Global electronic fuses market outlook in major applications

Fuse element market segmentation

Single element (Single Elememts)

Single element of the fuse is a package in a glass or ceramic tube of metal wire. The wire is fusible element, respond when the circuit current increase at elevated temperatures. The wire is used to connect the metal caps at both ends of the tube, which is placed in the circuit to turn on the current, and the fuse is part of the circuit. Under normal circumstances, the circuit current through the fuse, the current overload temperature increases, fuse melting, the circuit is off. In order to protect the sensitive electronic function. Up to now, the standard, one - time fuse is still the first choice for the voltage and current overload protection of electronic equipment or other emergency mechanism.

Twisted pair (Twisted Pair Element) element

Twisted type element of the fuse is the use of two kinds of wire cutter in different materials made with composite components. The thermal expansion coefficient and melting point of two kinds of metal materials are different. Compared with the unit fuse, twisted type element of the fuse for the super load response is slow, it is used in design of fuse circuit speed delay.

Solid matrix (Solid Matrix)

In these devices, the fuse element is encapsulated in the ceramic filler, and enclosed sealed package. Poor external environment, the surface of the embedded configuration makes higher reliability than twisted pair mechanism.

Positive temperature coefficient recuperable "(PTC) fuse and thermistor

In ceramic or polymer, diffusion of conductive particles (such as carbon), can be made of PTC fuse. Under normal operating conditions, the temperature is not high, conductive particles in close contact, the resistance is very small. When the current overload, material heating to a temperature above the threshold, the expansion distance increases between conductive particles, so as to increase resistance of the device, then cut off the circuit of high resistance PTC circuit is switched on again until the temperature dropped.

Polymer resistance value is approximately an order of magnitude lower than the ceramic resistor, the polymer PTC thermistor ceramics than the current controlling circuit can be higher. Raychem holds a 75% share of the polymer PTC (PPTC) market, but Bourns, Littelfuse, Polytronics and Wickmann also supply these devices.

Circuit protection of various electronic devices for electronic fuse, these electronic devices include: automotive electronic components, printed circuit board, computer, communication equipment, game controller, power supply, electric ballast, AC / DC converter and the electronic equipment industry. The demand for fuses will grow in 2004 and 2005, especially in communications infrastructure and automotive electronics.

General electronic products

Electronic market from the beginning of the second half of 2003 5 years for the inventory supplement and consumption cycle period, 2004 and 2005 will be the world of electronic equipment. The peak year. For example, it is estimated that in 2004 the number of computer production will be 8 percentage points higher than in 2003.

Consumer electronics will be the most powerful impetus to fuse consumption, and can expect the fuse on demand, at least two years will continue to expand in the future, and continue to maintain growth until 2008. Compared with other types of electronic components, only a small number of manufacturers (Littlefuse, Bussman and Wickmann) in the production of electronic equipment fuses, therefore, the expected price will rise steadily.

Electronic circuit design with integrated structure, surface mount fuse helps to minimize the volume. Paumanok group company's products show that the disintegration of the fuse, mainly used in the CPU motherboard, modem card, digital camera, mobile phone charging equipment, cable television, personal computer monitors and fluorescent electronic ballast.

Conjoined structure fuse extension limit, will contribute to the recovery of polymer by PTC (PPTC) fuse instead, the latter than the connecting structure fuse is cheaper, and can withstand multiple current overload, so that the electronic circuit designers have more choices. Although the technology continues to improve, but the PTC in the control of current and voltage capacity is limited, especially the surface design. The PPTC fuse has a great advantage in its recovery capability. Of course, the majority of PPTC devices will increase with the use of voice data switching xDSL interface card consumption in 2004 and 2005 will be a recovery. USB port protection, especially the computer and camera FireWire connection protection, will also be a new growth point in the PPTC device market.

Automotive electronic products

Although the second half of 2003 auto production has slowed down, and the electronic parts demand dropped, but in the next five years is still optimistic about the prospects. All indicators show that the next five years, in cars and small trucks in electronic function will be more and more, for example, GPS global positioning system, entertainment, power control system, computer diagnostic instrument, electronic transmission, (the instrument data is projected onto the windshield on the HUD, AM-FM radio) the safety of passengers and system etc.. With a number of suppliers (such as Littelfuse, Bussman, Wickmann and Pacific Engineering) to support the automotive fuse market, fuse prices will be quite stable. Although the ribbon fuse is still in use, but the chip fuse now occupies the largest market share of the automotive fuse.

Polymer PTC fuses have been used in cars, usually for DC motor protection, but now the market situation is not open. Raychem holds a large share of the polymer PTC thermistor Market for automotive applications. Traditional standard