Built-in Power Supply with High Power Density

An example of the need for a power supply with more than 1kW are robots. They are used in industry, but increasingly also in medical applications. When a robot assists the surgeon, it must move to the desired position precisely and without vibration. For this purpose, rigid robot arms are used, which are moved by high-torque stepper motors. The motors have a correspondingly high power consumption. For hygienic reasons alone, fans are taboo in the operating theatre. The power supply units must be base-plate cooled. And they must meet higher insulation requirements such as IEC/EN or ANSI/AAMI 60601-1 (3rd edition), i.e. higher requirements than for industrial use. A power supply certified for medical use can be used in industrial applications - but not vice versa.

If the power supply unit is used to supply devices that are used directly on the patient, they must have double insulation and double creepage distances. They must comply with the so-called 2xMOPP insulation. "The safe option is the only option" is the principle that RECOM has consistently applied to the RACM1200-V. The RACM1200-V already has all the approval tests required for medical use.

The RACM1200-V operates in a wide power range without a fan and has a remarkably compact design that sets new standards. A special base plate allows heat dissipation up to a continuous power of 1000W. Two additional outputs replace additional power supplies in many applications. One output is adjustable from 5V to 12V and can supply a fan, for example. The second output supplies 5V/1A and also works in the standby mode of the power supply unit.

The high insulation strength of 4kV(AC) between the mains voltage and the output voltages allows the RACM1200-V to be used in almost all areas where a power supply unit is required. These can be chargers or LED lighting, but also laser devices, analysis devices, high-frequency devices, robots or medical beds and chairs, right up to medical devices that are used directly on the patient. Thus, developers of the devices mentioned have a power supply unit at their disposal that already meets the required specifications.

Although the fully IEC 60601-1 certified power supply unit does not yet guarantee compliance with IEC 60601-1 for the entire unit, it is a prerequisite. This is very helpful for a smooth certification process of the final product and saves development costs.

The units are designed to ensure 2xMOPP (Means of Patient Protection) insulation. These patient protection measures, together with the low leakage currents, guarantee that medical safety standards can be met. The signal outputs and the 5V output have 1.5kV(AC) isolation to the mains voltage.

The series is launched with built-in EMC filtering that has sufficient Class B clearance for radiated and conducted disturbances. It meets the international safety standards for industrial applications, for information technology products and for medical devices.

One AC/DC converter with 1200W is sufficient for many applications and can advantageously replace several smaller converters. The operating power of a single high-power AC/DC converter is higher than that of several smaller converters. Each power supply has an internal power consumption, which is kept as low as possible, but the internal consumption still adds up with multiple power supplies. For example, if an equipment rack contains twelve individual 100W power supplies, each with 2W of internal consumption, the total losses add up to 24W. In comparison, a large converter has only 2W losses. If the gear tray runs continuously, around 200 kWh can be saved per year. The RACM1200-V has a no-load power consumption of 0.75W (main output off, auxiliary output still active). It meets the efficiency requirements "80 Plus Platinum" and "Ecodesign Lot 6".

The input voltage range is from 85VAC to 264VAC. The RACM1200-V delivers the 1000W output power in a metal housing with contact cooling that has a footprint of only 102mm x 229mm and is 40mm high. Over the duration of 10s, the output power may even be 1200W. For a constant output power of 1200W, however, a fan is needed that blows the air through the enclosure at 2.5m/s. The fan can be controlled by the user. A controllable additional output is available for this purpose, which allows the temperature management to be adjusted.

Key data of the RACM1200-V