TEVKO
Technicians beside the exposed core-and-coil assembly above a transformer tank.

Service

Transformer magnetic core repair

Repair of the magnetic core: shorted laminations, core ground faults and restacking, diagnosed with excitation current and core-loss testing.

Technicians beside the exposed core-and-coil assembly above a transformer tank.
What the photo showsTechnicians beside the exposed core-and-coil assembly above a transformer tank..

The magnetic core carries the flux that makes a transformer work, and its defects — shorted laminations, a defective core ground, mechanical loosening — cause overheating and rising losses. TEVKO diagnoses and repairs core problems on transformers of any manufacturer, validated with excitation current and core-loss testing.

The core is built from thin insulated steel laminations to keep eddy-current losses low. When the inter-laminar insulation degrades and laminations short together, or when the core develops an unintended second ground, circulating currents flow and the core overheats locally — generating gases, raising losses and, left unattended, damaging the surrounding insulation. These are exactly the faults that excitation current and core-loss measurements expose.

Repair depends on the defect: clearing or isolating shorted laminations, locating and correcting a defective or multiple core ground, and re-tightening or restacking sections of the core that have loosened mechanically. Core work is often done together with a rewind, since accessing the core means lifting the windings — which is why a precise diagnosis up front decides the scope efficiently.

TEVKO repairs transformer cores in its 5,600 m² plant, diagnosing with excitation current, core-loss and insulation tests using Omicron and Megger instrumentation, and validating the repair under IEEE C57 and IEC 60076 before reassembly. As an independent multi-brand provider, TEVKO does not manufacture transformers; it restores the core so the unit returns to the performance the manufacturer specified, with a documented protocol.

Scope of core repair

Shorted laminations / core ground

Clearing or isolating shorted laminations and correcting defective or multiple core grounds.

When it applies: Local overheating, rising core loss, gas generation.

Restacking

Re-tightening or restacking sections of the core that have loosened mechanically.

When it applies: Mechanical loosening after transport or through-faults.

How we execute the repair

Diagnosis

Excitation current, core-loss and core-ground insulation tests to characterize the defect.

Access

Controlled disassembly to reach the core, often combined with winding work.

Repair

Lamination/ground correction or restacking to specification, with drying.

Acceptance testing

Excitation current and the full protocol verified before reassembly and return to service.

Frequently asked questions — transformer magnetic core repair

What core faults can a transformer develop?

Shorted laminations (from degraded inter-laminar insulation), a defective or unintended second core ground, and mechanical loosening of the core stack. All of them cause local overheating and rising losses, detectable with excitation current and core-loss testing.

How are core problems diagnosed?

Mainly with excitation current and core-loss measurements, complemented by core-ground insulation tests and dissolved gas analysis (overheating generates characteristic gases). The pattern points to whether the issue is laminations, grounding or mechanical.

Is core repair done together with a rewind?

Often, yes. Accessing the core requires lifting the windings, so core work is frequently combined with a rewind. A precise diagnosis up front defines the efficient scope before disassembly.

Does TEVKO manufacture cores or transformers?

No. TEVKO is an independent, multi-brand service provider: it diagnoses and repairs magnetic cores and other components, but does not manufacture transformers. The repair restores the unit to its specified performance.

Transformer magnetic core repair in images

Overhead crane lifting a transformer cover inside the workshop bay, with technicians guiding the lift from a ladder
Overhead crane lifting a transformer cover inside the workshop bay, with technicians guiding the lift from a ladder
Strapped transformer ready for handling and IBC containers beside a vessel inside the bay
Strapped transformer ready for handling and IBC containers beside a vessel inside the bay
Power transformer with its conservator tank and radiators, with technicians working on the cover and at the base
Power transformer with its conservator tank and radiators, with technicians working on the cover and at the base

Related services and tests

Talk to a transformer specialist

Tell us about your asset so we can define the assessment scope and prepare a tailored quote.

Get a quoteEmergency