According to a survey by the Japanese Bankers Association, most users of regional and second-tier regional banks appreciate the large number of ATMs nearby and their contribution to the local community. ATMs are one of the most important infrastructure supporting the daily lives of citizens, and ATM manufacturers are required to provide a safe and secure environment for cash withdrawal at any time.
Q Bank is a regional bank based in the Kansai region in Japan. The bank installed uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) at each of its branches to back up ATMs as a countermeasure against power outages caused by disasters. Recently, some of the branches were performing maintenance work on UPSs that were nearing the end of their useful life, but there had been complaints about this UPS from the field for some time. Ms. E, manager of the bank's administration department, shared her challenges:
"The lead-acid batteries needed to be replaced every few years, and each time this required a lot of maintenance work, but we were not well supported by the manufacturer. The cost of purchasing replacement battery packs was also an issue."
Q Bank has several hundred branches, and each area has its own department in charge of measures for power outages. Ms. E's department is also responsible for the operation and model selection of UPSs for several dozen branches.
"ATMs are one of the main infrastructure for customers in their community, and it is essential to be able to respond to any unforeseen circumstances. Although the support of the manufacturer is important to maintain the quality of the battery, it was not sufficient, and we had to consider replacing it with an alternative manufacturer," she said.
Seeking a solution, Ms. E contacted a distributor with whom she had previously worked together, and was introduced to SANYO DENKI.
"Several of our branches had already been using SANYO DENKI's UPSs. They told me that they were very satisfied with their support, so I immediately asked them to contact me." A SANYO DENKI representative who visited Ms. E listened carefully to her issues, and proposed the SANUPS A11K-Li, a double conversion online UPS with lithium-ion batteries.
"They explained that the lithium-ion battery type eliminates the need for battery replacement*1 and reduces maintenance work. Although the initial cost is higher than with the conventional lead-acid battery, there are no additional costs for purchasing or replacing the battery packs, so we concluded that it is appealing to use the SANUPS A11K-Li,"she said.
*1: Our conventional UPSs using lead-acid batteries require battery replacement about every 5 years. Thanks to lithium-ion batteries, this UPS doesn't require battery replacement for 10 years.
To help determine the feasibility of introducing the UPS, Ms. E also contacted the person responsible in other areas who had been using SANYO DENKI's UPSs to hear his opinion.
"He said that the power supply of the ATM has been stable for 10 years since its introduction, and that he feels secure thanks to the annual periodic inspections and other support services*2. This input was a great boost to our decision to adopt them," said Ms. E.
Soon after, Q Bank officially decided to replace the UPSs in their 3 branches with SANUPS A11K-Li.
"We made a comprehensive judgment based on the overall merits of the product, including its high performance with a wide input voltage range*3 and reduced maintenance workload. It was also welcomed from the field because the battery capacity was less than the 4800 Ah cell required by the Fire Prevention Ordinance, and therefore did not require any application."
After 2 years, the UPS continues to operate without any problems, as initially expected. Ms. E has decided to introduce the UPS in 11 additional branches in her area, and is considering installing them in 6 more branches, with plans to continually expand the number of branches in the future.
"We have been highly appreciated from the field because battery replacement is no longer necessary, thereby reducing maintenance time and costs. And, we are also very pleased with the excellent support we have received from SANYO DENKI," said Ms. E in a delighted tone.
*2: To keep SANUPS functioning at its best at all times, we offer a variety of on-site maintenance services tailored to our customers' needs. Contact us for details.
*3: Rated voltage -40% to +20% when load level is less than 70%, Rated voltage -20% to +20% when load level is over 70%.
Date of publication: June 17, 2022
