IDM

IDM, established in 1978, is an independent Italian company well known for manufacturing ignition systems and voltage regulators for endothermic engines. Since 1992 IDM has developed and manufactured permanent magnet alternators with their appropriate energy-conversion devices; chargers, inverters, welders and electronic starter-motors.

These products are suitable for use in many fields, including the marine, industrial, railway, military and UAV industries. Most of these items are innovative solutions developed through specific customer-demands and requirements.

Starter generator and power electronic converter

At the beginning of the 2008 year IDM started the production of an innovative power electronic starter. This electronic starter, weighting about 550g, allows the starting of two-stroke, high torque endothermic engines like the ones used for powering unmanned aerial military vehicles (UAV), auxiliary power units (APU) or portable welders.

This electronic starter works in combination with IDM’s permanent magnet generators, which are designed in order to minimise weight and size and maximise efficiency. The system, powered by a small battery, may be driven by means of logic signals and programmed in according with the more suitable permanent magnet generator for the engine of interest.

IDM’s permanent magnet generators (PMGs) are used in military and UAV applications up to 5kVA.

IDM’s permanent magnet generators for 7kVA and 12kVA applications.

Two examples of IDM’s DC power supplies: the 28VDC / 100A for UAV applications, and the 12VDC 150A or 28VDC 125A for marine applications.

IDM’s 2.2kW 115/230VAC and 28VDC military inverter, used by the British MoD, was developed into cooperation with Harrington Generators International (HGI) and has simultaneously available AC and DC outputs.

Our innovative power electronic starter.

The integrated flywheel starter motor generator features a compact air-cooled design and battery charger of up to 800A.

Permanent magnet generators (PMGs)

The permanent magnet generators (PMGs) currently produced by IDM range in nominal output-power from 100VA up to 20kVA. The material used for the magnets may be ferrite, NdFeB or high-temperature SmCo alloys, depending upon its intended application, and the specific requests of the client.

The PMGs’ high-efficiency and small dimensions ensure a large reduction in engine fuel-consumption, application size, and weight. By means of an electronic system, their proper high-frequency voltage and current are converted into standard power supplies – such as 230VAC at 50Hz, 115VAC at 60Hz, and 28VDC – which remain absolutely independent from the speed of the engine.

DC power supplies and battery chargers

IDM’s DC chargers are extremely compact, solid-state units that are customised to significantly reduce the potential size and weight of the applications they power.

Their switching-mode technology ensures high-efficiency and exceptionally stable output-voltages. Many of IDM’s DC chargers are suitable for use with a wide variety of battery types, and may also be programmed externally.

Inverter units

IDM’s inverter units, which are developed and tested in order to ensure they function perfectly in combination with our PMGs, allow a perfect sinusoidal-output wave at fixed frequency, even when the engine speed and the output loads are rapidly and significantly changing.

IDM’s inverter units can work in tough environments, and are internally protected from overload, short-circuiting and over-heating.

In the range from 1kVA to 12kVA the inverters operate as single-phase units, while when the power increases to more than 12kVA, they become three-phase devices.

Some types of inverters are specifically dedicated to the welding process. These work very effectively both with all coated electrodes, and with Tungsten electrodes with Inert Gas (TIGs).