Continental Structural Plastics Named PACEpilot Finalist for Multi-Material Battery Enclosure Concept

Auburn Hills, Michigan – April 19, 2021 — Continental Structural Plastics (CSP), a Teijin Group Company, today announced it has been named a finalist in the 2021 Automotive News PACE pilot award for its innovative, multi-material battery enclosure. This award recognizes innovations from suppliers that have reached a working pilot demonstration phase but are not yet commercialized with a contracted sale.

CSP and Teijin’s full-sized, multi-material battery enclosure features a one-piece composite cover and one-piece composite tray with aluminum and steel reinforcements. By molding the cover and the tray each as one piece, CSP has created a system which is easier to seal and can be certified prior to shipment. The company has two patents pending for its innovative box assembly and fastening systems.

The company also developed a mounting frame utilizing a structural foam for energy absorption. This enables a reduced frame thickness and weight, while improving crash performance. Additional benefits of the multi-material battery enclosure include:

• Non-conductive
• Can be molded in complex shapes
• Less complexity in tooling
• High strength
• Dimensional stability
• Mold-in sealing features
• Ability to mold-in shielding, including EMI and RFI protection
• Corrosion resistance
• Reduced tooling cost

All told, the CSP multi-material battery enclosure is 15% lighter than a steel battery box. Although it is equal in weight to an aluminum enclosure, the CSP enclosure offers better temperature resistance than aluminum, especially if the phenolic resin system is used. Additionally, the one-piece design for the tray has no through holes, so no sealing or sealant are required. This not only eliminates the chance of leaks, it reduces overall production costs and complexity.

For 26 years, the Automotive News PACE Awards have heralded the industry’s best commercialized game-changing innovations. The increased tempo of change has been driving vast innovation in processes, products and systems that are through the pilot phase, but have not been brought to market. The PACEpilot Award recognizes these pre-production innovations. Winners will be announced on September 30, 2021.

About Continental Structural Plastics

Continental Structural Plastics, a Teijin Group company, has provided leading-edge technologies in lightweight composite solutions for the automotive, heavy truck, HVAC and construction industries for 50 years. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, CSP provides full-service engineering support, and holds multiple patents covering materials development and manufacturing processes. The company has operations on three continents and more than 4,300 employees. For more information, visit cspplastics.com.

About the Teijin Group

Teijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the areas of environmental value; safety, security and disaster mitigation; and demographic change and increased health consciousness. Its main fields of operation are high-performance fibers such as aramid, carbon fibers & composites, healthcare, films, resin & plastic processing, polyester fibers, products converting and IT. The group has over 170 companies and around 20,000 employees spread out over 20 countries worldwide. It posted consolidated sales of JPY888.6 billion (USD 8.1 billion) and total assets of JPY1020.7 billion (USD 9.3 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019. Please visit www.teijin.com.