Automotive rubber – Sparking innovation

Demands to improve the performance, range, sustainability and comfort of electric vehicles are driving innovation among makers of automotive parts and their materials suppliers.

The new-mobililty trend is reflected in recent and ongoing R&D projects at Cooper Standard, Celanese, Trelleborg, Dow, Kraiburg TPE and Wevo show.

Setting the scene, Cooper Standard detailed its approach to innovation in the field of air-charged cooler hoses and ducts, which must withstand high temperatures and ensure reliable vehicle engine performance.

The products are designed to maintain steady airflow and minimise pressure losses during the cooling and heating process, addressing in-take demands of modern, advanced air-cooling systems.

“We differentiate ourselves by the way we create CAC hoses, using digital analysis tools to size and fit before the need for a physical part,” said Cooper Standard.

Special formulated, sustainable alternatives can be used to construct these components, without sacrificing durability of the material, added a company statement.

Use of sustainable alternatives and less material can also help to solve common engineering constraints in space, weight, heat and vibration that ultimately can lead to vehicle design improvements.

Lightweighting supports reductions in overall vehicle mass, faster assembly and better thermal insulation of the vehicle, noted Cooper Standard.

Depending on the application, there is flexibility to control the thickness of the fluid component layers, while maintaining a sturdy foundation.

New boots

At the recent K2025 expo in Duesseldorf, Germany, Celanese and Trelleborg presented a newly developed range of ball joint sealing boots based on thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).

The innovation represents a shift from traditional chloroprene rubber (CR) to Celanese’s Hytrel-branded thermoplastic copolyesters (TPCs)…

Read the full ERJ Automotive Rubber feature