“Covid-19” – a common new term that the world has known since 2019. Many elevated sets of safe distancing measures have been widely adopted, with the movements of people being restricted in order to minimize the spread of the virus.  

Singapore was not spared from the paramedic.  The workforce in Singapore, where possible, had to work from home. Schools were closed, and the students moved to full home-based learning. Some businesses went into liquidation while others blossomed, particularly the online retailers.

Many of us changed the way we shop for our necessities or wants. For the heartlanders and neighborhood retailers, they brought their business online for contact-less transactions.

I am one of the strong supporters for online platforms, particularly those large e-marts , where it is like a one-stop solution shop where I can pick up all the necessary items in a single cart, instead of having to go around to different retailers to pick up one thing at a time in person. This saves me a lot of time, and petrol! Bringing more EFFICIENCY, which also means that I can use the same amount of time to get more work done. (I hope my boss sees this…)

This efficiency can be also be applied to the electronics design and manufacturing environment. One of the key fundamental elements to the success of a company, is managing the product costs. When you are taking longer than others to roll out a new design or when you’re not able to manage your material costs, it reduces the competitive edge that you may have. Time is of the essence.

Regardless if you are a Multi-National Corporations (MNC) or a Small Medium Enterprise (SME), the ability to turn around a new design and maintain a high production yield gives a higher efficiency and profitability level.

So, how can companies launch a new design in a shorter time and maintain a high production yield?

Let’s start from the basics.

Every electronic device consists of at least 1 printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB would be encased to avoid exposing the components which would risk damage or accidental electric shock to the user. Apart from the casement, most devices would come with some form of connectors, such as power plugs, communication ports or signal I/Os.

During the design of the device, there are many considerations to make; from choosing the suitable connectors and components, the placement of the connector(s), the light emitting diode (LED), ventilation openings for heat dissipation and many more. Lastly the engineer needs to choose a suitable enclosure or get a customized one.

Sounds like shopping for a “new house”? Pretty much…

Most components would often come from various suppliers and manufacturers. The designer would also need to coordinate with different parties to realize the device.

Being the designer, you would want to reduce this coordination work as much as possible and put the time to better use.

Phoenix Contact launched the first device enclosure portfolio back in the 1990s as a complementary product to the connector portfolio. Over the last decade, the portfolio has increased to not only include connectors, but other components such as heat sinks, keypads, light conductors and displays, making us a “One-Stop” solution supplier for devices.  

Apart from the wide product availability, the business unit has also built up competency to be able to offer strong development consultancy and services, such as thermal simulations, printing and customized cut-outs for our customers.

After the design is finalized, the next important aspect would be the manufacturing process. In many manufacturing processes, the standard enclosure would be sent to a 3^rd party for printing or opening of cut-outs for the LEDs or the field connectivity ports.

During this manufacturing process, it could result in damage of the electronic housing. This loss manifests itself as assembly scrap, which can result from breakage, poor quality, or nonconformance to specifications.

Meaning to say, you may place an order of 100 sets of the device and only 97 sets come back from the milling process that conforms to the finished product specifications, and this varies from time to time. Maybe you do get 100 sets in return, but at a higher cost. 

Sounds too complicated?

Phoenix Contact is able to implement a customized enclosure solution coupled with connectors which will be delivered to you according to your specifications.  We will also walk the journey with you providing complete support and cooperation throughout the new device development process until market release.

Reach out to the local Phoenix Contact sales team to find out how we can help you launch your new designs faster, with increase your yield of production with our enclosure and connector solution.

Now, we have the time for coffee together.

A Tricky Problem

One of our customers in the system-integrating industry was awarded a retrofitting job for safety shutdown package. However, the existing infrastructure in their plant has been functional for over 10 years and hence they faced a challenge to propose an equally efficient solution to act as a power source. This is critical to the end user as this would ensure the functionality of all devices in the control cabinet. We were briefed in detail of the project requirements.

System Requirements:

• • Full redundancy of AC UPS & DC UPS
  • Load current: 45A for both AC & DC power
  • Auto current balancing

The main problem faced by our customer was the need of a DC/DC converter which could output a current of 45A. Another obstacle faced was the absence of auto current balancing products, which were not supplied by many manufacturers.

Devising a Solution

With Quint power supply’s Power Boost feature, the customer was able to achieve a maximum current of 25A. However, by connecting two 20A DC/DC converter units in parallel, the customer was able to yield a greater maximum output current of 50A. By adding a Quint-ORING Redundancy Module, we also dealt with the lack of auto current balancing. The load current would automatically be equally distributed by the Quint-ORING Module. With permanent redundancy monitoring of the input voltage, output current and decoupling section, the loss of redundancy would be reported before the entire system shuts down.

Proposed Design:

1. Quint 40A Power Supply
2. Quint 20A DC/DC Converter Unit x 2
3. Quint-ORING Redundancy Module 24DC (2×20/1×40) unit x 1
4. Quint-ORING Redundancy Module 24DC (2×40/1×80) unit x 2

After several rounds of discussion and clarification of the technical aspects, our proposal was accepted by the customer. To achieve even distribution of current, we recommend the following:

1. All power supply units connected in parallel must be set to the same output voltage
2. All cables should have the same length and cross-sectional area

If you require any technical advice on your current project, feel free to contact us. We can be your trusted partner to provide creative solutions to fit your needs!

The industrial world is undergoing a major transformation; an industrial revolution by changing production methods and systems. In the past, most production systems employed human labor in many of the stages. Progressively, the development of simple tools and subsequently, machines that could handle simple to complex operations produced what we now call the “factory system”.This new industrial revolution will transcend borders. The emphasis is on the creation of intelligent systems in the production process; making machinery and the equipment highly flexible through automation. The automation programs can be designed to meet the production requirements of each industry. This includes real-time monitoring and visualization capabilities that will greatly benefit production planning and overall mechanical performance.

One obvious area that has seen steady development in intelligent systems is Industrial Robotics. Due to the increasing demand for consumer goods, manual labor alone is not enough to produce the required supply. Robots are utilized for the enhancement of the manufacturing industry. Although most of them are used only in the automobile industry, they will be increasingly used in other industries in the future.

Process Industry based on digital and analog signals

In the Process Industry, the engineers are responsible for the production methods. These steps must be controlled to minimize waste, utilize suitable working methods as well as facilitate appropriate use of machinery in the production line. This includes investigating factors which reduce production and providing solutions to deal with these causes. This is the reason why engineers need to plan out the Process Design and choose the necessary equipment and tools that are reliable, durable and suitable for the process. Most of these tools should be easy to use as well as deliver both analog and digital signals.

Products for conventional signal connection

1. MACX Analog Ex – Universal signal conditioners
   

   MACX Analog Ex

MACX Analog Ex is able to integrate analog signals and apply them safely according to the Machinery Directive with MACX Safety.

2. MINI Analog Pro – Highly compact signal conditioners with plug-in connection technology.

MINI Analog Pro are easy accessible terminal points with plug-in connection and current measurement technology during operation that helps to save time.

3. PLC-INTERFACE – The complete relay system.

The connection between PLC-INTERFACE and system cabling has a simple wiring system so it can be done quickly, saving time and money.

4. PSR Safety Relay Modules – Power Amplification and Separation.

PSR Safety Relay Modules have 2 classes : PSRclassic and PSRmini. Both are certified by SIL.

5. Surge protection – Protecting your systems.

Surge protection help to avoid system failures for all applications and protect voltage surges that can have devastating effects.

6. Standard termination boards and cables – Compact setup

Termination boards and cables are compact solutions that easy planning, mounting, and startup that help reduce costs and save time.

Phoenix Contact  has a complete range of products for signal connection that can meet the needs of the customer in all industries and in all production processes. For further information about Phoenix Contact products, you can find out more through our website or our online brochure.