Introduction
Automatic welding system
Vermaat Technics: increases system reliability with a new power supply solution from Elipse
Vermaat Technics specializes in the design and production of high-quality products for the automatic welding of pipelines and the construction of offshore and onshore applications.
Our products are used all over the world, such as, in the Gulf of Mexico, the desert in Doha, but also in Siberia. They must therefore be well resistant to environmental changes, Jean-Pierre tells us.
Jean-Pierre Delhez is the technical engineer at Vermaat Technics. Together we went looking for a technical solution for one of their systems.
One of their most well-known products is the ‘Veraweld’ automatic welding system“. The Veraweld was designed in 1991. This system offers guaranteed quality for pipelines for each welded joint. Thanks to the lightweight and modular concept, there is optimum flexibility in the choice of welding processes. The welder is assisted by pre-programmed welding parameters and thus maintains control over the welding quality.
Which problems did they face?
In the first set-up of the Veraweld a transformer was used as a power supply system. However, such transformers are input voltage-dependent, so you need a separate model for 110V AC and 220V AC input. Together with the high weight (up to 14 Kg) and the high heat generation in the control cabinet, this solution was not optimal.
Vermaat Technics switched to a switch-mode power supply, but this did not go without a struggle. As soon as the engine of a welding robot starts to break under load, it will start to generate its own voltage, also known as ‘regeneration’. This regenerative energy trips and disables switching power supplies from different brands.
After having blown up some power supplies or let them trip, we were fed up and went looking for a company to help us with this, says Jean-Pierre.
How did they fix this?
More reliability by choosing the right power supply
Our sales engineer, Remco de Jong, was looking for a suitable solution together with the engineers of Vermaat Technics. Some important factors to take into account were: the correct voltage, power, weight, size and resistance to regenerative energy. Eventually, they ended up with the QS20.361 from PULS to test in the system.
The biggest advantage for our application is that the power restores itself after 3 seconds when it trips. With other power supplies, you must first de-energize the entire system. This creates a standstill of at least 5 to 6 minutes, which generates enormous costs according to Jean-Pierre.
With the Bonuspower ™, the PULS power supply is capable of delivering 150% power for 4 seconds. This feature is possible thanks to the large built-in output capacitors. These functions help to start-up engines, charge capacitors and collect regenerative energy. As a result, the power supply will work more reliable in Vermaat Technics application.
Extra benefits with this power supply
The QS20.361 switching power supply also has a wide input voltage range of 90 to 264VAC. This allows the same unit to be used in different applications.
Whether we use 110V, 220V or somewhere a variable voltage in between, it does not matter. The QS20 power supply can handle any application.
With its efficiency of 94%, the power supply generates very little heat in the control cabinet. This reduces stress on the power supply and the surrounding components. Thanks to the small dimensions and the low weight of 1.20kg (instead of 13 to 14Kg earlier), a smaller switch box can be used.
The results and advantages for Vermaat technics
The total 'cost-of-ownership' is lower than before
Vermaat Technics systems are used all over the world. Due to changes in environmental conditions, such as different voltages, temperatures and locations, customers had to convert their system regularly. With the new solution, this is no longer necessary and it can be used anywhere. The higher reliability of the entire system also means that there are less downtime and maintenance is required. This saves customers a lot of money, which reduces the total cost.
Elipse also helped us in logistics. Because of the extra stock that is kept for us of different products, we save money and time on logistics.
In recent years, this solution has been successfully deployed worldwide on a couple of hundred installations. The tough conditions are no problem for the power supply. With its unique properties, the PULS power supply can be used for a wide variety of applications.
