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All colleagues unite and focus their efforts to write a new chapter of developmentCommon Quality Issues with Power Adapters and Corresponding Solutions
所属分类： Industry News
发布时间：2020-06-12
With the advancement of technology and the steady improvement in living standards, coupled with the widespread use of power adapters, these devices have become deeply embedded in our daily lives, serving as a common means of power conversion. Consequently, their safety performance directly impacts the personal safety of users. Moreover, as technology continues to evolve, market competition intensifies, and government authorities impose stricter oversight, small enterprises—characterized by limited production scale, inadequate technical capabilities, outdated equipment, and insufficient R&D resources—are gradually being phased out, while the share of medium- and large-sized companies is steadily increasing. Nevertheless, at present in China, power adapter manufacturers are still predominantly small-scale, and some clandestine, artisanal workshops even persist. The quality of products from such operations is cause for serious concern, and power adapters are no exception. Today, we’ll provide an overview of… Power adapter Common measures for addressing quality issues.
A power adapter is a commonly used power‑conversion device, and its safety performance directly affects the personal safety of users. This article analyzes the quality issues with power adapters as revealed by recent supervisory sampling inspections.
1. The heating under normal operating conditions does not meet the requirements.
The function of a power adapter is to step voltage. During this voltage conversion, energy losses occur, resulting in the consumption of a portion of electrical energy. This electrical energy is converted into heat; some of it is dissipated into the surrounding environment through radiation, convection, and conduction, while the remainder is absorbed by the adapter itself, causing its temperature to rise. The thermal‑resistance characteristics of insulating materials indicate that when the internal temperature of a device exceeds a certain threshold, the insulation degrades rapidly, shortening the product’s service life and compromising its safety performance. Therefore, to ensure safe and reliable operation, the power adapter’s temperature must be kept within an appropriate range during normal use.
Excessive temperature rise in power adapters under normal operating conditions is a widespread issue. As leading global IT vendors, Compaq and Apple have both announced worldwide recalls and replacements of AC adapters for certain laptop models, citing the risk of fire due to overheating during operation.
During supervisory spot checks, it was found that, under normal operating conditions, some products exhibit excessively high temperature rises in their printed circuit boards and transformer windings, posing significant safety risks. As consumers, you should closely monitor the product’s temperature rise during use. The simplest and most practical approach is to measure the temperature of the product’s enclosure while it is in operation: the difference between the power adapter’s case temperature and the ambient room temperature should not exceed 60°C. Even in hot summer conditions when the ambient temperature reaches 35°C, the case temperature must remain below 95°C. If you notice an abnormally high temperature rise, discontinue use immediately.
2. The product poses safety risks in the event of a short circuit or overload.
Under fault conditions such as output short circuits or short circuits in components like capacitors or diodes, the internal losses of the power adapter increase sharply, leading to elevated temperature rises in various parts. The design and application of electronic circuits must ensure that, under abnormal operating and fault conditions, the temperature rise at all points of the product does not exceed the specified limits, and that there is no risk of igniting surrounding materials. Although the power adapter may sustain damage under fault conditions, its safety performance must remain intact.
A common issue in random inspections is that products fail to meet requirements under abnormal operating and fault conditions. Under fault conditions, the enclosure temperature of some products exceeds 150°C, leading to softening of the housing and a significant reduction in product safety performance.
3. Product labeling is incomplete or non-compliant.
Labels shall include critical information to guide users in proper installation and use; correctly marked products are one of the fundamental measures for ensuring user safety and property protection. Labeling must be durable and highly visible; after normal use, labels should not peel off, and the printed content must remain legible and easy to clean. Products sold domestically are required to bear simplified Chinese markings that at a minimum include: the name of the manufacturer or distributor, along with its trademark or identifying mark; the model designation or model specifications; the nature of the power supply; and the rated voltage range. If this information is incomplete, it may fail to provide adequate guidance for consumers, and in some cases could even lead to improper use that damages connected electronic equipment. Common issues include the absence of Chinese labeling, missing manufacturer names or trademarks, or omission of model designations and specifications.
4. Non-standard power plug
China’s regulations stipulate that household single-phase power plugs come in two types: two‑pole ungrounded and two‑pole grounded. During use, the plug must prevent single‑pole insertion—specifically, when any one prong of the plug is engaged with the live socket contact, the other prongs must not be in an easily accessible position. In spot checks, instances of excessively long prongs were identified; such elongation increases the risk of electric shock during insertion and removal. Additionally, non‑compliant plug shapes are also frequently observed. Because these plugs are incompatible with the sockets used in China, they likewise pose a significant risk of electric shock to users.
Power adapters are subject to national regulations.
3C Certification The aforementioned quality issues with the products are primarily attributable to some companies’ incomplete and inaccurate understanding of safety standards, as well as unreasonable product structural designs that lead to cost‑cutting measures and material substitutions—key factors contributing to the non‑compliance of certain items. Shenzhen Suoyuan Technology Co., Ltd. is a national high‑tech enterprise specializing in the development, manufacturing, and sales of switching power supplies, power adapters, chargers, power boards, LED power supplies, and other electronic products. Our products have obtained certifications including UL, CUL, ETL, CE, GS, CB, CCC, PSE, SAA, FCC, and KC, and are exported worldwide. We welcome your inquiries and visits.