Santa Rosa, California – Schurter’s High Current Fuse, HCF, is a robust SMD fuse, designed using solid-state, thin film technology. With its fast reacting breaking capacity rated 1,000A at 125VAC/125 VDC, across a current range of 5A to 15A, the HCF is suited for use in particularly harsh applications where the reliable interrupt of high currents is critical.
The fuse has a similar structure to Schurter’s earlier introduced series MGA-S and HCSF. The difference between fuses used in space and versions for non-space applications lies in the qualification process. An intensive screening process of each individual fuse is required for fuses used in space applications, while this process is omitted for fuses used in non-space applications. This leads to a reduction in the cost per fuse.
In contrast to conventional fuses with a melting wire, the HCF has a metallic thin film layer. With this manufacturing technique, a metal layer is applied in conjunction with a sputter. The two form on a glass substrate in an exact micrometer thickness. The resulting fuse element is enclosed with a ceramic housing that guarantees the necessary stability and interrupt capacity. No harmful substances escape in solid or gaseous form during cutoff of the fuse. This technology also makes the Schurter HCF completely impermeable to potting compound, which can be used to achieve a hermetic seal, such as for use in intrinsically safe applications according to ATEX and IECEx requirements.
The HCF fuse is suited for applications that offer high reliability under particularly difficult conditions (thermal and mechanical shock, cycle endurance, etc.). Examples of applications include equipment operated in sub-arctic regions, aviation electronics, and certain medical technology. The temperature range is from -50°C to 125°C, and vibration resistance is tested up to 1,600g.