Equipment quality, safety and reliability are top concerns among utility customers. Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. (MEPPI), a supplier of high- and medium-voltage circuit breakers, is a company that understands the significance of quality equipment with extended service lives, high reliability and minimal maintenance requirements.

MEPPI will present a half-day seminar at the Finepoint Circuit Breaker Test and Maintenance Training Conference on Maintaining Mitsubishi Circuit Breakers on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Each year, the Finepoint conference features two half-day training seminars at no additional charge.

This year, Jim Altenhof, a MEPPI senior field service engineer and IACET-certified trainer, will teach the MEPPI seminar. Altenhof has worked with MEPPI for more than 15 years, holding positions in both its engineering and service departments.

MEPPI, based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, has been a high-voltage breaker supplier for more than 20 years. “MEPPI breakers are well-known for their high-quality standards and minimal maintenance requirements. However, some minor maintenance and testing is recommended, particularly at the breaker mid-life point, to ensure continued reliable service for the second half of the breaker's life,” said Tricia Breeger, manager of the customer response team in the Gas Circuit Breaker Division.

Altenhof will lead attendees through MEPPI’s maintenance and testing recommendations. The seminar will review the critical design aspects of MEPPI circuit breakers as well as MEPPI’s maintenance recommendations.

“The attendees will come away with an increased confidence in their abilities to maintain the MEPPI equipment on their system and a stronger understanding of the design aspects of MEPPI breakers that can be attributed to their minimal maintenance requirements,” Breeger said.

For this seminar, MEPPI will draw from its experience from a fleet of more than 15,000 breakers within the United States and Canada.

Breeger believes that the Finepoint conference provides MEPPI with an opportunity to communicate directly with the individuals operating and maintaining its equipment in the field.

“This one-on-one opportunity for instruction, questions and answers has proven to be of enormous benefit to all parties involved, Breeger said.

Visit MEPPI at Booth #83  at the Hospitality Expo.