ARTC Inaugurates Cutting-edge EMC Test Platform

New facility is expected to open doors to overseas markets for local automotive industry

The government-supported Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC) recently inaugurated a comprehensive vehicle electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test platform, which it claims to be at the forefront of such facilities in Asia. The cutting-edge platform is located at the center's campus at the Changhua Coastal Industry Zone, central Taiwan.

ARTC claims that the testing platform can provide the most comprehensive EMC tests for different national regulations, international standards, and requirements of global automakers. Components, systems, assembled cars and even trucks and buses can be tested and verified by the platform.

ARTC President Joy Huang points out that the new testing center has been approved by a number of international certification bodies and provides a full-range of testing services to help local companies tap into the supply chains of global tier-one companies and international automakers. He also stresses that the testing center is an ideal resource for local information and communication technology (ICT) companies seeking to tap automotive-related businesses.

Safety First
The plethora of electronic systems in vehicles has raised attention to the problem of electromagnetic interference (EMI) among different on-board electronic devices, from GSP and telematics systems to infotainment devices. The low-frequency electromagnetic effects generated from high-voltage power modules are also increasingly affecting the normal operation and functions of different automotive-electronic systems.

Without sophisticated EMC designs, vehicles could be at risk to any number of electromagnetic related problems, from malfunctioning in-car infotainment systems and wiper systems to abnormal displays on instrument clusters and, more worryingly, sudden engine turn off, brake-system seizure, or unexpected acceleration.

As a result, the demand for vehicle-related EMC tests has rapidly soared and become one of the most important categories in safety designs, Huang says. Related authorities, organizations, and research institutes have been strengthening their EMC-testing capability and research to further assure vehicle safety.

World-class Service Capability
Automotive electronics are playing a vital role in the trend toward safer, higher-performance, cleaner, smarter, more energy-saving, electric, and connected vehicles, with ever more electronic parts and systems being used in modern vehicles.

Thanks to their growing applications, automotive-electronics systems are capturing an increasing share of car value, up from about 26% in 2003 to around 40% in 2012. And the more expensive the car, the higher the share occupied by electronics.

Backed by Taiwan's world-class electronics and ICT industries, auto-parts producers on the island are developing advanced, reasonably priced automotive-electronics systems and components for customers around the world. More and more of these producers are eyeing not only domestic carmakers, but also the huge market in China, industry experts say.

According to ARTC, automotive electronics will be one of Taiwan's rapid-growth star industries in the future. The value of the island's overall automotive-electronics production rose from NT$56 billion (US$1.87 billion) in 2006 to some NT$100 billion (US$3.3 billion) in 2010 and NT$109.2 billion (US$3.6 billion) in 2012; and the figure is expected to reach NT$300 billion (US$10 billion) in 2015.

As the automotive-electronics market grows, it has attracted nearly every major automaker and parts supplier, including a group of world-class ICT makers based in Taiwan, the center stresses.

With support from the Technology Development Programs (TDPs) subsidized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), ARTC in 2003 began providing EMC tests, fault probing and improvement services for assembled powered two-wheelers (PTWs) and vehicle components. The center's EMC-related testing services have been licensed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) as well as international certification bodies such as TAF, TUV, IDIDA, A2LA and Big Three American automakers (GM, Ford and Chrysler). In the past few years, ARTC has provided related services to more than 400 corporations in Australia, South Korea, Thailand, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil and other countries, with an average annual case load of 450.

ARTC's testing capability has won high confirmations. The center's test results have been accepted by not only the American Big Three, but also international automakers such as Volvo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, and PSA Group. With such capability, ARTC has helped a number of auto-parts suppliers to tap into the supply chains of international automakers.

"Big" Enough
When planning the EMC platform, ARTC drew on the experience and know-how of eight major EMC labs worldwide. It created several advanced facilities with enough space to accommodate testing of vehicles ranging in sizes up to large buses. Anechoic chambers, shielding rooms, transient rooms, and high-voltage power module testing zones are among the advanced facilities provided. The platform is also integrated with other facilities and capability at the ARTC campus to create an intelligent, energy-saving, environmentally sound, and safe multifunctional vehicle testing platform that can help local producers of vehicle and parts gain a competitive edge in global markets.

Minster of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-Shiang stresses that the vehicle EMC testing platform at ARTC is a first-class testing site meeting global standards. The center plays a key role in linking Taiwan's automotive-electronics industry with international automakers and tier-one suppliers. It is also a key watchdog for domestic transportation-vehicle inspection authorities and an integrated provider of solutions to local makers' in the product design, development, improvement, and marketing process.

Vertically Integrated Services
In the past, domestic companies had to pay high costs to send their products to foreign test labs for EMC tests. Such procedures and the complex documentation involved, often delayed R&D work and inflated costs. For example, the development of a newly assembled vehicle needs to go through at least two or three sets of comprehensive EMC tests, and each on-site test takes about one week. Shipment and customs clearance further delay the process, with the result three to four months can be required for a foreign lab test to be completed.

ARTC says that the new EMC test platform can help cut R&D time and costs and give the local industry a new advantage in vertical integration.

ARTC notes that electronic systems used in vehicles need to have a product life of at least 10 to 20 years and also be able to function in challenging environments with high vibration, temperature differences, power interference, and other factors. As a result, producers in this segment face completely different requirements than those in sectors with much shorter product lives and friendlier operating environments.

Since vehicles are safety-critical, each part needs to undergo strict testing and certification processes to assure the highest reliability.

ARTC says that many ICT companies are eyeing the high-margin and more stable automotive-electronics market to expand their business, especially in EV-related fields where there are far fewer competitors than in the traditional automotive sector. With the EMC test platform, ARTC says, local companies have gained a reliable and trustworthy partner to help them promote their quality, innovative and safe products in the global market.