Power Supplies

Since standard laboratory equipment contains its own individually-designed power supplies that plug into standard electrical outlets, many labs rarely use external power supplies—mostly for specialty applications, instrument testing, and design. OEM power supplies operate steadily and predictably at one output inside equipment, instruments, and computers. By contrast, low- and medium-voltage programmable supplies are designed for applications—particularly in testing, measurement, and instrument design— where users might require 12V one day and 5V the next.

| 4 min read

Since standard laboratory equipment contains its own individually-designed power supplies that plug into standard electrical outlets, many labs rarely use external power supplies—mostly for specialty applications, instrument testing, and design. OEM power supplies operate steadily and predictably at one output inside equipment, instruments, and computers. By contrast, low- and medium-voltage programmable supplies are designed for applications—particularly in testing, measurement, and instrument design— where users might require 12V one day and 5V the next.

Top 5 Signs that You Should Service or Replace Your Power Supply

Lacks present-day basic features for ease of use and efficiency, such as an internal timer, pause and resume, and programmable interface. 
Cannot output constant high current that is required for most western blotting applications and running multiple gels at once. 
Unable to produce constant high voltages required for demanding applications in the lab such as isoelectric focusing and sequencing. 
Is not energy efficient, such as old linear power supplies that use more energy due to the need for heat sinks to dissipate unused thermal energy. 
Does not align with modern safety standards designated by an EN 61010 or CE mark. 

Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Specifying Power Management Solutions

What options are available and how will they affect the lab?
Will you need to do a complete overhaul each time you add a piece of equipment or are solutions flexible enough to allow for additional equipment? 
How difficult is it to move or relocate plugs and receptacles if you need to adjust your layout? 
Does the company’s product offer any level of sustainability? 
What kind of product life can you expect from the company’s system? Is it durable enough to handle years of use or will it continually show wear? Can you count on the company’s team to provide service throughout the product’s life? 
What kind of cost should you expect from the company’s system? Materials? Installation? On-going maintenance? Service? Warranty? Total cost of ownership? 

Recently Released Power Supplies


STARLINE Plug-In Raceway

  • Provides on-demand power in a scalable format to combine reliability with versatility
  • Includes the ability to add or relocate plugin modules anywhere on the raceway
  • Features a smooth aluminum finish and compact design that requires minimal space and allows for quick installation
  • Accepts standard plugs and datacom channels to help keep ownership costs low

Universal Electric
www.uecorp.com


HVPS Series Switching Mode Power Supply

  • Provides precise 1 to 100 kV adjustable output at power levels up to 200 kW
  • Featuring < 0.1% ripple and regulation with <<10 joules stored energy, depending upon configuration, this compact unit eliminates the need for connecting multiple smaller units
  • Packaged in a 19” W rack that uses tap water for cooling

Diversified
www.divtecs.com


PS600 600 Volt Power Supply

  • Designed for electrophoresis and blotting techniques including large format and high throughput applications
  • Small footprint, large handle, and simple operation make the PS600 easy to set up and use in the lab
  • Features a large, easy to read LED
  • Offers constant voltage or constant current mode with automatic crossover

Hoefer
www.hoeferinc.com


BT-GP Series Benchtop Power Supply

  • Now offered at 1kV, 2kV, 4kV, and 6kV of output power at 30W
  • New, lower voltage range on the BT-GP Series fills in the gap in the product lines by offering bench-top devices at 30W in lower voltages
  • Suited for OEM biasing applications such as air purification, process fluid cleansing, hi pot testing, and for laboratory research

UltraVolt
www.ultravolt.com


Power Supply Manufacturers

AS Research www.asresearch.com

B&K Precision www.bkprecision.com

Bio-Rad www.bio-rad.com

Diversified Technologies www.divtecs.com

EMCO High Voltage www.emcohighvoltage.com

Hoefer www.hoeferinc.com

Spellman High Voltage www.spellmanhv.com

TDK-Lambda www.tdk-lambda.com

Tripp Lite www.tripplite.com

UltraVolt www.ultravolt.com

Universal Electric www.uecorp.com


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