ABB, the leading power and automation technology company, quickly responded to emergency requests for power in flood-ravaged Cedar Rapids, Iowa last month by working around the clock to design, build and deliver several distribution transformers to Iowa within four days of request.

Normal lead time for distribution transformer orders is about eight weeks.

ABB worked closely with the Eaton Corporation and supplied them with distribution transformers that were then installed in strategic locations around Cedar Rapids, including delivery of a three-phase padmounted transformer for the Cedar Rapids Water Treatment Plant  in which the original transformer onsite was under eight feet of water.

These intelligent transformers, provided by ABB's Jefferson City, Missouri facility, provide much-needed power restoration and reliability to large clusters of residential, commercial and industrial facilities in emergency situations such as the massive June flooding in the U.S. Midwest. ABB distribution transformers maximize energy efficiency and make up a considerable fraction of the total losses incurred in distribution systems.

"I believe these are some of, if not the, fastest transformer units ever redesigned, manufactured and delivered by the ABB Jefferson City facility, and we completed the process quickly without compromising the high reliability and efficiency standards of these transformers," said Dan Bumblauskas, ABB's Eaton Electrical account manager. "Eaton and ABB have done a fabulous job responding quickly to the emergency needs of Eastern Iowa citizens and businesses affected by these devastating floods."

"We received an urgent request from officials at the Cedar Rapids Water Treatment Plant soon after we learned that they lost power at much of their facility and that their on-site transformer was submerged under eight feet of water. ABB responded quickly to our request for a three-phase transformer," said Tom Lempka, local Eaton sales engineer. "We requested the initial transformer on that Saturday, and it was delivered to us by the following Thursday, with three more arriving the next week."

"We are grateful to ABB for their help, and so is everyone in Cedar Rapids," continued Lempka. "We thank ABB on their performance  both their dedicated employees who worked above and beyond the call of duty, as well as their reliable transformers, which helped us restore power."

About Eaton

Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2007 sales of $13 billion. Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has 81,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries.

Tue Jul 22 08:35:00 CDT 2008