A precise and reliable power supply is crucial to companies that produce high-technology products, from semiconductors to automobiles. To help ensure the highest quality levels for their power infra-structure, technology companies across the globe--like EverDisplay Optronics of Shanghai—rely on ABB’s innovative power products.
EverDisplay (EDO), also known as Hehui Optoelectronics, is the region’s leader in the mass production of AMOLED mobile phone display screens. The company operates the largest industrial cleanroom in Shanghai, where it produces as many as 30,000 units a month for leading IT technology customers.
The Challenge: Costly sagging voltage
One of the most troubling power issues for production facilities in this industry is “voltage sag,” a brief reduction in voltage that can result from a short circuit, overloading or simply starting electric motors. Such variations in power quality can shut down assembly lines and damage sensitive equipment, resulting in costly delays or repairs.
To avoid voltage sags, industrial facilities use backup devices that can supplement energy received on main lines from local power companies. The EDO facility in Shanghai had relied for several years on medium-voltage dynamic uninterruptible power supply (DUPS) systems. However, even with these systems protecting current critical loads, EDO sustained production losses on other production loads from three to four voltage sags each year.
The Solution: PCS100 Active Voltage Conditioning (AVC-40)
ABB was able to provide a solution that would largely resolve the voltage-sag problems EDO encountered, and a team of ABB experts fully acquainted EDO engineers with the benefits they could obtain from this technology, called the PCS100 AVC-40.
This active voltage conditioner (AVC) provides instant correction for voltage sags and surges in industrial and large commercial operations. The AVC-40 leads the industry with an efficiency of 98 percent and produces minimal heat, reducing costs for electricity and cooling.
Unlike the DUPS system, the AVC-40 needs no batteries or generator. Instead, it draws additional energy from the main lines to compensate for a voltage sag. So, it needs none of the battery maintenance required by UPS systems and has a small footprint, eliminating the need for designing and building additional floor space for backup equipment.
“Our team spent many months educating EDO engineers and managers on the latest active voltage conditioning technology,” said Kenny Huang, ABB China Power Conditioning Product Marketing Manager. “As they learned more about the AVC-40, they became enthusiastic about the opportunities to save costs and time while maintaining top quality in their production, leading them to explore with us the many ways that ABB’s technology could help resolve past issues with variable power quality.”
To protect critical production tools involved in a vacuum evaporation process, EDO installed six sets of PCS100 AVC-40 devices. This technology is specifically designed to protect the production equipment against voltage sags.
“We were quite impressed with ABB’s strong technical and service capability, compared with that of competitors,” said Mr. Zhao, EDO electrical engineer. “The ABB team demonstrated extensive experience among semiconductor customers, increasing our trust in the AVC-40. This was the key reason we chose ABB.”
The Results: Uninterrupted production
Within three months after AVC was installed, the entire factory experienced a voltage sag. Equipment that was not protected by AVC shut down, but the tools that were integrated with the new AVC devices continued operating normally, as if the sag had never occurred.
With significant cost savings from avoiding shutdowns and restarts, EDO expects to recover its capital investment in the PCS100 AVC-40 in just two years.
AVC technology from ABB is making an important, positive impact on EDO’s bottom line and on its leadership in -screen technology.
