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- How Datalink Electronics Delivered a Complete Design-to-Test Solution for High-Power Industrial Control Electronics
How Datalink Electronics Delivered a Complete Design-to-Test Solution for High-Power Industrial Control Electronics
Client Profile / Background
A major industrial controls provider – supplying systems for energy management, motion control, and factory automation – partnered with Datalink Electronics to develop a high-power IGBT-based control module for next-generation automation platforms.
Operating globally in sectors similar to Siemens or Schneider Electric , the client required a precision-engineered, high-reliability power electronics solution that could meet the demands of continuous industrial operation, thermal efficiency, and safety compliance.
With extensive experience in industrial control, power switching, and electronic system integration, Datalink was chosen to manage the complete process – design, manufacture, and test – under ISO 9001 standards .
Industrial automation systems demand efficient and robust power switching to drive motors, actuators, and converters safely under variable loads.
The client faced multiple design and production challenges:
- Managing high current and voltage switching using IGBT technology without thermal runaway or performance drift.
- Achieving compact design and efficient heat dissipation within strict enclosure constraints.
- Ensuring EMC/EMI compliance for use within large industrial networks.
- Delivering a repeatable and fully tested product, ready for deployment in mission-critical control systems.
The project required not just circuit design, but a fully integrated process – from simulation through to validated, production-ready hardware.
Datalink provided a turnkey engineering service, combining power electronics design, prototyping, manufacturing, and testing – all within a controlled and certified environment.
Key Differentiators and Capabilities:
- End-to-End Design: Datalink’s engineers designed the complete IGBT drive and protection circuitry, optimising for switching efficiency, fault isolation, and gate control accuracy.
- Thermal and Mechanical Engineering: Thermal simulation and structural design ensured long-term reliability under continuous load. Custom heat-sinking and PCB copper balancing reduced temperature rise across key components.
- High-Reliability Manufacturing: Utilised high-grade power semiconductors and automotive-quality assembly standards, including selective soldering, conformal coating, and automated optical inspection.
- Comprehensive Testing: Every module underwent high-voltage isolation testing, dynamic switching validation, and temperature stress screening, ensuring stable operation across the full load range.
By combining advanced design and in-house testing, Datalink delivered a solution that met stringent performance, safety, and traceability requirements.
- Concept and Simulation: Datalink developed circuit schematics and ran thermal and electrical simulations to validate switching profiles, gate drive response, and power loss.
- Prototype Build: Rapid prototypes were produced in-house, enabling iterative optimisation of component layout, trace routing, and cooling performance.
- Design Validation: Conducted load, temperature, and endurance testing to benchmark performance against industrial specifications.
- Manufacturing Process Setup: Created a controlled build and inspection process with detailed work instructions, ensuring repeatability and quality control for low- and mid-volume production.
- Final Testing and Documentation: Implemented automated end-of-line testing, capturing full electrical data and traceability records for every unit produced.
The Results / Outcomes
Technical and Operational Achievements:
- Delivered a fully functional, validated IGBT control module meeting the client’s electrical, mechanical, and reliability targets.
- Achieved stable switching and minimal power loss under high-load conditions.
- Improved thermal performance and service life through advanced design techniques.
- Delivered a documented and repeatable production process suitable for ongoing manufacture.
Partnership Outcomes:
- Strengthened the client’s ability to accelerate new product development with a proven, pre-validated control electronics platform.
- Reinforced Datalink’s reputation as a specialist partner for power and industrial control electronics .
- Established a foundation for scalable production and future variants.
