Four new products under development that will contribute to downsizing and weight reduction of various automotive devices

I-PEX Inc. (referred to as I-PEX, Head Office: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Representative Director: Takaharu Tsuchiyama, Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market Code number: 6640) is developing four products, “AP-50”, “ISH^® 18”, “IARPB^® (Vertical Type)”, and “FPC Card Edge connector (tentative name)” as terminals and connectors for the automotive industry to address trends and needs such as electrification, improved fuel efficiency, and safety performance of vehicles. These products will enable the miniaturization and lightweighting of various devices. We will begin mass production of “IARPB^® (Vertical Type)” starting June this year.

These products under development are scheduled for a reference exhibition at “Automotive Engineering Exposition 2024 Yokohama”, which will be held at Pacifico Yokohama from May 22nd (Wednesday) to 24th (Friday), 2024.

“AP-50” is a new product of the “AP Series” designed for inter-board connection, capable of accommodating 50 A DC power supply. By redesigning the shape of the spring component from the existing AP series products, we have enhanced its capability to accommodate higher temperature ratings (-40℃〜150℃). While considering the installation of multiple connectors on the same board, we have improved the floating performance to maintain the fitment. In addition, we have ensured resistance to prolonged vibrations and high micro motion wear, making it suitable for automotive components.

In automotive power electronics devices such as inverters and DC/DC converters, there is a demand for further miniaturization. To achieve this, we reduced the number of connectors required for power transmission and minimized the board footprint they occupy. As a result, we were able to downsize the equipment.

The “ISH^® 18” is a wire-to-board connector with 0.5 mm terminals that is highly resistant to heat and vibration. We are expanding the lineup of multi-pole connectors for automotive applications to accommodate advanced functionality. This is achieved by adopting a 1.8 mm contact pitch, as opposed to the existing product “ISH^®” in the same series, which has a 2.0 mm contact pitch.

In addition to being usable in high-temperature environments up to 125℃, the I-PEX’s original terminal shape enabled easy fitting with low insertion force. Also, by reducing the number of components such as harnesses, we were able to reduce the weight.

“IARPB^® (Vertical Type)” is a new product that converts the existing horizontal mating type lightweight, compact board-in connector “IARPB^®” into a vertical mating type. By routing the wire harness vertically around the board, we efficiently utilized the space and enhanced the flexibility of the board design. This enables further weight and size reduction in headlamps, where compactness is required due to the addition of functions such as ADB^*.

The IARPB^® series, featuring a housing with bosses, exhibits high vibration resistance. Its housing structure excels in terminal visibility after installation, enabling efficient assembly work. Additionally, by tin-planting the entire perimeter of the terminals, stable solder wetting is achieved.

The “FPC Card Edge connector (tentative name)” is a one-piece connector that can be connected to the board by simply inserting the FPC. By replacing wires with FPC, you can increase space efficiency and reduce weight by lowering the number of board-side connectors. In addition, it also improves work efficiency since solder is not required.