ABB’s Care and Modernization Services Breathe Second Life into Legacy Equipment

April 23, 2024

In today’s world with environmental concerns top of mind, ABB offers sustainable options to extend equipment life through refurbishment and repair—which support a circular economy and reduce landfill footprints. In this context, ABB Canada’s Brampton facility is recognized for offering customized solutions for a growing list of ABB , GE, and non-ABB products.

The refurbishment and repair services include customizable options intended for customers seeking sustainable and cost-efficient ways to prolong the use of limited and legacy products for new market needs.

In addition to the services offered by the Brampton facility, the company has service locations in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Quebec City and Montreal.

ABB Brampton shop supports a wide range of electrical circuit breakers, which include FPE, GE, ITE, Merlin Gerin, SACE, Secheron, and Toshiba and repairs and retrofits for non-ABB products.

“Even though legacy products are designed to withstand years of use, there comes a time in a product’s life when refurbishment is necessary,” said Hazeeq Khan, Production Manager in Brampton, ABB Electrification Service.

“A rebuild represents significant savings for customers—and in the process, we modernize products to make them scalable and agile. This includes installing the necessary components to digitalize or upgrade existing switchgear, do ‘health checks’ on equipment, and advise customers on maintenance needs and digital monitoring solutions. The best part is that, in the case of many ABB products, the people who trained us in this process are the same people who developed the product to begin with,” he added.

Product Care Services are available for switchgear and a variety of other electrification products including SF6 gas replacement, SF6 pole refurbishment and replacement, and vacuum pole replacement, among other options. Modernization options take the efficiency and reliability of electrical assets to the next level through extensions, upgrades, and retrofits, and ultimately reduce the total cost of ownership and maximize return on investment.

“This is how we can deliver safer, smarter and more reliable solutions that get the most out of existing assets and typically extend their lifespan for another 20-30 years,” Khan added. He also pointed out that the team works closely with customers to modernize electrical infrastructure by upgrading outdated analogue products to next-generation digital solutions that enable interconnectivity and smart automation.

Capabilities at the Brampton plant include basic and advanced inspection and troubleshooting, basic part replacement, as well as basic and advanced testing on a variety of products, such as the ITE K-Line circuit breaker. Commonly used in power generation, distribution systems, manufacturing facilities, oil and gas refineries, mining operations and other heavy industries, this is an example of a product that can undergo a cost-effective rebuild process.

Khan pointed out that when a K-Line circuit breaker leaves the Brampton facility, the rebuild will reuse most of the original parts, resulting in a significantly lower cost than purchasing a new one. “This is a sustainable solution,” he pointed out. “It’s just one of the many ways we are working to bring even more value to our customers.” As an example, a modernization option is also available for providing retrofit solutions with the latest technology in EMAX 2 breakers and Ekip Trip units.

Switchgear products are the Brampton plant’s core business— a vast array of solutions is available to electrification customers, including switchgears designed to meet Canadian standards; indoor and outdoor enclosures to withstand pressure and weather; and low-voltage wiring and control.

“The Brampton facility is unique , and it offers beneficial local capabilities,” explained Jean-Pierre Guay, National Service Director, ABB Electrification Service. “Along with our offerings at other service locations, we are able to cover a full range of product improvement options. We are proud of these facilities and our ability to lengthen the lives of such a considerable list of products, whether they are ABB or non-ABB products. It fits perfectly into the company’s global philosophy of sustainability and allows us to help our customers reach their own sustainability goals.”

For a full list of ABB’s service capabilities in Canada, visit ABB Electrification Service Solutions.

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