How Simulation Drives Power Supply Innovation at Advanced Conversion Technology

In the high-stakes world of defense technology, precision, reliability, and speed to market are non-negotiable. Power systems designed for military applications must endure the harshest environments—operating reliably in extreme temperatures, surviving shock and vibration, and resisting elements like humidity, salt fog, and sand. At Advanced Conversion Technology (ACT), meeting and exceeding requirements like this is our mission and focus. One of the key enablers behind our success? Simulation.

Why Simulation Matters in Military-Grade Product Development

Simulation tools are critical to engineering design, especially in mission critical systems protecting the war fighter. At ACT, we use simulation to forecast a product’s performance before the first prototype is ever built. This allows our engineers to streamline the design process, minimize development time, reduce costs, and meet our customers’ rigorous requirements.

In a typical project, especially those with Department of Defense applications, time is of the essence. There’s rarely room for redesigns or delays. Simulation allows us to test designs virtually, under varying conditions they’ll face in the field, long before anything is manufactured. By incorporating 3D models of our circuit designs into thermal or mechanical simulations, we can visualize how systems will behave in high-stress scenarios—whether that’s extreme hot and cold temperatures or the vibrations of a high-speed military vehicle.

Types of Simulations We Use—and Why They Matter

ACT integrates several types of simulation software across mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines:

• Thermal Simulation: Critical for ensuring components maintain integrity and performance under high-temperature conditions. Thermal analysis allows our engineers to confidently design systems that operate efficiently in environments where failure is not an option.
• Mechanical Simulation: We test for shock, vibration, acceleration, and other physical stressors. These simulations help us build power supplies that stand up to battlefield conditions—literally. Whether it’s mounted in an armored vehicle or on a ship in rough seas, our products are engineered to perform.
• SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis): In electrical design, we use SPICE tools to analyze circuit behavior under a wide range of input/output and transient conditions. This helps identify and address issues early in the development process before they can impact production timelines—helping to keep costs down.

Our engineers use these tools to validate circuit performance, ensure functionality, and match every design to stringent military specs before our power supplies are fabricated.

Making Better Decisions—Faster

Simulations aren’t just about testing performance; they’re strategic tools that accelerate development and support better engineering decisions. By understanding how a design behaves under stress, we can make adjustments early in the process, cutting down on the number of prototype iterations. In some cases, this can shave months or even years off a project timeline.

And when timelines are compressed—which is often the case in defense projects—this kind of head start can be the difference between success and failure. Simulation gives our engineers confidence that the product will work as intended, allowing us to move decisively through critical design reviews, verification testing, and into manufacturing with fewer unknowns.

Simulation in the ACT Engineering Workflow

At ACT, simulation isn’t an afterthought—it’s embedded into our product development lifecycle. As a vertically integrated company, we handle everything in-house: design, simulation, prototyping, testing, and manufacturing. This gives us unmatched control over every detail, from the initial requirement decomposition to final production.

Here’s how it works:

1. Requirements Decomposition: Our engineering team starts by dissecting the customer’s technical specs—input and output voltage, current, power, efficiency, isolation, shock, vibration, temperature, ingress protection, EMI, and more—into actionable requirements.
2. Design and Simulate: We select the best circuit topology and components and mechanical enclosures that meet or exceed those specs. Then we use simulation to validate each component and subsystem, identifying and mitigating potential issues.
3. Refine and Validate: As we iterate, simulation lets us test “what if” scenarios—such as swapping out a component for another part with better performance or availability—without going back to square one.
4. Build and Test: Once simulations confirm the design’s functionality, we move to prototyping and testing. But because the design has already been through extensive virtual vetting, the prototypes are much more mature and can move at a quicker pace through the design phase.
5. Production-Ready Confidence: By the time a product reaches the production floor, we’ve already proven its resilience, reliability, and compliance with military standards.

Real-World Impact

Our use of simulation tools doesn’t just benefit our internal team—it benefits our customers. By providing insight early in the design process, simulations ensure that the power supplies we deliver perform as expected under mission-critical conditions. That means fewer surprises, faster deployments, and greater peace of mind for program managers, defense contractors, and end users.

Moreover, simulations enable us to innovate rapidly. When an existing unit needs to be updated—say, to accommodate a new connector or a higher-power component—we can simulate the change, confirm compatibility, and speed our prototype to production release more quickly, reducing redesign time and ensuring continuity in the field.

The ACT Advantage

With over four decades of experience designing and manufacturing high-reliability power solutions for defense and aerospace applications, ACT has built a reputation for excellence. Our investment in simulation technologies is just one more reason our customers trust us to deliver power solutions that perform and protect.

Looking for a partner who can deliver rugged, reliable power solutions that stand up to the harshest conditions? Contact ACT to learn how our advanced design and simulation capabilities can support your next engineering challenge.