Rheinmetall PolyCharge GmbH, a joint venture of Rheinmetall AG and PolyCharge America, Inc., has received its first NanoLam DC-link capacitors order in the mid double-digit million euro range one year after it was founded.
Its first customer, a well-known, globally operating supplier to the automotive industry, has ordered two different DC-link capacitors for applications in the 900V range, which are produced with the innovative NanoLam technology. The technology group Rheinmetall holds a 75 % stake in Rheinmetall Polycharge GmbH.
The order was already booked in December 2022 and includes development services as well as subsequent sample and full-scale production, which starts in 2026 and will run for several years. In winning this order, Rheinmetall PolyCharge GmbH overcame competitors from around the world. The joint venture expects further orders in the near future.
PolyCharge NanoLam technology enables capacitors that are half the weight and half the size of conventional polypropylene film capacitors solutions. They are also able to operate at higher temperaures: capacitors with NanoLam technology feature an extremely thin, dielectric polymer coating that assures optimum cooling and thermal stability as well as improved power density. The capacitors form part of the power electronics in e-cars and offer advantages in terms of volume and weight.
DC-link capacitors, also known as intermediate circuit capacitors, are used to stabilize the DC voltage and to limit fluctuations in a vehicle’s electrical system. They are not only used in hybrid and electric vehicles, but also in various industrial applications, such as voltage converters in wind energy and PV systems.
Now official, the order sets in motion the start of full-scale production for the first time at Rheinmetall PolyCharge GmbH, a joint venture founded last year by Rheinmetall and the American start-up company PolyCharge America, Inc. An initial order of this magnitude vindicates Rheinmetall’s strategy of transformation as an innovative supplier of subsystems and components for the fast-growing markets of electromobility and other industrial applications.
