Rewind Department Supervisor

Description

The Rewind Department Supervisor will oversee all motor winding and rewinding operations at a large-scale electric motor repair facility with 60 total employees at full capacity. This hands-on supervisory role is responsible for leading a team of winding technicians, ensuring high-quality coil construction, maintaining production schedules, and providing technical expertise for all types of AC and DC motor windings, including complex DC armatures and field frames on large DC machines.

Pending Start Date: December 2026

Key Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership & Supervision
• Directly supervise 8-15 winding technicians, apprentices, and coil builders
• Assign daily work assignments and prioritize jobs based on production schedule
• Train and mentor winders on proper winding techniques, from basic to advanced
• Develop apprentice winders through structured training programs
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing coaching
• Manage attendance, scheduling, and overtime for the rewind department
• Foster a culture of craftsmanship, quality, and continuous improvement

Technical & Production Management:

• Review and interpret motor nameplates, connection diagrams, and winding data sheets
• Calculate winding specifications for motors without available data
• Design and approve coil configurations for standard and custom windings
• Troubleshoot winding failures and determine root cause (insulation breakdown, contamination, thermal damage)
• Perform or oversee complex windings including form-wound coils, multi-speed motors, and special applications
• Oversee DC armature rewinding including:
• Coil removal and slot preparation
• Bar winding and diamond coil construction for large armatures
• Commutator riser soldering and undercutting
• Banding installation on high-speed armatures
• Proper balancing requirements and procedures
• Direct field frame rewinding for large DC machines including:
• Series, shunt, compound, and interpole field coil design
• Pole shoe removal and insulation procedures
• Field coil winding and installation
• Connection and lead termination
• Field flash testing and verification
• Create and maintain winding records and connection diagrams for future reference
• Determine wire size, turns per coil, pitch, and insulation requirements

Quality Assurance:

• Inspect coils before and after installation to ensure quality standards
• Verify proper conductor sizing, insulation clearances, and coil dimensions
• Oversee winding testing including resistance, continuity, hi-pot, and surge tests
• Perform specialized DC machine testing:
• Armature bar-to-bar testing
• Commutator segment isolation testing
• Field coil resistance and polarity verification
• Ground wall testing on DC windings
• Dynamic balance testing on armatures
• Ensure proper slot insulation, phase insulation, and wedge installation
• Approve varnish/epoxy treatment processes for windings
• Monitor and prevent common defects (crossed coils, incorrect connections, inadequate insulation)
• Verify DC-specific quality criteria:
• Proper commutator riser connections and quality
• Adequate banding tension and security
• Correct interpole and compensating winding connections
• Proper brush positioning and neutral plane alignment
• Investigate and resolve customer quality complaints related to windings
• Ensure compliance with EASA AR100 and IEEE 43 standards

Materials Management:

• Coordinate with purchasing on magnet wire, insulation materials, and varnish requirements
• Maintain adequate inventory of wire sizes, slot liners, phase paper, and wedges
• Manage DC-specific materials:
• Approve material substitutions when necessary
• Monitor material costs and control waste
• Ensure proper storage and handling of insulation materials
• Manage varnish and resin inventory and mixing procedures

Production Planning & Scheduling:

• Work with Production Manager to meet departmental delivery commitments
• Balance workload among winding technicians based on skill level and job complexity
• Estimate labor hours required for various winding jobs
• Account for extended lead times on large DC projects:
• Complex armature rewinds (multi-day or multi-week projects)
• Custom field coil fabrication
• Specialized testing and balancing procedures
• Identify and communicate production delays or bottlenecks
• Coordinate with other departments (stripping, machining, assembly) on job handoffs
• Track work-in-progress and maintain department flow

Equipment & Facility Management:

• Oversee operation and maintenance of winding equipment including:
• Coil winding machines
• Lacing and taping machines
• VPI (Vacuum Pressure Impregnation) system or dip-and-bake ovens
• Form-wound coil presses and curing ovens
• Coil insertion tools and hydraulic presses
• DC armature winding machines and bar winders
• Commutator undercutting and turning equipment
• Armature banding machines
• Large field coil winding equipment
• Growler testing equipment for armatures
• Ensure proper calibration and maintenance of testing equipment
• Maintain clean, organized, and safe work environment
• Identify needs for equipment upgrades or tooling improvements

Safety & Compliance:

• Enforce safety procedures specific to rewind operations
• Ensure proper handling and disposal of varnish, solvents, and chemical materials
• Implement safety protocols for DC machine work:
• Safe handling of heavy armatures and field frames
• Proper rigging and lifting procedures
• Lead exposure control when working with older commutators
• Safe operation of high-temperature soldering equipment
• Proper ventilation during commutator work
• Monitor ventilation systems in varnish and oven areas
• Require use of appropriate PPE (respirators, gloves, protective clothing)
• Conduct department safety meetings and toolbox talks
• Investigate accidents and implement corrective actions
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and environmental requirements
• Documentation & Communication
• Maintain accurate winding records and test data
• Create detailed winding diagrams for future repairs
• Document DC machine specifications:
• Armature winding data and connection diagrams
• Field coil data and polarity diagrams
• Commutator bar counts and pitch information
• Balancing specifications and results
• Document non-standard repairs and special procedures
• Communicate job status and technical issues to Production Manager
• Interface with customers on technical winding questions
• Report daily production metrics and quality issues

Requirements

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent; technical school training preferred
• Minimum 7-10 years of hands-on electric motor winding experience
• At least 5 years experience with DC armature and field rewinding
• Demonstrated experience with large DC machines (1000+ HP)
• At least 3-5 years in supervisory or lead position
• Comprehensive experience with both random wound and form-wound coils
• Background in all AC & DC machines

Technical Expertise

Essential Motor Knowledge:

• Expert-level understanding of motor winding principles and theory
• Ability to wind all motor types: three-phase, wound rotor, DC, synchronous
• Proficiency in calculating winding data from first principles
• Understanding of winding connections (wye, delta, series, parallel, consequent pole)
• Knowledge of insulation systems and classes (A, B, F, H)

Winding Techniques:

• Hand coil winding and machine winding
• Concentric and lap winding patterns
• Form-wound coil construction and insertion
• Specialty windings (multi-speed, dual voltage, part winding start)
• Coil lacing, taping, and tying techniques

DC Machine Expertise (Critical):

Armature Rewinding:

• Lap and wave winding patterns and connections
• Bar winding for large armatures
• Diamond coil construction and installation
• Equalizer connection design and installation
• Proper commutator riser preparation and high-temperature soldering techniques
• Armature slot insulation and groundwall requirements
• Steel and fiberglass banding procedures for high-speed applications
• Dynamic balancing requirements and correction methods
• Shaft straightening and runout tolerances

Field Frame Knowledge:

• Series, shunt, compound, and separately excited field designs
• Interpole (commutating pole) winding calculations and connections
• Compensating winding design and installation
• Pole shoe removal and reinstallation procedures
• Field coil form design and winding techniques
• Proper insulation between pole and frame
• Field flash testing procedures
• Understanding of field weakening and field strengthening
• Troubleshooting open or shorted field coils

DC Machine Theory:

• Understanding of commutation and neutral plane
• Armature reaction and its effects
• Brush selection and grade recommendations
• Speed control methods (armature voltage, field control)
• Forward and reverse rotation connections
• DC motor types (permanent magnet, series, shunt, compound)
• Generator vs. motor operation

Testing & Troubleshooting:

• Interpretation of test results (resistance, hi-pot, surge)

DC-specific testing:

• Bar-to-bar and segment-to-segment testing
• Growler testing for shorted armature coils
• Field coil polarity verification
• No-load and load testing procedures
• Commutator drop testing
• Diagnosis of winding failures
• Understanding of phase balance and voltage drop testing

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong leadership and team-building abilities
• Excellent technical problem-solving skills
• Ability to read and create electrical diagrams and technical drawings
• Strong attention to detail and quality focus
• Effective communication skills with technical and non-technical personnel
• Ability to train and develop less experienced winders
• Basic computer skills for documentation and winding software
• Mathematical aptitude for winding calculations
• Manual dexterity and good hand-eye coordination
• Ability to mentor technicians in advanced DC machine techniques
• Understanding of proper rigging and heavy lifting procedures

Preferred Qualifications:

• EASA (Electrical Apparatus Service Association) certification or training
• EASA Level III DC Armature and Field certification
• Associate's degree in Electrical Technology or related field
• Knowledge of variable frequency drive (VFD) compatible windings
• Experience with traction motors (rail, crane, mining applications)
• Familiarity with explosion-proof AC & DC motors for hazardous locations
• Familiarity with predictive maintenance and motor failure analysis
• Previous experience in ISO 9001 certified facility
• Supervisory training or certification

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to stand for extended periods (6-8 hours)
• Manual dexterity for intricate coil work
• Ability to lift and maneuver motor components up to 50 lbs regularly
• Comfortable working with large, heavy armatures and field frames (overhead crane operation)
• Good vision (with correction) for detailed work and inspection
• Comfortable working with hand tools and power tools
• Ability to work in elevated temperatures near curing ovens
• Tolerance for exposure to varnish fumes and chemical odors (with proper ventilation/PPE)
• Ability to work in confined spaces when installing field coils

Our Benefits!

• #1 CULTURE!!!
• Fun, Family-Oriented Work Environment!
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits that begin on your 1st day of work!
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Company Paid Life, Dependent Life, Short- & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 10 Paid Holidays per year
• Vacation & Personal Time
• Employer HSA Contribution
• Company Paid Bereavement Time
• Company Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Gym Reimbursement

Are you an underappreciated, hard worker? Come see why AHP was voted a Nationally Certified "Great Place to Work"!

AHP is an Equal Opportunity Employer