Power supply manufacturer PULS UK
is urging companies to look closely at
the redundancy back-up systems
providing emergency power to
mission-critical production
equipment. PULS believes that many
supposedly fail-safe systems are not as
secure as operators think.

Common problems affecting
redundancy systems include: batteries
in DC UPS and AC UPS units not
functioning correctly – either because
their useful life has expired or they are
working outside their temperature
range; AC UPS or generators that are
not sufficiently powerful for the
inrush current needed for the system;
offline AC UPS systems that appear to
be functional but are not; and single
fusing of the input circuits of
redundant power units. PULS’s
engineers have even seen systems
where various components have not
been connected or have been wired
incorrectly.