Asahi Kasei Corporation

Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (AKM) announced that its CZ39 and CZ3K series coreless current sensors have been adopted as key components in Microchip Technology Inc.'s Machine Learning-based Arc Fault Detection reference design, which uses a dsPIC33A Digital Signal Controller. The collaboration aims to improve arc fault detection accuracy in solar PV systems, energy storage, EV charging, and power distribution by combining AKM's high-speed sensors with Microchip's edge ML capabilities. The sensors feature a 100 ns response time, which is critical for capturing arc signatures without data pollution. The reference design is available through Microchip's program and targets applications including solar, energy storage, EV chargers, and safety switches. AKM's U.S. subsidiary, AKM Semiconductor, Inc., worked with Microchip during development, and the companies see potential for adoption in data center applications as AI workloads increase power density demands.

Peptistar has integrated Asahi Kasei’s novel forward osmosis–membrane distillation system into its active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing facility for trial production. The system concentrates raw material solutions without heat or pressure, reducing freeze-drying batches and time, thereby shortening API manufacturing time. It is being operated at manufacturing scale with batches up to 100 liters as part of evaluation toward GMP production. Asahi Kasei developed the technology to address challenges with heat-sensitive next-generation APIs such as peptides and oligonucleotides, where conventional concentration methods risk quality degradation.