1) Do you provide Generator and Servo Valve test stand repair services? 

Yes. APC TECHS provides Generator and Servo Valve test stand repair, troubleshooting, and modernization services for aerospace MROs and OEMs. 

2) Do you support legacy aerospace test stands? 

Yes. We specialize in legacy aerospace test stand modernization, including computer upgrades, control system updates, and hardware retrofits. 

3) Do you offer test stand computer modernization? 

Yes. APC TECHS offers industrial computer and HMI upgrades for automated and computerized aerospace test stands. 

4) Do you provide on-site aerospace test stand service? 

Yes. We provide both on-site and remote support depending on project requirements. 

5) Do you provide Test Stand Software update services?

Yes, We provide Test Stand Software services including latest CMM revision update as well.  

Reads following preventive maintenance Articles that APC Techs wrote for our customer...

Introduction: For aerospace generator test stands, the DC motor isn't just a component—it's the heart of your power simulation. Its failure means immediate downtime, invalid test data, and potentially millions in lost production or certification delays. At APC TECHS LLC, we repeatedly see preventable issues escalating into catastrophic failures. The good news? Proactive maintenance can save you from this nightmare.

Why DC Motors Fail: Beyond Simple Wear While DC motors are robust, their very design—especially in high-cycle test stand applications—makes them susceptible to specific points of failure:

1. Carbon Brush Wear & Contamination: This is the most common and easily preventable issue. Carbon brushes, essential for current transfer to the commutator, wear down over time. As they wear:

   • Reduced Contact: Leads to arcing, pitting on the commutator, and uneven current distribution.

   • Increased Resistance & Heat: Directly impacts motor efficiency and can damage windings.

   • Excessive Carbon Dust: This conductive dust builds up inside the motor cavity. If left unchecked, it can bridge gaps between commutator segments or windings, causing shorts and flashovers.

2. Commutator Health: The commutator is where brushes make contact. High-speed rotation, arcing from worn brushes, and improper seating can lead to:

   • Pitting & Grooving: Uneven wear that exacerbates brush issues.

   • Flat Spots: Caused by prolonged arcing or mechanical imbalances.

   • Contamination: Oil, grease, or external debris can insulate segments, leading to arcing.

3. Bearing Degradation: Though often overlooked, bearings absorb the mechanical stress of continuous operation.

   • Vibration & Noise: Early indicators of bearing wear.

   • Overheating: Damaged bearings generate friction, leading to excessive heat.

   • Rotor Imbalance: Can cause catastrophic failure if left unaddressed.

4. Winding Insulation Breakdown: High temperatures, voltage spikes, and chemical exposure can degrade the insulation around the armature and field windings, leading to inter-turn or phase-to-ground shorts. This is typically a final-stage failure, often triggered by sustained stress from other unaddressed issues.

APC TECHS Preventative Maintenance Points for Your Generator Test Stand DC Motor:

1. Inspect & Replace Carbon Brushes:

   • Frequency: Establish a schedule based on motor run-time and load, typically every 500-2000 hours.

   • Action: Look for excessive wear, chipping, or signs of uneven contact. Always replace brushes with the correct grade and tension from the motor manufacturer.

   • Cost Saving: Replacing brushes costs hundreds; replacing a motor costs tens of thousands.

2. Inspect & Clean Brush Contact and Commutator:

   • Action: Ensure brushes move freely in their holders. The commutator surface should be smooth, clean, and have an even "chocolate brown" patina. Remove any residue, pitting, or streaking with approved cleaning methods (e.g., fine grit commutator stone if necessary, followed by cleaning).

   • Avoid Sandpaper: Do not use abrasive sandpaper; it can embed particles into the carbon, causing further damage.

3. Vacuum Out Carbon Dust:

   • Frequency: Crucial during brush inspections.

   • Action: Use a non-conductive, industrial vacuum to carefully remove all carbon dust from the motor cavity, brush holders, and around the commutator. Pay special attention to cooling vents.

   • Safety: Ensure the motor is powered down and locked out.

4. Bearing Inspection & Lubrication:

   • Action: Listen for unusual noises. Check for excessive vibration. Follow manufacturer guidelines for lubrication type and frequency. Consider thermal imaging to detect hot spots.

5. Winding Insulation Testing (Megger Test):

   • Frequency: Annually or during major preventative maintenance cycles.

   • Action: Use an insulation resistance tester (Megger) to check the integrity of winding insulation to ground. A trending decrease in resistance indicates insulation breakdown.

6. Verify Cooling System Efficiency:

   • Action: Ensure cooling fans, filters, and air ducts are clear and operating correctly. Overheating accelerates every other failure mechanism.

Conclusion: A DC motor failure on a generator test stand isn't just an inconvenience; it's a catastrophic event for your schedule and budget. With a systematic preventative maintenance program, these high-value assets can deliver reliable performance for decades. APC TECHS LLC specializes in the comprehensive repair, calibration, and preventative maintenance of aerospace test stands, ensuring your critical equipment stays operational and compliant. 

In the aerospace industry, the mechanical structure of a test stand can easily last 30 years. However, the "heart" of that system—the control computer—is often a 15-to-20-year-old legacy machine that is reaching its absolute breaking point.

Why Your Test System is at Risk  - Industrial computer is too old , need modernization.. 

Most legacy aerospace test stands rely on specialized hardware that modern PCs simply cannot support. We see three "silent killers" in the field today:

1. The 15-Year Power Supply (PSU) Limit: Capacitors inside power supplies age and leak. After 15 years, voltage ripples become unstable. One morning, you’ll hit the "Power" button, and instead of a boot sequence, you'll get a pop and a dead system.

2. Magnetic Hard Drive Decay: Traditional HDDs have mechanical bearings and magnetic platters. After a decade and a half of spinning, the failure rate climbs exponentially. If that drive dies, your proprietary test software and decades of configuration data die with it.

3. The "ISA Slot" Bottleneck: Many older measurement, data acquisition, and communication cards (GPIB, ARINC 429) use ISA slots. These slots became obsolete on consumer motherboards 20 years ago. You cannot simply go to a big-box store and buy a replacement PC that will accept your mission-critical cards.

The APC TECHS Solution: The "Clone & Protect" Strategy

Don't wait for a "Blue Screen of Death" to stop your production line. Total system overhauls cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of downtime. APC TECHS LLC offers a faster, smarter path:

• Legacy-Spec Builds: We specialize in building "new-old" computers. These systems feature modern, reliable power supplies and solid-state storage but use industrial motherboards that still support legacy ISA and PCI slots.

• SSD Migration: We clone your aging, fragile hard drives onto industrial-grade Solid State Drives (SSDs). No moving parts means no mechanical failure.

• The Necessary Spare: The best time to build a replacement is while the current one still works. We provide a "Ready-to-Swap" spare computer pre-configured with your software. If your primary fails, you are back up in minutes, not weeks.

Stop gambling with your test schedule.