Although the electric vehicle (EV) market is growing rapidly, various factors are still holding back consumer adoption. With high initial EV purchase prices being a key concern, battery engineers are constantly seeking ways to design and assemble battery systems more efficiently. At the heart of a battery system lie hundreds to thousands of individual cells, which are either cylindrical, prismatic or pouch in shape. The reliable fixation of these cells is fundamental for EV safety. However, the long curing time of some adhesives can make this assembly step time-consuming and therefore costly. This is especially critical for designs using cylindrical battery cells, which can easily incorporate thousands of individual cells.
Recognizing these commercial and engineering challenges, Henkel and Covestro have combined forces to jointly develop a solution that addresses the efficient assembly of cylindrical battery cells. Covestro, a leader in polymer solutions, developed a UV transparent polycarbonate blend from which thin-walled cell carriers can be injection molded. Henkel leveraged its expertise in adhesive technologies to develop a special adhesive that fixes the cells to the carrier and cures on demand using UV light within five seconds.
During this web-seminar, we will discuss the following topics using an actual OEM case study as a reference:
- How to reduce cycle times and cost by speeding up cell assembly
- How this innovative approach can be scaled up to enable mass production and automation
- The importance of implementing a complete system solution to guarantee material and processing compatibility
About the speakers:
Frank Kerstan, Head of Sales & Business Development e-Mobility Europe, has a background in industrial engineering & management. Prior to joining Henkel 8 years ago, he worked at Porsche in the area of chassis project management.
Steven Daelemans, Market Development Manager e-Mobility EMEA, has a background in industrial engineering & management. He joined Covestro 20 years ago, prior to which he worked at Philips in the area of optical storage.
The session will be moderated by Stephan Hoefer, Global Market Segment Head e-Mobility at Henkel. He joined Henkel 16 years ago, and after occupying several management positions in Functions and Supply Chain, he joined the automotive business team three years ago.