Source: Australian Electronics Engineering Vol 35 No 4 April 2002
April 2002
Knoxfield, Vic-based Setec has founded its reputation on designing and building custom PSUs for customers that can't find a standard solution to fit their needs. The company's definition of a custom design is a power supply that is designed specifically to meet the requirements of a particular product as opposed to an off-the-shelf design.
According to Louise Lloyd, Setec's Business Development Manager, custom design is no longer just about "volts and amps", but more about customers driving designs that provide the most cost effective power solution for a particular product. "Each customer is unique in their power requirements," explains Lloyd. ("In our range we) include standard power systems expandable up to 80kW (55V for telecommunications applications) down to custom designs for OEM application of 10W."
While the requirement for the necessary power outputs is mandatory, many other design considerations are now relevant, including more shift to control circuitry and more "smart" functions incorporated into the power supply and electronics. Other major considerations are space, thermal issues and reliability.
"In addition the continual changes and increasing regulatory and safety issues continue to add further dimension to custom design of power supplies. Our customers rely heavily on our detailed knowledge of all the relevant regulatory bodies and standards worldwide in relation to power and electronics," says Lloyd.
Reducing costs are high on the agenda of any manufacturing organisation and attempts should be made to achieve this by increasing miniaturisation and cross product "pollination." Customers should rationalise power supplies.
In the past the PSU manufacturer was assigned a task by the OEM and carried it out with minimal input from the customer. Now the PSU manufacturer is involved at the customer's product conception and has become the "power supply resource centre".
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