Sustainability | Sustainability Management | Efforts to Achieve the SDGsContribution to the SDGs through Products

TDK Corporation
An optical transmission system underpinned by temperature sensor miniaturization

Optical transmission systems have been evolving at an impressive pace, as seen for example in 5G communications and the LiDAR technology used to maintain a safe distance between vehicles. One particularly important product in the optical transmission systems field is laser diodes, which are very widely used because they make it possible to achieve high laser output with a small device. Temperature control is an important issue for laser diodes, because the wavelength changes depending on the temperature.

A negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor is a temperature sensor utilizing a semiconductor material for which the resistance value falls as the temperature rises. TDK’s wire bondable NTC thermistor uses innovative process technology and materials technology to realize small device size and also enable convenient mounting with wire bonding that allows a high degree of flexibility in terms of placement. By making it possible to have the NTC thermistor located close to the laser diode, it facilitates high-precision temperature detection.

The small size of this product also helps to reduce transportation costs and reduce CO₂ emissions, while the lower power demand contributes toward a reduction in electric power consumption.

TDK Corporation
Helping to drive EV adoption by using TMR angle sensors to realize highly efficient e-motor control

As environmental consciousness has grown, there has been an ongoing shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) in the mobility sector. When electric motors (e-motors) are used as the motive power for vehicles, they need to provide both efficiency and performance. Rotary angle detection for e-motors plays an important role in underpinning the precision and efficiency of the vehicle control system. Currently, the mainstream solution for this is the resolver, but resolvers present problems in terms of both cost and size, and these issues constitute a major obstacle impeding the evolution of angle sensor technology, so there is a clear need for a new approach.

The tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) angle sensor is a type of magnetic sensor that detects the direction of a magnet’s magnetic field. Able to perform high-precision detection of rotation angles, it facilitates efficient vehicle control. TDK’s TMR angle sensors use innovative process technology to deliver industry-leading high-precision angle detection. Our TMR angle sensors also provide very stable output across a wide temperature range, and so do not require temperature correction processing, which helps to reduce the size and cost of the vehicle control system as a whole, thereby making the system more efficient.

TDK Electronics AG
Film capacitors with increased sustainability along the life cycle for railway applications

With the growing concern about environmental issues, considerable attention is being paid to the concept of a modal shift in freight transport away from road transport using trucks, to transportation by rail or ship, which supports large-volume transport while also being environmentally friendly. Power electronics technology, which enables the efficient conversion and control of electric power, has an important role to play in energy saving for rail transport. TDK’s ModCap film capacitors employ cutting-edge design techniques to realize modularization with industry-leading standardized specifications, creating a capacitor that is small, light, reliable, and durable.

The ModCap series film capacitors are made using bio-derived, sustainable film. By using environmentally friendly materials, they make a positive contribution to the environment right from the first stages of product manufacturing. All the products in the ModCap series are made using bio-circular materials.

To eliminate unnecessary wastage of material by extending component life-cycles, and to ensure appropriate management of waste, TDK has been undertaking research on how to realize the circular economy. While collaborating with a supplier on related R&D, it was suggested that the bio-based film used in the food sector could be used in the manufacturing of capacitors. This bio-based film has the same electrical properties as conventional products. The technology can also be applied to other types of film capacitor besides ModCap.

TDK Corporation
Sensing solutions for construction sites to help drive DX in the construction sector

Construction is an important sector which creates the buildings and infrastructure that are so vital to us in our daily lives. In recent years, however, the construction sector has been faced with various problems, including labor shortages, safety concerns, and environmental issues.

On construction sites and civil engineering work sites, being aware of ground displacement and structures tilting is a very important aspect of project management, for safety reasons. In the past, in order to measure ground displacement or the incline of structures, it was necessary to install sensors at specific measuring points, which were connected to a data logger by cables to enable data collection. On construction sites that cover a large area, a great deal of time and effort had to be spent on connecting up multiple measurement points with cables. This kind of situation is one example of why it is vitally important to promote DX throughout the construction sector, so as to realize greater efficiency.

The incline measurement system that TDK has developed utilizes a 3-axis MEMS accelerometer and innovative data processing technology to realize high-precision measurement. The system uses 920MHz band wireless communication, which enables long-distance data communication that is free from interference from Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals. Measurement data from multiple inclinometers is collated on cloud server or PC, allowing centralized management and remote monitoring. The incline measurement system is designed so that, if the measured data hits a specified level, a notification e-mail will be sent to the relevant personnel. When setting up the system, because there is no longer a need to link the different devices together by cable, the amount of cabling work that needs to be done on site is significantly reduced. The main type of sensor terminal used with this system is a wireless high-precision inclinometer, which is battery-powered, with an energy-saving design that enables over three years of continuous operation (assuming that data is sent every 10 minutes), thereby reducing the burden of battery replacement.

With systems like this that make effective use of sensor technology, TDK is contributing toward the DX of the construction sector.

TDK SensEI
Realizing predictive maintenance for industrial machinery by integrating edge AI with sensor technology

Factories and other production sites need to minimize downtime by preventing machinery and equipment from malfunctioning. Rather than waiting for something to go wrong before dealing with it, if a problem can be predicted in advance, then it is possible to perform preventive maintenance that will improve the equipment availability rate and enhance productivity.
TDK SenEI’s edgeRX is a platform that uses AI-enabled edge sensor devices to monitor the status of industrial machinery. By integrating AI algorithms, edge computing and high-performance sensor devices, edgeRX enables monitoring of industrial machinery in real time, while also generating insights that can help to reduce downtime and improve productivity, and providing an alert function that notifies users when it is time to perform maintenance.