THG: What tests do the power supply units undergo, before they hit the stores?

Be quiet!: The testing process corresponds to the order in the production chain. Before the product launch, we carry out tests relevant to safety, such as CB, TüV, EMV and UL, for example; otherwise it would be impossible to put a power supply unit on the market. Functionality and tests of technical data are conducted by different engineers and quality-inspectors in the factory and in the warehouse in Glinde. During production every power supply unit is checked on the assembly line, and before they are shipped out, samples are further tested. Quality control also takes place when the goods arrive in Germany. Our own findings, as well as possible defects that are reported to us from the customer side, are fed into the production process and become part of the testing process which has already been described. Our concern is the continual improvement of the product quality of our power supply units. We would also like to take this occasion to point out that all power supply units that are used for the final tests by the institutions mentioned previously are taken from mass production.

Christian Rex, company Service Director

THG: Where do you get your power supply units from, and according to which criteria do you make your selection?

Be quiet!: Our power supply units are developed in Germany and not, as the question seems to imply, designed somewhere else. The power supply units are manufactured in Chinese and Taiwanese factories. These factories are chosen based on our own investigations and visits to the respective locations. Our selection criteria for the chosen production sites are based on certification procedures according to ISO 9000 FF or ISO 9001 in the 2000 version. Factories which are unable to show that they have passed this kind of certification are not a consideration for us. We also investigate the work methods and testing tools used by our partners in Taiwan and China. The test procedures used are also important to us, as well as how and to what extent they are carried out. We make sure that the factories operate flexibly enough during product development so that they can make changes in models and functions on a mass-production basis as quickly as possible. It is furthermore important to us that exclusive customizations, as planned by our development team in Germany, are not auctioned off to other participants in the market. The honesty and loyalty of our partners in China and Taiwan are important preconditions for collaboration, just as the success of our products is a confirmation that certain series should continue to be offered on the market.

THG: What is the number of items being sold in the European market and how is the market distributed in the individual countries?

Be quiet: For competitive reasons, we would prefer not to reveal concrete details about our sales in the European area. We sell a relatively large number in the German-speaking areas. Furthermore, we serve the rest of Europe, and have already made initial contacts in the United States.