FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY
Decentralised cabinet-free power supplies for smart manufacturing
Maximilian Hülsebusch, PULS Power, explains how PULS is closing the gap in the decentralisation market with the development of the ZeroCabinet power supply product family
D
ecentralisation can speed up the system planning process, simplify maintenance,
and facilitate system expansion. More and more system components are being relocated into the field now and are required to be provided with environmental protection from IP54 to IP67. Central cabinets can therefore be made smaller than ever or else dispensed with. So, what exactly is going on with the power
supply in decentralised systems and machine engineering? The products currently on the market basically follow three different strategies:
for the power supply. The size and mechanics are also specifically tailored to the individual system along with the electrical specifications.
DECENTRALISED POWER SUPPLY BENEFITS Many systems integrators have taken action after recognising the benefits of a decentralised power supply: it starts with the system planning process, which offers greater freedom. There are many applications, such as conveyor belts or production lines that can be supplied with energy much more efficiently and flexibly on a decentralised basis. The power supply no longer has to be oversized, and the individual system parts can be put together on a modular basis. By making the cabinets smaller, or removing them, the newly gained space can be used to expand added-value system components. The power cable lengths and cross-sections can be reduced, which in turn saves on the costs of copper.
1. No decentralisation of the power supply - The power supply is not included in the decentralisation process and remains in the central cabinets. To supply power to the remote peripheral devices, long cable harnesses have to be installed using costly large cross-section wire to minimise losses and the system power supply has to be oversized to compensate for the loss of performance caused by the long cables.
PAST OBSTACLES The cost of implementing a decentralised power supply remains high using currently available solutions. Even straightforward, decentralised on-site cabinets, for example, often comprise more than 10 components. All of these must be purchased, stored, and ultimately combined into a system by a technician. Developing customer- specific solutions is even more time consuming, expensive, and only worthwhile in larger volumes. Until now, there has not been a decentralised standard power supply that is available to order ex stock, is easy to install, and flexible enough to offer a viable alternative.
2. Power supply in a decentralised cabinet The power supply, together with other standard components such as electronic fuses or switches, is taken out of the central cabinet and placed directly onto the machine in smaller, decentralised IP67 cabinets. System builders often handle the planning and assembly of these cabinets themselves. 3. Customer-specific solution A decentralised solution is developed especially
10 JUNE 2020 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
STRAIGHT FROM THE CABINET TO THE FIELD Relocating the power supply from the control cabinet directly into the field provides an all- in-one power supply system for decentralised systems engineering. It is then possible to use shorter cables and smaller cable cross- sections. This not only saves on the costs of copper, but also on the installation work for the cabling. Local on-board set up and diagnostics makes system commissioning, troubleshooting and maintenance simpler.
PULS CABINET-FREE POWER SUPPLY PULS is closing this gap in the decentralisation market with the development of its ZeroCabinet power supply product family. This opens up new worlds of possibilities for systems designers by providing cabinet-free planning of their systems
and machines. The PULS
ZeroCabinet range is based on 1-phase and 3-phase IP54– IP67 power supplies with 300W or 500W output power. It also features an IO-Link or output OK signal as a
communication interface. The various versions are based on this platform with numerous connector configurations as well as optional safety and redundancy functions. PULS classifies the devices into the two
ZeroCabinet product series of Basic and eFused. The devices in the Basic series have a single output, for which the various plug connectors such as M12-L/-T/-A, 7/8”, or the HAN-Q series are available. In addition, the Basic version is also available with an integrated decoupling MOSFET on the output side and a soft output regulation characteristic. These two functions make the devices useful for assembling reliable redundant systems outside of the cabinet and help increase performance by establishing parallel connections. The ZeroCabinet eFused series comes complete
with up to four internally protected outputs. Thanks to the built-in current limit, these devices can easily be used for selective current distribution and protection. The outputs are configured and monitored via IO-Link or via the practical human-machine interface located directly on the front panel of the device.
PULS UK T: 01525 841001
www.pulspower.com/uk/home/
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