ROCHESTER, NEW YORK — AMETEK Power Instruments, long known as a leading designer and manufacturer of power measurement and recording instruments used by electrical power utilities and manufacturers, announces the release of their new circuit breaker tester, the BT-100. The BT-100 portable circuit breaker tester is a new diagnostic tool for determining the health of a high voltage circuit breaker while it is still in service, eliminating the need to shutdown and disconnect the breaker.

The key to the BT-100 is its ease of use and reliable diagnosis of impending breaker failures. Testing breakers while they are on-line saves time and money from costly shutdowns and lengthy testing. The quick, non-obtrusive set-up avoids the high voltage sections, keeping it safe and efficient, while still capturing the necessary information to determine the health of the breaker. Another benefit of testing the breaker live is capturing the important ‘first trip’ operation which indicates how the breaker would have performed if called into action. 

The BT-100 breaker test takes less than 30 minutes, and includes: wiring connections, software setup, tripping the breaker and analyzing the results. Connections are made using quick connect current clamps and voltage clips to the low voltages and currents found in the mechanism cabinet. The BT-100 is self-powered through its high speed USB interface that quickly sends the test results to your PC for instant analysis. The graphical test results are recorded and compared against previous waveforms and signals to detect any mechanical or electrical flaws; ideally before an actual miss operation or failure occurs. 

The BT-100 on-line circuit breaker tester is an excellent tool for ‘Just in Time’ maintenance, saving money from unnecessary scheduled shutdowns and overhauls while catching problems before they occur.

Ametek Power Instruments is a recognized leader with world-class products used for power recording and measurement, turbine monitoring, alarm management and revenue class electricity metering. Through innovative cutting edge technology, we consistently design best in class products to provide solution driven results.

For More Information Contact Steve Bleier, AMETEK Power Instruments TEL: (585)238-4078 Email:  steve.bleier@ametek.com