A busbar is a conductive metal component, usually made of copper or aluminium. It is used to distribute power in electrical systems. Busbars receive current from incoming cables and distribute it to outgoing cables.

What are copper busbars used for?

Copper busbars are used in particular in high-current distribution systems. Copper’s high conductivity and current density allow for the use of smaller cross-sections. As a result, copper busbars offer a compact design that takes up little space.

What are the advantages of aluminium over copper when it comes to busbars?

Aluminium busbars are lighter than copper busbars. This simplifies installation, as they require fewer brackets. Due to their lower electrical conductivity, they need to be larger in size than copper busbars. Nevertheless, aluminium busbars are more cost-effective to purchase.

How do I size a busbar?

The cross-section and dimensions of a busbar are essentially determined by the current-carrying capacity of the material used and the continuous current. A safety factor of 25 per cent of the current load is added to allow for future increases in load.

What factors influence the current-carrying capacity of busbars?

The current-carrying capacity of busbars depends on factors relating to their design and their application. The conductivity of the material and the dimensions of the busbars determine the loads that the busbar can carry. In the application, heat generation has a significant influence on the current-carrying capacity. This can be influenced by the installation position of the busbars (vertical or horizontal), large surface areas and ventilation.

Which standards apply to busbars?

DIN EN 61439 is one of the most important standards for the design and installation of busbars. It sets out the requirements for low-voltage switchgear. The DIN 43670 and DIN 43671 standards provide criteria for the sizing of aluminium and copper busbars.

Verschiedene Stromschienen von CTX auf hellblauem Hintergrund: eine lange, dicke Kupfer-Stromschiene mit vier Bohrungen, mehrere kleinere Kupfer-Bleche mit Anschlusspunkten, sowie eine blau-rote Aluminium-Stromschiene mit aufgesetzten Kontakten für industrielle Stromversorgung und Leistungselektronik.

More efficient than cables Busbars for specific requirements

Busbars enable efficient, safe power distribution without cables. As they are made to measure, they can be flexibly adapted to the installation space and power requirements of electrical systems.

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What you’ll find on this page:

Some image elements are AI-generated illustrations and do not depict a specific production model

Why choose CTX busbars?

Precision custom manufacturing

Busbars are punched, milled, deburred and bent in strict accordance with the drawing specifications.

Choosing the right materials

A range of copper and aluminium alloys enables the design to be tailored precisely to the specific application.

Direct contact

A dedicated contact person will guide you through the process from order to delivery.

Find out more about CTX’s busbars in our flyer.

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Copper busbars & aluminium busbars from CTX

Verschiedene Stromschienen aus Kupfer und Aluminium auf hellblauem Hintergrund, teilweise flach, teilweise mit Stegen und Befestigungslaschen, in unterschiedlichen Längen und Breiten, geeignet für Stromversorgung, Industrieelektronik, Leistungselektronik und Schaltschrankbau, alle zeigen Bohrungen für Montagezwecke.

We manufacture bespoke busbars to meet the requirements of your application. We produce busbars with particularly high conductivity from copper. If your application requires lightweight busbars, we use aluminium. We have a wide range of alloys available for this purpose.

We produce every shape precisely to your drawing specifications, including mounting holes. Depending on your requirements in terms of geometry and quantity, we manufacture using stamping and bending techniques or CNC milling. With our development expertise in the field of thermal management for electronics, we are also happy to advise you on the selection of the most suitable busbar material and manufacturing process.

We are your manufacturer of rigid and flexible busbars.
We punch, mill, deburr and bend your busbars precisely in accordance with your drawings.
We use the manufacturing processes of punching and bending and CNC milling.
We manufacture copper and aluminium busbars tailored to your application requirements.
We advise you on the choice of material best suited to your busbar application.

Send us your enquiry

Elektrofahrzeuge an Ladestationen, Stromversorgung über Kupfer- und Aluminium-Stromschienen – Anwendungsbereich für Leistungselektronik in E-Mobilität und Ladeinfrastruktur.

Welche Anwendungsbereiche profitieren von Stromschienen?

Busbars are required wherever high currents need to be distributed safely within confined spaces. Thanks to their large surface area, they offer a high current-carrying capacity, thereby ensuring a low fire load and a high level of operational safety. Busbars are metal sheets that are easy to install by securing them at two mounting points.

Busbars are therefore a key component in power electronics. In electric mobility and renewable energy, they are found in inverters, battery systems and fast-charging stations. In industry, they are primarily used in control cabinets. Busbars are also crucial for power distribution in substations, where they safely connect cables and transformers.

In which application areas does CTX supply power busbars and busbars?

Inverters, battery storage systems and more for renewable energy and power supply
Fast-charging stations, battery management systems, power electronics, etc. for electric mobility
Wireless power distribution in control cabinets
Drive technology, automation, etc. in industrial electronics

What are the features of CTX busbars?

We manufacture our copper busbars from various copper alloys, such as Cu-ETP. Due to their low oxygen content of between 0.1 and 0 per cent, they have a high electrical conductivity of ≥ 57 m Ω^⁻¹/mm^². As a result, busbars require only a small cross-sectional area.

For aluminium busbars, we most commonly use the alloys EN AW 6060, EN AW 6063 and EN AW 6082. These combine good conductivity of 35 mΩ^⁻¹/mm^² with high strength and workability. Compared to copper, aluminium offers a weight saving of around 50 per cent.

All busbars are available in cross-sections ranging from a few millimetres to several centimetres. Our stock availability:

For standard applications: Cu-ETP

For high demands on durability: OF-Cu

For excellent workability: EN AW 6060 and 6063

For applications subject to high mechanical stress: EN AW 6082

We also carry out surface treatments on busbars, such as nickel plating, silver plating and tin plating.

CTX manufactures bespoke power and busbars ready for installation in your application. You benefit from our project experience in the manufacture of electronic components. We can advise you on the choice of suitable materials on request. From order placement to delivery, a dedicated contact person will support you throughout the entire process. We handle your order with precision, speed and a focus on finding the right solution.