To view a multimedia presentation of “Staying Protected: Hands-On Transformer Training in Safe, Controlled Environment”, please click here.

The life of a power line worker can be a precarious one. From maintaining interstate power grids to servicing transmission lines and towers, line workers are often tasked with jobs that aren’t for the faint of heart.

The profession is considered one of the most dangerous in America, with 35 fatalities in 2019 around the United States. The compensation for such an intimidating trade, though, is notable.

According to salary.com, the average lineman salary in the United States is $80,026, as of February 2021. The career offers very realistic expectations of making upwards of $100,000 annually before turning 25 for younger students.

Today, the career is becoming safer, thanks to developing safety technologies. There are Linemen Training Schools all over the United States and Canada, with many finding interest in the unique field of high-voltage electrical technology.

Despite the demands, it is critical for workers to be properly trained on the power that electricity holds, both physically and metaphorically. Due to its hazardous nature, becoming a lineman requires extensive technical knowledge and safety skills to help ensure worker safety.

In the past, teaching the ins and outs of transformers was primarily paper-based, with some programs even opting for full-voltage training. Most of the time, the “real” learning was done on-the-job.

But things have changed in the electrical technology field. Training future lineworkers no longer requires a book-only approach, or the dangers that come with full voltages. DAC Worldwide’s Transformer Connections Training System (413-000) is a utility worker training aid that provides learners with real-world, hands-on practice working with transformers.

What is the Transformer Connections Training System?

DAC Worldwide’s Transformer Connections Training System is the ideal training tool for any lineman training program. It replicates the on-site conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common transformer connections in the field. It allows the student to learn with a “hands-on” approach in a comfortable and controlled classroom environment.

Gone are the days of full-voltage training and paper-based learning, as the training unit is internally fused and includes a recalibrated reduced-voltage meter to make training safe, efficient, and realistic. As students train on the system at 4100 VAC, for example, they will only be operating at 41 Volts. This allows them to see real line voltage without the potential of getting hurt.

Put together in a welded steel cabinet, the Transformer Connections Training System is wired for both single-phase and three-phase activities. It includes 14 transformer cans, which are wired with different configurations to allow for a variety of set-ups, as well as a panel-mounted voltmeter and a phase rotation meter. It requires a 208 VAC / 3-phase / 60Hz / 4-wire connection.

In addition to the hands-on approach, the Transformer Connections Training System includes a Student Training Manual with a variety of topics, like performing single-phase transformer connections, identifying 3-phase connections, and demonstrating how capacitors affect line voltage and current.  Learners will also learn how to demonstrate parallel single-phase and 3-phase transformers, and other transformer-related topics and skills.

Other Transformer Training Products

In addition to the Transformer Connections Training System, DAC Worldwide also offers slightly different variation called the Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000). This training tool is ideal for future industrial electrical programs and electricians, as it covers a basic course on transformers. It can also be used in residential electrical programs, as the system also shows how to connect a residential service.

Like the 418-000, the Transformer Wiring trainer takes the safe approach in learning by using low-voltage outputs while simultaneously simulating high-voltages. It replicates the single-phase transformer connections, as well as both delta-wye 3-phase transformer connections. All of the transformers are the same, and build into the unit, with the middle representing six different generators.

Students will be able to demonstrate proper installation of ground connections, primary and secondary side connections, and parallel transformer connections. The system also includes eight built-in instructor fault switches, which simulate failure conditions and allow real-time assessment and troubleshooting for students.

In addition to training systems, DAC Worldwide also offers two Transformers cutaways: one depicting a single-phase transformer, with the other showcasing a three-phase. Cutaways are real-world industrial components that have been restored, cut away, and refinished using durable urethane coatings. Each of these industrial components has been professionally sectioned to expose each device’s primary components, with functionality completely retained.

The Single-Phase Transformer (273-912) highlights a common shell-type, single-phase transformer found in manufacturing facilities and refineries, among others. The Three-Phase Transformer Cutaway (273-915) features a common coaxially-wound, three-phase, delta-wye transformer found in various industrial and commercial applications.

How Can DAC Worldwide Help Your Training Program?

With more than four decades of experience in industrial training, DAC Worldwide’s reach extends far beyond just electrical products. In fact, DAC Worldwide possesses knowledge and expertise in a wide range of technical topics, including Electronics, Fluid Power, Heat Transfer & Steam, HVAC, Machining & Measurement, Mechanical Drives, Oil Production, Process Control & Instrumentation, and Pumps, Compressors & Valves.

Our training aids range from training systems and sample boards, to models and dissectibles – with real-world, hands-on learning being the core of each product. For more information on how DAC Worldwide can enhance your industrial training program and provide you with the best training solutions available, please click here.