If you use industrial automation systems and controls on your machines and equipment, then you rely on these controls to keep your business running. Without them, your machines and equipment can't do their jobs.

However, sometimes, these systems stop working at full capacity or break down. The problem doesn't always lie with the systems themselves. If your facility has power quality problems, then automated controls and systems might not be able to work correctly.

What kinds of power problems can affect these systems? How can you tell if you have power quality problems?

How Does Power Quality Affect Automated Controls And Systems?

Any machine or piece of equipment that runs on electrical power needs a consistent supply to work. However, today's complex and sensitive automated controls and systems are sometimes more vulnerable to power source and feed problems than older machines and pieces of equipment. They often have smaller margins of error.

For example, an automated system might not be able to work consistently if you have power quality problems in your facility. You might not notice these problems — they are sometimes so minor that they don't cause significant problems elsewhere — however, they might adversely affect sensitive automation components.

For example, power surges or sags affect the supply of power to component parts. Here, a system might get too much or too little power if its supply is interrupted. Electrical transients can force too much power through data or communication connections. Or, harmonics in your electrical supply can distort your voltage or current levels.

How Can You Tell If You Have Power Quality Problems?

If your power quality isn't right, then you might start to notice problems with machines and pieces of equipment with automated systems and controls. They might not work to full capacity or they might shut down regularly. In some cases, they won't work at all either temporarily or permanently.

For example, you might see error messages or alerts on control systems. Parts might start to overheat; some systems might try to reset themselves for no apparent reason. Or, your software and data might be corrupted or incomplete.

If you can't see an obvious reason for these problems, then you should call in industrial electrical technicians. They can run diagnostics on your power quality and supply to look for possible problems. You might find that your electrical system needs an upgrade or repair work to improve the quality of the power it supplies.