise at an oil refinery, for example, you want skilled technicians able to troubleshoot and repair systems quickly to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
One of the most common process controllers you’ll find in oil and gas facilities is the liquid level controller. This key device maintains the level of oil or gas in a container by opening or closing a valve known as a liquid dump valve.
Since the liquid dump valve is located near the level measurement device, it’s possible to use mechanical linkages to coordinate the position of a liquid level float in an oil and gas separator with the position of the liquid dump valve.
In a typical mechanical liquid level controller, the liquid level float that sits atop the liquid is connected to a rod that, in turn, connects to the liquid dump valve. As oil or gas level increases or decreases, the float moves the rod that then opens or closes the liquid dump valve.
For example, if the level of oil in a separator increases, the float will rise, causing the rod to open the liquid dump valve to release oil. Then, as the liquid level decreases and the float lowers, the rod will cause the liquid dump valve to begin to close to decrease the rate of liquid release.
Lever-operated dump valves can be found in a wide variety of oil and gas production containers, including separators, accumulators, treaters, and free water knockouts. To teach oil and gas workers how to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair these common valves, DAC Worldwide’s Lever-Operated Dump Valve Cutaway (295-705) is an actual industrial lever-operated oil dump valve that has been carefully sectioned and color-coded to expose and showcase the complete internal configuration of the valve.
Seal features and hardware locations have been retained, allowing for hands-on training in maintenance. Moreover, common valve makes and models are chosen to ensure industrial relevancy. All cleaning, priming, and painting uses a high-durability urethane coating to ensure this training tool will last for years.
The Lever-Operated Dump Valve Cutaway is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many oil and gas training cutaways. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about other oil and gas training tools, such as the Diaphragm Dump Valve Cutaway, Piston Check Valve Cutaway, Oilfield Backpressure Regulator Cutaway, and many more!
- Published in News
Routine Maintenance Extends Life of Semi-Hermetic Compressors
Do you live in an area that has experienced some of the sweltering heat waves that have plagued the United States the last several years? While scientists and politicians may squabble over the causes of and solutions to the record temperatures we’re seeing, it’s a simple fact that the last few years have been some of the hottest on record.
While increasing global temperatures present a whole host of problems, there’s one industry that’s staying busier than ever when the heat is on. That’s right. We’re talking about the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry, more commonly referred to as HVACR.
HVACR professionals, from installers to technicians, keep the machines that make our lives comfortable and enjoyable running smoothly. From the central air conditioning unit that keeps your home cool to the industrial refrigeration units that chill your foods and beverages at the local grocery and convenience store, it’s hard to imagine modern life without the convenience of a wide variety of HVACR equipment.
Unfortunately, the HVACR industry is dealing with the same shortage of highly-skilled workers that manufacturing and dozens of other industries across the country have been facing for years. There simply aren’t enough qualified workers to fill the open positions available in the HVACR industry.
That’s why highly-skilled HVACR technicians are in such great demand these days. Today’s HVACR technicians need expertise with a wide variety of common HVACR components. For example, when dealing with large air conditioning systems or commercial refrigeration units, in-depth knowledge of and experience with compressors is essential.
Some of these systems may feature hermetic compressors, which seal both the motor and compressor inside a leak-proof welded steel shell. Unfortunately, this design makes basic repairs impossible. If the unit fails, it must simply be replaced.
That’s why the design of semi-hermetic compressors has become a popular choice for these systems today. Semi-hermetic compressors also protect the motor and compressor inside a sealed shell. However, unlike hermetic compressors, semi-hermetic compressors can be opened to provide access to many essential mechanical parts, so that they can be maintained and repaired rather than replaced.
Performing routine maintenance on semi-hermetic compressors can extend their service life by many years, saving thousands of dollars. With proper care and maintenance, semi-hermetic compressors can perform at peak efficiency for 8-10 years or more.
If you want to teach an aspiring HVACR technician how to maintain and repair a semi-hermetic compressor, DAC Worldwide’s Semi-Hermetic Compressor Cutaway (373-120) is an expertly-sectioned example of a common intermediate (1”-1 ½”) horsepower semi-hermetic refrigeration compressor that facilitates and supports practical training in compressor design, operating principles, and maintenance.
This unique training tool features a full longitudinal cutaway of a semi-hermetic compressor, which allows for full visibility of the compressor’s operating components, including multiple cylinders, valves, internal motor, and crank shaft. Multiple cutaways unveil all internal components, and cutaway surfaces are enhanced through painting, making the geometry of all components more clear.
The Semi-Hermetic Compressor Cutaway is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many HVACR training cutaways. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about other HVACR training tools, such as the Hermetic Scroll Refrigeration Compressor Cutaway, the Open Drive Refrigeration Compressor Cutaway, the ACR Solenoid Valve Cutaway, and more!
- Published in News
DAC Worldwide’s Oil Cooler Cutaway Provides Unique Training Opportunity
Many manufacturing processes require the transfer of heat from one fluid (liquid or gas) to another, and most of those processes use heat exchangers to accomplish this task. In a heat exchanger, the two fluids do not make direct contact. Instead, heat passes from the hotter fluid to the metal isolating the fluids and then to the cooler fluid.
You’ll find heat exchangers in a wide variety of industrial applications, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; preheaters or coolers in fluid systems; radiators on internal combustion engines; and boilers, evaporators, and condensers used with fluids like oils, wastewater, hydrocarbons, biogases, etc. in industries such as oil and gas refining and power generation.
Heat exchangers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and designs. For example, a finned tube oil cooler is a specific type of heat exchanger used to cool fluids, such as oil. A finned tube oil cooler features a bundle of tubes with fins that increase the surface area usable for heat transfer.
The tubes in a finned tube oil cooler can be made of a variety of materials, including aluminum, copper, or stainless steel. The fins are often made of the same material, although they can be made from another material, like carbon steel.
A finned tube oil cooler cools oil by circulating the oil through the tubes while water or another cooling fluid flows over the fins. The oil’s heat transfers from the fluid to the fins first and then to the cooling fluid, which transports the heat out of the system.
DAC Worldwide’s Oil Cooler Cutaway, Finned Tube Bundle-Type (273-610F) is a desktop training tool for industrial heat exchanger training that supports operations and skills training relating to this common device found in process systems of all types.
Finned tube heat exchangers have a wide variety of applications in the oil & gas, petrochemical, and power industries. These heat exchangers offer reliable operation, low operating costs, and high performance.
Oil coolers have some specific advantages. Oil has a higher boiling point than water, so it can be used to cool items 100°C or higher. In addition, oil is an electrical insulator, so it can be used inside of or in direct contact with electrical components.
Multiple cutaways unveil primary details and features, including tube layout, tube sheets, aluminum fins, nozzles, flow path, and gaskets. The cutaway consists of an actual industrial, 2-pass, heat exchanger/cooler. Common makes and models are chosen for industrial training relevance.
Mounted on a powder-coated, formed-steel mounting stand and allowing mounting on standard DAC Worldwide display and storage products, the device will provide years of use in any industrial training program.
DAC Worldwide’s Oil Cooler Cutaway, Finned Tube Bundle-Type is a professionally crafted, heavy-duty, durably coated, and fully detailed teaching aid that will provide years of service in the training lab or classroom. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s website to explore a wide variety of other hands-on cutaways that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
- Published in News
Focused Training Key For Industry
Is the pandemic over? Some days it’s difficult to tell, as the ripple effects of continued cases of COVID-19 continue to pop up and create problems for both workers and manufacturers. Although the severity of pandemic-related disruptions has certainly subsided, industries around the world are still struggling with the aftershocks of a tumultuous few years.
In addition to ongoing supply chain woes, manufacturers are also contending with a labor marketplace that has changed fundamentally as a result of the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, industry was struggling to fill open positions with qualified workers. Today, these struggles remain and in many areas have gotten even worse.
As a result, industries are placing a great emphasis on skills assessment to ensure that new hires can hit the ground running. In addition, upskilling current employees has taken on new significance, as industries seek to make the most of available human resources when it’s difficult to hire qualified new workers.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the current skills gap, the type of skills assessment and training that industry needs, and how the training tools offered by DAC Worldwide can help employers and instructors assess and train workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
How Wide is the Skills Gap?
Now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us, things should be slowly getting better, right? Why then do manufacturers seem to be falling farther behind? According to an article by Alexandra Johnson:
“Before COVID, the situation was bad, but post-pandemic it has become even worse. Despite lockdown lifting, the industry is reporting over 515,000 jobs need filling, just to meet demand.”
Commonly known as the “skills gap,” there remains a sizeable disparity between the supply of highly-skilled workers and the demand for these workers in today’s industrial labor market. In fact, experts predict the skills gap is going to get even worse in the foreseeable future.
A study conducted by Deloitte for the Manufacturing Institute estimates that, over the next decade, almost 4.6 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled. However, because of the skills gap, as many as 2.4 million — more than half! — of those jobs could go unfilled.
In a recent Forbes article, author Graham Glass notes that “[n]early half (46%) of learning and development (L&D) leaders say the skills gap is widening in their organization, and 49% say executives are concerned employees don’t have the right skills to execute business strategy, per findings from LinkedIn Learning’s ‘2022 Workplace Learning Report.’”
What is industry to do? Glass advises that “organizations need to emphasize employee upskilling, reskilling and right-skilling — and anticipate the skills employees need to succeed in their positions…By assessing the business’s needs pre-training (to develop training content) and post-training, companies can work to bridge skills gaps and create training programs that are impactful and useful to employees and the organization alike.”
Skills-Based Hiring
What’s the best approach for industry to take to bridge the skills gap? Should industry simply hire anyone they can get their hands on and then train them to do the jobs they need done? For many reasons, that strategy is probably not the best solution.
Industry is already struggling with a host of issues left over from the pandemic. Most companies don’t have the bandwidth to babysit new workers while they acquire the training they need. Many also don’t have either the personnel or the tools to effectively train new workers.
That’s why, in an article in the Harvard Business Review, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky advocates for a new skills-based approach to hiring. Roslansky urges employers to “[f]ocus on the results you’d like to see, rather than the type of qualifications that you think could deliver them. Highlighting the desired skills — the candidate’s ability to perform certain tasks — gets to the same results without creating an unnecessary barrier to entry, like a requirement for a four-year degree.”
In an article by Adina Miron, the author agrees:
“Skills-based hiring enables employers to hire for the skills gaps that exist within their organization. Rather than focusing on experience, education, or certifications, companies should focus on identifying candidates with the needed skills to fill open positions.”
Roslansky echoes these thoughts:
“Shifting to a skills-focused approach is a viable solution to an evolving workforce dilemma…Stay focused on skills — and the assessments that can measure them…there are plenty of ways to gauge a candidate’s ability to perform without relying on their education or experience as proxies.”
How do employers shift to a skills-based hiring approach? Unfortunately, generalized assessments and comprehensive training systems can be difficult to use in the context of hiring new workers in industry. Why? The answer can be found in the concept of specialization of labor.
According to an article by Sampson Quain:
“Specialization of labor…refers to a process in business in which large tasks are divided into smaller tasks, and different employees or different groups of employees complete those tasks. Specialization is highly desirable in large-scale operations such as…manufacturing because it allows workers with specific skill sets to efficiently perform a specific task.”
For example, a manufacturer may need to hire someone with a specific skillset related to the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of mechanical belt drives. A prospective candidate might claim to have general mechanical knowledge and skills, but how can the employer know whether the worker has the specific belt drive skills it needs?
To effectively use a skills-based hiring approach in manufacturing, employers need focused assessment and training tools that can be used to adequately determine a potential worker’s skills in a very specific area.
Training at the Speed of Industry
Industry must also dedicate resources to ongoing training for current workers. The need for ongoing training is real and cannot be ignored. Industries today need to attack the skills gap with a combination of skills-based hiring and instituting training of current workers that is practical and effective.
In his Forbes article, Glass argues that “a personalized approach to training can also be useful to employees and companies.” However, he acknowledges that, “[i]n large companies, especially, creating individualized learning paths manually can be time- and resource-intensive.” He also points out that “employees need training that fits into their workflows.”
Most companies cannot afford the luxury of sending workers off-site for a week or more at a time for in-depth training. Instead, they need focused, skills-based training that allows workers to obtain the hands-on skills they need while minimizing the effect on production of time away from the workplace.
Fortunately, a variety of training tools exist that can offer industries time-saving, cost-effective solutions for focused skills assessment and hands-on training. In the next section, we’ll take a closer look at DAC Worldwide’s range of single-topic trainers that can help industry move to a skills-based hiring model and also upskill current employees.
DAC Worldwide Offers Focused Assessment & Training Tools
DAC Worldwide offers training systems for a variety of industry sectors, including advanced manufacturing, process/chemical manufacturing, marine, military, oil and gas, and power generation. These training systems also cover many different technical topics, such as electrical and electronics; heat transfer and steam; mechanical drives; oil production; process control and instrumentation; and pumps, compressors, and valves.
Rather than broad-based training in multiple areas, DAC Worldwide’s training systems provide hands-on training focused on specific tasks. This makes them particularly helpful to employers for skill assessment (either pre-employment or for upskilling purposes). For example, DAC Worldwide offers training systems targeted specifically at key mechanical maintenance skills:
Belt Drive Training System
The Belt Drive Training System (201-000) allows for convenient assessment and training in the identification, installation, tensioning, and alignment of common belt drives types found in industry. Featuring hardware for applications related to multiple matched belts, fractional horsepower belts, positive drive belts, and variable pitch sheaves, the system provides a variety of training and assessment applications in one benchtop piece of equipment.
Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer
The Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer (208-000) allows for realistic training and assessment in shaft alignment. Designed based on the dimensions of a common ANSI centrifugal pump, this trainer can assess and train workers on all common alignment techniques and tools. Training and assessment topics include using a dial indicator in coupling/shaft alignment, the reverse dial indicator method, fabrication of shaft keys, and installing a flexible disc coupling.
Chain Drive Training System
The Chain Drive Training System (223-000) allows for in-depth assessment and training in industrial chain drives, heavy/silent chains, and sprocket set usage. Using industry-standard components workers will encounter on the job, this training system provides a complete training and assessment experience covering topics such as taper lock bushings, chain drive maintenance, installation/alignment of chains, and tensioning of chains.
Let DAC Worldwide Help You Fill Your Skills Gaps
The mechanical assessment and training tools highlighted above are just a few examples of the variety of technical training tools DAC Worldwide manufactures. In addition to training systems, DAC Worldwide also offers a wide range of industrial cutaways, detailed scale models, and sample boards featuring industrial components.
Contact a consultant with DAC Worldwide today to learn more about how their technical training tools can help you build the assessment and training program your company needs. Using DAC Worldwide training and assessment tools, you can transition to a skills-based hiring approach and fill the skills gaps in your organization!
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer in the technical training solutions market.
- Published in News
Recognizing Red Flags: Training Workers to Prioritize Safety
Do you keep an eye out for red flags? If you’re still looking for that someone special, you might see red flags when their online dating profile indicates they’re unemployed and still living in their parents’ basement.
But those aren’t the red flags we’re talking about in this article. Red flags signify danger. They’re warning signs, and today’s workers need to recognize them in the workplace. Why? Their safety and wellbeing depends upon it.
Workplace safety remains a critical component of any industry’s success, yet it too frequently doesn’t get the attention it deserves. New technologies and the latest and greatest advances tend to capture the most attention, but the basics of safety can bring everything to a grinding halt if they’re ignored.
In this article, we’ll take a look at five red flags that workers must learn to recognize in order to make safety a top priority. We’ll also explain the importance of safety training and how the training tools offered by DAC Worldwide can help workers learn the skills that will keep them safe in the modern workplace.
5 Safety Red Flags Employees Must Learn to Recognize
How important is worker safety in your workplace? According to an IndustryWeek article by Matt Thiel and Dan Idzikowski, “nearly all [manufacturers] will say [safety is] a top priority…At the same time, the features and processes intended to keep people safe are rarely put to the test until a crisis occurs. It’s only when safety fails — when there is an injury or a near-miss — that companies question whether they are doing enough to protect workers.”
Modern industrial workplaces feature a wide variety of safety features designed to keep workers safe. Yet, workplace injuries remain a serious problem. For example, “more than 420,000 manufacturing workers were injured on the job in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accounting for 15% of all nonfatal injuries in the private sector that year.”
What can be done to improve workplace safety? According to Thiel and Idzikowski, “[s]afety planning starts by imagining the unimaginable…it’s critical to play devil’s advocate and ask what could happen that shouldn’t, and how both the equipment and the operator will respond if it does.”
Once safety risks are identified, workers must be trained to recognize situations in which particular care must be taken to avoid injury. Otherwise, “[w]hen safety is treated as an afterthought, it’s only a matter of time until a preventable accident happens.” Here are five specific red flags Thiel and Idzikowski belive workers must learn to recognize:
- Access: Workers must learn to recognize situations in which “[o]perators can access hazardous areas while the hazard is present. Systems that require hands-on operator involvement…have built-in risks…Making these systems safe may mean containing the hazard behind guards or designing the machine so it won’t run until the operator is clear. Whether the danger is readily apparent, like moving parts, or invisible, like electrical current, the best safeguards make it impossible for the operator to even get near.”
- Rules: Workers should be on high alert for situations in which “[p]eople are bypassing the rules.Safety depends on people choosing to follow the rules…Even well-trained people can be lulled into a false sense of security and start taking shortcuts to make work faster or easier…If people are looking for ways around a safety system, it’s probably not well aligned with the operation. Rather than disabling the mechanism or retraining the operators, analyze the entire system and find a way to marry safety with the way the process really works.”
- Alarms: Workers need to notify management when “[a]larm systems don’t distinguish between emergencies and non-emergencies…if the system treats everything like an emergency, workers will treat nothing like an emergency. Frequent false alarms will lead workers to ignore the warning signs or circumvent them.”
- Obsolete: Workers must learn to keep an eye out for “[s]afety features [that] are outdated.A test of older fail-safes may find they no longer work — if they ever did in the first place…Maintaining a safe work environment means ongoing risk assessment. Safety professionals should perform regular audits of the equipment on the shop floor and keep an eye out for advancements that could make it safer.”
- Routine: Workers should alert management when they notice that “[s]afety features are not regularly tested and validated…the systems that keep workers safe should be checked on a regular basis.”
If workers can learn to recognize these five red flags, safety will become a higher priority and everyone in the workplace will benefit. As Thiel and Idzikowski acknowledge, “[t]he return on investment in safety is hard to measure. If a company invests millions in safety upgrades and there are no near-misses, was it a waste of money or did the upgrades do their job? A better question is what might realistically happen without safety upgrades.”
Safety Training: Begin with the Basics
Basic safety procedures are essential to keeping employees from becoming injured on the job. While manufacturing jobs can be dangerous, instituting safety procedures and ensuring that employees are properly trained are critical steps that employers must take to minimize the risk of injuries or death.
Not only does proper safety training reduce the number of workplace injuries, but it also adds to a company’s bottom line by improving productivity and reducing downtime caused by employees who can’t work when injured. But where should an employer start? How about at the beginning?
One of the most basic—and important—areas to focus on is the control of hazardous energy, often known by its more popular moniker “lockout/tagout.” According to the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “[e]nergy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers. During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored energy can result in serious injury or death to workers.”
“Workers servicing or maintaining machines or equipment may be seriously injured or killed if hazardous energy is not properly controlled…Injuries may include electrocution, burns, crushing, cutting, lacerating, amputating, or fracturing body parts… Craft workers, electricians, machine operators, and laborers are among the millions of workers who service equipment routinely and face the greatest risk of injury.”
Fortunately, “[p]roper lockout/tagout (LOTO) practices and procedures safeguard workers from hazardous energy releases.” Teaching workers hands-on LOTO skills will help them to understand how to properly control hazardous energy and maintain a safe work environment.
DAC Worldwide Offers Superior LOTO Training
For companies looking to improve their safety training, a thorough review of current training materials is a great place to start. Do employees have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure the continued safety of the workforce.
Employers don’t need to recreate the wheel to move toward a skills-based approach to hiring. DAC Worldwide, an industry-leading manufacturer of technical assessment and training tools, offers a variety of solutions to the problems employers face.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers a safety training system specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lockout/tagout skills. DAC Worldwide’s Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System (811-000) features a realistic, simulated working process environment that facilitates introductory training with hands-on activities related to the process of identifying and locking out sources of dangerous potential energy in an industrial setting.
Since technical training is most effective when learners can gain hands-on practice with industry-standard components they’ll encounter on the job, the Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System features a wide variety of common, industrial-quality components to provide learners with a realistic training experience that will build skills that translate easily to the workplace.
For example, the Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System features:
- two PVC process tanks with removable covers, vents, drains, and process connections;
- PVC process network with block valves, 3-way valves, figure-8 blinds, and descriptive valve tags;
- fractional HP magnetic drive centrifugal pump;
- drain collection and distribution tubing network with valved central collection manifold;
- electrical controls, with provision for lock-out, including primary service disconnect, motor starter switch, in-line GFI protector, and system plug connection; and
- a comprehensive lock-out/tag-out tool kit with color-coded locks, tags, multi-lock hasps, specialty electrical locking devices, valve locking devices of multiple designs, and a dedicated toolbox.
The Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System’s courseware consists of a training manual and hands-on exercises. These can be used as part of either an instructor-led course or self-directed study. A final performance assessment exercise is also provided, allowing the system to be used in an alternate configuration for testing purposes.
Contact a consultant with DAC Worldwide today to learn more about how their technical training tools can help you build the assessment and training program your company needs. Using DAC Worldwide training and assessment tools, you can transition to a skills-based hiring approach and fill the skills gaps in your organization!
- Published in News
Focused Assessment Key to Finding Workers with the Right Skills
Click HERE to view Focused Assessment Key to Finding Workers with the Right Skills as a multimedia presentation.
“Now Hiring!”
These days, it seems like it doesn’t matter what type of business you’re in. If your business is open, then it probably has one of these signs in the window.
As industries across every sector continue to navigate the ups and downs of an uneven economic recovery in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, hiring managers are struggling to fill open positions.
Whether you’re an employer looking to fill critical roles or an instructor trying to prepare your students for available jobs, it’s important to understand that now, more than ever, workers need the right skills to be successful in the modern industrial workplace.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the issues employers face trying to find workers with the right skills. We’ll also explain the importance of focused assessment and how the training tools offered by DAC Worldwide can help employers and instructors assess and train workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Why are there so many Open Manufacturing Jobs?
The COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on manufacturers. Combining fluctuating demand with quarantining workers and vast supply chain disruptions, many manufacturers struggled to weather the many storms they faced.
Now that we’re in an extended period of uncertain recovery, things should be slowly getting better. After all, unemployed people do need jobs, right? Instead, manufacturers seem to be falling farther behind.
According to an article by Alexandra Johnson:
“The US manufacturing industry is forecast to grow 7% in 2021, yet with this anticipated growth, the industry is struggling to hire enough workers to meet demand. Before COVID, the situation was bad, but post-pandemic it has become even worse. Despite lockdown lifting, the industry is reporting over 515,000 jobs need filling, just to meet demand.”
Why are so many manufacturers having such a hard time filling their many open positions? Experts believe that a big part of the problem is that too many workers simply don’t possess the skills employers need.
Today’s manufacturing workplace isn’t the dirty, boring, repetitive assembly line some people erroneously imagine. Modern facilities feature cutting-edge technologies that require specialized skills that not enough workers seem to have these days.
How can Manufacturers find Workers with the Right Skills?
With so many open positions to fill, it might seem like manufacturers should simply hire anyone they can get their hands on and then train them to do the jobs they need done. This approach, however, isn’t advisable for a variety of reasons.
Primarily, manufacturers who are already struggling with a whole host of issues don’t have the bandwidth to babysit new workers while they acquire the training they need. Many manufacturers also don’t have either the personnel or the tools to effectively train new workers.
In an article in the Harvard Business Review, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky advocates for a new skills-based approach to hiring. Roslansky argues that a skills-based approach “is the future of hiring and development…At a time when talent is the number-one commodity in business, companies can’t afford to remain stuck in old mindsets.”
Roslansky urges employers to “[f]ocus on the results you’d like to see, rather than the type of qualifications that you think could deliver them. Highlighting the desired skills — the candidate’s ability to perform certain tasks — gets to the same results without creating an unnecessary barrier to entry, like a requirement for a four-year degree.”
In an article by Adina Miron, the author agrees:
“Skills-based hiring enables employers to hire for the skills gaps that exist within their organization. Rather than focusing on experience, education, or certifications, companies should focus on identifying candidates with the needed skills to fill open positions.”
Roslansky echoes these thoughts:
“Shifting to a skills-focused approach is a viable solution to an evolving workforce dilemma…Stay focused on skills — and the assessments that can measure them…there are plenty of ways to gauge a candidate’s ability to perform without relying on their education or experience as proxies.”
A Skills-Based Hiring Approach Requires Proper Assessment & Training Tools
The nature of manufacturing makes generalized assessments and comprehensive training systems difficult to use in the context of hiring new workers. Why? The answer can be found in the concept of specialization of labor.
According to an article by Sampson Quain:
“Specialization of labor…refers to a process in business in which large tasks are divided into smaller tasks, and different employees or different groups of employees complete those tasks. Specialization is highly desirable in large-scale operations such as…manufacturing because it allows workers with specific skill sets to efficiently perform a specific task.”
For example, a manufacturer may need to hire someone with a specific skillset related to the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of mechanical belt drives. A prospective candidate might claim to have general mechanical knowledge and skills, but how can the employer know whether the worker has the specific belt drive skills it needs?
To effectively use a skills-based hiring approach in manufacturing, employers need focused assessment and training tools that can be used to adequately determine a potential worker’s skills in a very specific area.
DAC Worldwide Offers Focused Assessment & Training Tools
Employers don’t need to recreate the wheel to move toward a skills-based approach to hiring. DAC Worldwide, an industry-leading manufacturer of technical assessment and training tools, offers a variety of solutions to the problems employers face.
In this section, we’ll take a closer look at several of DAC Worldwide’s focused assessment and training tools that employers can use to effectively and efficiently ensure that they’re hiring workers with the skills they need.
Belt Drive Training System (Model: 201-000)
The Belt Drive Training System allows for convenient assessment and training in the identification, installation, tensioning, and alignment of common belt drives types found in industry. Featuring hardware for applications related to multiple matched belts, fractional horsepower belts, positive drive belts, and variable pitch sheaves, the system provides a variety of training and assessment applications in one benchtop piece of equipment.
Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer (Model: 208-000)
The Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer allows for realistic training and assessment in shaft alignment. Designed based on the dimensions of a common ANSI centrifugal pump, this trainer can assess and train workers on all common alignment techniques and tools. Training and assessment topics include using a dial indicator in coupling/shaft alignment, the reverse dial indicator method, fabrication of shaft keys, and installing a flexible disc coupling.
Chain Drive Training System (Model: 223-000)
The Chain Drive Training System allows for in-depth assessment and training in industrial chain drives, heavy/silent chains, and sprocket set usage. Using industry-standard components workers will encounter on the job, this training system provides a complete training and assessment experience covering topics such as taper lock bushings, chain drive maintenance, installation/alignment of chains, and tensioning of chains.
Let DAC Worldwide Help You Fill Your Skills Gaps
The mechanical assessment and training tools highlighted above are just a few examples of the variety of technical training tools DAC Worldwide manufactures. In addition to training systems, DAC Worldwide also offers a wide range of industrial cutaways, detailed scale models, and sample boards featuring industrial components.
Contact a consultant with DAC Worldwide today to learn more about how their technical training tools can help you build the assessment and training program your company needs. Using DAC Worldwide training and assessment tools, you can transition to a skills-based hiring approach and fill the skills gaps in your organization!
- Published in News
Hands-On Training Essential for Nation’s Utility Workers
Click HERE to view Hands-On Training Essential for Nation’s Utility Workers as a multimedia presentation.
Do you ever daydream about going “off the grid”? For many, the thought of unplugging for an extended time away from life’s troubles sounds refreshing.
The reality underlying this common dream of escape is how thoroughly tied our lives are to the grid. What would our everyday routines be like without the utilities we so often take for granted?
We don’t give them much thought until Mother Nature intervenes with a foot of snow or an ice storm. When the lights go out, the Internet stops streaming, water freezes in the pipes, and furnaces quit heating, we think about nothing but our precious utilities until they return.
The unsung heroes in these situations are the nation’s frontline utility workers that must brave the elements to do their jobs in the worst circumstances. We wait anxiously and depend upon their expertise and dedication to restore our lives back to normal.
One day soon, though, we could find that wait lasting longer and longer. Why? Our nation’s utilities are facing an unprecedented — and worsening — shortage of workers with the skills necessary to keep the grid functional.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the looming shortage of utility workers across the country. We’ll also examine how one training center in Kansas is addressing the issue. Finally, we’ll discuss easy-to-use training options that any utility can use to provide safe, hands-on skills training to their frontline workers.
The Power & Utilities Skills Gap
Industries of all kinds across the nation are facing a critical shortage of skilled workers, and the power and utility industries are no exception. Demand for workers in these industries remains strong, but finding new workers to replace the many workers ready to retire is proving to be a substantial challenge.
In an Energy Central article, author Karen Marcus notes:
“As older workers retire, many utilities are finding it difficult to replace them, and to attract employees with the skills needed to advance a 21st century industry. According to T&D World, Airswift and Energy Jobline found in a survey of over 17,000 professionals that ‘48 percent of power professionals are concerned about an impending talent emergency, with 32 percent believing the crisis to have already hit the sector and 38 percent reporting that their company had been affected by skills shortages.’”
The shortage of skilled workers is real, and experts predict it’s only going to get worse in the future. According to Marcus:
“The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) reports that, according to one study, the industry will ‘need 105,000 new workers in the smart grid and electric utility industry by 2030, but expects that only 25,000 existing industry personnel are interested in filling those positions.’ The remaining 80,000 employees in this supply-demand mismatch will need to be filled through recruiting and training. However, the industry is not expected to meet the forecasted need with its current recruitment and training rates.”
Obviously, something needs to change. As the DoE QER states, “Industry hiring managers often report that lack of candidate training, experience, or technical skills are major reasons why replacement personnel can be challenging to find.”
If the power and utilities skills gap is to be bridged, utility companies must find a way to effectively provide safe, hands-on training to equip current and future workers with the critical skills they need to fill frontline positions as quickly as possible. Fortunately, solutions are available, and in the next section we’ll examine an exemplary approach taken by an association of municipal utilities in Kansas.
A Training Pioneer
Nearly two decades ago, Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU), an association of more than 100 public utilities across the state of Kansas, recognized a dire need to effectively train the next generation of field workers. The groundbreaking solution KMU pioneered was finally brought to life a few years ago in the form of a $3.2 million training center.
As author Rick Aguilar notes in a T&D World article, KMU’s 20,000-square-foot training facility was seen as “a way to short-circuit the learning curve so utilities could swiftly prepare new hires to work as effective front-line employees.”
KMU’s training center allows for safe year-round training. Not only does the facility feature dozens of wood poles, but it also boasts a variety of industrial-grade components to create the most realistic distribution system possible.
For utility workers, real-world, hands-on training is essential. As Aguilar notes in his article:
“Because safety is an integral part of all utility work, the new training center helps the students learn through hands-on instruction. While they can pick up on key knowledge through sitting in class and reading books, the real rubber meets the road when they are actively participating in hands-on learning.”
For example, KMU’s training center allows workers “to get hands-on training in a controlled environment…[that] mitigates some of the hazards inherent in utility work, and it allows the field workers to make mistakes in a safe environment.”
KMU has found that a combination of classroom work and hands-on training is the ideal training experience. “For example, if KMU offers a workshop on transformer theory and connections, then the linemen can get hands-on experience immediately after they receive classroom instruction to connect their learning to actual work.”
Training Solutions for Everyone
As Aguilar notes in his article, “[m]any of the members of KMU are small in scope, and as such, they don’t have the ability to provide a comprehensive training program or build a facility of their own.” That’s why the KMU training center is such an important and valuable resource for Kansas utilities.
Nevertheless, “every utility needs to have a safe, qualified workforce.” So what are utilities in other states without the benefit of a KMU training facility supposed to do? Fortunately, there are a variety of training solutions that offer any utility the ability to provide critical hands-on skills training.
For example, DAC Worldwide manufactures a variety of unique training systems and industrial component cutaways that teach the essential hands-on skills frontline utility workers need most. In this final section, we’ll learn more about how utilities can use these systems to meet their training needs.
Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000)
DAC Worldwide’s Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000) is a realistic training device that replicates the conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common power transformer connections in the field. This convenient tabletop training system provides hands-on training without the danger of full-voltage field experience.
For example, a 208VAC, three-phase source is stepped down, creating a 41VAC, three-phase system. The training system includes two complete sets of three-phase transformers so that paralleling can be explored. Users will also get first-hand experience using banana jacks, ground/primary connections, and secondary connections using both three-phase and single-phase applications.
Learners will study topics like analyzing transformer single-phase/three-phase voltages, identifying transformer turns ratio (TTR), and demonstrating how connections can produce incorrect motor rotation. They will also practice hands-on skills, such as performing transformer connections, interconnecting multiple transformers in Wye or Delta configurations, and simulating a burned-out transformer in a three-phase bank.
Transformer Connections Training System (491-000)
DAC Worldwide’s Transformer Connections Training System (491-000) teaches the key skills that a utility worker must master in order to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid. The system replicates the conditions and circumstances utility workers encounter when making common transformer connections in the field.
For example, learners can practice ground connections, primary connections, and secondary connections easily using banana jacks. Both three-phase and single-phase applications are provided, and a 208 VAC, 3-phase source is stepped down to a 41 VAC, 3-phase system for safety.
Users will find that the Transformer Connections Training System provides a safe and efficient, yet realistic alternative to a full-voltage field experience. Standard accessories include patch cords, fourteen (14) transformers, a panel-mounted voltmeter and phase rotation meter.
Industrial Transformer Cutaways
DAC Worldwide’s Single-Phase Transformer Cutaway (273-912) and Three-Phase Transformer Cutaway (273-915) are detailed, professionally-crafted transformer cutaways that depict a shell-type, single-phase transformer and a coaxially-wound, three-phase, delta-wye wired transformer, respectively.
Through careful sectioning, the complete internal configurations of these transformers can be seen. Details shown include the laminated steel core, primary and secondary windings, and primary insulation.
Common transformer brands and models are chosen for sectioning for industrial relevance. Users will gain valuable insight into the inner workings of these transformers that they will encounter on a regular basis in the field.
- Published in News
- 1
- 2