JFE Techno Research Launches Insulation Life Testing Service for EV and Industrial Equipment

JFE Techno Research Corporation has launched a contract service for 'Voltage-Time (V-t) testing,' which evaluates the insulation durability of insulation materials and components using pulse wave voltages that simulate the switching operations of high-performance inverters. The company has newly introduced rare, state-of-the-art high-voltage pulse power supply equipment in Japan, enabling the reproduction of steep-rising switching waveforms close to actual drive environments. This service allows for testing under a wide range of environmental conditions, including high and low temperatures and reduced pressure, powerfully supporting the development of insulation technology for motor windings, electric vehicle (EV) components, and power device materials.

【Background and Issues】
In recent years, the performance of inverter drives in EVs and industrial equipment has increased, requiring insulation materials such as motor windings to have superior pulse voltage resistance.
The steep surge voltages generated by inverter switching can cause insulation degradation that is difficult to predict with conventional sine-wave-based voltage resistance evaluations. Therefore, there has been a strong industry demand for life prediction via V-t testing that faithfully replicates actual drive environments.
To meet these needs, JFE Techno Research has introduced new high-voltage pulse power supplies for V-t testing and diverse environmental testing equipment, providing a contract evaluation service with unmatched environmental compatibility in Japan.

【Service Features】
1. Faithful reproduction of actual inverter drive waveforms
- High-precision pulse waveforms with a rise time of 150 ns or less
- Continuous application of alternating positive and negative rectangular waves
- Precise control of surge voltage and rise speed
→ Accurate evaluation of time-to-dielectric-breakdown under conditions close to actual drive environments.

2. V-t testing under the widest range of environmental conditions in Japan
- Test applied voltage: 0 to ±5 kV
- Repetition frequency: 0.1 to 30 kHz
- Minimum pulse width: 300 ns
- Unique environmental testing support:
Wide temperature range: -70 to 200°C
Low to high humidity control: 20 to 98% RH
Reduced pressure environments: From 300 Pa
Testing in oil, etc.
→ Supports insulation life evaluation for all usage environments.

3. High-precision life prediction of insulation materials and components
By deriving the relational expression between applied voltage and dielectric breakdown time from V-t test results, the service enables high-precision life prediction under actual usage conditions.

In addition to this testing service, JFE Techno Research supports the multi-faceted development of insulation materials through technologies such as partial discharge evaluation and material analysis. The company remains committed to expanding its measurement technology to support customers' product development cycles and quality improvement.