[chakalakasp]

I dunno. The American Geophysical Union seemed to think it was a BFD in one of their conferences back in the 2000s. Had a whole presentation about how certain parts of the US grid would lose large transformers that would likely take months to years to replace as there are few spares and they have to be wound with miles and miles of copper by hand. Said that large swaths of the US would be without grid power for very long periods.

Said that third world countries would fare pretty well though.

[shiroiuma]

It sounds like they need some type of automatic or robotic winding system... Even without some catastrophe, they surely have to make new transformers from time to time, and winding miles of copper by hand sounds ridiculously inefficient for a manufacturing process.

[keepamovin]

Hand winding allows for a high degree of precision and quality control that may be difficult to achieve with automated machinery, particularly for specialized or custom designs. Skilled technicians can closely monitor the process and make adjustments on the fly to ensure that the winding is as precise as possible. This is crucial for large transformers, where even minor imperfections can lead to inefficiencies, increased heat, or failure.

Transformers for electrical grids can vary greatly in their specifications depending on a variety of factors, such as location, usage, and existing grid architecture. Customization is often necessary, and hand winding allows for this level of customization to meet specific criteria, including the number of windings, the type of core used, and other design elements.

Copper wire is both flexible and delicate. It needs to be handled carefully to avoid nicks, kinks, or other imperfections that can compromise the transformer’s performance. Human technicians can adapt to the nuances of the material more effectively than machinery in some cases, ensuring that the wire is handled with care throughout the winding process.