Automotive Electronics

Advances in modern automotive electronics have made today’s cars and trucks safer and more reliable than ever before. At Materion Corporation, we provide high performance materials essential to the automotive electronics industry, making driving more comfortable, convenient, dependable and safer.

Extended Life and Superior Reliability

Materion Brush Performance Alloys provides enhanced performance and superior reliability in a wide range of today's automotive electronic applications. As vehicle electrical content increases with hybrid propulsion technology, power requirements can easily exceed 600 volts and up to 200 amps. Performance demands on electric vehicle connector terminals require integration of new designs with the properties of high performance copper alloys. Similarly, lower voltage applications also require improved performance to meet rising consumer expectations and competitive pressures.

Brush Performance Alloys’ products provide a cost efficient solution for automotive applications, including automotive connectors, requiring the highest reliability at material performance levels beyond the capability of other copper alloys. Our copper alloys conductivity can be up to 60% of pure copper with hardness equivalent to that of stainless steel; in addition to, providing stability by minimizing loss in contact force from stress relaxation at elevated temperature. Brush Performance Alloys' products also provide extended life for switches, higher power output for micromotors, higher temperature capability for relays, less power loss in electrical connectors, and improved signal integrity in on-board vehicle control, communication, safety and entertainment systems.

Power Modules and Electric Power Steering

At Materion Corporation, we provide the interconnect materials that are designed into power modules for electric power steering (EPS) systems. Significantly advanced from traditional power steering systems that rely on motors, belts and hydraulics, EPS systems only consume fuel with steering activation, reducing horsepower needs and lowering associated environmental emissions.

Our reliable aluminum clad copper inlay material is used in the wire bondable leadframe for the EPS power module, and interconnects between the device and the system. This enables significant efficiencies to be realized, despite the harsh temperature and constant vibration forces encountered under the hood.

IGNITION SYSTEMS AND SENSORS

Materion Ceramics' beryllium oxide materials are a critical component in automotive electronics which enable equipment to perform safely, reliably and efficiently. Beryllium oxide was the enabling material in the first electronic ignition which was directly responsible for improving gas mileage and performance and reduction in pollution from automotive emissions.