By Engr. Jamal Nasir, Director, S.A Hamid & Co
In the heart of Pakistan’s thriving industries lies a crucial yet often overlooked factor – the power supply. This article delves into the pivotal role of power supply choices and their profound impact on efficiency, longevity, and downtimes.
Thousands of power supplies are silently at work across Pakistan’s industries, powering automation systems and ensuring smooth operations. However, the choice of these power supplies goes beyond their purchase price. It directly influences equipment life, fault-finding, torque loads, and energy bills. Most importantly, it has a direct bearing on the downtimes that can cripple production.
Low-quality power supplies, driven primarily by price considerations, can prove costly in the long run. A good 500-Watt power supply, boasting around 95% efficiency, can save users thousands of PKR annually compared to an 85% efficient unit. Over the course of a decade, this means a good power supply could save a staggering PKR 300,000.
Furthermore, while good quality power supplies can serve faithfully for five to ten years, their lower quality counterparts typically require replacement every one to two years. Let’s put this in financial perspective. Assuming an average replacement cost of PKR 40,000 for the lower quality units, that’s PKR 200,000 to PKR 400,000 spent over a decade compared to a one-time investment in a reliable power supply.
The continuous replacement of poor-quality power supplies not only incurs extra costs but also leads to downtime. These downtimes translate into production losses and delays in delivery schedules. It’s a hidden cost that further erodes the financial viability of subpar power supply choices.
Efficiency matters not only for energy costs but also for the lifespan of electronic systems. Every 10-degree rise in ambient temperature halves the life of electronics. While the high-efficiency power supply functions like a 25-Watt heater, the latter churns out 75-Watts of heat, potentially compromising sensitive equipment within control panels. Thus, the lower efficiency power supply inadvertently acts as a three times bigger heater than its high-quality counterpart, shortening the life span of critical equipment worth millions of rupees.
Power supply selection must also consider factors like sizing, short circuit currents, surge protection, reliability, etc. An overrated power supply can be inefficient at lower loads, potentially causing issues.
Now, let’s shed light on an industry perspective. Our company has worked closely with a German company specializing in Industrial Power Supplies since 2002. PULS manufactures a vast range of power supplies and holds the largest market share in this domain at around 30% of the world market for this product. They also manufacture and brand label power supplies for big brands like Allen Bradley, ABB, IFM, and many more. Having a team of over 100 engineers merely for optimizing the design of power supplies has given them excellence in almost every attribute that is important in the selection of power supplies.
Importantly, this information is not about promoting a product but underlines the importance of choosing the right power supply. While PULS may be more expensive, it’s worth considering that it provides unmatched value for money compared to cheaper alternatives.
In Pakistan’s industrial landscape, where efficiency and reliability are paramount as energy costs skyrocket and competition saturates, the power supply choice should not be an afterthought. It’s a decision that impacts not only energy bills but also the operational life of critical systems and, by extension, the downtimes that can result in significant production losses. To secure the future of automation and productivity, consider the silent efficiency of your power supply.
