PPS connection ring, PPA crash panzer and PPS 48 volt inverter module honored for excellence in mechanical, thermal and electrical performance, cost-efficient production and sustainability
Three mobility applications injection molded in high-performance specialty polymers from Solvay won The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Central Europe prestigious 2022 Automotive Awards:
• Third place in the New Mobility Category: connection ring insert molded in Ryton® PPS to ensure high dielectric strength and volume resistivity at the connection of the stator windings to the traction motor as well as superior shock resistance and fatigue strength during thermal cycling.
• Third place in the Enabler Category: first-of-its-kind crash panzer module molded in Amodel® PPA to benefit from the outstanding strength-to-weight ratio and design flexibility of the polymer for part consolidation and reliable resistance to high mechanical loads and impact energies in the event of a crash.
• Third place in the Electronical Category: 48 volt inverter module, overmolded with Ryton® PPS combining a thermal expansion coefficient similar to that of the copper inserts in combination with high thermal shock resistance, practically zero water absorption.
“Our high-performance specialty polymers have enabled lightweighting, fuel and cost saving automotive applications for decades, and the innovation story continues as they are helping OEMs to accelerate the transition to e-mobility,” says Georges Houtappel, Executive Vice President Transportation at Solvay. “We congratulate our customers who successfully commercialized these award winning applications by tapping the superior design freedom, performance characteristics and sustainability of our materials compared to incumbent competitors, including metals and thermosets.”
The winners of the 21th SPE Central Europe Automotive Awards demonstrated the broad potential of Solvay's specialty polymers for meeting next-generation challenges of carmakers in terms of mechanical, thermal and electrical requirements. With particular regard to e-mobility, Solvay is constantly working with leading OEMs and Tiers to develop new grades delivering the enhanced property profiles, cost-efficient processability and sustainability for innovative e-motor, power electronics and battery applications. In addition, the company’s PPS and PPA base polymer production in the United States is using 100% renewable energy, supporting customers’ efforts to minimize their scope 3 indirect CO2 emissions.
Amodel® and Ryton® are registered trademarks of Solvay.
More details about Solvay awarded solutions
New Mobility Category Award, 3rd Place
E-Motor Connection ring, designed by General Motors, assembled by LG Magna e-Powertrain (Korea), and insert injection molded by Interplex (CN) in Ryton® R-4-240NA. The connection ring is designed to provide an electrical connection from the stator windings to the EV traction motor, while at the same time maintaining proper electrical isolation in the AC connection assembly. The R-4-240NA grade meets the higher temperature requirements of GM's Hummer and Lyriq EV Motors including maintaining high dielectric strength and volume resistivity at elevated operating temperatures. This specific Ryton® PPS grade was also selected due to its superior resistance to cracking and long-term fatigue performance during thermal cycling (-40°C to 200°C). Additionally, Ryton® PPS offers flexibility in design with insert overmolding due to its improved elongation and excellent knit-line strength.
Enabler technology category Award, 3rd Place
Crash panzer injection molded by Boge (Mexico) in Amodel® AS1145 HS BK. The integrated all-thermoplastic design of the module is the first of its kind and benefits from the outstanding strength-to-weight ratio of the polymer. The component must resist high mechanical loads and impact energies in the event of a car crash. Amodel® PPA also provided the design flexibility needed for optimizing individual sections of the crash panzer to withstand these forces and stresses, while helping the manufacturer reduce weight and assembly costs by consolidating the design to a one-shot module integrating various different sub-components.
Electronical Category Award, 3rd Place
48 volt inverter module from Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) overmolded with Ryton® PPS R-7-190 BL. The complex component integrates various copper inserts, which require faultless adhesion. In addition, the design features sharp edges that permitted no breakage during demolding and validation. The selected Ryton® PPS grade provided the perfect processability for this application, including exceptional weld line strength and a very similar thermal expansion coefficient vs. copper. It also offers a UL94 V0 flammability rating without the addition of any flame retardants, which is important for electrical applications and minimizes the risk of mold plate-out. This combines with the material’s high shock resistance against thermal cycling between 40°C and +200°C) as well as intrinsic chemical stability and limited/zero water absorption especially in contrast to PA-based resins.
