Focusing on Stable Energy Supply with Uninterruptible Power Supply Solutions

Schneider Electric has announced plans to actively expand the supply of key equipment and technologies in line with semiconductor market growth.

This business expansion by Schneider Electric represents a strategic reinforcement following the unprecedented semiconductor boom that has continued since 2017. On the 3rd, the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) also released the 'SEMI Global Fab Outlook,' predicting that global semiconductor fab equipment investment in 2018 will reach a record high of $63 billion. Korean companies are expected to lead such investment, with high-level equipment investment planned to match increased semiconductor demand and strong memory pricing.

Schneider Electric focuses on uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems that reliably supply power for a certain duration, taking into account the significant damage caused by power outages or electrical equipment failures in semiconductor factories and industrial sites. This solution, applicable to buildings, data centers, and industrial facilities overall, is one of the essential equipment in semiconductor factories. Semiconductor factories have traditionally placed high importance on UPS in their facility equipment, focusing on stable energy supply and investment in highly reliable products.

Schneider Electric supplies UPS to industrial sites worldwide and provides services, possessing know-how accumulated over decades and optimized solutions. Currently, Schneider Electric holds a 40% share of the global UPS market. A particularly distinctive feature of Schneider Electric UPS is that a malfunctioning UPS is automatically isolated, having no impact on normal UPS units. Additionally, continuous and intensive service by professional service engineers is available, while globally standardized product supply ensures high reliability.

Schneider Electric Korea has recently launched Galaxy VX, a large-capacity UPS that meets the requirements of the domestic semiconductor market and industrial sites based on such solutions. This is designed for data centers and industrial applications of all scales, enabling efficient high-density power protection. Galaxy VX, which applies specific voltage specifications of industrial environments and uses long-lasting components, has innovatively achieved high reliability and stability based on core-distributed control and inter-core optical communication technology. Additionally, Schneider Electric's proprietary Econversion technology, a next-generation operating mode, is applied to provide up to 99% efficiency, realizing optimization of infrastructure operation costs.

Furthermore, Schneider Electric provides power measurement solutions by adding temperature and humidity monitoring to general motor protection relay (EOCR) functions, serving as the foundation for preventive maintenance and energy savings of motors in semiconductor and industrial sites. The recently launched 'Smart IoT EOCR' supports 4-20mA output in addition to the existing smart protection relay functionality and, through built-in temperature and humidity sensors, not only provides motor protection functions but also enables monitoring of temperature and humidity, external temperature, and various ambient environments and conditions through analog input sensors. Ethernet communication is also applied to measure data in real-time and provide dedicated monitoring software, delivering an efficient total motor management solution.

Baek Han-seung, Strategic Account Director at Schneider Electric Korea, stated, "As the growth momentum of the semiconductor market becomes increasingly apparent, equipment investment capable of safely managing existing facilities is becoming more important." He emphasized, "In response, Schneider Electric provides various solutions with expanded options. Given the nature of the semiconductor industry where all work must be restarted from the beginning if production lines are halted, we emphasize UPS systems that prevent massive losses during power outages. Schneider Electric's Galaxy VX UPS can be regarded as an ideal product with flexible operating modes that optimize industrial sites."