Siemens and Infineon: Semiconductor Manufacturing and Risk

While the focus is often on automation systems and the machinery needed to support them, another challenge is emerging behind the scenes. How do operators protect facilities from electrical faults before they cause disruption?

Siemens and Infineon Technologies are now partnering to address that problem with a new approach to circuit protection designed for power-critical environments.

The companies have announced a collaboration that will see Infineon supply silicon carbide (SiC) power modules for Siemens' SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breakers. The technology is intended to improve the efficiency, reliability and power density of electrical protection systems used in environments where downtime can carry significant operational and financial consequences.

As manufacturing facilities scale and adopt more advanced automation, the announcement highlights a growing focus on the resilience of the electrical infrastructure supporting modern industrial operations.

Why speed matters in factory operations

Power interruptions are measured not just in seconds or minutes, but in milliseconds. Traditional electromechanical circuit breakers rely on moving mechanical components to interrupt electrical current during faults such as overloads or short circuits. Semiconductor circuit breakers take a different approach, using power electronics and intelligent protection algorithms to react much faster.

Siemens says its SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breaker can interrupt faults in the microsecond range up to 1,000 times faster than conventional systems. That speed is becoming vital for manufacturing facilities, where higher power densities and more complex electrical architectures leave less room for error. Even a brief fault can result in equipment damage, production loss or costly outages that impact delivery schedules and revenue.

Andreas Weisl, Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer of Industrial and Infrastructure at Infineon, says: "AI data centres and factories are becoming increasingly electrified and complex. This increases vulnerability to electrical failures and drives the demand for more sustainable, efficient and reliable power distribution systems.

"By combining our advanced silicon carbide technology with Siemens' expertise in power distribution, we are addressing this demand to ensure fast, safe and reliable operations in power-critical environments."

The partnership will see Siemens integrate Infineon's 62 mm CoolSiC MOSFET module 1200 V into its protection systems. Silicon carbide technology is gaining popularity due to its ability to operate efficiently at higher voltages and temperatures than traditional silicon-based components.

Supporting direct current infrastructure

Beyond improving fault protection, the collaboration reflects a growing interest in direct current (DC) power systems. Many operators are exploring DC architectures as a way to improve energy efficiency, simplify power conversion and support the integration of battery storage within manufacturing environments.

Semiconductor circuit breakers are suited to these environments because direct current faults can be more challenging to isolate using conventional protection methods.

The companies believe the combination of silicon carbide technology and semiconductor-based protection can help support more resilient and efficient DC networks across both industrial and data centre settings.

"Our new direct current portfolio offers innovative solutions that not only improve energy efficiency but also enable the development of resilient, future-proof infrastructure," said Markus Grabmeier, CEO Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure.

"Direct current applications can decrease energy consumption and substantially cut material usage. By integrating batteries, peak power can also be significantly reduced. With this approach, we are making a decisive contribution to the decarbonisation of our industries, while reinforcing our commitment to developing technologies that deliver tangible value to our customers and society."

Building resilience into industrial facilities

As facilities grow larger and more electrified, operators are looking for ways to reduce risk and improve uptime across every layer of the infrastructure stack.

Faster fault detection and interruption is one area attracting increasing attention as automated production lines and advanced manufacturing equipment place greater demands on power distribution networks.

For factory operators managing continuous production schedules, the ability to prevent electrical faults from cascading into wider system failures could mean the difference between maintaining output and facing extended downtime.

The Siemens-Infineon partnership is aimed squarely at that challenge, combining semiconductor protection technology with advanced power distribution expertise to support the next generation of power-critical infrastructure in manufacturing environments.

A demonstration of the SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breaker will be showcased at PCIM Europe 2026 in Nuremberg from 9 to 11 June.