71 www.drivesncontrols.com July/August 2026 frequency drive adopts a full-SiC architecture and is currently targeted at power-qualitysensitive applications such as data centres and water treatment facilities. The company is using its performance advantages to capture a technology-driven premium in these segments. Leading global AC drive manufacturers are generally taking a cautious and measured approach to adopting silicon carbide (SiC) technologies. ABB, for example, has not yet introduced a mass-produced series with SiC as a core selling point; its current technology roadmap continues to focus on highperformance IGBTs and system-level efficiency optimisation, with SiC largely remaining at the R&D and module exploration stage. Siemens is following a similar strategy. Its mainstream Sinamics portfolio continues to rely on conventional IGBT technologies, while it is evaluating wide-bandgap devices at the research level. It hasn’t released any commercial SiC-based LV AC drive products to date. Danfoss is one of the few European players with a clearer commitment to SiC. Through its Semikron Danfoss business, it has established technical expertise and product offerings in SiC power modules, although it has yet to launch standard low-voltage AC drives that incorporate SiC devices. Established global players are tending to extend the lifecycles of existing IGBT technologies. They are focusing on continuously improving performance through system-level optimisation and plan to introduce SiC at scale once both the technology and supply chain reach sufficient maturity. By contrast, emerging companies and regional leaders are adopting more flexible strategies, either accelerating adoption through hybrid SiC designs or targeting highend niche markets with full-SiC architectures to build differentiated competitiveness. These two approaches are unlikely to converge in the near term and are expected to coexist and evolve in parallel for an extended period. IGBTs will continue to dominate the lowvoltage AC drives market for the foreseeable future. This is not due to any lack of maturity in silicon carbide technology. Instead, it reflects the stringent requirements for longterm reliability and cost-effectiveness in industrial drive applications, where adoption cycles are inherently more conservative than in sectors such as consumer electronics and automotive. At the same time, SiC may be quietly reshaping the competitive dynamics of the industry. Historically, differentiation among AC drives has been largely driven by control algorithms and reliability. Going forward, competitive advantages are likely to shift increasingly towards power density, system architecture, power quality, and thermal management capabilities. SiC might not disrupt the market overnight, but it is fundamentally expanding the design boundaries of AC drives and, in doing so, could steer the industry towards a more diversified landscape of technological and value-based competition. n The Chinese drives-maker Inovance is using SiC diodes in some of its products The Canadian developer Smart D has adopted a full-SiC architecture for its Clean Power drives Different semiconductor technologies have strengths and weaknesses for different applications (Source: SmartD)
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