Coating insights

• Smarter coatings lengthen transformer life span, offer extreme protection and improve ROI.
• Coatings may be the unsung hero for strengthening and prolonging the life span of power grid components.

The surge in electrification, infrastructure spending, and renewable energy adoption has outpaced transformer manufacturing capacity. As a result, transformer manufacturers have found it challenging to rapidly scale up production to meet the sudden influx of demand, putting immense strain on the supply chain.

Unlike flipping a switch, meeting this accelerated demand requires significant adjustments and adaptations.

According to a report in late 2023, the lead times for transformers are getting lengthier — about 115 to 130 weeks on average. This presents significant challenges to the industry, particularly when the energy grid has been reliant on transformers that have been working past their intended life spans for many years. This aging energy infrastructure and shortage of new transformers have a significant impact on grid capacity, renewable energy goals, reliability and the future of power.

Stateside, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) updated efficiency standards add even more complexity. In the closing days of 2022, the DOE proposed benchmarks that would strengthen the U.S. power grid, cut carbon dioxide emissions and lower utility costs.

The pathway to reaching the goal is through the use of amorphous steel cores, which are in limited supply. There are no domestic producers of the steel specified in these guidelines, placing the nation — for the moment — at the mercy of foreign steel manufacturers to help achieve domestic sustainability goals.

While the timing of both high demand and material shortages creates a “perfect storm,” it does create an opportunity to transform the power grid’s efficiency, longevity and resilience.

The challenge: New standards, growing demand for energy

The DOE standards come at a time when demand for energy is escalating. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that energy production will have to increase 160 to 260% by 2050 to meet the growing demand.

Further complicating the matter is a dwindling labor force to manufacture the components needed for a transformer. Plus, procuring transformer materials is taking more time overall.

A power substation in Michigan. Courtesy: Amara Rozgus, WTWH Media

Currently, about 80% of American transformers are being made elsewhere. However, the industry is experiencing a shift away from manufacturing transformers overseas. Many prominent transformer manufacturers in North America are now heavily investing in expanding their production facilities and manufacturing capacities. This strategic move aims to meet the growing demand for transformers domestically and strengthen the local supply chain.

The DOE standards come at a tough time for the industry, with a confluence of factors contributing to long transformer lead times. But where there are problems, there are often opportunities. This crossroads is where the industry has a chance to take a step back, examine its shortcomings and pinpoint where practical improvements can be made that benefit the future of the power grid.

To overcome such challenges, the industry needs to take steps to ensure that existing transformers continue to operate without disruption.

The solution: Innovative coatings technology

Transformers can fail for a variety of reasons, including moisture intrusion that leads to corrosion, a common cause of equipment failures. However, this can be limited by ensuring that core components are adequately protected so they can withstand the test of time, severe weather events and extreme environments. This requires a total coatings approach.

Coatings for transformers are nothing new; they’ve been around for about as long as transformers themselves. But they haven’t always provided the level of protection that they currently do. Innovations in coatings technology mean that newer, more durable formulas, more efficient application methods and more complete corrosion protection is available.

For instance, common weak points on transformer protection are edges and corners where coatings lack adequate thickness for long-term protection. High-edge powder primers alone would help to curtail the issue, ensuring ample coverage in such areas and thereby protecting the substrate from the elements.

Efficient liquid coatings also offer excellent coverage. Various topcoats available in epoxy and resin have been approved for IEEE specification (Standards C57.12-28 to 12-32) and touts impressive weathering ability and standout resistance against corrosion, chemicals and humidity. It is can endure freeze-thaw conditions because it is specifically formulated with thermal cycling in mind. It is a superior option that offers more robust protection when paired with proper substrate treatments.

Sustainability can also be addressed through coatings that have lower cure requirements, lower volatile organic compound (VOC) content, higher transfer efficiency and less evaporative losses than earlier generations.

Waterborne liquid coatings, more commonly used outside of the U.S., help to lighten the coating footprint without compromising performance. In 2023, a global manufacturer in China began the mass production of transformers protected with a waterborne liquid coating, a significant industry development.

Updated coating formulas equate to a far more resilient transformer. Though unknowable variables will always play a factor in a transformer’s life cycle, contemporary coatings offer more robust durability, corrosion and ultraviolet (UV) resistance, and field performance compared to coating options of the past. The fiscal benefits of the upgrade are obvious: greater return on investment, lower ownership costs, closer adherence to sustainability aims, and a potentially longer life span of transformers in general.

It starts with the substrate

What matters most in corrosion protection is having a full-service coatings partner that works closely with manufacturers to understand specific needs and tailor a coating’s solution that is optimal for that application. For instance, though it may seem like an innocuous detail, even small changes in substrate material can make a difference on how a coating performs.

This point is particularly critical when substitutions may occur from “what’s ideal” to “what’s available.” In such a scenario, zinc pretreatment, conversion, primer and finish coatings may all perform differently than they would on a manufacturer’s preferred substrate material. As such, they should be properly reexamined to ensure optimal performance and protection.

Coatings are not a one-size-fits-all approach. Understanding the failure points of a transformer’s coating is essential to ensuring protection that is appropriate for its intended purpose and setting. A full-service coatings partner is invaluable when a manufacturer is supplying transformers for areas with unique needs or severe weather considerations.

Transformers bound for Miami and ones destined for Maine may require different coatings solutions. Coatings for switchgear and electrical enclosures may require insulative properties to trap heat or permeability to dissipate heat. Abrasion resistance, potential for damage, proximity to the ocean, UV exposure and more are critical considerations.

The makeup of the transformer itself also plays a factor. Components that have recessed areas, complex shapes or sharp coatings can be finished with high-transfer efficiency powder coatings. Epoxies, urethanes, acrylics and polyesters each offer distinct benefits. Hybrid formulations also exist for specific use cases.

A reputable coatings partner would make subsequent recommendations to the manufacturer based on these considerations, as well as potential shortcomings or other vulnerabilities. When addressed efficiently, the switch to a better coating need not a disruptive process for the manufacturer. Some programs test coatings so extensively that manufacturers are afforded first-run capabilities, minimizing implementation hiccups.

What results is a more thoroughly protected transformer, one that might endure for longer than its intended life span.

The long-term goal

The time of self-reflection afforded by the DOE standards highlights the unfortunate fact that coatings are too often an afterthought in the manufacturing process. Giving credence to transformer protection and resilience are smart moves from fiscal, performance and sustainability perspectives.

From an efficiency standpoint, powder coatings go a long way in helping manufacturers achieve both their sustainability and protective performance goals.

Today’s powder coating options are not like those of yesteryear. Modern powders significantly boost a transformer’s durability, corrosion resistance and life span. Plus, powders are generally made without solvents that release VOC, and overspray can be captured through a reclamation system, cutting down on material usage and associated costs.

The debate over evolving DOE regulations and new benchmarks has provided the industry with a rare opportunity for self-reflection and recalibration. Now is the time for manufacturers to look inward to find opportunities to improve efficiency and durability.

Attention to every aspect of transformer manufacturing, including coatings, is crucial for grid stability, ROI, longevity and more. Whether that substrate is the industry-standard grain-oriented electrical steel or amorphous steel, protective coatings backed by the latest material science must play a greater role in the protection of the substrate.

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our WTWH Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.