48-volt battery systems support the combustion engine and are designed to reduce consumption. Unlike plug-in hybrids, they cannot be charged by cable, but store the energy generated during braking. It is predicted that by 2025, around 20 percent of all new cars sold worldwide will have a 48-volt system on board. A machine solution with fast mold change is the ideal solution here. Short cycle time, high flexibility, safe and clean high-strength connections!
bdtronic has developed a solution for a leading automotive supplier to manufacture battery control units in constructively different variants. The products have rivet pins with partly different rivet geometries and number of rivet pins, and different joining partners on different levels. This also requires different process tools with different process parameters.
A printed circuit board and, at the same time, the cell connectors and busbars are riveted to a frame made of semi-crystalline material. A pull-off strength of over 100N was defined for each rivet pin, and the pull-off tests at the bdtronic Technology Center showed pull-off values of up to 540N from rivet pins produced using the BHS HOT AIR® heat staking processes.
As a proven partner for many years, bdtronic has already discussed and tested the feasibility and process-specific aspects during the development and design phase of new products. Thus, even before design freeze, influence can be exerted on the component design with regard to process requirements and machine solution to enable safe feasibility in the shortest possible cycle time and a lean cost-efficient machine concept.
The result is an inline solution with maximum process monitoring - each rivet pin per component is individually monitored -, database connection for process data communication for traceability, integrated rivet result inspection. A component is produced every 15 seconds. Special requests from the customer regarding process technology, process control and machine design are discussed and can be implemented.
