Industry
Industry / Markets
In addition to the Mobility sector, the “Industry” division isKERAFOL® ’s second-largest business segment in the field of technical ceramics and thermal interface materials. In addition to long-established applications such as control and automation technology, sintering technology, wear protection, and food technology, new fields of application are constantly emerging, particularly as a result of technological advancements. Notable examples here include solutions for 5G, more efficient HVAC equipment (e.g., heaters, fans, heat pumps, and air conditioners), as well as the military and aerospace sectors.
In addition, there are comprehensive goals regarding energy-saving measures; the lighting sector, with its transition to LEDs, is a particularly clear example of this. These and many other electronic applications have one thing in common when it comes to durability and reliability: only with a suitable thermal management solution can high-performance assemblies in industrial applications reach their full potential and offer customers real added value. Many ofKERAFOL®’s customers in the industrial applications sector are small and medium-sized businesses; in some cases, customer relationships have lasted for more than 30 years. In the field of electronics manufacturing, there is also a broad network of various EMS companies.
HVAC
The HVAC (heating, ventilation & air conditioning) sector includes some very established technology, but also a highly innovative field of application. The best example of this is heat pumps; the technical functionality is not new, but the demands on the assembly in terms of durability, reliability and efficiency have steadily increased in recent years.
Due to the use of power electronics and the required increase in the number of units to be produced, the use of heat conducting materials for cooling and efficient integration with regard to the installation of these materials are of great importance.This can be achieved by using pick & place, dosing systems or even injection molding systems, depending on the type of heat-conducting material (film, gap filler or KERAMOLD®).
Further requirements for the heat conducting materials are corresponding cycle resistance and functionality under changing external conditions.In the field of industrial fans, the focus is less on cycle resistance and more on the requirement for consistently high performance in 24/7 operation.With the KERATHERM® & KERAMOLD® product series, the electronic components installed in the heaters and fans can be cooled, resulting in higher efficiency and a statistically longer service life.
Solutions
for HVAC
In addition to suitable solutions in the field of thermally conductive materials, KERAFOL® also offers various services that are particularly helpful with regard to the application and processing of these materials.
Control and automation technology
The field of control and automation technology was one of the first applications for the use of thermal interface materials and has developed steadily over the last few decades.The demands on automation technology are becoming increasingly diverse, from decentralized energy supplies to the integration of various modules in the field of sensor technology and robotics.In this industry in particular, the focus is on the development and integration of high-performance electronics, for which various semiconductors such as IGBTs or MOSFETs are used in the various packages (TOs).
Due to the switching processes of semiconductors and the miniaturization of components, the energy density per surface area has steadily increased.To ensure reliable operation of the electronic assembly, the heat produced by the semiconductors must be dissipated accordingly via a heat sink.As this is usually made of aluminum with a certain surface roughness for reasons of cost and efficiency, an intermediate layer material is required that is thermally conductive and electrically insulating and compensates for the corresponding component tolerances and roughness.Products from the KERATHERM® or KERAMOLD® series are suitable for this purpose, depending on the requirements of the specific application.
Solutions
for control and automation technology
In addition to suitable solutions in the field of thermally conductive materials, KERAFOL® also offers various services that are particularly helpful with regard to the application and processing of these materials.
Data transmission - and storage / connectivity
We are currently living in the fourth industrial revolution, which is based on the concept of digitalization and includes automation, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, networked devices, data analysis, digital transformation and much more.The fast and secure transmission and storage of data are essential for the use and further development of the above-mentioned areas and a basic requirement.The 5G standard was introduced for faster data transmission; the frequencies are significantly higher compared to the LTE range and are currently up to 40 GHz, with an expansion to up to 80 GHz planned.
The higher frequencies and data rates combined with ever smaller distances between the individual antennas (transmitter/receiver units) result in increased temperatures of the electronic components and possible electromagnetic interference between the individual components.This poses new challenges in terms of heat generation and electromagnetic interference in 5G mobile radio towers, cloud servers or storage systems, for example.
Solutions
for data transmission - and storage / connectivity
LED
Switching from incandescent lamps to LEDs is an important part of reducing energy consumption in the lighting sector.The thermal management of LEDs is particularly important in terms of their sustainability.This is due to the fact that individual LEDs and often the entire lighting unit cannot be replaced in the event of a failure.This means that if the lighting unit fails, the entire assembly must be disposed of.Even though LEDs are an efficient lighting solution, the energy density in a very small area is very high.This makes it necessary to dissipate the heat generated locally.In the event of “hot spots”, graphite foils, for example, can help to distribute the heat across the surface and dissipate it to the surroundings, acting as a “heat spreader”.
Other products from the KERATHERM® series, such as heat conducting foils, can also ensure efficient heat transfer by filling the gap, including all component tolerances, between the LED and the heat sink.Products from the KERAMOLD® series can also be used for certain assemblies.With the help of this thermally conductive injection molding material, complete assemblies can be directly overmolded.A clever design, e.g. in the form of cooling fins to increase the surface area, can even eliminate the heat sink, saving costs and weight.
Whether for street lamps, stadium floodlights or industrial lighting systems, suitable heat-conducting materials from KERAFOL® allow lights to shine for longer
Solutions
for LED
Military & Aerospace
The number of electronic applications in the military and aerospace sectors has grown steadily in recent years. Electrification is also progressing here – drones, energy storage systems, control systems and equipment in the field of communication and data transfer have long since ceased to be used only in the industrial sector. Both the military and aerospace follow a similar pattern with regard to the use of electronic assemblies. The reliability of the components installed in them is clearly in the foreground. This requires lengthy and extensive functional and application-related (field) tests by the customer as well as the highest demands on quality and the supplier’s quality-relevant processes.
Thanks to many years of experience in the development of thermally conductive and electrically insulating materials and the highest quality standards in production (e.g. IATF 16949 certification), some products from the KERATHERM® range are already being used successfully here. KERAFOL® is also expanding its portfolio for this industry sector and can therefore offer further innovative solutions to improve performance. With the new KERAMOLD® and KERABSORB® series, thermal conductive materials in any 3D shape or hybrid materials that absorb electromagnetic radiation in addition to their function as gap pads can now also be offered.
Solutions
for Military & Aerospace
Ceramic industry
Ceramic Tapes & Substrates
We are also working more and more with sensitive materials that require extreme purity.Even traces of impurities in the process can weaken or completely nullify the effectiveness of a fuel cell or battery membrane, for example.To avoid this, we offer flat components based on zirconium oxide to protect your surfaces exposed to raw materials from abrasion.
Filter ceramic
In the ceramics industry, various ceramic suspensions containing valuable raw materials are produced as waste water.These can be, for example, residues from slips or waste water from spray glazing (loss due to overspray, washing of product carriers).For both economic and ecological reasons, it is of great interest to recover the raw materials from this waste water or to concentrate them so that they can be directly reused in production.
Keramische Industrie
Solutions
for the ceramics industry
If you have small series or trials for processing, we are also happy to offer you our sintering capacity in our technical center so that you can take your first steps with your customer in peace.
In addition to suitable product solutions in the field of filter ceramics, KERAFOL® also offers test systems for hire, which you can use to see the technology for yourself.
Wear protection
KERAFOL® offers a special and thin ceramic substrate for wear protection applications.
Due to its excellent frictional properties, this material stands for high wear resistance and very good sliding properties.It is primarily used for applications in which metal and plastic components reach the limits of their load-bearing capacity.
Sintering technology
Many components that used to be produced using the time-consuming process of metal casting/ceramic production and subsequent material processing such as turning, drilling, grinding, etc. are now manufactured using metal injection molding and ceramic injection molding, or MIM/CIM for short.With this process, it is possible to produce large series quantities in a short time with outstanding quality.The variety of products includes furniture fittings, jewelry, weapon parts, components for cars and medical technology, to name but a few.The materials are injection-molded in a similar way to plastics, whereby the plastic, the so-called binder, must be removed from the component in order to obtain the desired metallic material properties for the end application.This is achieved by chemically and/or thermally treating the semi-finished products by subjecting them to a debinding process followed by a sintering process of up to 1400°C, depending on their composition.
Video: Rotary fumigation
This takes place in so-called discontinuous or continuous sintering furnaces, usually in an H2/N2 atmosphere.In order to guide the components through the process from injection molding to debinding and the sintering process, KERAFOL® offers sintering sheets made of high-purity technical ceramic materials.Their composition and morphology make them ideal for this application.They are resistant to chemical attack, high temperature and atmosphere and ensure a flawless process flow with outstanding product quality.The same applies to additive manufacturing, which of course is not forgotten here.Here, too, very similar processes take place and our products are finding their way into this important industry.
Advantages
- Dust and particle-free surface
- Homogeneous pore distribution
- Good mechanical strength despite high porosity
- Material can be cut with laser or water jet
- Very good flatness and surface finish
- Large customized dimensions of the sintering pads possible
- Gases and liquids can diffuse unhindered through the sintered substrates
Possible applications
- Sintered underlays for metal injection molding (MIM)
- Sintering bases for ceramic or dental ceramic production
- Gas-permeable membranes for sensors
- Porous diaphragm for e.g. electrolytes in battery technology
Food
Ceramic filters are ideal for processing food.They do not release any ingredients and there are no plasticizers or other substances that are harmful or change the taste.This enables a wide range of applications for rotary filtration in the food and beverage industry.
The possibility of squeezing the “last drop” out of the retentate becomes clear in beer/yeast recovery or in the filtration of wine lees.The dairy industry benefits from the separation of bacteria or the fractionation of casein and proteins.The retentate is also important in the filtration of selected juices (e.g. carrot juice for color extraction) or the production of concentrated tomato paste.
The ceramic membrane disks for aeration can be used advantageously in many ways in fish farming (aqua farming).Firstly, the O2 concentration in the water can be increased.This is achieved by introducing extremely fine gas bubbles into the water.
Begasung
For this purpose, the membrane disks are exposed to air or pure oxygen from the inside.Gas bubbles form on the membrane surface, which are sheared off by the rotation during the formation process.This results in an extremely fine gas bubble distribution and the oxygen can dissolve very well in the water.On the other hand, disinfection can be carried out using ozone.In this case, the process described above is carried out with ozone.
Service
for the food industry
In addition to suitable product solutions in the field of filter ceramics, KERAFOL® also offers test systems for hire, which you can use to see the technology for yourself.