Electronics Protection - September/October 2011 - (Page 26)

Industry News Global Market for Thermal Interface Materials to Be Worth $627 Million in 2016 BBC Research estimates, in its report “Thermal Interface Materials: Technologies, Applications and Global Markets”, that the global market value of thermal interface materials is forecast to be $426 million in 2011, and is projected to reach nearly $627 million by 2016 at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8 percent. The global market for thermal interface materials can be broken down into three segments. The largest segment, made up of polymer-based materials, is projected to be worth $373 million in 2011, and should grow to $549 million by 2016 at a CAGR of 8.1 percent. The segment made up of metallic or metal-based materials should be valued at $39.5 million in 2011, and by 2016 should reach $53.8 million at a CAGR of 6.4 percent. The smallest segment, made up of phase-change materials, should be valued at $13.4 million in 2011, and by 2016 should increase to $23.7 million at a CAGR of 12.1 percent. For thermal-based materials, two main technological advances are driving projected growth over the next five years. Increased functionality on a single-device unit and the miniaturization of each unit are causing the increase in demand for these materials. Last year, the two largest end-use segments for thermal interface materials were computers, followed by industrial/military equipment. Over the next five years, however, they are expected to lose market share to three other segments: automotive, consumer product and medical/office equipment. A 2010 Ponemon Institute study surveyed more than 450 U.S.based data center professionals and focused on the root causes and frequency of data center downtime. Regarding the frequency of outages, respondents experienced 2.5 complete data center outages during the past two years. Partial data center outages, or those limited to certain racks, occurred 6.8 times in the same timeframe. The estimated number of device-level outages, or those limited to individual servers, was the highest at 11.3. The Emerging Smart Grid Will Drive AC-DC Power Supply Market Data center downtime comes with a steep price tag, costing businesses more than $5,000 per minute according to a new Ponemon Institute study of US based data centers. Emerson Network Power released a report titled “Understanding the Cost of Data Center Downtime: An Analysis of the Financial Impact of Infrastructure Vulnerability” that reveals and analyzes the financial impact of infrastructure vulnerability. The report was based on a new Ponemon Institute study, “Calculating the Cost of Data Center Outages”, which analyzed costs at 41 data centers across varying industry segments with a minimum size of 2,500 square feet, to identify the costs of data center downtime. The report based on this study provides an analysis of the direct, indirect and opportunity costs from data center outages, including damage to mission-critical data, impact of downtime on organizational productivity, legal and regulatory repercussions, and lost confidence and trust among key stakeholders. It also examines how power, cooling, monitoring and service inadequacies can contribute to a facility’s risk. According to the report, the average cost of data center downtime across industries was approximately $5,600 per minute. The average reported incident length was 90 minutes, resulting in average cost per incident of approximately $505,500. For a total data center outage, which had an average recovery time of 134 minutes, average costs were approximately $680,000. For a partial data center outage, which averaged 59 minutes in length, average costs were approximately $258,000. For enterprises with revenue models that depend on the data center’s ability to deliver IT and networking services to customers, such as telecommunications service providers and e-commerce companies, downtime can be particularly costly, with the highest cost of a single event topping $1 million. 26 Emerson Network Power, Ponemon Institute Study Quantifies Cost of Data Center Downtime The embedded ac-dc power supply market is facing an unprecedented number of opportunities. Driven by new applications such as the smart grid and solid-state lighting, ac-dc power supplies are undergoing a significant shift in demand characteristics that will result in new product designs and sales opportunities. These are discussed in detail in Darnell Group’s tenth edition report, AC-DC Power Supplies: Economic Factors, Application Drivers, Architecture/Packaging Trends, Technology and Regulatory Developments. The smart grid is expected to change the design of all types of electronic equipment. Although the power electronics used in the smart grid are still being defined, Darnell Group has identified several segments that are showing the greatest potential for power supply manufacturers: smart meters for monitoring residential electricity, water and gas, electric vehicle chargers and appliances that rely on demand response to adjust energy usage. Darnell has also identified certain applications that, although not new, are undergoing important changes. Building Automation Systems are a traditional industrial application that is slowly evolving as energy efficiency regulations and the smart grid take hold. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and lighting control have traditionally been separate systems, but next-generation BASs are looking at merging the two into more efficient, and less costly, designs. This will affect both the design and sales of embedded ac/dc power supplies. Another growth area is light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are expected to be at the forefront of solid-state lighting solutions. Power supplies used in LED-based lighting solutions are inherently different from the power supplies used in standard electronic systems. The emergence of ac-dc power supplies for LEDs will require power supply makers to focus on designs that are industrial-grade, rugged and can be used outdoors. These trends make it clear that embedded ac-dc power supplies are on the cusp of some potentially game changing scenarios. Power supply makers have reason to be optimistic, since even potential threats can point the way to alternative opportunities. This makes the long-term outlook for ac-dc power supplies very bright. Lytron Acquires Lydall Industrial Thermal Solutions, Inc. Lytron has completed the acquisition of Lydall Industrial Thermal Solutions, Inc. (Affinity) from Lydall, Inc. Affinity is a designer and manufacturer of high performance industrial chillers and liquid-to-liquid cooling systems for the semiconductor, laser and industrial markets. “The acquisition of Affinity will strengthen partnerships with new and existing customers, leveraging our complementary technologies, products, manufacturing capabilities and global coverage, said Craig Carswell, president and CEO. “Lytron Affinity’s product offering and expertise in low and high temperature chillers, systems that are compatible with dielectric fluids, rackmounted chillers and liquid cooling systems enhances Lytron’s September/October 2011 www.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com http://www.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electronics Protection - September/October 2011

Electronics Protection - September/October 2011
Contents
Crenlo Adds Rolling Transit Case to Lineup of Emcor Enclosures
Emerson Network Power Introduces Knurr DCM Enclosures for Nexus 7000 Series Switches
Evaluating the Opportunity for DC Power in the Data Center
An Update on Arc Flash: Revised Regulations and Best Practices Help Keep Workers Safe
Re-Designed Panelboards Proivde Savings for Hazardous Applications
MetCase Launches Retex Flat-Packed 19 Inch Wall Rack System
New SlimShield Two-Piece Board Level Shielding Offers Shield Heights Down to 0.060 inches
FrigoDynamics Launches Series of Two-Phase Heat Exchanger Coolers
Rogers Corp. Launches New Solutions for Thermal Management
SurgeX Space Savers Offer Maximum Protection with Minimum Footprint
Amphenol’s Expanded Neptune Connector Line Provide Better Environmental Protection
Industry News
Calendar of Events

Electronics Protection - September/October 2011