TMC Transformers Group is a European company active worldwide, leader in the manufacture of medium and low voltage dry type transformers and reactors both using cast resin and VPI technology. It is a company with almost 200 people based in the North of Italy, with an headquarter in Switzerland and some branches in North and center of Italy.
The company belongs to Next Technology Group, which has put together a carefully selected group of engineers and technicians with vast experience in the design and manufacture of special transformers. TMC Group includes TMC Transformers in Busto Arsizio, focused on special solutions, TMC Low Voltage, for the production of low voltage transformers and reactors; Marnate trasformatori, focused on dry type standard transformers; and its newest acquisition, RITZ Power Transformers, a branch of the very well-established German company leader in instrument transformers, cast resin application, cast resin insulated busbar systems and cast resin insulated power transformers.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
TMC Transformers: TMC Transformers products are realized for distribution and special applications: two very different souls combined together under a single roof, to offer to our customers the most suitable technology and service. The company is mainly working on dry type transformers and reactors for all the applications worldwide. We are talking about industry, simple distribution for building and infrastructures, traction substations, marine and offshore, oil and gas, renewable energy, battery storage, mining, data center, power plants, e-mobility.
For marine and offshore application, TMC supplies marine converter transformers, distribution transformers and reactors, applied to Naval vessels, cruise liners, container vessels, offshore oil & gas vessels down to smaller research vessels.
For Power Generation, products are designed to fulfill the needs of simple distribution or excitation systems.
In Industrial context, every industrial specialty needs transformers and inductors to handle correctly electric power to feed, control and operate machinery.
In the Oil and Gas sector TMC can fulfill needs in any area, from drilling, onshore and offshore production and transportation with ships or pipelines, all the way through to final processing in the refinery.
In the last couple of years, we developed especially transformers for outdoor installation (so either for mining, battery storage, some industrial plants or plants for energy production), meaning transformers suitable, from IP34 to IP56 or even IP68, for going underwater. We challenge the market of dry type transformers putting our solutions outdoor where there could be a quite harsh environment.
E.E: What about new products?
TMC Transformers: In the last month, following the acquisition of RITZ power transformers, we acquired a new technology, called GlasVac: a new cast technology with a higher level of fiber glass, using casting processing vacuum. This technology has both the benefit of using fiber glass, making transformers more resistant especially from a mechanical point of view, and on the other side the vacuum process guarantees low levels of partial discharge. This technology will be used as alternative to the traditional cast and will be potentially applied to a number of applications where it can be effectively used to give an advantage.
The most innovative development concerns outdoor transformers where we introduced new ways to protect the transformers and innovative solution to cool it down. We can now deliver a proper solution for any specific ambient challenging the most polluted, humid or aggressive environment. As an example of this new innovation, we have recently done, on one side, an installation in a mine in the middle of the desert ,and on the other side, one in very snowy and cold area, close to the Arctic Circle.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
TMC Transformers: Our transformers cover the full range of dry type transformers, typically going from small low voltage ones starting from 5 kVA, up to big transformers for applications like oil and gas, that can arrive to 25 MVA with 52 kV of insulation voltage. All the products can be delivered with protection starting from IP00 up to IP68.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
TMC Transformers: During Covid we saw a big slowdown in all the activities and many companies had to put on hold projects and postpone deliveries, while in the last year, with the world getting out of Covid the market started to recover. Many activities are looking for a more sustainable approach, thus, creating new opportunities, and even if the main constraint in our market during the pandemic was the lack of raw materials, we are experiencing a good market recovery, and this is definitely laying the foundations for a future market expansion.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
TMC Transformers: Dry type transformers are definitely experiencing a positive market trend, with new applications growing and demanding this technology. Dry type transformers are a green technology, full ambient compliant that are not polluting but recyclable, which can be used as well in outdoor application where typically people use oil solutions. Further than that, we see more and more, in several markets an attention to the efficiency of the product, with low losses, and high efficiency meaning high energy savings that correspond to Co2 savings, in line with the green transition occuring in the last few years, that most of the people are trying to achieve in the world.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
TMC Transformers: As previously mentioned, dry type transformers are now starting to be used also in outdoor applications thanks to the continuous innovations on these products and on the materials used. Thanks to these advancements, specific certifications have been developed in order to guarantee to the users an high level of reliability of the transformer. TMC Transformers have certified its products with one of the highest ratings available in the market, achieved through a good protection of the transformer and a particular design, that enabled it to reach the E4 C5 F1 certification. This certification implies that our products can be used in challenging environments, thanks to its high environmental class for highly polluted areas, as well as climatic class, for transport, storage and operation at very low temperatures (up to -50° for operating and -60° for storage and transport), and resistance to fire hazard.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
TMC Transformers: For the next year, we are expecting a growth of the market so the plan of TMC is to follow this path to further grow compared to the past year. We see a positive trend and our objective is to consolidate our position especially in this new market of outdoor application, such as mining, battery storage and new energy applications such as hydrogen production, further than consolidating the newly opened factory in the Center of Italy. We already have a versatile portfolio of products for this factory operating in the low voltage transformers market, so our main target is to enhance it and offer it to the market, making these products feasible for most of our clients, enlarging the customer base.
TMC TRANSFORMERS S.P.A.