LG Innotek Develops High-Efficiency Magnetic Material... Expecting Ultra-Slim and Lightweight Devices

Power Supply for TV Display Panels and Vehicle Air Conditioners

An LG Innotek employee is showcasing a 'high-efficiency ferrite.' When this material is applied to TVs, the thickness of ultra-slim OLED TVs is reduced by about 60% compared to existing models, and energy efficiency is improved, which can extend the lifespan of the components.

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] LG Innotek announced on the 14th that it has succeeded in developing the world's most power-loss-efficient "high-efficiency ferrite." With this development, LG Innotek is expected to secure a leading position in the TV and automotive power markets.

Ferrite is a magnetic material primarily made of iron oxide, used in the form of powdered ferrite hardened into tile shapes. It is mainly installed in TV power modules, automotive power supplies, and chargers to convert voltage or eliminate unnecessary signals caused by current fluctuations. This enables stable power supply to TV display panels, automotive air conditioners, audio systems, and more.

Recently, as home appliances and electric vehicles become increasingly compact and multifunctional, "high-efficiency ferrite," which is advantageous for ultra-slim and high-efficiency products, is gaining attention as a next-generation material.

The "high-efficiency ferrite" developed by LG Innotek reduces power loss due to heat by up to 40% compared to conventional ferrite. It also maintains low-loss characteristics from -40°C to 140°C, enabling perfect quality performance inside high-temperature TVs and various driving environments of vehicles.

Ultra-slim TVs, Vehicle Weight Reduction, and Improved Energy Efficiency

LG Innotek's "high-efficiency ferrite" is advantageous for ultra-slim TVs and vehicle weight reduction aimed at improving fuel efficiency in electric and hydrogen vehicles.

Using this material, TV power modules can be made as thin as 9.9mm, the thinnest in the world, reducing TV thickness by about 60%. For example, a 65-inch ultra-slim OLED TV with a conventional power module has a thickness of approximately 46.9mm, but with the "high-efficiency ferrite" power module, the thickness can be reduced to less than 20mm. This is because the material's low power loss reduces the number of components needed to secure required power to one-third, and the component thickness is slimmed down to about 40% of the previous level.

Additionally, the "high-efficiency ferrite" can increase the energy efficiency of TV power modules by up to 5 percentage points. Higher energy efficiency reduces heat generation, minimizes heat-related damage, and extends component lifespan.

When applied to automotive DC-DC converters, this product can reduce the converter's volume and weight by about 10% compared to existing models and increase energy efficiency by up to 1.2 percentage points. Moreover, it reduces the risk of fire caused by overheating of vehicle power components. The "high-efficiency ferrite" generates less heat, lowering component temperatures by up to 20°C compared to conventional materials.

Development Period Reduced to One Quarter, Achieving World-Class Performance

Until now, Japanese companies have led the ferrite market with the world's top technology. However, Japanese products have drawbacks such as high prices and supply difficulties. Especially when export-import regulations arise due to trade or diplomatic disputes between countries, supply disruptions of core materials can critically impact business operations.

To overcome this, LG Innotek began full-scale development of "high-efficiency ferrite" in 2018. Judging that it would be difficult to close the gap with Japanese products in a short time using conventional development methods, LG Innotek applied digital transformation (DX) and artificial intelligence (AI)-based simulation techniques for the first time in the industry during material design.

LG Innotek automated the process of determining the optimal composition ratio of the highest-performance material using supercomputers, significantly reducing the number of experiments and time while increasing result accuracy. Previously, researchers had to conduct thousands of experiments manually to find the optimal ratio, which took a long time and was prone to errors and inconsistencies depending on the experimenter.

Along with this, LG Innotek made active investments such as adopting the latest software, technical consulting, and industry-academia cooperation, successfully shortening the development period from at least four years to one year and four months.

"Providing Differentiated Customer Value through Core Material Internalization"

LG Innotek plans to strengthen differentiated competitiveness by expanding the application of the core material "high-efficiency ferrite" to its products.

At the same time, LG Innotek is actively promoting promotions targeting global electronics companies and automakers, aiming for mass production of the material in the first half of next year. Furthermore, to solidify its position as the number one technology leader in the "high-efficiency ferrite" field, it is accelerating advanced development of materials with enhanced performance based on over 120 related patents.

Researcher Baek Seok of the CTO Division's Magnetic Components Task said, "It is significant that LG Innotek has internalized the core material in a short period with its unique method, enabling stable supply of products with the best performance and quality to customers," adding, "We will continue to provide differentiated value to customers by utilizing magnetic materials."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.