![]() Their novel thermal runaway test involved a single lithium-ion cell, housed inside a cylinder, rupturing after a short circuit. To recreate a thermal runaway event, CSP worked with an automaker and a third-party testing lab. ![]() In case of thermal runaway, high temperature resistance is a critical requirement for battery boxes. “We can incorporate molded-in cored holes,” Foran said, “which are not through holes, and we can use hi/low threaded fasteners to assemble attachments.” Unlike metal trays that require multiple welds and fasteners, the CSP one-piece composite tray has no through-holes. “We can mold in attachments and sealing grooves and do unique design geometries to make it a leak-proof, sealed system,” Siwajek explained. CSP’s lightweight composite counterpart, reinforced with aluminum and steel, has advantages. Most of the EV industry’s battery trays are made entirely of metal and can weigh more than 1,000 lb/454 kg including the batteries. And we’re using our in-house design capabilities to optimize the battery pack’s structural frame design,” Siwajek explained. “For crash worthiness, we’ve experimented with varying woven materials and types of glass in different percentages. The CSP multi-material battery enclosure can be certified prior to shipment. An exploded-view graphic of CSP’s battery box concept. CSP also has patents on its frame technology relating to crash performance. The company has pending patents for box assembly and fastening systems. There are different material options for electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) shielding systems. The material’s charge pattern is cut from a slither table, while a 4,000-ton press with leveling and vacuum capabilities completes the in-house production process.ĬSP presently has four different composite material options for the cover and the tray. ![]() The composite trays and covers are made from production-grade molds that are chrome-plated for wear durability. CSP technical specialists are prototyping 1.5 x 2-meter trays and covers that are “about the size of almost every vehicle manufacturer’s battery box,” noted Hugh Foran, CSP’s executive director of new business development. The move from supplying battery box covers to fully assembled, multi-material battery enclosures is in full swing. The company has produced more than 30 different composite battery-box covers for EVs in China and North America, including the Chevrolet Spark EV. CSP is North America’s largest manufacturer and molder of composite materials. “Several leapfrog advancements are provided with our battery enclosure technology,” he said during a December online presentation from the supplier’s 47,500-ft 2 Advanced Technologies Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The image also shows the aluminum reinforcement. An offset view of the CSP battery enclosure covering tray with batteries shown inside the box. “We’re currently in pre-production with our multi-material enclosures and anticipate production launch on a new vehicle in late 2021,” said Mike Siwajek, vice president of R&D for Continental Structural Plastics (CSP). (CSP)Ī battery enclosure that features a single-piece, metal-reinforced composite tray and one-piece composite cover is a step closer to an electric vehicle (EV) production application. Kami Buchholz A cutaway of CSP’s battery box, which uses the supplier’s standard 50% vinyl ester grade of SMC.
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