Today, our everyday life is full of technology. This technology wants to be operated, the human being must somehow interact with the device, the machine or the technical system: This is the field of human-machine interfaces, or HMI for short. With the complexity of the technologies that surround us every day, the need for Human Machine Interfaces that offer the most positive user experience possible is also increasing. Allied Market Research estimates that the global market for human-machine...

One of the greatest challenges in human-machine interfaces is natural interaction. Technology has already made great progress with solutions such as gesture and voice control. Recently, the focus has also turned to controlling machines by thought: brain-machine interfaces measure the brain’s EEG signals and derive control commands for computers, machines or robots from them. One of the pioneers in the use of EEG data for interaction with robotic systems is the German Research Center for...

For a long time – and in many places still today – line production with assembly lines and fixed cycles was considered the pinnacle of rational production. It promised high, repeatable quality and cost-effective production. But in the meantime, the focus is shifting away from the mass production of a specific item to products configured individually for customers with ever shorter delivery times. In the smart factory, flexibility is the trump card. At the same time, companies need to increase...

A factory that works independently, that produces even the smallest batch sizes without human assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and all this at significantly lower unit costs and much more efficiently than before – that is the vision of autonomous production. But how close is industry really to this vision today? And what does it actually take to make it work? In this episode we’ve been talking to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Jasperneite, Director of Fraunhofer IOSB-INA and Professor at...

In the smart factory, machines communicate with each other, control themselves and processes are becoming increasingly agile. At the same time, man and machine are working ever more closely together – the keyword being cobots. This also changes the requirements for functional safety – i.e. the protection of people and the environment from threats that can emanate from machines. Functional safety and security go hand in hand, addressing the comprehensive protection of physical and cyber...

As part of the Paris Climate Agreement, Europe has committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, if possible. To achieve this goal, industry must also make a substantial contribution to reducing emissions. In recent years, the focus has been on improving energy efficiency: according to Eurostat, industry was able to reduce energy consumption by 12.4% between 2007 and 2021. In the meantime, however, such a high level has been reached that in many areas a further increase in energy efficiency...

When thinking of digital motor control, many will conjure up images of the television adverts where the “digital motor” of a vacuum cleaner is composed of a motor and lots of electronic components… So what exactly do you need in terms of electronics to implement digital motor control? And what do you need to watch out for in the design process? This is what we want to hear about from our guest in this episode, Canberk Sezer is Software Field Application Engineer for Digital Motor Control at...

The industry no longer looks at silicon carbide (SiC) as it did just a few short years ago. In this episode, EBV’s Milan Ivkovic and Infineon’s Peter Friedrichs discuss how the two companies have been working together to accelerate the adoption of SiC in a variety of applications. 

Over the past three years, EBV and Infineon have been working closely together to make the transition to silicon carbide (SiC) smoother for our customers. In this episode, EBV's Slobodan Puljarevic and Infineon’s Pierre-Yves Ferrard discuss how their partnership has evolved to achieve success – even in turbulent times.

Electricity plays a key role in sustainable development, because on the one hand a large proportion of the primary energy used remains unused due to conversion losses, and on the other hand new application technologies – for example e-mobility or heat pumps – lead to increased electricity consumption. In this context, a semiconductor material is increasingly coming into focus – silicon carbide or SiC. In this episode, we talk to Milan Ivkovic, Director of the Segment Analog and Power of EBV...

Data is at the core of digitalisation. The same also applies for digital drive train technology. So, what else can you do with it besides just controlling the motor? We’ll talk about this hot topic with our guest, Armin Wallnöfer, who is leading the Smart Lab for ABB’s Motion business. Find out more about the advantages of digital drive train technology: EBV Elektronik – Digital Motor Control ABB Motion Services - Digital and Innovation ABB Motion Services - Condition Monitoring for...

Kersten Heineke has always been fascinated by products and solutions that have a utility value that can be experienced by everyone. He sees mobility solutions as more than “just” technology. In his eyes, mobility is a contribution to improving people’s lives – by making the way from A to B cheaper, more convenient or more environmentally friendly. This would not only help the individual, but society as a whole. As co-leader of the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, he can play an active...

Digitalisation is also conquering more and more market shares in the field of drive technology. The growth rates of smart motors and motors controlled by frequency converters are well over 5 percent annually. What are the reasons for this success? What are the advantages of digital motor control? We talked to Prof Ralph Kennel, retired professor for electrical drive systems and power electronics at Technical University of Munich. If you want to learn more about digital motor control visit:...

Digital drive technology has been in the public consciousness for at least as long as a British domestic-appliance manufacturer has been vaunting its “digital motor” in TV adverts. But what exactly does this refer to? And what advantages does digital motor control offer? We’re talking about this today with three experts from EBV Elektronik: Uros Mali is Director of the Smart Sensing & Connectivity technology segment. Milan Ivkovic is Director of the Analog and Power segment and finally,...

The electrification of the transport sector is gaining momentum. According to Eurelectric's "Power Barometer", in 2021 the electric powertrain already represented 18% of new vehicle sales. In this context, better, faster and more efficient charging processes are crucial to the success of electromobility. But what are the implications for the energy sector? That's exactly what we're talking about in this episode with Bruce Douglas, director of business development and communications at...

“Semiconductors! Semiconductors! A kingdom for semiconductors!” Well, actually Richard III in William Shakespeare’s drama wanted a horse. But the desperation with which the industry is currently demanding microchips is similar. Corona, political conflicts and an enormous increase in demand have led to a shortage of semiconductor products in recent months. In this episode we want to talk to a real expert about how to strengthen the supply chains around semiconductors and make them less...

The way charging infrastructure solutions are designed is affected by new battery technologies and fast-charging systems, innovative tech and connectivity applications, and an increasing degree of vehicle automation. Plus, other factors such as energy supply, political decisions and global trends will also have an impact on our future charging infrastructure. In this episode, we’re setting out to discuss which trends are the most important for charging station manufacturers with Bevan...

The speed at which electric vehicles can be charged is an important point of difference in the rapidly developing electric vehicle market. But the charging infrastructure has to keep up, too – and the developmental leaps in fast-charging technology are just as significant. While 50 kW charging stations were considered state-of-the-art not long ago, we are now increasingly seeing stations installed that can charge EVs’ batteries at 100, 150 or even 300 kW. In this episode, we’ll be...

Car manufacturers in Europe complain that the expansion of our electric car charging infrastructure is not progressing fast enough. ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, expects demand for 7 million connections in Europe by 2030 – far more than the 3.9 million charging points planned by policymakers. The high demand for charging stations is also accompanied by rapid developments in charging and battery technology. So what can be done to ensure that charging station...

1.8 trillion euros – that’s the sum the EU wants to invest over the next ten years to go net-zero by 2050 as part of its Green Deal. This, in turn, demands an ambitious rethink in the transport sector, which currently accounts for around 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Electric vehicles will be an important part of this action plan – the market for EVs is booming, with 30 million zero-emission vehicles expected to be on Europe’s roads by 2030. Against this backdrop, it’s...

Technologies such as the Internet of Things would be almost inconceivable without continuously shrinking electronics. Today, there are electronic components in the 100-nanometre size range. But these are digital components – the situation with analog ICs is different. In this episode Armin Derpmanns, General Manager Semiconductors at Toshiba Electronics Europe, joins us to explain why. Discover the full potential of analog ICs on ebv.com/getthepower

With the IoT, in Factory 4.0 applications, and especially in self-driving cars, more and more analog ICs are being used. They enable digital systems to process signals from their surroundings for example. That means that they are also being used more and more in safety-related systems, such as radar and lidar. To put it simply: if the signals are ‘translated’ incorrectly, a self-driving car will likely end up in a ditch. In this episode we are talking to Michael Frese, Director of the...

The semiconductor industry is struggling to cope with the huge demand for its products. Although expansion of production capacities is being heavily worked on, it will be a few years before this has any effect. That’s why industry experts are calling for supply chains to be optimized and for them to be made more resilient. In this episode we are talking to Thorsten Eyle, who is leading the LogOn Business Unit at EBV Elektronik, where various logistics services for its customers are being...

Today’s market expects electrical and electronic systems to deliver constant improvements in energy efficiency. Converters, inverters and power supplies of all kinds have to demonstrate that their energy losses are getting lower all the time, and where possible they need to function without the need for cooling. Not only that, but they are expected to be small and lightweight too. The very promising and commercially already enabled way is to use wide-bandgap materials in power semiconductors,...