Datwyler expanding materials capabilities to support industry shift to e-mobility

Altdorf, Switzerland – Datwyler is expanding its materials capabilities in order to develop sealing technologies that can address the challenges posed by the shift to new mobility .

Project ETEMI - electrically and thermally conductive and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials (ETEMI) – aims to create a material matrix for new mobility applications.

The programme will be backed by "360 degree in-house support – from design and development to testing and industrialisation," said a 15 July Datwyler announcement.

Launched in 2020, the project has a materials-development scope covering conventional elastomers, liquid silicone rubber and thermoplastics.

The Swiss group said the aim of the project is to provide "system critical sealing components with enhanced functionality" to customers diversifying towards hybrid and battery electric vehicles. 

“As the trend towards electrification continues to gather momentum, the ability to conduct electricity and heat, as well as to shield certain components from electromagnetic signals, is increasingly important,” said Luana Lettieri, manager, material development.

With the new project, said Lettieri, Datwyler aims to create “an entirely new category of materials” designed to fulfil “the highest requirements in terms of sealing technology.”

The project ultimately aims to create a material matrix whereby electrical and thermal conductivity and EMI shielding can be coupled and decoupled to suit a wide variety of applications. 

The thermal management of an electric vehicle battery, for instance, could be managed in part by its sealing material.

Meanwhile, EMI shielding could be introduced via sealing technology to safeguard components such as sensors and critical control units from environmental effects as well as electromagnetic interference. 

Electrical conductivity for discharging and antistatic materials is also possible via sealing technology.

Here, Datwyler said, the technology enables the removal of certain components, such as metal conductors, and thus delivering weight reduction benefits. 

“Overall, the key objective is to balance the ability to provide a high-performance seal with the need to meet the many additional requirements arising from electrification,” the Swiss group added.

Datwyler said the ETEMI project had seen its capabilities advance in a number of areas, including the mixing of specialist compounds using in-house mixing equipment and specifically designed mixing programmes.

Furthermore, in-house laboratories have been upgraded to “comprehensively analyse and test new materials,” for stringent regulations required by e-mobility. 

The project enables Datwyler to create, test and analyse a wide range of materials based on emerging new mobility challenges, said Hediyeh Zahabi PhD, manager material development mobility.

Furthermore, the group can tap its industrial capabilities to ensure those materials can move from the laboratory to large scale serial production "quickly and efficiently," she added.

“The project has pushed us as a business to evolve our knowledge as well as our portfolio, ensuring we can continue to work on a co-development basis with our customers,” she concluded.