LANXESS offers connectors made of PA6 for cable harnesses for electric vehicles in various colors

Cable harnesses are one of the most complex components in an electric vehicle
.
Not only must their many connectors be colour-coded to represent a range of functions and support assembly and maintenance, but they must also be highly flame-retardant and mechanically strong
.
With the polyamide 6 compound Durethan BKV30FN04, LANXESS has developed a material for these connectors that has been tried and tested in many series of applications - including cable harnesses for electric models produced by a European-American car manufacturer
.

"Compared to polyamides which are flame retardant with red phosphorus, our halogen-free flame retardant compounds can also be dyed in bright, vivid colors such as orange (RAL 2003) and Yellow
.
This compound and colour exhibit a high degree of thermal stability, which means that the different connectors can be easily and reliably distinguished over the entire service life of the vehicle
.
” The connectors are produced in Heilb, Germany It is produced by Amphenol Tuchel Electronics Co.
, Ltd.
in Long, a subsidiary of the American Amphenol Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of electrical connectors
.

All colors have passed the UL yellow card certification

LANXESS' polyamide 6 compounds are characterized by excellent flame retardant properties
.
In the UL 94 flammability test by the American testing agency Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
, it achieved a V-0 rating (test body thickness: 0.
75 mm)
.
“All our color compounds are UL Yellow Card certified, which also includes colors like yellow, orange and blue
.
This means that processors won’t have to color products themselves or go through the time-consuming UL certification process
.
They Our pre-coloured compounds can simply be used as is, which helps cut costs
," says Bernhard Stoll
.

Tough, high-performance material

The cable harness is distributed along the entire length and width of the car, bundling all the different on-board power cables for power and electronic units such as power converters, battery charging systems, electric drives and infotainment systems
.
The total length of the cable can reach several kilometers, which is one of the reasons why the cable harness is so heavy
.
The complexity of the cable harness makes it an extremely expensive component, which is why the connector cannot break during installation
.
"Our compound is very strong and tough, which means the connector can easily withstand bumps or drops," Stoll said
.
Thermoplastics are highly chemically resistant, which means that their strength and stiffness are very strong in contact with electrolytes or Coolant is hardly affected
.
It also exhibits excellent tracking resistance, achieving a CTI (relative tracking index, IEC 60112) value of 600 in orange
.

Wide processing window

Durethan BKV30FN04 is not only used in connectors in the field of electric vehicles, but also in signal transmission technology and industrial engineering
.
Bernhard Stoll: "Here, our compound has also proved suitable for injection moulding within a stable processing window
.
The flame retardant additive of the material hardly leaves any deposits in the mould, which helps ensure relatively Long tool life and efficient production
.
” And when it comes to occupational safety, this polyamide 6 is easier to handle than its flame-retardant equivalent compounds
.