Thermalpas field deployment (Taiwan) · Semiconductor & Hi-Tech
TSMC: 1,000+ VFD capacitor sensors since 2018, zero failures
DC-link capacitor thermal monitoring in ABB variable-frequency drives at a 300 mm fab.
- 1,000+Sensors since 2018
- 3 yrs+Individual unit service, zero failures
- QualifiedOn TSMC purchase specification
The problem
At a TSMC 300 mm fab, dozens of variable-frequency drives control the pumps and air handlers that keep the cleanroom running. Inside each VFD, a bank of DC-link capacitors smooths the power — and when one fails, it can explode without warning, take down the production line, and force every tool on that line to reset. Each hour of lost production costs more than $5 million.
What was installed
Thermalpas BCT 1100-N sensors — PT100 Class A, UL 94HB flame-retardant, IP68, with a 180°C+ rated cable — were supplied. Each VFD panel has a 6-channel controller that watches every capacitor temperature continuously and reports over RS485 through the panel PLC into TSMC's common alarm system, so the fab team has no new dashboard to learn.
The outcome
TSMC has used these sensors since 2018: more than 1,000 units cumulative, with individual units in service for over three years and zero failures or RMAs. TSMC's purchase specification names Thermalpas BCT 1100-N as a qualified supplier.
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