The research cooperation uses continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastics technology demonstrator to replace steel and aluminum, which has advantages in weight, function integration and mass production. #electric car
The demonstrator is developed based on the battery case of a C-class electric vehicle (EV). It consists of a shell tray with an anti-collision structure, a shell cover and an anti-drilling (bottom) protection device. Picture source: Kautes Textron Co., Ltd.
Specialty chemical companies LANXESS (Cologne, Germany) and Kautestron GmbH (Bonn, Germany), Textron Corporation (Providence, Rhode Island, USA) have been collaborating for many years to showcase technical thermoplastics The advantages. The metal in the battery case of electric vehicles (EV) has jointly developed a series of technology demonstrators in the feasibility study in terms of weight reduction and cost reduction, functional integration and electrical insulation performance. The length and width of the system are approximately 1,400 millimeters each. It is a large all-plastic shell component and weighs about two-digit kilograms.
“As a first step, we completely abandoned the use of metal reinforcement structures and at the same time proved that we can commercialize these large and complex components,” explains Felix Haas, Product Development Director of Kautes-Textron. Looking to the future, Kautex and LANXESS hope to use the results of the cooperation to carry out a development project for mass production with car manufacturers.
The demonstrator is developed based on the battery case of a C-class electric car. It consists of a shell tray with an anti-collision structure, a shell cover and an anti-drilling (bottom) protection device. The housing components can be produced in a single-stage, direct long fiber thermoplastic (D-LFT) molding process. LANXESS optimized Durethan B24CMH2.0 PA6 resin as the material of D-LFT molding compound; Kautes Textron combined PA6 with glass fiber roving for this process. Tepex dynalite continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic from LANXESS is used as the reinforcement material for the shell structure. “Compared with the process of processing steel or aluminum, this process can achieve a shorter cycle time and is therefore more economical,” explains Haas.
Lanxess said that today, high-voltage battery shells are mainly made of extruded steel or aluminum profiles. Depending on the vehicle class, the length and width of the shell may exceed 2,000 or 1,500 mm, respectively. The size, number of parts, and numerous manufacturing and assembly steps make the cost of the metal housing very high. For example, complex structures made from steel strand pressed profiles require many secondary work steps, such as welding, stamping, and riveting. In addition, the metal parts must be protected from corrosion in an additional process step by cathodic dip coating.
"On the other hand, plastics can make full use of its design freedom. By integrating functions such as fasteners and thermal management components, the number of individual components of the battery case can be greatly reduced. This simplifies assembly and logistics work, thereby reducing production costs. "Dr. Christopher Hoefs, LANXESS Electronics Powertrain Project Manager said.
High-voltage battery shells must also meet various high-demand technical requirements, including high rigidity and strength, energy absorption in collisions, flame retardancy, and integration of the shell in the vehicle structure. Lanxess reports that plastics have the potential to meet many of these needs. The material has corrosion resistance and electrical insulation, the latter can ensure that the risk of system short-circuits is reduced. The low density of plastic and its potential for lightweight construction also result in a significantly lighter housing, which benefits the range of electric vehicles.
"We will continue to work together to optimize the production and structural design of components. The purpose is to perform most of the development work through virtual methods to save prototype design costs and shorten the time to market for future series components," Hoefs said.
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