- 06. December 2024
- Intelligent Systems
Adaptable to standards around the world
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Various regulations apply to ambulances in different countries. In order to optimally meet the respective requirements, the renowned manufacturer B.A.U.S. AT equips its ambulances for the international market with power distributors and displays from Würth Elektronik ICS.
When accidents or internal medicine emergencies occur, it is often a matter of minutes: The patient must be taken to hospital as quickly as possible and receive first aid while travelling in the ambulance. ‘The functioning of the technology must be absolutely reliable in all respects,’ emphasises Uwe Baus, Managing Director for Purchasing and Technology at B.A.U.S. AT. ‘That's why we see ourselves as having a very special responsibility – towards our customers, but especially towards people who are dependent on functioning systems in an exceptional situation.’
Ambulances for the international market
Based in Łysomice, Poland, B.A.U.S. AT has been manufacturing ambulances, rescue vehicles, heavy-duty ambulances, baby ambulances, intensive care transport vehicles and other rescue vehicles based on panel vans and its own box bodies since 2001. ‘We don't produce standard products in huge quantities,’ explains Uwe Baus. ‘Since our vehicles are delivered around the world, we have to comply with a wide range of standards, guidelines and specifications. This demands maximum flexibility from us and also from our suppliers. We expect not only quality, but also the availability of parts, strict adherence to delivery dates and, above all, problem-solving skills. That was one of the main reasons why we decided in favour of Würth Elektronik ICS: they not only offer quality at competitive prices, but also technical support that helps us to be innovative and customer-oriented.’
Robust power distributors with press-fit technology
Innovative solutions from Würth Elektronik are used at B.A.U.S. AT, for example, as power distributors in vehicles for the French market. A circuit board with soldering technology was used in the past to safely distribute power and signals. The power distributor developed by Würth Elektronik ICS, on the other hand, is designed using massive press-fit technology. This has a number of advantages. Press-fitting contacts produces mechanically very robust, vibration-resistant and durable connections. Cold welding is part of the press-fitting process and the resulting gas-tight connection has a significantly lower contact resistance than a soldered connection. This translates to less heating of the assembly. PCB-based power distributors in press-fit technology are easier and quicker to install and maintain, eliminating potential sources of error. The wiring harness is reduced and, in the event of a repair, the unit or individual components can be replaced with little effort.
Ergonomic and easy-to-programme display
Displays from Würth Elektronik ICS are also used in the B.A.U.S. vehicles. For export to Singapore, for example, they are equipped with two WEcabin Displays i5. Among other things, they control the lights, fan and heating and work in conjunction with other displays in the vehicle. Thanks to the integrated state-of-the-art microprocessor, the 5-inch display is one of the most advanced on the market in terms of computing power and quality in this size. It can be optionally equipped with buttons, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, integrated acceleration and temperature sensors or a plug-in expansion module for connecting a camera. ‘Customers prefer tactile solutions in the driver’s area,’ explains Michał Peronski, the sales representative responsible for B.A.U.S at Würth Elektronik ICS, ‘which is why the customer opted for a design with buttons. Among other things, our display impressed with its fast booting and intuitive operation, but also with its high level of connectivity with a freely definable CAN communication structure.’
‘It’s particularly important for us that the display can be programmed easily and without specialised knowledge,’ explains Uwe Baus. ‘Because our wide range of variants requires frequent software customisations.’
The ambulance manufacturer is looking at ways of integrating the WEcabin Displays into other projects and also sees great demand for customised power distributors in the future. ‘We will continue to expand our collaboration with our system partner Würth Elektronik ICS,’ says Uwe Baus confidently. For example, Würth Elektronik ICS and the developers at B.A.U.S. are currently working together to further optimise the power distribution board for the French market.