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• New battery bracket with thermoplastic composite design made from LANXESS’ Tepex;
• High strength under sustained dynamic stress;
• Functional integration means less work required for installation and logistics;
• No risk of short circuit, unlike metal alternatives.
One such example is a bracket for a battery that supplies electricity to the highly automated driver assistance system “Intelligent Drive” in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the event of a sudden power failure. The bow-shaped bracket is made by Poeppelmann Kunststoff-Technik GmbH & Co. KG located in Lohne, Germany, on the basis of the polypropylene-based Tepex dynalite 104-RGUD600(4)/47%. The manufacturing method is a two-stage process combining forming (draping) of the composite with injection molding. “The composite design means that the finished product can be as much as 40 percent lighter than a version made from metal,” says Joachim Schrapp, an expert in lightweight design at Poeppelmann. “The injection molding step also enables functions to be integrated that not only make it much easier to install the bracket but also cut down on the logistical workload. All this has a beneficial effect on manufacturing costs.”
Optimized distribution of forces
The bracket’s job is to hold the battery which weighs around 10 kilograms firmly in place in the rear compartment of the vehicle by clamping alone, even when subjected to the considerable acceleration forces that occur in a collision. The bracket is designed to ensure that most of the forces are transferred from the points of application via the continuous glass fibers of the composite material. This makes the most of the excellent strength and stiffness provided by the Tepex blank. “The advantage of our composite is that unlike fiber-reinforced injection-molded compounds, for example, it does not suffer creep under high sustained stresses and therefore does not deform. This ensures that the battery is held in place permanently,” says Philipp Maas, sales & project manager for Tepex at LANXESS. The blank also boasts a high degree of fatigue strength, which ensures that the material does not become brittle and crack over time as a result of frequent or heavy vibrations such as those caused by potholes.
Control units clipped in
The functions integrated in the bracket during the injection molding stage include guides for cables as well as mounts and fasteners for two control units. Schrapp: “These two pieces of equipment are simply clipped into place during installation, so you don’t have to spend time screwing them in.”
A strong material bond
The polypropylene matrix of the Tepex material is reinforced with four layers of continuous glass fibers, most of them arranged in one direction. The injection-molded compound, which is reinforced with short glass fibers, is also polypropylene-based. “Since the bonding matrix and the injection-molded material match, this creates a very strong bond between them. Coupled with the high specific stiffness of the composite, this leads to gains in both strength and stiffness,” says Maas.
Corrosion-resistant and electrically insulating
Another benefit of the composite semi-finished product is that it is resistant to corrosion, which makes transportation and storage easier than would be the case for metal coils. The electrical characteristics of the structural material also play a key role. “It is electrically insulating to the body and the metal components of the battery, which significantly reduces the risk of short circuits. A component made from metal, however, would require additional measures to protect against short circuits,” says Schrapp.
About LANXESS
LANXESS (lanxess.com) is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.8 billion in 2019. The company currently has about 14,400 employees in 33 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics.
Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accepts any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.
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michael.fahrig[.]lanxess.com 
