Komax Shanghai Partners with Industry Leaders to Advance Aluminum Wiring Solutions for China’s EV Industry

July 20, 2026

As the electric vehicle industry continues to expand and demand for vehicle lightweighting increases, aluminum conductors are attracting growing attention as an alternative to copper in automotive wiring systems. Komax Shanghai has partnered with Ningbo Boway Alloy, SBT Ultrasonic Technology, and TE Connectivity to accelerate the development and industrialization of aluminum wiring solutions for China’s electric vehicle industry.

The strategic partnership was announced and signed on the opening day of Electronica China 2026 in Shanghai on July 3, 2026. The four companies bring complementary expertise across the value chain, covering aluminum alloy materials, terminal technology, ultrasonic welding, and automated wire processing and harness manufacturing. Their cooperation aims to support the large-scale adoption of aluminum conductors in next-generation automotive wiring systems.

Aluminum Wiring Gains Momentum in Automotive Applications

The rapid growth of electric vehicles has significantly increased demand for automotive wiring and conductive materials. At the same time, vehicle lightweighting, cost optimization, and carbon reduction targets are encouraging manufacturers to explore alternatives to traditional copper conductors.

With its lower weight and attractive cost structure, aluminum is increasingly being considered as a potential solution for reducing vehicle weight and copper consumption. However, replacing copper with aluminum involves more than simply changing the conductor material. Reliable aluminum wiring systems also require advances in terminal connections, welding processes, wire processing equipment, and high-volume manufacturing.

The new partnership focuses on these key challenges by bringing together expertise from different stages of the value chain and helping move aluminum wiring technologies from material development toward engineering validation and industrial-scale production.

Four Companies Build an Integrated Industry Collaboration

TE Connectivity contributes expertise in aluminum terminal processing, terminal design, engineering validation, and the qualification of new materials and technologies for automotive applications.

Ningbo Boway Alloy provides its capabilities in aluminum alloy development and supplies high-performance aluminum conductor materials designed for automotive applications.

SBT Ultrasonic Technology contributes ultrasonic welding technologies for reliable electrical connections between aluminum conductors, with a focus on process stability and consistency in high-volume manufacturing.

Komax brings its expertise in automated wire processing and wire harness manufacturing. Its automation technologies are designed to support the efficient processing and industrialization of aluminum wire harnesses.

Together, the four companies cover key stages including material development, process innovation, equipment integration, engineering validation, and industrial implementation, creating an integrated ecosystem for automotive aluminum wiring solutions.

Komax Demonstrates Automated Aluminum Wire Processing

During Electronica China 2026, Komax participated as a key ecosystem partner at the TE Connectivity booth and demonstrated its latest automation technologies for aluminum wire processing, including solutions incorporating ultrasonic welding.

Komax presented the Alpha 550 platform, demonstrating highly automated and efficient processing of aluminum wires. The live demonstration showed how modern automation technologies can support stable, repeatable, and scalable manufacturing processes.

The solutions are also designed to help manufacturers transition toward aluminum conductors while making use of existing production capabilities, potentially reducing the need for major investments in new production infrastructure.

Supporting Vehicle Lightweighting and Resource Efficiency

The development of aluminum-for-copper substitution solutions could bring benefits beyond conductor material selection. According to the partners, the new solutions can reduce the weight of connection components by up to 60% and contribute to an overall vehicle weight reduction of more than six kilograms.

Lower vehicle weight can contribute to improved energy efficiency, while reduced copper consumption can help ease pressure on critical raw material supply chains.

As aluminum wiring technologies continue to develop, their potential applications may extend beyond individual wiring components to broader improvements in vehicle material systems, manufacturing processes, and supply-chain efficiency.

Advancing Collaboration in Automotive Wiring

The strategic partnership highlights the growing importance of collaboration between material suppliers, connectivity specialists, welding technology providers, and wire-processing equipment manufacturers.

By combining expertise in aluminum alloys, connection technologies, ultrasonic welding, automated wire processing, and engineering validation, the four partners aim to further validate and optimize aluminum-for-copper applications across different vehicle platforms and production scenarios.

For the electric vehicle industry, the development of aluminum wiring is closely connected with lightweight vehicle design, material efficiency, manufacturing technology, and supply-chain optimization. As EV production continues to expand, integrated solutions covering materials, equipment, and manufacturing processes are expected to play an increasingly important role in the evolution of automotive wiring systems.

Source: Lucy Mao, Marketing Manager at Komax Shanghai.