ALUMINIUM FOIL TRANSFORMER: A MAJOR BREAK THROUGH The Power and Control transformer industry is about to witness a most significant Value Engineering break through in transformer manufacture - Replacement of conventional copper wire by Aluminium Foil: A switch that will sharply reduce overall material costs in transformer manufacture by as much as 20 to 40 per cent. We at Alacrity Electronics Limited are proud that this significant technological breakthrough has been achieved wholly by the in-house efforts of our R & D Department. The technology has already been successfully utilised in the manufacture of transformers used in our KRYKARD brand of voltage stabilisers and other power conditioning equipment that enjoy a market share of 30 to 40 per cent in West and South India. Over 60,000 transformers are already in the market all over India, since they were introduced in 1992 and are functioning efficiently, providing ample testimony to the reliability of the product. Manufacture of Aluminium Foil wound transformer necessarily involves a convenient method for winding the foil around the core. Our R & D department has developed a special purpose foil-winding machine that makes the task efficient and smooth. We now offer this Special Purpose Foil Winding Machine to you along with the know-how for designing Aluminium Foil -Wound transformers. Won't you like to be one of the enterprising few who will get a head start in using this know-how? Take a look at the outstanding advantages Aluminium Foil wound transformers have over the conventional copper wound transformers, both commercially and technically: COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES · Reduced material costs Weight for weight, aluminium is twice as conductive as copper. Therefore, by using only 2.5 kg of aluminium a conductor can acquire a current carrying capacity, same as that provided by 5 kg of copper. And the cost of Aluminium Foil is much less than super enamelled copper wire. Therefore, depending on the design and nature of the transformer, substitution of copper by aluminium will result in an overall saving on material cost from 20 to 40 percent. · Stable material costs Copper is imported and subject to international price and currency fluctuations. Aluminium on the contrary is abundantly available in India. Even globally, aluminium availability is ten times more than copper in ore form. · Competitive price You can price the Aluminium Foil wound transformers lower than copper wound transformers and all equipments incorporating them will automatically cost less. · Higher productivity of transformers handling larger currents For conductors with larger cross sections, the inherent flexibility of foils will easen winding, which in turn will enhance productivity in manufacture. · Savings on freight and packaging Aluminium is much lighter than copper. Therefore, Aluminium Foil transformers will be 15% lighter than the copper wound transformers. You can thus save on packaging and freight charges. TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES · Compact size and reduced weight The foil design facilitates higher accommodation of the window area and so, there is no increase in the size of transformers. In fact, in some cases transformer sizes are reduced because of the foil design. As coils wound with Aluminium Foil would weigh as much as 60 % less than coils wound with copper wire, Aluminium Foil Transformers will be compact and lighter. · Increased thermal stability and higher short-term over load capacity The layer type winding in Aluminium Foil provides a larger surface area for cooling. Since the heat gets efficiently transferred from the inner layers to the outer layers, the winding achieves thermal stability in a very short time. This, plus the fact that the specific heat of aluminium is greater than copper, helps in preventing burn-outs due to hot spots and makes the transformer withstand higher short-term over loads. · Higher surge withstanding capability The inter layer capacitance of a Aluminium Foil winding is greater than the winding made out of wire and so, the surge developed in a Aluminium Foil transformer is equally distributed among all turns in less time than wire wound transformers, giving them higher surge withstanding capability. · Enhanced ability to withstand short circuit currents Improved balance between magnetic fluxes of primary and secondary windings enhances the capability of Aluminium Foil transformers to withstand short circuits, rendering them superior to wire wound or strip wound transformers. · Reduced impact of harmonics and high frequency on the design of transformers The ratio of surface area to conducting area being higher in foils than wire, heat generated by skin effect is reduced. This in turn reduces the need to de-rate conductors, used in the application of handling currents of higher frequency or containing a high percentage of higher order harmonics. · Greater insulation reliability In a foil wound transformer, the voltage gradient between layers is the voltage gradient per turn. This reduces the strain on the inter layer insulation and increases reliability. SOFTWARE FOR DESIGN OF ALUMINIUM FOIL WOUND TRANSFORMERS Software required for design of Aluminium Foil wound transformers will be supplied along with the machine. This software contains all the necessary parameters pertaining to aluminium foil and only a knowledge of designing conventional transformers is required to design equivalent Aluminium Foil wound transformers. MARKETING SUPPORT We will be heightening awareness in the electrical industry for Aluminium Foil wound transformers through advertisements and other promotional efforts. This will create interest and enquiries from users of transformers. We can also provide technical support for your market development activity, by either designing special transformers or assisting you in technical discussions with customers, if required in specific cases. AVAILABILITY OF ALUMINIUM FOIL The design of Aluminium Foil transformers uses foils of standard thickness, available with aluminium foil manufacturers. Foil widths are selected to match the type of laminations being used, which is the same as that used in copper wound transformers of the same rating. These widths are readily available. We have been sourcing aluminium foils from India Foils Ltd. since 1992 for our own requirements. Aluminium Foil can be procured with a lead-time of 4-6 weeks or against monthly schedules for regular requirements from the manufacturer. We are liasing with India Foils to make Aluminium Foil even more easily available to transformer manufacturers.
WE NOW OFFER
ALUMINIUM FOIL WINDING MACHINE Our Aluminium Foil Winding machine is a special purpose winding machine that converts aluminium foil into compact transformer coils, interleaved with insulation film. The technique involved in tensioning of the foil during the winding process is the pioneering breakthrough that has enabled production of aluminium foil wound transformers in large volumes. In addition, the method used to fuse copper wire with the aluminium foil for termination and taps is another first, without which the technology could not have been commercialised. Models of Aluminium Foil Winding Machines offered along with know-how for design of Aluminium Foil Wound Transformers Model 1: Automatic machine for winding Power and Control transformers in the range of 80 VA to 5 kVA, having windings of current carrying capacity of 300 milli amps to 20 Amps. Price: Rs 4 lakhs; taxes and duties extra as applicable. Model 2: Microprocessor-based automatic winding machine with a printer, for winding Power and Control transformers in the range of 500 VA to 20 kVA in single phase and 1.5 kVA to 100 kVA in three phase (415 / 230 V; 415/415 V), having windings of current carrying capacity of 2 amps to 120 Amps. Price: Rs 6 lakhs; taxes and duties extra as applicable. Payback period: The payback period will be one and half to two years for an annual turnover of Rs 20 lakhs for Model 1 and Rs 35 lakhs for Model 2. The payback period is worked out on the basis of savings that will accrue in costs by using aluminium foil instead of copper wires. Financing facility: Finance facility is available through the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) Bill Discounting Scheme over a five-year term, payable in half-yearly installments, at an interest rate of 14 %. The first installment will be due, six months after the machine is supplied. Bills of exchange drawn against the installments will have to be co-accepted by the customer's bankers. |
|
|