Global Trends Reflected at SPS/IPC/Drives Exhibition in Nuremberg
Although industrial products such as DIN-rail power supplies dominated the news, as expected, product announcements at the 2009 SPS/IPC/Drives Exhibition reflected global developments in a wide range of areas including LED lighting and dc power distribution. Key topics of the event including "Energy Efficiency," and "Safety and Security" are evident in the new product announcements.
Energy Efficiency was clearly the over-riding theme. DIN-Rail power supplies with double to triple the density of earlier-generation devices and corresponding reductions in dissipation were introduced by several companies from around the world including Taiwan’s Mean Well, Germany’s J. Schneider Elektrontechnik, and Italy’s Wohrle.
An example of this trend is the WOR-480 DIN-rail power supply from Mean Well. It delivers 480W with a wide input range of 180-550 Vac or 254-780 Vac in a 85.5mm X 125.2mm X 128.5mm package. These convection cooled converters produce either 24 or 48Vdc with 94% efficiency.
The Safety aspect of "Safety and Security" was evident in the IP-67 approved power supplies from MTM Power. Designed for very harsh industrial environments, vacuum encapsulation and specialized water-proof connectors make these 50-200W ac-dc power supplies absolutely waterproof and capable of operating reliably even if completely immersed.
The Security part of "Safety and Security" was evident in the fuel-cell-powered dc uninterruptible power supply being demonstrated by J. Schneider Elektrontechnik. Targeted initially at security cameras, critical communications nodes, and similar applications, these 65W units can provide one week of continuous power from 10 liters of methanol. A small rechargeable battery is included to power the load while the fuel cell is in start-up. Multiple units can be used for extended back-up and a single unit can hold up to 28 liters of methanol.
Reflecting the growing market for LED power supplies, Mean Well announced 5 new products from 18W to 100W. These devices operate from universal ac-input voltages and are designed for indoor or outdoor operation. They meet UL 1310 Class 2 requirements and, depending on the model, either IP65 or IP67.
