Custom Vs Standard: Which Option is Right for Your Transformer

Cost plays a significant role when selecting a transformer, especially if the application has a fixed or target budget. In this case, a standard transformer is often the best solution here as they are typically lower in cost thanks to large production volume. Their lower unit cost is rarely possible with a single, low volume custom product. Simple economies of scale.

Lower upfront investment is another driver for choosing standard parts. For instance, custom products can often require a nonrecurring engineering expense (NRE) such as required tooling. These costs are typically paid upfront by a customer. Additionally, there may be a minimum order quantity to cover NRE, or unique raw materials and production set up costs. Standard products rarely require these.

Furthermore, standard products have typically already been evaluated by safety agencies like Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and Technischer Überwachungsverein (TÜV) for specific applications. The transformer manufacturer pays for this and amortizes the cost across the entire customer base. Using transformers already evaluated by safety agencies saves the OEM considerable time and expense when their equipment is evaluated by those same agencies.

But don’t discount Custom at this point: NREs and MOQs can easily be justified if annual volume is relatively high and production life is long term. Additionally, another option to consider is making custom modifications to standard transformers to meet unique requirements. This translates to some increased cost due to additional efforts, expertise and materials, but may not be as expensive as starting the design process from scratch.

Along with cost, timeline requirements are another pivotal factor affecting transformer choice. On a tight deadline, a standard transformer is almost always the best option. You’ll find thousands of off-the-shelf products at Triad ready to ship. What’s more, standard products are generally available for next day delivery from electronic distributors.

However, if your timeline is a bit more flexible and your specifications require a unique design, custom transformers are worth considering. The tradeoff being, that ideal solution will come a little less immediately.

In contacting a company to request a custom transformer, it will take time to understand your specific requirements, provide various design services, develop prototypes and build a finished product. Transformer design requires hours of engineering time to understand the electrical, mechanical and safety requirements of a unique application. Additionally, our design team works with consideration of your priorities, whether they be price, performance, size, reliability level or a combination of these. This approach requires more time than simply dropping in something off the shelf. There are also design trade-offs that impact all these factors.

If your application requires optimal configuration, a custom transformer will almost always produce the greatest results. The most effective transformer will have the highest degree of design consideration applied to its performance, dimensions and terminations. Our engineers – who work closely with our customers – have extensive knowledge of materials and years of experience with finding solutions for problems both straightforward and those somewhat more challenging.

In this situation, standard transformers may offer an adequate solution, but may not provide the absolute best performance for your specific application. For example, a standard transformer may not meet your dimensional requirements. All necessary considerations can be discussed with our team to determine an appropriate solution.

Standard transformers are proven mature designs with a history of quality performance. They can be used in applications such as:

• Audio & Sound Equipment
• Food & Beverage
• Industrial and Commercial Equipment
• Medical Equipment
• Power Conversion
• Renewable Energy
• Transportation

Custom transformers can serve similar applications to standard transformers; however, they are ideal for unique or specialized applications.

Some of the most common custom specifications on different applications include:

• Power ratings from 0.010VA to 30 kVA
• Unusual winding configurations
• Frequency ratings from 20 Hz to 1 MHz
• UL insulation system ratings of 130–220° C
• Core shapes such as traditional EE, EI, EP, ER, toroidal, Pot Core, and UI shapes
• Core materials, including grain-oriented steel, iron powder, nickel and ferrite
• Custom tooled laminations and core shapes for unique applications