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Making the impossible possible - ROHM’s Mission: To produce the most innovative resistors

07/19/2018

Resistors are so fundamental to ROHM’s DNA that even the company name is inextricably tied to the word. The ‘R’ is derived from ‘resistor’ while ‘ohm’ is the unit of measurement for resistance. ROHM’s forerunner, Toyo Electronics Industry, was founded in 1954 as a supplier of carbon film resistors, and in 1958 ROHM was established in Kyoto, Japan, manufacturing small electronic components.

ROHM’s expertise in designing, developing, and manufacturing resistors spans 60 years, and the company continues to lead the industry. We spoke with Masaki Yoneda, Division Manager of ROHM’s Resistor Division, to find out how the company’s passion for innovation makes the impossible possible, to the benefit of customers around the world.

Masaki Yoneda, Division Manager of ROHM’s Resistor Division

 

ROHM’s solid track record in pioneering resistor development can be attributed to its agility. Yoneda, who started working at ROHM in 1999, says resistors are critical for electronic equipment. And as a greater number of applications are digitized every year, ROHM’s new product development, together with consistent supply, will be even more important in the future.

“We constantly think about market needs and cultivating innovative technologies and manufacturing processes,” Yoneda said, adding that this work has resulted in ROHM’s development of industry-leading technologies and the sale of over two trillion chip resistors.

“Along with the proliferation of various electronic and mobile devices, ROHM is at the forefront of miniaturization technology. We also offer high value-added products for the automotive and industrial equipment fields.”

 

As resistor manufacturing methods have remained largely unchanged for decades, it is getting more difficult to develop new kinds of resistors. To tackle this problem, ROHM is seeking a better understanding of market needs that will drive new designs and innovations.

“Every ROHM engineer works consistently from the prototype stage to evaluation. There are many things that we aren’t able to understand unless we experiment, so we work on a trial and error basis, for example by drawing plans and selecting materials, to develop new high-quality products,” he explained.

As with the development of all of the company’s products, Yoneda believes listening to consumers and observing trends in the market will lead to more optimized solutions.

“Our goal is to supply products that are beneficial to our customers. Stepping up efforts to understand their needs allows us to reflect those needs in product development,” he said, adding that this process will become increasingly important.

In the automobile sector, time is also a critical factor. When talking to customers in this sector, Yoneda says it is necessary to think about resistors that can be used in products three to five years ahead. The ROHM Group, including multiple divisions and factories, then work together on optimizing materials and manufacturing processes to continue to ensure high quality and stable supply in a limited time frame.

 

ROHM’s pioneering LTR18 series is the industry’s first wide-terminal low-ohmic chip resistors featuring anti-surge properties. It is one example of the success achieved in overcoming development challenges, according to Yoneda.

The wide terminal configuration provides a high reliability junction for the mounting board. In addition, high rated power and excellent anti-surge characteristics protect the chip against momentary surge voltages due to static electricity.

Originally, ROHM offered separate wide-terminal and anti-surge resistors. Although it was very difficult for Yoneda and his teams to combine both features into one product, after two years of hard work, ROHM’s LRT18 series was finally launched.

“The demand for resistors that provide excellent performance even under harsh conditions, including extreme temperatures, has grown in recent years. This series contributes to improved reliability in automobiles and industrial equipment, which are often used in severe environments,” Yoneda explained.

 

In 2016, ROHM began mass production of compact, high-power low-ohmic shunt resistors. The GMR series is optimized for the automotive, industrial equipment, and large-scale consumer electronics sectors. In particular, it was designed to address the growing electronification and motorization of automotive systems.

ROHM adopted unique materials that reduce surface temperature rise by 45% compared with conventional products. This makes it possible to achieve stable resistance not only during normal operation, but also at overcurrent loads. Engineers utilized a high-performance alloy as the resistive metal, resulting in excellent temperature coefficient of resistance – even in the low resistance region – as well as greater accuracy and reliability. And further miniaturization was achieved by developing a structure that is 47% thinner than existing solutions.

ROHM offers a wide lineup of resistors and continues to ensure stable supply, both domestically and abroad, even as the demand rises for various types, including shunt, specialized, and general-purpose resistors.

ROHM’s PSR and GMR Series of High Voltage Low Ohmic Shunt Resistors

 

For many years, ROHM has focused on the development of resistors that meet specific needs, such as anti-surge, wide-terminal, and anti-sulfuration. By constantly looking for ways to develop new products and revolutionizing existing ones, ROHM is able to lead the industry with high quality, cutting-edge solutions.

 

 

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