For system integrators and panel builders, thermal management is often the silent killer of industrial projects. When packing more processing power and motor drives into increasingly compact control cabinets, the heat dissipated by standard power supplies can cause catastrophic system failures, forcing costly redesigns and the addition of unreliable active cooling systems.
This customer case study explores how a leading European industrial automation provider partnered with TPS Elektronik to overcome severe thermal bottlenecks. By leveraging our custom industrial power supply design services, we engineered a high-efficiency, fanless solution that not only resolved their thermal issues but also improved overall system reliability and reduced total cost of ownership.
1. The Challenge: Thermal Bottlenecks in Compact Control Panels
Our client, a prominent manufacturer of automated packaging machinery, was developing a new generation of ultra-compact control cabinets. The design required a high power density to drive multiple servos and PLCs, but the physical space was strictly limited. During initial prototyping, the engineering team encountered a critical issue: the internal ambient temperature of the sealed cabinet exceeded 70°C.
The primary culprit was the standard 500W power supply. Operating at only 85% efficiency, it was dissipating 75 watts of pure heat into the sealed enclosure. This extreme thermal load threatened the lifespan of adjacent sensitive electronics and violated the IEC 61010 safety standards for industrial control equipment. The client urgently needed an industrial power cooling solution that did not rely on failure-prone mechanical fans.
2. Why Off-the-Shelf PSUs Failed the Application
The procurement team initially searched for a standard compact power supply cooling solution. However, off-the-shelf units presented several insurmountable hurdles:
- Inefficient Topologies: Standard units lacked the necessary efficiency to operate fanless in a sealed environment.
- Voltage Requirements: The system required a custom output voltage PSU (simultaneous 48V for motors and highly stable 24V for logic), which standard units could not provide without bulky secondary DC-DC converters.
- Grid Instability: The machinery was destined for global export, facing severe industrial power voltage fluctuation. A standard narrow-input PSU would trip under these conditions.
Realizing that a modified AC DC supply was insufficient, the client turned to TPS Elektronik for a ground-up custom power supply design.
3. The TPS Solution: High Efficiency Power Design
Our R&D team initiated the project with a comprehensive thermal and electrical analysis. To solve the heat issue at its source, we focused on a high efficiency power design. By implementing an advanced resonant LLC converter topology combined with active synchronous rectification, we increased the power supply’s efficiency from the standard 85% to an exceptional 95%.
This 10% increase in efficiency drastically reduced the heat dissipation from 75W down to just 26W. Furthermore, we engineered a universal input PSU design (85-305VAC) to ensure flawless operation regardless of global grid fluctuations. This wide input power supply capability eliminated the need for regional hardware variants, simplifying the client’s supply chain.
To ensure the utmost stability, our engineers utilized advanced ECAD/MCAD integration, a process detailed in our insights on PCB layout reliability.
4. Advanced Thermal Management Power Supply Engineering
Reducing heat generation was only the first step; effectively dissipating the remaining 26W in a sealed cabinet required expert custom power thermal design. Our mechanical and electrical engineers collaborated to optimize the high power density cooling strategy.
Instead of relying on internal airflow, we designed a custom aluminum chassis that acted as a direct thermal bridge. Heat-generating components (like MOSFETs and transformers) were strategically placed on the PCB and thermally coupled directly to the cabinet’s external metal wall using high-performance thermal interface materials (TIM). This industrial power supply adaptation transformed the entire machine enclosure into a massive heatsink, achieving true fanless operation.
5. Results: Increased Reliability and Reduced TCO
The implementation of TPS Elektronik’s custom industrial power supply design yielded transformative results for the client:
- Thermal Success: The internal cabinet temperature dropped by 15°C, well within safe operating limits.
- Increased MTBF: By eliminating the mechanical cooling fan (the most common point of failure in industrial PSUs), the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) increased by over 40%.
- Space Optimization: The custom dual-output design eliminated the need for secondary converters, saving 20% of DIN-rail space.
This case exemplifies why leading OEMs trust TPS for complex engineering challenges. Explore more of our success stories in our custom power supply design case studies.
6. FAQ
Why is a custom industrial power supply design better than off-the-shelf for thermal management?
Off-the-shelf units are designed for average use cases and often rely on fans. A custom power thermal design allows engineers to optimize the PCB layout, increase efficiency to reduce heat generation, and tailor the mechanical chassis to conduct heat directly to your specific enclosure, enabling fanless operation.
What is a universal input PSU design?
A universal input PSU design (or wide input power supply) can accept a broad range of AC voltages (e.g., 85VAC to 305VAC). This protects industrial equipment from severe industrial power voltage fluctuation and allows the same machine to be exported globally without modifying the power supply.
Can TPS design a custom output voltage PSU?
Yes. We frequently design power supplies with non-standard voltages or multiple output rails (e.g., simultaneous 48VDC and 24VDC) tailored exactly to the load requirements of your specific application, saving space and cost.
How does high efficiency power design improve reliability?
Higher efficiency means less power is wasted as heat. Lower operating temperatures drastically reduce thermal stress on internal components (especially electrolytic capacitors), thereby significantly increasing the lifespan and reliability of the power supply and surrounding electronics.
