On the final day of PCIM Europe 2010, ABB announced major expansion in its production capacities at several locations while both Toshiba and Vincotech announced product line extensions.
Fueled by growth in the renewable energy sector and continuing efforts for improved efficiency in the areas of traction, industrial drives, and electricity transmission and distribution, ABB announced the expansion of its high-power semiconductor production capacity. This action includes both the expansion of the production capacities of existing facilities in Lenzberg, Switzerland, and the acquisition of Polovodice a.s. in the Czech Republic.
In Lenzberg the construction of the production facilities for bipolar devices as well as BiMOS modules has been completed. ABB has begun ramping up production in the BiMOS facility. The bipolar facility is scheduled to begin production in 2011. The acquisition of Polovodice will provide an immediate increase to ABB’s bipolar production capacity.
Toshiba Electronics Europe expanded its family of power MOSFETs by introducing new surface-mount devices with ratings from 500 to 600V and current ratings up to 7A. Supplied in a DPCK, the new TKxP devices are targeted at lighting ballasts, battery chargers and other off-line applications. The new devices offer faster switching, reduced Qg and capacitance, improved Rds(on) and lower cost compared with previous generations.
A second-source to several Semikron MiniSkiip devices was announced by Vincotech. The new modules feature the company’s IGBT4 chips for reduced EMC and are rated from 8A to 100A at 1.2kV and are offered in three sizes for motor drive applications up to 30kW.
All modules feature a 3-phase input rectifier, a 3-phase output inverter, a brake chopper and an added thermistor. Pin-outs match the previous generation to enable easy upgrading, and they are fully compatible with the Semikron equivalent.
