[muRata] Products for Automotive

An indispensable element in an omnipresent network society - Murata technology links people and
the ever-evolving automobile
Ever-evolving automotive technology is no longer confined to the basic vehicle functions of propulsion, steering, and braking. It is now expanding into a variety of disciplines. Remarkable advances in automotive technology, most notable in areas such as telematics, advanced safety features, and environmental compatibility, have led to tremendous evolution in our vehicles and our automotive society since the days when vehicles were merely a means of getting around.

This evolution has been facilitated by electronic components that keep an eye on the inside and outside of the vehicle and exchange this information among the components. Murata produces components that are so small and light you wouldn’t even notice them on your fingertip and sensors and modules made of materials we have engineered at the molecular level.
We are staking our future potential and the boundless development of automobiles on these small electronic components. With our technology and know-how, Murata will contribute to developing a “ubiquitous network society” preserving the global environment, and creating a future with safer and more comfortable automobiles.

Murata contributes to the development of mobile communication systems with the technology and know-how we developed for the information communication equipment market and with the high reliability that comes with the outstanding heat and vibration resistance typical of our ceramic components. Automotive telematics achieves the combining of a radio transmission system with car navigation and security system. Murata’s information communication technology is also playing an active role in making such new systems prevalent.

The short-range radio transmission standards govern in-vehicle information communication.

Using our electronic components made of excellent high-frequency materials and Low-temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) Technology, Murata has created the world’s smallest Bluetooth^® modules. Our compact, high-performance modules offer all the functions necessary for short-range radio transmission.

Modules for in-vehicle communication
Providing all the functions necessary for in-vehicle, short-range radio transmission in the world's smallest size.

Micro-fabrication technology utilizes our own MEMS technology. Murata employs a proprietary oscillator structure to achieve low drift and superior temperature stability. The high precision, small size and high dependability of our gyroscopes help increase the performance of car navigation systems.

Highly precise autonomy navigation sensors for automotive navigation systems
The Coriolis force generated when angular acceleration acts on the oscillator is detected as a variation in capacitance between the electrodes.

Precise control by electronics is essential to the automotive safety system. Murata’s sensors and other electronic components support this system with their superior performance made possible by the use of cutting-edge technologies as well as the unique ability of ceramics to withstand the harsh conditions of use.

Ultrasonic sensors radiate ultrasonic waves and receive their reflections from an obstacle, and use the time delay to calculate the distance to the obstacle. Using our own structural design technology, Murata’s ultrasonic sensor ensures high sensitivity, flat orientation (narrow vertically), and shorter reverberation times, resulting in consistent, reliable distance sensing.

For sensing the surroundings of the automobile, including parking assistance, automatically controlling the distance between cars, and pre-crash safety systems.

Benefiting from our unique ceramics and their structure, Murata shock sensors offer high reliability, impact resistance and productivity. They can be used to detect the start of tire revolution in tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and help conserve battery power. In airbag systems, they serve as subsensors by sensing impact acceleration.

Detects the start of tire revolution in TPMS and impact acceleration in the airbag system (as a subsensor).

Consideration of the global environment is important for the automobile industry. Murata helps reduce CO₂ and conserve energy by developing and supplying electronic components that take advantage of such characteristics of ceramics as compactness and thermal resistance. We are helping to expand the market share of environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

Murata’s ceramic capacitors for inverters make use of the superior resistance of ceramics to heat and vibration to ensure a stable performance even in high temperatures. Capable of resisting several hundred volts, they also have a large capacity comparable to that of film capacitors and aluminum electrolytic capacitors, and are usable near heat generating components.

For EV/HEV inverter smoothing
Helps make inverters smaller and lighter
Can be used near a heat generating body

Murata’s technology is also in high demand in the area of lithium-ion secondary batteries for hybrid vehicles (HEV). Our material and monolithic technology, which are the result of our firm grasp of basic material properties, has produced high-power batteries featuring a unique electrode material and a plate monolithic structure. The high energy density and low internal resistance make it possible to reduce battery size and weight and raise input and output levels.

Batteries for hybrid vehicles
Supplying power to the electric motor that drives the wheels, featuring reduced size, weight and high input-output levels.