2012-05-09
With the rapid growth of the communications industry, there are now hundreds of PDU system custom manufacturers, each claiming to customize on demand. Here we explain the difference — and the relationship — between PDU customization and PDU manufacturing.
PDU customization is a service born of the rapid growth of IDC equipment rooms to match changing equipment needs. The service emphasizes the following points:
1: Matching the form and quantity of equipment power plugs to the PDU's output sockets;
2: Matching the PDU's power intake method and capacity to the wiring output method and capacity of the room's power supply system;
3: Matching the PDU's control and protection devices to the level and type of those on the upstream power lines — for example, if the column-head distribution cabinet uses a level-2 SPD surge protector, the downstream PDU's SPD should be level 3; if the cabinet's tap-off breaker is 32A, the PDU's carrying capacity must not be lower than 32A, and so on;
4: Matching the PDU's mounting method to the rack's rail gauge and the position and size of its mounting holes;
5: Matching the PDU's electrical measurement and control to the communication method and protocol of the room's monitoring and environmental control systems;
6: Matching applicable regulations and safety standards.
PDU manufacturing means using advanced production and testing equipment to build products exactly to the customer's confirmed requirements. A PDU manufacturer depends on the following:
A. The sophistication of its equipment and the skill of its operators;
B. The sophistication of its processes and the completeness of its production flow;
C. The accuracy of its tooling and the range and accuracy of its material grade selection;
D. The factory's certification level and the completeness of product certifications;
E. Cost control and raw-material reserves, plus the ability to shorten ordering and delivery times to the greatest extent;
F. The ability to digest and understand customer requirements, and the technical capability to satisfy them.
The current industry reality is that PDU customizers and PDU manufacturers are often confused: many so-called customizers are merely manufacturers who, being far from the customer, cannot pin down exact requirements and offer solutions limited by their own manufacturing capability — unable to truly meet the room's actual power distribution needs. Some agents, dealers and even hardware stores and computer-market consumable vendors pose as PDU customizers; understanding neither the room's equipment and power basics nor the manufacturers' capabilities, they can only act as a simple megaphone.
A proper PDU customization specialist should have solid knowledge of PDU safety regulations and related standards, years of equipment-room power distribution experience, and the ability to complete solutions — backed by a convenient PDU customization system tool that matches equipment-room owners, contractors and maintenance staff with a wide range of PDU manufacturing resources, right on site. We are able to provide solution guidance and modification for power distribution buyers, and technical support for PDU manufacturers.
