Bombardier and Infineon enter into strategic partnership

Infineon will ensure supplies by reserving manufacturing capacity for Bombardier. Bombardier will contribute towards the investment costs required. Furthermore, the two companies will join forces in developing the drive electronics for trains with a view to optimizing the energy efficiency and reliability. “In forming this strategic partnership, we aim to strengthen our successful long-term collaboration. Infineon and Bombardier are combining many years of experience in our respective areas of expertise to continually optimise drive electronics for our customers’ benefit,” says Pierre Attendu, Vice President Operations and Chief Procurement Officer of Bombardier Transportation. “Our new generations of IGBT modules are designed to meet the challenging application requirements posed by deployment in advanced trains and metro rail systems. In partnering with the experts of Bombardier Transportation, we aim to raise the energy efficiency and reliability of the drive electronics yet further,” says Arunjai Mittal, Division President of the Industrial & Multimarket Division at Infineon Technologies. IGBT modules (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) are so-called power semiconductors used in high voltage operation between several hundreds to thousands of volts. These Power semiconductors are noted for high efficiency and fast switching with high-current handling capability and can hence control multi-megawatt electric motors (1megawatt equals 1'360 horsepower) with minimum power losses. IGBTs permit variable speed and torque control of the electric motor.