Recom’s recently opened its headquarters to turn them as a well-equipped EMC laboratory that can be used by customers and students to solve EMC issues in their own applications. The first projects have already been successfully concluded.
One user of the new facility was a large international manufacturer of water pumps who needed to modify a product for EMC certification. The customer’s developer came to RECOM after suspecting that the DC/DC converter might be causing the EMC problems.
Firstly, the RECOM lab reproduced the results from TÜV, the German technical watchdog, by making a reference measurement in the 3m SAR chamber. The customer then used the room set up specifically for outside visitors to develop potential solutions in close consultation with RECOM’s own experts. In actual fact the culprit turned out to be a ribbon cable and they managed to reduce the interfering emissions to the required level using ferrites. The tests also found weaknesses in the electrical circuit that they solved by switching to a four-layer design. The customer is currently working on redesigning the circuit board as a result with a much higher chance of passing the TÜV tests.
Other cases included customer issues that were solved without the customer being present – the applications were sent to be evaluated in the lab. The experienced RECOM team even managed to solve some problems by remote diagnosis – such as one application where the client had opted against wiring unused pins on a converter.
RECOM intends to expand on its EMC services in the future by providing customers with the ground expert assistance and consultation in preparation for certification. Universities and other higher education institutions are welcome, especially as they often lack suitable measuring equipment. RECOM not only provides a place to work, but also apartments for outside visitors to stay the night.
