LANXESS introduces lightweight and strong battery holder made of Tepex continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite

LANXESS' Tepex continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites are also ideal for producing structural components that form part of driver assistance systems
.
One example is the mount for the battery that powers the Mercedes-Benz S-Class's highly automated driver assistance system "SmartDrive" in the event of a sudden power outage
.
The arcuate stent was manufactured by Poeppelmann Kunststoff-Technik GmbH & Co.
KG, Lohne, Germany, and was based on polypropylene-based Tepex dynalite 104-RGUD600(4)/47%
.
The manufacturing method is a two-stage process that combines molding (draping) of the composite material with injection molding
.
Joachim Schrapp, Lightweight Design Specialist at Poeppelmann: “The design of the composite material means that the finished product can be 40% lighter than a version made of metal
.
The injection molding step also enables the integration of functions, which not only makes the mounting of the bracket easier, but also reduces the Logistic workload
.
All of this has a positive impact on manufacturing costs
.
”

Optimized force distribution

The bracket's job is to hold the battery (which weighs about 10kg) firmly in the rear compartment of the car, clamping it individually even when subjected to the considerable acceleration forces that occur in a crash
.
The stent is designed to ensure that most of the force is transferred from the point of application through the continuous glass fibers of the composite
.
This takes advantage of the excellent strength and stiffness provided by Tepex blanks
.
Philipp Maas, sales and project manager at LANXESS Tepex, said: "The advantage of our composite is that, unlike fiber-reinforced injection-molded compounds
, it does not creep under high sustained stress, for example, and therefore does not deform
.
This This ensures that the battery is permanently held in
.
The blank also has a high degree of fatigue strength, which ensures that the material does not become brittle due to frequent or severe vibrations, such as those caused by potholes, and cracks develop over time
.
"

The control unit is sandwiched in

Features integrated into the bracket during the injection molding phase include guides for the cables and brackets and fasteners for the two control units
.
"The two pieces of equipment are simply clipped when they're installed, so you don't have to spend time screwing them in," Schrapp said
.

strong material bond

The polypropylene matrix of the Tepex material is reinforced by four continuous layers of glass fibers, most of which are aligned in one direction
.
Injection-molded compounds reinforced with short glass fibers are also based on polypropylene
.
"Since the adhesive matrix and the injection-molded material are matched, this creates a very strong bond between them
.
Combined with the high specific stiffness of the composite, this results in increased strength and stiffness,
" Maas said
.

Corrosion resistance and electrical insulation

Another benefit of composite semi-finished products is that they are resistant to corrosion, which makes shipping and storage easier than is the case with metal coils
.
The electrical properties of the structural material also play a key role
.
"It is electrically insulating to the metal parts of the body and battery, which greatly reduces the risk of short circuits
.
However, a component made of metal would require additional measures to prevent short circuits
," Schrapp said
.