Picking the right industrial DIN rail power supply is crucial if you want to ensure the continuous proper functioning of your automation systems. These power supplies are used in appliances known as sensors, relays, and programmable logic controllers (PLC). In selecting the right power supply you should select for voltage, efficiency, protection and flexibility among other factors. The best way to make the right decision in choosing should be discussed with an industrial automation services company. In this guide you’ll find such important parameters to make the right choice of industrial DIN rail power supply for your business.
Understand Power Requirements
The first consideration and probably the most important when choosing the appropriate industrial DIN rail power supply is the power needed by your system. It is necessary to sum up the power ratings of all the loads being powered by your control system via relays, PLCs and sensors. These individual devices may also run on different voltages and hence different currents will be needed. Like any other circuit in your rig, your power supply requires considering the current consumption at nominal state and at maximum loads. Take into consideration potential areas of startup peaks, which is a time of a start when devices require more energy.
DIN rail power supplies are available in different voltage outputs such as 12V, 24V or 48V and which has also to correspond with the type of devices used in a particular system. If you undersize your power supply, equipment is likely to fail, while if you oversize the power supply you waste energy. An industrial automation services firm can help determine your power requirements ideally when consulting and choosing the power supply in order not to overload or underpower several aspects within the manufacturing process.
Evaluate Efficiency, Reliability, and Protection Features
Shergill states that efficiency is an important consideration for an industrial DIN rail power supply. These supplies minimize efficiency drop, heat generation and enhance the convenience of the whole system. Ideally therefore, models with efficiency ratings above 90% are desirable since they reflect the capability of converting the input power supplied into usable output power. An efficient power supply to the engine does not only save you on the power consumption, but it also saves you the costs of having to power external coolers for the equipment.
Reliability is equally important as reliability concern prevents any unwanted interruption in a process. Sustainability in industries is integral whereby assembly lines have to run for long periods. Blackouts result in some significant stoppages for businesses or organizations. Consequently, the decision for choosing the power supply unit with necessary protection options namely overload, short circuit, and overvoltage protection is critical for preventing the damage of the connected equipment. These features help to keep your system secure and running more or less continuously, even during voltage changes that would otherwise cause an interruption.
Also, reliability of a power supply is also indicated with the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rating. Thus, the higher MTBF implies less number of interruptions and lifespan for the devices. When consulting an industrial automation services company, it becomes easier to invest in an efficient power supply to avoid costly incidents of abrupt power outages to your equipment.
Ensure Compatibility and Mounting Flexibility
The choice of a DIN rail power supply should also favor the existing structure for efficiency when fixing and using the supply. DIN rail power supplies vary in size, are normally intended to be mounted on standard 35mm DIN rails. However, not all enclosures are overabundant, and industrial control panels can be confined spaces. Thus, one must be very careful while choosing the power supply, it should take less space as per the power it is supplying.
Besides size, the existence of operating area properties regarding environmental conditions must be taken into account. Many power supplies are used in industries where the conditions could be rather harsh such as temperature fluctuations, high humidity, dust or vibration. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure that power supply is constructed strong enough to handle such conditions favorable for its durability. Select a power supply with appropriate environmental protection: power supply units should contain an IP (Ingress Protection) code, which would protect them from dust and moisture.
When you get help from an industrial automation services company you are guaranteed that you get the right power supply for your mounting system besides that is right for the conditions of your industry. This will reduce the cases of nasty surprises that come with equipment failures and also enhance its durability.
Plan for Future Scalability
It makes a lot of sense to design for future expandability when choosing an industrial DIN rail power supply. For instance, as the business expands you may need to introduce other devices or expand the project. It is advisable to select a power supply that will have slightly more power than is required at the present but which can be easily expanded when there is any need for expansion. For example, if you expect to add more PLCs, sensors or relays in the near future then purchasing a power supply which will provide enough power to accommodate the future load requirements will be cheaper in the long run.
A scalable power supply also improves the flexibility factor too. If you have a power supply that can be set to different levels or you have a power supply that you need to change the voltage then you can easily control equipment which is different. This makes your system more responsive to any future emergence of new technologies or dynamic changes that may be realized within your operations.
Contracting with an industrial automation services provider means that your decision on power supply now and in the future is properly catered for. They can indicate directions of system enlargements and offer solutions that would benefit you in the future when your business expands; thus, sparing you some money for future changes.
Conclusion
Choosing the best industrial DIN rail power supply is critical its the reliability and efficiency of the industrial automation systems in your process. Some considerations may include; what power do you require? Efficiency and protections found in a power supply How compatible is it? And finally, when planning for scaling up? Through such consideration, one can be able to select a power supply that would fit current needs and future-proof your system.
Since the server would be housed in a different company that mainly deals with industrial automation services, it is advantageous to be under the same company since it affords you extra knowledge when choosing the best power supply. They can give specific advice based on your particular operating conditions to get the most from your system but with less breakdowns costing you more in maintenance. When used, the power supply ensures that the system is well operated through integrating the required controls for growth and sustenance of the business for the next few years.
