×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Contactors

Contactors

Contactors

(OP)
Hi Guys

I recently started working on an oil rig and we seem to be having some problems with the anchor winch contactors. As the rig is 40 yrs old the system is obsolete and attempts at finding spares have been futile. I want to know whether its possible to just replace the contacts or coils of the contactors. Replacing the entire system is not an option at this point.

RE: Contactors

Contacts and coils may or may not be available. But it will be faster to replace the entire contactor. I don't understand why that is not an option, if you think you will be able to replace the contacts and coils.

RE: Contactors

Buy a new complete contactor. Install it where you have space. Run the power and motor conductors to the new contactor location. We can't help you with spare parts. Even if spares parts are available we would need the make and possibly the size or model number.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

RE: Contactors

As a general rule, a 40 year old contactor has most likely outlived it's usable lifespan. Winches are considered Inching / Plugging duty, so figure the electrical lifespan is 60,000 operations (unless it was de-rated at design time). That is 10 operations per day for 16 years. The mechanical lifespan on a larger contactor (you don't say the size) is likely 5,000,000 operations which is longer, but it's unlikely that replacement contacts are even available for something that old. There are companies that will fabricate contacts for old obsolete contactors, but look at the cost vs benefits first. If the contactor has been abused or neglected, your mechanical life may be seriously compromised and you could be throwing good money after bad. I would just replace it with another PROPERLY SELECTED modern contactor.

"Dear future generations: Please accept our apologies. We were rolling drunk on petroleum."
— Kilgore Trout (via Kurt Vonnegut)

For the best use of Eng-Tips, please click here -> FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources