iNRCORE, moving ahead in its corporate transformation after coming under the ownership of a venture capital company earlier this year, has acquired Bicron Electronics of Torrington, CT. Purchase price was not disclosed but, evidently, the Bicron name on the sign outside its headquarters in Torrington, CT, will remain. It will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary and neither its organizational structure nor its sales points of contact will change, said iNRCORE.
Bicron is a manufacturer of corona-free transformers, solenoids, and current sensing transformers supporting industries such as smart grid power distribution, alternate energy, transportation, medical, military and aerospace.
“We are thrilled to include Bicron in the iNRCORE family,” said Sarah Harris, CEO of iNRCORE. Bicron’s impressive capabilities serving high-reliability industrial power applications complements iNRCORE’s latest launch of industrial-grade signal products and provides both our customers with expanding product offerings and capabilities.”
“We are delighted to join the iNRCORE family.” Commented Chris Skomorowski, owner of Bicron. “We are confident that we will be able to leverage our complementary technical skills to grow both companies’ customer base. We also look forward to utilizing the many resources The Jordan Company offers to improve the efficiency of our operation, identify synergies and economies of scale, and improve our administrative functions.” Jordan is the private equity capital company that acquired iNRCORE in February and set it on a new growth plan backed with fresh funding.
Based in Bristol, PA, iNRCORE manufactures high-reliability products including magnetics and other electronic components. Previously, it focused on aerospace and defense markets but the company is making a push now to branch out into more commercial markets as well. Formerly, it was known as PulseR. To see previous coverage of the company, query for the company name at www.MagneticsMag.com.
Corona-free transformers, represented by its VoltBoss line, are one of Bicron’s signature products. Their ability to mitigate partial discharge is a distinguishing feature, making them especially suitable for long-life applications that demand enduring performance. The series was launched in 2012, then upgraded in 2016 to provide a partial discharge level of less than 10 pC at up to 4500V, in the same small footprint, weighing just 2.5 oz.
Partial discharge is the result of a breakdown in the insulation system, explains the company. Though it usually starts very small, once it begins the deterioration of the insulation system is progressive. When voltage stress reaches a critical level, partial discharge will bloom and create a corona. The ionized gas of a corona is chemically active. In air this generates corrosive gases such as ozone and possibly nitric acid, causing extreme damage to the magnetic device and related circuit. Eventually, partial discharge will cause system failure.
As voltage stress increases, anomalies in the insulation system will result. As voltage stress is reduced, corona extinction occurs. The cycle can repeat rapidly during the operation of the coil. Excess energy dissipated during these repeating cycles causes deterioration of the insulation system. The result is premature failure of the coil.
For more info, see www.inrcore.com and www.bicronusa.com.
