Kromberg & Schubert use aluminum and liquid silicone rubber for lightweight battery cables.
German wiring manufacturer Kromberg & Schubert has developed a new, lightweight battery cable. The high-amp cable is made of aluminum and could help automotive engineers shave some precious pounds from their vehicle designs.
Aluminum Engineering
Typical automotive wiring is made of copper, even though aluminum is both lighter and cheaper. The reason aluminum has been shunned thus far is that it presents some tricky design challenges. For example, connection points can see electrical-chemical corrosion in the presence of humidity.
Kromberg & Schubert addressed this challenge using self-bonding liquid silicone rubber (LSR). The LSR is intended to seal the sensitive connection between the aluminum wire and the tin-coated battery terminal, protecting the connection from humidity and thus preventing corrosion.
In order to test the design, Kromberg & Schubert teamed up with Momentive Performance Materials to evaluate the most efficient LSR solution. They settled on Momentive’s Silopren LSR 2740, which can withstand temperatures ranging from -40 to 150 ˚C (-40 to 302 F), along with high humidity, fluids, vibration and mechanical stresses. Silopren LSR 2740 is self-bonding and has a hardness of 40 Shore A.
Reducing Weight to Reduce Emissions
Since vehicle weight is directly tied to fuel consumption, any step to reduce the weight of a vehicle is a point in its fuel economy’s favor. The new lightweight battery cables provide a new way to help automotive engineers achieve this goal.
“Our new concept for aluminum cables challenged know-how in material properties and manufacturing processes to provide the best function and performance under harsh environmental conditions,” said Daniel Bechstein of Kromberg & Schubert. “We are very happy about the fast market adoption of our innovative solution.”
To zoom out from battery cables and learn about a whole new vehicle, check out New Global Auto Brand Seeks to Change Vehicle Ownership Model.
