Advertorial feature
Decentralised, cabinet-free power supplies for smart manufacturing
The demand for flexible modular systems is transforming the world of manufacturing, and the decentralisation of system components is shaping up to be a major development
D
ecentralisation can speed up the system planning process, simplify maintenance tasks, and facilitate straightforward system expansion. More system components are being relocated directly into the
field now and are required to be provided with a degree of environmental protection from IP54 to IP67. As a result, central cabinets can be made smaller than ever or dispensed with entirely.
So, what exactly is going on with the power supply in decentralised systems and mechanical engineering? The products currently available on the market follow three different strategies:
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 in the field, long cable harnesses have to be installed using costly large cross-section wire to minimise losses. Additionally, the system power supply has to be oversized to compensate for the loss of performance caused by the long cables. 2. Power supply in a decentralised on-site 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 customer-specific, decentralised solution is developed especially 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 already acted 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
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individual system parts can be put together on a modular basis, allowing them to be extended, maintained and converted more quickly and effectively than ever. By making the cabinets smaller, or even doing away with them entirely, the newly gained space can also 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.
Past obstacles to a decentralised power supply However, the cost of implementing a decentralised power supply remains high when using currently- available solutions. Even straightforward, decentralised on-site cabinets, for example, often comprise more than 10 components. All these must be purchased, stored and, ultimately, combined into a system by a technician. As for developing customer-specific solutions, this is even more time- consuming, expensive and only worthwhile in larger volumes. Until now, there hasn’t been a decentralised standard power supply available to order ex-stock, is easy to install and flexible enough to offer a viable alternative in all three of the above scenarios.
From cabinet straight 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 setup and diagnostics make system commissioning, troubleshooting and maintenance simpler.
PULS cabinet-free power supply system is the solution
PULS is closing this gap in the decentralisation market with the development of its FIEPOS power supply product family. This opens up a new world of possibilities for systems designers by providing cabinet-free planning of their systems and machines. The PULS FIEPOS 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 two FIEPOS product series of Basic and eFused. The devices in the Basic series have a single output, for which various plug connectors, such as 12-L/-T/-A, 7/8” or the HAN-Q series, are available. 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 particularly useful for assembling reliable redundant systems outside of the cabinet, and help to increase performance by establishing parallel connections. The FIEPOS 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 the practical human-machine interface located directly on the front panel of the device.
www.pulspower.com
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