Date: October 29, 2003
Place: American Superconductor, Devens, MA
Schedule: 5:30 PM Social/Dinner/Slide Show, 6:30-8:00 PM Tour
Subject: Plant Tour - AMSC High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) wire manufacturing facility
Program: Ado Umezawa will present a brief slideshow to provide an overview of the company and their current HTS manufacturing process. This will be followed by a tour of the new facility.
American Superconductor develops solutions and manufactures products to dramatically improve the cost, efficiency and reliability of systems that generate, deliver and use electric power. Products from AMSC include HTS wire for electric power, transportation, medical and industrial processing applications; HTS motors and generators for ship propulsion; and advanced power electronic systems that ensure power quality and reliability. These products, and those sold by manufacturers that incorporate these products, can dramatically increase the bandwidth and reliability of power delivery grids, reduce manufacturing and operating costs and conserve resources used to produce electric power. Founded in 1987, the company is headquartered in Westborough, MA. In early 2003, AMSC completed and began operations at the first commercial scale HTS wire manufacturing plant in Devens, MA. More information is available at www.amsuper.com
About Superconductivity - Superconducting materials are perfect conductors of electricity when they are cooled below a critical temperature; that is, they lose all resistance to the flow of electricity creating a significant increase in the power flow density. High temperature superconducting wires can conduct up to 140 times more power than conventional copper wires of the same dimension.
Directions: Take Route 2 (East or West) to Exit 37B (Jackson Rd); this exit leads into the Devens complex and the Jackson Technology Park. Go straight through the first 4-way intersection. The new AMSC facility is on your right about 1/4 mile past the intersection. Park in the visitor's lot near the front entrance/canopy.
Dinner: Pizza and soda will be provided free of charge by the Worcester chapter.
RSVP by Oct. 24: Janice 508-831-5425 (Be sure to record current or most recent employer.)