As it looks back on a history which has taken it from humble beginnings to a global brand, renowned for its technical expertise and engineering excellence, Dale’s range of new and existing products is seizing a bigger share of the market. In all sectors – generator sets, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS Systems) products and in service and maintenance – Dale is enjoying international success. As part of the Secure Power Division of TT electronics, 600 people are employed worldwide with circa $120 million per annum.

The excellent start to 2010 has delighted Managing Director Tim Wilkins. He puts it down to a positive, proactive workforce working very hard to meet customers’ demands together with a strong product line-up and the development of new sales and service outlets, most recently in Swindon, Aberdeen and Sharjah.

“We have seen a very strong order intake for the first six months of 2010 and are pleased with the success of new and existing products,” he said. “We have strengthened our sales department and thanks to our new range of products and the strength of our existing generator, UPS and sales and maintenance products, we have captured a greater share of the market, both in the UK and export.” He puts the longevity and success of the brand down to excellent technical expertise, design capability, project management, installation and ongoing servicing.

“It continues to be our ability to discuss a customer’s requirements with them and supply a tailored power solution that meets their needs exactly,” he said. “We operate lean enterprise 6 Sigma working practices and the Dale brand has become synonymous in the power industry with providing customers with an immediate, pro-active response and a perfect technical solution to their requirements. Whether it is off-shore oil and gas platforms, the stock exchange or a hospital operating theatre, our products and expertise are now an integral part of many large, blue-chip companies’ risk and disaster recovery management plans.”

Dale enters its 75th year in great shape, continuing to provide clients with tailored secure power solutions backed by a rich history and a wealth of technical excellence. The late Leonard Dale began Dale Electric in 1935 with 11s 8d (58.5p) from his Yorkshire Penny Bank book, convinced there was a need for his electrical wiring services in his local area. That ethos remains and it is a commitment to providing the customer with exactly what they need that has helped Dale develop into a globally-respected brand. There is little time to pause and reflect on those 75 years, which saw Dale grow from a man and his van, toiling away on the Yorkshire coast, to the international player it is today.
And as we launch new products apace, to meet ever-changing demand, we know it is those years of experience and unmatched technical know-how that benefit our customers and stand us in excellent stead for what lies ahead.
New products that raise the bar in terms of flexibility and capability, matched by investment in our people are twin commitments that we trust to take us into the next 75 years.

One stop shop for secure power solutions
Dale continues to expand on a global scale with an exciting range of new products aimed at consolidating our position as leading provider of secure power solutions and related services, both in the UK and overseas. We are driven by the energy, integrity, technical excellence, teamwork and innovation of our employees.
Our “one stop shop” approach offers a complete secure power solution tailored to clients’ requirements. Products include diesel generating sets, gas turbine, industrial UPS, standard UPS, DC systems, batteries, along with worldwide service, commissioning and maintenance and a range of ancillary products and services.

Raising the bar in containerised generating sets – winning great acclaim
Our Secure Series of containerised generators was launched at the end of 2009 and due to its immediate success the range has now been expanded. New for 2010, the Secure Series now features three concepts: the SecureE, the SecureC and the Secure+.

The new SecureE is fully configurable with a range of options and is available in either a 20ft or 40ft HC shipping container. Suitable for a wide range of applications globally, with a noise level of 85dbA at 1m and high ambient radiators for operation in 50oC ambient, the SecureE offers a cost-effective, modular design for maximum flexibility.
The original SecureC offers more power and flexibility at 1600kVA, and sets new parameters for flexible, off-the-shelf containerised generator sets in a 20ft unit. Extra power offers greater variety of application and use, breaking the mould for units of this size. Step loads of up to 800kW provide total flexibility. The SecureC offers up to 25% more step load capability than other leading competitors to handle the most demanding of situations and applications.
The Secure+ is super quiet at 75dbA at 1m and has a large capacity, 48-hour fuel tank. The robust design offers synchronising capabilities generator-generator or generator-mains. The Secure+ is designed for mobility on UK roads at <44 tonnes gvw in a 40ft HC shipping container.

Reliable power when you need it
We pride ourselves on providing guaranteed power back-up against that moment when an interruption to the power supply could have dire operational or financial consequences. The world-renowned Erskine brand power solution provides continuous clean power, with our products protecting critical loads in the most demanding and at times harshest of global environments – from hospital operating theatres to oil platforms in the desert.

Dale is continuously seeking new markets across the world and expects continuing strong demand to come from the petrochemical industry, already a key sector for UPS and DC products. Dale has developed a new product range of standard UPS systems alongside its Erskine branded industrial UPS products. Designed specifically to work with its range of generator sets to provide an integrated solution and guarantee continuous power to its customers is the E Series UPS. Available with single phase ups with an output range of 1kVA–20kVA, rackmount ups systems and three phase ups output range of 10kVA–400kVA. Features include internal failsafe bypass, extended run times, and high input power factor. With maximum reliability and power availability you can connect several units in parallel. The E Series has multi-language touch screen displays, remote monitoring, an advanced IGBT rectifier, back-feed protection and is configurable for redundancy. A modular approach to system design includes hot-swappable modules ensuring maximum up time. Your power solution lifecycle is totally flexible with ease of maintenance and expandability.
Our role as one of the leading and largest industrial battery providers in the UK completes the picture. Whether you are looking for a battery for your generator or secure power equipment, a service and maintenance package or battery disposal and recycling services your requirements will be met and guaranteed by our technical excellence.

Downtime prevention
Our integrated UPS and generator solutions provide “no-break” power, saving you from costly outages and downtime. Our systems are carefully designed to ensure dynamic instability does not occur due to differing speeds of control loops used for engine speed, alternator automatic voltage regulator and UPS rectifier/charger.

Your power, in safe hands
A new range of service products is also in the pipeline, an area of the marketplace where Dale’s vast technical background and expertise has already made it a global name. Comprehensive service and maintenance, drawing on a team of more than 80 service personnel, helps key clients worldwide protect and prolong the life of their products.

Keeping your power secure for that crucial moment means providing 24 hour, seven days a week, 365 days per year cover. From your first call to Dale Power Solutions your power is in safe hands. Service and maintenance support is tailored to your needs for the lifetime of your equipment. Whether you require planned, preventative maintenance cover, a one off service visit, a breakdown call out, or our total power solution management service, we meet your needs.

The future
Where will the next 75 years take us? Looking ahead, the company’s business plan is to achieve continued growth, driven through increasing sales in existing and new markets, on a worldwide basis. It is also keeping an eye on the future and where the next generation of “green” products will emerge from.

“We are constantly looking for opportunities to develop new products, to increase our offering to our customer base and develop new markets,” Mr Wilkins added.

Now part of the Secure Power Division of the TT electronics group of companies, each year we supply more than 3,000 generator and UPS systems worldwide and service more than 4,000 generator sets and UPS systems. The company has sales and service offices in Aberdeen, London and Swindon and in Brazil, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.

Not a bad return on an investment of 11s 8d in 1935!

Dale Power Solutions

The Dale-Online Web Site is now live and can supply your UPS System direct from stock on a next working day basis. The product range encompasses stand alone systems from 1KVA to 10KVA. The E200 series is available in 1,2,3,6 and 10KVA free standing versions, all with LCD display. A rack/tower convertible version is also available in 1,2 and 3KVA sizes.

The 6 & 10KVA systems have the unique removable bypass facility, negating the requirement for an external bypass switch. The module can simply be taken out of the back of the UPS to facilitate servicing, leaving no exposed conductors. In addition, the 6&10KVA models can be paralleled to provide additional capacity or redundancy.

High runtime can be achieved with the E200E and E200RE series product range, that has no internal batteries but instead contains a large battery charger to allow connection of high capacity battery strings of over 100Ah.

Products are in stock now and are despatched on a next working day basis. See http://www.dale-online.co.uk

There are 3 main UPS technologies – Offline, Line Interactive and Online Double Conversion – and two different types of inverter – square wave (also called pseudo-sine wave or modified sine wave) and sine-wave.

An Offline UPS provides basic levels of power protection. There is usually a degree of surge suppression incorporated and when the input mains voltage goes out of tolerance (that is too high/low or fails) the UPS inverter starts up and provides power to your equipment. There is a break in the mains supply when this occurs in the region of 10-20 thousands of a second which will generally go unnoticed by the majority of equipment. The inverter in offline UPS is nearly almost always a square wave.

A line interactive UPS is similar to an offline UPS but has the added benefit of voltage regulation. This means that it will reduce the mains voltage if it goes too high (called “buck”) or raise the mains voltage when it goes too low (called “boost”). It will do this without reverting to battery and hence conserve battery life. Since a line interactive UPS has an inline transformer, it also provides in-built filtering and hence a higher degree of power protection. Like the offline types, there is also a break during the transition from mains power to battery power. In higher quality line interactive units, this break may be as low as only 2 to 4 thousandths of a second. Line Interactive UPS Systems come with square wave as well as sine wave inverters.

The online double conversion UPS System is considered by many to provide the highest levels of power protection. The inverter is always on, and provides power to the load. This means that there is no deviation in output voltage and no break if the UPS reverts to battery power. The output waveform in an online UPS System will almost always be a sine-wave, generally of very high quality and can enhance the operation of certain equipment. An online double conversion UPS also has a bypass circuit, which allows power to be continually fed to your load even if the UPS develops a fault or is overloaded.

In choosing your technology you need to consider:

1. The power consumption of your load
2. The type of load you have
3. How critical your load is
4. The environment in which the UPS will sit
5. The required runtime
6. Your budget

Your normal UK socket outlet is rated at 13Amps which means the most power you can draw from a UK outlet is 3KVA, or 3KW. (Power Measurement will be covered in a separate paper). Above this level (for specialist equipment, or hardwired installations) most UPS will be online double conversion technology as the economies of scale start making other technologies non cost effective. Below this level, however all technologies are available, although above around 2KVA, line interactive systems start to become heavy and unwieldy due to the size of transformer that is required.

If your load is made up of computer type power supplies, then both square wave and sine wave products will power this equipment adequately. If your load contains motors, transformers, pumps or other inductive components (on the input power supply) then square wave systems are not suitable and you must opt for a sine-wave system.

Any load that is susceptible to mains disturbances such as in analytical equipment or audio applications should also choose a sine-wave system. Where mains distortions affect equipment performance then you need to opt for online double conversion where a pure sine-wave is always present.

If your load is critical for operation then the increased benefit of online double conversion technology should be used. This provides additional security against all power disturbances as well as the comfort of a fall-back bypass in case a fault develops with the UPS. You may wish to parallel together UPS and again, this can only be achieved with online double conversion UPS. (We’ll cover parallel systems and redundancy in a separate paper). If you have a PC where you are looking for simple battery backup to stop annoyance rebooting or tripping then an offline or line interactive unit would suffice.

Offline and line interactive UPS Systems are generally quiet in operation and do not utilise cooling fans in normal operation (usually). This means they are suitable to be placed in an office or home environment. Online Double Conversion UPS systems require forced cooling and can be quite noisy and therefore tend not to be suitable for use in an office environment.

If you are running your UPS in conjunction with an emergency backup generator then the benefits of online double conversion technology come to the fore, as the UPS will cover for any transition to generator operation and also provide a constant unchanging power source during generator start up and any shifts that may occur in frequency and or voltage during load switching.

Offline UPS tend to be the smallest of all technologies so can be useful to provide emergency ride through for areas where space is at a premium.

Long runtimes on UPS are better handled with online UPS Systems. This is because they are designed to operate continually from the inverter. In which case it does not matter if the input power is from the rectifier or the battery – the operation is the same. Offline and Line Interactive units tend not to be designed for this continuous operation. (Battery selection and runtime will be covered in a separate paper.) It is also unwise to power any equipment with a square wave inverter for any prolonged period of time as you could cause degradation to electronic components. Square wave systems are designed to allow basic computer systems to ride through brief power outages or time to shut down a system in the event of a prolonged power cut.

You may have already made up your mind which technology you need, but let’s take a look at relative costs. Offline UPS systems used to be by far the cheapest. However nowadays an offline UPS and a line interactive square wave unit are typically similar prices. Online Double Conversion used to be far more expensive than other technologies, but now is comparable to a high quality sine-wave line interactive UPS.

With regard to running costs, the offline UPS is the most efficient as in normal operation the input power goes straight through to the load, so the only power loss is to keep the battery float charged and power the UPS logic. Line Interactive units are similar in efficiency but experience more losses due to the transformer required for the buck and boost facility. Online Double Conversion however, has the drawback of being the least efficient of the technologies.

In summary, for simple low cost battery backup then the offline or line interactive square wave systems are suitable. For high grade protection in a quiet environment, or where your load type demands it, opt for a sine-wave line interactive unit. However, if you want the best power solution, then we recommend online double conversion technology as it is compatible with all load types and provides the highest degrees of power protection.

The first paper is available to view online now at www.dale-online.co.uk/help.php, and further papers will be added when released, so check back regularly for the full series.

Our new Dell PoweEdge Server contains a Quad Core Intel Xeon processor with 12GB RAM, 2x750GB hard drives in Raid configuration. Access times are improved with a fast 100MBS port with increased bandwidth. Of course the system is protected by a 2N+1 Uninterruptible Power Supply.

We’ll be migrating some further sites over the course of the next few months, but at present our main sites including UPSMart for single phase SOHO UPS Systems and battery backup and our exclusive Dale Power Solutions online portal for Dales’ highly competitive online UPS Systems are all hosted on the new system.

A power cut hit West London on Wednesday just seconds before England scored against Slovenia to put them through to the last 16, ensuring that thousands of fans (including the unfortunate Declan Donnonly) missed the all important goal. Even those who were at work and had Sky+ recording it would find when they got home that the recording hadn’t taken place. It just goes to show that when people say that they never get power cuts, one comes along right at the worst possible time.

And it all could have been avoided with a low cost UPS System starting from as little as £49, and with long runtime units capable of supporting all your AV needs for hours on end if need be, Power Inspired have an Uninterruptible Power Supply solution to make sure you don’t miss that all important goal. Not to mention the landlord of the pubs revenue stream gone up in smoke as the punters all head out for somewhere with power – or a UPS!

You can read more about the unfortunate Dec here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10396861.stm

Power Inspired’s Tony Bell states “We’re delighted with the way our VIX series UPS System has performed. It’s a highly reliable Battery Backup system designed for home PC’s and small workstations. It sums up what we are about – providing power protection products at a fraction of traditional prices that do exactly the job that you need them to do. We had a number manufactured but demand caught us unaware and we quickly sold out. We’ve recently just taken delivery of our next batch and we look forward to meeting the existing demand for this popular product.”

The VIX series is only one piece of the jigsaw. Tony adds “Moving forward from the VIX series we have a new range of line interactive sine-wave products coming very soon, for more professional applications, and our new range of online double conversion products is absolutely superb – designed especially for high-end IT applications.”

Power Inspired’s product range is complimented by the range of online double conversion UPS Systems from Dale Power Solutions. “The Dale products compliments our own range and allows us to fill the gaps where we are missing in some key areas – in the standard online UPS requirements and higher powered devices including three phase products. We can now supply everything, including three phase products directly from stock”.

Studio 3000 AC ReGenerator

Oxford based Power Inspired have launched the Studio 3000 , an Uninterruptible Power Supply designed exclusively for the professional recording studio. The Studio 3000 provides the highest degrees of power protection, coupled with battery backup and enhances the operation of recording equipment and extends equipment life.

“Not only is the Studio 3000 the ideal power protection solution, protecting sensitive equipment from all power anomalies, the output power is a pure sine-wave and the voltage is completely stable and can be adjusted from 208V-240V”, says Power Inspired’s Tony Bell, “this is essential for prolonging the lifespan of the components in the console. Capacitors are vulnerable to overvoltages and transients and are stressed over time. The Studio3000 ensures that equipment is supplied with nothing but the best power supply thereby maximising equipment life.”

“The fact that the output voltage can be adjusted means that the system is ideal as a power source for legacy European equipment that was designed to operate on 220V and may be unduly stressed at the typical 240V seen in the UK. In addition, since the device is a perfect AC ReGenerator the output frequency can be adjusted to 60Hz enabling 208V US Equipment to be powered. What you get is a pure power supply of the voltage and frequency that you want coupled with Battery Backup.”

In addition to providing the ideal power source there are other issues to contend with. Tony Bell continues “One of the design challenges was the powering up of equipment in sequence. In the recording studio certain equipment needs to be on before others. The programmable outlets on the Studio 3000 solve this issue. When the UPS is switched on, the main power is provided, but there are two further power banks that can be programmed to come on after set delays, allowing for the sequential power up of up to 3 load banks.”

“Furthermore, the design of the Studio 3000 is such that it can be housed in a 19″ cabinet, occupying no more than 2U of rack height, or can be free standing. It’s 3KVA or 2.4KW rating means the system is capable of delivering more than the power requirements of a typical console. What’s more the system is provided with several means of communication with attached computers – RS232, USB and an internal SNMP card, and the software used is compatible with MAC OS.”

The Studio 3000 is available exclusively direct from Power Inspired.

The VIX provides everything you need for a simple low cost power protection solution including surge supression, Voltage Regulation and of course battery backup. The unit is simple to operate and comes complete with PC shutdown software that is connected via USB, so you can rest assured you will not lose any data if you have a power cut whilst you are away from your desk (or busy scrambling around in the dark for a torch).

VIX2060 Uninterruptible Power Supply - Bargain.

Dale Power Solutions

Dale Power Solutions have chosen Power Inspired as their official online retailer for single phase and small three phase products. All Dale UPS Systems are online double conversion topology, providing the highest levels of power protection and coupled with 75 years of Dale Engineering expertise the E-Series of UPS Systems provide one of the highest quality power protection solutions around.

Available in tower format from 1-3KVA pluggable, and 6&10KVA hardwired. The E206 and E210 series have a unique removable bypass saving money on installation costs and improving service availability. Available to purchase through www.powerinspired.com , http://upsmart.co.uk, and the dedicated Dale online webstore: www.dale-online.co.uk

Products are available in stock and despatched through a next day courier, so you can order today and have it tomorrow.