Industrial tour - PETE Transformers

Someone said, "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your theory is it doesn’t matter how smart you are. If it doesn’t agree with the reality, its wrong." Sharing the same stance, IEEE Student Branch organized an Industrial tour for the budding engineers and researchers to come in close terms with the practical aspect of technology and tools used for the manufacture of transformers. A team of thirty six student members from different technical backgrounds assembled at a a common spot early in the morning, all set to start a day filled with lots of knowledge and fun. The four hour journey went smooth with just one stopover for breakfast. Upon reaching the company, the students split into two batches and went inside two different buildings, one manufacturing transformers below 1 MVA and the other, above 1 MVA. The highest rating of the transformer that the company had was 15 MVA. Technical staff from the company had commendable expertise in their domain of work and a couple of them explained every component of transformer to the students in a simple language. Many students admitted that there were lots of things which they saw because of the tour and otherwise would not have got a chance to see. The personnel were really generous to take the students to works division where everything was in its incipient stage, from the fins of transformers being made from metal press and rolling machine, the copper windings being covered with paper insulation, to the body of transformers being painted and dried. One of the assembled transformers was opened for repair and so the students even a got a chance to see core dipped in the oil. The visual memories that the student carried from that place would really go a long way in helping them relate the practice with theory. After a small break for lunch at a restaurant nearby, the batches merged and the whole team was led to the testing section where an actual transformer was being tested. The technical staff explained various kinds of tests to the students including the ratio test, winding test and more popular Short circuit and Open circuit tests. By the time the session concluded, the students felt physically exhausted yet mentally fulfilled and thoroughly enlightened about the subject. After a group photograph session, the bus started the return journey which lasted slightly longer because of the traffic at night. At the end of the day, everyone was glad to be a part of the tour. In fact, the members have started eyeing the next trip, for which the planning has already started.