Barfield Manufacturing Company inc.
is a key player in the utility industry. As part of Hubbell’s Connector Manufacturing Company (CMC), Barfield specializes in enclosures, pole-line hardware, and custom aluminum components for electric utilities.
From 2009 to 2013, I worked there as a designer/drafter on aluminum brackets, electric utility cabinets, transformer platforms, and various items that mount on utility poles. The team focused on durable, reliable solutions that utilities depend on every day.
barfield “Large” Utility Cabinet
Heavy-duty outdoor enclosure for the electric utility industry — designed for pad-mounted application. These are built tough to handle weather, security, and long-term reliability in the field.
This is just one sample of many cabinets that Barfield manufactures. Mostly aluminum and Stainless Steel construction.
Viper utility Transformer Frame
Aluminum welded frame designed to mount transformers to utility poles. I performed 100% inspection on every frame (over 100 weld points per unit), catching and correcting missing welds or holes on the spot — including hand-drilling missing holes as-needed. This extra care was given due to strict customer quality standards.
Another style of aluminum welded “Viper” frame designed to mount three transformers to utility poles. Customer required extremely tight tolerances, which proved challenging with aluminum due to material movement after welding. Worked closely with the welder to build custom jigs for accuracy. After some negotiation, tolerances were adjusted to realistic levels while still delivering a high-quality, functional weldment assembly. Performed 100% inspection on every frame due to customer high quality standards.
Static Pull Test Stand
for Aluminum Utility Brackets
Dynamometer reads 3,100 lbs.
Setup and operated this steel test structure to simulate a utility pole. Performed static load testing on custom aluminum welded brackets using dynamometers and deflection measurement tools. Gradually applied force until failure to verify weld strength and overall performance. Aluminum tears predictably under load, providing reliable data for design validation.
CMC Utility Products
Wind Turbine Bus Box Display Units
CMC Utility Products – Wind Turbine Bus Box Display Units
Designed in AutoCAD 3D and personally assembled these large-scale trade show display cabinets for CMC’s booth. They represent giant windmill bus boxes (junction / power distribution enclosures) used inside wind turbines. In a real installation, three of these units would be mounted within the turbine structure to collect and distribute high-voltage power from the generator to converters, inverters, and ultimately the grid. One display shows the open bus cabinet with connections; the other featured a laptop + TV setup to demonstrate the wind power system.