Baker WinTATS

The Baker WinTATS traction armature test system is a rugged, field-proven system for testing armatures in motor manufacturing and quality control operations. It combines common process electrical tests into one automated instrument. AC hipot, DC hipot, surge and resistance tests are standard.

This semi-customized instrument is assembled from standard components to the customer’s specifications. The tester’s capabilities are not limited to those described here; additional features and fixtures are available. Contact SKF Condition Monitoring Center – Fort Collins at 970-282-1200, or send an email message to [email protected] to request more information.

Baker WinTATS is comprised of a rack-style cabinet that contains a Windows 7-based computer, power supplies and measurement circuits, plus a CAM RST armature indexing stand. In operation, the test armature is loaded onto the RST indexing stand, test contacts are positioned next to the armature commutator and testing is begun at the “start test” command. The standard test sequence consists of DC and/or AC hipot tests, a resistance test and a surge test.

Automation: The Baker WinTATS is a fully-automatic, master-less armature test system. The operator does not set the test voltages or pass/fail limits before each test. All test parameters and pass/fail limits are pre-programmed in a master file. The Baker WinTATS is programmed using a simple pull down menu and the operator is prompted to input test parameters and pass/fail tolerances for each test. Typical programming time for a new master file is only a few minutes. To conduct a test, an operator simply recalls a master file. The armature is connected to the tester and then the tester automatically sets the test voltages, takes the measurements and gives a pass/fail signal. The test data is then displayed on the screen for review.

Software: The software package included with the Baker WinTATS manages and records test results. The Baker WinTATS maintains all master and test results on the hard drive. During normal operation these files are saved and organized for easy access by the user.

AC and DC tests: For AC/hipot testing, the Baker WinTATS uses arc detection to sense breakdowns to ground or between windings that may otherwise go undetected using average current measurement techniques. Capacitive compensation capabilities are also available. This measures the resistive portion of the leakage current, rather than the total current. DC/hipot testing checks the integrity of the insulation system with high DC voltage. Leakage current is then measured in micro amps rather than milliamps.

Surge test: The high-voltage surge or impulse test checks for insulation problems between turns, coils and bars.

Resistance test: A weld fault is the most frequent fault encountered in the manufacturer of armatures. It is a poor connection between the coils and commutator. It becomes apparent when either a high resistance is measured or an open condition is detected at the faulty connection. The resistance test is conducted to find this problem, as well as wrong wire size, stretched wire, bad connections and dead shorts. It uses an auto-ranging DC constant current supply to measure the resistance of a winding. With the use of Kelvin connections, low resistance winding tests are accurate and repeatable. Resistance measurements are temperature corrected to the equivalent resistance value at 25 °C (77 °F) or to a customer specified temperature.

A rugged, custom test fixture is provided with the Baker WinTATS for testing armatures. Since many armatures are heavy and cumbersome, the purpose of this fixture is to provide a quick connection of armatures to the tester and provide a higher degree of safety to the operator. SKF has this fixture custom built to meet your specific needs. The armature is rotated by a rubber drive wheel contacting the core of the armature. The wheel is driven by a stepper motor under computer control. Usually, one or two optical sensors are used to sense the commutator slots as the armature rotates. Either an encoder or the stepper motor pulse count is used to sense the distance between slots to confirm they are similar when indexing the armature.