14
THE TECH
(^)
Magnet wire manufacturer Essex, a supplier of motor
wiring for EVs like the Nissan LEAF, has introduced a
high-temperature insulation for the windings of traction
motors used in hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs.
Essex’s EnduroTemp 260+ is a thin-film insulation
with a 265° C thermal endurance. It’s designed to extend
the life of traction motors by, in part, protecting them
from deterioration caused by modern power electronics.
The company explains that, as EV manufacturers
continually seek to increase EV efficiency and the per-
formance requirements of traction motors and genera-
tors, motor deterioration is increasing. The increasing
standards force designers to use power electronic speed
controls with higher voltages and faster switching fre-
quencies, which puts stress on the windings of a motor.
EnduroTemp 260+ is meant to protect motor windings
against this deterioration.
The insulation was developed at Essex’s MagForceX
Innovation Center, where the company researches
technologies that impact magnet wire, including thermo-
sets, thermoplastics, and additives, as well as conductor
processing and fabrication processes.
Essex VP Matthew Leach said the product is the latest
in a line of development for the EV market. “Enduro-
Temp 260+ is the very type of disruptive technology that
we are looking to develop to help the magnet wire indus-
try continue to evolve,” he said. “Being able to increase
the temperature threshold without sacrificing perfor-
mance – in fact, helping to increase it – is something that
is very exciting for our team.”
Voltaiq, a battery software platform company, has
released an industry survey, Preparing for The Electri-
fication Tsunami, that examines some of the challenges
battery manufacturers, suppliers, and integrators cur-
rently face.
Conducted in Q1 2019, the survey polled battery cell
producers, battery pack and component developers,
academic and national labs, and companies involved
in transportation, consumer electronics, and energy
storage.
When asked to name the biggest concern regarding
their most recent battery project, the number one answer
- given by nearly 35% of respondents – was time to
market. When asked to note the biggest bottlenecks in
their workflow, respondents’ answers fell into three main
categories:- Scarcity of expertise and resources: Nearly 40% of
respondents cited a shortage of battery engineers as
a constraint on their development work. More than
44% of respondents noted that there were insuffi-
cient resources for the number of battery projects
underway. - Time-consuming evaluations: Nearly 27% of
respondents listed the amount of time required to
estimate battery life as a key bottleneck. Nearly the
same number – just over 25% – said there were too
many battery vendors to evaluate, while more than
20% said there were too many battery materials to
evaluate. - Data challenges: Survey participants also high-
lighted their difficulties working with battery data.
More than 22% cited the challenge presented by data
silos: information they needed was out there, but not
readily available to their team. Another 17% noted
problems with data quality: the required data was
often messy, inconsistent, or hard to use.
- Scarcity of expertise and resources: Nearly 40% of
Essex creates EnduroTemp
high-temp winding insulation
for EV motors
Survey finds biggest concern
in EV battery industry is time
to market
Image courtesy of Essex