Freudenberg sealing technology to protect EV electronics

Weinheim, Germany - Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) has launched a 'busbar overmould” to reliably seal and prevent damage to an electric vehicle’s power electronics.

The technology is also said to reduce assembly-complexity: combining the busbars, seal and guide in a single package, ready for installation on the vehicle assembly line.

Oil-cooled electric motors are commonly employed in various electric vehicles, explained a 12 Sept technical release from the German manufacturer.

To maintain reliable vehicle operations, sensitive power electronics within the inverter must be protected from exposure to motor oil by sealing around the busbar motor/inverter interface.

Additionally, it said, other electrical busbars with rectangular geometries, like those found in immersion cooled batteries and oil pumps, also require sealing along their metallic cables.

However, according to FST, it can be challenging to achieve tight seals with traditional busbars, which are die-cut from copper or aluminium sheets and then bent to shape.

With it new technology, FST applies an elastomeric layer to the rectangular busbar. This bonds "firmly" with the metallic conductor and surrounding plastics later in the manufacturing process.

 A prototype has been manufactured with FKM elastomers, though FST said the sealing material could also be based on vulcanisable elastomers such as AEM, ACM, HNBR, NBR, EPDM, as well as thermoplastic elastomers.