Power
PULS power supplies replace costly and inefficient transformers in ASM Assembly Systems SMT placement machines
By Maximilian Hülsebusch, PULS marketing communications specialist
T
he electronics industry expects reliability, speed and maximum flexibility from SMT placement
machines used in electronic component and sub-system manufacturing. PULS power supplies design and inherent flexibility can provide cost and time effective Value-Add system solutions tailored to the exact requirements of manufacturing solutions providers, which combine all the advantages of standard and client-specific power supplies. ASM Assembly Systems has been using
PULS standard power supplies for many years. They have always been pleased with the efficiency, reliability and quality of the power supplies and their comprehensive and detailed datasheets. However, standard power supplies did not meet the requirements of their new SIPLACE SX series SMT placement machines. ASM design engineers asked PULS for a customer-specific power supply to meet their new specifications. Instead of the customary expensive and heavy 50Hz transformers, the latest generation had to be equipped with machine-specific switch- mode power supplies to provide the assembly heads with power. This was an important technical development but while in the quotation phase the intended custom solution proved to be unable to meet the required efficiency or the calculated costs and the design time did not match ASM‘s project plan. PULS project managers and designers
worked closely with ASM engineers from the very begin¬ning of the project – not just over the telephone but directly in the ASM development department in Munich. Performance measurements were therefore taken directly from the placement machine prototypes at an early stage. PULS wanted to discover if this project could be implemented with a cost-optimised system based on modified standard devices. A Value-Add system solution was found that could be offered to ASM, based on the test findings and on a precise understanding of realistic load situations. The SIPLACE SX4 can process up to
135,000 components per hour. To achieve this, the assembly heads must accelerate to extremely high speeds, resulting in peak
loads of 30kW. A significant task of the Value-Add system design was to cover these load peaks A complete optimised power supply
solution was designed to meet the required dynamic loads of the ASM‘s SIPLACE SX4 head module. The system consists of a 24V, 20A (DIMENSION QT20.241), a 24V, 40A (DIMENSION QT40.241) and a 36V, 26.7A (DIMENSION QT40.361) standard DIN-rail switch mode power supply, two modified QT40 power supplies (DIMENSION QT40.999-70) and a client-specific, maintenance-free buffer module (PCS417.771) with maintenance free electrolytic capacitors as an energy source rather than a conventional battery.
ASM wanted to make this data accessible to its customers and a modified communication interface was created to meet this requirement. The power supplies now constantly transmit data to the buffer module, which also serves as data storage. This data node allows ASM customers to read out the information provided by the power supply centrally and at any time. To maintain the 110mm width of the
modified QT40 despite the additional features, the customary double-sided PC- boards have been replaced by multi-layer versions and smaller essential components of the same quality are used. This application example is based on the
PULS Value-Add platform and shows how several standard power supplies, two modified power supplies and a purely client-specific assembly can be combined to form a highly efficient complete system.
Safety as a key argument New purely client-specific developments always pose a certain risk to users: Is it possible to adhere to the tight schedule? Will the product receive all the required approvals right away? Are EMC values compromised? Will the power supply harmonise with the machine‘s other essential elements? How will the device behave throughout its entire lifetime? In the case of Value-Add solutions the
PULS QT40.999-70 DIN-Rail power supply The Value-Add solution was designed in
such way that the assembly heads are powered from a buffer module. Each modified version of the QT40.241 delivers 1,300W, two output voltages (300V and 162V) and serves to permanently recharge the electrolytic capacitors in the buffer module. To increase the continuous standard output from 960W to 1,300W the power supply is equipped with a fan that turns on automatically when temperatures increase. The fan also increases the power supply‘s lifetime at an ambient temperature of up to 60°C. A great deal of data, including the
electronic identification nameplate, the output voltage, performance, temperature, lifetime and previous runtime is recorded by the PULS QT40.241 standard power supply. This information can usually only be read out by PULS for error analysis etc.
majority of these questions can be answered quickly thanks to the experience with standard products. This means that in combination with a high series quality, the risk for the users is reduced significantly. This guaranteed safety and the high quality of the products are crucial aspects, especially for ASM. In many major manufactu ring plants, SMD placement machines of various makes are located directly next to each other. This means that the machines can be compared directly while in service, leading to tough competition. The manufacturer on whose SMT line the red warning light is lit the longest or most frequently will find it difficult to negotiate follow-up sales. As maintenance means standstill, in a 24/7 production such downtime will be costly. Reliability, process reliability and a long
service lifetime are therefore crucial requirements for SMT lines and their integrated essential elements. This is why ASM wanted to make sure from the very beginning that the power supply is able to ensure system availability at all times, even under extreme conditions. During the
Design-In-Phase, PULS engineers adjusted the power supplies directly on the customer‘s machine and simulated different loads. A key test involved the programming of an extremely power-consuming assembly process not representative of normal usage. The QT40 prototypes and the buffer module passed this practical load limit test without any problems.
Profitable for users The costs and the time required for new, purely client-specific, power supply developments and their manufacturing are high. Two key reasons are that the steps required for quality assurance and for the organisation of approvals have become almost as costly and time-intensive as the actual design phase. With products as inherently flexible as
those from PULS, discussions with numerous customers have shown that in many cases, it is not necessary to develop a new product from scratch. System solutions based on well-developed products will significantly reduce the costs and offer a more efficient solution. From the start of the project, there is an approved and innovative circuit design that meets the highest technological standards. First prototypes are readily available. Costs and waiting times for approvals are significantly lower and may even totally eliminated for minor adjustments. As PULS have their own production sites in China and the Czech Republic it’s simple to integrate Value-Add projects into their large-scale production runs and flexible production quantities are also possible. Prices remain stable and long-term availability can be guaranteed without discontinuation. For ASM the PULS Value-Add solution
enabled the company to save more than one third of the calculated costs when compared to the purely custom design offer. Benefitting from the close collaboration with PULS from the outset, ASM has gained much more than just a unique, cost-optimised power supply solution for a placement machine. The joint project has also created a close partnership between the two companies. And has also developed a reliable, modular power solution which can be used for the power supplies of other ASM placement systems and subsequent machine generations.
pulspower.com
28 June 2019
Components in Electronics
www.cieonline.co.uk
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