Foldable and Fireproof

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed a new solution – a foldable seal – that meets these requirements. Fixed aluminum elements equipped with a sealing profile on their outer edge not only provide stability – they integrate mounting points for the clips used to attach the seal at the housing cover. The elements are connected with one another using the continuous sealing profile, which exhibits high flexibility and can compensate for small dimensional deviations in the housing. Since the foldable seal is a complete component and does not need to be assembled from separate elements, the reliability of the installation rises dramatically. One key advantage of the approach: Metallic inlays ensure high electrical conductivity between the battery housing and its cover. This is important for the efficient screening of electromagnetic fields that result from the flow of current in the battery. Otherwise, the fields could disrupt other electronic components in the vehicle.

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is pursuing other solutions for large batteries as well. For example, there is the possibility of manufacturing a continuous elastomer component. In this case, cast metallic bushings provide the stability and ensure electrical conductivity. The fastening elements are also cast, which promotes high installation reliability and makes defined location points possible. One employee can handle the mounting even on very large batteries.

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed its own endurance tests so it can evaluate housing seals for traction batteries and verify that their operation is flawless. The process makes it possible to test the seals without using real housings since they are hard to handle due to their size. It uses a hydraulic ram with a frequency of up to 50 hertz to act on a sealed test housing consisting of two halves. This simulates the aerodynamic torsion that occurs in actual driving. A slight overpressure is continually maintained inside the housing so leaks are certain to be detected. The entire test setup is in a climate chamber so the impact of the temperature can be recorded.

“The electric car will prevail,” said Paul Hailey, Vice President of the Gasket Division at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. “But manufacturing large batteries in high volumes is a major challenge for our customers. With our sealing solutions, we are going to help them master this.”