Safe handling of AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount Part 4: “Do not drop it”

What happens if you drop a precision device like an AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount? We provide information on how to handle the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount safely. In Part 4, we focus on the theme “Do not drop it.”

AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount “Don't Do It!” Series Vol. 4: “Don’t Drop It!”

Among the investigations requested by customers, there have been cases where malfunctions were believed to be caused by the product being dropped during use.

Our AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount, unless otherwise specified by the customer, complies with IEC60950-4.2.6 in terms of mechanical strength against drops.

An outline of our drop test based on IEC60950-4.2.6 is as follows:

• Height: 75cm for desktop-type devices (INLET), 100cm for direct plug-in (PLUG)
• Floor: Three 51~53mm thick plywood boards layered and firmly fixed to the floor
• Pass criteria: “The case does not open after dropping,” “Withstands dielectric strength test,” “Output functions normally,” “No peeling or cracks on the circuit board pattern,” etc.

Previously, there were repeated defects believed to be caused by impact from drops in the same product used by the same customer. Upon reevaluating the usage environment with the customer, we found that our AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount was being set up and taken down each time as part of the power source for school equipment… This clarified things significantly.

In modern classrooms, floors are often covered with P-tiles (vinyl chloride-based flooring) which are harder than the plywood used in drop tests, and if the product repeatedly slips from children’s hands… well, even children can drop it from heights over 100cm, potentially subjecting it to drop conditions more severe than required by the standards.

Saying, “It’s used under tougher conditions than the drop test standard, so failure is unavoidable...” would be no help!! So, we reinforced the areas with frequent failures, and as a result, the occurrence of similar issues drastically decreased.

The pass/fail result of a drop test is determined based only on the damage from that single test. However, under actual usage, there is the possibility of stress that exceeds the conditions or number of drops in the standard. Therefore, we recommend that customers evaluate the performance of our AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount in their actual usage environments, including electrical characteristics, prior to use.

That said, it goes without saying that taking care not to drop the AC/DC Power Adapters — Desktop & Wall-Mount is of utmost importance…

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