LG Innotek, a subsidiary of the South Korean company LG, has won a prestigious Edison Award in 2023 for their ultra-thin magnetic component known as ‘Nexlim’. This award recognizes innovation and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Oscars of Innovation.’
Nexlim is an advanced magnetic component that can be installed in TV power modules, vehicle power systems, and chargers. It serves the purpose of changing the voltage and eliminating unnecessary signals produced by current waves. It is designed to reduce power loss from heat generation, thereby improving the energy efficiency of electronic products and electric vehicles.
The innovation lies in the thinness of Nexlim, with a thickness of only 7mm, which is significantly smaller than previous components. This reduction in size has been achieved through the development of a high-efficiency ferrite (X-2), a material used in Nexlim that reduces energy loss by up to 40% compared to other general magnetic materials, and increases power density by three times.
This development of Nexlim has implications for the design of products like televisions. As TVs have become larger and thinner, the challenge has been to fit the necessary components inside without compromising on the slim design. Nexlim’s compact size allows for ultra-thin TVs with an overall thickness of just 15~19.9mm.
Further, LG Innotek has developed a third-generation ferrite magnetic material (X-3) which can reduce energy loss even further. This new material is expected to be especially beneficial in the miniaturization of components for electric vehicles.
