Wind Turbine Repair: How Much is Mishandling Costing You?

A recent survey report by Wind O&M Dallas found that the second highest failing part of a wind turbine is electrical components. At 23% of reported failures, this can be a costly and time consuming repair process. As a wind turbine board repair company this figure seemed staggering; however, not surprising considering our experience with faulty equipment. Over the years, we have found that a large number of failures or an inability to repair is caused by component mishandling.

If you, like many of the consumers surveyed, are having a high percentage of electrical components fail – here are some things to consider to ensure your boards have a best chance at repair:

One of the key ways to ensure your components are able to be repaired is to take the proper precautions when it comes to the handling and packaging of electrical parts. Boards and other electrical units should be placed in the proper Anti-static packaging to avoid further damage. This can be done by placing the defect part in the same bag the new part arrived in, or retaining the bags that the part arrived in for future use. It is also important to ensure that if multiple boards are being sent for repair that they are package separately, as the slightest knocking of parts could cause irreparable board failure.

Heavier units, in particular, such as Rotor and Line IGBT are examples of boards that require special packaging to secure and prevent further harm. As a primary concern noted by our repair technicians, a lack of suitable packaging has on many occasions caused the boards or assemblies received to appear to have been dropped or thrown into a box without any additional packing material, causing considerably more damage in transit. This lack of proper packaging results in missing pieces, broken parts, bent bus bars, broken protective shields and broken connectors as well as surface mount parts. All of this physical damage is caused by knocking, dropping and throwing of components.

Additionally, if maintaining a working wind turbine is a priority for your business, implementing proper packaging and handling protocols ahead of time will ensure a higher likelihood of repair ability once the board reaches its destination. With a high percentage of failures occurring within electrical components, lessening the overall time and cost of repair could make a substantial difference to your bottom line.

For information on how SabeRex can assist you with your board repair needs, reach out to us today.