Ensuring uninterrupted power is a vital part of any organisationâ??s business continuity planning and can be achieved with the correct deployment of suitable uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Different types of UPS can be used as stand-alone solutions or in conjunction with one another other. The three main static UPS topologies are as follows: Online (â??On-lineâ??) or Double Conversion VFI (Voltage and Frequency Independent, Line Interactive VI (Voltage Independent)and Offline (â??Off-lineâ??) or Passive Standby. Read more...

If you run your own business, reliable and efficient power supplies may be vital to the smooth running of your operation. Although there are plenty of generic power supply units on the market to choose from, you can approach a manufacturer or supplier directly to talk to them about custom power supplies.
It’s similar to asking an IT expert to build a custom computer for you. Firstly, you will need to consider exactly what kind of applications your custom power supplies will need to service. Is your business a workshop based enterprise? If so then your power supplies will need to be able to cope with heavy load demand, perhaps have to deal with three-phase mains supply and ensure that delivery to the machines is smooth and continuous with no chance of voltage spikes. This is particularly important if you are running a CNC based workshop, where a power fluctuation can affect the computer programs of the machine, causing possible damage to both the product you are manufacturing and the tools themselves.
If your business is office based then your custom power supply may need to be able to run a network of computers and office equipment. In which case, are your custom power supplies to act as back-up or ‘UPS’ systems or are they to be your main source of power for the machines? Again, with electronic equipment it is important to look for voltage spike protection and reliability, so sitting down with a custom power supply specialist and going through in detail what you want your power supply to deliver is important. The more they know about your business needs, the more accurately they can select from components to make up a power supply that does everything you need it to do.
Those who work in the medical profession will need to take into consideration the additional legislation surrounding medical grade power supply units. Standard commercial units do not have the same level of electromagnetic field protection or current leakage protection as medical grade units, so in this instance it is best to deal with companies who specialise in medical grade equipment to ensure you comply with all legislation.
Once you know exactly what you want your power supply to do for you, a custom power supply expert will then go through a process of design and consultation with you, factoring in operations, safety, the amount of space you have to install your custom power supplies and of course, budget. Once everything has been agreed the system will be built and installed to your final specifications and fully tested. Customer care and after-care service is a crucial part of the operation, so deal with a company you know is going to look after your long-term interests and not just your short-term installation worries.
Installing your own custom power supplies can help to make your business run more efficiently and smoothly, reducing the amount of lost working time due to power fluctuations and ‘brown outs’ and even reducing your electricity charges through a more efficient use of power. Despite the initial financial outlay, a well designed and properly run custom power supply can constitute a considerable financial saving in the long run, and is a worthwhile investment for any small to medium sized business.

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Medical power supplies differ greatly from average, domestic power supply units. Because of their application there are critical demands on medical power supply units for safety and reliability. Consequently, the units go through lengthy product testing before being certificated as being safe to use in a medical environment. The amount of research and development involved in the manufacture and production of medical power supplies means that only a few producers actually tackle the field. One other aspect that tends to thin the herd is the possibility of product liability in the event of a power supply failure leading to a medical emergency or even, in a worst case scenario, a patient death.Despite these concerns, a handful of power supply specialists are using their product development to provide units that can have medical applications. Their enthusiasm may be prompted by a small but steadily growing marketplace, as power supply units are required for more home-based medical equipment. A report issued by Frost & Sullivan in 2006 estimated that the world power supply market for medical applications would grow from $350million in 2005 to a projected $438.1million in 2012. This is just a fraction of the overall potential power supply market, and as new developments in medical treatments mean more patients can benefit from home care equipment, that forecast may be a little on the low side. The rise of applications such as CAT scans, MRI devices, blood analysers and patient-monitoring systems for home care are also expanding the uses that medical power supplies can be incorporated into. In addition there are now specific requirements within hospital and medical centre applications that require power supply units that can give high power, reliable and efficient power delivery which are both cost effective and compliant with all legislation.One of the concerns regarding compliance is that in some instances, end users are unaware that ordinary, commercial power supplies do not necessarily meet the required standard for application in medical equipment. Issues such as component spacing, insulation and leakage current can all cause a power supply to perform below standard, and in a medical situation where the life of a patient may depend on the power supply’s ability to cope with the application, this could prove fatal. The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iEMI) addressed this in 2006 with a project that set out to develop reliability specifications for medical-grade electronic components, including medical power supplies. The ongoing project has so far achieved three objectives:• Established draft protocol for acceptance testing based on a comprehensive Failure Mode Effects Analysis of failed devices. This protocol is currently being validated using components provided by different suppliers. • Developed new optical inspection methods to screen components for macroscopic failures during testing. This automated system enables acquisition of large data sets quickly. • Tracked reliability of parylene coatings (of neural recording electrodes) as a function of local chemistry and identified conditions of use that resulted in significant localized degradation at the probe tip. It is essential for those who are looking to purchase medical power supplies that they ensure that the product they buy is fully compliant with all legislation that deals with medical equipment. It is critical that lives are not put at risk because of the desire to cut costs by employing unsuitable commercial power supply units that may not be able to cope with the demands put upon them by medical equipment. When choosing medical power supplies, the purchaser should always look for the highest quality product from a reputable supplier. They should also consider the end user – not the hospital, but the patient.

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