LANXESS is convinced that the boom in electric vehicles (EV) offers a wealth of opportunities to use its Durethan polyamides and Pocan polyesters for charging inlets infrastructure.  

The possibilities gained by these thermoplastic compounds are demonstrated in a new design concept from LANXESS for charging inlets. These charging inlets are installed in battery electric vehicles and accommodate the charging coupler of the external charging station.

“Our approach is aimed at using a modular configuration to get the right material in the right place to meet the complex requirements applicable to the various components with the utmost precision,” explains Gregor Jaschkewitz, Application Developer at the High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit, who devised the design.

“At the same time, a high level of functional integration is intended to make it as easy as possible to assemble the entire unit, which means screwless assembly and minimal components in order to keep costs low,” commented Jaschkewitz. 

The design is the product of collaborative discussions with manufacturers of charging systems and incorporates the experience that LANXESS has already accumulated in numerous charging infrastructure development projects.

O-rings, sealing cords or family seals can be used, for example, as can be employed lip seals manufactured in a two-component injection molding process.

The key elements of this charging inlet design are the front and rear housings, a socket for the connector from the charging station and an actuator. The latter locks the connector in place to prevent it from being accidentally or deliberately pulled out during the charging process. The pin holder is another essential element. It holds the metallic connector pins in place, as well as a printed circuit board (PCB) with cables for charging with direct or alternating current, among others. Particular attention was paid to the design of the pin holder. It positions the cables such that the heat produced during charging is dissipated not only through them but also via the other cables not in use.

Once the cables and contact pins have been placed in the holder and the PCB has been clipped in, all the charging inlet components are put together with the aid of snap fits. The cables are fastened in place under minimum strain so that they cannot become detached in the housing.

LANXESS is currently considering applying the new design to further assemblies of the charging infrastructure – such as the charging plug. The design and materials expertise built up during work on the vehicle charging inlets can be deployed to a large extent here because the requirements are very similar.