Putting Hybrid Components to the Test Test Procedure for Durability of Metal Components that Have Been Injection-Overmolded with PPS

摘要

Metal or plastic? Traditionally,many automotive components are made from either one or the other material.But in the field of e-mobility,both materials are increasingly being combined.Electric vehicles consist of many hybrid components that contain metal for the purpose of conducting electricity,but that also have a load-bearing structure made of plastic,which ensures rigidity and electrical insulation(Title figure).A typical example: the busbars in the power converter.Here,electrical conductors made of copper are injection-over-molded with polyphenylene sulfide(PPS),which is particularly well suited for many such e-mobility applications inside the vehicle.A challenge,however,is that the busbars and other electrical components need to become more compact and lighter(Fig.i).To achieve this,the metal conductors must be situated closer together,increasing insulation requirements.At the same time,the power and voltage requirements of the vehicle are increasing,leading to greater temperature swings in the component.These factors pose new and urgent challenges to designers,for example regarding the thermal expansion differences of the load-bearing plastics compared with the metal conductors.