The medical equipment field is a global growth industry, and as market competition intensifies, product prices are falling. In order to survive in this situation, not only in Japan but also in global competition, including in India, China, and other Asian countries, it is essential to differentiate ourselves from low-priced products and pursue added value that meets various needs.
Company C, which manufactures and sells various medical and scientific equipment, had received complaints from users about the "noise" of their ultrasound diagnostic equipment. Mr. K, the company's design manager, said the following:
"Ultrasound diagnostic equipment is often used in dark environments. In dark places, the noise emitted by the equipment can be unpleasant to the ears of patients and cause stress. In addition, patients may be mentally unstable during treatment, so this noise can increase their anxiety."
The main causes of the noise were the wind noise of the fan installed to cool the device and the "chirping" switching noise that can be heard when rotating at low speeds. There is also a possibility that the noise is increasing due to resonance between the fan and the device.
*For more information on fan noise, see Knowledge Fan Basics: Fan Noise and Sound Pressure Levels
Company C quickly began improving its equipment.
"This model used two fans, one for cooling the power supply and one for exchanging air with the outside of the case.
In recent years, the packaging density of the boards used has increased as equipment has become more compact, resulting in greater heat than ever before. In order to reduce noise, we cannot sacrifice cooling performance. If we could overcome this challenge and achieve both "ensuring sufficient cooling performance" and "reducing noise," we hoped that this would be a major differentiation from the competition.
However, it was difficult to find a fan that could maintain airflow while also being quiet and low-vibration..." (Mr. K)
Mr. K was searching for the perfect fan through fan manufacturers both in Japan and overseas when he happened to contact a sales representative from SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. who told him, "We have a low-noise, low-vibration fan," and he found the clue to his solution.
A few days later, the SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. representative visited Company C and presented the design department staff with a sample of the "DC Cooling Fan" he had brought with him. Mr. K was very interested and decided to hear more about it.
"Because our fans are characterized by their low noise level, by installing them in devices where the fan noise could adversely affect the performance of the device, such as electronic devices and audio equipment that are used for long periods of time near people, we can reduce noise while still maintaining sufficient airflow.
The feature of being able to reduce noise while maintaining the same airflow as a normal fan was exactly what we were looking for. We were able to sufficiently cool the equipment while suppressing wind noise and vibration.
I was also surprised at how little switching noise was generated during rotation. It was barely audible to my ears, but I could clearly hear the difference compared to conventional fans.
The final deciding factor was the sound we actually heard with our own ears. We tried several fans that were comparable in sound pressure level according to the specifications, but in the end we decided to use SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. Denki fan, which has a good tone and is pleasant to the ears." (Mr. K)
After testing, Company C determined that it was possible to reduce noise and soon decided to adopt SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. 's "DC Cooling Fan."
SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. also proposed PWM control function, which made the equipment even quieter and reduced power consumption during standby. They also customized the motors by attaching connectors and changing the length of the lead wires, and were able to fulfill the thousands of motors ordered in a short time frame. Mr. K had this to say about the adoption:
"Thanks to their thorough support, we were able to achieve the quiet operation we expected with the new model and meet the need to minimize stress for patients during examinations. We were also able to achieve low power consumption, which differentiated us from other companies. We were also able to get a delivery date that was much shorter than other companies, which was a great help." (Mr. K)
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