Servicing a lizard …
... and other interesting tasks performed by service engineers. Once in a while we have to do things that are not exactly part of our service offering.
A giant lizard trapped in a switchboard (non-ABB-built) screams for social media attention as featured on a Malaysian Facebook page. Somebody has to get the lizard out. Who should be in charge of this? The ABB engineer? The switchboard owner? The zookeeper?
As an ABB service professional, I can tell you that the lizard is probably an extremely rare case. But it is not that unusual having rodents enter the electrical system, which nibble on the cables, cause a short circuit, and end up dying by electrocution. The circuit is broken and the customer calls us to restore the system to normal conditions. The job scope includes arranging the rodent’s funeral, in accordance with the local laws and customs. Well, that’s actually someone else’s job, right?
Once in a while, we do things that are not exactly part of our service offerings. But what kind of work do our service engineers perform? What are some of our offerings?
Upgrading systems
Apart from offering spare parts or maintenance support when customers need some extra manpower, we offer some advanced retrofitting solutions. Most of our customers have breakers that are 15 years or older, and we can help them replace these old breakers with new, modern ones in 10 minutes or less. This unique Retrofitting Solution involves drawing out the obsolete breaker, and racking in a special version of the new, improved model. It’s as simple as that – no other modifications are required inside the switchboard.
Preventing failure
Just like we go to the doctor for our annual health check, it’s smart to think ahead when it comes to reducing the risk of failure and preventing breakers from aging pre-maturely. Here ABB offers a unique solution to predict failure of circuit breakers without having to shut them down or open them. ABB’s LEAP (Life Expectancy Analysis Program) algorithm uses real historical data from the circuit breaker and the actual utilization condition, which can then be used to calculate the equipment’s failure risks as well as recommending maintenance activities.
Want to know more?
Stay tuned for future updates about service solutions from our Low Voltage team. If you need service support or find a rodent in your distribution panel, please visit http://new.abb.com/low-voltage/service for more information.