About AEM
AEM, Inc. is a leading provider of high-reliability component solutions, recognised for delivering exceptional quality, value and performance across demanding industries. The company specialises in products and services designed to meet the rigorous requirements of aerospace, defence and other mission-critical applications.
AEM's product portfolio includes advanced circuit protection devices, EMI signal filtering solutions and Sn/Pb conversion services, helping engineers and manufacturers achieve the highest levels of reliability, compliance and long-term performance.
Technical Resources
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Explore AEM's high-reliability product solutions, designed for aerospace, defence and other mission-critical applications where performance, quality and long-term reliability are essential.
HC Series SMD Fuses
AEM's HCS Series surface mount fuses are designed for high-current circuit protection in compact electronic applications. Available in a miniature 1206 package, they provide current ratings from 10A to 40A at up to 35VDC, making them ideal for modern high-power, space-constrained designs. reel).
Applications
- Multi-cell lithium battery packs
- Brushless DC motor driver circuits
- Handheld power tools
- Robotic and cordless vacuum cleaners
- Network switches, routers and servers
- GPU and high-performance computing boards
Features
- Current ratings from 10A to 40A
- 35VDC rated voltage
- Compact 1206 package (3.2mm × 1.6mm)
- Low DC resistance for reduced heat generation
- Designed for high-power applications
- Supplied in tape and reel format (3,000 pieces per reel)
Benefits
- Supports higher power and voltage requirements
- Enables smaller, lighter electronic designs
- Improves thermal performance in compact assemblies
- Suitable for applications using up to 8-cell battery packs
- Reliable circuit protection for demanding environments
Hi-Rel Ferrite Chips
AEM Inc.'s Hi-Rel Ferrite Chips are classified EAR99. They are intended for high reliability applications where replacement is not an option, applications can include General noise, EMI and RFI suppression.
Applications
- High reliability where replacement is not an option
- General noise, EMI and RFI suppression
- Surface mount
Features
- No tin whisker worries
- Tin / lead with 5%+ lead or gold terminations
- Military temperatures -55°C to +125°C
- Group A / B / C test data
- Standard EIA / EIAJ chip sizes
Benefits
- Certified materials & terminations
- AEM warranted products
- Hi-Rel versus Commercial
- Tested and Qualified
- AEM Hi-Rel (QPL) manufacturing expertise
- AEM Specifications
- SCDs accepted
Hi-Rel Fuses
AEM is the sole QPL listed manufacturer of solid body, current limiting fuses, which are produced using a thick film technique for the aerospace industry. AEM's fuses have been selected by most major space programs and have been in orbit for the past 30-plus years with zero reported failures. Their applications include military and commercial satellites and manned space vehicles.
Applications
- Used in military and commercial satellites and manned space vehicles
- Protection of power supplies, batteries and solar arrays
- Isolation of redundant and branch circuits
- Short protection from squib and jettison circuitry
Features
- Consistent minimum and maximum clear-times at overload currents regardless of vacuum conditions
- Solid body construction does not outgas and therefore is not subjected to the de-rating factors of MIL-STD-975
- Solid body construction can withstand greater vibration and shock exposure without damage
- Positive temperature coefficient of fuse element causes resistance to increase (prior to opening) thereby preventing absolute short to the power source
- Internal construction assures that arc, plasma, and vapor are contained within the fuse package during overload current conditions
- P600L fuses have been subjected to over 6 million hours of life testing without a failure
- QPL certified / MIL-PRF-23419/12
Tin Whisker Mitigation
The AEM exclusive Sn/Pb conversion process has been qualified by major aerospace OEMs. The Tin Whisker Mitigation (TWM) process involves adding lead (Pb) to chip size components with pure tin (Sn) terminals. Our Sn-Pb conversion process involves both Sn-Pb plating and subsequent fusion processing to ensure that the resultant component terminations are a homogenous mixture of Sn-Pb.
Issues Facing Hi-Rel Product Manufacturers:
- Components with solder terminals comprised of >3% lead are not prone to tin whisker problems.
- Whiskers tend to grow unpredictably on 100% tin surfaces.
- There is no accepted accelerated method to test for the propensity of tin whisker growth.
- Components with 100% tin external radial-leaded components can be tin / lead hot solder dipped, although this is not always 100% effective.
- 100% tin terminated chip size style components should not be tin / lead hot solder dipped due to thermal shock concerns.
Exclusive AEM Sn/Pb Conversion Process Has Been Qualified by Major Aerospace OEMs:
- The AEM tin / lead conversion process is effective for most chip size passive components including capacitors, inductors, resistors, ferrite chip beads, fuses, resistor arrays, capacitor arrays, bead arrays, and many molded body passive and active surface mount component types.
- Tin / lead processed components are subjected to 100% visual and mechanical inspections per applicable EIA guidelines (including sample solderability, leach resistance, terminal strength and DPA screening).
- Optional component up-screening and QCI also performed by AEM's MIL-STD-202 lab.
- Tin / lead converted and up-screened components will be warranted as AEM products.
- AEM's tin / lead conversion process is applicable to most multi-layer chip style components. Other components may be processed subject to an AEM pre-evaluation and component construction analysis (generally performed by AEM at no cost to customer).
