PCIM Europe – More International and More GaN

After three exhibition days, PCIM Europe in Nuremberg closed with yet another record result. More than 10,000 visitors from all over the world used the exhibition as a platform for information, networking and as a basis for investment decisions. PCIM Europe 2017 has received many positive comments by visitors. Above all, they praised the comprehensive market overview, the insights into current trends and scientific results as well as the successful combination of theory and practice.

The over 800 participants of the international conference that took place in parallel to the PCIM Europe exhibition attended more than 300 lectures and poster presentations to gain valuable information on innovative developments from industry and academia and learn about their significance for practical use.

With its strong focus on industrial power solutions, PCIM has always been a great venue for seeing the latest developments in SiC technology and devices. That was certainly true again this year, with numerous companies announcing new SiC-based products and many SiC design papers in the conference proceedings. But this year, GaN made a stronger appearance than has been true in the past. Development in 600V and above GaN devices were seen in several exhibits, product demonstrations and a high number of conference papers. The use of lower-voltage GaN devices in emerging multi-level converter topologies also served to increase the impact of GaN at this year's PCIM Europe.

In one example of the rising importance of GaN at PCIM, both Transphorm and Panasonic announced that Bel Power is using their GaN devices in multi-kW front ends. The Transphorm device is being used in an already-announced 3kW design while the Panasonic device is being designed into a soon-to-be-announced 6kW power converter.

“PCIM Europe 2017 was a great success,” summarizes Lisette Hausser, Vice President at Mesago PCIM GmbH. “We are particularly pleased with the high proportion of international exhibitors and visitors. The response to the “E-mobility” special exhibition area that we introduced this year was entirely positive, which confirms: With this new focus, PCIM Europe has picked up on a subject that plays an important role in power electronics today and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”

In total, 465 exhibitors and 81 represented companies showcased new trends, developments and innovations from various fields of power electronics on an exhibition area of 22,500 square meters. They praised, among other things, the visitors’ high level of professional expertise: “What sets PCIM Europe apart from other exhibitions is the fact that visitors are very well informed and highly qualified. They approach us with specific questions and are interested in tailor-made solutions,” concluded Thorsten Grandt, marketing specialist for circuit boards and device connectivity at Phoenix Contact.

“This is the place to be for everyone in power electronics,” claims Philippe Roussel, VP Global Strategic Marketing at Mersen France, whose company has been exhibiting at PCIM Europe for 15 years. “We will definitely come back next year and for many years to come.”