NORMA Group, a global market leader in engineered joining technology, has received an order from a leading battery manufacturer to design and manufacture line systems for thermal management of the batteries in hybrid vehicles. These line systems will be used in the passenger cars of a major international automobile manufacturer. Production of the systems will begin in 2020. By 2024, a total of around 300,000 vehicles will be equipped with line systems from NORMA Group.
“Thermal management is an important topic in the field of electromobility and hybrid drive technologies that include an electrical component,” said Bernd Kleinhens, CEO of NORMA Group. “Thanks to our many years of expertise in fluid handling technology and our strategic focus on the electromobility market, we are in great demand as a development partner for the implementation of electromobility projects.”
NORMA Group’s line systems perform an important interface function in the vehicles. They connect the thermal management line system inside the battery pack with the lines running outside the battery for engine cooling and temperature control in other systems. When the thermal management lines are fed through the battery pack housing, permanent leakage-free operation is essential to ensure that the battery functions properly and operates safely. NORMA Group’s specially developed thermoplastic flanges enable the coolant to be safely supplied and discharged through the battery housing. In this way, the battery cells installed in the battery packs can be optimally tempered. This in turn improves the performance and service life of the batteries. Overall, thermal management makes an important contribution to energy management and thus also influences the range of hybrid vehicles.
Flow-optimized NORMAFLEX corrugated and plain pipes, which are produced using a multilayer process and designed to meet specific customer requirements, are a key component of the thermal management line systems. Quick connectors and VDA sockets ensure a permanently reliable connection of the lines as well as quick and easy installation. RSGU pipe clamps ensure that the lines are securely held to the battery housing.
The line systems will be produced at NORMA Group’s plant in Qingdao, China, and delivered to the customer ready for installation. The NORMA Group plant in Qingdao has been in operation since 2009 and specializes in the manufacture of NORMAFLEX lines and connectors made of thermoplastics.
