Testing / Quality Control

 

Data & Power Testing and Quality Control Procedures

 

Quality control is the fundamental principle that underpins Data & Power Solution's manufacturing process. To ensure continuous high quality we place a heavy focus on our Quality Control procedures, which incorporate the following four stages:

 

 

 

Screen capture - testing            Testing

 

 

 

Design validation and continuity assurance

 

One of Data and Power's unique qualities is our response to customer's requests for custom designed PDUs. Almost 80% of units shipped by DPS are in some way tailored to the customer's specific need.

 

Providing this level of flexibility as a ‘one time' option is in itself a significant task, but how do you ensure that weeks, months or even years from now, that same customer can call up and order the same part number and receive exactly the same unit as before? All this without any need to revisit previous discussions in deciding the units design!

 

In compliance with our ISO9001 standing, we keep a complete archive of all the units we have ever produced. Every unit ever made, be it a fan tray or a PDU , has the relevant drawing, assembly sheet and electrical acceptance certificate archived for future reference.

 

On certain bespoke units, were applicable, we also produce a photographic archive of the assembly method to ensure complete continuity of manufacture for repeat orders with all the above information backed up off-site for further security.

 

Electrical acceptance testing  


This part of the QC process is absolutely essential in ensuring continued shipping of the high quality PDUs our customers expect. DPS have implemented a testing system to achieve this, built by MK Test .

 

MK Test has an excellent reputation in the field of automated electrical inspection. It is through the use of MK Test's ‘AutoMeg' system that DPS now employ the same extremely high testing standards as those widely adopted by both the Aerospace and Defence industries.

 

The AutoMeg system employs a "four-wire" technique which tests the wiring of our PDUs for several key potential faults:

Once this test has been completed on a PDU, the AutoMeg system generates a PDU Acceptance Test Report Form , as well as a unique serial number for that individual PDU. This serial number is printed and attached to the PDU as well as being archived with the assembly documents, and again backed up off-site for added security.

 

By a customer simply giving us that unique serial number we can track the unit back through testing, production and then back to its original order form.

 

The serial number is made up from the job number, which in turn holds all the information required to make the PDU, in this case 101818, the initials of the wirer, AA and the date 24/04/08 and the time of the test, 8:16 and 30 seconds. The test rig will only print a label when the PDU has passed the test. This label cannot be reprinted. If the test label is lost the PDU must be retested.

 

           DPS Test Label Close up             Label in situ

                                     

 

Equipment calibration Certificate

 

Thermal acceptance testing

 

Thermal imaging testing                    Thermal imaging testing

 

 

The Industry's idea of thermal testing, in the past perhaps not given much thought, is becoming an increasing concern from both the perspective of manufacturing and the end-user. As the increase in demand for more Amperes carrying capacity continues, so does the responsibility on Manufacturers to maintain a very high level of component quality and guaranteed design tolerances.

 

At DPS, with all new product releases and key component changes, we apply the new components and PDUs as a whole, to a power/thermal acceptance test.


Using a custom designed load-test bay here at DPS, we expose both the components and the PDU to the maximum amount of Amperes its rating allows. Using our own Heat Bank product (Server Simulator) we can apply loads from 10Amp single phase 240V to 63Amps 3 phase 415V.

 

The thermal changes within the PDU are mapped over a period of time, enabling us to see clearly any effects of short, medium and long term exposure to the units maximum rated current. From these results we can determine with certainty that the components use in our PDUs will function safely for a long operation of the unit in the field as well as helping to address cooling problems within the rack itself.

PDU/components are tested over a period of a day and as a whole will only pass if the components do not exceed 70% of their maximum rated operating temperature.

 

A ‘Stress Test' is also applied to the PDU and its individual components by exposing the unit to an increase of 10 -15% Amps over the PDU's rated capacity. The unit will only pass this test if components do not exceed 80% of their maximum operating temperature range over a period of 4 hours.

 

Quality Assessment

 

All components are checked visually during the assembly process. If we have assembled the mains lead, the plugs and/or sockets are individually checked by a supervisor prior to the covers being closed. Each batch of leads is given a unique number which is attached to the lead near the plug. A record with the wirer's and inspectors name is then logged.

 

Wire label

 


The final quality assessment is provided through random spot checks on any PDU currently in production. As part of our ISO 9001 - 2008 procedures any number of PDUs can be checked for any potential electrical or mechanical or aesthetic fault.