Ceramic Capacitors for Space-Constrained Mains-Powered Applications

KEMET Corporation has launched a new range of surface mount device safety certified multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for use in mains-powered applications. The CAS series addresses widespread demand for miniaturization without compromising performance by offering higher capacitance, smaller overall size and simplified assembly versus existing leaded disc devices which represent the majority of safety-certified ceramic capacitors currently on the market.

According to market research, the overall power supply sector is expected to grow to US$34.92 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2018 to 2023. Within this, ac-dc power conversion is considered the largest and fastest growing type of power supply owing to its increasingly wide range of uses and applications. KEMET’s CAS series of SMD MLCCs offers important design and production benefits versus leaded disc devices for AC line filtering in this significant and expanding market.

With a trend to increased functionality in the same or smaller spaces, and industry and consumer demand for portable solutions, the PCB real estate available for electronics, including power delivery systems, is shrinking. Commonly used safety certified leaded disc components are bulky compared with KEMET’s CAS series SMD MLCCs and are therefore often not suitable for applications with restricted spaces in which filtering circuitry needs to be placed.

Leaded disc devices also require pin-through installation into PCBs, a process that is not compatible with standard automated reflow profiles and therefore can result in additional production costs.

Filtering is important in mains powered products to manage unwanted transients such as high frequency noise in both line-to-line (Class X) and line-to-ground (Class Y) applications. Safety certified capacitors are used in a wide variety of applications, such as power adapters for mobile devices, industrial power distribution, and electric vehicle power inverters.

Commenting on the release, Reggie Phillips, Senior Product Manager, KEMET, said: “Until now, safety certified capacitor technology has not kept pace with advances in MLCC technology. Our new CAS range allows engineers to place the essential mains-connected filtering capacitors into smaller spaces, thereby reducing board size. For manufacturing professionals, the benefit is that the new devices are compatible with standard reflow processes, eliminating an additional step in the manufacturing process.”