APD stands together with global medical device & network equipment suppliers against COVID-19

News coverage: DIGITIMES

APD’s customized power solutions meet rising ventilator demand and stay-at-home economy needs

COVID-19 is changing everything about our lives, seriously threatening our health and safety. It has also redefined business and thrusted the economy into a recession. Despite the disruptions, the market is seeing a significant increase in demand for some products, including medical devices, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators and respiratory humidifiers, as well as network equipment to meet the needs arising from the stay home economy and work-from-home lifestyle.

Having been committed to the development of customized power solutions for medical devices and network equipment for years, APD is exerting all efforts to meet the urgent needs of global medical device and network equipment suppliers to help make their products available to markets, doing its part in the global fight against COVID-19.

Mark Tang, sales vice president, APD’s power system business group

The Expert in Customized Power Solutions with Critical Technologies

According to Mark Tang, sales vice president, APD’s power system business group, manufacturers impose rigorous requirements on medical power supply systems as medical device quality is a matter of life and death. They must maintain a long-lasting, uninterrupted and stable power supply. Building high-performance and high-reliability power solutions is the goal that APD has insisted on in its decade-long efforts toward strengthening its capabilities on critical technologies.

Citing ventilators currently with a surging demand as an example, Tang noted that there is a risk of overvoltage due to backfeeding during peak load operating conditions, especially when a ventilator for critical care pumps air with a high pressure into a patient’s lungs. In view of this, power supply units (PSU) must be able to support higher peak loads for longer periods to ensure the system maintains stable operation. APD’s unique peak power design can effectively reduce power loss, lower PSU operating temperature and boost reliability. Moreover, its patented overvoltage protection circuit safeguards the system and PSU from damage caused by excess voltage from PSU output.

APD’s medical power solutions are compliant with IEC 60601 Safety Requirement for Medical Equipment. They have also been certified to meet Radio Frequency interference requirements in accordance with Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics DO-160G for Airborne Equipment, which is more stringent than medical equipment standards. This means their leakage current is minimal even under normal operating conditions so the PSU is protected from failure resulting from high-frequency 4G/5G signal interference.

More importantly, APD has abundant experience in designing power solutions for medical ventilators. Its customized power solutions for global medical ventilator suppliers fully meet their EMI, temperature and peak load requirements.

Leading network equipment manufacturers opt for APD for its expertise in addressing peak load and heat dissipation challenges

Working from home, online conferencing and distance learning have become the new normal in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has spurred a surge in network use and an urgent need to expand switch and router capacity, giving rise to burgeoning stay-home economy opportunities. APD underwent business transformation in 2008, shifting target from general-purpose power supply market to niche segments with higher technological barriers. Apart from medical power solutions, APD is also focusing efforts toward network equipment power solutions. In other words, APD has developed robust capabilities in network equipment power solutions. It specializes in designing high-performance and high-reliability open frame power supplies for leading network equipment manufacturers, providing strong support helping them tap stay-at-home economy opportunities.

Commenting on the critical technology to network equipment power solutions, Tang pointed out the ability to sustain peak loads remains crucial. On top of that, the miniaturization trend of power supplies imposes great challenges on suppliers’ caliber in heat dissipation and component selection to effectively address the heat problem of network equipment. These are right up APD’s alley.

“We are committed to sustainable growth and aspire to become a technology pioneer as well as market leader in niche power solution markets,” highlighted Tang. APD set the goal to target power solutions for medical devices and network equipment and later was able to successfully win heavyweight customers in these fields. The enablers of APD’s success include its ability to do custom-design and offer leading-edge technology at continuingly lower costs, its supply chain stability, as well ‎as its collaborations with top academic institutions. It is also distinguished by its high-quality production and R&D capabilities built through the Design For Six Sigma (DFSS) initiative. All these are what allow APD to engage in long-standing partnerships with global network equipment and medical device suppliers.