Insulators are components used in electrical circuits to contain and restrict the flow of electricity between two defined points. Playing the opposite (but equally important) role to that of conductors, insulators are widely used in domestic, business, and public utility appliances to separate and protect different parts of the circuit. Their application provides safety and support and enables the electrical network to function as originally intended and to an optimal level.
When an insulator is faulty or absent where it is needed, the electricity contained in that circuit can become extremely hazardous to both the equipment which contains it and to those who use it. Therefore, securing a supply of well-made insulators with a high resistivity is essential for those working in industries involving the manufacture and maintenance of electrical structures and appliances.
Below are 9 top manufacturers and suppliers of electrical insulators currently operating in the United States of America:
Table of Contents
TE Connectivity
Source: www.te.com
Company Profile: TE connectivity is an American-Swiss domiciled international technology company with 110 manufacturing and engineering centres and over 78,000 employees worldwide. TE’s primary business sectors are Communications, Transportation, and Industrial, and they supply insulators and other related equipment to a range of industries such as energy, utilities, electronics, medical, and aerospace and defence. With roots stretching back to 1941, TE has been operative for more than 75 years, with an estimated annual revenue in excess of $13bn. They manufacture 270bn products each year for customers in approximately 140 countries worldwide and have offices in the US, Germany, China, and Japan.
Insulators Supplied: As an industry leader TE’s product lines boast nearly 400 different types of insulators, including Busbar, Suspension, and Station Post insulators in a range of voltages.
What makes them different: In addition to boasting an impressive company portfolio as well as insulator range, TE specialises in manufacturing components that are resilient and long-lasting, even in the harshest of climatic conditions.
Hubbell Power Systems
Source: www.hubbell.com/hubbellpowersystems
Company profile: Hubbell Power Systems is a sub-division of Hubbell Incorporated, a world-renowned electrical manufacturer and supplier with a heritage spanning nearly 150 years. Hubbell Power Systems has been operative for more than a century and supplies a wide spectrum of electrical products – including insulators – for the construction, utilities, energy, and transportation industries via their 4 primary sectors: distribution, transmission, substations, and communications. They boast plants across North and South America and are headquartered in Missouri, USA.
Insulators supplied: Hubbell Power Systems offers a wide range of electrical insulators for their diverse, international customer base including distribution, transmission, indoor, and station post insulators.
What makes them different: Hubbell Power Systems has been a long-term fixture of the electrical supply market in their own right – but with the additional advantage of forming a division of staple industry pioneers Hubbell Incorporated, Hubbell Power Systems has been able to leverage that premier source of expertise, and quickly prove themselves as globally respected leaders in the trade.
Victor Insulators
Source: www.victorinsulators.com
Company Profile: Headquartered in New York and founded in 1893 by Fred Locke, Victor Insulators is the oldest insulator company in the USA. The same year the company was first founded, Locke innovated and patented a wet process method for porcelain that was to be used in power lines – a breakthrough which contributed significantly to the expansion of commercially supplied and distributed electricity. Victor Insulators operate in three key sectors of power supply: transmission, distribution, and substations.
Insulators supplied: Victor’s formidable range of insulator products are believed to be the most comprehensive on the North American market. They include station post, line post, suspension, dead ends, HDPE, and pin insulators in materials such as glass, porcelain, and polymer. Victor also supplies special insulators such as arrester housings, fuse cut out porcelains, and bushings, including custom made designs.
What makes them different: As well as being a premier player in the insulator market, Victor’s unique porcelain specialism has led to them developing other useful products. During World War II they were commissioned by the military to develop crockery that was especially resilient and sturdy. Victor invented a dual wall coffee mug and bowl for use in homes during wartime from the same material used to make insulators – successful items that were quickly emulated by other companies.
Peak Demand Incorporated
Source: peakdemand.com
Company Profile: Peak Demand Incorporated is a top manufacturer of electrical distribution and transmission products, headquartered in North Carolina, USA. They specialise in insulators, bushings, and current transformers applicable for use in the OEMs and electrical utility industries across America. With five factories worldwide, Peak Demand has already made its mark in the 15 years it has been operative, having enjoyed a promising start when they crossed the $1million sales threshold just 6 months after opening their first manufacturing plant.
Insulators Supplied: Peak Demand offers an extensive array of insulator products which includes transmission and distribution level insulators made of porcelain, composite silicone, and polythene and of varying kinds. Their insulator products are split into 3 main lines: the Pinnacle Series (porcelain pin and line post insulators), The Summit Series (silicone insulators, including cutout and dead end varieties), and the Duro Series (polythene HDPE insulators).
What makes them different: Peak Demand was founded by industry veterans who left their previous positions in other corporate companies, and they started Peak Demand with the vision of offering something different in the industry. Aware of the hassle that delayed delivery and complex buying processes could cause to their customers, Peak Demand’s founders simplified purchases and structured their business to build to stock and ship 90% of their products in 24 hours or less.
Gamma Insulators
Source: gammainsulators.com
Company Profile: Gamma Insulators is the utility manufacturing arm of the Corona group, a global conglomerate with over 18,000 employees, a total of 26 manufacturing facilities across North and South America, and a head facility located in Columbia. Gamma’s business operates through three core sectors: transmission, distribution, substations. Its primary focus is on the electrical industry, where it makes and supplies components and equipment for utilities and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Through its parent company Corona, Gamma has access to 32 global markets.
Insulators supplied: Gamma manufactures and sells a variety of spool, suspension, pin, line post, and clamp top insulator product lines for supply and distribution to their core electricals markets.
What makes them different: Established in the early 1960s, Gamma is able to access and leverage the industry expertise of its parent company, Corona, which has an industry heritage spanning over 130 years.
Newell Porcelain
Source: www.newellporcelain.com
Company Profile: Newell Porcelain is a subsidiary of the Newell Group, an international corporation headquartered in Georgia, USA. Newell Porcelain is an electrical maker and supplier of high-voltage insulators in a range of durable materials. Its predecessor, the Newell Manufacturing Company, was founded in 1903 by Edgar Newell as a maker of curtain rods, and later branched out into the manufacture of electrical insulators for substations, overhead lines, and other utility-related requirements.
Insulators Supplied: Newell Porcelain specialises in insulators ranging from 7.5 kV all the way up to 765 kV, and so focus on crafting their insulators from heavy-duty material such as toughened glass, solid porcelain, polymer, and composite. Their range includes station post, line post, transmission, distribution, spool, clamp top, and apparatus insulators.
What makes them different: As well as Newell Porcelain offering insulator products with a very high voltage capacity the predecessor to Newell Porcelain, Western Newell, converted factories to assist in the World War II effort. This endeavour earned the company the Army/Navy ‘E’ award for excellence in wartime production.
EM Works
Source: www.emworks.com
Company profile: EMWorks is a company specialising in the provision of electromagnetic simulation software for electrical and electronics design. Headquartered in Quebec, Canada, and with a presence in the USA, EMWorks operates its business through 4 core product packages: EMS, MotorWizard, HFWorks, and EMWorks 2D. EMS – short for electromagnetic simulation – can be used to simulate, calculate, and design electrical components for multiple applications.
Insulators supplied: EM Works sells a variety of electrical components alongside their core line in simulation software. Their insulator range includes power, high voltage, and busbar insulators.
What makes them different: Because EMWorks specialises in electromagnetic simulation, they are able to provide an added, unique dimension to the manufacture and use of electrical components for their relevant industries. This is especially valuable when it comes to parts with custom specifications and ideas and innovations for new products.
Meister International
Source: meisterintl.com
Company Profile: Meister International is a global electrical distribution company headquartered in Ohio, USA. They are a stocking distributor of porcelain insulators, bushings, and bus boots to the industrial, refinery, utilities, mill, and OEMs market. Meister has been a fixture in the electricals arena for nearly 20 years, with a total history in electrical supply reaching back over 35 years. In 2019, Meister was acquired by the CSR group
Insulators Supplied: Meister supplies various types of porcelain and polyester insulators to their key industries, including cycloaliphatic epoxy, station post, feed through, standoff, and indoor bus. Meister also offers custom made insulators to its customers.
What makes them different: Meister International is a member of several relevant groups and associations, including the National Association of Electrical Distributors, NEMA, EGSA, HSL, EASA, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, and the Better Business Bureau.
Powertelcom
Source: www.powertelcom.com
Company Profile: Based in Hebei Province, China, Powertelcom is the top manufacturer of the pole line hardware in China. Since opening a large-scale manufacturing plant with top-of-the-range industrial machinery in 2013, Powertelcom has been able to accept mass bulk orders – enabling us to provide a service to the customers that are in a premier league for time and cost-efficiency. We are painstaking in the quality control process: all of the products meet the SGS testing specifications, and customer orders are always reviewed twice before shipping.
Insulators supplied: Powertelcom supply a range of spool insulators, pin insulators, and stay insulators, as well as complementary accessories such as insulator string.
What makes them different: In 2006, Powertelcom’s CEO earned an accolade for innovation in the development of the guy clamp. In addition, Powertelcom offers all our customers free stock collection from other suppliers, and incorporates a thorough 8-stage process in the manufacturing of the metal products to ensure that each item meets the stringent quality control standards.
Final Thoughts
We hope this article helped you find a trusted manufacturer of electrical insulators in the USA. For more options, you can read the following:
- TOP 5 Electrical Insulator Manufacturers & Suppliers in India
- Top 9 hardware manufacturers for pole lines, utility poles, and transmission lines in the USA
Electricity plays an essential and everyday role in our millennial society. It powers our appliances, heats our homes, and facilitates our interactions on both a local and an international scale – an expansion that has permanently changed the way we conduct every sphere of our lives.
The demand for electricity continues to outpace the increasing need for energy – and with human ambitions ever evolving in our quest towards freedom and functionality, new ideas and innovations within the field of electronic circuitry have become increasingly more complex. As they adapt to our new needs, the design and development of electrical systems continue to ascend to an even greater level of sophistication.
Insulators are an indispensable part of the intricate network we are creating. They provide us – and the equipment we work with – with a boundary of safety and support in the use of our vital resource, enabling us to continue to pioneer new paths of progress.