For components subjected to less stress, such as battery box covers, glass fibers or a fiber mix may suffice." Carbon fibers are ideal for especially stressed structures or load-bearing elements, such as the underbody panels and side frames. to protect against penetration, as well as an optimized thermal management. Composite materials can also help to achieve improved structural stiffness of the underbody, e.g. In addition, they meet high requirements for water and gas tightness and feature excellent fire protection properties. Management of fluid conduits, cables, etc."Materials made of composites are suited for battery enclosures for different reasons: Besides their light weight, which enhances the electric vehicle’s range, fiber-reinforced plastics offer high stiffness.Additional fire-resistant materials (Ceramics, fibre cloth, …).Hybrid design with local reinforcement by metal, or infinite fibres possible.Rib and beads for increased bending stiffness.Wall thickness tailored to application between 1,8 and >5 mm.Your customer benefit through our Battery Covers Various technologies for EM-Shielding and sealing integration available.Low thermal conductivity compared to aluminum and steel.SMC allows fastening without compression limiters Fixing elements without metal inserts or bushings as state-of-the-art.The materials low thermal elongation makes assembly to aluminium or steel enclosure easy. one-piece covers of more than 2.5 by 1.8 m footprint possible with tight tolerances.Polyester resin based thermoset material with high glass and mineral filler content for high strength and stiffness and superb thermal runaway resistance.For BEV applications Röchling recommends compression molded covers based on.Local fiber reinforcements for further improved mechanical properties possible.For high strength and stiffness by compression molding (D-LFT).For medium strength and stiffness by injection molding.HEV and PHEV, best solutions are offered by glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic covers. Various materials and processes accessible and selected to fit customer requirements at best cost.EM-Shielding integration state-of-the-art.Good external fire and thermal runaway protection tailored to the use case.Functional integration or assembly of sealing and additional buy parts with low cost solution.Continuous sealing surface without interruption. Best in class tightness achieved with one-piece design.Robust Design à outstanding long-term durability and corrosion resistance.
Extended range due to light weighting, up to 40 % reduction compared to a steel cover and 30 % weight reduction compared to Aluminium cover.Best use of package space due to highest level of design freedom.Our battery covers made of flame-retardant materials according to UL94-V0 are thus among the particularly safe components for electric vehicles. In addition, we have the option of incorporating additional layers - for example, ceramic. In our tests we were able to show that SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound) materials from Röchling Automotive are clearly superior to aluminum and steel at high temperatures. However, flexibility, low weight and cost-effective production are only relevant advantages if safety is guaranteed as one of the most important basic functions. Plastic covers also have a direct effect on vehicle performance: They are lighter and therefore increase the range. Solutions made of metal are often limited by their degree of deformation. The covers only make optimum use of the available space when they are adapted to the respective vehicle. The cover also protects the outside world in the event of a dangerous battery fire (thermal runaway), the vehicle and its occupants. They shield against electromagnetic radiation and protect against the penetration of liquids and foreign objects as well as the battery in the event of an external fire. Together with the lower housing, they separate the batteries from the rest of the vehicle. Battery covers play an essential role in this.īattery covers are safety relevant components.
We at Röchling Automotive are making our contribution to this by continually developing our solutions for the integration of batteries. Progress in the field of lithium-ion batteries is an important building block for the success of environmentally friendly electromobility.