Thermostatic Bimetals are used Overload relays/ Bimetallic relays/ BMR. It used to protect the main equipment (a motor which is driving a pump or compressor).
This is a critical component because actuating of BMR trips the circuit and the equipment is saved (cost in lakhs).
There has been industry trend across OEM (Siemens, ABB, Schneider) for move away from BMR to Microprocessor based electronic relays.
Sharing Siemens catalogue price list for both BMR & Electronic relays (enclosed as PDF). These are procured on tender basis and one generally gets 30-40% discount.
Price list.pdf (224.9 KB)
If you buy a switchgear (A MCC panel), cost of BMR/electronic relays will be 3-4%. But electronic relays have huge advantage.
- Wide range of protection coverage (negative sequence, locked rotor, single phasing, earth fault etc). For example locked rotor (due to jamming) can cause 5-6 times normal current and damage the winding. A BMR can’t detect locked rotor and will take almost 10 seconds to trip (microprocessor based relay will actuate in 1 sec).
- BMR requires testing of relays (at least once in two years) to check healthiness and it is extremely hectic as it requires isolation of motor.
- Easier co-ordination with upstream incomer.
Industries are paying Rs 1000-2000 extra for electronic relays as it increases reliability for equipment worth lakhs.
My channel check says BMR demand is from two segments
- Replacement
- Very low scale player like a wheat mill, where no electrical technician is taking decision based on cost only.
However reported numbers of bimetallic segment does not show any gravity regarding this disruption. Growth in America market was 155%. Company is fully confident of growth and aiming for 600cr sales.
I was already impressed with their capability & performance of shunt division and now positively surprised with their bimetallic division growth.
Two questions, I shall try to ask management in next earnings call.
- What percentage of bimetallic division revenue comes from switchgear?
- Is there any component in switchgear except BMR which requires Bimetal and is there any slowdown in BMR end segment?
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