Automotive technology is currently developing rapidly. Feinmetall offers comprehensive contacting solutions for the entire field of electromobility. The strength in classic wire harness testing also continues in battery testing and in the testing of RF components and extends to the testing of semiconductor chips.
Als Basis für die Elektromobilität zählt die Batterietechnik. Forschungszentren und Produktionsanlagen für Batteriezellen werden gerade in großem Stile auf- und ausgebaut und die Anforderungen an Batterien steigen rasant. Deshalb gewinnen leistungsfähige Kontaktierungen stark an Bedeutung. Um Batteriezellen zuverlässig zu kontaktieren, ist Innovation gefragt. Hier sind Kontaktierungslösungen notwendig, die zum einen hohe Ströme übertragen können, die aber auch mit Sense-Pins, Temperaturüberwachungen oder Kühlungsmöglichkeiten ausgestattet sind. Feinmetall ist in diesem Gebiet ein Pionier, seit Jahren sind unsere Experten hier mit den Herstellern im Boot und haben ausgeklügelte Lösungen entwickelt.
However, charging devices as well as aggregates in the entire car must also be reliably tested and also contacted during production. Here Feinmetall offers unique solutions that not only allow simple electrical tests, but also make it possible to detect the contact protection in the same test step. In this way, safety features can be tested in addition to functionality, and this without additional effort.
You can find out which variants of contact probes are available for testing round pins with or without finger protection test in our "In-a-nutshell video" on this topic:
Video: Contacting of round pins
Feinmetall has been the world market leader in equipping wire harness test tables with contacting technology for years. Constant innovations developed in close consultation with customers, numerous patents and clever additional functions in customized contact probes underline this leading role. Feinmetall offers modern and proven solutions, whether for push-back or presence testing of connector elements, for testing for fault-free wiring, for supporting correct assembly or for contacting current high-frequency connectors such as HFM, FAKRA, H-MTD, MateAX, MateNET, etc.
Due to the increase in driver assistance systems and new technologies for autonomous driving, RF technology and 5G are currently the top issues in automotive applications. Feinmetall offers first-class contacting technology for reliable testing of the components and connectors used here, even with the highest RF performance requirements. RF-capable contacting units allow the transmission of signals up to 18 GHz. Here, too, the focus is on various automotive RF connectors such as HFM, FAKRA, H-MTD, MateAX, MateNET. Feinmetall's great strength lies primarily in the details. For example, the HF probes are available in various mounting options, for example with flange or as screw or plug-in version. In addition, many of Feinmetall's RF contacts are self-centering and floating and can thus optimally compensate for tolerances to the DUT.
In addition to the appropriate frequency suitability of the individual components, the frequency behavior and the reproducibility of the entire transmission line are particularly important for users in RF testing. For this reason, Feinmetall offers not only the individual contact probes, but complete contacting units and the appropriate accessories such as RF cables and tools.
The fact that modern automotive technology is strongly based on the use of specific semiconductor chips has become clear to everyone as a result of current market developments. Feinmetall is also at the forefront in the contacting of chips and wafers. Fine pitch probes in test sockets and probe cards for testing semiconductor wafers require not only the finest pitch dimensions, but also suitability for maximum frequencies.
Feinmetall also fully covers these contacting tasks and has decades of expert knowledge in the semiconductor world. This is the only way we are able to develop and manufacture probe cards for pitches down to 40µm and for frequencies up to 77 GHz.
The smooth transition between fine pitch probes and probe cards is particularly evident in FeinProbe®, a probe card with fine contact probes as contact elements, which was specially developed for high frequencies. This is where the company's development and manufacturing expertise is particularly well demonstrated.
