Free white paper: decentralisation of power supplies

Over the past decade, machine builders, system integrators and manufacturing companies have increasingly moved key components out of the control panel and onto the machine. Dividing the machine or system up into subsections enables PLCs, controllers and I/O blocks to be placed closer to the equipment they manage. This decentralisation means parts of the machine or system can be assembled, tested and run individually as modular subsystems, resulting in simpler and quicker installation, commissioning and maintenance.

This approach also supports future expansion, modular machine design, machine reconfiguration and upgrades. Until now, however, power supplies for machines and applications have been almost exclusively located in the control cabinet. But not anymore! Now it is possible to move the power supply out of the control panel onto the machine field, taking advantage of having the power supply as close as possible to the loads.

The new white paper addresses the concerns that engineers might have in relation to moving the power supply out of the control panel. In particular, there is a cost comparison to show that decentralised power supplies offer considerable savings overall, despite the hardware being slightly more costly due to its IP67 protection.

Other topics covered in the white paper include heat dissipation and power supply diagnostics. In addition, there are examples of decentralised power supplies from various industries, plus an introduction to Murrelektronik's IP67 Emparro67 Hybrid power supply.

Follow the link to download a copy of Why move the power supply out of the control panel?.