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Company Profile

Polar Power is a technologically oriented organization serving, telecommunication, military, aerospace, and industrial markets. Polar Power specializes in product design, development, system integration, and engineering support services. The company maintains state-of-the-art technologies and production capabilities pertaining to generator sets, refrigeration, power electronics, and renewable energies.  Polar continues to assist companies with their prototype development, short and long production runs.  Presently we are creating standard products, which are inventoried and sold through distribution.

HISTORY OF POLAR POWER, INC. 

Polar Power founded in 1979 by David Lehmann and Arthur D. Sams, its present CEO.  Polar is new to the Telecommunications industry, but our military technologies provide us with a significant edge in cost and performance.

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CORPORATE STRUCTURE

Polar Power is incorporated in the state of California, with 97% of its stock owned by Arthur D. Sams, President, and balance of 3% held by key employees. Corporate headquarters is located in Carson, California. Polar averages 15 part-time and full-time employees. The overall staff fluctuates depending on the volume of contract backlog, and consultants and subcontractors are utilized as required.

From 1979-1989 Polar Power was named Polar Products. We changed our name to emphasize the generator and power supply nature of our business.

Polar Power has actively engaged in engineering activities and manufacturing since 1979. Our first product, a solar powered vaccine refrigerator/freezer for use in remote areas of developing countries, was designed and manufactured at our Bellingham, Washington facility. We developed this product in support of a World Health Organization and US Agency for International Development (USAID) program administrated by NASA Lewis Research Center.

Since then, Polar Power has continued to expand its capabilities and product lines within the solar and renewable energy industry. Solar powered products and systems developed and manufactured by Polar Products include: voltage regulators, charge controllers, ice plants, large freezers and refrigerators, water pumping, lighting, cathodic protection, telecommunication power systems, and ultra low temperature freezers.

Polar Power expanded its marketing in 1984 to include the design and manufacturing of manual and automated test systems for the aerospace industry. We supplied Coolanol test carts required for testing of F-14 radar assemblies to Hughes Aircraft who in turn supplied them to Grumman Aircraft and the U.S. Navy. We supplied computerized environmental control units for production testing of laser guided missile launch systems to Martin Marietta. For General Dynamics, Polar Power engineered and prototyped an innovative cooling system for the Phalanx Gun System. In 1984, Polar Power was awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to develop and manufacture a high reliability battery charger for use as part of a security system in nuclear arsenals. Other contracts followed from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Defense Logistics Agency for DC generators, power supplies, and cooling systems..

The strongest factor demonstrating Polar Power’s management and engineering capabilities is the company   track record over the past 16 years of completing an average of two fixed cost research, design and  engineering contracts per year.  In addition to production contracts for standard products. These contracts required product design, prototype construction, product testing, production tooling, and first article testing.

Polar Power’s success in being able to complete high risk developmental and production contracts under fixed-cost contracts, compete with larger corporations on competitive procurement, and operate a wide variety of tasks with a smaller labor base, can be attributed to:

• Experienced entrepreneurial management, with the ability to quickly proceed with innovative solutions to problems.
• Reduced overhead and general and administrative costs.
• Use of office automation and experience, versatile employees.
• Providing the right tools for the right job, to reduce direct labor to perform a task.
• Experienced engineers and managers.
• Total quality management.

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TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Polar Power, Inc. presently manufactures the following equipment for industrial and military applications:

1. DC and AC diesel engine driven generator sets and auxiliary power units, size range of 1.5 KW to 55 KW. Polar’s unique alternators offer improved efficiency, higher reliability and longer operational life. Primarily used to power remote shelters and telecommunications.

2. Battery chargers in voltage ranges of 12 to 300 Vdc and in power outputs of 30 to 55,000 watts. Chargers are available with AC, DC, or Solar Photovoltaic inputs. Used in security systems, primary power, UPS, oil platforms, telecommunications, vehicles, RTUs, etc.

3. Refrigeration and cooling systems. Polar manufactures solar and battery powered refrigerators, freezers, heat exchangers, and ice makers. Polar also manufactures engine driven refrigeration systems. Applications include: Radar, hydraulic, medical and food.

4. Air conditioning systems. Special air cooling systems for portable and remote shelters. Systems are directly powered by engine, battery or solar means.

5. Voltage regulators for DC alternators. Polar design includes both current and voltage regulation control of the alternator output. Additional features include: pulse width modulation (PWM) control of the alternator field coil, over-current warning, thermal management of the alternator’s station, and over-temperature warning. Applications include vehicle alternators and DC gensets.

6. Motor controllers. Polar manufactures brushless DC motor controllers for a wide range of applications. Our motor controllers are used in applications which demand high performance; examples include: solar powered race cars, Gray Super Computers, solar refrigeration, and hydraulic pumps of F-14 ground support equipment.

7. AC to DC power supplies. Polar provides custom engineered linear and switching power supplies for high reliability applications.

Polar can attribute its ability to engineer and manufacture what appears to be a diverse range of products due to our specialized talents in:

• Power electronics

• Heat transfer and refrigeration

• Systems integration

• Manufacturing and quality control process

Our engineering talents are proven with the performance of our products and customer satisfaction.

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FACILITIES

Polar Power’s present facilities include 10,200 sq. ft. of office, warehouse, production, and testing areas.

Material handling equipment: Fork lift, overhead hoists, carts, hand trucks, and storage racks.

Prototype and production equipment: Wire feed TIG, MIG, Heliarc, and gas welders, cut off saw, drill press, grinders, shears, brakes, punch press, slip roll, tapping tools, pneumatic rivet tools, pneumatic nut inserters air and electric drivers and wrenches, paint sprayers, compressors, lathes, vertical mill.

Testing equipment: Digital 350 MHz oscilloscope with fast current probes and amplifiers, computerized data loggers, test chambers, air flow and fuel flow meters, temperature meters, air pressure meters, manometers, vacuum gages, vibration, acceleration strain, and load transducers, multimeters 3½, 4½, 6½ digit, Hi-pot tester, noise meters, frequency meters, LCR meter.

Engineering: Computer assisted drafting and design work stations, extensive research library.

Documentation: Optical scanner and character reader, Desktop publishing, laser printers, word processing.

Management: Accounting, job costing, materials management, project scheduling are computerized.

Polar Power’s facilities meet Federal, CALOSHA, and local government environmental laws and regulations for: airborne emissions, waterborne effluents, external radiation levels, outdoor noise, solid and bulk waste disposal practices, and handling and storage of toxic and hazardous materials.  All software programs used by Polar are 2,000 compliant.

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