SCOPE T&M aims to be a major global player

“We would like to expand our products, services and market segments and going public in the process yet ensuring that we do not deviate from our guiding principle of providing simple solutions for difficult measurement,” forecasts Balasaheb Doiphode, CEO, SCOPE T&M Pvt. Ltd.
 Transformer is one of the most critical equipment in the entire power system. It’s like the heart of the substation. Hence it is very important to protect and maintain them. In an exclusive tête-à-tête with EPR, Balasaheb Doiphode talks on the various testing and diagnostic instruments available to assess the health of transformers. He also discusses the roadmap for his company in India.
Testing and measurement is an important area as far as power sector is concerned. Could you brief us on how SCOPE has become a trusted brand in this area in more than 30 countries?Continual or periodical assessment of healthiness of major power equipment is of paramount importance to ensure uptime of power system and to avoid expensive break-downs. The routine or diagnostic test and measurement (T&M) instruments help assess this healthiness.
SCOPE with its focus on T&M for power sector has emerged as a leading solution provider in this area over past 26 years. We are committed to offer products, services and unique solutions of the highest quality at right price through the process of close interactions with customer, incorporating latest and smart technological developments, continuous learning and improvement within company. Our products are developed or refined due to challenges thrown to us by our customers hence the end specifications are highly usable. We are now aggressively leveraging this strength with foreign customers as the testing requirements more or less remain similar. Consistent participation in leading global trade fairs including ones in Europe and USA had made these customers have a serious look at the solutions offered by us. Our ability make electronics work in hazardous switchyard environment up-to 765 kV had positioned us right at the top of the league.
What are the key areas that driving your growth?Adding new products which are required by same set of customers apart from continuously enhancing the capability and usability of existing products and expansion to new markets are helping us retain leadership position in T&M. This has been facilitated by significant investments in R&D and expansion of marketing team. Under the leadership of our Chairman Sanjay Kulkarni, we had diversified into protection business as well offering CRP, SAS, RTUs and SCADA. Our recent offering of controlled switching device for CBs is met with very encouraging response from customers. We also have a separate group company, ISOSCELES, focused on testing and commissioning (T&C) of new substations. In short time it had created new benchmarks in quality of T&C and completion of projects well ahead of time.
Being open to requirements of customer and providing uncompromising customer support had earned us customer trust which is at the root of our growth.
What significant role does transformer testing equipment play?Transformer is one of the most critical equipment in the entire power system. It’s like the heart of the substation. Hence it is very important to protect and maintain them. Various testing and diagnostic instruments are employed to assess the healthiness or condition of transformers. As the average age of power transformers in India is increasing and in some cases exceeding recommended life, the residual life assessment and residual life enhancement are becoming imperative for utilities to save huge capital costs involved in replacing them. This has further underlined the criticality of using right testing instruments.
Different online and offline testing instruments are used to check degradation in various components of transformer like paper insulation, oil, cores, windings, bushings, OLTC etc. Various factors like overloading, temperature rise, aging, electrical and mechanical shocks to assembly, shorts and looseness in windings and joints, electromechanical issues in OLTC, bushings, oil and paper insulation degradation, partial discharge affect the transformer health and thus life. It is required to detect them at incipient stage. Many times the results of multiple testing instruments are co-related to arrive at conclusion about probable defect in transformer. Some tests results are numerical but some are in the form of signature, which requires expertise to interpret.
The outcome of above will help Utilities plan for preventive maintenance and chalk out plan for replacement of transformer itself saving it from sudden accidents or break-down.

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