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Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has introduced a configurable connector seal concept designed to integrate several electrical, sealing and mechanical functions within modern battery packs.
The approach uses multifunctional cell connector plates for cylindrical, prismatic and pouch cells. The connectors are manufactured from nickel plated or tin plated copper and overmolded with elastomer.
Depending on the battery architecture and technical requirements, different sealing geometries can be integrated directly into the component, including housing seals, cell seals and other protective functions.
Conventional battery pack architectures often use separate components for electrical contacting, sealing, insulation and mechanical guidance.
Freudenberg's connector seal concept combines these functions within a modular component.
According to the company, reducing the number of separate interfaces can shorten tolerance chains, simplify assembly and reduce potential failure points within the battery pack.
The integrated design can also influence installation space and component packaging, areas that are becoming increasingly important as vehicle manufacturers seek more compact battery architectures.
The connector platform can be adapted for cylindrical, prismatic and pouch cells.
This allows the concept to be configured for different battery pack designs without being tied to a single cell format.
Freudenberg states that the approach is also intended to remain applicable across different cell chemistries and future battery architectures.
For electric vehicle manufacturers, this type of modular platform can provide additional flexibility when developing battery packs with different packaging, electrical and sealing requirements.
The elastomer overmolding provides electrical insulation while also allowing sealing functions to be incorporated directly into the cell connector.
This means electrical conductivity, insulation, sealing and mechanical positioning can be considered as part of one integrated component rather than as separate design elements.
The approach can also support damping and protection against environmental influences within the battery pack.
Freudenberg is also applying its Freudenberg Adhesive Clean Technology, or FACT, bonding process to the connector seal concept.
The process is designed to bond elastomer permanently to metallic cell connector surfaces that are typically difficult to bond.
According to Freudenberg, the process eliminates the conventional wet chemical pretreatment normally required before bonding.
This can reduce manufacturing complexity and dependence on additional bonding chemicals while maintaining design flexibility for different connector geometries.
Battery packs used in electric buses and other commercial vehicles must combine electrical performance, mechanical durability, environmental protection and compact packaging within limited installation space.
Integrating contacting, sealing and insulation functions into a single configurable component could help reduce the number of interfaces inside the battery pack and provide greater flexibility during system design.
As electric vehicle battery architectures continue to evolve, multifunctional components such as connector seals may play a larger role in reducing complexity at pack level while supporting different cell formats and system configurations.
