FC/MA CRACK RESISTANT FLASH BARRIER

OEM#: 71-112-971-001

Today, we are spotlighting the Allis Chalmers/Siemens Allis Contact Flash Barrier which is used on their horizontal drawout air breakers like the FC and MA lines. This fragile ceramic plate often cracks or shatters through the normal opening and closing of the breaker, increasing downtime and maintenance costs.

NPE has a true "one and done" solution. A replacement part machined from a fiber reinforced, heat resistant material to resist cracking, chipping or other forms of failure inherent to the original design-https://www.npeinc.com/mafc-crack-resistant-flash-barrier.

Shipped with mounting hardware as shown online, this product has become a popular upgrade and it is recommended to change out anytime a breaker is being serviced. We generally keep several dozen in inventory but because they do move quickly, it's a good idea to call us so we can check stock if you need more than a breakers' worth.

This product and all the products in the Aftermarket Parts Store https://www.npeinc.com/aftermarket-parts can be purchased online or through your normal purchasing channels. As always, our motto "The right part, at the right price, right now!"

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

LAF BLOWN FUSE LOCKOUT 

OEM #: 18-392-070-501

Today, we are spotlighting the Allis Chalmers/Siemens Allis Blown Fuse Lockout for the LAF series of low voltage air breakers. This part which has been obsoleted by the OEM often gets bumped and broken when the breaker is moved or worked on.

NPE is the only source where this product is available new. It can be sold as an entire assembly or any of the individual parts shown online https://www.npeinc.com/laf-blown-fuse-lockout-complete.

This product and all of the products in the Aftermarket Parts Store https://www.npeinc.com/aftermarket-parts can be purchased online or through your normal purchasing channels. As always, our motto "The right part, at the right price, right now!"

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

NPE's aftermarket product line is growing daily with almost 300 individual items shipping daily from our Cleveland facility. We have a wide variety of products, from maintenance tools to replacement parts, so chances are we have just what you need and available when you need it. 

What makes this product line so popular, and more importantly, what makes it so unique?

• Aftermarket parts are in stock and available for immediate shipment, unlike OEM parts which have lead times of days or weeks.

• Many aftermarket parts are no longer available "NEW" and are hard to find in the used market.

• Aftermarkets are not "cheap knockoffs". NPE has had years of experience identifying flaws in original product designs and developing ways to improve them. Many products are considered "one and done" and likely to never have to be replaced again.

• Orders can be placed online with a credit card or through your normal purchasing channels.

If you are looking for anything from a bearing kit, to plastic molded parts, to a set of racking tools, check out our Aftermarket Parts Store online at https://www.npeinc.com/aftermarket-parts. If you do not see what you need, send us a photo and a description and it could become the newest addition to the list!

At NPE, our motto is always, "The right part, at the right price, right now!"

For Industrial and Commercial Sized Circuit Breakers

Most manufacturing plants, government and commercial facilities rely on electrical equipment that is no longer supported by the OEM. This planned obsolescence requires you to find a reputable source for remanufactured air or vacuum circuit breakers or aftermarket breaker and switchgear parts that match your equipment.

In most instances, breakers that are manufactured by one OEM are not physically compatible to swap out with another but there is one notable exception. This exception is the DS line of air circuit breakers. Originally, they were manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Company, the product line was then sold to Square D and then later to Eaton and Cutler Hammer. Each company changed labels and upgraded trip units to the latest technology of the day but other than that the products remained interchangeable.

Of course, that’s just the beginning of the search. You will still need to match model numbers, trip units, controls and accessories. For that, you will need a knowledgeable dealer like NPE to sort through all the variables or you can just go to m.npeinc.com on your computer or mobile device and let NPE’s online tool guide you through the process and submit your request.

NPE has shelves lined with hundreds of DS circuit breakers and thousands of used and aftermarket parts and we will be happy to find a cost-effective solution to whatever your issue is. 

One of the more interesting aspects of our market is the history of the equipment and how it has changed over the years. While most of those changes were technological, some revolved around the people behind the scenes. One in particular that comes to mind, was a group of design engineers that had left the Westinghouse Corporation and went to Federal Pacific Equipment. While the story has certainly has been passed from mouth to mouth over the years, it does have some evidence to back it up. As told to me it goes like this:

Back in the era of the Westinghouse DB 25 single position circuit breaker, a group of design engineers left the old bar W and went over to FPE. With their designs fresh in their heads, they used much of it to design the old FPE DMB circuit breaker product line. The similarities between the two are obvious. Westinghouse manufactured the DB 25 and the DB 50, etc. FPE’s new product line was called the DMB 25 and the DMB 50, etc. Both of these manufacturers used similar technology and materials for their parts, for example, pole base insulators and arc chutes but the similarities continued to the point that some of the parts are physically interchangeable! In particular, parts like secondary disconnects, control relays, shunt trips and a few others.

    Westinghouse vs. FPE Shunt Trip                                                         Westinghouse vs. FPE Secondary

               If you happen to have this FPE switchgear in your facility and you are having a difficult time locating the parts to maintain it, give us a call at 800-647-0815 or send us an email to info@npeinc.com  and we will show you parts that are much more common to the market (and less expensive) and how they can be used to keep your equipment up and running for many more years of reliable service.

As we say at NPE- that’s what we’re here for!