Power and Protect Your Products with BLOCK from AutomationDirect!

Power disturbances in an industrial environment can cause far more than a simple restart; they can trigger equipment faults, corrupt data, interrupt production, and create costly downtime. At AutomationDirect, our goal is to help you maintain stable, predictable system performance, even when incoming power isn’t available. Today, we’re introducing a new range of DC power and DC UPS solutions from BLOCK, a well-established manufacturer known for high-quality industrial power electronics. These products are engineered specifically for 24 VDC automation systems and are designed to deliver efficient, maintenance-friendly backup power during voltage dips, brownouts, or complete outages. Many facilities still rely on AC UPS systems, but those designs aren’t optimized for DC-based control architectures. An AC UPS typically requires multiple stages of AC-DC-DC-AC conversion, which reduces overall efficiency and generates unnecessary heat inside the control cabinet. BLOCK’s DC UPS units eliminate those extra stages by connecting directly to the 24 VDC bus. This design approach offers: Efficiencies up to 98%, reducing energy loss Lower cabinet temperatures, improving component lifespan Higher power reliability for PLCs, HMIs, sensors, actuators, and communication hardware These benefits make a measurable impact in real-world applications: Machine vision systems maintain precise timing on high-speed lines, preventing inspection errors or misreads during disturbances. HMIs and operator interfaces remain visible and responsive, allowing continuous monitoring of temperature, pressure, flow, and other process variables. In short, a DC UPS ensures stable operation during short-duration interruptions and helps avoid unplanned downtime in manufacturing, process control, and distributed automation systems. Here’s a look at these new products from Block! Power Advanced Series – 24 VDC Switching Power Supplies are a robust primary power source with high efficiency, compact form factors, and strong transient protection. This series forms a reliable foundation for DC control systems. PCC 0524 – Charge & Control Units offer modular battery management and UPS controller designed for systems with larger battery capacities. Key features include: Up to 20 A of uninterrupted output Intelligent battery charging with optimized charge curves Continuous state of health monitoring PCC 1024 – Integrated UPS Systems combine a switched-mode power supply (available in 5 A or 10 A versions) and an advanced charge/control module into a single device. They offer: Automatic battery-module detection High precision charge management Service life prediction and early alerts Reliable backup for critical 24 V loads with minimal maintenance PC 0424 – Supercapacitor-Based DC UPS A battery-free DC UPS for short-duration power bridging. Uses high-performance EDLC supercapacitors Provides instant switchover for dips or momentary outages Supports loads up to 20 A Offers long service life with virtually zero maintenance Ideal for applications where safe shutdown is required or where battery replacement is impractical. PST 0024 – Battery Storage Modules These storage modules support user-selected batteries and are fully compatible with PCC 1024 and PCC 0524 units. Pre-labeled wiring simplifies installation Offered in multiple form factors Allows custom backup durations based on application requirements BLOCK’s DC UPS and power products provide flexible, high-performance options for building a resilient 24 VDC power architecture- whether you need extended backup from battery modules or fast, maintenance-free bridging from supercapacitors. To learn more about these solutions and how they can help improve system uptime and reliability, check out the BLOCK product line now available at AutomationDirect, the number one value in industrial automation! Click here to learn more about the products from Block! Click here for more videos.