ABB SACE · first generation · PR1xx
ABB Emax E1–E6 Repair and Refurbishment
The original SACE Emax is in switchboards, data halls and the base of a large share of European-built wind turbines. Its PR trip units are out of production, and that is why so many get condemned. We rebuild them in the original frame, test them by secondary injection and return them to their own cradle. UL-listed "-A" versions included.
- FramesE1–E6
- Trip unitsPR111–PR123
- Turnaround2–5 workshop days
- Warranty24 months on overhauls
Repair, don't replace
The retrofit is a project. The repair is a breaker.
First-generation Emax ran from the late 1990s to the early 2010s. ABB no longer supplies its PR111, PR112 and PR113 trip units, or the later PR121, PR122 and PR123. When one fails, the OEM answer is an Emax 2 retrofit kit: a new breaker, a new cradle or adapter, new secondary wiring and a commissioning visit. Across a board with several incomers and bus-ties, that becomes a capital project with a shutdown attached.
Repair is the alternative. The mechanism is stripped and rebuilt, the charging motor and coils are replaced, main and arcing contacts are renewed, and the auxiliary contacts and secondary connector are restored. Where the PR unit has failed, there are three options: a tested PR unit from donor stock if we have one, a modern electronic trip unit fitted inside the Emax frame and set to the original characteristic, or the OEM retrofit. We price the first two.
Either way, the breaker goes back in its own cradle with the controller wiring untouched.
Common faults
What fails on first-generation Emax
PR trip unit dead or nuisance tripping
End-of-life electronics on PR111 to PR123 units. Injection testing confirms it. The fix is a replacement trip unit in the frame, not a new breaker.
Charges but won't close
On the electrical command, it is usually the closing coil or its supply. On the mechanical button, it is the mechanism. Both are repairable.
Won't charge, or motor runs on
The charging motor, its limit switch or the gear train. Where the original motor is discontinued, we fit an engineered equivalent.
Wind turbine wear
E1 to E3 units in turbine bases see high operation counts, condensation on the trip electronics and secondary wiring that frets from vibration.
Corrosion and broken parts
Rust through the mechanism, broken charging handles and missing push buttons. The sample certificate below is exactly that case.
Hot terminals
Heat at the stabs on a thermal scan points to eroded clusters or loose main terminations. Contact resistance is checked per pole after repair.
Real evidence
A UL-listed Emax E3N-A, rebuilt and certified
Our sample certificate is for an ABB SACE Emax E3N-A, 2000 A, 3-pole, fixed, with a PR122/P LSI trip unit. The "-A" marks the UL-listed version built to ANSI C37.13. It arrived with a broken charging handle, a missing CLOSE button, and corrosion and rust throughout.
We stripped it, dismantled the mechanism completely, cleaned the parts ultrasonically, re-lubricated and reassembled it. It got a new charging handle and CLOSE button, plus new closing, shunt and undervoltage coils. The PR122 was then secondary-injection tested with ABB's Ekip test kit at multiple points on the long-time, short-time and instantaneous elements, all inside the published bands.
We repair UL-listed Emax "-A" breakers to their original design. We don't re-certify the UL listing.
The refurbishment
What an Emax overhaul includes
- Full strip-down and inspection against OEM wear limits
- Mechanism dismantled, cleaned, worn parts replaced, re-lubricated and run through repeated operations (the sample certificate records more than 30)
- Main and arcing contacts measured and renewed; arc chambers cleaned and inspected
- Closing coil, shunt trip and undervoltage release tested and replaced where marginal
- Charging motor repaired or replaced
- Charging handle, push buttons and broken mouldings replaced
- PR trip unit tested, replaced from donor stock, or replaced with a modern unit set to the original characteristic
How it is tested
Secondary injection on each protection element against the trip curve, contact resistance per pole at 10 A, and insulation resistance at 500 V phase-to-ground, phase-to-phase and across the open poles. Results, photos and a parts list come back with the breaker.
Coverage
Emax models we repair
| Frames | E1 to E6, fixed and drawout |
| Ratings | 800 A to 6300 A |
| Trip units | PR111, PR112, PR113, PR121, PR122, PR123 |
| UL-listed versions | Emax "-A" breakers built to ANSI C37.13, such as the E3N-A |
| Cradles | Cluster contacts, racking mechanism, position and ready-to-close switches |
| Current generation | See Emax 2, E1.2 to E6.2 |
From your site and back
Turnaround, Express and exchange
Standard
About 3 days air freight each way, 2–5 working days in the workshop. Typically 8–11 working days door to door, plus customs clearance.
How it worksExpress
A 1–2 day workshop turnaround, about 7–8 working days door to door plus clearance.
Exchange units
We hold many tested units in the UK*. If your model is in stock, one flies out the day you report the fault.
Exchange unitsCustoms
DAP or DDP, whichever you prefer. We prepare the commercial invoice and repair-and-return paperwork.
Shipping & customs*Subject to model and rating.
FAQ
Emax E1–E6 questions
ABB no longer supplies the PR112. What are our options?
A tested PR unit from donor stock where we have one, a modern electronic trip unit fitted inside the Emax frame and set to the original characteristic, or ABB's Emax 2 retrofit. We price the first two. The third is usually a board project rather than a spare part.
Do you repair UL-listed Emax breakers?
Yes. Our sample certificate is for an E3N-A, a UL-listed Emax built to ANSI C37.13. We repair it to its original design and test it. We don't re-certify the UL listing.
Do you repair Emax breakers from wind turbines?
Yes. First-generation E1 to E3 units from turbine bases are a regular part of our work. Wind farms.
Can you match our existing protection settings?
Send the settings from the drawings or the existing trip unit. The breaker comes back set to them, with the injection test recorded at those settings.
It trips on ground fault since a retrofit. Is the breaker faulty?
Often it isn't. It is usually a CT or neutral-sensing configuration issue. We check the settings against the installation before touching the hardware.
Send us the nameplate
A photo of the nameplate and the fault is enough for a first answer. We reply the same working day with a recommendation and a price for diagnosis and freight.