The AVard 2021 Winner
Category – Sustainability
The Power To Perform
Everlast Power Supplies
Power supply failures in mission-critical AV products can cause significant disruption to signal distribution and facility operations, creating serious challenges for system integrators, end users, and manufacturers alike. Extron has answered this challenge with the Everlast™ Series of high-performance, no compromise, internal and external power supplies, setting a new standard for reliability and efficiency in the professional AV industry
All Power Supplies are NOT the Same
AV hardware manufacturers typically use generic off-the-shelf power supplies from 3rd party vendors. These mass-produced power supplies are frequently designed to meet a low price point, employing the least expensive components meeting the minimum manufacturing spec. Using a plastic fan assembly instead of a superior metal alternative, or a cheap diode vs. an efficient transistor, or a 10 cent capacitor instead of a 20 cent version might save some pennies in manufacturing costs, but those savings can turn into expensive liabilities when the product fails to power up. These high-volume, low-cost power supplies often employ older design principles and dated topologies.
The Extron Everlast Difference
We design and manufacture our Everlast Power Supplies in-house, employing premium-quality components and highly efficient, modern topologies for thermal management, transistor switching, energy dissipation, and virtually every other critical aspect of the power system. Each Everlast Power Supply is built with the same care and meticulous attention to detail as our award-winning high-end video products.
The Anatomy of an Everlast Power Supply
Demonstrated Reliability. Proven Performance.
Typical AV power supplies have an average MTBF, Mean Time Between Failure, rating of around 30,000 hours, calculated by using the stated specifications of the individual components.
To ensure that our Everlast power supplies meet Extron standards of performance and quality, we subjected each model of our PS Desktop Series to actual, not calculated, accelerated operational life testing, using a heat chamber at an ambient temperature of 85° C. The power supplies were operated under load for over 2 years. Under these grueling conditions, each hour in the heat chamber is like 64 hours in the real world.
Based on this actual accelerated operational life testing, we achieved MTBF benchmarks of 280,000 hours up to an incredible 1,000,000 hours, or the equivalent of over 114 years, depending on the model. We know of no other company that has gone to such lengths to guarantee power supply reliability. Simply put, our Everlast Power Supplies deliver unprecedented, demonstrated reliability and longevity in the most demanding professional AV environments.
Next-generation Technology for Even Better Performance
While making the most reliable power supplies in the AV industry, we are not ones to sit back and rest on our laurels. We are constantly evaluating new technologies, components, and designs to find ways to make our power supplies even better. One recent technological advance in electronic component manufacturing is the use of Gallium Nitride – GaN. This next-generation material has begun replacing silicon as the material of choice when manufacturing semiconductors. GaN offers several advantages over silicon, including lower resistance and decreased switching loss.
Extron has already begun incorporating GaN components into some of our power supplies. Benefits include improved power efficiency and lower operating temperatures, which increases the reliability and MTBF of our already-dependable power supplies even further.
Lean, Mean, and Green
The energy efficient designs of our Everlast Power Supplies help to meet green building requirements by lowering power consumption and reducing overall operating costs.
- Our Everlast PS Series of Desktop Power Supplies are Level VI rated and consume just 0.075 watts or less at idle when no load is present on the output.
- Our superior heat dissipation and thermal management engineering enables Everlast power supplies to run cooler than less efficient power supplies at the same load.
Warranty and Trade-up Program
7 Year Parts and Labor Warranty
We have such confidence in our power supply reliability that we have now extended the warranty period to seven years for all of our Everlast internal and external power supplies. Product performance and reliability have always been important guiding principles for Extron. Quality and reliability are two of the most important design criteria for every Extron product. The confidence we have in Everlast power supplies has enabled us to enhance our support program with this exceptional warranty.
Everlast Power Supply Trade-up Program
Extron provides 12-volt power supplies with many products, but when power supplies are shared, the unused power supplies are tossed aside and could end up in a landfill. Extron customers have asked for a way to trade in these brand new power supplies and our Power Supply Trade-up Program is an excellent way to avoid unnecessary waste.
