Development and manufacturing of solid-state circuit breakers, power switches up to 100 kV and custom power electronics
Astrol Electronics AG
Othmarsingen, SwitzerlandNew on Amplifa
About Astrol Electronics AG
Astrol Electronics AG is a Swiss developer and manufacturer of power electronics and switching solutions based in Othmarsingen. The company designs and produces solid-state circuit breakers (AC and DC), solid-state power switches up to 100 kV and hundreds of kA, Gate Drive Units, isolated power supplies and custom electronics – from small projects in the milliamp range to thyristor and GCT switches for 20 or 50 kA at 10 kV voltage. The value chain covers software, analog and digital engineering, mechanical design (Solid Edge), PCB design (Altium), assembly of complete systems and testing in its own high-voltage and high-current test laboratory with up to 10 kV DC, 5 kA continuous, 30,000 A short-circuit simulation and a capacitor bank with 1 megajoule capacity. The products are designed for harsh environments, extended temperature ranges and long service life. Customers include industries such as marine/shipping, power distribution and smart grids, fusion research/pulsed power, medical technology, rail technology as well as data centers/AI data centers. Since 2016, Astrol has been part of the Sun.king Technology Group (Hong Kong Stock Exchange, 0580.hk); in 2023, the Dutch provider KWx was acquired and renamed Astrolkwx.
- Site
- CH-5504 Othmarsingen
- Processes
- Design and manufacturing of solid-state circuit breakers (AC and DC), Solid-state power switches (up to 100kV and hundreds of kA), Gate drive units and isolated power supplies, Customized electronics / custom electronics solutions, Electronics development from 5 mA to 50 kA (thyristor switches, GCT switches up to 20/50 kA at 10, PCB development and production (PCB assembly via suppliers), Assembly/integration of complete systems (electronics into mechanics), High-voltage and high-current testing (test laboratory up to 10 kV DC, 5 kA continuous, 30,000 A
- Materials
- Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCB), Power semiconductors (thyristors, GCT)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 9001:2015 (SQS, CH-37297), DNV-GL Marine Product Type Approval (2019)
- Founded
- 1996
- Employees
- 16
- Industries
- Marine/Shipping, Power distribution/Smart Grids, Fusion research/Pulsed power, Medical technology, Rail technology, Data centers/AI data centers
- 01
Inquiry intake and review by engineering
- 02
Project team with mechanical, software, electronics, production and
- 03
Design phase: electronics (Altium), software and mechanics (Solid Edge with
- 04
Procurement of PCB assembly and mechanical parts from suppliers
- 05
Inspection of purchased parts (production and type tests)
- 06
Integration of the electronics into the mechanics and assembly of the complete
- 07
System testing in the in-house high-voltage/high-current test laboratory or
- 08
Delivery, maintenance and repair on-site or remotely
Materials & Processes
Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCB)
PCB design in Altium; assembly is carried out by certified suppliers, followed by production tests at Astrol.
Power semiconductors (thyristors, GCT)
Used in thyristor and GCT switches up to 20/50 kA, tested via capacitor discharges with high di/dt.
Locations
Othmarsingen, Switzerland
CHProduction, engineering, high-voltage test laboratory, administration
- High-voltage test laboratory up to 10 kV DC with capacitor bank (1 MJ)
- DC current source up to 5,000 A continuous and 30,000 A short-circuit simulation
- Solid Edge (mechanical CAD with SQL system)
- Altium (schematic and PCB design)
Products & Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design and manufacturing of solid-state circuit breakers (AC and DC)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Solid-state power switches (up to 100kV and hundreds of kA)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gate drive units and isolated power suppliesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Customized electronics / custom electronics solutionsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Electronics development from 5 mA to 50 kA (thyristor switches, GCT switches up to 20/50 kA at 10Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| PCB development and production (PCB assembly via suppliers)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assembly/integration of complete systems (electronics into mechanics)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| High-voltage and high-current testing (test laboratory up to 10 kV DC, 5 kA continuous, 30,000 ATesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing of power assemblies (volume production)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC current source for high-current testing | – | – | up to 5,000 A continuous, up to 30,000 A short-circuit simulation | – | Othmarsingen, Switzerland |
| High-voltage test laboratory with capacitor bank | – | – | up to 10 kV DC; capacitors with total capacity 1 megajoule | – | Othmarsingen, Switzerland |
| Mechanical CAD system (Solid Edge) with SQL system | Solid Edge | – | – | – | Othmarsingen, Switzerland |
| EDA software for schematic and PCB design (Altium) | Altium | – | – | – | Othmarsingen, Switzerland |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certifications
Every product is tested before delivery – in the in-house high-voltage and high-current test laboratory (up to 10 kV DC, 5 kA continuous, 30,000 A short-circuit simulation) or on-site at the customer. The quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 (SQS, Reg. No. CH-37297); the DNV-GL Marine Product Type Approval issued in 2019 for the Solid-State DC Breaker additionally documents its suitability for maritime applications.
| Evidence | Othmarsingen, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 (SQS, CH-37297) | |
| DNV-GL Marine Product Type Approval (2019) |
History
- 1996
Founded by Franz Forster, Jürg Ramsauer and Andy Stöckli in Switzerland as a designer of custom electronics
- 2006
Entry into the production of high-power semiconductor assemblies
- 2010
ISO 9001:2008 certification
- 2011
Acquisition of the power assembly business of ABB Semiconductors
- 2014
Relocation to Othmarsingen, Switzerland
- 2016
Member of the Sun.king Technology Group (Hong Kong Stock Exchange, 0580.hk)
- 2019
DNV-GL Marine Product Type Approval for the Solid-State DC Breaker
- 2023
Acquisition of the Dutch power electronics provider KWx (renamed Astrolkwx)