Location: Memphis, TN

Segment: Healthcare

Challenge: The company’s new location required a UPS solution that could deliver vital backup in the event of an outage, with the ability to safely shut down machines.

Solution: Eaton 5PX, Intelligent Power Software

Results: The 5PX, combined with power management software, provides a healthy dose of backup time for the lab environment.

Background

Wright Medical Technology, Inc. is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of specialty orthopaedic implants and instrumentation. The company’s product offering includes extremity implants for the foot, ankle, hand, elbow and shoulder, as well as both synthetic and tissue-based bone graft substitute materials. Since its inception, Wright has introduced a number of products that represent new standards in orthopaedic technology. From innovative materials to advanced instrumentation, the firm is committed to finding solutions that enable clinicians to alleviate pain and restore their patients’ lifestyles.

Challenge

Last year, when Wright Medical Technology relocated its headquarters to Memphis, the firm’s new building did not feature a facility-level power protection solution with a backup generator like its previous location had. Yet an uncompromised degree of uptime was demanded by the company’s testing lab, which is utilized at any given time by 45 engineers developing critical medical devices and materials. “At least 85 percent of our testing is done in house,” notes Doug Linton, the company’s mechanical testing lab supervisor. “If an unexpected outage were to strike, we could literally lose 6 months’ worth of testing.” Wright required a solution with enough backup time to allow the critical hydraulic frames and electro mechanical machines to safely power down, preserving data and workin-progress. In addition to exceptional reliability, the company also desired a flexible unit with a small footprint. At the recommendation of the firm that supplies its test frame products, Wright selected the Eaton 5PX uninterruptible power system (UPS)

Solution

The 5PX proved to be just what the doctor ordered, incorporating all of the features desired by the medical device manufacturer, while delivering additional benefits such as high efficiency, extended runtime options and an impressive 3-year warranty. “It’s a very reliable unit,” Linton confirms. “We had one outage that lasted 20 minutes and our electric machines ran perfectly. When the power came back on, there had been no interruption in testing.” The 5PX not only supplies Wright with advanced power conditioning and unparalleled battery backup, but does so with industry-leading efficiency of up to 99 percent to save on power and cooling costs. Furthermore, the unit protects more devices by providing 28 percent more wattage than traditional UPSs. Adding to the 5PX’s reliability is Eaton’s exclusive ABM® technology, which increases battery service life by 50 percent. ABM uses an advanced, three-stage charging technique and closely monitors battery health to provide advanced notification when batteries are close to needing replacement. Having already deployed six UPSs within the testing lab, Wright is planning to install four more units within the coming months as the lab continues to be built out. Going forward, the company will also be taking advantage of the 5PX’s optional extended battery modules (EBMs) and power management software.

“Right now, the internal battery gives us time to do a controlled shutdown and still retain our data if there is an outage,” Linton says, explaining that while this is sufficient for the hydraulic frames, he would like to supplement the units attached to the electrical machines with additional runtime. “That way, even a lengthy outage wouldn’t affect our test,” he says. The company also plans to deploy Eaton’s Intelligent Power® Software (IPS) Suite on the testing machines. “Then if nobody is here, it will still do a controlled shutdown for us,” Linton says. Indeed, IPS provides all of the tools needed to monitor and manage power devices across the network, even in virtualized environments. The innovative software solution combines the most critical applications to ensure system uptime and data integrity with power monitoring and management, as well as graceful shutdown during an extended power outage.

In addition to the free IPS software, every 5PX also includes both tower pedestals and a four-post rail kit for ultimate flexibility, enabling users to easily install the unit in a rack or arrange it as a tower. “I really like the way you can place the UPS either horizontally or vertically,” Linton confirms. “That is a great option.” Wright can also rest easy in the UPSs’ ongoing health, considering Eaton offers a 3-year warranty covering both the UPS and the batteries— a backing not offered by any other UPS manufacturer in the industry.

Reseller

With its lineup of 5PX units safeguarding the critical lab environment, Wright Medical Technology is now able to:

• Ensure the ongoing uptime of its hydraulic frames and electro mechanical machines
• Rely on Eaton IPS software to safely shut down equipment in the event of an extended outage, preserving data and work-in-progress
• Bolster runtime with additional EBMs
• Install the unit as a tower or conveniently rackmount it to preserve valuable space
• Rest assured the units will continue performing optimally with their comprehensive 3-year warranty