Reverse Engineering Obsolete and Discontinued Utility Parts

Utilities run equipment that was installed decades before the manufacturer stopped making parts for it. When a critical component wears out and no OEM replacement exists, two options remain: replace the entire equipment assembly — often at significant cost and long lead time — or fabricate the part. Southern Switch does the latter. We have been reverse-engineering and fabricating discontinued utility components since 1982, and the variety of equipment we've done this for spans every major manufacturer in the North American fleet.

The Discontinued Parts Problem

OEM manufacturers discontinue parts for old equipment on their own schedules, independent of when utilities need to maintain it. The utility fleet contains switchgear and transformers that will be in service for another 20 to 30 years — equipment for which the OEM stopped stocking parts a decade ago. GE AM series breaker contacts, ITE K-series arc chutes, Westinghouse DHP contact kits, tap changer components for units from the 1960s and 1970s — these are routinely unavailable from the OEM and increasingly scarce in the aftermarket. What remains after the aftermarket runs out is fabrication.

The alternative — replacing the equipment entirely — is not always an option within a maintenance budget cycle. A transformer that needs a bearing replaced is not a transformer that needs to be retired. A circuit breaker that needs a contact kit and is otherwise serviceable should not trigger a switchgear changeout. Fabricating the part extends the life of equipment that is functioning correctly in every other respect.

How Reverse Engineering Works at SSC

The starting point is a sample: a worn original, a serviceable spare, or a mating part that defines the geometry. SSC takes dimensional measurements from the sample, identifies the material from physical characteristics or nameplate data, and establishes tolerances from the fit requirements of the mating component. Where the original is too worn to measure directly, SSC works from available documentation, manufacturer service manuals, or dimensional data accumulated from prior work on the same model. The result is a print-quality specification for the replacement part, which SSC machines and inspects against that spec before shipping or installing the part.

First-time reverse engineering of a part SSC has not made before typically adds 3 to 5 business days to the fabrication lead time. SSC maintains dimensional records for parts it has fabricated previously — returning customers with the same model skip the reverse-engineering step and receive the part on the standard fabrication lead time. The more often a specific part is requested across SSC's customer base, the more likely SSC already has the dimensions on file.

What SSC Has Made

Examples from the shop include: ITE K-3000 arc chute side plates (fiber/ceramic laminate), fabricated when aftermarket supply was exhausted; Westinghouse DHP contact finger assemblies (silver-face copper), reverse-engineered from a worn original and a serviceable stationary contact; GE LR65 transfer switch arcing contacts, machined to match OEM tip geometry when kits were on backorder; stainless shafts for EV2 switch bearing assemblies, replacing the original carbon steel that corrodes against the aluminum lock nut; mechanism latch pins and rollers for ITE K-series and GE AM breakers where the originals had worn beyond reuse; tap changer selector switch finger assemblies for McGraw-Edison and Federal Pacific units no longer supported by any OEM supply chain.

This list is a sample, not a boundary. SSC does not maintain a restricted catalog of parts it will or won't fabricate. If a component is made of metal, has defined dimensions, and can be produced on CNC turning or milling equipment, SSC can make it.

Materials and Equivalency

SSC selects materials to match the original specification or, where the original material was a source of the failure, to upgrade. Copper-tungsten arcing contacts are matched by alloy grade and tungsten content percentage. Silver-faced contacts are matched by overlay thickness and base material hardness. Structural steel parts are matched to ASTM grade. For stainless upgrades in corrosive environments — shafts, fasteners, hardware exposed to salt air or moisture — 316L is the standard selection. Material certifications (MTRs) are available on request and are standard for BAA or BABA-sensitive procurements. SSC does not substitute materials without communicating the change to the customer; the documentation of what was changed and why is part of the service record.

What SSC Needs From You

The more information available, the faster the turnaround. Best case: a serviceable original to measure from. Second best: a worn original and any dimension data — nameplate, service manual page, part number. Third: a model number and part description from which SSC can draw on prior work. Least information but still workable: a description of the mating geometry and function, enough to establish what the part does and what it connects to. No part numbers are required. No minimum quantities apply. SSC has fabricated single replacement parts and has run production quantities of the same part for utilities that replace it on a scheduled interval. Contact SSC with what you have and we'll tell you what we can do with it.