2016 Predictions: What’s Coming in the Power Industry?

For the past few years, one trend has dominated the power industry: MORE power in a SMALLER package. That trend compounds into 2016, as customer demands continue to push boundaries for more sophistication over the next 12 months. As customers’ power needs grow, Abbott is at the forefront, proactive in designing industry-leading technological advancements.

More Power in Smaller Packages

Each progressive generation of naval, avionics, and aerospace electronics relies on more computer power in smaller footprints, but those power solutions also have to energize increasingly more electrical components and sub-assemblies. Electrical power sources have to be smaller, lighter, and more efficient. Downsizing will continue to dominate as a hot topic in 2016.

“Abbott Technologies is innovating rapidly to meet the ongoing demand for more power in smaller spaces,” says Dave Newton, Abbott Technologies, Chief Engineer. “Our new CM1000 unit has almost two times as much power as the previous generation CM500, but the size is nearly identical, 2X the power in the same real estate. When a customer that had been using the CS500 asked us to stretch the CS500 to 750 watts, we did better and gave them the CM1000 with 1000 watts of power in the same size.”

For Abbott Technologies, a smaller package doesn’t mean lesser quality. Good things come in small packages! By advancing the technology inside the power supply and modernizing manufacturing processes, Abbott can deliver MORE power in smaller packages with enhanced functions (it’s all about form-fit-function!), while escalating overall quality and reliability at the same time.

Intelligent Power Units

An innovative trend in the power industry is customer demand for MORE INTELLIGENCE designed into power systems. End-users want the power system to communicate with a computer, give it feedback, and tell the computer what’s going on. As Newton explains, “A car has 34 computers in it. When you go to your mechanic, he hooks up a computer, runs a diagnostic program, and identifies any problems. Customers want the same thing on their power supplies.”

Abbott Technologies is responding to this growing demand with next-generation plans to develop SMART power supplies. “We’re looking toward building intelligence inside the power supply in our next generation products,” says Newton. “For example, customers could hook up a USB port from a power supply to a computer to see factors like internal temperature and impending failures, so parts can be replaced BEFORE the failure occurs. Think of it this way…before an aircraft goes out on a mission, a diagnostic is run on the engine controls to ensure it will work. We want to do the same thing with our power supplies.”

Proactively anticipating emerging trends and imminent customer demands, Abbott Technologies is reinforcing our Engineering team, engaging top talent to design new cutting edge products, as well as retrofit and upgrade legacy products that are already customers’ reliable “go to’s” in the market. Keep your eyes open for new designs and product enhancements in the future!