ABB, Solvere Give Rise to AECO-compliant Wind-turbine Service Lifts, Personnel Safety |
ABB Ltd.
Affolternstrasse 44
Zurich, CH-8050
Switzerland
Press release date: June 4, 2012
ABB low voltage solutions bolster Solvere's control panels, providing maintenance operators inside groundbreaking Service Lifts with unprecedented safety, reliability while servicing turbines 110 yards above ground
Atlanta, GA, - ABB, the wind industry's leading power technology provider, today announced it is providing low-voltage, power electronics equipment to Belmont, NC-based Solvere LLC, a leading engineering services company, for its electrical control panels used in wind turbines.
These control panels will allow Elberton, GA-based service lift maker Hailo LLC to build new UL-AECO compliant, wind turbine service lifts, allowing maintenance operators with the ability to breathe easier with unprecedented safety, while working up to 110 yards (about 100 meters) high.
ABB is providing multiple low-voltage, UL components, such as safety relays, elevator rated contactors pilot devices and circuit breakers. As a result, these electrical control panels provide the service lift with UL elevator control compliance and ASME 17.1 and 17.5 certification. The easy-to-use controls for powering up and down the lift are functional even in extreme weather conditions.
"Thanks to our collaboration with ABB, Solvere has been able to completely re-engineer the design of the electrical control panel that powers these elevators," said Branch Bissette, Vice President, Solvere. "This was all done within an extremely critical timeframe. ABB's expertise and reputation for engineering excellence, along with their superior low-voltage components, have given us the ability to gain instant credibility with our existing and future customer bases."
This collaboration was made possible by Jan Bernardini of State Electric Industrial Sales.
ABB solutions, embedded in Solvere's electrical control panels, will enable the greatest service lift safety possible while maintenance personnel troubleshoot high up in the air. Because these wind turbines are extremely high, it is important for operators to have the ability to get up and down quickly in these service lifts, and ABB helps them run more efficiently.
"We are pleased to partner with Solvere and Hailo in creating these superior, UL-elevator certified electrical control panels and Hailo's groundbreaking service lift, providing the wind industry and its maintenance personnel with a new level of safety," said Allen Austin, Manager, ABB Renewable Energy Industry, Low Voltage Products. "This 'safety net' improves workers' confidence and productivity, enabling the wind turbine to operate at a much higher rate of consistency and reliability, while also increasing energy output."
This announcement was made at the AWEA WINDPOWER 2012 Conference in Atlanta.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 147,000 people. The company's North American operations, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, employ over 27,000 people in multiple manufacturing, service and other major facilities.
For more information, please contact:
Bill Rose
Manager, Media Relations
ABB Inc.
940 Main Campus Drive
27606 Raleigh, North Carolina, UNITED STATES
Phone: +1 919 807 5743
Mobile: +1 919 244 4879
email: bill.rose@us.abb.com
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