Mecc Alte Alternator
Spare Parts Supplier
Mecc Alte S.p.A., based in Creazzo near Vicenza in Italy, has concentrated on alternators for decades and offers them for marine use. A request starts from the complete type line on the alternator plate and from the label on the regulator, and every line is offered as a genuine part or a checked alternative, confirmed before the quote.
Mecc Alte alternators and regulators on board
The cards follow the order in which an electrician reads the machine: the range on the alternator plate, the regulator label, two names that settle the build, and the rectifier on the shaft. Plates from STAMFORD or Leroy-Somer have pages of their own: STAMFORD and AvK and Leroy-Somer.
ECP34
ECP34 heads several versions in the maker's own web catalogue, and a generating set sold at a public auction was recorded as ECP34-2L/4. Characters after the frame number change the version: send them, and the serial, exactly as stamped.
ECO40
Parts and options for ECO40 frames are offered in the maker's catalogue, and trade press reported that the ECO40-C version brought a new permanent magnet generator system. Because that system is an option, two ECO40 machines need not share an excitation build; the full type and serial settle it.
DSR
Mecc Alte's own catalogue lists the DSR as a digital AVR, and alternator-parts traders sell digital units under the DSR name for Mecc Alte sets. Whether a unit on offer is the maker's own is part of what its supplier is asked to show.
DER1
A second regulator type in the maker's catalogue, sold beside the DSR and listed by traders as a DER1 for Mecc Alte generating sets. The label on the unit in the terminal box says which of the two is there; a change from one to the other is never treated as a plug-in swap.
C-Type
Some ECP34 versions carry C-Type in the maker's product name, and trade press described the C-Type series as a new design approach. When the plate or the manual shows C-Type, those words go into the enquiry next to the type line.
PMG
The maker offers a permanent magnet generator kit for ECO40 machines, and trade press noted that the PMG system of the ECO40-C can be added as an option. Whether this machine has one is read from its documents, because it changes what feeds the regulator.
Diodes and rectifier parts
In a brushless machine the diodes that excite the main field turn with the rotor. They are chosen by the marking stamped on each diode and a close photo of the assembly in place, not by the alternator type alone.
What brings a Mecc Alte machine into an enquiry
Most of these enquiries begin at the switchboard: no voltage after start, a voltage that sags or hunts under load, or an alarm raised by a digital regulator. Send the electrician's measurements and any code the regulator shows. They point to the part to price, whether the regulator, a diode, the PMG or the wiring between them.
A set that has been laid up in humid air should be megger tested before it is started again, and the insulation resistance calculator gives PI and DAR from those readings. For a bearing that has become noisy or hot, the number etched on it, or its position in the alternator parts list, is what the order is placed against. Where the alternator has regreasable bearings, the bearing grease quantity calculator gives the grease for each one from the outside diameter and the width, by Gp = 0.005 x D x B.
Mecc Alte parts we can quote
Nothing below is quoted from a description: each item is tied to the plate, a label or marking, the old part in hand, or an item number in the machine's parts list.
- DSR and DER1 regulators, by the type shown on the unit in the terminal box
- Rotating diodes and rectifier assemblies, by the marking on each part
- PMG kits and PMG parts, where the documents show a PMG
- Alternator bearings, by the number on the bearing
- Space heaters against condensation and terminal box items, if fitted
- Regulator accessories named in the alternator documents
- Coupling and adaptor parts between alternator and engine, from both sets of documents
Photos that identify a Mecc Alte machine
Mecc Alte sells more than one regulator, and the PMG is an option on some frames. These photos and notes show what is fitted on this particular machine before anything is priced.
- The whole alternator plate in one photo, so that type line and serial number are both legible
- The regulator label, plus a wider shot showing where the unit sits
- The regulator terminals with all wires still attached, before anything is unplugged
- PMG fitted or not, from the alternator manual or wiring diagram
- For a diode fault: the marking on the diode and a photo of the whole assembly
- Pole count, frequency and speed as stamped; the motor speed calculator shows whether they agree
- Engine make and type from its own plate, for coupling or adaptor parts
How a Mecc Alte enquiry is checked
Each item is offered either as a genuine part or as a checked alternative, and the buyer knows which before the quote is sent. Regulator and rectifier items go by type and marking.
Two labels, two questions
The alternator plate answers which machine it is; the regulator label answers which AVR. 'A Mecc Alte AVR' answers neither, and the maker sells more than one regulator, so a request worded that way comes back with questions instead of a price.
Who made the unit on offer
Units named DSR and DER1 are also offered outside the maker's catalogue, so a listing alone does not show who built a unit. The supplier is asked for evidence covering the exact unit offered, and that is set beside the photo of the label on board.
Genuine or alternative, item by item
Regulators and rectifier assemblies are supplied as genuine parts matched by type. Generic items such as bearings or space heaters can be offered as a checked alternative when the buyer accepts it, once their markings have been compared.
The engine plate is a different document
The engine and the alternator of one set each carry a plate and a parts list of their own. Alternator parts follow the alternator plate; the engine plate is added when the coupling or the engine itself is part of the job.
Mecc Alte alternators — questions buyers ask
We only know it is 'a Mecc Alte AVR'. Can you price it?
Not yet. DSR and DER1 are different regulators, and the maker sells further types besides. A photo of the label on the unit, one of its terminals and one of the alternator plate will settle it.
Is a DER1 a drop-in for our DSR?
Do not assume it. They are separate types, so a change is checked against the alternator documents first, and the quote says so in writing before anything is ordered.
The plate says ECP34-2L/4. Why do you need more than ECP34?
Because ECP34 covers several versions. The characters after it, together with the serial number, tie the parts list to your machine.
Someone we have not dealt with offers a DSR online. Is it a Mecc Alte unit?
The listing alone does not tell. We ask the seller for evidence on that exact unit and compare it with the label on your regulator before quoting.
Do we need to send the engine plate as well?
Only if the enquiry touches the engine or the coupling. Alternator parts are identified from the alternator's own plate.
Is Vessel Core connected to Mecc Alte?
No, and there is no agreement of any kind. Vessel Core holds no distribution, representation or partnership agreement with Mecc Alte, and quoting a component against one of its designations implies no approval by the maker and no claim of interchangeability.
Send the Mecc Alte type line and the AVR label
With the type line, the serial and the regulator label, the enquiry can be tied to the machine on board. Part of the plate worn away? Send it as it is, and we will ask about the rest.
