Kautex wins SPE Grand Innovation Award for thermoplastic composite battery enclosure with integrated cooling

Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG (Bonn, Germany), a Textron Inc. company, has received the Grand Innovation Award from the Internationale Gesellschaft für Kunststofftechnik — the International Society for Plastics Technology, SPE Central Europe. The award recognized Kautex for its thermoplastic composite battery cell holder in its Pentatonic Battery Enclosures.

Collaborating with Siebenwurst GmbH & Co., AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, Envalior, and ENGEL, Kautex successfully brought together thermal, plastic and thermoplastic composite engineering to integrate high performance direct cooling into its Pentatonic Battery Enclosures. The process, known as two-phase immersion cooling, enables high heat transfer rates while maximizing temperature homogeneity within the battery pack at optimal battery operating temperature. The battery itself works as an evaporator in a refrigeration process, thus heat loads at high charging rates can be safely and permanently managed by the battery thermal system.

"A deep understanding of battery thermal behavior and its translation into a thermoplastic design - which includes material selection, process, and tooling - was crucial to this project," said Moritz Lipperheide, director research and lead for this project. "We're proud that SPE voted our project the most innovative of all 43 submissions."

This is the second time Kautex has received an SPE Innovation Award for its Pentatonic Battery Enclosures. The first was in 2022 in the Enabler Technology category for its lightweight, thermoplastic composite enclosure made in a one-step molding process. The Automotive Division Award of the Internationale Gesellschaft für Kunststofftechnik, SPE Central Europe, is recognized for the quality of the entrants and its objective evaluation criteria.

About Kautex

Kautex is a Tier One automotive supplier with more than 30 plants in 13 countries. Kautex designs, develops and manufactures traditional and hybrid fuel systems, advanced cleaning solutions for assisted and autonomous driving, engine camshafts and plastic industrial packaging solutions. A pioneer in the design and manufacture of automotive plastic fuel systems, Kautex is expanding its portfolio to offer smart products and data-driven services to customers, including thermoplastic composite and composite-metal hybrid battery systems.

From a lightweight battery system to a hybrid fuel system to autonomous drive vehicle cleaning systems, Kautex is committed to pioneering solutions for the era of new mobility. Kautex employees are part of a global community committed to solving customer needs, leveraging diverse skillsets, making sustainability a differentiator, embracing the diversity that is part of a global, multi-industry leader and creating an environment where employees can build a dynamic career.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems.