On April 7, 2021, Teijin Co., Ltd. (Teijin for short) recently announced that the group has successfully developed a multi-material composite battery box to meet the environmental efficiency and safety of batteries required for electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid vehicles (HV) Performance requirements.
According to Teijin, the battery box developed this time makes full use of the multi-material technology that Teijin has cultivated over the years, and is designed by combining composite materials (FRP) and metal materials under optimal conditions. In order to meet the characteristics required by customers, carbon fiber or glass fiber can be used in FRP.
By stamping and forming FRP, it is possible to realize the integral molding of complex shapes such as the tray and the outer cover that make up the battery box, so it is easy to ensure the sealing and safety, and can also optimize the manufacturing cost.
In addition, in order to ensure the rigidity and impact resistance equivalent to the previous battery boxes while reliably coping with various vehicle sizes, the frame is made of metal materials.
In addition to achieving the same weight reduction as traditional aluminum battery boxes, it also has excellent fire resistance, dimensional stability, and corrosion resistance that are essential for battery boxes. FRP trays and covers can also provide electromagnetic wave shielding performance.
R & D background
"CASE" (*The concept proposed by former Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche as the future direction of the automotive industry in 2016. Taken from Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric )) is proposed as a mobility concept that can be realized in the near future. Under the background of the rapid development of the electrification of vehicles aimed at reducing the environmental load, the batteries on EVs and other vehicles need not only to expand the capacity, but also to expand the size. , Stable power storage capacity, weight reduction, and improvement of collision safety performance are also essential.
In the past, the battery box containing the battery mainly used metal materials such as iron and aluminum to ensure its strength and rigidity. However, the battery box using these materials is lightweight, protects the battery and the occupants required for fire resistance and heat resistance, and adapts to complex vehicles. There are many problems in the degree of freedom of the shape of the layout.
Teijin has long been committed to the development and design of multi-material composite auto parts using its own high-performance materials, engineering design technology, and molding technology. In response to new needs, this time it successfully developed a multi-material battery box.
Teijin's car vision
Teijin has a clear path to develop the automotive business. Since the acquisition of Continental Structural Plastics (CSP), the largest automotive composite parts manufacturer in North America, in 2017, Teijin has been engaged in the automotive composite molding business as a global Tier1 supplier.
In February 2020, Teijin Automotive Center Europe GmbH (TACE) was established in Wuppertal, Germany. As a technical center responsible for the planning, design, and commercialization of composite molding materials for European vehicles, in addition to lightness and strength, it also Continuously strengthen the response to customer needs such as design, production efficiency, and cost efficiency.
The battery box development this time also makes full use of the equipment and human resources of Japan's domestic composite material research and development center, CSP, TACE, etc. In the future, through optimized design and improvement that meets customer needs, we will strive to start mass production in 2025.
Teijin stated that as a component supplier of multiple materials, it will further strengthen its ability to propose solutions and strive to expand the sales of its composite material products for automobiles to USD 2 billion around 2030.