Electric motors are ubiquitous in American life powering most of the technological conveniences we depend on:
Household appliances
Air conditioners
Vacuum cleaners
Power tools
Fans
Pumps
Disc drives
Electric motors are also the true workhorses of our industrial might. The largest electric motors are used to power diesel train engines, ship propulsion, pipeline compression, and pumped storage applications with ratings reaching 100 megawatts. Manufacturing operations use electric motors to power compressors, pumps, conveyors, punch presses, industrial blowers, refrigeration equipment, pellet mills, etc. Extending the operating life of these expensive motors can save manufacturers tens, even hundreds, of thousands of dollars. Some of these motors are irreplaceable having been manufactured decades before electric motor manufacturers standardized sizes and components.
To rebuild an electric motor, it must first be cleaned thoroughly: its copper wire coil and all varnish, epoxy, paint, and insulation removed. Prior to today's stringent environmental laws, this was often done by soaking the motor parts in kerosene and "burning off" or “burning out” the organic material in a pit or metal container. Removing the material by hand is slow, expensive, and often damaging to parts and physically unsafe for workers.