Rogers’ corporate social responsibility extends beyond our manufacturing processes and people-focused programs. We also enjoy the distinction of developing and manufacturing leading-edge materials that help build a cleaner, safer and more connected world. What follows is a closer look at just a few of the markets we serve that help to reduce environmental impact, promote safety and drive the transition to a low-carbon economy.
We are proud of our leading position in EV/HEV and ADAS where our differentiated materials help power vehicles and protect passengers. Materials from all three of Rogers’ strategic business segments enable technologies that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and keep us safer on the road.
For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that a typical passenger vehicle emits approximately 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year. Rogers’ Power Electronics Solutions business (PES) designs and manufactures ceramic substrates and busbars used in EV/HEV applications that significantly reduce these automotive carbon emissions.
Our ROLINX® line is the global industry leader in laminated busbars and the designer’s choice for power distribution due to their high quality and reliability. Our wide range of ROLINX® products is tailored to specific power density and inductance and allows for low- and high-power applications, such as EV/HEV converters, inverters and electric powertrains. For example, our ROLINX® PowerCircuit Solutions bridge the gap between traditional printed circuit boards (PCB) and standard laminated busbars, offering high-power density in a 3D design.
Also in the PES business, our curamik® product line produces Master Cards (MCs) that are used to package Power Semiconductor Chips. These in turn produce power modules that are key enablers in a number of applications that reduce CO2 emissions, such as vehicle electrification. In power electric steering systems alone, electrification helps reduce CO2 emissions by 132 kilograms or more per vehicle annually. Because a single MC can supply as many as 32 vehicles, depending on the application, each MC can help reduce CO2 emissions by 1 to 4 metric tons annually.
Additionally, EV/HEVs use lithium-ion batteries, which require cushioning, sealing and vibration isolation that must perform reliably under challenging conditions. Rogers’ Elastomeric Material Solutions (EMS) business unit offers a suite of battery pad solutions that provide designers with high-performance options that can withstand the stresses of fluctuating compression and temperature. From battery pads to battery enclosure sealing through our BISCO® silicone foams, these materials are designed to reliably hold a consistent force and keep battery cells aligned, allowing for longer-lasting and more energy-efficient battery performance.
Along with vehicle efficiency, our Advanced Connectivity Solutions (ACS) business unit helps improve driver safety with materials that can be found in ADAS and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communications systems. These systems are becoming standard on most makes and models and increasingly important in reducing traffic fatalities, by helping drivers avoid accidents. Rogers is the world’s technology and market leader in these innovative material solutions, providing high performance PCB laminates for automotive 24 GHz and 77 GHz radar sensor applications. These high frequency circuit materials used in radar-based ADAS systems allow for blind spot detection, forward collision warning, emergency brake assist, adaptive cruise control and traffic jam pilot to enhance safety in automobiles. These safety features also enable higher levels of autonomy. During 2019, materials sold by Rogers went into approximately 70.5 million automotive radar sensors.
Rogers has served the renewable energy market for more than 30 years, with a focus on wind and solar, as well as power for general industrial applications and major appliances. Renewable energy is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
In 2020, the United States consumed a record 11.7 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of renewable energy, totaling 11% of the country’s total energy consumption. Wind and solar comprised one-third of this renewable mix, and Rogers provides the necessary tools to support these clean technologies.
Master Cards produced by our curamik® product line enable many renewable energy applications. These power substrates provide interconnections and cooling components within integrated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) and Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) modules. They carry higher currents, offer higher voltage isolation and operate over a wide temperature range. Our inverter module components allow solar energy to be converted from DC to AC for grid applications, including residential solar systems. Offshore wind farms continue to drive demand for inverter modules to help convert the power into a form that can also feed the grid. In addition, Rogers’ ROLINX® busbars serve the renewable energy market by providing customized connections between the power source and capacitors, resisters, integrated circuits (ICs), IGBTs or complete modules. Further, Rogers’ engineered elastomers help protect components in solar panels, which must withstand highly challenging conditions.
Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) account for the majority of the electrical energy consumed in general industrial applications. From electric motors to position control applications, these drives adjust to the needs of the process and significantly increase overall efficiency of the system. In the home, major appliances and HVAC systems require energy efficient and reliable means to distribute power to a wider array of functions while minimizing conduction losses. Rogers’ power electronics materials enable VFDs and high efficiency torque motors, as well as IGBT and MOSFET modules, to increase efficiency of appliances, while our sealing and gasketing solutions protect complex components to maximize the life of white goods and HVAC systems.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), transportation accounts for approximately 24% of the world’s total direct greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion. In 2019, road vehicles, such as cars, trucks and buses, accounted for 74% of the transportation sector’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, safe and reliable mass transit presents significant opportunities for the transportation sector to expand the low-carbon economy. As global demand for clean transportation continues to grow, Rogers will continue to develop materials solutions to meet this opportunity.
Rogers’ PES solutions provide unique advantages for the transportation sector, especially in terms of mass transit. Our ROLINX® busbars serve as power distribution highways for propulsion systems for rail, shipping and heavy equipment that require high power capabilities. In addition, power electronics used in mass transit auxiliary inverters and battery chargers must keep energy losses to a minimum. Our solutions keep these systems running with greater reliability and efficiency.
