Paul Wiener, magnetics global product manager of Eaton

Eaton magnetics global product manager Paul Wiener discusses the company’s online tool, which facilitates sourcing for car-use electronic inputs.

Eaton Corp.’s components arm Electronics Division has a Web-based portal, Automotive Electronics Solutions, which facilitates the selection of inputs for a range of automotive electronic systems. AES covers AEC-Q200-compliant components for infotainment, lighting, telematics, air bags, engine control and other car electronics.

In an interview with Global Sources, Paul Wiener, Eaton’s global product manager for magnetics, talks about the online tool and the maker’s recent activities regarding the production of automotive-grade components.

How is Eaton’s online tool for selecting components for automotive electronics different from competitors’ marketing tools? What unique value sourcing services does the company offer?

Our AES is the next-generation Web tool designed specifically to accelerate component selection while verifying seamlessly product compliance with safety standards. The online guide is highly intuitive to help electronics designers identify what they need by choosing a particular system of the vehicle. They can either select an application or a product on the AES portal, which will provide a suitable datasheet.

The AES serves only AEC-Q200-compliant components for infotainment, lighting, telematics, air bags, engine control and other auto-grade electronics categories. In other words, it features only releases that meet these specifications and qualify for the stringent demands of the automotive environment for high performance and reliability.

What are the key differentiators of the company’s products compared with similarly graded components?

Take inductors as a case study here. Eaton has a 10 percent market share in magnetic components and 60 percent in the computer segment. Magnetics requires new materials and investment in QC for maximized performance.

Eaton’s MPIA series of inductors typically used in infotainment, lighting, power controls and alarm systems are made of composite material with AEC-Q200 Grade 3 (-40 to 85 C) compliance and 125 C maximum temperature operation for interior and exterior applications. They offer the key advantage of current rating stability.

Moreover, these auto-grade units feature high EMI shielding, which will enable a designer to pack more components on the PCB. High radiation forces PCB designers to spare some space around the component to avoid a negative impact on the neighboring parts.

How do you ensure the materials used in components are up to par?

Again, taking the example of inductors, rival suppliers usually use powdered iron or ferrite. Eaton, on the other hand, offers miniature power inductors with much less rolloff than competitor solutions and a more stable induction curve. Moreover, these molded products are made of composite magnetic core material and boast enhanced EMI shielding and power density. The characteristics make them suitable for automotive applications.

Do you think Eaton’s initiative represents an evolving trend in automotive electronics components? Will more companies follow suit? If that happens, how will Eaton continue to differentiate itself from the competition?

Electronic components make up a saturated and largely commodity market. However, the expertise for emerging applications requires more than merely using off-the-shelf manufacturing inputs. Eaton’s value proposition is to get to new applications first and compete in merits such as reliability.

To differentiate itself from the rest of the pack, Eaton invests heavily in technology and R&D, and thus attempts to stay ahead of the curve. Take Eaton’s HV Series supercapacitors, for instance, which have the industry’s lowest ESR and broad capacitance ratings. These support an operating temperature range of -40 to 85 C, especially suitable for the rugged automotive electronics environment. Eaton spends 5 or 6 percent of its revenue from this line on development activities.