Value-Added Services You Should Expect
To stay ahead of change and select the right materials for EV applications, design and release engineers need to understand and verify material performance and capabilities. Reading and understanding a technical data sheet (TDS) is only the first step. The second step involves ensuring the product can meet specific application requirements, internal material standards or other guidelines. Understanding and leveraging value-added services that material suppliers can provide helps find optimal solutions and develop new ideas where the ordinary isn’t enough.
To better understand the types of value-added services, we interviewed Patricia Adame, Senior Applications Engineer for Automotive and Electric Vehicles at Saint-Gobain®.
In terms of solutions for EV battery packs, can you share specifically what materials Tape Solutions offers?
Meeting both performance and safety expectations for electric battery pack protection, the Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions product portfolio consists of trusted solutions for thermal interface and thermal runaway protection, compression pads, pack seals and cushioning pads.
Based on your experience, what are some key value-added services that material suppliers can provide to optimise the material selection process for EV applications?
Customers should always be on the lookout for suppliers that are willing and able to provide four main services. These include:
- Material Technology: Suppliers should have dedicated R&D teams that have the knowledge and capability to support the application engineering team with the selection of off-the-shelf solutions and materials that best meet customer requirements.
- Product Customisation: In a scenario where a critical property required by a customer is not being met by a current solution, suppliers should not only be willing to understand the details of the application and provide expertise, but also have a dedicated R&D team to help customise existing solutions or innovate material technologies to create unique solutions specific to customer needs.
- Testing Capabilities: Suppliers should understand the differences between test methods and should choose the appropriate test method for the material that is being proposed for a specific application.
- Simulation Capabilities: A variety of simulation software focused on thermal management, thermal runaway protection and mechanical swelling is available in the market. Customers can work with suppliers to define the critical and minimum properties to be simulated and obtain representative data in order to choose the best material for optimising the thermal distribution inside the modules and/or battery packs.
How does Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions consider the voice of the customer to provide recommendations, customise or innovate new solutions?
Tape Solutions has the expertise to determine precisely how much a property of a material can be customised without compromising overall performance. And, when modifications to existing products are not effective, we involve our R&D team to develop new, innovative solutions. The R&D team can also assist in resolving supply chain issues by recommending alternative materials to use. All of this support is available to our customers at both local and global levels to better serve them at their supply base.
Many new products and innovations arise because of our customers. For example, if you look at our Norseal® polyurethane materials for compression pads, the PF27 and PF47 Series have been on the market for some time, but after discussions with a customer, we also developed a PF100 material. PF100 was created because the customer required a material with a flatter CFD curve. Another example is the recent launch of PS-V0, a polyurethane-based foam that is V-0 rated against UL94 for flame resistance. While most of our polyurethane foams are rated for HBF, this one was specifically designed to achieve higher flame resistance based on customer and market demands.
It is well known that thermal runaway is a phenomenon that the EV industry is seeking to mitigate. Can you discuss the role simulation can play in helping to address this issue?
As battery chemistries continue to evolve, mitigating propagation to adjacent cells is crucial, and simulation proves invaluable in guiding engineers on material selection prior to physical validation. A simulation helps to understand the thermal and mechanical behaviour of the cells based on identified minimum input data. It also provides flexibility to adjust material properties such as type, thickness, position, and geometry to compare material performance. A simulation can measure the time from the onset of the thermal runaway event to the final breakdown, helping to identify materials that comply with regulations for thermal runaway events and determine a solution that offers the necessary protection.
What is your key takeaway regarding leveraging supplier value-added services?
Collaborating directly with suppliers can provide valuable feedback on how a product’s properties and functionality may influence the behaviour and performance of your specific project. Furthermore, it creates opportunities for product customisation, co-development, and even optimisation of the assembly process.
Suppliers must deliver technical expertise and know-how through value-added benefits and services that also provide actionable, real-world, application feedback. At Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions, we are staying attuned to the latest innovations and potential challenges of electric vehicle development, battery storage, and energy distribution. We invite you to learn more about our portfolio of trusted products, designed to improve the performance, safety, and longevity of your electric vehicles.