Remote Solutions Brings AMARETTO to the Table

Recently, an electrical generation facility in New Mexico faced a complex challenge: the facility managed a large fleet of Westinghouse Ampgard contactors which controlled machines integral to the business – and while maintenance and operation of a contactor is routine, the actual practice of operating these contactors quickly became an issue.  

With employee safety at the forefront of their efforts, the facility ordered and carefully reviewed the results of an arc flash study for their location. The study revealed that available incident energy for all of the contactors was well above the protective capabilities of available Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – meaning the contactors could not be operated safely by hand while energized.

When prioritizing between employee safety and uninterrupted power generation, employee safety obviously came first. As a result, whenever the contactors were maintained or operated, the entire lineup of equipment was deenergized – dozens of contactors standing idle. This process was highly time consuming and reduced operation uptime, hindering business success. 

The facility reached out to Remote Solutions, seeking a remote racking option that would allow their technicians to safely operate these contactors from a distance, without needing to power down the entire lineup. 

With that goal in mind, the business specified two additional requests. They relayed to the Remote Solutions team their desire for a portable remote racking system, giving their technicians the ability to move conveniently between contactors as needed. Additionally, the facility did not want to make any major alterations to their cubicles and equipment. In response, Remote Solutions communicated these requests to their team of engineers and immediately began developing a solution.

From these requirements, AMARETTO was created – a remote racking system that can operate these contactors from a safe distance. Designed to the exact specifications of the facility’s cubicles, AMARETTO was intentionally and strategically engineered to require no permanent alterations to the facility’s equipment. The application includes a Cubicle Kit, which attaches to the breaker using existing bolt holes and sits flush against the cubicle face. The Smart Drive Bracket, also specifically developed for Westinghouse Ampguard contactors, suspends from this cubicle kit and attaches to the handle of the contactor.

Once suspended from the cubicle, this Smart Drive Bracket supports a Motorized Drive Unit, which interfaces with the bracket’s hardware and pre-programmed software to operate the contactor. This process is controlled by a corded handheld controller, functional at distances of up to 150 feet -so that the contactor can be remotely operated by an employee from a safe distance – without powering down the surrounding cubicles.

In developing this industry-first remote racking system, Remote Solutions delivered a solution tailored both to the facility’s equipment and business needs, allowing this power generation facility to remotely operate each of their Westinghouse Ampguard contactors without deenergizing the equipment or risking employee safety. This remote racking system holds value for many similar businesses, and AMARETTO is now used in dozens of facilities across the country.

Remote Solutions continues to design, build, and implement remote racking solutions all over the world. If the company does not have an existing application that will meet a business’ needs, a new product can be designed and built. Portable, reliable, and effective in maintaining employee safety, Remote Solutions develops remote racking systems engineered to succeed.