A ‘major technological advancement in Isolated Power Supply (IPS) design’ is how Bender UK describes its new, ‘compact’ ATICs automatic changeover device for the healthcare market. Bender says that, ‘traditionally’, IPS systems are supplied via one cable, typically from an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
It adds: “While the UPS and its associated batteries provide supply continuity against incoming mains power failure, they offer no protection against a failure of the output cable to the IPS. Resilience is thus limited by the integrity of the single supply cable.” ATICs reportedly removes the single point of failure by allowing two supplies to be brought in from different sources. The primary supply is preferred in normal operation, but, in the event of failure, ATICs transfers over to the secondary supply within 0.5 seconds, to comply with HTM 06-01. Bender says: “ATICs has achieved independent accreditation to the SIL Level 2 safety standard via the German TUV test house.” A no-break bypass facility allows full testing without losing supply. Additionally, ATICs is fully integrated with the IPS remote alarm panels, giving end-users ‘fully detailed, real-time information’ on the status of their critical power system. Bender adds: “ATICs is installed within a standard IPS panel format. It is thus possible to retrofit the device into existing Bender IPS panels for enhanced security of supply.”
