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Spotlighting today in NPE’s PIC is our replacement mechanism cover for the problematic blue-faced LA-600 and LA-1600 circuit breakers. As we all know, this molded blue plastic cover is prone to breakage, cracking and/or other failures and it was later replaced by the gold (yellow zinc plated) steel cover in later versions of this breaker line.

Cracked/Broken Plastic Faceplate

Our solution? A hand-made steel cover, painted blue and detailed with our house made labels! Guaranteed not to bend or break with normal use, this one and done solution has become very popular. Simply specify what frame size you need and if the breaker is electrically operated or manually operated and we will ship you a new cover within 24 hours. Quantities are limited so large orders may require additional time, but are well worth the wait.

NPE's Allis Chalmers/Siemens Allis LA-1600 and LA-600 Faceplate Cover New Aftermarket Parts List:

https://www.npeinc.com/la-1600-cover-mo

*OEM part number 18-657-346-537

https://www.npeinc.com/la-1600-cover-eo

*OEM part number 18-657-346-550

https://www.npeinc.com/la-600-cover-mo

*OEM part number 18-657-346-523

https://www.npeinc.com/la-600-cover-eo

*OEM part number 18-657-346-579

*Part numbers used to reference original OEM's for identification purposes only. They are not manufactured, endorsed or warrantied by OEM.

This is just one of the many solutions to day to day issues that NPE can help you with. For more, visit https://www.npeinc.com/aftermarket-parts. If you still don’t see what you are looking for, give us a call and we’ll try to custom engineer a solution for just for you. We make our aftermarket parts better, stronger and get them to you faster! Our motto is, "The right part, at the right price, right now!"

Watch for NPE’s next spotlight in our Product Improvement Center’s series of blogs.

Today, we are spotlighting the General Electric Secondary Disconnect Block for Type VB and VB1 Powervac Circuit Breakers. This is the black power plug that is mounted on the back of the breaker that mates with another in the cell to bring control power to open and close the breaker. In our day to day sales of breakers, we have noticed an inherent problem with this part cracking at the ends in the area of the guide holes. Closer inspection revealed the issue to be the voids in the original mold that allowed the plastic to crack when under day to day stress.

Block in cell Block in breaker Damaged Block

We’ve eliminated this issue with our fiber reinforced material and designed a mold that eliminates the voids for a much stronger product. The most common application that we’ve seen for this product is to replace cracked/damaged blocks that are discovered during routine or periodic maintenance. After de-energizing the circuit, simply mark the wires according to the numbering on the front of the block, pop the contacts out with our contact removal tool, re-insert the contacts in the correct order and reinstall the block. A quick simple fix and one you should never have to do again, at least not on this unit. In other cases, when wiring needs to be changed or replaced we offer replacement contacts with the block and we also offer the blocks with the wiring harness installed. We keep a limited supply, approximately 10-12 of these parts, on hand for same or next day shipments and we can ramp production up for more if you are anticipating issues with an upcoming outage.

NPE’S GE VB VB1 Powervac Secondary Disconnect New Aftermarket Parts List:

P/N 100002954 VB VB1 SECONDARY DISCONNECT BLOCK (BREAKER SIDE)

*OEM 0209B3579G001