Large battery enclosures made from plastic series-ready
Published on : Wednesday 02-11-2022
Feasibility of plastic enclosures for high-voltage batteries in electric vehicles proven.
Mumbai, November 1, 2022 – Technical plastics such as polyamide 6 offer numerous benefits for the design of battery enclosures for electric vehicles – in terms of sustainability, manufacturing costs, weight savings and economical functional integration, for example. However, there were previously lingering doubts as to whether these large and complex components are also able to meet the very demanding requirements in relation to mechanical strength and flame-retardant properties. Kautex Textron and LANXESS have now carried out a comprehensive examination of precisely this using a jointly developed technology demonstrator made from polyamide 6. LANXESS was responsible for the material development and Kautex Textron for the engineering, design and the manufacturing process of the demonstrator.
"The near-series demonstrator passes all mechanical and thermal tests that are relevant for such enclosures. In addition, solutions for the thermal management and leak tightness of the enclosure, for example, have been developed. This all has proven the technical feasibility of these safety components, which are complex and subject to high levels of stress," explains Dr Christopher Hoefs, Project Manager e-Powertrain at LANXESS. At the moment, an enclosure prototype is being road tested in a test vehicle to verify its suitability for daily use. "We are currently jointly tackling the first series-production development projects with automotive manufacturers in order to implement the new technology in series production," explains Felix Haas, Director Product Development at Kautex Textron.
"Calculations revealed that the carbon footprint of the plastic enclosure is over 40 percent smaller compared to an aluminium design. The lower energy use in the production of polyamide 6 compared with metal as well as other factors – such as the omission of time-consuming cathodic dip painting to prevent corrosion where steel is used – help to minimize the carbon footprint," says Hoefs. The thermoplastic component design also makes