46 their lower grip, like flipping covers or protecting assemblies from cold,” Valverde explains, adding that EVBond 775 eliminates such inefficiencies, offering an “aggressive, universal tack” that is suitable for various substrates, including mica, metals, plastics and ceramics. The adhesive supports costefficiency by enabling manufacturers to use less material. Its robust bond strength allows for transport under extreme conditions without performance degradation. EVBond 775’s moisture-curing property ensures complete cross-linking, even in low-humidity environments, without requiring special climate control. The adhesive has also been used successfully in thermally conductive applications, such as attaching cylindrical cells to cooling ribbons. Its thin, highly wettable application layer enhances thermal dissipation. As a one-component system, the company says EVBond 775 simplifies equipment needs, reducing maintenance and setup complexity, promising faster production cycles and significant cost savings. ODU highlighted its range of tolerance-compensating, highvoltage connectors for EV powertrain components. Tolerance compensation is increasingly important in many areas of the powertrain, particularly between e-motors and inverters, as integrators and OEMs seek to produce safer, more reliable connections more quickly. ODU Automotive’s James Kruzich says: “Busbars from the e-motor to inverter always have slight misalignments because of their rigid construction and tolerances in assembly”. The inherent stiffness of busbars prevents them from compensating for any misalignments, making innovative connector solutions essential. ODU addresses this problem with its Lamtac Flex connector, which offers up to ±1 mm tolerance compensation in any direction. This design eliminates the need for traditional, bolted connections, reducing labour and assembly complexity. By avoiding bolted joints, manufacturers can save space and minimise risks such as dropped bolt nuts, which can disrupt assembly or maintenance. Furthermore, ODU highlights that “there are no additional covers or labour associated with bolting these down”, Kruzich says. Tolerance compensation is achieved through multiple innovative methods. ODU’s solutions include flexible pins, as used in the Lamtac Flex connector and Lamtac Float socket, which accommodate small misalignments. Both systems are capable of compensating for up to ±1 mm in any direction and they are available in contact sizes ranging from 5-20 mm. Another method uses flexible busbars to manage alignment discrepancies. The time and cost savings provided by these solutions are significant. By eliminating the need for bolting and reducing assembly complexity, they can be put together “much faster”. Additionally, the lack of bolts ensures high-voltage connections are secure against loosening as a result of vibration. ODU’s tolerance-compensating connectors are often used in battery management system (BMS) connections, as well as the motor-toinverter interface. Lubrizol told us about its efforts to revolutionise battery cooling with its Evogen dielectric thermal-management fluids, which can be used in cooling applications such as immersion cooling. Unlike traditional, indirect cooling methods, which rely on cold plates, ribbons and water-glycol solutions, immersion cooling submerges batteries directly into a non-conductive fluid, dramatically improving heat dissipation and safety, according to Lubrizol’s Binbin Guo. “Immersion cooling allows more surface contact between the source of heat and the cooling fluid, ensuring better heat-transfer performance compared with indirect cooling systems,” she says. This method can simplify system architecture by eliminating the thermal interface materials commonly used for indirect cooling, offering efficiency and design simplicity, Guo says. The key is the dielectric fluid; a non-conductive and insulating medium that interacts safely with battery components. Guo says this design enhances cooling performance and also helps prevent potentially catastrophic events such as thermal runaway. “Thermal runaway can occur due to various factors, including degradation, manufacturing defects or abuse,” she says. “Our fluids minimise the impact, as demonstrated in third-party nailpenetration and thermal abuse tests.” January/February 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering ODU Automotive’s Lamtac Flex tolerance-compensating, high-voltage connector (Image courtesy of ODU Automotive)
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