Electrical and Mechanical
Testing Capabilities
Sidewinders tests every fundamental feature of exciters, stators, and rotors, electrically and mechanically, and delivers documented condition assessments through our Condition Assessment Program (CAP Levels 1, 2, and 3). We perform the full range of electrical and mechanical testing on generators, rotors, stators, and industrial motors — in our Magna and Draper, Utah shops and on-site during outages. Every test is documented in a written condition assessment so operators can plan repairs around real data instead of guesswork.
What our team handles
in-house.
Insulation Testing
Insulation resistance, polarization index, DC and AC high-potential, and step-voltage testing on stators, rotors, and motor windings.
Core Testing
Core loss (loop) testing and ELCID to locate interlaminar shorts and hot spots before a rewind is committed.
Partial Discharge
Offline and online partial discharge measurement to trend insulation system aging in high-voltage machines.
Winding & Pole Testing
Winding resistance, surge comparison, RSO and pole-drop testing to find shorted turns and field coil faults.
Power Factor / Tan Delta
Dielectric loss measurement across voltage steps to quantify moisture, contamination, and insulation deterioration.
Vibration & Balance
Vibration analysis, rotor balancing to ISO tolerances, and runout verification on assembled rotating assemblies.
Alignment & Air Gap
Laser shaft alignment, coupling verification, air gap mapping, and dimensional inspection of bearings and journals.
Visual & Borescope Inspection
Documented visual, borescope, and NDE inspection of cores, end windings, wedges, poles, and mechanical components.
Root Cause Analysis
Engineering-led failure investigation combining test data, operating history, and material evaluation with corrective recommendations.
SERVING MAGNA, DRAPER,
AND THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST.
Test crews and portable equipment dispatch from our Utah shops to plants across the Intermountain West, with 24/7 support for emergency assessments.
Utah Cities Served
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Provo, UT
- Lindon, UT
- Orem, UT
- Lehi, UT
- Ogden, UT
- Sandy, UT
- West Valley City, UT
- Park City, UT
- Logan, UT
- St. George, UT
- Tooele, UT
- Vernal, UT
- Price, UT
Regional Coverage
- Utah
- Idaho
- Wyoming
- Nevada
- Colorado
- Arizona
Industries supported
Every test, by component.
Stator (Electrical)
- Winding Resistance
- RTD Resistance and Functionality
- Power Factor Test (Doble)
- EL CID
- AC/DC HiPot
- DC Leakage
- Core Loop Test
- Through Bolt Insulation Resistance
- Transposition Voltage Comparison
- Tube-to-Tube Resistance
- Tube-to-Copper Resistance
- Insulation Resistance (IR) and Polarization Index (PI)
Stator (Mechanical)
- Borescope Inspection
- Wedge Tightness
- End Winding Resonance (Bump Test)
- Core Tightening
- Coil Vent Tube Pressure Drop
- Parallel Ring Assembly Air Flow
- Main and Neutral Bushings Air Flow
Rotor (Electrical)
- Winding Resistance
- Pole Balance
- Impedance
- RSO (Recurrent Surge Oscilloscope)
- Insulation Resistance (IR) and Polarization Index (PI)
Rotor (Mechanical)
- Borescope Inspection
- Radial Lead Leakage
- NDE (Non Destructive Evaluation)
Exciter (Electrical)
- IR and PI of the Armature, Field Poles, and Permanent Magnet Generator (PMG)
- Winding Resistance of the Armature, Field Poles, and PMG
- Pole Drop Testing
- Functionality Testing of the Fuses
- Resistance Checks on the Diodes (Forward and Reverse)
Motor Shop Testing
- Insulation Resistance
- Polarization Index
- Resistance Checks
- Surge Tests
- HiPot Tests
- No Load Dynamic Testing
- Wedge Mapping
- El-CID (Core Imperfection Detection)
- Repetitive Surge Oscillograph (RSO)
- Core Loss Testing
Condition Assessment Program (CAP)
Not knowing the condition of your equipment leads to unscheduled outages, unplanned repair costs, reduced availability, and lost revenue. Our CAP program is delivered in three levels (CAP 1, 2, 3), each with a defined scope and number of days on site. Request the CAP brochure.
Need service today?
Talk to a technician at our Magna, UT shop — emergency rebuilds, on-site testing, and field service across the Intermountain West.
Testing and inspection questions, answered.
Q.01What electrical tests does Sidewinders perform on generators and motors?
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Insulation resistance and polarization index, DC and AC high-potential, winding resistance, surge comparison, core loss and ELCID, RSO pole drop, partial discharge, and power factor / tan delta testing — in our Utah shops or on-site during an outage.
Q.02What mechanical testing and inspections are included?
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Vibration analysis, shaft and coupling alignment, air gap and dimensional inspection, bearing and journal evaluation, rotor balancing, runout checks, and borescope inspections of stator cores and end windings.
Q.03Can testing be performed in the field during an outage?
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Yes. Our field service crews mobilize with portable test equipment for planned and emergency outages across the Intermountain West, with documented results delivered before the unit returns to service.
Q.04What do I receive after testing is complete?
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A written condition assessment with test data, trending against prior results where available, photographs, identified failure modes, and prioritized repair recommendations with scope and schedule options.
Q.05Do you support root cause analysis after a failure?
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Yes. Our engineering team combines destructive and non-destructive evaluation, insulation system analysis, and operating history review to determine root cause and prevent repeat failures.