MEAN WELL HLG-320H Power Supply "Teardown"

My MEAN WELL HLG-320H-12A power supply recently died. As in just didn't click on with AC power applied. Twiddling the voltage and current limit potentiometers did about nothing. So, what's inside? Wait, it's an IP65 rated device. . .

Heck, yup, there it is. Had to pry off the end and take a razor knife to the material to break the potting compound that got stuck to the end cap.

Mean Well power supply with four screws removed from the aluminum case to reveal a gray potting compond. The end cap has a squared-off U of potting residue that had to be cut to remove the cap. The screws and screwdrivers used sit just to the right.
Popping off the DC side end cap to reveal the potting inside

How about getting the top off? Well, a little prying later and:

Close view of opened side of the supply showing how the gray potting compound almost completely fills the case around the protruding power cord. The top has a slight slant to it, having been levered at to little avail against the material inside.
Yup, nice solid goop. Even the top is stuck down.

Turns out there's a big blob of a different adhesive goop applied smack dab in the center of the top plate. The prying only slightly pulled the right corner away from flush. I don't have a knife to allocate to cutting the other goop out, so that's about all there is to see. Not that the flat expanse of the potting would be that exciting to see.

I don't expect to tear down much further. I'll probably salvage the cables and their connectors (IEC C14 and 45 A Anderson Powerpoles) for eventual reuse.

Update: no, I actually did decide to tear it out and have done so. More coming.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hardware Filter Modifications for Quansheng UV-K5 Band Extensions?

A Multi-Pronged Approach to BK4819 HT Band Expansion

MEAN WELL HLG-320H Power Supply Actual Teardown and Failure Investigation