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“From on-load tap-changers to off-circuit tap-changers, regulators, monitoring systems, drives, protective relays and a great deal more, all power must stand up to the harshest conditions at all times.”

In an age where longevity of equipment and components has become the exception rather than the norm, the Reinhausen Group continues to maintain its commitment to an industry which must depend on reliability day and night, summer and winter, in the coldest or driest conditions imaginable, for years on end: power transformers. 3

Written by Robert Hoshowsky

ith high quality and long-lasting components for the power industry, over 50 per cent Wof the world’s electricity flows through products created by Reinhausen. Working alongside well-known and respected power transformer manufacturers, energy utilities, and heavy industry partners, Reinhausen’s decades of experi- ence, quality products, innovative solutions and outstanding service make the company a top choice among transformer manufacturers who seek longevity and dependability for their high-voltage devices and systems.

Active in every area dealing with the flow of energy, Reinhausen China, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil and Canada, Mr. remains committed to innovation in voltage regulation and the Kurth traveled to the United States in April of 1991 to lead Rein- global supply of energy. With extensive experience and core hausen’s operations in Humboldt, Tennessee. competencies second to none, the company’s products are found in a variety of applications, including liquid filled power Approaching 150 Years of Excellence transformers, dry type transformers, and sealed power trans- With over 25 subsidiaries and affiliated companies globally, Mas- formers. From on-load tap-changers to off-circuit tap-chang- chinenfabrik Reinhausen has grown to almost 3,000 employees ers, automatic voltage controllers, monitoring systems, motor globally, with approximately 110 working at Reinhausen Manufac- drives, protective relays and a great deal more, all power trans- turing’s operations in Tennessee. Founded in 1868, the company formers must stand up to the harshest conditions at all times. is headquartered in Regensburg, Germany, and remains the hub for global marketing, sales activities, research and development, “Transformers have a long life,” says Bernhard Kurth, President significant production, and global testing and innovation center of Reinhausen Manufacturing Inc. “It is not something that you – all of which contributes to the success of the company and its replace after five or 10 years. Transformers built in the 1920s and global network of over 20 subsidiaries, which includes produc- 1930s are still in use. It is very important for the owners of those tion sites in Germany, India, China, and the United States. transformers that there are still opportunities to maintain the components that were used by the original transformer manu- “We are a company that started producing products back in facturers so many years ago.” 1868,” says Mr. Kurth. “Reinhausen has been in the business we are now in with transformer components since the 1920s – our An established and prominent business with a rich and ven- first patent was filed in 1926 – and we have been able to continue erated history, Mr. Kurth joined the company’s head office, as an independent company since the start.” It was in 1926, when Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen in Germany, back in 1987. With Dr. Bernhard Jansen invented the high-speed resistor-type tap- operations expanding to other locations across Europe and changer that allowed the transmission ratio of transformers to be worldwide, including Italy, Luxembourg, Russia, the Middle changed under load without interruption, that the company truly East, India, Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Japan, became a global force. Working in collaboration with brothers Oskar and Richard Scheubeck, Jansen’s product became known worldwide as the ‘REINHAUSEN ,’ and demand for the company’s high quality products grew.

“Working in collaboration with brothers Oskar and Richard Scheubeck, Jansen’s product became known worldwide as the ‘REINHAUSEN tap changer,’ and demand for the company’s high quality products grew.” 4

“Everyone who builds power “Our engineers are also inspired by unconventional ideas,” says the company. “To develop new, innovative products, they pursue transformers in the North American their own paths and constantly question existing rules and con- market buys from us.” ventions. At the same time, they use MR’s unique wealth of expe- rience to continuously improve the reliability of our products. With tap-changers – devices used in power transformers to Because only one thing counts in the world of energy supply – regulate output voltage to required levels – as the company’s main the reliability and availability of the operating equipment.” product, every one of Reinhausen’s tap-changers are customized. Built to exacting specifications from transformer manufacturers All products are tested, and every new development must be who send documents to the company, they are precision made, absolutely reliable from the moment it is launched. Through and tested. “Everyone who builds power transformers in the North the company’s unique Test Center, tap-changers are subjected American market buys from us,” states Mr. Kurth of the company, to a number of tests – electrical, mechanical, and climatic – to whose clients include ABB, SPX, Delta Star, Virginia Transformer, CG ensure they will be able to perform reliably even in extreme Power Systems, Pennsylvania Transformers, Efacec, Hyundai, Mit- conditions without exceptions. In addition to providing clients subishi, Prolec-GE, WEG Electric Corporation, , and many with the most reliable products on the market, Maschinenfab- other well-known and respected global entities. rik Reinhausen will tool products based on customer feedback. “The products are not developed to be sold by themselves, At Reinhausen’s operations in Humboldt, the primary focus is they are designed to be installed in a bigger piece of equip- not on manufacturing of the individual parts, but assembly. ment, which is a transformer,” states Mr. Kurth. Parts are purchased from suppliers across the United States and Germany and brought into the facility, where assembly and Tap-changers, drive systems, and accessories created by Rein- testing is carried out. “All parts are exclusively made for us with hausen are not only the result of years of design and manufactur- our own tooling. All the tooling that is necessary to produce ing excellence, but are made to have an extremely long lifespan, the part belongs to us,” comments Mr. Kurth. These assembled in many cases lasting for decades. In recent years, the company products are then sold to transformer manufacturers. “The has taken on a number of initiatives, including the introduction tap-changers that we produce in Tennessee are not produced of SAP (Systems Applications Processes) Enterprise Resource anywhere else in the world. Even our main plant in Germany Planning software, the re-examination of a number of existing does not produce the same type and model that we produce products, and plans to introduce a new motor drive for tap- here in the United States. The product that we produce here is changers later this year. For customers, the delivery of products mainly dedicated to the U.S. market.” from Humboldt, Tennessee will also be greatly expedited, from an average of between 14 to 15 weeks two years ago to just 8 to Committed to Research and Development 9 weeks today. “That is a big step for us. This, and the ability to The products assembled at Reinhausen’s Humboldt facilities are the respond to customers more quickly when clients need quota- result of rigorous research, development, and ongoing testing at the tions and drawings. With this system in place, within five days we company’s main operations in Germany, where there are over 200 are able to provide all drawings needed to a customer.” engineers solely dedicated to R&D. One of the key pillars of the com- pany’s success for decades, is Reinhausen’s dedication to not only “Our continual investment in maintaining the superior quality of its existing products, but remain- technology and new products is ing ahead of the competition by investigating emerging technolo- gies and product ideas that offer clients added value. the foundation of our continuing existence in this market.” 5

Development of New Products Back in 1999, the company acquired MESSKO® Albert Hauser GmbH “Our continual investment in technology and new products and Co KG, which were added to other companies within the is the foundation of our continuing existence in this market,” Reinhausen Group family. A sister company in Germany, MESSKO® shares Mr. Kurth. “We have the same values we had when we concentrates on smaller components, such as oil level indicators, started almost 150 years ago.” oil and winding temperature indicators, electronic temperature monitors, relays, sensors, transducers and more. Some products, While many companies grow through acquisition, Reinhausen like the Messko , are commonly found in Europe; in remains independent, and offers the same quality, selection the U.S. they are only used in very large power transformers. In this and exceptional service it has provided for decades. “We have case, the design was based and driven by the European market. a unique proposition to customers, in that even today we offer Other product developments were driven by the needs of the U.S. support for products that we produced 50 or 60 years ago. We market, like the Universal Oil and Winding Temperature Indication are still the original manufacturer, not a company that got bought kit. Other well known MESSKO® transformer accessories for utilities up by another company and at some point discontinued a line and industrial customers include MPreC® Pressure Relief Devices, of products and support. We have maintained it, and still offer MTraB® Maintenance-free dehydrating breathers and Cargolog® support to any of the products that we have produced.” impact recorders, among others. MR_CMYK.ai 1 09.11.12 13:58

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Reinhausen Manufacturing 2549 N 9th Ave Humboldt, TN 38343, United States P: 731-784-7681

www.reinhausen.com Project Project s Su pp orter www.comptecinc.com

Unit 210, 1310 Hollis Street, Halifax NS B3J 3P3, Canada | Phone: 1-888-477-2938 Ext. 206