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64058 Tekelec Testimonial C FLOTHERM
w w w . f l o m e r i c s . c o m
Tekelec Incorporates Emerging Requirements for
Telecom Switching Equipment Using FLOTHERM
Design Challenge
Tekelec is a leading developer of current and
next-generation signaling and switching
telecommunications solutions. To maintain our
rapid time to market, it is sometimes necessary
to begin prototype fabrication
before all of the product
requirements are
fully defined. A
recent example
is that of a 1U
rack-mounted
fuse and alarm panel,
which we developed with
Trimm, Inc. During the course of
design the amperage requirements
more than doubled. We had to determine
if the circuits on the power board could handle
the increased current, or if a different approach
would be necessary. It was critical to be sure
of our direction because any late-stage design
changes would have increased the risk of
schedule delays and incurred higher cost.
Solution and Benefits
Because this product was not originally expected
to be a thermal challenge, a simulation had
not been previously performed. Therefore, the
original design was modeled with Flotherm
and the values were matched to test results
from our lab. Using that as a baseline, the
power in our virtual model was then increased,
which allowed us to test the unit safely and
non-destructively. The simulation predicted
overheating even with thicker copper traces.
With this information we used Flotherm to explore
several different alternative solutions. Our goal
was to find the best combination of fit and
performance. We determined that a copper bus
bar could be substituted with minimal redesign
and schedule disruption. The bus bar would not
only lower the dissipated power, it would also
spread heat more effectively. Flotherm confirmed
and quantified these theories. All this was
accomplished within just a few days. The bus
bar prototypes had a long lead time, so we
were relying entirely on the accuracy of the
thermal model to prevent further delay. When
the new parts arrived, lab testing confirmed
that they had a 30
O
C improvement over the
original module temperature. The fuse panel
was released on schedule, fully meeting the
new power requirements.
North American Headquarters
Flomerics Inc. 4 Mount Royal - Suite 450
Marlborough, MA 01752 USA
Tel: +1 (508) 357 2012 Fax: +1 (508) 357 2013
info@flomerics.com
UK Corporate Headquarters
Flomerics Group PLC 81 Bridge Road, Hampton Court,
Surrey KT8 9HH, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 8487 3000 Fax: +44 (0)20 8487 3001
info@flomerics.co.uk
Flomerics has offices worldwide. For details of local
representation please visit www.flomerics.com/contact
Customer Testimonial
Flomerics unsurpassed technical support provided me with immediate answers to my questions.
In a short time they reviewed my model and made recommendations so that the results were
almost identical to the physical test measurements.
Diane Busch, Mechanical Design Engineer, Tekelec