Continental (Hanover / Germany; www.continental.com) said it is pooling its German plastics R&D for e-vehicle thermal management at three locations. The company’s new “Plastics Competence Center Hamburg” (see Plasteurope.com of 16.10.2020) will focus on extrusion technologies, especially for TPE-based pipe systems. The tech centre in Kohren Sahlis, which specialises in injection and blow moulding as well as toolmaking, will provide expertise for electric and hybrid vehicles, and the facility in Hannoversch Münden is responsible for material-testing and data acquisition for simulations. Continental, which also has technology centres in China and North America, said it would now offer the entire development process chain as a single-source supplier.

“Our specialised tech centres are comprehensively equipped and fully production-capable systems, almost to the level of high-volume manufacturing, on which the specifications for production processes are defined,” said Maximilian Schöngart, head of pre-development for plastics technology. “The systems are also highly flexible, as a wide variety of production setups can be replicated. This means that we can adjust the system according to the materials being processed and the required applications. Moreover, further machines and components can also be integrated, depending on the application and requirements.” The plants are reserved exclusively for new developments, meaning they do not tie up any production plant capacities. “This means that our automotive customers benefit from faster and more targeted developments – a clear advantage over trials during ongoing volume production,” Schöngart added.

Unlike conventional vehicles, e-cars require multiple cooling circuits with sophisticated thermal management. Batteries, for example, work most efficiently at temperatures between 20°C and 40°C, which enables long driving ranges and increases their service life. As is the case with the drive and power components, batteries must be cooled or heated depending on the outside temperature. This results in complex circuits that significantly increase the demands on individual components and line systems.