Battery Housings

We set the trend: The demand for lightweight components in electric vehicles is great. Well-known cooperations with know-how suppliers for battery technology are essential for this. As a development partner, OTTO FUCHS is working on solutions that effect battery range positively and at the same time reduce overall weight.

OTTO FUCHS aluminium profiles are used as basis for the battery housing. They have convinced manufacturers for years and they are used where safety is utmost importance.

The OTTO FUCHS battery box concept is based on a two-part housing made of composite profiles. Crash-active structures made of aluminium protect the battery modules, especially in the event of a side crash. Hollow chambers in the bottom of the housing permit optimal integrated active cooling.

Special features:

LEAK-TIGHTNESS
The leak-tightness of a battery housing is one of its substantial properties. In order to guarantee this property over the entire vehicle life, controlled processes and efficient test equipment are required. OTTO FUCHS meets these requirements by using suitable joining techniques and an automated helium leak test which reliably detects minimal deviations from specifications.

TOLERANCES
A process coordinated throughout the entire process chain is required to comply with the tight internal housing tolerances and tolerance adjustments for connection to the vehicle structure. For OTTO FUCHS, this process begins with selecting the optimal alloy for producing low-warping profiles, as well as the patented cold joining technology, which creates a strong, tight and secure connection without thermal influences. Coordinated clamping and testing concepts ensure outstanding results in the next steps.

CRASH
In order to meet the very high demands on the integrity of the battery in the event of a crash, it is necessary to use complex cross-sections of high-performance alloys. OTTO FUCHS meets these demands with materials perfectly matched to the application and a press variety that provides the optimum unit for any geometry. Compliance with OEM-specific material standards is a matter of course here.

CLEANLINESS
The flawless functionality of the electrical components of a battery is enormously important and is based on an extremely high level of cleanliness. Even the smallest impurities can lead to the formation of leakage currents or, in the worst case, short circuits with fatal consequences. In order to safely eliminate these risks, a process-safe strategy for avoiding loose chips, combined with efficient cleaning, is required.