Electric Motor Insulation and Protection with Skived PTFE Films
Electric mobility is soaring, and electric motors are becoming the focus for many applications, both large and small. The global market for electric motors is expected to grow rapidly, and with that comes the need for stronger components to protect electric motors from damage. Engineers around the world are working on innovative developments to meet the demands of various industries for electric motors with maximum performance, improved durability, and reduced costs to revolutionise future mobility.
As the demand for ever-increasing performance grows, the stress and loads on electric motors are also rising, necessitating robust components to safeguard the motor and its parts.
In this article, let us explore how the superhero-like abilities of skived PTFE films can save the day and provide the essential protection for your electric motors with Jan Kupzig, Application Engineer Films, Saint-Gobain® Tape Solutions. Discover how skived films can be the knight in shining armour for your electric motor insulation needs.
Skived PTFE films are ultra-thin materials that are manufactured from pressed and sintered resin billets rotating against a static knife. These films offer a unique combination of properties, including high temperature resistance, chemical inertness, low friction, and exceptional dielectric strength, making them ideal for demanding applications in harsh environments such as high-end electric motors.
Due to special surface activation processes, these non-stick skived PTFE films can be made bondable for facilitated use in food, medical, aerospace or industrial applications. These films combine various superpowers like outstanding material properties, ultra-thin thicknesses and the option to customise for specific application needs. They are unlike any other materials in this regard. That is why they can be considered as material superheroes.
Especially with the change in mobility to electric vehicles and the ever-increasing demand for maximum e-motor performance, skived PTFE films play an important role in protecting electric motor components. Let us dive deeper into how these small parts can impact electric motor design and performance.
Especially with the shift in mobility towards electric vehicles and the ever-growing demand for maximum e-motor performance, skived PTFE films play a vital role in protecting electric motor components. Let us delve deeper into how these small parts can influence electric motor design and performance.
Jan, what different types of damage can occur to an e-motor if not properly protected?
The main challenge is to prevent a short circuit in the electric motor. Nobody wants their car to break down, especially not on a holiday trip, on the motorway, or during an overtaking manoeuvre, where the engine’s reliability is crucial. Therefore, reliability and trust are fundamental to the use of our film.
Moreover, a short circuit can lead to anything from a blown fuse to engine damage or even a fire. As such, the film not only protects the car and its components but also the driver and all passengers.
How can skived films provide the necessary protection and insulation for electric motors?
PTFE as a material is renowned for its excellent insulating properties. In the case of electric motors, tracking resistance (Comparative Tracking Index, CTI) is particularly significant. These are leakage currents that could flow from one point to another on the surface of the films and cause a short circuit. Our PTFE films prevent this due to their exceptional insulation properties and by offering the highest CTI value of over 600V.
Jan, please tell us more about their use in high-performance electric motors.
Particularly with high-performance motors, which are often operated at 800V, a high CTI is essential. This is where the strengths of PTFE films truly shine, enabling the combination of safety and reliability with enhanced performance and faster charging times. Engineers worldwide face the challenge of reducing the weight and size of high-end electric motors to achieve maximum power density. This increases the stress on materials and components, necessitating protection and insulation under extreme conditions. Skived PTFE films can be the key to success for such high-end applications, such as in 800V motors, due to their unmatched combination of properties.
How can skived films be customised to meet specific e-motor insulation and protection needs?
Saint-Gobain Norgard™ Skived PTFE Films are bespoke products that can be tailored to meet customers’ or application-specific requirements. This can be achieved, for instance, by adjusting the film thickness to enhance or reduce its insulation properties. The width of the film can also be customised directly for the processing steps. The specialised surface activation technology used for our Norgard products is regarded as the best on the market, offering significant advantages over less effective sodium-naphthalene treatments.
The technology we use penetrates the deepest, lasts the longest, and provides the strongest surface activation. Other benefits of this technology include the fact that the final products are odourless, and our etched PTFE film is also food-grade compliant, having received FDA and EU1935/2004 certifications from external laboratories.
— Jan Kupzig, Application Engineer Films
This surface activation enables PTFE films to be bonded to the customer’s materials, ensuring optimal performance of the laminate for customer-specific applications and tailored to their requirements. Specifically for electric motor applications, we collaborate closely with motor designers to understand their needs and to push the boundaries of what is currently achievable — together.
Next time you think you need a superhero to solve your toughest thermal, chemical, friction or electric insulation challenges, skived PTFE films may be the ones to call.
Their ultimate protection and insulation properties are designed to perform where other materials are beyond their limits. Contact our team of tape experts today and see which specific product from our portfolio can become the saviour for your electric motor insulation and protection projects.