Manufacturing cell-holder for battery pack prototype using high-performance composite flame-retardant material and Laser Sintering technology
Italy-based professional 3D Printing supplier CRP Technology has supported Energica Motor Company in developing and manufacturing of cell pouch frames. The cell frames were manufactured using laser sintering technology, and then tested on battery pack prototypes, both for the racing and the production sides.
Energica’s R&D department constantly carries out research on new cells placed on the market, in order to evaluate their use in industrial production. In this specific case, the study was conducted on pouch cells. In order to carry out the tests required by Energica procedure, the team of engineers at Energica decided to provide each pouch cell with a surrounding case, with the function of support and reinforcement.
To test the battery pack prototype on the road, the casing of each pouch cell had to be manufactured using a high-performance material with excellent mechanical properties and using advanced technology that met Energica’s requirements.
Due to these reasons, Energica has relied on CRP Technology. CRP Technology has opted to use Selective Laser Sintering technology with Windform® FR2, the new material from Windform® TOP-LINE family of high-performance composite material for Additive Manufacturing, which is flame retardant and glass-fiber reinforced.
“Having built functional prototypes of pouch cell casings for various tests, including road tests – states Engineer Franco Cevolini, CTO and VP at CRP Technology – it was clear we should use a material with specific characteristics, namely: polyamide-based material, electrically insulated, stiff, resistant to temperature and flame retardant.”
Windform® FR2 was the clear choice because it is the only material on the market with all these characteristics.
This application has allowed, once again, to highlight the perfect combination of selective laser sintering technology and Windform® composite materials.
Thanks to Windform® FR2, indeed, in a very short time and with excellent and highly promising results in terms of mechanical, electrical and thermal features, it was possible to carry out all the tests on the battery pack prototype and testing protocols required by Energica.
Source: CRP
