Batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) deliver maximum performance within a defined temperature range. Managing and controlling heat caused by charging and discharging is crucial for safety and maintaining long-term battery capacity. The process for achieving this is challenging, but when correctly applied, the reward, measured in terms of weight, cost, and CO2 footprint, can be immense.
The EV battery represents approximately 30% of the total cost of an electric vehicle. One essential way to secure that investment is through efficient thermal management. This is done by applying a thermal compound material with heat transfer properties in the EV battery tray. Applying this material, also called a “gap filler,” is a challenge due to its characteristics. It has a high density, is heavy, and comes at an extensive cost. The key is to apply the right amount with high precision in an optimized pattern, thus achieving the heat transfer properties while avoiding excess material usage that drives weight and cost.
Measuring, calculating, adjusting, applying and controling the application process
Our solution is Smart.Adjust, an innovative combined vision and dispensing system for optimal application of the thermal compound material. The fully aligned system measures, calculates, adjusts, applies, and controls the application process. The Smart.Adjust sensors scan the EV battery tray for any irregularities, after which the smart algorithm calculates the required material volume. The result is sent to the dispensing system that adjusts the volume and applies the gap filler in an optimal pattern.
And the system has evident and measurable advantages. Up to two kilograms of weight and 20% of the material cost can be saved. This reduces the CO2 emissions associated with the application process and increases the battery range.
But our thermal management offering does not end here. There are significant advantages related to improving the material supply system. More specifically, the processes related to the changes of the barrels in which the gap filler is supplied.
Due to the high density of the gap filler, barrels are often only half-filled, increasing the number of needed barrel changes. In addition, conventional pumps can often not completely empty a barrel and must be ventilated and purged manually after a change. The result is a complex process that takes time and wastes expensive thermal compound material. As with all manual processes, it is difficult to ensure a consistent level of quality throughout the dispensing process.
Eliminating material waste with barrel change
Our SCA Plus.Supply pump addresses these issues by introducing unique and automated barrel change and ventilation capabilities to the equation. Material waste can virtually be eliminated with the optimized flat follower plate in combination with a vacuum pump. The overall result is less complexity and improved safety associated with barrel changes. The number of barrel changes can be reduced by up to 70%, and material waste costs can substantially be reduced. These factors increase productivity and quality and reduce the material supply process's CO2 footprint by up to 50%.
Our innovative SCA Smart.Adjust and Plus.Supply solutions offer substantial, measurable advantages in managing thermal challenges in EV batteries. From scanning the EV battery tray to finally dispensing the thermal compound material in optimized patterns and changing barrels, our solutions enable more efficient use of materials, increased productivity, quality, and security combined with an opportunity to make a real difference in reducing CO2 emissions in the process.
Watch the video to learn more about our solution:
