Power Supplies

All UV discharge lamps require power supplies, this provides a means to ignite the lamp and also control the power required for the process. The power supply should be selected based on the particular lamp, application and environment they are to be used in. To gain the best curing performance considerations include lamp length and power, lamp doping, and available electrical supply and stability.

A choke, also known as an inductor or ballast, is a device used in electrical circuits for controlling current. They can be used in simple UV power supplies to control the lamp current. The lamp and environment in which it is operated controls the voltage at the given current. The combination of all provides the overall lamp power and the level of UV produced.

Ignitors provide the high-striking voltage needed to ignite a UV lamp when used on a UV system powered by chokes. This is because there is generally insufficient supply voltage available to do so. Chokes and ignitor circuits can be used to power lamps up to 500mm in length. Any power switching has to be managed by the combination of chokes selected.

A transformer or ballast can also be used for increasing the voltage available in order to ignite the lamp. They can also be designed to directly control the current through the lamp. Alternatively, they can be used with high voltage capacitors to create a more sophisticated ‘Constant Wattage’ circuit which adds the benefit of stepped power control and better power regulation against supply voltage variations.

A capacitor is a device used in an electric circuit to temporarily store electrical charge. This can be used in combination with chokes and some transformer circuits to improve circuit efficiency. When correctly specified they ‘balance the circuit’ and ensure that unnecessarily high electrical current is not drawn from the mains supply in a process called ‘Power Factor Correction’.

Alpha-Cure can supply power supplies, chokes, ignitors, transformers and capacitors to suit the specific overall power requirement and switching needs of most power supplies available around the world. Make sure you have exactly what you need to run your lamps and ensure a consistent curing performance.

Speak to Alpha-Cure to discuss your requirements and arrange a quote if required.