Power Supply in Specialty Vehicles
14 September 2021
Peace of Mind for Use in the Middle of Nowhere

Surface mining vehicles in Australia, fracking trucks in the US or XXL construction site vehicles in Asia or Europe – specialty vehicles handle heavy-duty tasks around the globe every day. They offer immense power, but that’s not all that matters to operators – these days, the focus is much more on efficiency, safety and reliability. This requires dependability under the most adverse conditions – not only of the mechanical or hydraulic components, but above all the electrical components.

The Benefits for You:

The Pro 2’s surrounding air temperature range from −40 to +70 °C allows it to be used in a huge variety of locations.
The compact design saves space in the specialty vehicles.
The Pro 2 Power Supply has a long life, with an MTBF value of over 1 million hours

In the truck sector, the level of automation is increasing, which represents an important step towards autonomous driving. But meanwhile, other heavy-duty vehicles/construction vehicles are already equipped with a great deal of automation technology to allow special uses. For instance, excavators are now able to operator with centimeter-level precision using 3D height profiles and GPS support; lowboy trailers can be loaded precisely using weighing technology; and fracking trucks have come to resemble complete process plants on wheels.

Greater Capability – Greater Knowledge

The goal of using of process computers and programmable logic controllers is to optimize such vehicles for their specific application and to make them safer and more efficient. This should make life easier for operators and reduce the burden on the environment, for example through energy management, or by reducing pollution or noise emissions. Intelligent machine controllers are constantly improving the interaction among the individual components within an overall system. This systematic approach increases the reliability and safety demands to an extraordinary degree and necessitates functions familiar from process plants: redundancy, continuous monitoring of operating states, comprehensive device diagnostics, precise time stamping etc. This also highlights the need for bus systems for data transmission, powerful controllers and a reliable power supply. In contrast to stationary systems, all the components are exposed not only to harsh industrial conditions, but also to intense vibration and environmental influences, such as significant fluctuations in humidity or outside temperature.

An Example from the US

Hydraulic fracturing – “fracking” for short – is a method for extracting natural gas or oil. While the process is banned in some countries, the US is a pioneer in the use of fracking technology for unconventional extraction of fossil hydrocarbons. In contrast to conventional oil or gas extraction, fracking requires many more wells and greater flexibility in drilling operations. Therefore, US companies rely on so-called “fracking fleets” of special machines mounted on semitrailers that can be combined flexibly. Various specialty vehicles work together to work the extraction sites. The level of automation of the individual specialty trucks is very high. Despite the complexity of the processes, only a few manual actions are required during operation once a fracking unit is set up.

As the technologies and processes become more and more modern, the development of such specialty vehicles is constantly advancing. One of the world’s leading companies in the development, manufacture and sale of equipment for petrochemical operations is setting standards in this area as well. As in conventional oil and gas sectors, the most important criterion for use of the vehicles – besides safety – is availability, since the maximizing the operational readiness and reliability of every single vehicle is only way to guarantee high yields. Therefore, when designing a new generation of trucks, the engineers carefully examined the dependability and durability of every component used. In the process, they identified the 24 V power supply as a critical element: If the devices fail, all the control components fail, including the communication, and the truck is no longer able to play its role in the overall system. This can sometimes bring the entire extraction process at the job site to a standstill.

First of all, the choice was clear, since our PFC200 XTR was already being used as a controller. Secondly, the performance features of the Pro 2 really impressed our customer.

John Hagar, WAGO Regional Sales Manager from Houston, Texas

Reliability and Universal Use

With the Pro 2, WAGO’s US sales specialists were able to offer their customer a power supply that meets all their requirements. “First of all, the choice was clear, since our PFC200 XTR was already being used as a controller. Secondly, the performance features of the Pro 2 really impressed our customer,” SAYS John Hagar, WAGO Regional Sales Manager from Houston, Texas. “The wide temperature range that our Pro 2 can be used in meets the specifications perfectly – with surrounding air temperatures between −40 and +70 °C, it holds enough reserves for the trucks to be used throughout the US. That means our customer can now use its vehicles from North Dakota to Texas with a standard solution, never having to worry about environmental challenges.” Nor was this the only impressive feature – the compact design is also ideal for the limited space available on trucks, the power supply is approved for hazardous areas, and the excellent MTBF values verify its extreme durability (MTBF = “Mean Time Between Failures”). “With the Pro 2, we’re not just selling a power supply – we’re selling peace of mind. Once it’s installed, our customer will probably never have to worry about the device again,” says Jason Schmid, Product Manager for Interface Electronics at WAGO USA.

Transparency = More Efficient Maintenance

Thanks to the reliable power supply, the WAGO controllers used and communication technology on board the new specialty vehicles, the centrally organized fleet management can see where each vehicle is located at all times and what the truck’s overall condition is. The extraction result can also be read off the transmitted measured values and condition data. The detailed operating data that is transmitted can be used to derive precise wear condition diagnostics and information on what maintenance measures are necessary. Early detection of failures is essential for maintaining availability of the vehicles, which are often very inaccessible. Spare parts and service technicians can arrive well before individual components fail, achieving an enormous reduction in downtime. Such features are also in demand in many other specialty vehicle applications – from dump trucks and excavators for surface mining, to mobile generators and water treatment systems for rapid natural disaster relief. “With our WAGO solution, which ranges from terminal blocks, to power supplies, to controllers, we can maximize the availability of specialty vehicles, which are often located in the middle of nowhere,” says Jason Schmid. John Hagar adds: “We enable our customers to use their machines reliably under extreme conditions and also lay the foundation for digitization strategies.”

With our WAGO solution, which ranges from terminal blocks, to power supplies, to controllers, we can maximize the availability of specialty vehicles.

Jason Schmid, Product Manager for Interface Electronics in Wisconsin, WAGO’s US Headquarters

About the authors:

John Hagar works in Houston, Texas as WAGO Regional Sales Manager. He has been at WAGO since 2012 and loves working as part of a motivated team to sell outstanding products. He considers it particularly important to support his customers from the initial idea all the way through to implementation. This gives him direct experience of how obstacles can always be overcome through intensive collaboration.

Jason Schmid is a product manager for interface electronics and has worked in Wisconsin, WAGO’s US headquarters, since 2013. Jason appreciates the customer focus, which is very important at WAGO. He loves working together with his amazing colleagues to meet customers’ challenges and further cement customer loyalty.

Let Power Communicate

The WAGO Pro 2 Power Supply: Control cabinets are undergoing a transformation, with both quantity and quality demands constantly increasing. Greater networking, rising energy costs and growing customization require smaller, more economical, faster and more flexible solutions in control cabinets.

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Power Supply in Specialty Vehicles 14 September 2021 Peace of Mind for Use in the Middle of Nowhere