Power Equipment & Infrastructure
From data center PDUs to grid switchgear — reliability measured in decades, not cycles.
Market trends
AI and the energy transition are driving power infrastructure demand
The spread of AI data centers is rapidly increasing demand for power distribution and protection equipment. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global data center electricity consumption will more than double within the next few years. Add the expansion of renewables and decarbonization policy, and new build-out and replacement of transmission and distribution (T&D) equipment is accelerating worldwide.
Reliability is what power equipment is judged on. Across decades of repeated switching operations, performance loss from rising contact resistance, welding, and oxidation must be kept to a minimum. Precious-metal-based electrical contacts deliver stable performance and durability under these conditions.
Material selection guide
Selection guide: precious metal contact materials for power equipment
The optimal material depends on load range, switching frequency, RoHS compliance, and service life requirements. LT Metal's engineering team analyzes your design conditions, recommends the right material, and co-develops a custom alloy where needed.
| Material | Key properties | Applications | Load range |
|---|---|---|---|
| AgNi | Balanced erosion and arc erosion resistance | Molded case circuit breakers (MCCB), auxiliary relays | Low voltage, medium current |
| AgSnO₂ | High arc erosion resistance, weld resistance, RoHS compliant | Industrial contactors, high-capacity relays | Low to medium voltage, high current |
| AgZnO | Oxidation resistance, stable contact resistance | Automation control panels, electronic relays | Low voltage, general purpose |
| AgW | High hardness, weld resistance | Vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) contacts | Medium to high voltage |
| AgWC | Arc erosion resistance, low contact resistance | High-voltage power circuit breakers | High voltage, high capacity |
| CuW, CuWC | High thermal conductivity, arc erosion resistance, cost efficiency | Extra-high-voltage switchgear | Extra-high voltage |
Specialized solutions
Solutions for AI data centers
In high-density AI server environments, the reliability of power protection and distribution equipment — power distribution units (PDU), automatic transfer switches (ATS), and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) — determines system stability and operating efficiency. LT Metal’s lineup spans from compact precision contacts to high-capacity power contacts, so we can match the material solution to your equipment specification and operating environment.
Why LT Metal
Three engineering capabilities
Global customers choose LT Metal because our engineering capability in composition, structure, and reliability delivers the performance and quality they specify. That is our core strength.
We engineer composition.
We analyze current rating, switching frequency, temperature conditions, and environmental regulations together, then engineer the contact alloy composition. A contact material lineup running from AgNi to AgWC lets us deliver an alloy composition optimized for your load conditions and required performance.
We engineer structure.
The sintered density, particle distribution, and internal layer structure of a contact material determine its arc erosion resistance and weld resistance. Built on proprietary powder manufacturing technology, we engineer the microstructure from the start and optimize the structure to hold performance stable across millions of switching operations.
We engineer reliability.
We operate a reliability verification system that replicates real service conditions: switching endurance testing over millions of cycles, contact resistance measurement, and welding and erosion rate evaluation. IEC-compliant quality documentation and test data support your certification and quality management requirements.
Start with LT Metal.
We engineer essential materials for tomorrow.
Your next challenge is our next design.
The precious metal material you choose determines your product’s performance and reliability. LT Metal works alongside you across the entire journey — material selection, joint development, volume supply, and recovery after use. Because a single material can move your product one step forward, LT Metal is already engineering the century ahead.
- Technical consultation — material selection, specification review, process compatibility assessment
- Request a sample — small-lot prototyping and evaluation support
- Precious metal recovery — assessment of precious metal content and recovery from spent materials
- Partnership proposal — long-term supply agreements, joint development projects