The Challenge
Elektro-Automatik (EA), a global manufacturer, aimed to strengthen its presence in the US market by seeking a local partner for modular power supply rack design and control software. This move was motivated by two key factors stemming from overseas manufacturing: the need to align with US manufacturing standards and the desire to better serve their American customers, who were experiencing long lead times.
EA selected ACS for its unique combination of equipment design expertise, software development skills, and manufacturing capacity, making it a single-source solution provider capable of meeting all the company’s objectives.
The Solution
ACS engineers who specialize in equipment design developed a versatile range of modular power supply racks, all UL and cUL listed, that are easily customizable to accommodate EA’s diverse power supply offerings and tailored to meet specific customer requirements. The racks can integrate with an advanced control module, developed by ACS software engineers, that provides process control and data logging capabilities.
Modular Power Rack System
ACS engineers designed a base model power supply rack as the foundation for a range of configurable 19” power supply rack solutions. The base model, PSR4-42 can hold up to eight 30 kW power supplies, providing a total capacity of 240 kW. Building upon the base model, ACS developed additional models such as the PSR6-42, which can house larger 6U power supplies up to a total 360 kW of power.
During the design phase, the ACS team standardized a core set of components across rack models to streamline manufacturing and maintenance, while simultaneously ensuring the modular architecture could easily accommodate customizations.
With ACS’ modular rack design, EA’s customers can “right-size” their orders, matching power capacity to their exact testing or manufacturing requirements. Or they can order racks with unused bays for future expansion.
The ACS design equips every rack with critical safety features, including emergency stop buttons, circuit breakers, and contactors. The racks also achieve a superior power density than competitor systems, keeping their footprint comparatively small, making them easier to deploy and scale.
All ACS designed and manufactured power supply racks are UL and cUL listed.
Power Control Management Module
ACS mechanical and software engineers teamed up to design a sophisticated control system, called a Power Control Management Module (PCMM). The PCMM manages multiple power supplies within a rack, controls power flow, and provides advanced testing and data logging capabilities.
The software engineers built the PCMM software on ACS’ Acselerant software which allows EA’s customers the flexibility to customize test sequencing. To ensure a smooth transition for existing EA customers, ACS developed a user interface based on EA’s Power Control software. This familiar interface allows users to transition to and operate the PCMM efficiently, using their existing knowledge of EA’s systems.
To address diverse customer requirements, ACS designed four PCMM variants:
- Three models with integral contactors, providing electrical isolation between the power supplies and the test article.
- One of the models with integral contactors is specially engineered to integrate with customers’ existing control solutions, offering compatibility with established systems.
- One variant designed without integral contactors, enabling its use with electronic loads rather than power supplies.
The Outcome
The rack and controller model variety designed by ACS creates a flexible, powerful solution that adapts to various testing requirements. The modular rack design also enables easy maintenance and upgrades. If a power supply fails, the company can easily replace it without taking down the entire system, minimizing downtime for the EA customer.
To ensure reliable, speedy manufacturing of the racks, ACS engineers collaborated with the ACS procurement team to specify rack components that would be available from US-based suppliers in the quantities and lead times required to meet EA’s volume and faster delivery expectations.
EA now has a reliable partner in ACS, capable of meeting tight production schedules and meeting its commitments to customers. The combination of technical innovation, manufacturing expertise, and collaborative partnership allows ACS to deliver a unique solution that addresses EA’s requirements of a US-based partner. Looking ahead, ACS is developing remote access capabilities for the PCMM, demonstrating the ongoing innovation in this successful partnership.
Key Features
- Modular power supply racks supporting 2U to 6U power supplies, with total power capacity ranging from 45 kW to 360 kW
- Racks achieve high power density with a small footprint [41”L x 23”W x 81”H]
- Power control management modules that allow custom test sequences and data logging (current and voltage measurement)
- Multiple PCMM variants, including high-current models and options without integrated contactors
- Some PCMM variants can be integrated with customer control systems, while others provide full power control and isolation for:
- High-power battery testing
- Fuel cell testing
- Testing of on-board chargers
- PV inverter simulation for testing solar panel arrays
- Battery recycling
- Testing EV charging stations
ACS Services
- Designed UL and cUL listed configurable power supply racks
- Development of power control measurement modules for process control and data logging of power supplies
- Ongoing manufacture and delivery of racks and control modules, meeting rapid production and delivery expectations
