There is growing demand from Indian electronics manufacturers for alternatives to expensive copper such as aluminium, and a more widespread adoption of other cheaper materials due to increased cost pressure and lower profit margins as copper prices rocket. Companies are also encouraged to boost domestic procurement and re-engineer product and component designs to reduce dependence on these raw materials.
Copper is widely used across the electronics industry because of its electrical conductivity, robustness, and reliability. Due to recent surge in copper prices has increased manufacturing costs, creating challenges for companies especially those already facing a competitive market that might not be able to fully pass the rising input costs to consumers.
A recent report stated that the copper price has risen by around 45%, thereby decreasing manufacturers’ profit. Because of this, some Indian electronics manufacturers are now considering aluminium as an alternative to copper in applications whether it’s electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties are highly required to meet product specifications. Aluminium is being considered as a substitute of copper because it is lighter and cheaper.
The product design needs modification when using aluminium as a substitute to achieve performance comparable to that of copper. Using aluminium as a substitute for copper is not easy to practically implemented across all electronics applications. It is important for manufacturers to consider properties like electrical conductivity, thermal performance, resistance to corrosion, joining techniques, and product lifespan before adopting alternate materials.
