The electric motor is the heart of any electric vehicle (EV), whether it’s a battery, fuel cell, hybrid, or plug-in. For the development of safe, efficient, durable and powerful e-motors, BASF offers a unique co-creation partnership to the automotive industry — an extensive portfolio of engineering plastics. The company provides related design and engineering expertise, Ultrasim simulation, and parts testing through the support of serial production of the final application.
Backed by BASF’s deep understanding of e-motor challenges, customers can develop next-generation e-motors while at the same time meeting production targets and market expectations for energy efficiency, recyclability and low product carbon footprint (PCF).
BASF’s broad material offering for e-motor applications can be experienced first-hand at the BASF booth at Chinaplas 2024, Shanghai where a demonstrator of an integrated e-motor and inverter will be exhibited.
As a global partner to automotive suppliers and OEMs, BASF is committed to advancing e-motor development globally while supporting customers locally with R&D, application development and material supply in high, consistent quality. The BASF portfolio for e-motor applications includes tailored plastics for key requirements such as
- EMI shielding
- Long service life
- High-voltage insulation
- Thermal management
- Hydrolysis and chemical resistance
- High mechanical load
- Weight reduction
- Noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) reduction.
The size and the weight of e-engines can be further reduced while fostering functional integration and withstanding harsh environments of higher voltages, elevated temperatures, and aggressive cooling fluids.
This applies to applications such as the housings for motor and inverter, stator/rotor, busbars, IGBTs, high-voltage connectors, components in contact with oils and cooling fluids, magnetic encapsulation, and engine mounts.
All these parts can work reliably and energy-efficiently thanks to BASF’s diverse material classes of engineering plastics, including Ultramid (PA: polyamide), Ultradur (PBT: polybuthylene-terephthalate), Ultrason (PESU/PSU/PPSU: polyarylethersulfones), and Ultramid Advanced (PPA: polyphthalamide).
They are characterized by a broad property profile, covering superior features like good temperature and media resistance, excellent mechanical strength, exact electric compatibility, high purity, and tailored flame retardance.
The compounds are available in different colors, from colorless to orange and laser-markable black, with short-glass, long-glass or mineral fiber reinforcement, and with various heat stabilizers. The BASF high-performance thermoplastics for e-motor parts can be easily processed in injection molding, so that no post-processing is needed. They’re weldable and offer a high freedom of part design for different construction needs.
Filed Under: Electric Motor, Technology News