How do I Size a UPS for a 3D Printer?

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The industry of 3d printing has become increasingly integrated into our society’s products and services. As voltage problems exist in our electrical distribution systems, 3d printing facilities face issues with power outages, downtime, shutdowns, repair, and re-starts. Here we discuss the options available to defend against downtime with 3d printers due to electrical power outages, sages, or surges.

Can I use a UPS System for 3D Printing?

Yes you can. 3D printers are not a typical UPS load such as a computer server. 3d printers have cooling mechanisms or chillers attached. They also have blowers, and sometimes heating elements. You cannot always support a 3D printer with a traditional UPS System. You can, however, oversize a UPS System for the inrush current. You will need a proper sizing calculation for this design. You can make a mistake by sizing the UPS system to the running load amps. Then when it comes time for the UPS system to operate, it may fail due to the inrush current provided by the different systems on the 3D printer.

What is Inrush Current when sizing a UPS System?

Inrush is the step up in current or demand of a load that happens when equipment cycles on. Many mechanical loads, chillers, and cooling systems have inrush currents many times that of their actual running load. Therefore a mismatch can occur when sizing a UPS System for complicated system such as 3D Printers. The magnitude of the inrush must be calculated for properly sizing a UPS System.

Common Power Related Causes of 3D Printer Downtime

Voltage: Voltage swings, power sags, and surges can affect the operation of your 3d printing facility. Any voltage fluctuations outside the normal acceptable window can cause disruptions in work in process. These can be fixed with a properly sized UPS System or Voltage Regulation device.

 

Power Outage: Complete power outages are obvious threats. Having a UPS System with a backup power runtime allows for seamless operation. If you have a generator installed this will provide a transition to emergency back up generator power and potentially unlimited uptime.


3D Printer Voltage Requirements: Many 3D printers operate from different voltage than the facility general power. Many times, a transformer is required to convert the power to the required voltage a 3d printer needs. Many of today’s 3d printers are manufactured overseas where voltage is different than in the U.S. This makes for some complicated electrical distribution scenarios, step-down transformers, more heat generating activities, and complicated to properly size a UPS or voltage correction system.

Voltage Correction

Your power quality consultants at Voltage Correction are ready to assist in your sizing of a UPS or Voltage Correction system to provide maximum runtime of your 3d Printing facility. Please call us at 855-240-6776.

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by Tyler Marks 20 February 2025
Using Medium Voltage (MV) with Power Distribution for Industry provides an efficient delivery of High Capacity Power to Manufacturing Facility and Industrial Production Floors. A higher voltage provides a more “efficient” path for “AC Current” to travel to equipment. Large Motors and high inrush starter loads require much more Startup Current, medium voltage power distribution within a plant will provide an efficient capacity of Amperage for this high demand equipment. If production equipment in a Plant operates at lower voltage (LV), the delivery mechanism of higher voltage, closer to the equipment seeking the higher amperage, makes for more capacity available to the loads. This is achieved by the installation of step down function transformers, allowing the medium voltage (MV) to deliver higher capacity amperage “near” the loads. Then step down voltage at or near the equipment to the usable voltage. Benefits of Medium Voltage in a Facility -Higher Amperage Capacity delivered closer to Equipment Seeking Current (Amps). -Less “Current” loss during distribution through plant to various loads. -Lower “Pipe and Wire” costs as higher voltage requires smaller wire size to transmit. -More reliability in overall plant equipment: ie. Affects of power anomalies from lower voltage, sags, surges, failure of Machine Equipment Components. Disadvantages of Medium Voltage in a Facility -Higher cost to Utility for setup -Specialized Maintenance at higher voltage levels -Potential first costs higher for substation and distribution equipment up front, but lower cost of ownership over time. Low Voltage for Industrial Loads Low voltage distribution in a Plant can be installed successfully with a very constant load profile and demand. If there is larger equipment such as motors and processing that cycle on and off with large inrush current demand, this will affect the other areas of the Plant. These “surges” in demand for Current in these high demand inrush devices, can starve or pull down overall voltage in the other areas in the plant electrical distribution, or the entire plant. This will cause Power Supply failures in other equipment which seeks a constant voltage, or will burn components of other equipment due to variable voltage events. Over time this greatly affects a Plant’s Maintenance budget. Benefits of Low Voltage in a Facility -More Familiar Installation and Voltages for most Electrical Contractors. -Immediately available equipment, shorter lead times. -Simpler design and operation of electrical distribution and Electrical One Line. -Less step-down transformers within Facility and Electrical One Line Disadvantages of Low Voltage in a Facility -Exposed to more “Load” created anomalies that may affect other equipment -Limited amperage “Choke Points” for distribution and installation of larger equipment -Current loss from LV distribution through plant. -Susceptible to Inrush Current affect on immediate area or entire facility. -Higher “Pipe and Wire” costs as lower voltage requires higher amperage and larger wiring. Description and Uses of Low (LV) and Medium Voltages (MV) Low Voltage: 1kV - 15kV Typical City Use Power Grid Activities -Residential Use: (120v, 240v) -Commercial Building Use: (120/240v Single/Three Phase, 480v Three Phase) -Manufacturing and Industry: (480v Three Phase) -Localized Utility Distribution: Transformer to Load Medium Voltage: 13.8kV-34.5kV -High Density Data Center Uses -Large Manufacturing, Semiconductor -Motors, Compressors, Large Use Industrial Process -Electrical Utility Distribution, Long and Short Line distances High Voltage: 35kV and larger, 138kV -Long Transmission Lines Substation supply lines from Power Utility Sources -Industrial Processing Facilities, Steel, Mining. -Large transit requirements such as Railways and Commuter trains See your Voltage Correction Specialist to discuss Medium Voltage Power Distribution Options and Corrective Measures for your Facility Power Issues.
by Tyler Marks 20 February 2025
High Density AI compute performance chips like Nvidia Geoforce and now Blackwell B200 chips are requiring up to 300 watt, 400 watt, and 1200 watts. New rounds of chip development are considering up to 3000 watts of power per chip and requiring MEP Engineering design to consider bringing higher voltage closer to the Rack Loads. Why Medium Voltage UPS Systems Higher voltage carried over distances is more efficient than lower voltages carried over the same distance. Medium Voltage (13.8kV, 34.5kV) requires lower current (amps) to achieve the same capacities as low voltage (480v/208v), which exponentially changes the amount of power you can move from Point A to Point B, point B being the Rack loads. 480V Power Distribution for Data Centers In a legacy data center, medium voltage would be delivered to a substation or switchboard on-site. Transformers then step down medium voltage to 480V, which is widely used in data centers for the last 35 years. The typical legacy larger data center delivers 480 volts through the input switchgear, Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) via it’s Maintenance Bypass Switchboard route, and on to a Floor Power Distribution Unit (PDU). At the PDU, the load is stepped down via a internal PDU Transformer to usable 120/208V and 120/240V, which panels of breakers, or sub-feed breakers on the PDU support the actual breakers for servers. Low Voltage UPS Systems are limited to certain capacities to accumulate kW output for larger 2500kW or 5000kVA capacities. See Diagram 1.1
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