Power Supply Manufacturers Making Electronics Work
Power Supply Manufacturers Way of Distributing Power
Power supply manufacturers distribute power supplies that are a part of every electronic device we use at work and at home. The small power cube that we use to charge our cellphone is a power supply as is a large industrial component providing 50,000 volts for a manufacturing process. We never consider that power supply manufacturers are building these supplies for all these applications.
There are thousands of companies making power supplies for a myriad of uses. Some power supplies are built into the devices we use while others are supplied to the device maker by power supply manufacturers. This manufacturer might be a large multinational organization with thousands of products or a small shop making only one or two dedicated products. An online search for “power supply manufacturers” returned over 100 million results so there are a lot of them out there. Selecting a power supply for a new application or as a replacement for a failed unit can be a daunting task. Understanding some basics about the subject will make the process easier.
Choosing Power Supply Manufacturers
The first step in selecting a power supply is determining the requirements. What is being powered? What voltage and current will be needed? Is clean and stable power a requirement or is the powered equipment relatively immune to power fluctuations and electrical noise? What will the input power to the supply be? Are there special environmental conditions such as heat, humidity, dust, or explosive vapors that must be considered? Are there space limitations – is physical size important? What about multiple outputs? Some power units can deliver several different voltages and current levels from a single input source.
It is important to understand that most power supplies are rated in watts. The output power (measured in watts) will never exceed the input power. Power supply manufacturers will publish the specifications of the units for the engineer to use in selecting a component for a specific application. These specifications are equally important to the technician in the field faced with replacing a failed unit. Sometimes a direct replacement is not available on a timely basis. The technician often has to “make do” with what is at hand. Knowing the requirements of the operation and the specifications of the available replacement units will help the technician make a better choice.
The wide range of available power supplies means there is already a unit for almost every need. Sometimes a manufacturer will offer custom design services for a new application or recommend one of the off-the-shelf units that will meet the requirements.
With power supplies being such an integral part of modern life, it is interesting to note that most of us never think about them at all. We go about our lives in total oblivion to the important part these units play in our work and play. It is only when something fails that we might think of “power supply” but most of us stop with checking the fuse. Power supplies are someone else’s problem.
