USA, Pennsylvania, Canonsburg: Pennsylvania Switchgear is expanding its domestic manufacturing capacity for high-voltage dead tank circuit breakers, cutting lead times to 33–35 weeks and strengthening its ability to serve the US utility, renewable, industrial and data centre markets.
The Type PB circuit breakers are designed for transmission applications from 72.5 kV up to 170 kV maximum system voltage, with interrupting ratings of up to 40 kA. Shared design features include an integrated tank heating system for operation below minus 30 degrees Celsius, removing the need for external heaters. A common spring-spring operating mechanism is used across both voltage classes.
As part of facility upgrades, the company has also introduced a photoacoustic leak detection system for sulfur hexafluoride gas, allowing every breaker to be tested for gas tightness and long-term reliability.
Based in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Switchgear operates as a division of Pennsylvania Transformer Technology Inc. (PTT), following PTT’s acquisition by Quanta Services Inc. in October 2023. The company designs, assembles and tests its high-voltage circuit breakers entirely in the United States.
Recent investment at the Canonsburg facility has brought management, engineering, research and development, final assembly and technical support together at a single site. This fully integrated approach has helped the business respond to rising demand and extended equipment lead times across the market.
In response, Pennsylvania Switchgear relaunched its Type PB72 and PB145 high-voltage circuit breakers in 2025. There is already a legacy installed base of more than 275 PB-Series breakers currently in service.
The facility is now offering delivery lead times of between 33 and 35 weeks, which the company says is significantly shorter than typical industry timelines.
“We are pleased to offer customers a high-quality product with very competitive delivery times,” says Terry Obney, director of sales and marketing. He adds that the streamlined production schedule reflects standardised designs and localised control assembly, supported by capacity that was in place ahead of the product relaunch.
Source: Pennsylvania Switchgear
