Virginia Transformer has opened its fifth North American transformer manufacturing facility, which the company says is its most advanced factory, and will help shorten delivery times for transformers as the utility industry struggles through a time of shortages of these critical power grid components.
With this plant, Virginia Transformer can deliver specially designed, advanced transformers for the North American market. The plant was designed and constructed in about 15 months.
The new plant (P2) is situated on 300,000 square feet with room for expansion. It joins Virginia Transformer’s original Chihuahua plant (P1), which opened in 1995. The new facility employs more than 450 people, including more than 100 engineers.
The plant was designed for capacity and flexibility. It includes an in-house advanced design center, vapor-phase drying ovens, and an automated test lab. The new facility is fully temperature-and humidity-controlled and features:
Four production lines for E2X oil filled transformers up to 7MVA
• Dry-type transformers up to 7 MVA, 35 kV, 150 BIL.
• Integrated Power Module (IPM) production.
• Heavy-duty robotic carts for material delivery to shop floor, coil and core landing, and transformer transport through to final assembly (no forklifts).
• A class-7 clean room for the winding and assembly process
The new Chihuahua P2 capability is up to 100 MVA, 950 BIL for utility, industrial and renewable markets.
Virginia Transformer has a capacity of 67000 MVA, and has facilities in Pocatello, Idaho; Rincon, Georgia; Roanoke, Virginia; and now two plants in Chihuahua, Mexico.
